Listening to DJ Lumpy’s excellent Brunch of Currants mix I heard Timmy Thomas’s ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’ and I’m sure I must’ve heard it before somewhere but was blown away…not only one of the first records to feature a drum machine (TR 77 possibly) it’s impassioned plea for unity still rides strong in today’s world.
I love the story that apparently this is the demo, they were going to re-record it with full band but the producer listened to it and decided it needed nothing more. That’s a brave move, and scored him a US RnB #1 and #12 in the UK.
In a random aside, here’s the 3rd version of the first drum machine, Theremin’s Rhythmicon. Sounds more like a disagreement in a Gameboy factory to me!
And Wurlitzer’s Sideman which strangely sounds very like the 70’s CR-78 which of course OMD used for Enola Gay?
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