Heatwave’s “The Groove Line” released in 1978 on the Central Heating album is just one mighty piece of rhythm. Its one of the best odes to just giving yourself up to the dance. Rod Temperton, from the decidedly unfunky English town of Cleethorpes, conceived and produced this groove a year before he was recruited by Quincy Jones to help arrange Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” and “Thriller”. Just after the two minute mark everything about this track just coalesces into one of the best mantras for leaving some of your less decidedly funk self behind.
The b-side of the day is Heatwave’s “The Star of a Story” one of the best non-Brazilian takes on the great Brazilian dream pop (like Milton Nascimento or Beto Guedes) coming out around that same time. If I was to create a playlist for the dawn of light I’d stick this track in there. It just so lovely and awesome. Can I just say how I love Rod’s use of panning in this song? I could get lost in this track. Mr. Temperton definitely needs to be rediscovered by more people.