The Twelve Inch 168 : A Lover's Holiday : Post-Disco/Synth-Funk/Brit-Funk - 1980

This week’s mix is a tribute to that unmistakable eighties funk guitar sound, a sonic thread running through nearly every track. Popularised in large part by Chic and the distinctive playing of Nile Rodgers, this guitar-driven groove became a defining feature of early synth-funk.

You’ll catch its subtler side in the mix’s lead-off track, “A Lover’s Holiday” by Change. While less overt than the punchier American funk cuts that dominate the playlist, it still carries that same infectious energy. Another outlier in the mix is Peter Tosh’s “Buk-In-Hamm Palace”, a quirky blend of disco and reggae from a time when disco had begun to fade from the mainstream. Yet somehow, it meshes beautifully with the rest of the selection.

You’ll recognize some classics here, “And The Beat Goes On” by The Whispers, “Ladies Night” by Kool & The Gang, and Delegation’s “You And I.” But I’ve also dug a little deeper for gems by Bruni Pagan, Tracy Weber, Carol Lloyd, Jackie Moore, and Frisky.
Enjoy!