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CD
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SUST 820CD
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"From the nasty opening keyboard riff on 'Discomotion', to the flawless yacht rock/ballad of 'My Lady' to the rudimentary drum programing on 'Mainline is Sunshine', this album is chock full of perfectly executed disco-funk breaks and segues that belie its West Berlin origin. Not sounding unlike the Whatnauts' or Norman Connors' late 1970's/boogie output at points, or a less-produced Rhythm Heritage for their technical prowess in a relatively raw context. Originally released on CIP Filmproduktions, a label more associated with film than music releases, the band is so tight it sounds as if they'd been culled from some library music session crew. The band's leader L. H. Tempelhagen and singer The Black Magic Lady have fallen into obscurity since this remarkable one-off release. First time on CD."
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CD
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SUST 819CD
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"Venus Dodson was part of a loose NYC-based collective in the late 1970's that revolved around Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams, whose track 'Shining' was a Paradise Garage staple and is an acknowledged disco classic. After years of performing and doing backup vocals for artists such as The Kay Gees, Salsoul Orchestra, Phreek, Herbie Mann, and others, Venus Dodson was offered an album deal with RFC Records. The resulting Patrick Adams-produced full length generated a charting single in 'Night Rider', but the album owes much of its greatness to her sophisticated lyric and delivery -- 1979 was a lucrative year for disco, and Venus resisted the pressure to churn out cookie cutter, sexually charged dancefloor fodder and image, possibly hurting her success at the time, but the resulting album holds up as an important record that year. Starting with the cover photo, it is immediately apparent that she's not your standard female diva in a revealing outfit, rather she's dressed in a dignified and exotic wrap, her intense gaze at the camera and unsmiling face running counter to the period's conventional cover art. This was no throwaway listen. The vocal content backed that up, with a distinct absence of sexually suggestive lyrics typical of what disco was known for, leaning more to the R&B and soul of the Moments or The Isleys. First time on CD."
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