Cantaloop – US3

The first time I came across this song was at a Santana concert in 1994, it was playing in the bar before the concert started. Everyone was having a few beers and a good time, this song really added to the party atmosphere.., this and a few others… and the beer.

It samples the Herbie Hancock song Cantaloop Island, add to that some rapping (although there’s no rapping on this version) and some funky jazz trumpet playing and you end up with a great piece of music. It was on an album called Hand on the Torch which was produced by Blue Note Records, it was Blue Note’s first platinum selling album.

It’s one of those songs that’s had many different mixes, some better than others, but the version I’m posting here is my favourite mix of the song, it’s the instrumental version… the one I heard at the Santana concert. It’s a great party song, very up beat and features more of that wonderful trumpet.., played by the English jazz trumpeter Gerard Presencer.., very classy.

This one ranks very highly in the desert island collection, music to get you in a good mood and put a smile on your face. It’s still a very popular song and is used on lots of TV stuff, a song that everyone knows… and it’s brilliant, especially at getting you in the mood for a concert as I remember.

Curved Air – Back Street Luv

This song was released in 1971 and reached number four in the UK charts, it’s not a song that you hear played much these days but it’s still brilliant after all these years.

It was the biggest hit record that Curved Air had…, great name for a band, though. They fused rock, electronic and classical music together to produce some great music. The band line up changed quite a bit over the years but the singer, Sonja Kristina, was the ever present throughout all their recordings.

I love playing this song, it still sounds good… doesn’t sound dated to me. It just needs to be played with the volume up as far as I’m concerened, you can’t play rock music on a low volume… it’s pointless.

I’ve not posted anything for a few days because I’ve been busy, and I’ve been watching the Euro 2008 Football Championships… now there is something I’d miss on a desert island, all the summer sport on TV. Football tournaments, the Tour de France, and this year the Olympic Games…, I really would miss not being able to watch all that. So it’s a good job I’d have the trusty old laptop, stuffed full of music to keep me entertained as I potter around my shack and brewing my coconut vodka… have to get your priorities in the right order. A few cups of tuba and some solo freaky dancing on the beach by the fire on an evening, with the soundtrack provided by Curved Air…