Lost Title Music / 005

Welcome back to Lost Title music, the only roundup of musical inspiration that also doesn’t mind if you eat the last slice. This month’s issue features Bob James, keyboardist, arranger, producer, and one of the most heavily sampled artists in hip-hop history. Highlights also include Anderson.Paak’s band the Free Nationals, deep house royalty Larry Heard and Jesse Saunders, Shigeo Sekito’s glowy electone from 1975, and a marathon 6-hour mix from Detroit legend Theo Parrish.

On the video playlist, be sure to catch John Carroll Kirby’s throwback to 1981 (I feel like Mac DeMarco is following me), and two illuminating house music explainer videos narrated by the one and only Moxie. Rest in peace B.B. Dickerson, DMX, and Shock-G. 🙏🏼

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artist Feature: Bob James

Bob James the person may not be as recognizable as other major artists of the same generation, but his music most definitely is. You probably know Angela from the TV show Taxi, as well as other *ahem* smooth jazz favorites such as Tappan Zee and Westchester Lady. While maybe not regarded as real jazz by some, there’s no doubt BJ has an incredible ability to create familiar, hooky tracks and emotional arrangments which have become part of our collective consciousness.

I found One in the $5 bin and was stoked to have one of the most famously sampled tracks in my possession. Nautilus has appeared on several records (some would say “sampled to death”), along with Take Me to the Mardi Gras and Sign of the Times, making James a significant contributor to hip-hop history.

His albums are also immediately recognizable thanks to Paula Scher’s larger-than-life cover designs, created during her time as an art director at CBS. They immediately evoke that same familiar feeling without being overly cheesy. Check out the video below for more on Bob James’ musical influence from the man himself.