George Duke ’s 1986 self-titled LP sits at a fascinating crossroads in his career. By this point Duke was already revered as one of the most versatile musicians in American music – a fusion pioneer, former keyboardist for Frank Zappa, and increasingly a go-to producer for crossover R&B. In the early-to-mid ’80s he was busy behind the desk shaping records for artists like Philip Bailey and Jeffrey Osborne , all while maintaining a relentless solo schedule. Much of this work flowed through Duke’s own studio, Le Gonks West in Los Angeles, where he and longtime engineer Erik Zobler built records in a hybrid environment of analog synths, early digital gear, and meticulous overdubbing. That self-contained approach is all over George Duke  – a record that feels less like a commercial 'artist album' and more like a producer experimenting on company time – which is precisely why it's awesome. To modern ears, the album’s sound palette is strikingly forward-looking. Like ...

Until a few weeks ago the name Paul Sabu was foreign to me, despite his fine production work on Gwen Jonae's Destiny , which I've owned for some time. I was about to review an exquisite sale copy of that record, but when it sold and his name reappeared the very next day – this time across an unmissable rainbow backdrop – I took notice. There is little info about the artist credited here: Anna Dalva. She was reportedly mentored by a pre-KISS Gene Simmons, prevented from touring due to her young age, and later found work as a songwriter for Motown [unverified]. What is known is that sometime in 1978, she teamed up with Sabu to churn out Love Potion – a wild disco excursion written just before his breakthrough producing Debbie Jacobs and others. This rugged indie 12” now commands serious collector prices, but we’ve slashed the going rate in half... feeding the sharks is not the 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶 way. *SOLD* Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+) Sleeve Condition: Fair (F) - top ...