The first and only time I ever met Sarah Evans in real life was in London last year before the pandemic set in, when she was pulling the evening DJ shift after me and my friend Esqueezy at Spiritland King's Cross. Afterwards, I quickly discovered she was a prolific internet radio presenter and DJ with stations such as Soho Radio, Boogaloo, 1BTN, MEATtransMISSION, and Ballami and a technical producer for the BBC.
Sarah has a great ear for sounds from across the full spectrum (funky and softer), and bucket loads of enthusiasm for music, which she shares through her shows, instagram and brand spanking new YouTube channel (click here). At present, she also has a residency on The Vinyl Factory's VF Live stream (the next one is October 2nd), and on the second Wednesday of the month, you can find her on Radio Alhara between 7-9pm Bethlehem time (5-7 UK time).
For this week's edition of Take Five, Sarah selected the five songs she'd happily retreat to a desert island with. Onya Sarah!
Eko Roosevelt – "Ndolo Embe Mulema"
This song does something to me that no other does and it happens straight away. There is no messing around it’s just upbeat and into it from the start. Horns, groove, a catchy set of words I don’t understand, but have found out to mean earrings. The song is about Mulema’s earrings. And I bet they are awesome.
I was born in the wrong time! I wish so much I was born in the 50s and this was just my time. Think of the empty M1, the little MG soft tops and this blaring on the 8-track. Oof.
Brick – "Living From The Mind"
For forever, or since I was 16, the song that was my only confirmed desert island disc was Johnny Corporate’s Sunday Shoutin’. I had it on CD single as I learned to drive and sweet lord I couldn’t get enough of it. Years later and it was still on the list… that was until I discovered the original! Brick, Living in the Mind from their 1977 self-titled second album. I was born in the wrong time! I wish so much I was born in the 50s and this was just my time. Think of the empty M1, the little MG soft tops and this blaring on the 8-track. Oof.
Mike Dunn presents Mr. 69 - "Phreaky MF (Mike Dunn's 'Original Phreak' Mixx)"
I don’t wanna be a phreak… so I can’t play this song out. Lol. But I love this song! It’s absolute filth and you play it on the right dance floor (at the right speed) at the right time and the whole place melts. That bassline, the lyrics (seriously, don’t listen to this with other people around, unless you’re tryna… do it), this is pure dirt and I could easily get down with my bad self to this on my desert island. Hell, it may even make people come over.
Jimmy ‘Bo’ Horne – "Get Happy"
All my music is to avoid pain, bad thoughts, crying, feeling like there is no hope. As all those things are my natural MO, I fight it with music daily, literally, daily. I am never without headphones. At a point of real sadness in the last few years, I really thought I was rock bottom, nowhere to go; and I stood there, crying in the street, moving house by hand on my own, and I just had to get out of the place I was in… so I pulled out my phone, typed in Jimmy Bo Horne – Get Happy, and boom. I was wiping away the tears and marching up that hill with my belongings. I will forever be grateful to this song and Jimmy ‘Bo’ Horne.
I like to potter around the house listening to jazz and do my general day to day duties with a soundtrack I’d like to think a Blue Note would be happy with.
Now it can’t all be disco and dance vibes, sometimes on this desert island I’m gonna wanna chill and pretend everything is coooooool. I like to potter around the house listening to jazz and do my general day to day duties with a soundtrack I’d like to think a Blue Note would be happy with. So for when I’m gutting fish and cracking coconuts, I’d be listening to this. Feeling fancy af in my sandy hut.
