Eumir Deodato – Happy Hour (1982/2011) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

Eumir Deodato – Happy Hour (1982/2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192kHz  | Time – 00:36:17 minutes | 1,74 GB  | Genre: Disco, Funk, Soul
Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | © Warner Bros. Records ‎
Recorded: House of Music, W. Orange, New Jersey.

One of Deodato’s career highlights, this 1982 release finds the wildly talented musician incorporating a more smooth pop sound. The slick and melodious album features a guest appearance by Kelly Baretto, whose R&B style and high octave vocals blends with ease. The album features the hit singles “Keep It In The Family,” “Keep On Movin’” and the title track.

Although he was not only heavily involved in producing funkers Kool & the Gang but was elsewhere employed far from his own jazz roots, fusionist Eumir Deodato was still taking the time to perfect his own smooth pop. Happy Hour, released in 1982, is a prime example of the sounds and styles he’d now fully adapted. Sweet and slick, Happy Hour hinges on the upbeat sounds of early-’80s pop, leaving his prior success with disco present but lurking in the background. With vocalist Kelly Barretto taking a turn across the lion’s share of the songs, she set the tone with her clear R&B style and, although it was “Happy Hour” that hit the pop charts, the opening “Keep on Movin’” was a far better example of her prowess. Nearly eight minutes long and built around a smoothly repetitious, delicious, classic Deodato groove, her octave-leaping vocals bound in and out of the mix with ease amid the synth and brass. Elsewhere, Deodato brought in the star power of guest Candi Staton on a barely lukewarm version of the Smokey Robinson classic “The Tears of a Clown,” which focused almost exclusively on an unending alto sax solo. On a happier note, both “Keep It in the Family” and “I Never Get Enough” wrapped up the set with a Motown vibe. But while Happy Hour is easy on the ears, with nice turns spattered throughout, there’s nothing overly remarkable about the set, nor is there anything to recommend it. Deodato was capable of much better, and it would have been nice to hear it. -Amy Hanson

Tracklist:
1 Keep On Movin’ 7:51
2 Happy Hour 4:59
3 Just This One Night 5:03
4 Tears Of A Clown 4:38
5 Sweet Magic 4:16
6 Keep It In The Family 5:04
7 I Never Get Enough 4:26

Personnel:
Alto Saxophone – Nelson Rangell, Steve Greenfield
Backing Vocals – Allison Bragdon, Cynthia Huggins, Eban Kelly, Joan Motley
Bass – Gary Grainger, Neil Jason
Bass, Synthesizer [Bass], Guitar, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals – Jerry Barnes
Bass, Synthesizer [Mini Moog] – Norman Durham
Drums – John Sussewell, John “Broadway” Tucker
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Mark Cohen
Guitar – Alan Thomas, David Brown, George Parrish, Wyatt Staton
Handclaps, Sequenced By [Clap Trap] – Bobby Douglas
Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Vocoder – Katreese Barnes
Keyboards, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Alan Palanker
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Camille, Kelly Barretto
Piano [Keyboard], Synthesizer [Arp Omni, Arp Pro Soloist, Mini Moog], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer], Congas – Eumir Deodato
Programmed By – Eumir Deodato, Jerry Barnes, Katreese Barnes, Norman Durham, Rick Suchow
Strings – Kermit Moore
Synthesizer [Bass] – Rick Suchow
Synthesizer [Prophet 5] – Michael Mandel
Tenor Saxophone – Bob Malach, Manny Boyd
Trombone – Clifford Adams, Keith Oquinn
Trumpet – Earl Gardner, Michael Ray

Download:

mqs.link_EumirDedatHappyHur198219224.part1.rar
mqs.link_EumirDedatHappyHur198219224.part2.rar