Disco

Today’s Track: Manu Dibango – “Soul Makossa”

July 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Talk about The Lion King, this one is The Founder Of Funk! It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Soul Makossa” (Released in 1972) (via Fiesta Records (France) and Atlantic Records (USA))

Where are you, Sun? Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Manu Dibango was a Cameroonian musician and songwriter who played both the Saxophone and Vibraphone, and he was born to a father of the Yabassi ethnic tribe, and to a mother of the Duala group. Manu Dibango developed his own unique style of music, covering a vast spectrum of traditional African roots music – and he fused them together with a cohesive range of genres – such as Jazz, Afrobeat, Salsa, Samba, Gospel, Reggae and Blues. His biggest hit was 1972’s “Soul Mokassa”. The name is very self-explanatory, it’s simply a fusion of Soul and “Mokassa” – an Urban Cameroonian style of Jazz that blends prominent use of Brass sections with electric Bass rhythms. The refrain has been sampled by Michael Jackson and Rihanna, and the single was a huge influence on Kool & The Gang. It also led Dibango to frequent collaborations with the legendary Fela Kuti. An interesting fact about this track is that only few copies were ever printed, and after widespread airplay on WBLS (the then-most popular Black radio station in the US), over 20 cover versions were recorded by different groups to capitalize on the high, but limited, demand. Sadly, we lost Manu Dibango on 24th March, 2020 after he caught COVID-19, whilst living in France. Let’s get lost in the sounds of “Soul Makossa” below.

Undoubtedly driven by it’s very Saxophone-based grooves, many have claimed “Soul Makossa” to be the very first, true Disco record. There are no traditionally written lyrics to really speak of, but there is a prominent use of Lead Vocals. Manu Dibango’s claim to fame was the “Mamma ko, Mamma ka” rhythm pattern that gets scattered throughout the track, and the “Ma-mako, Ma-ma-Sa, Mako-Make Ssa” choral refrain that played a massive factor in defining the significant sound of a “Disco” record. The vocal refrain gets repeated by a choir in the backing vocals, but the instrumentation clearly has an even more lasting effect. Dibango plays beautifully on the Saxophone, and he is a great arranger. The track gradually adds layer upon layer of bright, warm Saxophone riffs. These are very upbeat and cheerful in tone, but it’s not so much of an uplifting pop sound, as there’s noticeably a tight edge of Jazz in the loose Vibraphone sections and the Congolese rumba sounds, wrapped in ensemble Conga drum patterns and ongoing, mid-tempo Trumpet shifts. He also mixes the catchy vocal patterns together with the key shifts between major and minor, to add new elements of Afrobeat and Ska to the persisting, recurring Brass-centric patterns. This is delightfully repetitive and breezy, with a summery warmth that makes it sound like the musical equivalent of grabbing a can of San Pellegrino (I assure you, this is not sponsored) on a scorching hot day, and just necking it down. Rest In Peace, old friend!

  • Pictured: Manu Dibango playing a live set at an undisclosed music festival (in 2014) (Photo via Wikicommons)

Thank you very much for reading this post! As always, I will be back tomorrow for our first-part (of two) look at the brand new double single by an indie Dream-Pop group from Lund, a city in the South-West province of Sweden. They’ve often been compared to The Postal Service, and the group got their brodcast-related name from a local petrol-station-turned-radio-station-turned-repair shop called “Radioavdelningen”, and giving you the rough translation will ruin the suprise I’ve given to you from these clues! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Thundercat – “Funny Thing”

July 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

The lady who shouts “Thundercat” on The Undateables would love it! New post time!

  • Pictured: Thundercat (Stephen Lee Bruner) performing at the 02 ABC, Glasgow (2017) (via WikiMedia Commons)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I am writing about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! For today’s track, Thundercat is obviously not their real name. It is, indeed, the stage name used by Stephen Lee Bruner – a Funk, R&B and Soul singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California – who adopted the name as a tribute to his love for anything Geek culture-related, such as his love for 1980’s cartoons and the Japanese Manga/Anime franchise Dragonball. It’s all a part of his brand! His fourth studio album, “It Is What It Is”, was released earlier this year, and it is dedicated to rapper Mac Miller, who sadly died aged 26 in 2018, as you might know. Bruner produced his new record with Flying Lotus, and it features guest appearances from Childish Gambino, Kamasi Washington, Ty Dolla $ign, and many others. A single that grabbed my attention from the album, while listening to BBC Radio 6Music in the daytime, was “Funny Thing”. Let’s have a listen to “Funny Thing” with its video below.

Just shy of two minutes long, Thundercat could have a potentially big hit on his hands if he allows the bouncy electronic drum grooves and the celestial synths of “Funny Thing” to swell. Bruner uses a playful fusion of old-school Funk, Soul and R&B, with a modern synth-led instrumental twist, to detail a romantic moment as a dancehall-like, drug-infused love party nears toward it’s end. There’s a cheeky idiocy in all of his lyrics: “Someone hold my phone/Cause’ I can’t hold my tongue” and “Then I’m gonna ruin the fun/ that’s not your problem because I’ve seen to much baby, Sorry if I get a little PTSD”, as Bruner delivers the honeyed vocals, layered above the backdrop of a bouncy, stomping bass line and a skittering drum loop to create the wonky, synth-soul sensibility. In the chorus, he intonely warbles “I just want to party with you tonight, because you make everything alright” over a soft, lo-fi keyboard riff. The visual aesthetic is vintage Funk-Soul and animated, and the sonic direction is rickety and psychedelic, but I also find there to be a sadness to the track as well. The synth lines are mid-tempo and downbeat, with an expressive vocal delivery that makes me feel like Bruner could also be lamenting a failed relationship or an unstable life decision at the party. It sounds intimate, and the poignant Falsetto lyric delivery is what makes this track stand out for more than it’s playfulness and it’s quirky humour. It’s a very old-fashioned sound which harkens back to the thematic racial unity of Funk and Jazz in the 1960’s and 70’s, and it’s more appealing to mature listeners than a teenage audience. The contemporary lick of synth makes it compulsively listenable.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “It Is What It Is” (Released on April 3rd, 2020) (via Brainfeeder Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at the new track from an emerging female solo artist, who I have covered and positively reviewed beforehand, whose last music video was co-directed by Loyle Carner, and she landed a spot on the BBC’s Sound Of 2020 poll. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Khruangbin – “So We Won’t Forget”

May 20, 2020 — 1 Comment

I say that to myself every day in pretty much any situation. It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Mortdechai” (Available to buy from June 26th, 2020) (via Night Time Stories)

Good evening, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! (Yeah… that even means Christmas!). I’ve written a couple of posts about Khruangbin before because I am a huge fan of the Houston, Texas Trio – who create an upbeat and gorgeous World sound through their unique mixing of Neo-Soul, Jamaican Dub and Tropicalia influences, who are releasing new singles in the build to their upcoming follow-up album to 2018’s debut “Con Todo El Mundo” and 2020’s “Texas Sun” collaboration EP with Leon Bridges. The album, currently set for release on June 26th via the Night Time Stories label, is called “Mortdechai” and sees an enhanced focus on prominent vocal spots by vocalist Laura Lee and guitarist Mark Speer, a first for the band. Last month’s “Time (You and I)” saw Khruangbin retain their usual formula but go for a more disco-inspired release, a single which really blew my socks off. On Tuesday, they dropped “So We Won’t Forget”, a more laidback and mellow cut from the upcoming record. Will my socks stay on by the end of the track this time? It’s time to find out! Let’s have a listen to “So We Won’t Forget” below.

The bunny on the bike has the power to turn that frown upside down… and so does the track. “So We Won’t Forget” is a smooth glide through sun-glazed funk grooves and globally influenced syncopated guitar riffs which reflect their strong, acoustic rock guitar sound. Laura Lee chimes, under a Falsetto: “One to remember/I’m writing it down now/So we won’t forget”, layered on top of a bright, soothing guitar melody and light-stepping drum percussion. Less instruments are used on “So We Won’t Forget” than “Time (You and I)”, but it doesn’t change the mellow production style or detract from the warm, honeyed Jazz sensibilities that made their previous single such an effective source of relaxing transportation. The chorus refrain goes: “Never enough paper/Never enough letters/So we won”t forget”, delivered over the top of an Earthly bass guitar riff and a Mediterranean-esque keyboard riff, both of which keep getting repeated in a Dubbed style for good effect. Later on, the band chant: “Call me what you want/Call me what you need/Words don’t have to say/Keep it to myself” following the interlude of an acoustic breakdown. The vocals are prominent, but they feel minimal underneath the instrumental-led, guitar-driven rock sound. It sounds very familiar for existing fans of Khruangbin, but that’s not a bad thing, because the instrumentation is beautiful and it simply doesn’t need to evolve very much at this point. The end result is a track that sounds majestic… and I’m not wearing any socks!

  • Pictured: Laura Lee (Bass Guitar/Vocals), Mark Speer (Lead Guitar) and Donald Johnson (Drums) (2018) (via PR)

As mentioned, I have previously covered a few Khruangbin tracks on the blog before! If you missed out on “Time (You and I)”, you can peruse the link here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/02/todays-track-khruangbin-time-you-and-i/, you can read my thoughts on “Texas Sun” with Leon Bridges here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/06/todays-track-khruangbin-feat-leon-bridges-texas-sun/, or get in the festive spirit with their cover of “Christmas Time Is Here”… Well, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/13/todays-track-khruangbin-christmas-time-is-here/

  • Pictured: Khruangbin in a press shoot in the “Codo Todo El Mundo” (debut album) era (2018) (via Echoes.org)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I’l be back tomorrow, where I’ll be giving my in-depth review on a fairly recent track from a US electronic pop duo signed to Ninja Tune, one half of which is an on-air personality for The Late Late Show with James Corden, a US late-night television talk show. In the meantime, please stay alert, don’t do anything silly and keep washing those hands! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today's Track: Ultraísta – “Tin King”

April 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

There is a ‘tin man’, but you won’t find The Wizard Of Oz here! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for Ultraísta’s “Sister” (Released on March 13th, 2020) (via Partisan Records)

I couldn’t resist the pun despite the serious, artistic matter. Good afternoon to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing to you about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! A discovery that I made a little while ago but I never got around to writing to you about is “Tin King”, a slightly disturbing electro-swing track released from the LP “Sister” by Ultraísta. Ultraísta are somewhat of an alternative house supergroup formed by Grammy-winning Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Laura Bettinson, lead vocalist of Femme and Lau.ra fame, along with Joey Waronker, an iconic touring drummer who has worked with the the likes of Beck and R.E.M.! The three musicians have joined together after performing a sporadic range of “jamming sessions” together in London and Los Angeles. They described their collaborative unit as: “an opportunity to do something outside of what we’d normally be doing” and their songwriting process as: “It’s like building a space shuttle out of matchsticks. It takes ages just to finish a wing, and you’re really proud of it, but then you go off and do something else for a while before you come back to tackle the next piece.” “Tin King” is the lead single taken from the “Sister” LP. Let’s hear it below.

The video looks very D-I-Y and independently made on a tight budget, but it feels like a stylistic, mockery-of-the-industry, decision that sounds art-based and well-informed when it’s matched up to the music. Bettinson ebbs in and out of Waronker’s flowing drum beat and a jarring, swirling house element. She sings: “Dialogue and industry/August in the thirties/David Bowie LP’s/I feel abominable, a bomb in a bubble”, a verse which is humorously led with an upbeat disco-pop tempo. Godrich adds a propulsive guitar melody which flows and interweaves through the consistent grooves. Bettinson also sings: “Thirteen hands/A right hand, and in the right hand”, a repetitous hook that gets vocally laid over a syncopated, lo-fi synth line. The drum loops display a more negative tone, as Bettinson sings: “It’s you, the sunshine”, a contrast to the light-hearted warmth of Bettinson’s dream-like vocals, always gliding above the percussive distortion loops and the bright drum machine loops. It has almost indecipherable lyrics on a first listen, but, over time, it becomes more clear and rewarding with a string of repeated listens. The production work is rather cerebral and sophisticated, but the energetic house textures and the melodic vocal chants are enough to craft a danceable beat, without it feeling too “pop”. Basically, this is a club track that’s made it onto the radio! You could dance to it in a club because it’s melodic and erotic, but the melodic strobes are non-violent and there’s a mature complexity to the experimentation beneath it. It’s solid, but I think you may have to take your time to allow the music to unfold each of it’s different layers to you!

  • Pictured: Laura Bettinson (Lead Vocals), Nigel Godrich (Producer/Guitar) and Joey Waronker (Drums) (2020) (via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! As per usual, I’ll be back tomorrow, with an in-depth look at a golden oldie from the Kingston, Jamaica sounds of the late 1960’s from a Jamaican Rocksteady duo who released a cover of “Don’t Look Back” by The Temptations and are still going strong to this day, having toured around the UK, Brazil and Hong Kong last year. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Little Dragon – “Hold On”

April 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

Dragons would make good accountants… The economies of Scale! It’s new post time!

It’s just another Gothenburg morning for this Swedish electronic funk band, but it’s just another Saturday morning for me – Jacob Braybrooke – because I’m writing about your daily post on the blog! It’s my day-to-day pleasure to give you an in-depth look at a different track every day! Little Dragon were formed in 1996 when they attended music “jams” at an after-school club in high school, with frontwoman Yukimi Nagano meeting Fredrick Wallin and Erick Bodin, deciding on their name due to the “little tantrums” that Nagano would stress over during their sessions. She’s a perfectionist! So far, Little Dragon have six LP records under their belt, with “Nabuma Rubberband” from 2014, their fourth album, being considered their best, receiving a Best Dance/Electronic Album nomination at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015. The quartet are back with “Same Me, New Us”, pairing up with the Ninja Tune label this time for it’s release, which was on March 27th. The new album explores more soul and disco elements than the group have previously. Let’s listen to “Hold On” below…

It doesn’t quite veer into cosmic-themed territory, but “Hold On”, the leading single of the new album, is still a celestrial groover based on a disco-tinged rhythm. Lyrically, the track explores the qualities of having an evolving life that’s worth living. This is conveyed through a pulsating keyboard riff and a mid-tempo drum groove. Among a wealth of calm synthesizer framework, Nagano croons: “Hold on/Where you gone?/Where you going?” over a sleek melody of 70’s dancefloor pop. She continues: “Baby stay/time has changed us so in every way/Beyond our dreams and more/the stars are not aligned”, a vocal hook of reconciliation glazed in an R&B smoothness. She later adds: “Hold on, before you go/One thing that you should know/I never meant to hurt you so/I wish you happiness, joy and good fortune, boy”, before a short interlude paves the way for a luminous keyboard riff that sounds timeless yet contemporary, but looks to the Saturday Night Fever of the 70’s for an added punch of inspiration. The feet-on-the-floor soundscape is dance-able and relaxing, but it feels a bit sophisticated in extra measure. The key sound changes throughout the song and it’s diverse, which acts as a fun teaser for the core theme of shift in the album. The sound is very clean and polished and I think it would be a good fit for a daytime radio station because it feels accessible, but it isn’t too generic. Although the track delivers the key beats of the album to good effect, I feel the modern electro-pop sensibilities can feel a little bit half-baked or undercooked, with the track being a soulful blend in alternative pop, electronica and disco-funk, but never feeling entirely cohesive. It’s decent though, and I think that comparisons to The Knife shall be made.

  • Pictured: Yukimi Nagano (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Fredrick Wallin (Bass Guitar/Synths), Håkan Wirenstrand (Keyboard/Mixing) and Erik Bodin (Drums/Cowbell) (2020) (via Rolling Stone)

Don’t forget to catch up with my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special if you missed out – Friday’s post, “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger” by The Nick Atoms, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/. Saturday’s post on Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/04/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-bruce-springsteen-the-wrestler/. The weekend’s final post on “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” by The Mountain Goats can be perused here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/05/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-mountain-goats-the-legend-of-chavo-guerrero/!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “New Me, Same Us” (Released on 27th March, 2020) (via Ninja Tune Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I hope that you stay safe and that you enjoyed reading it, as well as discovering some cool music in the process! Don’t forget to check back with the blog tomorrow – Yes, it’s Easter Sunday – but it’s also going to be time for your first new Scuzz Sundays post in two whole weeks! We’re almost there! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Róisín Murphy – “Murphy’s Law”

March 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just as it feels like Róisín Murphy’s at the top of her game, she decrees Murphy’s Law!

  • Pictured: Róisín Murphy perfoming a headline set at the BBC Radio 6Music Festival (2020) (Photo Credit: Sarah Jeynes)

Murphy’s Law has struck again! Good night, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! It certainly comes as a pleasure to report on a new Róisín Murphy track being released – a follow-up track to her 2019 club banger “Narcissus”, a club track which made it onto the radio! Murphy is best known for being one part of an Irish electronic dance duo with producer Mark Brydon called Moloko. They had mainstream chart hits around the world, with the likes of “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”, being particularly successful commercially in the UK. She’s been authoritatively re-assuring her position as the new queen of disco with a recent comeback of-sorts, which led her to become one of the headline acts at this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival, which took place at The Roundhouse in Camden last weekend. Evolution was a recurring theme of her set, following frequent costume changes and altered versions of the key tracks in her discography, both from her time as one half of Moloko and as a solo artist. She also dedicated her live set to the late-great Andy Weatherhall, which was a very touching notion. With a song called “Murphy’s Law”, you already know it’s going to be a banger! There’s a 3-minute edit available on YouTube, but I’ve attached the full version below!

A twinkling keyboard riff sets us off, as Murphy provides the narrative framework for her vocal performance: “I feel my story’s still untold/But I’ll make my own happy ending” as a percussive layer of hand-clap effects take us through the refrain: “I think maybe I’ve outgrown this old town/I see you almost every day/And every time I turn around/Our love is stuck on replay”, a line which echoes the sentimental tone through a melodic, old-school pop rhythm. Murphy continues: “Ever since we broke up/I’ve been afraid to go out”, as Murphy matches a 70’s disco throwback style with more emphatic songwriting functions. An expertly polished synth line draws the chorus in: “It’s Murphy’s law/I’m gonna meet you tonight/Just one match could relight the flame”, a static bass guitar riff underlines the sonic direction, “And just when everything is going ‘alright/Murphy’s law is gonna strike again”, with the track gradually adding layers of wavering drum loops and interweaving guitar licks, as Murphy writes from the perspective of an ageing character visiting her old town to rekindle interest with an old flame: “All of my hard work keeps going down the drain”, while feeling unfulfilled and untapped. A mature dancefloor filler, Murphy anchors the end of the track with: “Keep on/Keep on/Keep on/Keep on…”, a sentiment which evokes the disco classics of “Saturday Night Fever” or Chic’s older work on classics like “Le Freak” in the late 1970’s. In comparison to Narcissus, Murphy’s Law detracts from the string-based arrangements and provides a larger variation of moods with it’s more gentle pacing. It manages to live up to the lofty expectations of the track’s title, with Murphy’s personality, as an artist, really managing to hold your attention throughout the long, 8-minute duration of the track. The lyricism is memorable and the style is nostalgic, albeit progressive. I think Murphy’s great – your Queen Of Disco!

  • Pictured: Róisín Murphy in a photoshoot for an interview with London In Stereo (2019) (Photo Credit: Nicola Nodland)

You can read my thoughts on “Narcissus” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/09/todays-track-roisin-murphy-narcissus/

  • Pictured: Róisín Murphy pictured with her co-producer and co-lyricist Mark Brydon in their Moloko days (date unknown) (Photo Credit: Alwaysontherun.net)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth look at a wrestling-themed track, released in 2012, by a British post punk band who were formed back in 2005, had a UK top 10 hit with “Heavyweight Champion Of The World” and were invited to support Oasis on their final tour – playing a blockbuster show at Wembley Stadium! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Hi Grade Hi-Fi (feat. Kes D’ Jordan) – “Turn Up The Heat”

January 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

We should turn down the fog and turn up the heat in the UK! Time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Hi-Grade Hi-Fi performing a live set at the Soundsystem Culture Festival (2019) (Credit: Stalingrad O’ Neill)

Jacob Braybrooke here! Here’s an up-tempo Reggae jive that I played on my most recent radio show, which comes courtesy of underground Birmingham dub-plate group High Grade Hi-Fi, a band who describe their sound as a “Reggae Sound System like no other”, as they cohesively incorporate the different elements across old-school Dub-plate production techniques with the raw sound of Jamaican carnival and the beat-driven influences of Ska. I have previously covered “Warrior, a more politically infused hip-hop track, on the blog. Have a listen to “Turn Up The Heat” below, a more breezy and feel-good ska track, which also features the vocal talents of Kes D’ Jordan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8RYFcy4q8I

“Turn Up The Heat” is, comparatively, very different to “Warrior” – with a lighter emphasis on the hip-hop and a heavier focus on the influences of Disco and a warmer, more light-hearted tone. Jordan quips: “Turn up the heat/rock to the beat/living in a moment”, over the top of a golden line of sun-dripped synth pad beats and a vintage, dub-tinged kick drum beat. Jordan sings: “got to be ready/for anything that comes your way” as the underlying Ska tone welcomes a new mix of beach-glazed guitar riffs and honeyed two-step bass guitar melodies. Jordan puts the cherry on top of the cake, as: “you’ve been frozen in time” and “free the shackles from your regimented life/it’s a sterile component” ushers in a chorus of trumpets and more jazz-oriented instrumentation which kicks the pacing up to another notch, resulting in a more kinetic and slightly old-school rocksteady-tinged, effect of sequencing. The dub-plate melodies are very rhythmic and the lyrics have a very upbeat and positive message of leaving your worries behind and enjoying yourself, which is very relevant in today’s digitally-connected society. The lyrics encourage you to, for example, enjoy a swift jive to a track at a gig rather than spend the whole 3-4 minutes filming clips of it for your social media accounts. Turn up your stereo to this!

  • Pictured: Still image from the music video for “Doggies Dem (feat. Juggernaut”)” (November 2019)

For the purposes of making a comparison between “Turn Up The Heat” and their brilliant track “Warrior”, why not read my thoughts on “Warrior” down below?: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/13/todays-track-hi-grade-hi-fi-feat-richie-culture-warrior/

  • Pictured: Behind-the-scenes image of High Grade Hi-Fi filming the “Warrior” music video (June 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a track, released in support of their third LP released in 2016, from an Australian electronic pop duo who are comprised between one member of Pnau and one member of The Sleepy Jackson! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

New Year’s Day Special: ABBA – “Happy New Year”

January 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

Or as Jools Holland would say on his annual BBC 2 extravaganza, HOOTENANNY! A moderately sleep-deprived Jacob Braybrooke here, wishing you a very happy new year!

  • Pictured: Benny Andersson (Keyboard/Synths/Piano/Percussion), Agnetha Fältskog (Lead Vocals/Backing Vocals), Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad (Lead Vocals/Backing Vocals) and Björn Ulvaeus (Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals/Backing Vocals)

Well, I suppose it’s fair to say that this is, hands down, the best day of the year so far! The decade, even, in fact! “Happy New Year” by the legendary 1970’s pop vocal quartet ABBA is the best track we’ve covered on One Track At A Time all year around! Ok, enough with the New Year jokes! I’m going to write to you about ABBA to ring it in!

“Happy New Year” seems to be the closest ABBA have come to a full-fledged foray into Christmas music offerings. A vocal track from the golden age of early 80’s ABBA, the track was originally written as a track for a musical that was eventually scrapped as the screenwriter backed down. Lyrically, it references the end of the 1970’s and it tells the story of a relaxed aftermath to a New Year’s Eve’s party. Agnetha Fältskog opens proceedings: “No more champagne/And the fireworks are through/Here we are, me and you/Feeling lost and feeling blue”, before Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad leads the chorus: “Happy New Year/May we all have a vision now and then/Of a world where every neighbour is a friend” and “Happy New Year/May we all have our hopes, our will to try/If we don’t we might as well lay down and die/You and I”, as the New Year’s Eve party draws to a standstill and it begins to momentarily meet it’s conclusion. When you read these lyrics written down on paper, they seem a bit melancholic and bleak. However, as you listen to the track, the track has much more light-hearted and optimistic qualities to it’s sound. The male harmonies from Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are noticeably absent, who provide the instrumentation on the track instead, which is mostly acoustic. It has up-tempo and light piano melodies and a taste of the Accordian from Ulvaeus. The music machine hadn’t come into fashion yet! Nevertheless, this is still the best song that I’ve heard all year round!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Super Trouper” (1986)

Thank you for reading this post! It’s been a long time since we’ve covered a Jamaican classic on the blog, so I’ll be helping you through the very weird day tomorrow with a slow and diverse Rocksteady classic that appeared on the “This Is Trogan – Rocksteady” compilation album box-set! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/