Five For A Candlelit Dinner

Five For A Candlelit Dinner

The candlelit dinner selection was a popular feature on my Radio 1 Sunday show in the 80’s. I still hear from sons and daughters who were products of this often-sexy pick and from Mums and Dads who can even remember a tune  playing as procreation got underway.

Time After Time – Gary Taylor from his 1991 album Take Control.

Always and Forever – Heatwave 1976 album Too Hot To Handle.

If You Were Here Tonight – Alexander O’Neal 1985 album Alexander O’Neal.

Good Morning Kiss – Carmen Lundy on Good Morning Kiss album from 1986.

Never Stop Loving Me – Keni Burke on his 1981 album You’re The Best.

Not in any particular order and just a start of many other Candlelit Dinner selections to be featured on the blog.

About the artists

Gary Taylor

Gary Taylor singer songwriter from Los Angeles. Has written for Marlena Shaw and The Whispers amongst others. Big fan of Sade and Bill Withers.

Keni Burke

Bass player Keni Burke found his home in UK record collections with a real club anthem Rising To The Top. Oft forgotten is his work with a wide range of artists from Grover Washington Jr to The O’Jays and Curtis Mayfield. My selection in the five he wrote with the fantastic Curtis.

Johnnie Wilder with Robbie

Heatwave had huge success on the UK Disco scene but Always is a stand out song featuring the fantastic vocals of the late Johnnie Wilder. Written by at the time band member Rod Temperton, who went on to write Thriller for Michael Jackson, it was real different from the up tempo dance floor rhythms like  hit Boogie Nights.

Johnnie was paralysed from the neck down after a car crash in his home town of Dayton, Ohio in June 1979. His injuries were similar to those of Teddy Pendergrass also injured in a car crash. They would talk to each other from time to time and I am sure with Johnnies deep religious beliefs he was able to share with Teddy some of the strength his Church background blessed him with. He died in May 2006 aged 56. I still miss our little chats and in a business full of horrors, he was a true gentle man.

Alexander O’Neal is still gigging in the UK and the Tonight tune was a massive hit on the radio 1 show. His voice a vehicle for the writing and production talents of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis one-time members of Princes band. They more or less got themselves fired, as they always seemed to be away doing other things. If you look at their writing and production credits, you will understand that even a place in the Purple ones band came second.

Carmen Lundy. Her Good Morning Kiss album first appeared on a small independent lable, but was released again on a major a couple of years later. From Miami she has just the most wonderful jazzy soulful voice. She writes her own songs.

In the next, issue five more selections that are themed. We will have some more candlelit dinner choices in the future.