The UnCola 2-7-12 Playlist

A tribute to Mr. Don Cornelius

Chi-Lites-Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)
Al Green-Take Me To The River
Lamont Dozier-Take Off Your Make Up
Raydio-Hot Stuff
Freda Payne-The Unhooked Generation
New Birth-Got To Get A Knutt
Bill Withers-The Same Love That Made Me Laugh
O'Jays-Give The People What They Want
Archie Bell & The Drells-I Could Dance All Night
Spinners-Sadie
Stevie Wonder-Golden Lady
Isley Brothers-Harvest For The World
Eddie Kendricks-Girl You Need A Change Of Mind
Shalamar-A Night To Remember
Teena Marie-Square Biz
Marvin Gaye-After The Dance
Minnie Riperton-Adventures In Paradise
Diana Ross-Baby It's Me
Average White Band & Ben E. King-A Star In The Ghetto
Soul Train Gang-Soul Train 75
Steve Arrington-Way Out
Bobby Womack-Across 110th Street
Chaka Khan-What Cha' Gonna Do For Me
Kool & the Gang-Summer Madness
Curtis Mayfield-Move On Up

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Super Bowl Preview: Anatomy of a Beatdown

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The UnCola 1-31-12 Playlist

Raspberries-Party's Over
Mouse-Electric Lady
Tarney-Spencer Band-It's Really You
Jigsaw-Who Do You Think You Are
Stories-Hey France
Hudson Brothers-Help Wanted
The Fortunes-Storm In A Teacup
Leah Kunkel-Under The Jamaican Moon
Stephen Sinclair-Meant To Be
Alan O'Day-Oh Johnny! 9
Dean Friedman-I've Had Enough
Sherbet-High Rollin'
Steve Dahl & Teenage Radiation-Do You Think I'm Disco
Little River Band-Light Of Day
Al Stewart-Song On The Radio
Doobie Brothers-Open Your Eyes
Chicago-Wake Up Sunshine
Max Webster-Words To Words
Bread-Down On My Knees
Phillips MacLeod-City Of Lights
Judee Sill-Jesus Was A Crossmaker
Neil Sedaka-Lonely Night (Angel Face)
Laura Nyro-Money
Ramsey Lewis-Spring High
Sailor-A Glass Of Champagne
Bliss Band-Slipaway
Skyband-Cold Light Of Day
James Walsh Gypsy Band-Lookin' Up I See

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The UnCola 1-17-12 Playlist

The Sherbs-I Have The Skill
The Wellingtons-Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Tears For Fears-Dog's A Best Friend's Dog
Richard Torrance-Circle Of Confusion
Pearl Harbour & the Explosions-Drivin'
Andreas Aleman-Show Me
Denne & Gold-Let's Put Our Love Back Together
Balance-Hot Summer Nights
Umbrella Hands-Glamorous Monsters
Al Stewart-Running Man
Nightshift-You're Free
Time Bandits-I'm Specialized In You
Blood, Sweat & Tears-Somethin' Comin' On
Wings Of Fire Orchestra-Fading Flower
Gerry Rafferty-Home & Dry
Bill LaBounty-Mr. O
Squeeze-Who Are You
Melissa Manchester-Monkey See Monkey Do
Ice Cream Hands-Supermarket Scene
Robert Palmer-Sweet Lies
Everything But The Girl-Rollercoaster
Al DiMeola-Roller Jubilee
Stephen Duffy-Kiss Me
Duran Duran-Girl Panic
Walter Becker-Cringemaker
Daryl Hall-Cab Driver
Diane Tell-Rendez-Vous
The Smiths-The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

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The UnCola 1-10-12 Playlist

Kids In The Kitchen-Bitter Desire
Fitz & the Tantrums-Pickin Up The Pieces
The Flock-Hang On
Cathy Dennis-Am I The Kind Of Girl
The Sports-How Come
The Explorers Club-Run Run Run
Sullivan & Warren-Some Sunny Day
Dave Edmunds-London's A Lonely Town
BC Camplight-The Hip & The Homeless
Jellyfish-Bye Bye Bye
Psychedelic Furs-President Gas
Grand Theft-Love Burns
Ned Doheny-Think Like A Lover
Scissor Sisters-Mary
Boy George-Everything I Own
Forgotten Top 40: Jim Capaldi-That's Love
Cado Belle-Infamous Mister
Victor Davies-Somebody
Prince-She Spoke 2 Me
Thompson Twins-Tokyo
Mama's Gun-The Life And Soul
Debbie Harry-Backfired
D'Influence-Good Lover
Ace-No Future In Your Eyes
Moon Martin-No Dice
Owsley-Sonny Boy
Stephen Bishop-Vagabond from Heaven
Anoraak-Crazy Eyes
UB40-Sing Our Own Song

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The UnCola 1-3-12 Playlist

25 Favorites from 2011

Norwegian Fords-Fit In
The Cars-Blue Tip
Mayer Hawthorne-A Long Time
Tahiti 80-Solitary Bizness
Daryl Hall-Eyes For You (Ain't No Doubt About It)
Josef Melin-The Bright Side Of Life
The Cheeksters-Thrill Of A Lifetime
Fountains Of Wayne-Richie & Ruben
James Taylor Quartet-Woman
Shakatak-So High
Ole Borud-Rock Steady
Scritti Politti-A Day Late And A Dollar Short
Geyster-A Change For The Better
k.d. Lang-Reminiscing
Mr. President-Love And Happiness
State Cows-Hard Goodbye
Icebird-King Tut
John Oates-You Make My Dreams Come True
Grenades For The Wall-Fight Your Battles With Me
Plan B-Writing's On The Wall
Suzi Quatro-Rosie Rose
Blondie-Mother
Michael Franks-I'd Rather Be Happy Than Right
Kid Creole & the Coconuts-Stony & Cory
Julian Lennon-Looking 4 Luv
Todd Rundgren-Take It All
Toad The Wet Sprocket-All I Want

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The UnCola 12-20-11 Playlist

Mr. President-Meet Again
Browning Bryant-Liverpool Fool
Level 42-The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)
Jamiroquai-Love Foolosophy
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings-Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects
Sade-Maureen
Junior Senior-Take My Time
Seawind featuring Marlene-Summer Nights
Lisa Bolar-Santa Can I Have A New Boyfriend?
Scritti Politti-The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood)
Prefab Sprout-Wild Horses
Duncan Browne-Fauvette
XTC-Thanks For Christmas
Raphael Saadiq-Over You
Hal-Softly Spoken

The Beach Boys- Smile (from 2011's Smile Sessions)
Our Prayer
Gee
Heroes And Villains
Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)
I'm In Great Shape
Barnyard
My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter/ You Are My Sunshine)
Cabin Essence
Wonderful
Look (Song For Children)
Child Is Father of The Man
Surf's Up
I Wanna Be Around/ Workshop
Vega-Tables
Holidays
Wind Chimes
The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)
Love To Say Dada
Good Vibrations

Wondermints-Ride
Paul Steel-In A Coma

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The UnCola 12-13-11 Playlist

The Nile Rodgers Tribute

Chic-Chic Cheer
Chic-Rebels Are We
Norma Jean-I Like Love
Sister Sledge-Thinking Of You
Chic-Just Out Of Reach
Johnny Mathis-It's Alright To Love Me
Chic-Soup For One
Chic-Doin' That Thing To Me
Debbie Harry-The Jam Was Moving
Chic-You Are Beautiful
David Bowie-Shake It
Chic-My Forbidden Lover
Chic-When You Love Someone
Nile Rodgers-Yum Yum
Chic-Stage Fright
Diana Ross-Friend To Friend [Chic mix]
Fonzi Thornton-I'll Change My Game
B-52s-Dry County
Chic-Happy Man
Carly Simon-Why
Outloud-Fundamental
Chic-What About Me
Sister Sledge-Got To Love Somebody
Chic-So Fine
Chic-Strike Up The Band
Chic-Real People
Chic-You Can't Do It Alone

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Giving Love Instinctively

Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edawrds got the biggest gig of their life when in 1980 they were asked by Motown to write & produce Diana Ross' next album. Diana ended up withe biggest album of her career. Motown got a much needed hit. Music fans got a solid albums and 2 monster singles, Upside Down & I'm Coming Out. The only losers in the deal were Nile & Nard.

Seems that after Nile & Nard submitted the album to the Motown execs, they had it rejected. They stood defiant and said we're not changing a thing, so Motown took all the tapes, remixed it and released it a new mix themselves. Now I've heard both mixes and it's very hard for me to be subjective since I'm so used to the Motown mixed versions. It's not the Chic mixes were bad. I just think Motown felt that Diana needed a little more sugar. Plus the Motown mixes put Diana out front & center and being the diva she was and is, that made perfect sense. But it definitely was a blow to Nard & Nile's ego. The fact they still had hits and continued to do so only proved that these guys had the goods.



Upside Down (with Michael Jackson on backing chorus vocals) and I'm Coming Out showed that the Chic Org excelled first and foremost on jamming & breaking it down. Upside Down is straight disco funk, creating a groove that was unique to any other record at the time. Lyrically Diana's talking about hanging with an unfaithful dude cause she's still in love with him, but the music makes you think Diana's in complete control of the relationship. I'm Coming Out is the most direct way a mainstream icon connected with their gay following. From the climactic build starting with the insistant guitar of Nile, you just wait for that beat to drop in. Then when they fall out in the middle again (the part P.Diddy sampled by Notorious BIG's Mo Money Mo Problems) Tony's thick drumming doubles that intro's sensation until the big final release. And Meco, the bandleader who hit #1 with the Star Wars Theme in 1977, plays a trombone solo.

Smooth yet heavy, always classy funk!

Here's the Chic mix of Upside Down:



Here's the one we all remember:



Here's I'm Coming Out:

Clams on the Half-shell and Rollerskates

It was sad that Chic never had any more Top 40 hits after they released Good Times, but in a way it makes sense. Not that they didn't have good songs after this - they certainly did. And I'm sure they didn't want the ride to end. But if you're gonna out, at least in the public's eye, this is the song to go out on.

This tune turned Chic from some disco group with a few hits to one of the most important bands in history. The entire next decade of music suddenly had a pivot point from the moment Nard dropped his bass out on the 4. How can you fully quantify the influence of a song that at once instantly makes b-boys from the Bronx and new romantics from Britain want to start a band? There wasn't a block party happening without this tune? There wasn't an English bass player that didn't want to by Bernard Edwards or a rhythm guitarist not want to be Nile Rodgers? This was the spark in the fire of rap & new wave simultaneously. That's pretty amazing.



And whether I'm digging on this jazz funk that Chic lays down for 8 minutes, singing along with Fonzi Thornton as he hits his third over Alfa & Luci on the chorus or slap my hand in the air on cue with the string slide at the start of the breakdown, I can't help but feel the inner sadness at the heart of this record. Yes these are the good times. That's what they're saying, followed by 'a rumor has it that it's getting late. Time marches on, just can't wait....you can't change your fate.' Should I be dancing or crying? Nile knew the party was over as they hoped they it would never end. That's they captured both feelings in this song is a measure of Nile & Nard's talent. That a rappin granny spit a few verses of Rapper's Delight over this groove in The Wedding Singer is a measure of how little we treasure it.

I Want...Your Love

I've always had this idea for a scene in a movie that I hoped to insert in whatever screenplay I end up finishing. Two guys walk into a church needed to speak with a priest about a very important issue. One guy is very serious and impatient, the other is easily bored and a goofball. Guy one tells guy two wait inside the church while he finds the priest and leaves. Guy 2 comes across a table full of hand bells. He picks one up, rings it tentatively, picks up another and rings it louder. Then in perfect rhythm he rings them, duplicating the chorus of Chic's, I Want Your Love. Ding, dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.........dong ding. Guy 1 finds him, tells him to knock it off and follow him.

There's not much of a joke there, I know, and it's weird describing it out of context. But for me, it would me a personal nod to Nile Rodgers, a 'joke' I would share with a guy I never met. A way of telling him how much I love that song. And I do.

From 1978's C'est Chic, it may be my favorite Chic song as well as my favorite 'Nard bass line. I sing along with that bass part every time I hear that song, out of habit. Don't even realize I'm doing it. With it's robotic yet demanding chorus and jazzy melancholic vibe, it just gets me every time. I can't really explain it. But if it gets you too, I don't need to.

1...2...Aaaaaaah!

As a kid I always loved Chic, but mostly I loved the name. The fact that it looked like you would say 'chick' but it was pronounced 'sheek'. Something that seemed so smooth and cool would be so dirty & funky. Chic really began as a proper band with their 2nd album, C'est Chic. The architects, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards would try to be anonymous or at least hide behind their two new female leads, Alfa Anderson & Luci Martin. But how could one not wanna know who was chicken scratching on guitar or playing the smoothest funk bass of all time? Not me. I wanted to know the guys behind the curtain.

Le Freak is a great example of how Chic got the disco label out of timing and circumstance. Actually this is a great funk record. I love how the bass drops out on the chorus, then kicks it on the verses, especially getting funky on the climactic breakdown. Nard plays so effortlessly, it puts all bass players before or after to shame. Nile is relentless on rhythm guitar driving the song all the through with his percussive playing. It almost feels like he's pushing everyone up the hill, esp on that breakdown. It ended selling 6 million records as a single, the best ever for Atlantic Records.



I remember when the song was out that every time we would pass Le Frak city in Queens on the Long Island Expressway, I would sing Le Frak Its back. Frak out!. Yeah it's dumb, I was 7. I thought the 2 were related somehow.

I also have this memory of coming home from JFK after vacationing in Florida at Christmas time, walking into our house, late at night, after the super long delay, coming home in the snow. The song that was playing on the radio when we walked in the door was Le Freak. Why do I still remember that? Who knows?

I don't know much about the Freak as a dance. But I was in a roller rink that was a converted dance club with some people that I just met. They took me there to listen to some band who was forgettable. During their break, the DJ put on a few disco records and the floor filled up. Keep in mind that this was 1990. People still thought that the 70s were a joke, esp disco. The 80s did a number on its preceding decade. It was very rare to hear the music on the radio or even but it in the stores.

When the DJ dropped Le Freak, people started screaming. I couldn't believe it. Everyone who was in that club was on the floor and it was packed tight. The girl I was dancing with was having a religious experience. Rather than question any of it (which I did later) I completely went with it and about a couple hundred of us did the Freak in unison. I vividly remember this because the DJ turned the lights on during the song and the crowd looked at each other as it was getting off. It was the only time I ever felt anything akin to the communal experience I heard that 70s disco was.

Once the records played, the floor cleared, the band started, my crew & I hung out for 5 minutes and split.

If you don't know the story of Le Freak, I'm sure you can find it on the web. Better yet, pick up Nile's autobiography called Le Freak. Until then, turn it up and freak out!

The UnCola Playlist 12-6-11

Segarini-Gotta Have Pop
Level 42-Overtime
Echo & the Bunnymen-Bedbugs And Ballyhoo
Judee Sill-The Kiss
Mayer Hawthorne-The Walk
Carole King-I Can't Hear You No More
Gene Loves Jezebel-Suspicion
Bugatti & Musker-Fate
Manhattan Transfer-Feel Flows
Basia-New Day For You
Los Amigos Invisibles-Sweet
Tower of Power Soul Vaccination
Brand New Heavies-Fake Brother Sister
UK Players-Dancing In The Street
El Chicano-Tell Her She's Lovely
Breakfast Club-Kiss & Tell
Mildred-Rise Above
XTC-Down In The Cockpit
Nick Lowe-Stoplight Roses
Baby Grand-Bring Me Your Broken Heart
Jakob Magnusson-Magnetic Storm
Toy Matinee-Last Plane Out
Prince & the Revolution-She's Always In My Hair
Ole Borud-Keep Movin'
Alphaville-Dance With Me
Andrea True Connection-What's Your Name, What's Your Number
New Order-Shellshock


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The Nile Rodgers Tribute

On Tuesday, Dec 13th at 8PM on AshevilleFM.org, in honor of his new autobiography, Le Freak, The UnCola will be broadcasting a tribute to Nile Rodgers. Everything from Chic & solo albums, rare, live & demos and Nile productions. And of course, no hits!

To get ready for this event, I'll be talking about those 'hits' and the influence they had on my life.

The UnCola Playlist 11-29-11

Thomas Dolby-Nothing New Under The Sun
Tony Stone-Perish The Thought
Alfalpha-Hung Up On A Line
Sara Hickman-I Couldn't Help Myself
Rooney-I Can't Get Enough
Scott English-Brandy
Donald Fagen-Florida Room
Joseph Williams-This Girl
James Taylor Quartet-Woman
Rita Jean Bodine-Pacified
Joni Mitchell-Good Friends
Icebird-Just Love Me
Isis-Cocaine Elaine
Cathy Dennis-Homing The Rocket
New Musik-Living By Numbers
Starbuck-Everybody Be Dancin'
Geyster-Sister's Beautiful
Double-Devil's Ball
Ambrosia-Can't Let A Woman
Julian Lennon-Looking 4 Luv
The Wondermints-Listen
XTC-Me And The Wind
Ben Folds-Fired
Alan O'Day-Angie Baby
The Smiths-There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Blur-London Loves
Phoenix-Lizstomania
A-Train-Time Stops

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The UnCola Playlist 11-22-11

Kid Creole & the Coconuts-Stony & Cory
Love & Money-Candybar Express
Adrian Gurvitz-The Way I Feel
Style Council-Life At A Top Peoples Health Farm
Fitz & the Tantrums-Moneygrabber
Dag-Righteous (City Pain)
Maxine Nightengale-(Bringing Out) The Girl In Me
State Cows-Center Of The Sun
Gino Vannelli-Santa Rosa
Boz Scaggs-Georgia
Diane Birch-This Corrosion
Phoebe Snow-Something So Right
The Greatest Show On Earth-Real Cool World
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels-When You Were Mine
Matthew Wilder-The Kid's American
Ozark Mountain Daredevils-If I Only Knew
Grenades For The Wall-London Bridge
Nik Kershaw-One Step Ahead
k.d. Lang-Get Some
Tahiti 80-Solitary Bizness
Cellarful Of Noise-Samantha (Whatcha Gonna Do?)
XTC-Helicopter
Pomplamoose-Single Ladies
Hall & Oates-Time's Up (Alone Tonight)
Icehouse-No Promises
Joe Jackson-Jamie G.
Automatic Man-Give It To Me
Young & Co.-I Like What You're Doing To Me
The Verve-Lucky Man

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The UnCola Playlist 11-15-11

Prince & the Revolution-Baby I'm A Star
Prince-I Feel For You
Prince-The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
Chaka Khan-Sign O The Times
Prince-Elephants & Flowers
Prince-Glam Slam
Prince-Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad
Prince-Musicology
Prince-Pink Cashmere
Prince-Irresistible Bitch
Prince-Dinner With Delores
Hindu Love Gods-Raspberry Beret
Prince-Electric Chair
Prince & the New Power Generation-Sexy MF
Prince-Soft & Wet
Prince-Head
Vanity 6-Nasty Girl
Prince-Erotic City
Prince-Everyday Is A Winding Road
Prince & the Revolution-Anotherloveholenyohead
Prince-Pope
The Family-The Screams Of Passion
Prince & The Revolution-17 Days
Prince-Starfish & Coffee
Prince & the New Power Generation-Strollin'
Prince-Nothing Compares To U

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The UnCola Playlist 11-8-11

Mayer Hawthorne-A Long Time
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons-Sun Country
The A's-A Woman's Got The Power
New Radicals-I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away The Ending
Odyssey-Battened Ships
Zero 7-Throw It All Away
Andrew Gold-Oh Urania (Take Me Away)
David Roberts-Wrong Side of The Tracks
Flamedown-No One
Queen-I'm Going Slightly Mad
10cc-Lazy Ways
XTC-Here Comes President Kill Again
Todd Rundgren-Out Of My Mind
The Outfield-Voices Of Babylon
James Gang-Alexis
Mr. President-Love & Happiness
General Public-Faults & All
Jellyfish-Now She Knows Shes Wrong
Michael Franks-I'd Rather Be Happy Than Right
Spats-(You're Lovin Is) Everywhere
Simply Red-It's Only Love
Little John-Turn Your Face To A Smile
Grum-Can't Shake This Feeling
B 52s-Give Me Back My Man
La Flavour-Mandolay
Jamiroquai-Stillness In Time
Scritti Politti-Tinseltown To The Boogiedown

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The UnCola Playlist 11-1-11

Daryl Hall-Talking To You
Cat Stevens-Killin' Time
Hipsway-Tinder Hipsway
Oleta Adams-Circle Of One
Kate Bush-And So Is Love
Lewis Taylor-From The Day We Met
Bee Gees-Can't Keep A Good Man Down
Cold Blood-Kissing My Love
Flight of the Conchords-Ladies of The World
Men Without Hats-O Sole Mio
Fifth Avenue Band-One Way Or The Other
Joe Chemay Band-Bad Enough
Ben Folds 5-She Don't Use Jelly
Smokie-Living Next Door To Alice
George Michael-Shoot The Dog
Dusty Springfield-I Don't Think We Could Ever Be
Q-Bic-Mirrorball
Blow Monkeys-It Doesn't Have To Be This Way
Christopher Cross-Leave It To Me
The Producers-What's He Got
Todd Rundgren-Espresso (All Jacked Up)
Beach Boys-Match Point Of Our Love
Lisa Stansfield-The Love In Me
Peter Brown-Crank It Up (Funk Town)
Remy Shand-Take A Message
Erykah Badu-Honey

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The UnCola Playlist 10-18-11

Janis Ian-Fly Too High
Curiosity Killed The Cat-Ball & Chain
Suzi Quatro-Breaking Dishes
The Clash-The Magnificent Seven
Moonshoes-Everybody
Chris Rosser-The Laundromat Song (Imagine That)
Cory Wells-Midnight Lady
Some Like It Odd-Wishes
Maria Muldaur-Make Love To The Music
Rick Mathews-I Want To Make You Happy
Sia-You've Changed
Week End Millionaire-French Music Par Excellence
Alessi-No Getting Around My Love
Gloria Scott-Just As Long As We're Together
Howard Jones-The Prisoner
The Rhinestones-Get It Up For Love
Jamiroquai-Too Young To Die
Ray Kennedy-Isn't It Time
Peter Gallway-From Tokyo To Kokomo
Prefab Sprout-Ghost Town Blues
Pomplamoose-Achin' Heart
Kenny Rankin-On & On
Rosie Vela-Magic Smile
Love & Rockets-Lazy
Al Kooper-Salmon Falls
Res-Let Love
XTC-Living Through Another Cuba
The Beloved-Your Love Takes Me Higher

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