5. Melba Moore
I used to go to Caister Funk & Soul Weekenders with Chris Hill, Froggy soundsystem, early Pete Tong, Robbie Vincent, Jeff Young, all those guys. I’d listen to Robbie Vincent’s [Radio London] show on Saturday mornings, I’d listen to Greg Edwards on Capital Radio, I’d follow all the radio – and that’s where I got this one, I think Robbie Vincent played it first. It’s just so well done, it’s probably the most perfect records ever made, I loved how it was so easy on the ear but endearing and made you feel happy and light about everything. You didn’t have a care in the world, you were on the dancefloor, you want to scream it from the rooftops, it wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t sugary sweet either, it was just a record you have to take in and go "yep, all is well with the world." It’s not short, it’s seven minutes, and you just have to take in the whole thing, the arrangement, the strings, the harps, the changes, there’s so much going on. I wish I was there when they made that record, I wouldn’t have been playing or doing anything, I just would’ve liked to be there in the session just nodding my head and loving every minute of the process. The studio craft of that time is the pinnacle, and if you hear it on a PA now, you can still say, yes, that is absolute genius. It’s music personified based on how each person came together on that tune. There’s not one person on that who’s gonna get fired because they did a bum note, not one.
