Family members : Artur The Lioncub

How do you share your Love for a radio show? By creating a blog. But Artur the Lioncub is much more than your average blogger. Let's meet him...

When you start a brand new day Let your heart show you the way And make a dream or two Come true.

How I love when my thoughts run To the land of make believe Where everything is fun Forever.

Chuck Mangione, Land of Make-Belive, 1973

Colleen's record room at night, a few days ago...

"So you see, if we talk about that record, here, we can't forget to mention that one too, see?

– Yes, I understand your point but still, we should also mention that one because it is linked with that show!

– Aw god, dear Lioncub, we can't mention them all!

– Grrr... Okay okay okay, let's do it that...

– What are you guys doing in my record room?!" asked Colleen while stepping in...

"Oops! Good evening Colleen! We're just working on something, sorry we didn't want to wake you up! – Did you see what time it is? It's 3 o'clock! I was trying to sleep and I was hearing you in my dreams, guys, really, you should have told me that you wanted to come here! Gosh, what did I do to have two musical freaks like you? Urgh!"

The Lioncub and Artur made a grin and laughed out loud. Desperately waving her hands in the air, Collen answered...

"Ok. Ok. Ok. (sigh)... Please finish what you're doing quickly and go off to bed, and I mean everyone, including all the invisible spirits out there, I have a show tomorrow guys...

– OK Colleen, good night; sleep tight!" (laughs filled the record room...)

"So, where were we, Artur? Oh so, are you sure you wanna do it that way?

– Yup dear Lioncub...

– OK, let's do this!"

---

Hello, dear Lioncub! How are you doing?

Oh, I’m fine, thank you! I just uploaded a surprise for you all!

Oh Really? And what is it ?!

It’s a live mix I’ve done all by myself, entitled: “The Big Blue: A Tribute to Balearic Breakfast”! I am so excited to share this one with you all!

I think you must tell us more about that musical journey. Why did you do that tribute mix to “Balearic Breakfast”?

Since Colleen started her staycation shows in 2020, I have always felt a strong musical connection to what our friends requested and how Colleen played the records. With everything we went through together, Balearic Breakfast became a Home to me (this is why I created this blog, of course). I’ve had the privilege to hear Colleen play some of my requests, like “The Ghetto” (Donny Hathaway), “I can only be me” (Eva Cassidy), “Let your love flow” (Solomon Burke), “Sing to me mama” (Karen Cheryl), "Long Train Runnin'" (Traks), a dub version of “Ha-Chica” (Tony McKenzie), "Margherita" (Massara), "Souvenirs" (Voyage) and even “Dziwny jest ten Swiat” (Czesław Niemen). Believe me, sharing music with your beloved DJ is something unique (and I am not the only one to feel this way ^^). This is why I love the show so much because whether you’re an artist or a music lover, you can participate! In the end, we’re the biggest musical family alive on earth (laughs), and the requests are really off the hook!

And how did the mix happen, I heard you wanted it to be Huge...

I had a vision. It started a year ago. I felt the need to share Music once again. Already thinking about launching the blog but asking myself how to do it; I wanted the world to know how much “Balearic Breakfast” meant to me. But I didn’t want to do just “another” mix. I wanted a Real Tribute Mix. Something I could be proud of for years, something that would beautifully encapsulate a lot of the “Balearic Breakfast” elements.

From the start, I knew it had to be a vinyl mix and it had to be Big. Other ideas poured into my mind as time went by (this version of the mix is the Standard one... Do you see me coming with my Huge Poaws?)... So I set off to work and, in 2022, did a first mix. But it wasn’t good enough. I decided that I needed more time... So I took it, worked on the setlist, bought some more records, improved my setup and finally, in July 2023, recorded the whole mix.

As I’m not a professional DJ, I didn’t want to do complex mixes but rather do my best to let the Music Flow (a nice way to wave hello to Colleen and David by the way!). And I think I’ve succeeded. Mixing for two hours straight has been difficult for me, though I really tried. So I eased the burden and said to myself, one edit per main part. And I stuck to it. 99,9 % of the mix is unedited. I gave it my All… The mix got recorded over 2 weekends. I had to record the last part of the mix twice to get it right and had a tough time getting the first half of the first part right too (I think I tried to do it like 6/7 times in a row to get it the way I dreamt it... laughs!!). Maybe I ate more than I could chew (laughing again)! But the Journey was really worth it and I’m proud of what I achieved, even learning some lessons on the way, which is always good! Anyway, You’ll tell me how you like it!

So, somehow, you’re giving back what you received, right?

Yeah, somehow (laughs)! I mean, of course, the show itself is all about Music. But, on the other hand, it is also much more than that to me... Very often, Colleen shares more than music... I try to translate that on the blog (even though each one of us may have its own perception) and sometimes I think I share some "Intellectual Synchronicity" with Colleen (laughs)! Music always showed me the way to the ideas I had to convey: each song has something to teach us about what "being Balearic" means (think about songs like "Land of Make-Believe" or "Wake up Everybody"...). And, of course, I learn so much from being in the Balearic Breakfast Family; it’s just unbelievable. This show is helping me to grow. And I mean it. I’m much more of a “Balearic Lioncub” now, even though I still must improve certain things (laughs)!

Well, I think we got the picture, dear Lioncub! Thank you so much! Let’s listen to the mix!

I dedicate "The Big Blue" to our Beloved Captain, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy; to her husband, Adam and of course, to the Balearic Breakfast Family...

In Loving Memory of David Mancuso.

THE BIG BLUE - A TRIBUTE TO BALEARIC BREAKFAST

(Standard Edition)

PLAYLIST

Part I

Yusuf / Cat Stevens – If I was the king of a Land

Randy Crawford – You might need somebody

INTRO : Eric Serra – The big blue (Ouverture)

Luciano Pavarotti – Caruso

Cock Robin – When your heart is weak

Londonbeat – I’ve been thinking about you (acoustic)

Don Ray – Standing in the rain

[EDIT] Vanilla – Imagination (Calipso nights)

Fragile – We’ve got tonight boy

Skipworth & Turner – Thinking about your love

Dølle Jølle – Balearic incarnation

Fat Freddy's Drop – Mother Mother (Cosmodelica remix)

Lady Blackbird – Lost and Looking (Cosmodelica remix)

Eric Bamy – Tell me what you got to Do ("David Lansky" Soundtrack)

Freeez – IOU

Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen

Tears for fears – Everybody wants to rule the world

HF International ft. Kasif – I can’t go for that (No Can Do)

(Kaoru Inoue Extended Disco Dub Remix)

INTERLUDE:

Rare Earth – Tobacco Road / Eric Serra – Homo Delphinus

Part II

Chuck Mangione ft Esther Satterfield – Land of Make-believe

Bobby Caldwell – What you won’t do for love

Vivien Savage – La P’tite Lady

Working Week – Inner City Blues (Urbane Guerilla MIx)

Mariya Takeuchi – Plastic Love

William Pitt – City Lights

Roisin Murphy – Murphy’s law (Cosmodelica remix)

Prince – It’s gonna be a beautiful night (live)

Ryan Paris – Dolce Vita

Muriel Dacq – Tropiques

Luisa Fernandez – Lay love on me

[EDIT] Tavares – Heaven must be missing an angel

Boney M – Let it all be music

The Weather Girls – It’s raining men

Santa Esmeralda – Another cha cha

Sylvester – You make me feel

ENCORES:

Tina Turner & Rod Stewart – It takes 2

Joe Cocker – Satisfied

Joe Cocker – High Time We Went

The Dire Straits – Two young Lovers / Tunnel of Love (live)

FINAL:

Rod Stewart – Rythm of my heart