If you’re only familiar with “Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into my Car” era Billy Ocean, you might not realize the Trinidadian born singer had a run of chart-topping R&B in the UK, making him the foremost Black, British, shiny fabric wearing vocalist of the late 70’s/early 80’s. I must confess: I was ignorant until reading a feature on Ocean in Wax Poetics. When I happened upon a “Love Really Hurts Without You” 45 at Urban Ore in Oakland, I saw the date (1976) and figured it was worth a shot.
It was – Turns out it’s his debut 7″, and it’s something of double-sider. Actually, I prefer the flip. Here it is, ripped @320:
Download: Billy Ocean – “You’re Running Out of Fools”
It’s slick, no doubt – and you couldn’t really slip any Ocean into a Northern set and retain any credibility, but my god who cares. This is fun:
If it’s cool points you’re after – or perhaps a reprieve from the winter weather (if you’re unfortunate enough to live in a place where that exists), this completely unrelated bit of Oceania just might be your remedy.
Javelin are a Brooklyn band, and this half hour tape is a found sound collage, break-laden, breeze-kissed ode to an imaginary ocean. It serves as a pretty good introduction to the band, who recently released Jamz N Jemz on David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label. If nothing else, you know David Byrne has good taste in Hawaiian shirts.
Real oceans are scary; This ocean has plenty of flutes and isn’t too deep. It’s warm and the water is clear. In fact, you can see the bottom and all the fish are single and want to date you (!). Take a dip:
Download: Javelin – Andean Ocean Mixtape (courtesy of New Other Thing)
