TALKIN’ LOUD
Key influences on Say She She
Sister Sledge We Are Family
(Atlantic K 50587, LP, UK, 1979) £15
From their rhapsodic disco anthems with Sister Sledge to their post-pop productions with Diana Ross, Chic’s influence is writ large on Say She She – even their name is a nod to them: it phonetically sounds out C’est chi chi.
Tom Tom Club Tom Tom Club
(Island ILPS 9686, LP, UK, 1981) £25
This Talking Heads side project featuring husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth plus guitarist Adrian Belew bridged hip-hop, post-punk and art rock to create something both futuristic and classic.
Rotary Connection Hey, Love
(Chess 6310 105, LP, UK, 1971) £100
The Cadet Concept imprint’s flagship group put together by Leonard Chess’ son Marshall Chess, Rotary Connection featuring Minnie Riperton and Charles Stepney melded psychedelia with jazz and soul and had true vision – witness 1971’s I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun.
Selda Bagcan Selda (Türküola 304,
LP, TR, 1976) £200
A Turkish singer-songwriter and guitarist who ushered in the Anatolian Rock era with her revolutionary mix of Turkish folk, left-wing protest and Western psych-rock and funk. This is her self-titled debut.
Asha Puthli The Devil Is Loose (CBS CBS 81443, LP, UK, 1976) £30 Played at New York club The Loft and sampled by the likes of Notorious BIG and P Diddy, Bombay’s Asha Puthli blazed a trail with her singular take on dancefloor disco-funk and free jazz. This is her classic third album.
Jaidev The Golden Collection (Saregama CDF 131167, CD, UK, 1999) £30 Unsung Hindi film music composer Jaidev was also Malik’s uncle. He played flute and sarod and vocal coached Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, whose rendition of his Tu Chanda Main Chandni is utterly beguiling.
Gloria Ann Taylor Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing (Luv N’ Haight LHLP 076, LP, US, 2015) £50 She was Grammy nominated for her 1969 hit You Got To Pay The Price but it’s her singles issued between 1971 and ’77 on Selector Sound that capture the R&B and soul singer at her absolute best, her gospelly vocal set to strings and studded with fuzz guitar.