{"product_id":"jay-richford-and-gary-stevan-feelings-be-with-records","title":"Jay Richford and Gary Stevan - Feelings [Be With Records]","description":"\u003cwidgetic id=\"67786c79ecb2a11c4c8b4567\" resize=\"fill-width\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" autoscale=\"on\" adaptive=\"414\"\u003e\u003c\/widgetic\u003e\u003cscript async src=\"https:\/\/widgetic.com\/sdk\/sdk.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than once, Jay Richford and Gary Stevan’s Feelings has been described as the best library music record ever released. Of course, we at Be With can’t show favouritism, but we have to admit it’s pretty good. Extremely rare and highly sought after, it’s a hard-hitting funk and street-level jazz masterpiece that has been coveted for years by collectors of all musical genres.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince its original release in 1974 on the Italian Carosello imprint, Feelings has appeared on various labels with different sleeves and even under a different artist name. In fact, cult library label Conroy released it in one of their iconic red sleeves in 1976, and yes, *Feelings* has had more than one modern reissue since those “original” releases. But a record this special deserves to be kept in circulation, and we think it deserves the Be With treatment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo, Jay Richford and Gary Stevan are not particularly Italian-sounding names. As the story goes, these were the pseudonyms adopted by Stefano Torossi and Giancarlo Gazzani, who wrote the album but couldn't use their real names on the original release due to legal reasons. However, Stefano Torossi himself complicated and clarified the story all at once by explaining that Feelings was the work of four people, not just Gazzani and himself. Composers and musicians Sandro Brugnolini and Puccio Roelens also worked on the album, and as Torossi explained, “we all worked together,” splitting the royalties equally. That's the story. Okay, with that cleared up, let's get back to talking about the music. And what music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong considered a holy grail of library music, Feelings is the epitome of the kind of cinematic orchestral jazzy funk that defines “that 70s library music sound.” Insanely funky, delightfully melodic, and featuring impeccable and elegant production, this record is a showcase for a stunning set of compositions and arrangements, with performances that are simply virtuoso.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first side of the record takes off with “Flying High,” bright and shimmering. Funk riffs, ominous strings, and trumpets with attitude combine in an icy groove that Isaac Hayes would surely have envied, before the steady-beat drums deliver a slow-motion knockout. The police-style string funk of “Going Home” ramps up the pace. All fast bass lines and a spectacular electric guitar solo. A real thriller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Walking In The Dark” oozes blaxploitation-style funk drama with strings and horns, all intertwined with delicate drums, velvety piano, and more raw wah-wah. “Fighting For Life” is another funk-fueled exercise, built around a relentless drum track that doesn't stop until even the stiffest neck starts moving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe open, leisurely drum beat that guides the opening bars of the much-loved “Feeling Tense” would be enough on its own. But the heavy bass, soaring strings, and ominous brass that follow take things to the next level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second side opens with another favourite, “Running Fast,” and the track does exactly that. It’s an energetic chase theme, backed by a frantic (yet funky) Fender Rhodes, agile bass, and vibrant drums. Those enveloping strings are a superb addition. It’s a delightfully upbeat groove that speeds up the pulse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Loving Tenderly” wraps us in warm night-time vibes with easy-listening brass and seductive strings, ideal for nimble lovers. The pace picks up on the electrifying “Fearing Much,” where strings flutter around a deep bass, vibrant guitars, and another funky drum break. The lush, melancholic “Being Friendly” is another tranquil beauty, all warm Rhodes and strings. Majestic material that envelops you in a sonic embrace. The climax arrives with “Having Fun,” which rides on a pulsating bass and drum rhythm with patches of a funky guitar riff, luxurious keyboards, enveloping strings, and triumphant trumpets. Sensational.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeelings is a deeply appropriate title for such an emotionally funky and genuinely soulful record. Grooving bass, irresistible brass, sweet flute lines, warm Rhodes, luxurious string arrangements, blaxploitation-style wah-wah guitars, and much, much more make this one of the best instrumental soul LPs of the 70s, if not all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe audio for this reissue of Feelings comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by regular Be With collaborator Simon Francis, and cut by Pete Norman. The Be With team has also taken great care to restore the glorious original Carosello artwork. *Feelings* is almost too good to be true. It feels good, in every way.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tenampa Record Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45504092995747,"sku":"","price":740.0,"currency_code":"MXN","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/1239\/2867\/files\/123174-bewith094LP-FRONTCOVER.jpg?v=1735945425","url":"https:\/\/tenampa.mx\/en\/products\/jay-richford-and-gary-stevan-feelings-be-with-records","provider":"Tenampa","version":"1.0","type":"link"}