Agent Orange Pick

I have always been a fan of surf music. And I always have loved punk music. So when I heard Agent Orange, I was in love. This is my pick of the best of Agent Orange. I remember going to a concert to see them later in their career. I was all excited. In San Jose civic auditorium, but it ended up in some smaller hall there. I was the oldest guy there by about 20 years. I was the old guy who kept the pit clean. So many young kids. But it didn't matter. I had loved them when I was younger (not that young) and now they were old and I was old and yet you could still skate and thrash to their music. Still makes me want to thrash, but now I'm grandpa skater boy. BTW, I made the cover and I'm proud of it.

Agent Orange Pick

01 Agent Orange - Tiki Ti

02 Agent Orange - Somebody To Love

03 Agent Orange - Secret Agent Man

04 Agent Orange - Mr. Moto

05 Agent Orange - Bloodstains (Original Version)

06 Agent Orange - Bite The Hand That Feeds (Pt. 2)

07 Agent Orange - Everything Turns Grey

08 Agent Orange - It's All A Blur

09 Agent Orange - Wouldn't Last A Day

10 Agent Orange - Pipeline

11 Agent Orange - Too Young To Die

12 Agent Orange - Bloodstains (Darkness version)

13 Agent Orange - The Last Goodbye

14 Agent Orange - Say It Isn't True

15 Agent Orange - Miserlou

16 Agent Orange - What's The Combination

17 Agent Orange - Seek And Destroy

18 Agent Orange - This Is All I Need

19 Agent Orange - No Such Thing

20 Agent Orange - Tearing Me Apart

21 Agent Orange - Get Smart

22 Agent Orange - Out Of Limits

23 Agent Orange - Just Can't Seem To Get Enough

24 Agent Orange - I Kill Spies

25 Agent Orange - Breakdown

26 Agent Orange - El Dorado

Jacksons Pick

There are tons of choices to make for a Jacksons playlist pick. Most compilations include either the Jacksons or the Jackson 5. This has both. It does not include Michael's hits, nor Jermaine's (and nothing from Rebbie or Janet or Randy or Tito etc.) just all of the boys together. It's not all disco or Motown, but a little of all their stuff. It does contain their biggest hits as both the Jacksons and The Jackson 5. Look later for the Family pick and some individual Jacksons

Jacksons Pick

01 Jackson 5 - I'll Be There

02 Jacksons - Dreamer

03 Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye

04 Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go

05 Jackson 5 - ABC

06 Jackson 5 - I Want You Back

07 Jackson 5 - Mama's Pearl

08 Jackson 5 - The Love You Save

09 Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine

10 Jacksons - Enjoy Yourself

11 Jacksons - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground

12 Jacksons - Blame It On The Boogie

13 Jacksons - Can You Feel It

14 Jacksons - Walk Right Now

15 Jacksons - Lovely One

16 Jacksons with Mick Jagger - State Of Shock

17 Jacksons - Torture

18 Jacksons - Heartbreak Hotel (This Place Hotel)

Disco (Mirror) 6

This is the last of my Disco (Mirror) leopard picks. Well at least the last for now as I am working on volume 7 and 8. But who knows how long that will percolate? It will make this collection reach 77 songs in total by the end of this volume. Only nine tracks on this pick, because the playlist has some good long versions. MFSB, Donna Summer, Love and Kisses all with some great songs. Bohannon is on here to end the series with Dancing Your Ass Off. Not his biggest hit, but again this pick isn't about hits, it's my pick of songs I danced to in discotheques (or that I played during the era.) Leave a comment about the ones you like, dislike and the ones I should have played back then.

Disco (Mirror) 6

69 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Bad Luck (Part 1)

70 MFSB - Love Is The Message (12 inch version)

71 Donna Summer - Hot Stuff (12 inch mix)

72 Candido - Jingo (Extended Version)

73 Baccara - Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

74 Double Exposure - Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons 12 inch Mix)

75 Love And Kisses - I've Found Love (Now That I've Found You)

76 Dinosaur - Kiss Me Again

77 Hamilton Bohannon - Dance Your Ass Off

Disco (Mirror) 5

The Disco (Mirror) series continues with volume 5. This pick, as you know,  if you've been following, is a playlist of disco songs that I either danced to or played during the disco era. Some well known and a few that weren't as popular. This volume has one of the worst disco songs of all time: Disco Duck. But you know how I feel about worst songs lists. They sometimes are exactly the same as the best songs list. Or at least there is some overlap. But it's hard to imagine another pick that is hated as much as Rick Dee's Disco Duck. And yet it's highly danceable. Think of it as the chicken dance for disco. This volume also has two Tex's. Different people. Joe Tex who was a contemporary for James Brown and the other was Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes. Disco Tex was a group and Joe considered himself to be better than James Brown, even claiming that Brown stole his dance moves. He has other great hits that may point in that direction back in the 60's. Disco Tex had two hits, one that's on here.

Disco (Mirror) 5

52 Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - Get Dancing

53 Banbarra - Shack Up

54 Kool And The Gang - Ladies Night (12 inch)

55 Ecstasy, Passion & Pain - Touch & Go (12'' Remix)

56 Joe Tex - Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)

57 Rick Dees - Disco Duck (Pt. 1)

58 Joe Bataan - The Bottle

59 Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way (LV)

60 O'Jays - Love Train

61 John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air

62 Wing And A Prayer Fife And Drum Corps. - Baby Face

63 Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye

64 Frankie Avalon - Venus (Disco Version)

65 The O'Jays - I Love Music

66 Boney M - Daddy Cool (Extended Mix)

67 Machine - There But For The Grace Of God Go I

68 Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Disco (Mirror) 4

This pick includes more of the disco picks i played or danced to. A few of these are more midtempo today. The brilliant Yvonne Elliman, Tavares, Donna Summer etc. all have different beats to them. All still good disco. This playlist also has another Salsoul Orchestra. What? More? Yep. They had some great disco and not a lot of name recognition for their songs. But you know them when they start playing. Numbering and cover are progressing. I can't believe that we are two thirds of the way in to this collection.

Disco (Mirror) 4

40 Yvonne Elliman - If I Can't Have You

41 Tavares - More Than a Woman

42 Shalamar - The Second Time Around (12' Version)

43 Salsoul Orchestra - Ooh I Love It (Love Break) (Original Mix)

44 THP Orchestra - Tender Is The Night

45 Cameo - Find My Way (TGIF Version)

46 Don Ray - Got To Have Loving (Full Length Version)

47 Patrick Juvet - I Love America

48 Earth Wind & Fire - Let's Groove

49 Peter Brown - Crank It Up (Pt. 1)

50 Saturday Night Band - Come On Dance, Dance

51 Donna Summer - Last Dance

Disco (Mirror) 3

Continuing the Disco (Mirror) series with volume 3, this pick highlights some of the differences between this compilation and other Disco Hits type comps. Still several hits and then several songs that never were hits, but that I personally played or danced to. And I still would. Notice the second (and third) Salsoul Orchestra in the playlist series. Munich Machine which was also on a previous volume of these Disco playlists, although another song. Giorgio Moroder and even Boney M. We didn't have Shazam back then so it took awhile to track down the Saturday Night Band, because who the hell are they? Numbering continues and the cover changes slightly. Click on it.

Disco (Mirror) 3

28 Silver Convention - Fly Robin Fly

29 Charo & the Salsoul Orchestra - Dance A Little Bit Closer

30 Village People - Village People

31 Giorgio Moroder - Carry On

32 Salsoul Orchestra - Tangerine

33 Stars On 45 - Stars On 45 Medley

34 Munich Machine - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

35 Beautiful Bend - Boogie Motion (Rare Long Mix)

36 Cerrone - Love In C Minor

37 Boney M - Ma Baker (Extended Mix)

38 Saturday Night Band - Touch Me On My Hot Spot

39 Esther Phillips - What A Difference A Day Makes

Disco (Mirror) 2

Part two of the Disco (Mirror) series. Hard to imagine that you don't know all of these songs if you were in a disco anytime in the 70's. But a couple of club only smashes in this playlist pick. You probably never Heard Veronica Unlimited on the radio, and unless you were in Germany, you probably didn't recognize Supermax. Although listening to it, you will know the tunes. All songs I danced to and played.

Disco (Mirror) 2

13 Andrea True Connection - More More More

14 Silver Convention - Get Up And Boogie

15 Salsoul Orchestra - Nice 'n' Nasty

16 Diana Ross - Love Hangover

17 Rose Royce - Car Wash

18 Midnight Star - Midas Touch (12" Version)

19 Chic - Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)

20 Tymes - You Little Trustmaker

21 Earth Wind & Fire - September

22 Donna Summer - On The Radio (long version)

23 Village People - San Francisco (You've Got Me)

24 Foxy - Get Off

25 Veronica Unlimited - What A Lousy Party

26 Supermax - Love Machine (12" Version)

27 Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood

Disco (Mirror) 1

This is kind of a continuation of the Disco (Leopard) series, but also a beginning of the Mirror series, really the mirror ball series. The cover has a mirror ball with the leopard background, none of which is important to you. This pick series is all the disco songs I liked to play or dance to. Probably hits. Most likely played in discotheques back in the day. There should be no duplicates from the Definitive Disco playlist. And there should be no Bee Gees on this series. Because if you are playing disco and you do not have the best of the Bee Gees with you then what are you doing? Anyway the Definitive Disco pick has the Bee Gee's, the biggest hit from the Village People etc. And I tried to make these all work in tandem.

Disco (Mirror) 1

01 KC And The Sunshine Band - (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty

02 Tavares - Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel (12' Version)

03 Jacksons - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground

04 Heatwave - The Groove Line (Special Disco Version)

05 Ritchie Family - The Best Disco In Town

06 Shalamar - Uptown Festival (Medley)

07 Love And Kisses - Thank God It's Friday

08 The Trammps - Disco Inferno

09 Earth Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland

10 Musique - In The Bush

11 Village People - Macho Man (Long Version)

12 The Miracles - Love Machine

Textures 2

A continuation of this series. Not many tracks, but all you can fit onto one CD. That's how these began: as CD compilations. Numbering continues from first volume. This pick has that same vibe as the first one. Unsettling and yet oddly beautiful. Some of the same players as volume one. I added Robert Fripp (with Eno), Sanford Ponder (be careful listening to his entire album while under the influence). Praxis is a Bill Laswell side project. You could do an entire series just on Bill Laswell. Cluster an early German band that influenced a lot of stars. And the last pick is two members of Wire (seminal punk band) who go off the beaten path to do this track as Cupol (rereleased under their names). This track was on a 12 inch single that should be listened to while in a state that allows recreational marijuana smoking. Very trippy. The single looked and sounded like it was from the middle east somewhere. Arabic looking fonts and no real information. You had to know, to know. It has weirded people out for decades. Now you get to hear the drone meets Arabic disco.

Textures 2

10 Brian Eno - Swept

11 Fripp and Eno - Lyra

12 Sanford Ponder - Lamima

13 Praxis - Sqlxzm

14 Cluster - In Ewigkeit

15 Cosey Fanni Tutti - The Secret Touch

16 Coil - How To Destroy Angels

17 B. C. Gilbert & G. Lewis - Kluba Cupol

Textures 1

This is a different kind of pick. These songs are mostly instrumental. Fairly ambient, but dissonant. Strange and yet calming. Disturbing and weird and yet beautiful. I'm not sure that it was made to listen to at night as you go to bed or not, but beware if you do. The dreams may be unsettling. For me, I like it. Not many tracks per volume as some of them were long. The Darkside was a side project of Spaceman 3 and this track sounds to me like it could have been Pink Floyd in an alternative universe. CTI was a side project of Chris & Cosey from Throbbing Gristle. TG also spawned Coil. Cocteau Twins and Sigur Ros usually sound ethereal and show that here. Dali's Car was a side project from Peter Murphy and Mick Karn, Bowie and Eno and Wobble need no introduction, if you don't know them, buy everything. And the Cure pick is interesting in that it was a Soundtrack to an animated file (never saw it) and has no vocals and is long.

Textures 1

01 Darkside - Guitar Voodoo

02 CTI - Syndromedia

03 Cocteau Twins - Musette And Drums

04 Sigur Ros - Svefn G Englar

05 Dalis Car - Artemis

06 David Bowie - Warzawa

07 Coil - Main Title (Hellraiser)

08 Brian Eno & Jah Wobble - Marine Radio

09 Cure - Carnage Visors

Disco (Space) 2

I made part 2 as I was making part one of this pick. Disco with a space and SciFi theme. Or maybe it just sounds like it's in space. Some Italo-Disco in here mixed with Giorgio Moroder's Munich Machine and good ole SalSoul Orchestra. I love that bands like Ganymed have bootleg remixes that are almost 20 minutes long (sorry you only get the 5 minute album version) that are worth searching for. Anyway very similar cover, keeping the space and leopard theme. This is the last of them, unless you have some suggestions. If you do leave them in the comments. Tell me you like it or hate it.

Disco (Space) 2

12 John Forde - Stardance

13 Salsoul Orchestra - Alpha-Centuri

14 Cosmic Hoffman - Space Disco

15 Universal Robot Band - Space Disco

16 Munich Machine - Space Warrior

17 Bumblebee Unlimited - Space Shuttle Ride

18 Kano - I'm Ready (12 Version)

19 Amanda Lear - Black Holes

20 Sarah Brightman And Hot Gossip - I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper

21 Ganymed - It Takes Me Higher

22 Rockets - Space Rock

23 Harry Thumann - Underwater

24 Leda - Space Ride

Disco (Space) 1

Another big theme in Disco is space or science fiction. This explores that side of it. I think part of it was the fascination of Star Wars right when Disco hit. Names like Meco who did a bunch of directly related Star Wars songs probably got the ball rolling. French dude Cerrone did a whole scifi "hit and bunches followed. The Italo-Disco phenomena released several really good space disco compilations. Spaceships, rockets, the future, stars, planets all covered in here. This is a two parter for me. I start the pick off with a song that you may recognize from an earlier Disco Leopard volume, because it is space oriented and perfect to start the series within a series. The cover does have Leopard in it (but only the text as it is space themed after all.)

Disco (Space) 1

01 Mandre - Solar Flight

02 Vanello - Rock the Space

03 Cerrone - Supernature

04 Meco - Star Wars Theme-Cantina Band (12 inch disco mix)

05 Patrick Cowley - Megatron Man

06 Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity

07 Didier Marouani & Space - Magic Fly

08 Dee D. Jackson - Meteor Man

09 Space Project - Conquest Of The Stars

10 Droids - (Do You Have) The Force (Part I & II)

11 Sheila And B. Devotion - Spacer

Disco (Machine)

This is part of the Disco series, but not really part of the leopard series, because I went off track for a couple of them. Disco was accused of being robotic and machine like. And some of it was very much so. This highlights my favorite pick of the best machine like disco. The most influential of all is the Donna Summer which kind of started the whole Machine Soul genre that happened in the 80's (with Yello in here to showcase the alternative side of this whole thing.) I like how this whole playlist builds up in tempo. Notice how the cover has metallic leopard, to sort of tie the whole thing together, but not.

Disco (Machine)

01 John Carpenter - The End (Disco Version)

02 Blondie - Heart Of Glass (Disco version)

03 Crazy Gang - Telephone Computer

04 Yello - I Love You

05 Giorgio Moroder - Chase

06 Tammie Lee - Sky High (12" Version)

07 Torch Song - Prepare To Energize (12" Version)

08 Patrick Cowley - Menergy (Full Length Version)

09 Donna Summer - I Feel Love

10 Dee D. Jackson - Automatic Lover

11 Transvolta - Disco Computer

12 Supermax - Love Machine (12" Version)

13 Disco Robot - Disco Robot (Extended Robot Mix)

Funky Disco (Leopard) 2

Continuing the Disco, Leopard, Funky Disco, Funk series. Several in here part of the P-Funk family (and I will do a few aimed solely at P-Funk). And several that are not. I think most of these are more popular, or more well known. I made this pick after part one was done, unlike some series, where I worked on several volumes at once. I knew what I was missing from volume one and put this together. I do want to make a volume three of the series, so leave your suggestions in the comments!! Disco that's very funky. Or maybe funk that's very disco feeling?

Funky Disco (Leopard) 2

20 The Brides Of Funkenstein - Disco To Go

21 Ohio Players - Fire

22 Parliament - Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)

23 Sweat Band with Bootsy Collins - Freak To Freak

24 Xavier - Work That Sucker To Death

25 Gap Band - Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)

26 Brick - Sweat (Till You Get Wet)

27 Brothers Johnson - Stomp

28 T-Connection - Do What You Wanna Do

29 Midnight Star - Freak-A-Zoid (Remix Version)

30 Rick James - Dance Wit' Me

31 Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove

32 Dazz Band - Let It Whip

Definitive Disco

Although this is officially not part of the Leopard series of disco playlists, this pick was made around the same time. I knew that my picks for the leopard series may not have been the "biggest" hits. These are the result of playin lots of disco parties as a DJ. These are definitely the disco songs that people will automatically dance to. It's my definitive playlist of disco. Later I will post my pick for best disco slow songs. But for now, the best or the cheesiest (depending on your view) disco songs. Notice that the cover is slightly different. Okay, very much different. Best disco songs to get people dancing can include a lot of ground. So, if you have a song that should have been in here, let me know in the comments below.

Definitive Disco

01 Van McCoy - The Hustle

02 Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

03 Commodores - Brick house

04 Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music

05 Abba - Dancing Queen

06 Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive

07 KC & The Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It)

08 Bee Gees - Night Fever

09 KC & The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight

10 Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real

11 Emotions - Best Of My Love

12 Barry Manilow - Copacabana (At The Copa)

13 Sister Sledge - We Are Family

14 Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

15 Donna Summer - Bad Girls

16 Kool & The Gang - Celebration

17 Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown

18 Village People - YMCA

19 The Trammps - Disco Inferno

20 Evelyn Champagne King - Shame

David Kahne Pick

This is one of those fun almost family pick. David Kahne was a record producer, later big executive at a couple of big labels. But he started at 415 Records out of San Francisco. He was involved with a ton (if I swore, I'd have to say a shit ton, oh, wait I do swear) of artists. Here are is my pick of the favorites he's worked on. Some cool stuff is on here. I don't know if you will know all of these artists, but believe me, I do. This is the kind of playlist that you can only make by looking at the back of a lot of records. Or I guess nowadays, you could look on wikipedia and find some of this stuff out. But I looked at the back of records and noticed that one guy's name was on all these cool albums. So here it is. Enjoy!

David Kahne

01 Shawn Colvin - Polaroids

02 Wire Train - Chamber Of Hellos

03 Romeo Void - White Sweater

04 Pop-O-Pies - Fascists Eat Donuts

05 Regina Spektor - Fidelity

06 Sublime - What I Got

07 Fishbone - Party At Ground Zero

08 Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon

09 The Rubens - My Gun

10 Lana Del Rey - Yayo

11 Susanna Hoffs - My Side Of The Bed

12 Voice Farm - Beatnik

13 Snake River Conspiracy - Breed

14 The Strokes - You Only Live Once

15 Bangles - Manic Monday

16 Sugar Ray - Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)

17 kd Lang - Simple

18 Translator - Everywhere That I'm Not

19 Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - Drivin'

20 Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man

21 Rank And File - Amanda Ruth

22 The Humans - Get You Tonight

Funky Disco (Leopard)

More of the Leopard series. This realizes that Disco and Funk mix more often than not. Here is my pick of Funky Disco songs for this playlist. So many to choose from and it's judgment call whether or not it hits one category or the other. Probably all of these bands have a disco song and also a funk song. There will be another one of these coming later, I'm sure. But leave your choice of the fusion of funk and disco songs in the comments.

Funky Disco (Leopard)

01 Zapp - More Bounce to the Ounce, Part 1

02 Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

03 Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing

04 Bootsy Collins - Bootzilla

05 Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing

06 Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie

07 Commodores - Brick house

08 Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music

09 Brick - Dazz

10 Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up

11 Sun - Wanna Make Love (Come Flick My Bic)

12 Carl Carlton - She's A Bad Mama Jama

13 Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster

14 Soul City - Rico Suave

15 James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing

16 Chic - Le Freak

17 Rick James - Give It To Me Baby

18 Gap Band - You Dropped A Bomb

19 Dazz Band - Let It Whip

Funk (Leopard)

I made this compilation after the Disco ones of the last couple of days. These were my favorite funk picks of that time. They include Cameo Rigor Mortis, T-Connection, Bootsy and Funkadelic obviously. I know that there is so much funky stuff that it's hard to pick anyone's favorites, but this is what I came up with. There is more coming. This followed the Leopard theme and snuck in-between all the disco playlists I put out.

Funk Leopard

01 Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft

02 Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead (Superfly)

03 Cameo - Rigor Mortis

04 Ohio Players - O-H-I-O

05 T-Connection - On Fire (Getting Higher)

06 Isley Brothers - Livin' In The Life-Go For Your Guns

07 Bootsy Collins - Jungle Bass

08 Parliament - Flashlight (12 inch Version)

09 Funkadelic - Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock

10 Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage

11 Rick James - Super Freak

12 Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

Disco (Love)

This was the next one of the Disco Series. Not many tracks can fit on a playlist that was a CD when the picks are as long as 16 plus minutes. But with disco, you almost have to use the long versions. Especially with Giorgio Moroder tracks. Three on this pick. I don't think that Munich Machine was big anywhere except for some clubs (or maybe Giorgio's home town) but first time I heard it, I knew I had to get anything I could by them. Turns out they have a few tracks that are great for the dancefloor, but I still like this one the best. Came out right around Donna Summer's first hits, because the sound is similar (same band and all will do that). I love how the Disco is "embossed" on the cover.

Disco (Love)

01 Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love's Theme

02 Donna Summer - Love To Love You

03 Rick James - You And I

04 Madeleen Kane - You Can

05 CJ & Co - Devil's Gun

06 Wilson Place Street Band - Disco Lucy

07 Munich Machine - Get On The Funk Train

08 Donna Summer - I Feel Love

09 Charo & the Salsoul Orchestra - Cuchi Cuchi

10 La Flavour - Mandolay

11 Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love

Disco (Leopard) Pick

Here are a few disco songs that I like. I have no idea if any of them were popular on the radio or not, But they did get played at the club I used to go dancing at. Back when I was a young whipper-snapper and disco was king, these songs are what I liked to dance to. The first track was always the first song played by the DJ that played there regular. No one was usually there yet. It was early and he'd dance to this long track to get his head in the right place to begin playing. Always stuck with me. Anyway I put together a few playlist picks to make a disco series. This is the first.  I have to warn you. These are not all the disco hits or the definitive best disco songs. They are the ones I like though. And there are a couple of doubles among the series. Not an accident. Some are done as disco themes. So a few songs fit on multiple themes. I'll show you later.

Disco (Leopard)

01 Mandre - Solar Flight

02 Cerrone - Supernature

03 El Coco - Cocomotion

04 Tuxedo Junction - Chattanooga Choo Choo

05 Bunny Sigler - Let Me Party With You (Party, Party, Party)

06 Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up

07 Michael Zager Band - Let's All Chant

08 Ritchie Family - Brazil

09 Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch - Superman (Extended)

10 Voyage - Souvenirs

Digging Your Groove 4

Amazing that this series just keeps on coming. All of the stuff I loved the groove on, but didn't fit as well anywhere else. I have to address the cover of this pick. I started everything with Soho Hippy Chick and to me that groove began the series. And that is what inspired the direction of the flower on the cover. As well as the font. Last one of the series for awhile, although I will take the comments and use them to make more playlists in the series. So if you want to hear more, leave a comment.

Digging Your Groove 4

52 Bill Nelson - Do You Dream in Colour

53 Fun Boy Three with Banarama - It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)

54 Art Of Noise - Beat Box (Diversion One)

55 Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)

56 Herbie Hancock - Rockit

57 Kraftwerk - It's More Fun To Compute

58 ABC - Poison Arrow

59 Age Of Chance - Don't Get Mad... Get Even!

60 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock (Instrumental 12inch version)

61 Jane Wiedlin - Blue Kiss

62 Pat & Mick - I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet

63 Kraftwerk - Tour De France (Remix)

64 Diesel Park West - Like Princes Do

65 Thompson Twins - Lies

66 Soft Cell - A Man Could Get Lost

67 Transvision Vamp - I Want Your Love

Digging Your Groove 3

Here it is the third volume of this series. And I'm still not tired of it. Weird versions of songs make it onto this pick, or else just semi-weird songs themselves that should be huge hits and instead were regional or minor hits. Boys Don't Cry, for instance was payed on the radio in my area of the country, but not nationwide.. It was played in clubs and people danced. But it was slightly stupid, too. So it ends up here. I liked the groove and the pick ends up on this playlist. I'm sure you will ask. Why is JJ Fad and L'Trimm on here? Aren't they not quite the same as the rest? Yes. That's the point. They don't fit in the gangsta rap from the time and they are kitschy, but listen to the groove. I'm digging it! And Pat & Mick. They didn't get any airplay in the US except maybe some fringe clubs. And listen to their groove. It belongs. Same with the others.

Digging Your Groove 3

37 Mink De Ville - Spanish Stroll

38 Til Tuesday - Voices Carry

39 Yazoo - State Farm (12'' Mix)

40 L'Trimm - Cars with the Boom

41 Pat & Mick - Let's All Chant (Something For The Kids Mix)

42 Soft Cell - Torch (Extended Version)

43 English Boy On The Loveranch - The Man In Your Life

44 Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

45 Altered Images - I Could Be Happy

46 J.J. Fad - Supersonic

47 Berlin - Sex (I'm A...)

48 Bill Nelson - Acceleration

49 Boys Don't Cry - Wanna Be A Cowboy

50 Kim Wilde - Kids In America

51 The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make

Digging Your Groove 2

No other place for these songs. I love 'em, but they didn't fit my other criteria for a playlist, so the pick goes here. Some are big hits and others not so much, but they all fit together in some weird way. Listen to all the volumes to get a sense of my head space when I compiled these. Songs that are a little bit out there, but shouldn't be. Like Melon. Japanese band, has members of the B-52's as guests on the song and the song is cool, but did it get any airplay? I don't think so. The Siouxsie and the Banshees track wasn't even released on an album, but it's good. In some areas Big Audio Dynamite got some airplay, just because it was an offshoot of the Clash, but not nearly the recognition a song of that caliber should have gotten. Anyway, Dig the Groove! I know I did.

Digging Your Groove 2

18 Siouxsie & the Banshees - Supernatural Thing

19 Haysi Fantayzee - Shiny Shiny

20 Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court (Radio Edit)

21 Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

22 The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go

23 Bloodhound Gang - Why's Everybody Always Pickin' On Me

24 Big Audio Dynamite - The Bottom Line

25 Information Society - What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) (Mixx It)

26 Melon - I Will Call You (And Other Famous Last Words)

27 Frankie Smith - Double Dutch Bus

28 After The Fire - Der Kommissar

29 Voice Farm - Free Love

30 Killing Joke - Love Like Blood

31 Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

32 Pat & Mick - Use It Up & Wear It Out (12'' Mix)

33 REM - Shiny Happy People

34 Yolanda Be Cool Vs. Dcup - We No Speak Americano (UK Radio Edit)

35 Duck Sauce - It's You

36 Yellow Magic Orchestra - Tighten Up

Mama Connection

In honor of Mother's Day (and my mom's upcoming birthday) here is my pick of mama, mother, mom songs. You don't have to tell me that there are more. I know there are a million. These are just the ones I play for mother's day around my house in this What's The Connection? I hope you begin the tradition, too. These are good songs to remind you of mom. Make sure you give her a phone call to tell her how much she means to you. Too late to send flowers or a card, so if you didn't, now you will remember next year. She's the only one you got. And after seeing labor for hours, and the hard job of raising you. You owe. I sure do. Yes, I hand drew the cover and then scanned it in.

Mama Connection

01 Spice Girls - Mama

02 The Intruders - I'll Always Love My Mama

03 Connie Francis - Mama

04 Earth Wind & Fire - Mom

05 Kate Bush - Mother Stands For Comfort

06 The Sugarcubes - Mama

07 Nina Hagen - Mama

08 2 Pac - Dear Mama

09 Howard Jones - Look Mama

10 ELO - Mama

11 BJ Thomas - Mama

12 Mothers Of Invention - Motherly Love

13 Pink Floyd - Mother

14 Jackson 5 - Mama's Pearl

15 Junior - Mama Used To Say

16 Siouxsie & the Banshees - Oh Mother

17 Will.I.Am - I Got It From My Mama

Digging Your Groove 1

And thus began another series in Pol's Picks. These are songs that I just liked the whole groove about it. Either the tempo or the bass line or something didn't quite fit with other playlists I was making or something about the sound was different. BUT, I still loved the song. So it ends up on this list. Mostly 80's songs, but a few that aren't. They just have that feel. Which you will figure out once you start listening to the series. I have a few ready and I am posting them all. Look for them in the next few days. I don't know why some of these songs were not more hugely popular. Well to be fair, some were.

Digging Your Groove 1

01 Soho - Hippy Chick

02 Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene

03 Banderas - This Is Your Life

04 Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

05 Hipsway - The Honeythief

06 Was (Not Was) - Spy In The House Of Love

07 A Certain Ratio - Shack Up (radio edit)

08 Betty Boo - Doin' The Do

09 Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (Ultimix)

10 Laid Back - White Horse

11 Electronic - Getting Away With It (AOM Raindance Mix by Peter Fenton & Steve Smith)

12 Colourfield - Can't Get Enough Of You Baby

13 Tom Tom Club - Man With The Four-Way Hips

14 Cristina - Drive My Car

15 Divinyls - Pleasure And Pain

16 Escape Club - Wild Wild West

17 The The - This Is The Day

dancing with myself 2

This is side 2 of this previous cassette. I'm guessing 1984 based on the songs I put on this playlist pick. Generation X had recently switched out Billy Idol who went solo and was all over the air waves. Prince had put out another amazing album after Controversy. All these hits played on my cassette deck all day long. Loved this kind of stuff. All songs I picked from my playlist of back then.

dancing with myself 2

11 Spandau Ballet - Only When You Leave

12 Bonnie Tyler - Here She Comes

13 Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days

14 Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

15 Freddie Mercury - Love Kills

16 Thompson Twins - Doctor! Doctor!

17 Cyndi Lauper - She Bop (dance mix)

18 Re-Flex - The Politics Of Dancing (Extended)

19 Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

20 The Fixx - One Thing Leads To Another

21 Generation X - Dancing With Myself

Mariachi Inspired

Cinco De Mayo is one of those holidays that is American, but pretends to be Mexican. It isn't celebrated, really, in Mexico. It isn't Independence day for Mexico. It was mostly in California and it celebrates a small war that Mexico won (against all odds, like the Alamo, but with better outcome). It is mostly about beer and getting drunk and causing havoc in the streets of the city with Mexican flags on your low rider. But that has nothing to do with this pick. These are all songs that were inspired by Mariachi bands. Listen and you'll get it. Now drink beer, get arrested. Congratulations! You celebrated Cinco De Mayo!

Mariachi Inspired

01 Love - Alone Again Or

02 Freddy Fender - Before the Next Teardrops Falls

03 Molotov - Frijolero

04 Dwight Yoakam - Sorry You Asked

05 Los Lobos featuring Antonio Banderas - Cancion Del Mariachi (Morena De Mi Corazon)

06 Elvis Presley - Guadalajara

07 Devotchka - Bad Luck Heels

08 Metalachi - Crazy Train

09 Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire

10 Nariachi Mexicano - Mariachi Loco

11 Beck - Burro

12 Zander Schloss - Salsa Y Ketchup

13 Calexico - Crystal Frontier (Widescreen Version)

14 Doug Sahm and Band - (Is Anybody Going to) San Antone

15 Tubes - Malaguena Salerosa

16 Plugz - El Clavo Y La Cruz

17 Mariachi El Bronx - 48 Roses

18 The Mavericks - Dance The Night Away

19 Genesis - Illegal Alien

20 Vandoliers - Sixteen Years

21 Hot Banditoz - La Cucaracha Dance (Party Remix)

22 Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio

23 Mariachi Mexteca featuring Hugh Cornwell - Golden Brown

dancing with myself 1

Yes, I know that the title isn't capitalized. It was a choice I made at the time (mid 80's) and that I stayed true to. This was another one of those cassettes that I had made back then. I updated it a little when I went to make this playlist pick. Mostly by adding the extended version of Bill Idol's White Wedding, but the rest is just as it was. Although I added the dancing girl to the cover. The title stayed the same, the background was almost like that. Part 2 coming tomorrow.

dancing with myself 1

01 Billy Idol - Eyes Without a Face

02 Prince & the Revolution - When Doves Cry

03 Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

04 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Listen To Her Heart

05 Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night

06 Wang Chung - Don't Let Go

07 Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

08 Big Country - In A Big Country (12'' extended remix)

09 Kenny Loggins - Footloose

10 Billy Idol - White Wedding (Extended Version)

Collections Of An Ass. Man.

This is one of those cassettes made by someone else for me, from my albums. At the time I was the Assistant Manager of a record store. This was early 80's, probably '81 or '82 and I was proud of having several hundred albums. Thinking about it, it must have been later in 1982 because the John Waite had just come out and she loved that album (so did I). This pick was made from those albums by an old girlfriend who also loved music. The title was chosen by her, the music chosen by her. But the albums I owned were all chosen by me. I was picking albums by their covers. I sometimes hadn't even heard the music at all. Kate Bush was one of those albums. I loved the cover and got it (using my discount at the store), then discovered I loved Kate Bush. Still one of my favorite artists. The cover is a recreation of what the cassette looked like. We were both proud that I was an Ass. Man. Young and dumb.

Collections Of An Ass. Man.

01 Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

02 Jackson 5 - I'll Be There

03 Dionne Warwick - Message To Michael

04 Mary Wells - My Guy

05 The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

06 Paul Revere & the Raiders - Louie Louie

07 Everly Brothers - ('Til) I Kissed You

08 Dionne Warwick - Going Out Of My Head

09 The Platters - Harbor Lights

10 Everly Brothers - Let It Be Me

11 Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream

12 Dionne Warwick - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

13 Everly Brothers - Like Strangers

14 Dionne Warwick - You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)

15 Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You

16 John Waite - Change

17 John Waite - Mr. Wonderful

18 Kate Bush - Them Heavy People

19 Kate Bush - L'Amour Looks Something Like You

Be Quiet... Or I'll Throw You Out 2

The second half of this playlist pick. Mostly Industrial dance, but some is just barely over that line. I'm not sure they even called it that back then, but I could be mis-remembering. Either way this pick is just what I was playing around that time. Let me know if this was even on your radar or not. What are the songs you were listening to? This is volume 2, so make sure you pick up volume 1 as it will make more sense together.

Be Quiet... Or I'll Throw You Out 2

10 Ministry - Let's Get Physical (Banned Original Mix)

11 Ministry - You Know What You Are

12 Nitzer Ebb - K.I.A.

13 Skinny Puppy - Dig It

14 Keith Leblanc - Taxcider

15 SPK - Sheer Naked Aggression

16 Cabaret Voltaire - No Escape

17 Manufacture - Passion For The Future

18 Negativland - Christianity Is Stupid

19 Big Black - Racer X

20 The Neon Judgement - Concrete (It Feels So Strong)

Be Quiet... Or I'll Throw You Out 1

This is one of those cassettes I used to make. Kinda of Industrial Dance. A bit like the Please Show Membership Card pick a bit back. And I do have a series of my favorite Industrial Dance tracks that I will put up later. But  this is just what I was listening to back then. I will post volume 2 tomorrow. Wait until you hear both sides of this once cassette and now redone as a playlist pick.

Be Quiet... Or I'll Throw You Out 1

01 The Jazz Butcher - Do The Bubonic Plague

02 The Genetic Terrorists - TGT

03 Die Warzau - I've Got To Make Sense

04 Nine Inch Nails - Down In It

05 Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System - What's My Mission Now (Fight the Devil)

06 Mark Stewart - The Wrong Name & The Wrong Number

07 Cassandra Complex - Beyond Belief

08 Front 242 - Funkahdafi

09 KMFDM - Oh Look