{"product_id":"jay-richford-and-gary-stevan-feelings-2025-repress","title":"Jay Richford And Gary Stevan - Feelings (2025 Repress)","description":"More than once Jay Richford and Gary Stevan’s Feelings has been described as the\ngreatest library record ever released. Of course Be With can’t be seen to be playing\nfavourites, but we have to admit, it’s preoy good. Insanely rare and immensely\nsought-azer, it’s a tough funk, street jazz masterpiece coveted for many years by\ncollectors of all musical genres.\nSince its original release on Italian label Carosello in 1974, Feelings has appeared on\nseveral labels with different sleeves and even under a different artist. Indeed cult\nlibrary label Conroy put it out in one of their iconic red sleeves in 1976 and yes,\nFeelings has indeed had more than one modern re-issue since these “original”\nreleases. But a record this special deserves to be kept in press and we think it\ndeserves the Be With treatment.\nNo, Jay Richford and Gary Stevan aren’t two of the most Italian sounding names. As\nthe story goes these were the pseudonyms adopted by Stefano Torossi and Giancarlo\nGazzani who wrote the album but couldn’t use their real names on the original\nrelease for legal reasons. But Stefano Torossi himself later both clarified and confused\nthe tale further by explaining that Feelings was the work of four people not just\nGazzani and himself. Fellow composers and musicians Sandro Brugnolini and Puccio\nRoelens also worked on the album and as Torossi himself explained “we all worked\ntogether”, with all four gents “dividing the royalties in equal parts… that’s the story.”\nRight, so, with that all sorted out let’s get back to talking about the music. And what\nmusic it is.\nLong hailed as a holy grail of library music, Feelings is the epitome of the sort of\ncinematic orchestral jazzy funk that is “that 70s library music sound”. Infectiously\nfunky, deliciously melodic and with impeccible, elegant production, this record is the\nshowcase for a stunning set of compositions and arrangements and with\nperformances that are nothing short of virtuoso.\nThe record’s first side lizs off with “Flying High”, soaring brilliant and shimmering.\nFunk licks, menacing strings and swaggering horns combine for an ice-cold intro\ngroove that Isaac Hayes would surely have envied, before the steady-paced drums\ndeliver the slo-mo TKO. The string-drenched cop-funk of “Going Home” raises the\ntempo. All funky quick-fire bass lines and killer electric guitar soloing. A real thriller.\n“Walking In The Dark” positively drips in blaxploitation-funk drama strings and horn\nstruts, all laced with delicate drums, velvet piano and more filthy wah-wah. “Fighting\nFor Life” is another funk-fuelled workout built around an effortlessly relentless drum\ntrack that refuses to give up until even the stiffest-necked head is nodding.\nThe loping, open drum break that guides the much-loved “Feeling Tense” through its\nearly stages would be good enough on its own. The heavy bass gloss, swirling strings\nand ominous horns that follow take things to the next level.\nThe second side opens with another favourite “Running Fast”, and the track does\nprecisely that. This is one fine rollicking chase theme underpinned by frenetic (yet\nfunky) Fender Rhodes and skipping bass and drums. Those sweeping strings are a\ngorgeous extra. It’s a deliciously feel-good groove that sets the heart racing.\n“Loving Tenderly” envelops us in warm, velvety night-time vibes with easy listening\nhorns and slinky strings dialing up the seduction. Definitely one for the lithe lovers\nout there. The pace picks up on the electrifying “Fearing Much” where strings dart\naround deep bass, buzzing guitars and another funky drum break. The lush,\nmelancholic “Being Friendly” is another easy beauty, all warm Rhodes and strings.\nMajestic stuff that puts an aural arm around you. The climactic “Having Fun” rides a\npulsating, bass-heavy drum break with snatches of a funky guitar refrain, some\nluxurious keys, sweeping strings and triumphant horns. Sensational.\n“Feelings” is a profoundly appropriate title for such an emotionally funky and\ngenuinely affecting record. Groove-laden bass, irrepressible horns, sweet flute lines,\nwarm Rhodes, lush string arrangements, blaxploitation-styled wah-wah guitars and\nso, so much more make this one of the finest instrumental soul LPs of the 70s, if not\nof all time.\nThe audio for this re-issue of Feelings comes from the original analogue tapes and\nhas been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis and cut by Pete\nNorman. The same care has been taken by the Be With team to restore that glorious\noriginal Carosello sleeve. Feelings is almost too good to be true. Feels good all over.","brand":"BE WITH RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":56313090343176,"sku":"REL-03864","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/6723\/1240\/files\/716d051a4358ca93686175711b950b83.jpg?v=1775645415","url":"https:\/\/www.relevantrecordcafe.co.uk\/products\/jay-richford-and-gary-stevan-feelings-2025-repress","provider":"Relevant Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}