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Joey Negro’s mix of ‘There But For The Grace Of God’ on A Boy’s Own Odyssey (Volume II) was so good, I had to go back to get out his lastest album with The Sunshine Band.

As Music Week says, “you’d have to be a bit miserable to deny Joey Negro is a bit of a legent” and even though he’s done the commercial stuff that pays the bills (noteably Jakatta), if it means he can get together with all his muso mates to bring some sunshine into our lives, that’s fine by us.

The Sunshine Band have often been mentioned on the pages of FLY as they include Pete Simpson (Elektrons, Domu Presents Pete Simpson), Yolanda Wynns (Bugz In The Attic), Daine Charlemagne (Goldie), the one and only Leroy Burgess. And there’s going to be some renewed interest in this album as the latest Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Bubblers Three compilation includes the best of the lot, ‘Turn It Out’ that features Chaka Khan’s sister, Taka Boom.

And talking of Mr. Peterson, he went all old skool disco, electro, jazz-funk this week on his Brownswood Basement show and if Norman Jay doesn’t play ‘Put A Lyric In It’ this Carnival weekend, I’ll be most surprised (respect Sharon Redd).

And talkin’ of the old days, I love the start of the ‘Monterey’ freak-out skit but ‘Days Gone By’ is a bit too slushy on the lyric for me and I was expecting a lot of ‘Free Bass’ but it could have been ‘freer’. Not to worry as there’s a massive 17 tracks and you’ll be loving ‘Journey To The Sun’ as top soulful house with big strings, loud horns and funky guitar track and ‘Man Of War’ keeps the tempo up as a 70s Tempations syle tribute.

The single ‘Fashion’ takes a bit of getting used to a it’s a cover of Bowie’s classic, one for the next version of Life Beyond Mars - Bowie Covered possibly. That said, the titles, are very much 70’s winter of discontent and 2008 credit crunch, ‘Rough Times’, ‘Survivin’, ‘Our Lives Are Shaped’, ‘Man Of War’. As it’s Joey Negro, it’s not at all miserable. ‘Survivin’ and ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ are very sing along Incognito (no real surprise with Tony Remy on guitars) and the last track, ‘We Can Live Forever’ is typical ‘last tune’ anthem.

If your into Southport Soul, this upbeat disco jazz funk house is for you and lets hope we keep survivin’ and live for ever in music.

Reviewed: Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band - Moving With The Shakers (Z Records) Cat. No.ZEDDCD013 Release date: May 2008
Tracklisting:
1 Journey Intro (1:11) Vocals - Katherine Ellis & Pete Simpson
2 Rough Times (4:38) Vocals - Yolanda Wyns
3 Our Lives Are Shaped (5:20) Vocals Pete Simpson
4 Shabadowah (3:52) Vocals - Diane Charlemagne
5 Fashion (6:25) Vocals - Katherine Ellis & Pete Simpson
6 Sitting On Top Of The World (5:40) Vocals - Diane Charlemagne , Yvonne Stevens & Pete Simpson
7 Dusk (2:41)
8 Put A Lyric In It (6:29) Vocals - Diane Charlemagne
9 Monterey (1:41)
10 Days Gone By (5:07) Vocals - Diane Charlemagne & Pete Simpson
11 Journey Into The Sun (6:26) Vocals Katherine Ellis & Pete Simpson
12 Free Bass (2:17)
13 Man Of War (6:42) Vocals Pete Simpson
14 Movin’ With The Shakers (2:56) Vocals Diane Charlemagne
15 Turn It Out (5:37) Vocals Taka Boom
16 Survivin’ (5:05) Vocals Leroy Burgess
17 We Can Live Forever (6:00) Vocals Diane Charlemagne , Pete Simpson

Links
www.zrecords.ltd.uk
www.myspace.com/thesunburstband
Gilles Peterson :: 21.08.08 :: A Brownswood Basement show, strictly vinyl and no re-issues.
William de Vaughn - ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’ (Hot Productions)
Brass Fever - ‘Time is Running Out’ (abc)
Pete Dunaway - ‘Supermarket (Som Livre)
Tony Rallo - ‘Holding On’ (Casblanca)
The Love Symphony Orchestra - ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ (Excalibur)
Baby O - ‘In the Forest’ (Calibre)
Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream - ‘Phoneix’ (Buddah/Pye Records)
Donald Byrd - ‘Wildlife’ (Blue Note)
Sharon Redd - ‘Beat the Street’ (Prelude)
Universal Robot Band - ‘Bearly Breaking Even’ (Moonglow)
Class Action - ‘Weekend’ (ampm)