Sea Of Fools w/ Dēacön Blü & Duke Grip

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Rick Bowles - Free For The Evening (Polydor, 1982) “Your Loss” A shot of gently rockin’ #SouthernYacht with some Byrne & Barnes crossover—both boys appearing here, presumably with their patented McD-like backup vocals, at the least—and a thick, swamp Yacht groove (almost too funky to make the mark, but southern gents have their own set o’ rules). In addition to Rhodes work there’s some spacey synths, funky and janglin’ guitar lines, f-f-foolin’ lyrical conceits and near poppin’ bass work, but despite some items which’d usually bring out the red pen, North Carolinian Rick Bowles brings it all to a win. Though, don’t bet on pickin’ this from the budget bins, expect to drop at least a Jackson (now a Tubman??) to let the smooth on in... #SmoothIsInTheHeart #YachtRock #YachtSoul #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7YmZtOJ53O/?igshid=1xsbkhihws609

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Bruce Hibbard - Never Turnin’ Back (Myrrh, 1980) “Never Turnin’ Back” Opening with semi-sultry sax tones—not always #Yachtppropriate, mind you—#BouncyAF, replete with smooth Rhodes notes, harmony guitar leads (courtesy of #HadleyHockensmith ...also on bass *and* production) and sendin’ undying praise to the Lord on high, the title track from @BruceHibbard’s ‘Never Comin’ Back’ serves as one of the more hard to cop #XIAN (that’s Christian, for the unaware) #YachtRock / #JesusYacht / #SaviorAOR titles. This jammer in particular is one of the pinnacles of the sub-strain. No matter the view, belief or locale, #SmoothIsInTheHeart. #YachtSoul #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7V6ggHJgY5/?igshid=p340t6n91tyg

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (Columbia, 1976) “Lowdown” Continuing with the building-block-basics of #YachtRock / #YachtSoul, what we have here (less’r’more) is the launch of the lynchpins, the fellas what became #Toto backin’ the #BlueEyedSoul master known simply by one name, Boz. While it stretches the outside defining lines were it anyone else—with obvious aural nods to #Disco and #Boogie—this is the primordial ooze which #DavidPaich (writer/arranger here), #DavidHungate (bass) and Jeffrey “Jeff” Porcaro (drums) crawled from. Essential jammage from Boz F’in Scaggs. #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #SmoothIsInTheHeart #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs @BozScaggsMusic @Toto.OfficialFanPage (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7T2jLnptS_/?igshid=11vcr8hcyleju

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Steve Eaton - Steve Eaton (Mountain Bluebird, 1979) “Without You” Ready your gullet for this smoothie... Straight from the #YachtRock prime of ‘79 we find Steve Eaton’s self-titled sophomore effort, getting migh-tee bonanza for a private label release from #Idaho [though, that’s likely due his membership with *partner* Bill La”Friggin”Bounty(@LaBountyBill) in ‘72 RCA artistes Fat Chance.] Speakin’ on that goldrush, we’ve got Leland “Lee” Sklar (@Leland.Sklar ), Steve “Luke” Lukather (@SteveLukatherOFFICIAL), Steve Forman, Jai “Jay Vending” Winding (@jwinding1950), Michael “Golden Fingers” Omartian, Larry Knechtel and more. The track gets a little SSW (singer-songwriter, natch) breezy, but bounces plenty to keep the Cuervo Gold flowin’ on-deck, replete with talk of (yep, ya guessed it)... Fools. [Eaton was also a one-time lead guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, has scored hits with tunes sung by the likes of The Carpenters, The Fifth Dimension, Art Garfunkel, The Righteous Brothers and more, plus went on to acclaim as a jingle jockey.] #YachtSoul #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #SmoothIsInTheHeart #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7QxZyCpLNb/?igshid=1df7b5byjcczu

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Kiki Dee - Stay With Me (The Rocket Record Company, 1978) “Love Is A Crazy Feeling” Brit’n’Elton acolyte Pauline “Kiki Dee” Matthews delivers this mellow sender that arrives on a jangly note, which continues through the verses Rhodes smooth, but with an uptick chorus that’s the definition of bonanza’n’archetypal #YachtRock / #YachtSoul gold from thee ex-Tamla/Motown gal. Guitar lines behind the vocal playin’ cool and a guit solo that could be none other than Luke hissself only add to this fine delicacy, shipped on over from ‘cross the pond. There’s no per track personnel breakdown, but the liners read like a who’s who: Jeff Porcaro on drums, David Hungate and Bob Glaub on bass, electric guitars by Steve Lukather himself, keyboards by David Paich, Victor Feldman *and* Greg Phillinganes, synthesizers by Steve Porcaro, percussion—it’s important, y’know—by Victor Feldman, horns by Chuck Findlay and background vocals by David Lasley, Brenda Russell and much more. No matter your locale, #SmoothIsInTheHeart, sweethearts. #YachtSoul #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OLmrJpdAD/?igshid=jcpzed3l5ovz

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Kokomo - Kokomo (CBS, 1982) “Let Me Have It All” This Brit-bred funk’n’soul combo, led by the femme fatale Dyan Birch, makes a stateside slide to the home of funk’n’soul to produce this smooth groove glide in the prime time of ‘82 (for #YachtRock / #YachtSoul, that is). Production wiz assistance—via #Chicago ’s own Leo Graham—shores up those smooth, sparklin’ and bouncin’ Rhodes across an ode to a foolish heart, dialin’ right into the desired vibes, sans proper “personnel”. Though vibe’n’rules vary slightly, Kokomo shows to harness, caress’n’impress with the sound of the West, you needn’t even be on the same continent. Smooth is in the heart, sweethearts. #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LtRZBpkH2/?igshid=plwxduhxf0bm

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Roby Duke - Not The Same (Firewind Recs. / MCA Songbird, 1982) “Not The Same” Here sits our hirsute’n’humble orator, his bespectacled presence lets him see on through his lovelorn’n’lost present, deliverin’ his tale slyly and with skill until he opens up in the third verse. He’s a Fool, alright, but not a Fool for some poolroom floozy... he’s a Fool for the Creator on High and wants to sing about his newly found absolution. Quite a unique’n’special perspective to set sail with, while bouncin’, #SmoothAF and sweetened with hot guitar—via #JesusYacht ‘s own Lukather-like hotshot, #HadleyHockensmith—and smooth sax turns... Praise who you choose, I praise Roby. [PS. This post does not reflect the stance of your kind moderators, we simply accept all denominations, or lack thereof, aboard the boat.] #YachtRock #YachtSoul #WestCoastAOR #SaviorAOR #SeaOfFools #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7JALC7Jlai/?igshid=129m4ht0wkkig

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (Warner Bros., 1978) “What A Fool Believes” Building-block-basic Yacht... The point from which the “Doobie bounce” originated (Big Bang-style)... A certified 100 on Sir #GeneYachtski ’s scale (shouts to the #BYR boys)... The perfection point at the intersection of blue-eyed soul and “smooth”... The bright’n’shinin’ pinnacle of McD-era Doobies... One of thee all-time fave-rave choons of Mr. Blü... All these things and more, plus the leader of fools that led us to the sea. If you believe, you can feel it... #YachtRock #WestCoastAOR #SeaOfFools #GraybeardSupreme #YoungGunSilverFox #KeepTheFire #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7G7UbQpl0e/?igshid=16ughdfbbryfw

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Byrne And Barnes - An Eye For An Eye (Climax, 1981 / Favorite, 2016) “Love You Out of Your Mind” Today’s the day, @SeaOfFools78 at the Waydown on top of @AceHotelChicago, with #PathwayToGloryDJs Duke Grip and m’self, and what better way to start in than with one of the back-to-back smooth contenders in the #YachtRock / #WestCoastAOR universe, the #gawdly sons at the tippy-top of #SouthernYacht... I’m talkin’ ‘bout our boys Robert Byrne and Brandon Barnes (aka #ByrneAndBarnes), of course. Pick a song, any song... so it goes for this miraculous platter at the nexus of joy and perfection. From this two-named all-timer I select the engagingly #SmoothAF “Love You Out of Your Mind,” co-signed by the #gawd @DamFunk, if such things get your pontoon idling down southern shores any more steady. Replete with uber-smooth lead and harmony vox, synth farts and #sensualsmooth vibes, “Love You...” is an all-timer on an all-timer anyone with two ears and a heart should dig into quite nicely. And for whoever tried to convince me Byrnes’ two year prior solo shot wasn’t worthy the time of a refined #EarMind should have the taste slapped out their mouth, as both shall be attendant in the crates today from 4-8, do be thurr... [Still I’m cold on the 👀 for that Climax pressing, tho, after missing out on a super-clean OG w/ OBI, insert and all a few months back, but this Favorite RE will do me fine for these times.] #GrownFolksVibes (at Waydown) https://www.instagram.com/p/B50QRl9JdZm/?igshid=1mdifj7nipsg7

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Bobby Caldwell - Carry On (Polydor, 1982) “Sunny Hills” The #gawd, #TheGoat, the #CoolUncle... The Bobby. Nigh on every decade our man cloaked’n’enshrined in smooth gets “discovered” again from the shadows’n’silhouettes and folks are aghast at his lack of melanin, with his rich, mellifluous, Stevie-inflected vocals... When @SeaOfFools78—#PathwayToGloryDJs Duke Grip and m’self—lightens your senses tomorrow from 4pm-8pm atop @AceHotelChicago at the Waydown, we can’t offer up shining rays or sunny hills, tipping into December and all, but the sorta vibes offered up will cast visions of sunshine on the third eye. “You'll grow more content with the atmosphere...,” as Bobby sez here. This here jam is the bonafide definition of smooth’n’breezy and the perfect soundtrack to cast down a few cocktails. See ya soon (and listen close to the lyrics here, if ya wanna dose of peculiar and unique topicry within a pop song framework.) [No pic from the archives this time, as I inadvertently left my copy at the shop yesterday... That’s @ConservatoryShop where I’m your humble curator’n’clerk. Come give a visit if ya happen to be in the #Chicagoland area, we’ve a #YachtRock / #WestCoastAOR / Glide section assembled by yours trooly.] #GrownFolksVibes #SmoothAF (at Waydown) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5xwPPzJKba/?igshid=u0l717gja7jd

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Robert Lamm - Skinny Boy (Columbia, 1974) “A Lifetime We” A cold one—yet a hard one to summarize—comes by way of Chicago founder member Robert Lamm. The keyboardist, singer, and songwriter of the big one’s (“25 Or 6 to 4,” “Saturday In The Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” etc.) penned’n’performed this absolute standout—‘least to these ears—from his debut solo shot that lands somewhere between the realm of jazzy, ethereal #FolkFunk and #Steppers territory. It’s flute-laden, #funky, #smoothAF and nearly sounds positively modern (just mind that groove). An all-timer and more in the general #PathwayToGloryDJs and (perhaps) #WestCoastAOR universe than firmly docked by the sound of #YachtRock , but certainly appears with proto- vibes and is an absolute all-timer for the Dēacön. [FWIW, didn’t forget the @YouTube links previously, just figured you could follow your nose, but this one below deftly jumps past the intro...] #GrownFolksVibes https://youtu.be/679zROCNfhM?t=28 (at Chicago metropolitan area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vI1X8J2cI/?igshid=xtyj3o4y9py7

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Dēacön Blü's Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Luther Vandross “Never Too Much” (Epic, 1981) “I can’t fool myself, I don’t want nobody else to ever love me...,” so it starts... Yet, he’s an in love fool, not a lovelorn one, so not the typical fare of the bearded and besuited lot usually navigating the seas of loneliness in the subtle breeze. The #BYR boys and #GeneYachtski only got it to 54.75, but we all know #YachtSoul has its own set of rules and in the world of #SeaOfFools it rates much higher. Masterful, smooth, funky, bright, and bouncy in its own way... but perhaps a Benson bounce, if not one aligned to the Doobs. #ModernSoul fans adore it, it lights right up in the #Boogie zone and, I understand, even #NorthernSoul fans can’t resist its many charms. No “personnel” to speak of, but he sure assisted a few with his primo backup vocal prowess, perhaps only bested my the grand graybeard McD and those sparklin’ Champlettes. If a ‘retha exists (Steely Dan fans and “heads” know alike), be sure a Lutha too does... #GrownFolksVibes #PathwayToGloryDJs (at Chicago metropolitan area)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5s5IHAJUkW/?igshid=bbapirixzcj4

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Dēacön Blü’s Sea Of Fools Song Of The Day: Con Funk Shun - Con Funk Shun 7 (Mercury, 1981)
“California 1” 
This certified bouncin’ evoker fits the mission statement vibes nearly to a tee. “Carmel sights are my fantasies…” Ain’t that right? The Japanese were hip before us, as always, natch… at least, when it comes to this particular brand of kicks. Mercury JP placed it as the A-side of a slickly picture-sleeved 45 in ‘81, while it was (somewhat) hid away stateside as the album closer for '7’ and included as a throwaway B-side to a later pressing of their “Bad Lady” single the following year of '82 (replacing the original B-, “Straight From The Heart.” I wonder if our Far East friends were any influence???). No “personnel” to speak of, just the self-contained combo, but damnit if those credits don’t tell that achingly smooth lead geetar wailin’ is courtesy of co-lead singers Felton Pilate *and* Michael Vernon Cooper. Now, that’s multi-talented, if I’ve ever heard… Follow @seaoffools78 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr (at Chicago metropolitan area)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5qQZhxJf9C/?igshid=d3e407x79mh3

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Song Of The Day:

Kevin Moore “The Way You Hold Me” (Chocolate City, 1980)

Early AM, bouncin’ discovery by the good Mr. Jerneck, worthy of the deity-like Jarreau (in non-“Scat King Cole”-mode, natch). The timing lines up for this likeliness, but who knew this kinda smooth emanated from the discography of the fine fella later known as international roots attraction @kebmomusic (the album cover certainly contains no tells)??? Jerry Hey ( @heyhorns ), #billchamplin, #venettegloud, Greg Mathieson (@lmnop_greg_mathieson ) and Paulinho da Costa (@dacostapaulinho )… they knew. They knew. (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/BohAeAbFgOJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s21bxrqjadag