Let The Music Play
Steven Vass
Let the Music Play: How R&B Fell in Love with 80s Synths is the overlooked story of how R&B, disco and funk were transformed by the explosion of music tech in the era of ghetto blasters and Ronald Reagan. It traces how pioneers like Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock inspired a new generation of black musicians and producers to reinvent music with a whole new set of rules.
It shows how artists and producers used synths and other new music tech to reinvent R&B, concentrating on the period from 1978-86. Covering a wide range of artists, genres and scenes, including disco, LA/Solar Records, Minneapolis/Prince, boogie, New York electro/post-disco, Britfunk, Jam & Lewis, movie/promo influence and mid-80s pop. As well as covering big stars like Prince, Sade and Janet Jackson, it looks at many great artists who are often forgotten, such as Skyy, Loose Ends, Imagination, Colonel Abrams, Princess, Gwen Guthrie, Lillo Thomas, Zapp, Jonzun Crew and Yarbrough & Peoples.
Duration - 13h 51m.
Author - Steven Vass.
Narrator - Steven Vass.
Published Date - Friday, 31 January 2025.
Copyright - © 2024 Steven Vass ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
Let the Music Play: How R&B Fell in Love with 80s Synths is the overlooked story of how R&B, disco and funk were transformed by the explosion of music tech in the era of ghetto blasters and Ronald Reagan. It traces how pioneers like Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock inspired a new generation of black musicians and producers to reinvent music with a whole new set of rules. It shows how artists and producers used synths and other new music tech to reinvent R&B, concentrating on the period from 1978-86. Covering a wide range of artists, genres and scenes, including disco, LA/Solar Records, Minneapolis/Prince, boogie, New York electro/post-disco, Britfunk, Jam & Lewis, movie/promo influence and mid-80s pop. As well as covering big stars like Prince, Sade and Janet Jackson, it looks at many great artists who are often forgotten, such as Skyy, Loose Ends, Imagination, Colonel Abrams, Princess, Gwen Guthrie, Lillo Thomas, Zapp, Jonzun Crew and Yarbrough & Peoples. Duration - 13h 51m. Author - Steven Vass. Narrator - Steven Vass. Published Date - Friday, 31 January 2025. Copyright - © 2024 Steven Vass ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:11
1 foreword
Duration:00:03:59
2 introduction
Duration:00:06:19
3 chapter 1
Duration:00:55:36
4 chapter 2
Duration:00:40:36
5 chapter 3
Duration:01:02:06
6 chapter 4
Duration:00:59:29
7 chapter 5
Duration:00:44:39
8 chapter 6
Duration:00:29:54
9 chapter 7
Duration:00:51:47
10 chapter 8
Duration:01:42:34
11 chapter 9
Duration:00:39:09
12 chapter 10
Duration:01:06:55
13 chapter 11
Duration:01:00:38
14 chapter 12
Duration:01:16:42
15 chapter 13
Duration:00:43:22
16 chapter 14
Duration:01:23:04
17 acknowledgements
Duration:00:04:21
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:27