Wednesday, March 17, 2004
"Hangin' On A String (Contemplating)," Loose Ends (7/13/85)
What a marvel this is. The only Brits to top the U.S. R&B chart in the '80s - and they did it twice, as you'll see - Loose Ends, a coed trio, made some of the slinkiest machine-driven soul of the decade. But the marvel inherent to Loose Ends, and "Hangin'" in particular, is that they made synthetics sound so sensuous. Whereas the production work of, say, Jam and Lewis is so dry and hard, Loose Ends' is luxuriant, like the best man-made silk. Being British seemed to make them stand out, as well; they had a unique style and sound. The fact that they broke through in the states (where black Brits seem to have the hardest time, save Sade) stuns me to this day. The fact that they did so with such great records, even moreso. A
What a marvel this is. The only Brits to top the U.S. R&B chart in the '80s - and they did it twice, as you'll see - Loose Ends, a coed trio, made some of the slinkiest machine-driven soul of the decade. But the marvel inherent to Loose Ends, and "Hangin'" in particular, is that they made synthetics sound so sensuous. Whereas the production work of, say, Jam and Lewis is so dry and hard, Loose Ends' is luxuriant, like the best man-made silk. Being British seemed to make them stand out, as well; they had a unique style and sound. The fact that they broke through in the states (where black Brits seem to have the hardest time, save Sade) stuns me to this day. The fact that they did so with such great records, even moreso. A
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