Robin Trower – “Bridge of Sighs” (TV – 1974)
Taken from “The Old Grey Whistle Test” in 1974…
George Duke – “Reach For It” (1977)
Funk-jazz keyboardist extraordinaire and former Frank Zappa sideman George Duke doing his great funk hit from 1977. Taken from the album of the same name. Sampled by many rappers over the years, this song still sounds great.
Parlet – “Help From My Friends” (1979)
Female proteges of George Clinton. This trio released a few albums in the late 70s and had some minor success on the R&B charts. This song is from their third album Play Me or Trade Me and features great drumming by co-writer Tyrone Lampkin.
The Three O’Clock – “Neon Telephone” (1988)
This was a 60s-styled pop band who made a few albums during the so-called “paisely underground” neo-psychedelic revival of the early 80s, before joining the Paisley Park stable of artists later in the decade.
Prince wrote this rock song for them (under the name Joey Coco), in the hopes of exposing them to a wider audience. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. The track wasn’t catchy enough but interesting though. It was released from their sole Paisley Park album Vermillion. It spelled the end of their career soon afterwards.
(Note: audio only)
Frank Sinatra – “A Man and His Music” (1965 – Part 2)
More of A Man and His Music (the first of 3 TV specials Sinatra did in the mid-60s)
“Nancy (With the Laughing Face)”
“My Kind of Town”
(More to come soon…)
Mazarati – “100 MPH” (1986)
This is the band that backed Prince on the song “Kiss” – they released an album on Paisley Park Records. This was the only song Prince wrote & produced for it. Very funky. It was a minor hit – now long forgotten.
Dez Dickerson & the Modernaires – “Modernaire” (1984)
Former Revolution guitarist Dez Dickerson w/ his own band, after he left the Prince stable. This song did appear in Purple Rain though. Very hard to find these days. A rocking funk track – heavy on guitar. Definitely shows a Prince influence. I think Prince even had something to do with the song, but I’m not sure in what capacity.
It never actually came out as a single back then. Prince’s managers were trying to help Dickerson get a contract with Warner Brothers but Warners kept screwing up the release of the single. I think it only came out “officially” this year.
Iron Maiden – “2 Minutes to Midnight” (Live – 1985)
Taken from Live After Death….the classic lineup…
John Coltrane – “My Favorite Things” (Live – 1961)
Live in Baden-Baden, Germany 1961…
The Beat Patrol 