Worldwide FM broadcast the 30th episode of Balearic Breakfast on March 23rd 2021. Introduction. – For this new, and back then 29th, episode of Balearic Breakfast, Colleen suggested that we celebrate Spring. She wrote on her socials when posting the request line picture: "Good morning and Happy Spring Equinox! The request line is open for Tuesday's Balearic Breakfast and let's give springtime some love. We played Spring Affair on the show already but I know you can stretch your imagination." Guided by this very "natural" idea, the Balearic Breakfast Family responded with great requests and, as always, the final show embodied the Balearic Vibe absolutely, on every level. Both the mixes crafted by Colleen and the requested songs helped in creating a 2-hour show that flew by like a dream... About this show. – When listening, you should be able to feel, in every song played during this show, that light Balearic wind, seeing yourself flying on a microlight plane! It's a very lightweight show, an "easy listening" Balearic trip for sure (Bebel Gilberto's "Tanto Tempo" track embodies this show so well)! This show also includes one of the most joyful tracks ever requested (by yours truly ha!) during Balearic Breakfast "Sing to Me Mama" by the French singer, radio and TV presenter, Karen Cheryl! A track every disco lover should know by heart :-) I remember sending Colleen the vinyl because she played, on a previous show, a track that used Karen Cheryl's Backing track ( "Pantera" by Jutro Moundo), and since I love that song so much I just could not refrain from sending that 45 maxi rpm to my beloved DJ (plus the lyrics do evoque springtime, ha!). That's the magic of Balearic Breakfast! Listen back to the 29th episode of Balearic Breakfast: Useful links. – Classic Album Sunday's page about Max Richter's recomposed version of Antoni Vivaldi's "4 seasons". PLAYLIST Max Richter – Spring (The 4 Seasons recomposed) Deep Forest – Sweet Lullaby (Symphonic version) Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart – Bomba (Miles Away mix) Herbie Hancock – Heartbeat Troy Walsh – Animal Talk Cantoma – Alive (feat. Bing Ji Ling) Primavera - Santana Joao Selva – Meu Mundo Marcel King – Reach for Love (New York Remix) Karen Cheryl – Sing to me Mama New Order – Everything's Gone Green Double – Woman of the World (Long Instr. version) Sweet Blindness – Mighty Pope Sylvester – Do you wanna Funk with me? Elements of Life – Sunshine (Joe Clausell Extended mix) Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo (Peter Kruder Remix) Shirley Finney – Lovely Day, Just a Little Talk with Jesus Cyantific – Woman A man called Adam – Easter Song (Cafe Del Mar version)

Worldwide FM broadcast the 29th episode of Balearic Breakfast on March 16th 2021. Sometimes, the title of a show comes from a slightly different place than usual. When listening to these "first" Balearic Breakfast episodes, I, sadly enough, still have the "COVID-19" light flashing in my memory... Strangely enough, this title has, intellectually speaking, a dual meaning. The first one is of course what the show itself "sends" to me, and this episode is absolutely Balearic in its spirit. I don't feel like I can take a more precise image of it other than the one of a musical trip because of the songs played. So, we are close to the definition of the Vortex, which really is " a mass of fluid (such as a liquid) with a whirling or circular motion that tends to form a cavity or vacuum in the centre of the circle and to draw toward this cavity or vacuum bodies subject to its action ". The second interpretation, a more indirect one, finds its logic when you take into account the other definition of what is a vortex "a dangerous or bad situation in which you become more and more involved and from which you cannot escape" . And this is where I stopped, asking myself, " Can you use this word and link it to this episode? " But I quickly loved the duality of the title, bringing up what the show was all about, helping us to fight that other reality the Balearic Breakfast Family was experiencing, with a huge amount of resilience, and hope, but also loads of sadness and despair, not to mention courage, we all had tremendous courage. So I kept this title. And it is so true that the times were at a cross point where some of us were going out of lockdown (Great Britain) whereas others were about to experience a new period of constraints (France)... Listen back to the 28th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST David Baron – Ashokan Dreams Nina Simone – Baltimore Sade – Soldier of Love War – Low Rider Allez allez – African Queen Maze & Frankie Beverly – Joy and Pain Teena Marie – Revolution Dee Dee Bridgewater – Sweet Rain Drizabone – Real Love Rhinanna – World Love Rudy Norman – Back to the Streets (Flying Mojito Bros Refrito) Luke Temple – Katie Stevie Nicks – Stand Back Joe Jackson – Steppin Out Deep Dish – Stay Gold Soul Renegades – Speak to me (James L'Estraunge Orchestra Mix) Teddy Pendergrass – Get up, Get down, Get Funky, Get Loose D-Train – You're the one for me George Duke – I want you for myself Bohannon – Have a Good Day

Worldwide FM broadcast the 28th episode of Balearic Breakfast on March 9th 2021. For the very first themed Balearic Breakfast, Colleen invited the family members to request songs featuring female musicianship in celebration of International Women’s Day (a day during which women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political); and boy did we all happily oblige! When Colleen puts the "request line" on her socials a few days before the show, it is always an event for all of us. We really take this as a game, seeing friends requesting songs and being like, « Of course! How did I not think about that one, and that one , argh ! » (laughs)! As said in the previous post, discovering new music, or music you have never heard before, is really a key element of the show. This was the case here while discovering the great Millie Jackson! I still remember I stopped working to listen to her singing « If Loving You Is Wrong» (also famously and oh how perfectly covered by the great Percy Sledge). Boy, that ending got me down on my knees, and I listened to the whole "Caught Up" album in the dark the same night! What an experience it has been! With Colleen’s touch, this show demonstrates how well music can flow when a selector knows his thing; the following track, «Speak Low,» is a perfect example of how to keep a vibe on float! Recorded in 1956, this song sadly showcases Billie Holliday’s already strained voice. Also, Colleen got a little bit more "Political" than before, but we always learn a thing or two thanks to this! Colleen also shared with us a playlist posted on Spotify (which you can find here ) celebrating music created by women, showcasing how much they had to share in this " Man's Man's Man's World " of ours, not to mention Colleen's book, published on November 2019, 18th, which still is available for purchase! On a side note, when listening back to this 27th edition of Balearic Breakfast, I noticed that Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow" shared some similarities to a Polish rock song by 'Perfect' entitled "Lokomotywa Z Ogłoszenia" (listen to the guitar notes)! Listen back to the 27th edition of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST Kate Bush – This Woman's Work Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda (feat. Pharoah Sanders) Millie Jackson – If loving you is wrong Billie Holiday – Speak Low (Bent Remix) David Axelrod – The Smile Esperanzan Spalding – Judas Joni Mitchell – Black Crow Barbara Keith – All along the Watchtower Ursula Rucker – Supa Sista Letta Mbulu – Nomalizo Sly & Robbie – Fever Grace Jones – Feel Up (UK 12" Version) Gina X Performance – Nice Mover Yoko Ono & Spiritualized – Walking On Thin Ice Tracey Thorn – It's all true Carole King – Disco Tech ESG – Dance Nina Simone – Here comes the sun (François K Remix) Chaka Khan – I'm Every Woman

Worldwide FM broadcast the 27th episode of Balearic Breakfast on March 02nd 2021. Did we all know just what time it was, or what day, or where we should all be going? Lost in the maze, with non-stop contradictory “COVID-19” news, almost brainwashed by the falling numbers of cases rising, plunging, rising again and saddened by the people dying, literally, we were all. Suffocating. Our Captain was well aware of that as we shared our fears with her from time to time. Our only way “out” was Balearic Breakfast (a musical smorgasbord of sounds across the world as Colleen put it on her socials on March, 2nd 2023). So, once again, the Balearic Breakfast family reunited, and our Captain lifted our spirits high! And I just came to think about it but one thing that really made me love the show was discovering new versions of songs I thought I knew and, generally speaking, New music! New music sometimes meaning good old music (laughs)! As a matter of fact, Juntro Mundo's track "Panthera" uses an absolutely identical backup track (with some add-ons) to Karen Cheril's "Sing to Me Mama". I will have to dig further one day and find out more information about these two songs. I only knew Karen Cheryl's version so I requested "Sing to Me Mama" and Colleen played it on another edition of Balearic Breakfast! This show is one of those that felt like I was Home... My love was becoming stronger and stronger ^^ Listen back to the 26th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST The Future Sound of Londo n – Mountain Goat The Avalanches – We Will Always Love you (feat. Blood Orange) Delroy Wilson – Inner City Blues Dennis Brown – Love Has Found Its Way Mike Francis – Survivor (Original Remix Version) Girls Can't Help It – Baby Doll (Mr. K edit) Gratien Midonet – Osana (Kuniyuki Remix) Joutro Mundo – Panthera Gabor Szabo – Spellbinder Brijean – Wifi Beach Alive – Skindo Le Le Tabala – Tabala Mouv (Aroop Roy Rework) Mondo Grosso – Butterfly (François K. Jazzy Vibe MIx) The O'Jay's – I love Music Mandré – Solar Flight (Opus I) Paradis – Sur une chanson en Français Space – Carry on, Turn me on (Twillight Mix)

Worldwide FM broadcast the 26th episode of Balearic Breakfast on February 23rd 2021. It's nice to just embrace the natural beauty within you. Victoria Justice I will never forget the day I met Colleen. It was at the 104, in Paris, a few days after my birthday on September, 29th 2019, during the Red Bull Music Festival (she was doing a set along with other well-known DJs, including James Murphy / Vincent Privat / Seb le Vinyl). I was sitting on the ground, resting after several hours of dancing non-stop. As I was watching the dancers having the time of their lives, I saw a beautiful lady walking in rhythm to the music. I said to myself “Wow, that Lady is beautiful”! Suddenly, I realized and shouted in her direction “Colleen?! Is it you?!" "Yes it’s me!” she answered. After exchanging a few words, I just fell into her arms and hugged her. Everything was so unexpected, so beautiful... Imagine meeting your beloved DJ surrounded by Klipschorns powered by Crown Macrotech Amplifiers and people dancing like crazy in a beautiful room with wooden panels and very high ceilings, not to mention a perfect light show... I must admit I held that moment close in my heart when the pandemic struck a few months later and when I got rolled into the Balearic Breakfast adventure! To me, this show is all about that perfect moment two people share together in an embrace. Listen to songs like “Blossom”, "Love Song", "One More Night" and even "Always" (just a few selected from the lot ^^) ; you will be able to picture an embrace, two people joining together in an everlasting moment of pure happiness, this musical feeling being enhanced by Colleen’s dedication to Terry Fincham's friend who sadly passed away... Listen back to the 25th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST Michael Franks – Lotus Blossom Dione Warwick – love song Simple minds – Somebody up there likes you Stubb – We are launching (feat. Jane Weaver) Andreas Vollenweider – Pace Verde Tradition – The breathtaking blast Cartoon band – Tim Toum The phenomenal handclap band – Judge Not (Ray Mang special mix) Rudy’s midnight machine – Dyane Material – Eternal Drift Blue six – One more night Land of light – Isle of tear (tiago remix) Massara – Margheritta Alexander Robotnick – Problèmes d’amour (bootleg version) Steve Winwood – Time is running out (12" version) Donna Summer – Spring affair Bent – Always (Ashley Beedle's Mahavishnu Remix) Bannanarama – Long Train Running (Alma De Noche Mix) Psychotropic – Only for the Headstrong

Worldwide FM broadcast the 25th episode of Balearic Breakfast on February 16th 2021. On February, 13th 2021, Colleen posted the request line on her socials and wrote: "Good morning world. Please send over your requests for this Tuesday's BB which falls on Mardi Gras and one of the wildest holidays of all... Pancake Day. Over to you my friends..." Through the hard times we were all experiencing, our dear Captain never lost the Balearic Breakfast ship's direction. She was holding the helm firmly, leading us through the maze of the times... This show is a perfect example of that. If my memory serves me well, it was one of the very first themed shows of the series, and what better way to start than with some Pancakes turning on your turntables? (laughs)! It was also one of the first Balearic Breakfast shows celebrating The Loft's anniversary! I love how the first tracks take us to Colleen's imaginary thanks, once again, to the Balearic Breakfast's family requests! It was such a joyful start to the show! This 24th episode of the series is another one that got me closer, and closer, and closer (gosh, can I be closer than that ?!) to Colleen! I mean, how irresistible can a show be when you have songs like "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" and "Brother John", "Hand Clapping Son" and "Smoke My Peace Pipe" mixed together? Can't you see the Pancakes on the frying pan with me trying to sneak one out right to my tummy (laughs)! Gosh, sometimes, being a Lioncub is really hard, I can tell you! Also, it's great hearing Colleen tell us the story behind Mardis Gras as it is celebrated in the States; she has such a way of telling stories! You always learn something while listening to this show... Though not all the tracks were related to Mardis Gras, this episode got to be amongst the most joyful of the series and back then we needed that for sure (on the "Covid-19" front, things were positively evolving as the number of global new cases reported kept on falling, with "only" 2.7 million new cases (-16% compared to the previous week). The number of new deaths reported also fell, with 81,000 new deaths reported, a 10% decline as compared to the previous week). A lot of countries worldwide were still on lockdown, so though things seemed to be slightly getting better, we were still challenged mentally and Balearic Breakfast was our best time of the week to take a Fresh and Positive breeze of Air (plus we were to have a Cosmodelica House Party on February, 18th 2021, so, we were all pretty excited)! Listen back to the 24th episode of Balearic Breakfast : PLAYLIST Jack Johnson – Banana Pancakes Prince – Starfish and Coffee Dr. John – I walk on Guilded Splinters Robbie Robertson – Somewhere down the crazy River The Wild Tchoupitoulas – Brother John The Meters – Hand Clapping Song The Wild Magnolias – Smoke my peace pipe Derrick Lara & Trinity – Don't stop 'till you get enough The Belle Stars – Iko Iko Talking Heads – Burning Down the House Maze – Changing Times Con Funk Shun – California 1 The Supremes – High Energy John Gibbs & The US Steel Orchestra – Trinidad (Special Disco Mix) David Walters – Kryé Mwen (Patchworks Remix) Soul Dhamma – Flower (The Underwater Garden Dub) Ten City – Be Free (Emmaculate & Shannon Chambers Mix) Mid Air – Ease Out Vangelis – Let it Happen (Beatfanatic Remix) Funkadelic – Maggot Brain

Worldwide FM broadcast the 24th episode of Balearic Breakfast on February 9th 2021. “Snowflakes are pretty patterns etched in water’s dreams.” Anthony T. Hincks I remember this like it happened yesterday, writing from time to time on Colleen's socials: "This show had a soul of its own; it was inhabited!" I would not change these kinds of statements to this very day. Many of the shows Colleen crafted in the 2020/2021 period were musical treasures (both because of the selections and because of their "aura"). Of course, the Balearic Breakfast Family was there, solidly requesting (laughs)! Still, we all owe Colleen the final result, and it must be repeated: she's a heavy and sensible worker. And this show proves it once again. When I say Balearic Breakfast is a home, you need to listen to that 23rd edition to understand it! It is sometimes painful to listen to some of the earlier shows because of the circumstances, but it is always a Joy in the end because Music takes over the strange, bizarre and unwanted bad memories. The first thing that struck me in this edition is Colleen's younger voice! You can hear her younger self on the mic; it is heart-warming (though it seems she still carries a light sadness in her voice here...). Also, all of the tracks played during this 2-hour show share the same philosophy: they all have a solid rhythm, inviting you to keep walking through life's challenges. I called these songs the "Willing Tracks" (laughs). Of course, the title of this show (Snowy Memories) is linked to the snowy weather that hit Europe back then. Musically speaking, Collen was really in a top-notch form: I mean, listen to how the songs follow each other seamlessly; the mini-mix she created in the first part of the show is Gorgeous. Some songs feel like they were played yesterday (I mean, listen to the musicianship on George Benson's track; you can't get this track out of your soul once you discover it!). Also, Colleen was already introducing us to Great artists/bands like Jim (listen to Colleen interviewing Jim here in 2023)! As she once said, Balearic Breakfast is not solely a memory lane but also a show that should propose New Music. So here you go! One last memory I had to share, and I feel you will have a good laugh with me! I remember that when I subscribed to Mixcloud, I kept my surname in all of its long glory (Artur the Lioncub). Then, I was happily surprised when Colleen started sending us some shout-outs, spelling all of our NAMES (laughs), and some of them were really long or difficult to pronounce! At one point, I said to myself: I can't keep my surname in all of its glory; Colleen has enough strange/long/difficult names to say! So I shortened it up to Artur ^^ Last but not least, we were ALL ABSOLUTELY EXCITED because a Cosmodelica Party would take place on February 20th! PLAYLIST Jim – Phoenix Herbie Hancock – Bubbles Webby Jay – In the rain Marcia Griffiths – Everywhere George Benson – Love X Love (Live) The Invisible Session – People all around the world, can make it Tommy Stewart – Bump and Hustle Music Siouxsie & The Banshees – Israel Fashion – Love Shadow The THE – Giant Yutaka – Sao Jorge Gwen Guthrie – Padlock (Larry Levan Mix) Africano – Open your Hearts (Mark Grusane Edit) Presence (feat. Shara Nelson) – Sense of Danger (98 Version) Kronoss – Maddening Goldie – State of Mind

Worldwide FM broadcast the 23rd episode of Balearic Breakfast on February 2nd 2021. Introduction. – Sometimes, a title meets your mind and makes perfect sense... The world was still amid the Covid 19 Pandemic. Some countries were in Lockdown (like the UK), while others considered enforcing it again... At this point, we were Lost. Absolutely. Nothing was going in a positive direction... I'm not sure this is a world I belong in anymore. I'm not sure that I want to wake up. Gayle Forman, If I Stay, Vol. 1, 2014 I remember fear taking over me... A black, thick, cold and endless fear. I remember waking up in the middle of the night not knowing what would happen on the next day... I remember feeling exhaustion, absolute exhaustion from doing the same things repeatedly, though I had no real problems back then in my life. I remember crying, of course, and shaking my head in despair while trying not to lose it totally because of the ongoing and contradictory news that were always announced on television. These were such trying times, certainly among the darkest ones of my life, though, thanks to music and thanks to my family and my friends, I was able to ease down from time to time... About this episode. – This show, a highly inhabited one, is all about that locked situation where nothing makes sense anymore. We can feel Colleen's somewhat sad voice directly from the show's start. I remember I didn't notice it back then, but I genuinely feel some sadness involved here when listening to it again while writing these lines... Back then, Balearic Breakfast was, as always, our harbour, and Colleen has been gracious all along, both in translating musically the dark times we were in and sharing the hope we all needed. This show showcases that duality, hence the picture I chose and the title I gave to this specific edition. There’s a “lost feeling” in here that can’t be denied and from which Colleen takes us (slowly) out towards the end of the show. Listen back to the 22nd edition of Balearic Breakfast : Useful Links. – Listen to Colleen's interview with Nick Mason (from Pink Floyd) here . Also, you can listen to Ego Ella May's interview with Tina Edwards on Sade ‘Diamond Life’ just here (Classic Album Sundays) . PLAYLIST José James – Winterwind Terry Callier – Lazarus Man Nitin Sawhney – Sunset I:Cube – Adore La Bellini – Satan in love (Leo Mas & Fabrice Inferno Lovers Mix) Jhelisa – Friendly Pressure (Lee Hamblin Paradise Revisited Remix) Free School – Ranting & Raving (Richard Norris Second Mix) Linkwood Family – Miles away Sade – Paradise Kwanzaa Posse – Wicked Funk José Gonzales – Let it Carry you (Dino Soccio Remix) K.I.D. – Hupendi Muziki Wangu?! (You don't like my music) Charlie – Spacer Woman Earth, Wind & Fire – Getaway Solomon Burke – Let your love flow The 5th Dimension – Stoned Soul Picnic The Blackbyrds – Walking in Rhythm Pink Floyd – The great gig in the sky

Worldwide FM broadcast the 22nd episode of Balearic Breakfast on January 26th 2021. Introduction. – Life can be so unpredictable... Sometimes, nothing makes sense. You wake up one morning and realise that someone you loved a lot has gone, forever. And you're lost. That's precisely what happened to the Family and its Captain on February 23rd 2021, when we all learned about the passing of Phil Asher. About this episode. – Without a shadow of a doubt, this 21st edition of Balearic Breakfast was one of the most "Balearic" of the whole series. Balearic in the music, of course, as there is not a single song in the first hour that hasn't got that slow, light, somewhat sexy rhythm! Balearic also in the way we're able to feel Colleen's sadness. Her voice in that show is sad, of course, how cold it not be with the passing of such a great DJ at such a young age? (Phil was 55 when he died of a heart attack in his bed while sleeping)... Last but not least, Colleen's tribute to Phil in the second hour is absolutely gorgeous and full of positive Balearic Forces! This show is a must-listen if you want to discover what an experienced DJ can achieve! Of Course, the rest of the show is an absolute killer (as usual, might you think, oh well you know I'm objective when I say this, don't you ? (laughs!)), but hearing songs like "7 seconds" or "All about her" just made me realise (already back then...) that I could absolutely stop requesting songs and simply enjoy the show. This was one of the times I really felt at Home... Pay attention for instance to how Colleen selected the songs present in the first half of the show, they all share a "common" tonality and a quite close rhythm ! Gorgeous selection made from Quality requests, I can tell ya (laughs)! Listen back to the 21st edition of Balearic Breakfast : That sense of unease and longing for something more. It can’t be cured with a pill or a hot bath or a good workout. Because it’s deep. A restless soul is an adventurer, explorer and they believe in the power of the universe. Phil Asher, Ransom note interview The WOW effect. – Of course, as I just said, Colleen's mix won the absolute WOW effect during that show. Her tribute to Phil was Astounding . There is no other word I could use to describe the beautiful set Colleen crafted with the help of the Balearic Family's song requests. I feel that it was her way to stop the sadness that was all around us back then (let me remind you that we were still amid the Covid Pandemic, the weather was not shiny, and we had to cope with Phil's passing... So when you consider all of this and hear what Colleen offered us during the second hour of the show, you can only feel a desperate will to make it all for the best despite the roughness of the times) ! I also remember we all liked Phil Asher's remix of "Cosmic Laws" when we heard it during the show (Colleen was already working behind the scenes on the first "Balearic Breakfast" compilation)! PLAYLIST Greg Foat – Symphonie Pacifique Youssou N'Dour – 7 seconds (feat. Neneh Cherry) B.B. King – Midnight Believer Bill Withers – You got the Stuff Ian Thomas – All about her Steve Miller Band – Macho City Ultramarine – Saratoga Victor Davies – Brother ----- Tribute Mix to Phil Asher ----- The Cosmic Laws (Phil Asher Remix) Reach Inside (Restless Soul Peaktime Mix) Butterflies (feat. Dyanna Fearon & Phil Asher) Portuguese Love (Phil Asher's Restless Soul Mix) Beautiful (Restless Soul & Valentine Etienne) Runnin (feat. Shea Soul) Blaze – I think of you (feat. Amira - Restless soul remix) Stevie Wonder – As

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 200th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on November 05th 2024. About this episode. – Streaming live from New York, where she'll meet François K in a few hours for a live event, Colleen proposed we discover Manu's Archeo Recordings in today's Balearic Breakfast 200th episode thanks to a beautiful recording where the DJ, producer and label owner tells us his musical story (bandcamp page). You can find the whole interview fully transcribed by Manu himself here, including a brand new edition of his recording I did exclusively for the blog! Thank you both to Colleen and Manu who agreed and allowed this to happen here! Balearic Breakfast is the gift that keeps on giving, and we're not faking, there's a whole lotta lovin' going on around here! In the show's second hour, Colleen took us to a very dub-fueled mix which evolved into a Balearic party and I can say that the Balearic Breakfast Family adored it to bits! "This morning’s Balearic Breakfast is now up on my Mixcloud for your listening pleasure at https://shorturl.at/ho664 (and please give me a follow while you’re over there). Today’s show features an exclusive mix and interview with @manu_archeo who is celebrating 10 years of Archeo Recordings – his label that reissues wonderful Italo classics with remixes from contemporary Italian producers. He has a lovely story and has given us a gorgeous mix of music from his label. In the next hour I catch up with some new music, your requests and a couple of old favourites. I’m in New York City at the moment and in a few hours I’m heading over to François K 's studio as we are hosting a live stream in tribute to Quincy Jones and the election. You can join us from 1pm EST on Francois’ Mixcloud Live. For now, thanks for listening and I hope you will enjoy this morning’s Balearic Breakfast with music from @higherloverec @sam_redmore @delesosimi @motonrecords @davidhill_photo @tactus_music @thenextmenofficial @danwainwrightmusic @rude_audio @feel_fly @daveharrow @huqo377 @tonyespositoofficial @airto.moreira.54 @bbemusic" Listen back to Balearic Breakfast's 200th episode: PLAYLIST Manu Archeo Mix: Infradisco – Beyond the Dulcis’ (Manu Archeo Remix) Pepe Maina – The Infinite’ (Manu Archeo Remix) Roberto Aglieri ft Stefano Faravelli – Danza N 1 (Feel Fly Meditan Trippy Remix) Futuro Antico – Pan Tuning (Mushrooms Project Danza Mix) Radio Band – Radio Rap (Radiomarc Remix) Tony Esposito – Kalimba De Luna (Hear & Now Onda Nueva Mix) Ettika – Ettika (The Veteran Delinquents Remix) Colleen Mix: (2024) Hugo Nicolson & David Harrow – Revolvalution (Dan Wainwright and Rude Audio Original Mix) (2020) Karime Kendra – 90% of Me Is You (2024) Lab Infinity – Touch Me (1984) Anne-Tina – I Mit Efterar (1985) Datalife – Dancing Dreaming (2024) Moton – Hold On (1982) Denroy Morgan – Happy Feeling (2024) Sam Redmore ft Dele Sosimi – Home (1995) Outernational Meltdown – Hungry on Arrival MANU ARCHEO'S FULL STORY Mix by Artur the Lioncub Unaltered audio [Colleen] Please tell us about your passion for music when you were young? [Manu] Ciao Colleen, thank you so much for the invitation, it’s a real pleasure and honor for me. Wow! I'm so excited. My passion for Music really dates back to when I was very young. I'm so happy to be in this world, I can say, for quite all my Life. When I was 8 I started studying classic drums for 5 years and I remember I used to spend lots of time listening to my mother's collection of vinyl. I should probably say thanks mom for having such great records! There were a couple of Tony Esposito in particular that thrilled me: his first ‘Rosso Napoletano’ LP (1974) and ‘Incontro Con’ (1978), a sort of compilation from Tony's first 3 masterpieces, with that incredible cover photo of him behind the drums and with the sunglasses. A true hero for me! He was my Master! I spent hours and hours to listening to those records and I can say to have been pretty lucky to have had such a collection in my musical formative years. That's why I love now the Italian artists like Tony Esposito, Tullio De Piscopo, Miro, Pepe Maina, Roberto Aglieri, Mario Acquaviva, Paolo Modugno ... such great legends for me! [Colleen] How did you get into DJ-ing? [Manu] I start DJing when I was 16, buying 2 grey Technics 1200,I still have them, and a mixer. I was a regular visitor of Night's Life before and I used to go to dance to Matis, Les Bains Douches and Kinky in Bologna on Friday and Saturday nights and Tenax, Space Electronic and Happyland (the ‘Torquemada’ venue) in Florence, also on Sunday afternoons. It was the Italo-House, Dream House and Progressive scene and I spent hours in front of DJ Ricci and others to see how they worked and mixed and let people dance and have fun. All this I can say in a certain way, turned on a light in me that still shines today! I was so influenced by the classic New-Wave, House, Electro, 80s and 90s scene. It was also when I started to buy vinyl regularly. A small step back ... Around 1985/1986, I started listening to music with friends, at the first private parties or on MTV, the popular TV program of the time, and I started buying cassettes which I then listened to on the cassette deck in my room, at home or on my Sony Walkman or again on the car radio. Then I always wanted the vinyl version of those titles that I asked my mother to buy. Any examples? 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson (1982), an artist I adored even though I was only 8 years old when that innovative album came out. I was completely entranced by the video clip, for the music and the effects. The zombie ballet was cutting-edge and every time I felt a feeling somewhere between amazement and fear when the music stops and he turns into a living dead ... Wow! I wanted the red and black jacket that Michael was wearing at all costs and I managed to get a similar one, even if a low quality copy, which my parents gave me with my immense joy. Other titles that marked my youth were 'Diamond Life' of Sade (1984), big companion of the trips in the car. And 'So' of Peter Gabriel (1986). The video of 'Big Time' was something unique and innovative for the time. Also 'Revenge' by Eurythmics (1986), which I went to see in concert at the PalaEur in Rome in 1989 – I went crazy for 'Missionary Man', 'When Tomorrow Comes', 'The Miracle Of Love' and above all 'Take Your Pain Away' - and finally 'Blue's' by Zucchero (1987), a must-have at naive and awkward middle school parties. I remember the first 12" that I bought was 'Buddy / The Magic Number' by De La Soul, in 1989. To get it I had to take a long ride on my yellow and red BMX bike from home to a small record shop in the suburbs and I was very satisfied with the purchase, not only for the music but also for the beautiful cover. A small parenthesis is also necessary regarding record shops of the time. In Florence, I used to go to Black Out, run by the legendary DJ Riccardino, who at the time played regularly in all the most important clubs in Italy and who introduced me with his sound to the world of Trip-Hop and labels such as Mo Wax and Ninja Tune; and to Disco Mastelloni in Piazza Del Mercato Centrale, where the owner was the great and unforgettable Roberto Bianchi, now no longer among us, a super DJ and a competent person and a true point of reference at a national level in the 90s. Then I often made trips to DJ Aky Tune's Disco D'Oro in Bologna, and to Goody Music in Rome. These 2 still exist and are active. At Disco Mastelloni I used to buy the a sort of 'artisanal' cassettes recorded by Roberto between 1991 and 1993 compiled with all the successful singles of the moment and artfully mixed, which at the time inspired me quite a bit to purchase many records that still are in my collection. The atmosphere in there was very lively. Every time I went I could meet friends and famous DJs with whom I could talk and learn about important background infos and cute gossip of the 'Night's World and Life'. I remember I always took my stack of records to listen to them patiently on headphones and it was fantastic to immerse myself in that atmosphere, I was always so excited. Now I go to my dear friend Daniele's Danex Records shop in Florence, to Logout of Fabio from Bosconi Records and Michele Alunni and Isoma of Lorenzo Fortino, my trusted shops and a meeting point where I can discuss about music and more with fellow friends and DJs. From the early 90s I started play more and more regularly as DJ in clubs, bars and private parties in Florence and Bologna. And this taught me a lot from the point of view of technique and how a club works and how to build the dancefloor from the beginning to the end. I'm quite lucky to have played at the famous Tenax and other venues between the early 90s until now, such as Dolcevita, Space Electronic, Rex, Viper Theater, Capocaccia, Stazione Leopolda, Palace, Caffè Italiano, Logic, Zoe, Rivalta, Mix Bistrò, some of which unfortunately no longer exist. They were very lively years with a great music scene of all genres. With my friends, DJs and not only, we started exchanging music and spending entire days and evenings playing, mixing and listening to everything and more. We met and talk about new, rare vinyl gems that we had in our private collections or just discovered. It was fantastic and so stimulating and I can say it only added fuel to the fire of my passion and has trained my ears to an eclectic sound. [Colleen] What was the club scene in Firenze like at the time? [Manu] Unfortunately I was too young to have experienced the 80s firsthand but I was absolutely involved and influenced by them, without a doubt. Florence in the 80s was a true cradle of innovations, new bands and new places, from Litfiba (the famous Italian New Wave / Rock band formed in Florence in 1980) to Neon (legendary New Wave band again, formed always in Florence in 1979 and part of the Florentine Dark Wave / Electronic scene of the 80s) and Diaframma (another famous Italian New Wave / Rock band, also called the 'Italian Joy Division'), from Krypton to Magazzini Criminali, from Tenax to Video Music, from Controradio to Radio Cento Fiori, from jazz clubs to New Wave cellars, from Pitti Trend to great prominent figures such as Piero Pelù, Ghigo Renzulli, Alexander Robotnick, Antonio Aiazzi and Francesco Magnelli, Ringo De Palma and Gianni Maroccolo, and so on. Each of these bands and people deserves a story of its own, but we don't have time now to tell them. But I would like just to tell a nice story with Krypton. Teatro Studio Krypton was founded in 1982 by Giancarlo Cauteruccio and Pina Izzi, dear friends of my mother and my aunt here in Florence and I remember that they often had dinner at our house and I often went to their wonderful avant-garde shows. In 1983 they release the fantastic LP 'Eneide Di Krypton' with Litfiba: the soundtrack for the theater show 'Eneide', at the Teatro Metastasio in Prato and one of the cornerstones of New Wave and Rock Music. Now it's a very rare and sought after vinyl and I own an original copy from the time given directly by Giancarlo and Pina to my mother. Those were also the years of the famous IRA Italian label, founded in 1984 by Alberto Pirelli in Florence. IRA stands for 'Immortal Records Alliance' and wanted to support the Italian underground scene with national groups who preferred to use Italian language rather than the more fashionable English in their songs, as advertised by their slogan: 'the new Italian music sung in Italian'. Tenax was born in 1981 and after a decade in which it had hosted the best DJs of the time, decided that it was time to expand the evening program with also live music, such as what for example later became the 1987 Litfiba LP 'Aprite I Vostri Occhi' (Open Your Eyes), an absolute masterpiece that contains the freshness, the dreams, the angers of those memorable years. Towards the end of the 90s, full of events, Tenax offered tropical, rock and heavy evenings and even high-level concerts. Fashions and trends changed but Alex Neri, former member of Planet Funk and resident DJ and one of the most famous and appreciated Italian DJs still today, relaunched by organizing the Nobody's Perfect format right at Tenax, giving life to an evening that would make the venue one of the most loved in Europe. Venues at Meccanò began at midnight and ended at dawn. It was spread over 2 floors with a main room and a private room on the upper floor, the very famous and so called 'pigeon house' (piccionaia). During the summer season it extended into the Cascine Park with 2 dance floors and a VIP terrace. Imagine that in 1993 Vasco Rossi, the so famous and beloved Italian singer, shot there the video for his song 'Vivere'. If Tenax represented the essence of cultural non-conformism with an 'International' club atmosphere, Meccanò was its mirror image, I can say pure entertainment and the desire to appear. Unfortunately in the spring of 2008 the disco was completely destroyed by fire and the flames, together with the fascinating steel structure, also took away the glow of those Florentine nights forever. Still today the most famous nightclub in town, YAB is a point of reference for 2 generations of Florentines and not only. It now boasts 40 years of success but immediately stood out for its attention to details. The mirrored entrance with great scenic effect, the private room with personalized rooms, the fiber optics on the chandeliers and in the center of the dance floor the floor with a very particular lighting effect. In the 90s famous people were spotted there, such as Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Sean Penn, Madonna, David Bowie, Renato Zero and Yves Saint Laurent. We kids love to tell each other those anecdotes. Furthermore, equipped with 6 bars, 4 dance floors, a restaurant and a pizzeria, Central Park - right in front of Meccanò - was another key point of the city at the time. Closed 15 years ago, today that space has been converted into a restaurant and children's playground. The activities certainly keep the place alive, but they are far from the glittering atmosphere of what was the largest open-air disco of the Florentine summer. In Empoli, a small town not far from Florence, there was the legendary Jaïss, a cult disco of 90s Progressive Music, also structured along the conceptual lines of Central Park. Inaugurated in 1992, it achieved national notoriety in a couple of years. And in 1994 it was already one of the most important trendy venues in Italy, doubling its openings: not only on Sunday afternoon but also on Saturday evening. Ten years later, overtaken by the new trend of "commercial" disco music, unfortunately it closed its doors. So many beautiful memories while I'm trying to remember, wow! [Colleen] What is it like now? (Tenax?) [Manu] Tenax is fortunately still alive and under the wise and refined guidance of Alex Neri always offers excellent Music. Yes, I have to say times have really changed and Florence has become a very difficult town for Music and with a trend that in my opinion is 'too' commercial and not one of research and innovation as it was in its heyday. Anyway sometimes something nice is still happening. [Colleen] Why did you start Archeo Recordings back in 2014? [Manu] Archeo Recordings was and is the normal extension to all these things and it satisfies my desire to be active in the production and diffusion of old and new good music. Also music is an artistic patrimony which might be lost and I don’t want it to happen. Mine – in a certain way – is a 'Labour of Love'. I can't think of my Life without my Love and Passion for Music and I also love sharing it with the whole world. This is the purpose of my label and I am very happy when I receive positive feedbacks from many people from everywhere. It really means a lot to me. For two years I documented myself and asked advices from friends in this world, then in a year I implemented all the technical and bureaucratic parts and in the meantime I got an idea of ​​what the possible first releases would have been. And here is how my journey has started. I come across the music I have reissued with all the vinyl I have and obviously with what I like listening to, playing in my gigs and think they deserve a proper attention. Like many other diggers I love to rediscover and bring back to light an old record, perhaps forgotten or not yet fully appreciated, so then people can appreciate it and know about it. Since I was a boy I was passionate about archeology and I remember I always bought the Italian Archeo magazine. I liked the idea of ​​a name - from the Greek 'ancient', 'primitive' - ​​that referred to a search for the past, for the lost. The Archeo logo is a stylized Angel that comes from a fresco in the Romanesque-Byzantine crypt of the Abbey of Monte Maria (1160), a Benedictine monastery that rises above Burgusio, in Val Venosta, north Italy. It's the highest Benedictine building in Europe. The crypt can be visited during the evening prayer of Vespers and I remember the first time I saw them. It was something unbelievable, I was completely embraced by all these Angels and their wings ... A wonderful feeling that I always carry deep in my heart. The Angel on the Archeo Logo is my guardian angel and I'm sure it brings good luck to me and to all the people who are involved, playing, listening to, buying or just following the Music I produce. The message was and is so important to me that I decided to take inspiration from it for the logo. [Colleen] Please tell us about the different projects & artists on the label (reissues and new music)? [Manu] I’ve had contacts with all the artists that I have reissued and that I will reissue and release. This is so important to me, it’s an essential part of my work and I really love it. It’s always so stimulating and I think enriches the entire process. Every artist has a great and important part of the musical history to tell and discover with her / his productions but also with her / his past and tales. I spent hours with them, in ecstasy with their stories which are many and varied. And that is what sometimes I try to bring on my releases with Archeo Recordings, yes with the music, but also with inserts full of old photos, anecdotes and others. I'm quite a nerd about that. When I do a release I always think about it as if I were the buyer. I have released 5 Tony Esposito records out of the 30 total now of Archeo Recordings. If I don't say I love him madly I would be lying. His 'Rosso Napoletano' is a key album for me. It was the soundtrack of my childhood, as I have already said, when I learned to play the drums, from the age of 8 to 13, of my adolescence and my maturity. I love percussions and drums and Esposito is the undisputed king worldwide. In particular, in this album there are some of his most beautiful and significant songs, starting from ‘Rosso Napoletano’, a seventeen-minute journey entirely covered on the side A which takes you to another planet. ‘L'Eroe Di Plastica’ was and is one of my favourites. As a boy I listened to it on loop for hours trying to understand how Esposito played the drums and then tried to imitate him with my Yamaha of that time. Also the album came out in 1974, the same year I was born. A coincidence or a connection again? I love to think about it. I started my adventure with the label with Tony Esposito - Je-Nà / Pagaia, the sought after 12" from 1983 with the 2 extended versions by Mario Boncaldo from Klein & M.B.O. Never get tired of these 2 masterpieces. In 2018 I released AR013 - Tony Esposito - Viaggio Tribale EP, with 2 previously unreleased tracks from Tony's 'Viaggio Tribale' CD from 2004 - Dove C'è Luce and Veronica Song - with also a special Balearic Remix of Dove C'è Luce by my dear friend and super DJ and Producer LucaEffeSunset, and enriched by 3 previously unreleased tracks from the Lucan musician and songwriter and dear friend Antonio Nicola Bruno, from his 2004 CD: 'Storia Della Terra Mia' and 'Danza E Ridanza'. He regularly plays with Tony and I'm very proud of this release. Again in 2018 it is then the turn of AR014 - Tony Esposito - Rosso Napoletano (Mushrooms Project 2018 Rework) single-sided 12", a 13 minute journey worthy of the best Mushrooms productions. I remember I met Mushrooms Project, in the person of the very nice and brilliant Marco and Giorgio, 2 great friends, one evening in 2015 at one of their DJ sets, in Bologna. We exchanged one of our personal releases ... they gave me Rio Disco 12" which I really love, with also a fun written dedication and I, if I remember correctly, I think I gave them AR003 Miro - Safari Of Love 12". Since that moment we have never lost each other and our friendship and collaboration has enriched and deepened, from their incredible Rosso Napoletano Rework, to AR023 - Sara Loreni - Neve A Maggio 12”, to AR025 - Infradisco - Aqua Cheta 12” and many more in the pipeline too. A great news: in spring 2025 we will finally come out with the first release of our new label Zahfari Recordings with an entire new LP from Mushrooms Project, after 8 years. Please stay tuned on this! Then, AR021 - Tony Esposito - Kalimba De Luna (Hear & Now Remix) 12", one of my favorite Archeo releases! I think it needs no introduction, but I would like to briefly tell you about the great friendship and immense esteem that binds me to Hear & Now. Hear & Now duo, in the persons of the great DJ Ricky L and the lovely and talented Marcoradi, are 2 other true friends, 2 splendid people with a refined soul and a touch of unique kindness which is reflected in their work on the beautiful 3 LPs on Claremont 56, one of my favorite labels of all time, of which I always buy and play everything. When 'Aurora Baleare’, their first album, was released in 2018, I immediately fell in love with that sound, so ethereal, dreamy and Balearic. For me it embodied and still embodies the best of current productions. I remember that Ricky played here in Florence one evening many years ago. I went to listen to him with the record in my hands to compliment him, thank him for the magic and have him sign it and from there a special friendship was born. Shortly afterwards Ricky introduced me to Marcoradi in Perugia and another special friendship was born with him too. I asked them to do a Remix for Tony Esposito and they chose Kalimba De Luna which then became the wonderful 2021 release, played by everyone, as well as DJ Harvey. Ricky L, a true genius, would love to underline the importance of Tony's Tamborder, his special drum an d invented by himself. So he thought about it and the gadget was born, a real shaped and working Tamborder parking disc ... Simply fantastic! From there our collaboration intensified with AR025 - Infradisco - Aqua Cheta, AR017 - Ettika and many many more in the pipeline. And last but not least, AR027 - Tony Esposito - Pagaia (Feel Fly Versions) 12", the reissue of his transcendent fusion-pop masterpiece 'Pagaia' alongside a trio of brand new reworks from Perugia's mighty Feel Fly. A killer release! Dani Feel Fly, another great friend, DJ and Producer, is a very talented and good boy from Perugia who delights us more and more with his amazing productions. Met way back in 2017, when with my immense pleasure and honor, he contacted me to play at the amazing Afro Templum venues for the Archeo 3 Year Anniversary. From that moment, a unique friendship and partnership was born with him too. I would also like to underline that from those years a special connection was born between me and Perugia and people linked to it, which led me to play many times, both in the city, again for Afro Templum in 2019 for the Archeo 5 Year Anniversary, and on the Lake Trasimeno ... I can say ... a super Balearic connection. With Dani we had been working on a collaboration for Archeo for years which came to fruition with his splendid masterpieces of Remixes for AR027 and, another small spoiler, his remix of Roberto Aglieri - Danza N. 1 which will be released for the first Volume of Archeo Recordings 10 Year Anniversary in late November. Dani has always managed to amaze me, making profound remixes, with his unique style but always respecting the original song and adding that magical touch that distinguishes him. AR025 - Infradisco - Aqua Cheta 12” + CD. I have been friends with Mark Bee and Albenati for years and I greatly respect their music and their work. Mark I remember contacted me and made me listen to these beautiful 6 previously unreleased tracks, the Originals on the CD and from there we built the idea of ​​making a release with 4 new Remixes too, the 12". It was the stimulus and my official debut as a producer with my Remix too. So happy, yes! The other 3 Remixes came as almost always in a very natural flow. Hear & Now and Mushrooms Project immediately appreciated the original work and joined the project. With Jon / Ocean Moon, we had been in contact for a long time and I'm a big fan of his, both as part of the amazing Seahawks duo, and as Ocean Moon, with his Ambient / New Age Music I really love. I had wanted his Remix for a long time, he too was immediately enthusiastic about the project and so he joined the team for this release. During the processing of the Remixes, Jon had also done another soft version, very Ambient and ethereal and so I thought to also ask Hear & Now and Mushrooms Projects and me of course, to do our soft, relaxed versions, something that was behind and beyond the original Remixes. Here ‘Beyond The Remixes’ were born, then released in July 2024 only digitally. But I can now reveal as a preview with great happiness that the 2 'Beyond The Remixes', the Hear & Now one and mine, will be released on vinyl in a super limited release in spring 2025. I'm so happy with my Beyond The Dulcis, a meditative, spaced out 13 minutes track, a sort of New Age meditation immersed in a balmy horn, delicate hand percussion and watery pads. AR026 - Modula Featuring Gino Saccio - Che E' Stato? 7". Filippo / Modula contacted me years ago, letting me listen to a draft of this wonderful track and saying that in his opinion it would be a perfect Archeo release. He was right! I accepted immediately and we worked on the idea of ​​the cover artwork and on the Remix. Filippo proposed me Pellegrino, his dear friend and collaborator and obviously it could not have been otherwise: an entirely Neapolitan release. And here is this fizzy and crisp Disco / Funk Neapolitan interpretation of Gino Soccio's cult cut 'Who Dunnit', backed with a remix from hometown hero Pellegrino. I'm obviously a big fan of the Neapolitan scene, from Tony Esposito, Tullio De Piscopo, Pino Daniele, Enzo Avitabile, Master Roberto De Simone and Nuova Compagnia Di Canto Popolare, to today Modula and Pellegrino, Quiroga, 291Out, Nu Genea, Whodamanny and Mystic Jungle. I love that unique sound and I am deeply attached to it. AR017 - Ettika ... The Holy Grail! It's truly a sought after record and I was obsessed with this song. I got a copy of the 1984 original years and years ago, when the price was still acceptable. I have had this title ready for years, but I wanted to do something really special. And finally here is the Record Store Day April 2024 Box Set (AR017-RSD24 Box Set) and the 2 singles, the 7" (AR017-7) with the 2 Original versions (French and Arab) and the 12" (AR017-12) with the 3 new Remixes, 2 by Hear & Now and 1 by The Veteran Delinquents (Craig Christon and Tim Hutton), a new interpretation both respectful and revolutionary. All enriched by a wonderful insert with the Liner Notes of my dear friend, DJ and curator of fantastic compilations, Vidal Benjamin, which I absolutely recommend you read to get an idea of ​​the incredible story behind this record. One of the Archeo releases that I'm most proud of and which reflects the work I do with my label. Again, a 'Labor of Love'. Sadly and with a little bit of shame, I didn't have the opportunity and time to meet Lucio Dalla, it would have been something incredible for me. For Lucio I have an enormous admiration for all his artistic work and a truly deep affection, as if he were part of my family, a distant uncle or cousin. When he died I was truly shocked and often missed him and still do today. An absolute genius! When I think of him and listen to his music I enter into a deep positive emotional transport that makes me feel very good and takes me to another dimension, as often happens to any of us when listening to the music we love. I made a T-shirt some time ago with Lucio's face, dreamy, enigmatic and a little melancholic, from his 1978 LP 'Lucio Dalla', which contains some of my favorite songs too, first of all 'La Signora', then 'L'Ultima Luna' and 'Stella Di Mare'. So many memories! It was a record that was in my mother's collection so I can say that I really grew up with it. In 2018 I had the pleasure of visiting Dalla's house in via D'Azeglio, now a museum, in my hometown, Bologna. It was a unique emotion. I was with a group of unknown people since it was a pre-booked visit, but I fully enjoyed that trip, immersing myself in the musical world and daily life of the artist, one of the greatest ever, as if a part of him was still there to breathe the magic of his poetry. 'La Signora' is one of the songs that has practically always accompanied me, I listened to it as a child, as a teenager and now as an adult, and every time it transmits something magical and indescribable to me. It would be a dream to be able to have the licenses for these masterpieces to release them on Archeo with various Remixes. I'll try, who knows. Lucio was also originally from and lived in Bologna like me, so again a deep connection. As for AR024 - Bottin Featuring Lucio Dalla - Lunedì Cinema 12", it is a record that I particularly care about and I am so happy and honored to have given light to this release. Lunedì Cinema track was for many years the RAI, one of the most important Italian public TV, theme song which preceded Lunedì Film, the films broadcast on Monday evening in the 80s and 90s. I remember as a child being totally in love and obsessed with this song. It all started then from the beautiful remix of Lunedì Cinema by Bottin released on the CD 'I Love Me Volume 1' in 2004, which I have been listening to and playing for years and years. I have been in contact with Guglielmo Bottin since long time and I respect him a lot both as a Producer and as a DJ. We share a great Love and Passion for the Italian music of the 80s and 90s and its greatest exponents, such as Lucio Dalla, Lucio Battisti, Toto Cutugno, Gianni Morandi ... the Bigs, the 'Sacred Monsters' in short! In one of our many emails I asked Guglielmo why his beautiful Remix had never yet been released on vinyl and if he wanted to make a specific release on Archeo, perhaps involving someone else for a remix. He accepted with joy asking if we could involve Leo Mas for a new Remix. The featuring of Lucio Dalla was a gift of the time that the great singer gave to Guglielmo as they were very close friends. I then asked Guglielmo to tell about their friendship and the story of the original track and so that's how the insert that is part of the release was born. Bottin, Leo and I worked on the idea of ​​the cover graphics and the packaging of the remixes and thus the release was completed, with Bottin's 'Martedì Mix 2008' and Leo's 2 new Remixes, the 'Drive In Mix' and the 'Dub Mix'. Lunedì Cinema is finally a record! How wonderful! A small necessary parenthesis on Leo Mas ... Leo, a true legend, my older brother, as I often like to think of him, a person with a talent and an unique taste who made the history of the club, of the Balearic and a piece of living history. He has always enriched the Remix he handled for Archeo in a superlative way, with a great attention to details and the final result. Let's think about precisely of the 'II° Coro Delle Lavandaie' 12" and 'Devozioni Dialettali' by Enzo Avitabile - another small spoiler, we will soon do the official release with new Remixes from the now 2017 promo - and again 'Tonica & Dominante' and obviously 'Lunedì Cinema' by Dalla. A champion and a true friend. More or less once a month we have long and very pleasant phone calls lasting hours in which we tell each other lots of things and he always comes up with new anecdotes that leave me speechless. So funny! AR023 - Sara Loreni - Neve A Maggio (Remixes) 12". It was another incredible story and release that I am very proud of. Sara Loreni is a very good singer and wonderful person, also originally from Parma, like Mushrooms Project. I remember that in the midst of the pandemic my dear friend Marco Mushrooms Project, as we usually do with each other, sent me a draft of a remix to listen to, what would later become the 'Mushrooms Project Disco Maxi Single Mix' of the 12" and I was very impressed. Many months later I asked Marco what had happened to that remix and he told me that it should have been part of a compilation but that it had been discarded and so I immediately thought and asked him if he wanted to make a proper release for me. Marco accepted the idea enthusiastically, but told me that he would take care of how to structure the entire 12", thinking of making another version - what would later become the very powerful 'Mushrooms Project Rave Mix' - and asking Alessandro Deep88 to make his own 90s house version, the 'Deep88 Remix'. I also asked for a Balearic version and Leo Almunia came to our minds and so the 4th Remix was born, the 'Mushrooms Project Featuring Leo Almunia Balearic Version'. I spoke to Sara who was immediately very happy too and we agreed on the licenses. This is how this wonderful collaboration was born. I later met Sara in person and we became good friends. She is such a kind and polite person with a unique talent and voice. I will definitely do more things with her in the future. AR020 - Tonica & Dominante 7" and 12". Another amazing and really sought after record is the Original 7". Originally released in 1979 on a small record label, the two songs became a total cult through the years and one of the most wanted and rarest and impossible to find record, with few copies pressed ... a true milestone in the underground Neapolitan Disco Funk sound. Leo and I were literally obsessed with these 2 tracks and decided to find the licenses and do a collaboration on the release. To enrich everything, the 2 new killer Remixes by Leo Mas were then born ... Marvellous! AR006 - Blues Gas - Shadows From Nowhere 12". Blue Gas is another incredible story. I had been obsessed with 'Shadows From Nowhere' for years and was desperately looking for the licenses and the artist. Finally I managed to find Celso Valli's phone number and have an appointment in his studio in Bologna. Another wonderful meeting with a special person of immense humility and humanity. Imagine that he was enthusiastic about the idea of ​​a reissue and thanked me for my interest, having never believed that his wonderful 1983 song could still be listened to today, work and excite people. A special mention goes also to these wonderful Artists, with whom I have established a particular relationship of friendship, esteem and collaboration. AR015 - Pepe Maina - Scerizza LP of 2019. The 1979 New Age / Electronic masterpiece by the Italian contemporary inter-dimensional and multi-instrumental maverick Pepe Maina. He is ranging between Prog Rock, New Age, Organic Jazz and Global Minimalism in his own unique way over the course of 50 years and almost as many albums, largely self-released and always absolutely far from commercial concerns. He is based in a small village in the hills of Brianza, just north of Milan and he spends much of the day in his studio making Music and translating the beauty of his surroundings into transformative tone poems. I can say that he is truly one of my favorite Artists of all time. I love his Music, his touch, his depth but at the same time his simplicity and his Joy in Life. I'm working with him on a Compilation of his most beautiful songs. It's a super important release for me and I'm really happy and honored. AR011 - Roberto Aglieri - Ragapadani double LP of 2017. The Original 1987 LP enriched by a bonus LP, which contains other versions and unreleased songs by the Italian flutist and composer Roberto Aglieri. His flute sounds haunting and evocative over the range of delicate synth treatments. Soothing, thoughtfully crafted music for tender times with an incredible esoteric atmosphere. I'm in love with 'Sogno Di Mezzogiorno' with the sound of crickets in the background, 'Danza N. 1', 'Made In Terraneo', a title that plays on the Italian pronunciation 'Mediterraneo' of the Mediterranean Sea, and 'Twin Piece'. I love this release and I love Roberto too. We're planning other collaborations for the future. AR018 - The Mario Acquaviva EP of 2019. The 1983 Balearic / Pop / Soft Rock masterpiece 12" and now so in demand by Italian Musician and Songwriter Mario Acquaviva, with the famous song 'Notturno Italiano', which will be featured with an amazing Remix in one of the next volumes for 'Archeo 10 Year Anniversary'. AR022 - Manrico & Nicola - Le Piante Del Lago LP 2021. A 1990 previuosly unreleased project by the Duo Manrico & Nicola: Manrico Mologni, the Italian artist, singer, musician and composer and Nicola Calgari, the Italian saxophonist, composer and sound engineer, enriched with 2 new Balearic Versions by Ed Longo, Italian DJ, Producer and Mixing Engineer based in Berlin. Please let's have a read about the beautiful and moving story behind this release. [Colleen] What is the future for Archeo Recordings? [Manu] I hope and wish for many many more years. I have various things in the works. First of all and of which I am very happy, proud, excited and grateful, I have been thinking of celebrating the Archeo Recordings 10 Year Anniversary with a series of vinyl releases with Remixes, Reworks, Covers by various Italian and worldwide Artists, Producers, Musicians, DJs and Friends on almost the entire catalog. The idea is to do a series of EPs / 12” on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters. Every single Artist, Producer, Musician can choose a song from the Archeo catalog and creates her / his new version. Volume 1 EP is in production and will be out for the end of November with 4 new Remixes: one is Pepe Maina - The Infinite (Manu Archeo Remix), a song originally released on Pepe’s 2014 only CD ‘Tales From The Hill’ with an intro with a recitation of Leopardi’s poem 'L'Infinito' (1825) by famed Italian actor Vittorio Gassman. Giacomo Leopardi, a leading figure in the Italian romantic movement, in this poem, explores the idea of time and space within the natural world, and the peace that comes with an appreciation of the immensity of eternity. It was a poem that I adored as a student in high school and that 200 years later evokes a strong feeling of ecstasy that seems so contemporary. The second Remix is Roberto Aglieri Featuring Stefano Faravelli - Danza N. 1 by Feel Fly, the Feel Fly Meditan'Trippy Remix, something unique; the third Remix is Radio Band - Radio Rap Remix by the mysterious Radiomarc from Popcorn Groove label, a killer track, and the fourth Remix is the fifteen minute fusion of séance and science Futuro Antico - Pan Tuning, Mushrooms Project Remix, the Mushrooms Project Danza Mix Part 1, 2 and 3. I’m so happy with this first Volume in the series! Please visit the Archeo website at www.archeo-recordings.com for more infos and details. Next Volumes will feature Artists such as Hear & Now, Mudd from Claremont 56, Leo Mas, Club Soda from Flexi Cuts, Bottin, Lova, Lorenzo Fortino, LucaEffeSunset and many many more give birth to new and exciting Remixes. Really looking forward! Then, I’d like to do some parties to celebrate with great DJs and friends. More infos soon in the next months, maybe I think we’ll go for Spring / Summer 2025. A special thanks & big big Love to Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy!

Meeting members of the Balearic Breakfast Family is always a favourite moment of mine on the blog! Let's chat with Steve (DJ Macaroon) today! 1) Hi Steve! I am so happy you joined us here on the Balearic Breakfast blog! I wanted to take this opportunity to talk with you about our beloved show and about our commune passion, Music! So tell me, how do you select the songs you request for the show? Hi Artur, thanks for having me! I select the requested tracks in different ways in fact! They may be the latest piece of vinyl to come in the post, or a track I’ve heard elsewhere that excites me at that moment, or tracks from the past that I had on CD, or perhaps a song I’d forgotten I had in my digital collection and which I rediscovered recently! Very often I'm surprised as they still sound so fresh and exciting! Hopefully, they fit in with what Colleen has in mind for the show! I also have an idea of what won’t get played and it’s always worth the effort of making the request more interesting with a bit of personal blurb about what the track means to me. It’s an honour and a privilege that over 22 of my requests were played by Colleen since Anga Diaz ‘Love Supreme’ in April 2022! I’ll gladly admit that getting a shout-out from Colleen and hearing my request played is always a thrill! 2) And do you have a never-ending list of tracks or do you simply go with the flow every Saturday? I’m always chasing that next musical thrill, that shot of endorphin that comes with finding and then obtaining a new tune, especially if just released on vinyl - I’m a sucker when I see ‘limited stock’ appear on my favourite supplier website (Juno.co.uk - other websites available!). I will buy a digital version if unavailable on vinyl or else added to my Apple Music playlist. I expect most collectors of music do the same, we’re all junkies! This year I’ve had to cut back on my spending, though my want list grows and grows! 3) A radio host and a DJ, can you take us back to your younger years? I grew up with disco and never left. My Dad’s music selection consisted mostly of Elton John, Barry Manilow, some classical and big bands (Count Basie), crooners like Jack Jones, and a few the odd old and worn-out party compilations from his younger married days. We later shared, in my mid-late teens, a love for Abba, Jean-Michel Jarre and Eurythmics. Through my school friend Jo's collection, I discovered other artists like David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Doors, J. J. Cale, Van Morrison, etc. Then, During University in the late 80s, I went further back in time with Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and Joni Mitchell, who were big favourites. I’ll admit that Phil Collins ‘Face Value’ became the go-to album to console myself from yet another broken heart! Ah those big saxophone solos… Returning home to Bristol in the early '90s I found Purple Penguin Records (now closed, sadly) and so many great compilation CDs - including the very important (to me) ‘Rebirth Of Cool’ series, amongst many others. I’ve been going through my old CD collection recently (resurrected from some dusty corners of my attic), many of which are no longer available on iTunes, rediscovering forgotten albums and tracks, and those songs my wife Alli and I used to sing along to on our many many trips to North Devon when our kids were growing up! I will be doing a show or two with tracks just from this period, so won’t spoil the surprise more than that, laughs! I later discovered Gilles Peterson, who was and remains a HUGE influence on me. I discovered SO much through listening to his Radio 6 music shows, and of course the hey-day of Worldwide FM through which I found Colleen, Collin Curtis and Coco Maria. The Covid epidemic and the spontaneous purchase of some old Berlinger decks and mixer resulted in my dipping my toes into the world of vinyl. This started with seeking out albums by artists that have been featured on the also very influential compilation ’Strange Games and Funky Things’, and a recording of a DJ set by Jazzy B at the Brixton Academy from the early 90s. During Covid, being able to collect, play and stream music via Mixcloud was a life-saver. Although my regular audience was quite limited (usually Alli, my close friend Carolyn and occasionally my son listening in with his mates at Uni, bless him) both Alli and I loved the time to turn up the volume, put on the disco lights and have a good-old dance. 4) Can you tell us how you work your way through when doing your live shows on Mixcloud? For my sets at home, I try and play as much vinyl as possible. I have a growing collection but still quite small compared to many people, so this does limit things. I much prefer the feel and sound of vinyl, the whole experience in selecting and playing is so much more satisfying. I also prefer the control being able to quickly select a track from an album if not sure what to play. The resulting set is then a mix of older vinyl that have great tracks I’ve not played before, new digital music finds that I feel will blend in well and new vinyl hot through the door - more often than not a great dance 12”. Usually, I’m quite spontaneous and the set list is pulled together about 2 hours before the show. The pattern of the set is often very much the same each week, starting off with something cool, laid back and jazzy, something spiritual and mellow to get the ears working and to warm me up as well as my listeners. The tempo and energy lift as the evening wears on, matching the number of cocktails I have drunk by then (mine’s a Negroni or Margherita, thanks, laughs!), ending with a full-on dance party and trying not to bump into the decks. I’m now adding a few comedown tracks at the end for me and my dear listener to slow the heart, sip the last of the drink, maybe put the kettle on and pop some bread in the toaster. It's always nice to have a few Balearicans join me on the stream, so please come and say hello next time! 5) You have a nice musical flow, very effortless, keeping music vibrant, not trying to mix at any price. Do you feel a DJ should behave differently on radio vs during a live set? That’s very kind of you to say Artur! A DJ should be creative in their own unique way, there are no rules for either a live set to a crowd or a broadcast show, though what the audiences are looking for are very different. I can’t yet beat match vinyl and it’s not that important on a radio show. I like to mix up styles, genres and tempos, whatever I feel inspired with and excited to play in the moment - that’s Gilles Peterson’s influence, as well as Colleen. I have felt constrained to play only what people recognise and can sing and dance to at friend’s parties mostly. That’s of course essential to have a good time, but I prefer an audience that is willing to dance to familiar and unfamiliar music! 6) We all know how much Colleen means to the whole Balearic Family (I did a tribute mix too and it’s clear we love to celebrate her!). There is that lingering question: Why? Colleen’s history, knowledge and experiences shine through in every show. She's like a bright ray of sunshine. The range of music is always appealing and it's always great to discover new sounds! The feeling of family in the chat is special, and I love and am honoured that you and a few others (shout out to Anna and Rick) have become regular listeners also to my humble efforts! 7) What’s next for you musically speaking? I heard you may be about to secure your first residency as a DJ at a very local new Japanese music bar. Congratulations! Can you tell us more about it? Earlier this year the very local ‘Lonely Mouth’ Japanese listening cafe run by the wonderful Liv (The food there is excellent by the way) opened up and Liv called out to local Bristol DJs to come and play, and I jumped at the chance. What's great is that I get to play just about anything I think is good to chill and eat to (all vinyl of course!). I now stream these sets live on MixCloud and record them to allow the staff and customers to listen back to them. The great feedback I get from customers and staff means a lot to me and helps me connect to the world again after the isolation that I’m sure everyone felt during Covid. I am on the fence at the moment about asking to try out at one of the many venues in Bristol. There are SO many DJs in Bristol and it’s hard for me to find the confidence to go out and give it a try. I guess I don’t have the ego to think that enough people will enjoy what I have to offer? Maybe when I’ve grown my vinyl collection? I do need to invest in my digital music collection outside Apple Music, so I can use digital DJ software (that I also need to learn to use) to add to vinyl. Through Lonely Mouth I’m meeting more local DJs and am being inspired by how to put sets together, what goes down well, and of course new music discoveries. One day soon… Until then I’ll keep enjoying my sets at Lonely Mouth and my shows from home! We wish you the best of luck Steve and you can count on our support!

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 198th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on October 22nd 2024. About this episode. – Balearic Breakfast celebrates music. So, when Black History Month hits, it is only logical that the Balearic Breakfast Family celebrates Black musicians, composers, and singers, in one word: Black Artists. As every year, the Family got together and, at Colleen's request, chose songs celebrating the unique and tremendous musicianship fronted by our fellow black people. Today's episode was a 2+ festive musical moment we all spent together on Colleen's Mixcloud, listening to her delicate and still perfect mix praising music we are deeply connected to! A second part is scheduled for October 29th (which is a first-timer as Colleen never did that before)! Listen back to Balearic Breakfast's 198th episode: "This morning’s Balearic Breakfast celebrates Black History Month and is now archived on my Mixcloud. We had so many great requests that next Tuesday’s show will be yet another tribute to the musicianship of Black and Brown artists. Thank you all for your incredible song requests that span over half a century." PLAYLIST (2021) Nina Simone – Four Women (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival) (1972) Terry Callier – What Color is Love (1973) Jon Lucien – Rashida (2000) Mos Def – Umi Says (2021) Figure of Speech? – I am a Man (1972) Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – Be Real Black for Me (2005) Jill Scott – Cross My Mind (1977) Willie Wright – Nantucket Island (2024) Michael Kiwanuka – Floating Parade (1970) Cissy Houston – I'll Be There (1968) Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations (1994) Sounds of Blackness – I Believe (1972) Roy Ayers Ubiquity – We Live in Brooklyn Baby (1977) Banda Black Rio – Mr Funky Samba (1976) Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – It's Your World (2000) Femi Kuti – Blackman Know Yourself (Roots Remix) (2009) Georgia Anne Muldrow – Roses (2024) Musclecars ft Aden – Hello? (Maurice Fulton Remix) (1981) Madagascar ft Marva King – Rainbow (1989) Soul II Soul – Happiness' (Dub) (1983) Herbie Hancock – Autodrive (1983) Eartha Kitt – Where is My Man (2024) Mike Nasty – Mother Earth (1981) Angela Bofill – Rhythm of My Mind (1988) Whitney Houston – Love Will Save the Day TO BE A BLACK ARTIST... For this episode, and also for the upcoming one, I felt we might take the opportunity to do something a bit different and reflect on what it felt, and what it presently feels, like to be a black musician, a black artist. Each of today's featured artists had his/her own perspective on racism and they all had an impact on this world's History. Starting with the great Nina Simone, she was direct about it, sharing: "I must say that Martin Luther King didn't win too much with his non-violence (...) "[Martin Luther King] is remembered more than Malcolm X, and Malcolm X never had a chance to get the kind of popularity that Martin Luther King got. But I was never non-violent, never. I thought we should get our rights by any means necessary." We can also think about Jill Scottt who recently changed the lyrics to the American Anthem. Refering to the Black experience in America, Scott, leading to controversy, changed the lyrics as follows "Oh, say, can you see, by the blood in the streets, this place doesn't smile on you, colored child. Whose blood built this land with sweat and their hands. But we'll die in this place and your memory erased. Oh say, does this truth hold any weight? This is not the land of the free but the home of the slaves." On the same non-compromising path, the legendary Gill Scott-Heron, with his radical and unforgiving lyrics, always championed his contemporary's spirits by singing protest songs. Femi Kuti is also directly speaking out about Racism in America and poverty in Africa, “One People One World” is the title track off of his 2018 album in which Kuti delivers an anthem of peace and unity. Poignant lyrics include “Exchange cultural experiences, that’s the way it should be” and “Racism has no place.” The song also takes on a global resonance with the line: “All nations are guilty / At one point of hostilities.” The song is relevant in light of systemic racism and current hostilities that certain countries are expressing towards immigrants. On the other hand, artists, like Terry Callier (who touched his audiences like no one else when singing live) or even Donny Hathaway, didn't want to be seen as activists although they did not refrain from speaking out about what it meant to be black. For them, Music was the key to their message, and that was sufficient. Other important musical figures did not hide from saying out loud that being black was not a curse, one of them being the great Mos Def, sharing: "I don’t mind being black. I’m black out loud. It’s more than the people that they are, it’s the condition that they represent. I don’t hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the peopleâ??and they’re helpless with it. To me, the job of the artist is to provide a useful and intelligent vocabulary for the world to be able to articulate feelings they experience everyday, and otherwise wouldn’t have the means to express in a meaningful and useful way. It’s not that people have to “ball” less, it’s just that they need to do something good. This is what I wanted to tell XXL" A fun fact Jon Lucien shared in an interview, “The record company was attempting to package me as a sort of ‘black Sinatra,’ ” he said in a recent interview. “Once the white women started to swoon at my performances, their attitudes quickly changed.” We could not write this article without mentioning the key role Dorothy Ashby had on many musicians, including black ones such as Brandi Younger, who found solace in her musical life. Yet, for Dorothy, being a black harpist was a challenge in itself as she shared in her 1983 book "Living the Jaz Life": “It’s been maybe a triple burden in that not a lot of women are becoming known as jazz players (...). There is also the connection with Black women. The audiences I was trying to reach were not interested in the harp, period – classical or otherwise – and they were certainly not interested in seeing a Black woman playing the harp.” Sometimes, even the most famous artists experience tough moments, and this hapenned to our beloved Withney Houston who was boed at the 1989 Soul Train Awards. Reflecting on her career and her "racial status", she shared: “Sometimes it gets down to ‘You’re not black enough for them. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.’” I would love to end this article by mentioning what Herbie Hancock said in 2017 (perfectly reflecting today's episode last song and Colleen's dedication to David Mancuso who would have turned 80 if he was still with us): "This music that was created by African-Americans in the past has blossomed. It was born out of difficulty and racism and turmoil and slavery," Hancock said. "But it is an example of something that’s deeper than just being black. It’s about being human. It means human beings have the ability to turn poison into medicine." Yes, Love Saves The Day... ABOUT THE SONGS Nina Simone – Four Women (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival). – Nina Simone with Black, with Four Women, an incredible song that depicts four different black women and the challenges and suffering they have endured. It's profound, it could only have been written by Simone, one of the greatest songwriters of the civil rights movement. Four Women was first released on Simone's 1966 album Wild is the Wind, but this version was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival and released on a great double album that compiles some of her best performances there. Terry Callier – What Color is Love. – Terry Collier's voice has a gentle sincerity that never fails to tug at the heartstrings. The late Chicago-born jazz soul, folk singer, songwriter, guitarist got his start in the 1960s and released albums until the early 80s when he stopped performing as he had gotten custody of his daughter. He studied computer programming, worked at the University of Chicago where he also studied sociology, and he was rediscovered by the jazz DJs here in the UK like Eddie Pillar and Giles Peterson, and they really helped reinvigorate his musical career. Jon Lucien – Rashida. – John Lucien, was described by Herbie Hancock as the man with the golden throat. The balladeer was born in the British Virgin Islands and moved to New York City in the 1960s, and was discovered by a record exec while singing at a party. He signed a deal with RCA in 1970, and Rashida is the title track from his sophomore LP. Lucien's trademark was both his velvety voice and his emotionally charged, very personal lyrics. Mos Def – Umi Says. – As a big fan of the Silquerian movement, Colleen was happy that Ana requested Most Deaf's Umi says. From his incredible debut solo album, Black on Both Sides, a follow-up to his collaborative album with Talib Kweli as the duo Blackstar, born Dante Smith, a socially conscious rapper and actor who converted to Islam in his teens, officially changed his name to Yassine Bey in 2011, saying, "I began to fear that Most Deaf was being treated as a product, not a person. So I've been going by Yassine since 99". Figure of Speech? – I am a Man. – By the Manchester-raised, Bristol-based artist figure of speech, and thanks to Still Andy, really, who requested this song and encouraged people to check out, he encourages people to check out the entire album. It's not only is it filled with thought-provoking lyrics, but also the sales from the vinyl of, excuse me, from the vinyl of his 2021 LP are donated to the Bristol Black Carers Charity. Figureofspeech wrote on his bandcamp: "there are over 500,000 carers who are people of color in the UK, yet many do not even identify with the term carer. It's natural and expected within those communities for families or friends to look after loved ones. Active outreach is needed to provide them with the assistance they undoubtedly need." Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – Be Real Black for Me. – Before Hathaway's tragic passing, he recorded two albums with his musical soulmate and fellow Howard University graduate Roberta Flack. She had included Hathaway on compositions on her album's first take in Chapter Two. In fact, Hathaway also arranged, played piano, and sang backing vocals for her. So the two of them collaborating was a natural next step. From their first LP as a duo released in 1971, this is Be Real Black for Me. – Reflecting on the album's recording, Flack shared in an interview: “The love and connection that Donny and I had, musically—it was like flying. Donny was a musical genius. I don’t use that term lightly. The recording of this album was a time for us that was joyful, creative, and effortless.” Jill Scott – Cross My Mind. – 2005 Grammy Award-winning single Cross My Mind by Philadelphia singer-songwriter, poet, and actor Jill Scott from her second album, Beautiful Human, Words and Sound, Volume 2. She's released five studio albums, but maybe even more well-known as an actress now as her filmography is more extensive, with her last appearance in 2023's Outlaw Johnny Black. Willie Wright – Nantucket Island. – Born of Harlem doo-wop roots and refined by Boston's counterculture scene, Willie Wright arrived in Nantucket in 1976, well worn by two decades of street corner and club performing and eager to make money the easy way on private yachts. He was trapped on Nantucket Island over the winter of 1976 and a set of original songs poured into Willie Wright's cover-heavy set. Tales of Wright's native roots, straight life, his abandoned four children and the many women he had known flooded his loose-leaf notebook before finally being set to tape in New York the following spring. The result was a 1977 LP, Telling the Truth, which was reissued just over a decade ago. Michael Kiwanuka – Floating Parade. – Michael Kiwanuka finally has a new album on the horizon, a follow-up to his 2019, Kiwanuka. We just heard Floating Parade, the first single from the London singer-songwriter guitarist and producer's new album, Small Changes, which will be released on the 15th of November. Cissy Houston – I'll Be There. – Gospel singer Sissy Houston lost her musical career singing with her family as a drink-art singer and then helmed her niece's group, the Gospel Heirs, before founding the Sweet Inspirations in 1967. They recorded four albums before Houston left in 1970 to pursue her own solo career. She was also an in-demand session musician for artists like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt, and J.T. Cale. And of course, she was Whitney Houston's mother. Sadly, she passed to the next realm earlier this month, but she also enjoyed hits of her own, including this one, her 1970 cover of Bobby Darin's I'll be there, which landed Houston a spot on the R&B Top 20. Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations. – Cut from one of the most played jazz albums in our house, as requested by Bradley Circles. We heard Soul Vibrations from the album Afro Harping by Detroit's late harpist, pianist, and composer Dorothy Ashby. The 1968 release has been a very sought-after record, especially by producers, and has just recently seen a vinyl reissue. Sounds of Blackness – I Believe. – From the album Africa to America, The Journey of the Drum, we heard, I believe, by Sounds of Blackness, a band that boasted both Ann Nesby and Lips Inc.'s Cynthia Johnson as former members. The Minnesota-based group was actually founded in 1969, and they continue to perform. Their 1994 album was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and the record won the Best Gospel Album at the Soul Train Music Awards Roy Ayers Ubiquity – We Live in Brooklyn Baby. – From the vibraphonist, keyboardist, and singer's group's album, He's Coming, released in 1972. And that was also sampled by Mos Def on the song Brooklyn. Banda Black Rio – Mr Funky Samba. – The Brazilian band Banda Black Rio, who formed in 1976, as an instrumental soul funk group often kind of put together with Earth, Wind and Fire and Early Cool and the Gang. They are still going strong today as the present band are the sons of the original members. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – It's Your World. – Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson's It's Your World is the title track and opening cut on It's your world, one of the best live albums of all time. Actually, it's a mix of both studio and live performances. Brian Jackson is still performing and recording and he joined Colleen for a Classic Album Sunday session to explore his album Bridges with Scott Heron. Femi Kuti – Blackman Know Yourself (Roots Remix). – The original version of this song came out nearly a quarter of a century ago and Fela Kuti's eldest son's Femi's 1998 LP Shoky Shoky. Femi has been prolific since the late 1980s. And last year, he released a collaborative album with Detroit techno producer Robert Hood called Variations. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Roses. – Los Angeles soul hip hop singer and producer Georgia Ann Muldrow, daughter of jazz guitarist Rommel Muldrow and singer Jackie Byers. And she's worked with Mostef and Madlib and has released loads of albums, both solo and as collaborations with Dudley Perkins, and also under another moniker Jyoti. Musclecars ft Aden – Hello? (Maurice Fulton Remix). – Colleen been championing this next NYC duo since their first remix landed on her radar during the pandemic. Since then, muscle cars have made waves as the new sound of New York, both with their debut album Sugar Honey Ice Tea released this year on BBE, and also with their DJ sets. Madagascar ft Marva King – Rainbow. – Rainbow was from Madagascar's 1981 LP Spirit of the Street. It was a soul group's only album. They were essentially a group of session musicians including the late keyboardist arranger songwriter John Barnes who got his start at Motown and singer Marva King who later joined Prince's new power generation. Soul II Soul – Happiness' (Dub). – By Soul to Soul from the London Sound System's debut groundbreaking album Club Classics Volume One released in 1989 which was one of the biggest albums by a black British artist along with Sade in the 1980s, and a seminal record that really changed the musical landscape. Herbie Hancock – Autodrive. – One of the greatest keyboard players and a true tech head, somebody who is always forging forward, Herbie Hancock. This is from his 29th album released over 40 years ago. Future Shock came out in 1983. It was co-produced by material bassist Bill Laswell and featured Miles Davis guitarist Pete Cosey and drummer Sly Dunbar. Eartha Kitt – Where is My Man. – The 1983 single by American singer and actress who played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman TV series Eartha Kitt, which became her biggest selling single in 30 years. And that was from her album very straightforwardly titled I Love Men. The track became a cult club anthem and it was Kitt's first recording released in the United States after she was ostracized and fled into self-imposed exile in Paris following her outspoken objection to the Vietnam War at a White House function in 1968. Mike Nasty – Mother Earth. – The Brooklyn based DJ and producer Mike Nasty, from his album Black Planet released this past spring, hails the pulsating fusion of electronic dance music skillfully interwoven with the rich tapestry of sounds from the diverse corners of the African diaspora. Angela Bofill – Rhythm of My Mind. – From Angela Bofill's third LP 1981's Something About You. The late singer was born to Cuban and Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx. She grew up studying and performing classical music until she was discovered by Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin of GRP, who helped launch her solo career. Whitney Houston – Love Will Save the Day. – Jelly Bean and David Morales remix of one of Whitney Houston's most beloved songs. – Only 250 copies of this promo 12" single were ever pressed, according to David Morales himself, in an interview with Music Week UK magazine. His quote from the December 3, 1994 issue, regarding his experience remixing the track: “My second commissioned remix. It was hard to get, and I made it a success, but the record company rejected it. I think they rejected it because it was too black and too dark. The only person I gave it to in New York was Frankie Knuckles – we played it and everybody was asking for it. Someone else remixed it in the end – a poppy remix – but DJ’s were asking for the Morales remix. The pop mix had no balls. In the end they had to press 250 copies for us DJ’s. About 2 years ago DMC put it out on a compilation – it had a huge buzz. It hurt they rejected it – I was devastated and it was essential to get the record out: for my resume, for more work.”