Song of the Day: After three belters from Quincy Jones, today let’s move on to full fat funk TV and movie orchestra sounds from the 60s and early 70s, with tracks rarely recognised, but whose still hits home instantly
Read moreIsaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft
Song of the Day: Who is the man? Isaac Hayes - that is. Damn right! Today’s choice of orchestral funk, and another film theme, comes from the great Stax songwriter and singer from Tennessee, king of the deep voice
Read moreFrankie Smith – Double Dutch Bus
Song of the Day: After Malcolm McLaren and echoes of The Boyoyo Boys, another skipping-related number, a 1981 funk hit less about the music, more notable about the first use of "izzle" hip hop stylings
Read moreWilliam Onyeabor – Fantastic Man
Song of the Day: From one fantastic man – Nelson Mandela – to another, this time from Nigeria, the enigmatic 1970s and 80s electro-funk maestro who was a true original, spreading joy and positive politics in his music
Read moreJanelle Monáe – Make Me Feel
Song of the Day: It's Saturday, time to get a little bit sexy, and bang up to date with a brand new number that might remind you of someone? Yes Prince did indeed help US singer and rapper Monáe with this before he left us.
Read moreJ Dilla – Two Can Win / The Sylvers – Only One Can Win
Song of the Day: After yesterday's Ty Segall/Hot Chocolate cover comparison, more material playing on the topic of who or may not be the winner in a relationship from the brilliant hip hop and jazz producer and the 70s funk and soul family group
Read moreWeather Report – Birdland
Song of the Day: The opening track to the jazz-funk fusion band's 1977 album Heavy Weather is not only a tribute to the legendary New York jazz club inspired by Charlie Parker, but a wonderfully evocative instrumental conjuring up sights and sounds of the city streets
Read moreSly and the Family Stone – Everyday People / Dance To The Music / If You Want Me To Stay
Song of the Day: Following yesterday's We The People by A Tribe Called Quest, an earlier, and even more influential message of racial unity from the funk pioneers of the late 60s and early 70s
Read moreBeyoncé - Crazy In Love / The Chi-Lites – Are You My Woman?
Song of the Day: You ready? Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh, no, no. An uncharacteristically commercial behemoth to be appearing on SOTD, and while it's hard to resist a song that is so undeniably catchy and brilliant, passionate pop, where does the inspiration, and indeed music, come from?
Read moreShuggie Otis / The Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23
Song of the Day: A psychedelic soul classic from Shuggie, aka Johnny Alexander Veliotes Jr, the California singer-songwriter from his 1971 album Freedom Flight, which 1977 became a funk hit produced by Quincy Jones
Read moreRJD2 – A Beautiful Mine (Mad Men theme) / 1976 / Let There Be Horns
Song of the Day: Echoing yesterday's great drum break, let's now celebrate the work of the Ohio multi-instrumentalist and hip-hop artist, who is behind the theme tune to Mad Men, and so much more
Read moreAllen Toussaint – Last Train
Song of the Day: Continuing our train theme from Gladys Knight yesterday, we hop on to a seminal work by the New Orleans genius, establishing a new sound on his 1975 album Southern Nights
Read moreThe Bamboos – You Ain’t No Good
Song of the Day: A supremely, catchy, if cynical song from the Melbourne eight-piece funk and soul outfit bringing a new sound to their genre
Read moreRazzy – I Hate Hate
Song of the Day: On the eve of the French presidential elections, and a world divided by politics and racial tension, what better way to address this than by this supremely effective message from 1974
Read morePrince – Sometimes It Snows In April / Sign O’ The Times / Kiss / Purple Rain
Songs of the Day: A special tribute selection of four songs to mark exactly a year since the Purple One suddenly passed away – variously sad, political, funky, and triumphantly emotional
Read moreDe La Soul – The Magic Number
Song of the Day: The eclectic hip-hop connection continues with an upbeat look back to 1989, where the trio, who were high school friends, introduced their philosophy with quirky lyrics and samples
Read moreJane’s Addiction – No One's Leaving
Song of the Day: Leaving yesterday's gentle song we take a different departure, with the LA punk-funk-rock-metal band's number about a family row over a mixed-race relationship
Read moreBobbie Gentry/George Jackson - Find 'em, Fool 'em, Forget 'em
Song of the Day: Best known for the gentler Ode to Billie Joe, this dark, funky number from Gentry came out in 1970 a year after Jackson's original. Let's hear both to hear from two gender perspectives
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