#lowrell simon

Lowrell Simon - Love Massage. Released as an 12" in US 1981 on Zoo York.

MELLOW VIBES: A soul/funk/disco (because apparently these genres were all interchangeable in the 1970s, you know!) gem from Lowrell here, one that I found out about thanks to numerous later samples (Massive Attack's 'Lately' from 1991, Common's 'Reminding Me (Of Sef)' from 1997 and Joy Enriquez' 'Tell Me How You Feel' from 2001). The bubbling bass (I can't actually tell what instrument it is, but I will make an 'educated' guess), joyful brass stabs, subtle guitar riffs and uplifting strings in this track combine to create a dreamy piece of music that could have just been left as an instrumental. Lowrell Simon's vocals and the track's lyrics are perfectly suited to the track but its just that the production is so powerful on its own that vocals don't necessarily add to it. Perhaps I just need even more time to appreciate the track. Still, in an age where ten minute tracks suggest monotony and pretense, 'Mello Mellow Right On' represents how incredible songs of that length were in the 1970s, simply because the writers and producers put so much hard work into creating something incredible. This track, despite its smaller flaws easily merits the term 'classic' and its legacy is one that is undeniable. When a track has not only been used multiple times but inspired recording artists from subsequent generations to create amazing interpretations of their own, you know that its a one of a kind. Enjoy another amazing track, produced by Bruce Hawes, Eugene Record and Tom Tom 84 from 1979.

Lowell Simon was a member of the Chicago soul group The Lost Generation that became a unit in 1969. They had a handful of hit songs including “The Sly, The Slick, The Wicked,”“Wait A Minute,” “Someday,” “Talking The Teenage Language” and “Your Mission (If You Decide to Accept It) Part 1″ before they broke-up in 1974. The singer dropped his last name when he started recording for Liberace’s AVI Records and released his self-titled debut in 1979. “Mellow Mellow Right On” came from this project and achieved moderate success on the R&B charts but has had its most lasting value as a ceaseless sample for various contemporary producers.