The “Minneapolis Sound” is eclectic at its core. From the funktified innovations of Prince and André Cymone to the polished productions of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and the alt-rock fire of The Replacements, the scene always made space for everything—and everyone—even an offbeat band like Information Society.

In 1982, the same year The Purple One invited us to party like it was 1999, InSoc burst onto the scene with a robotic synth style that recalled Kraftwerk, early Devo, and Gary Numan. Paul Robb, Kurt Larson, and James Cassidy embraced the DIY ethos of punk, quickly building a loyal following. But true recognition didn’t come until the band relocated to New York City, where they forged their signature sound—a fusion of electro and pulsating dance beats that launched them onto the charts.

With the guidance of seasoned producer Fred Marr, the trio absorbed everything around them, from radio staples to late-night TV static. Armed with samples—and a certain ’60s sci-fi phenomenon like Star Trek—Paul Robb crafted InSoc’s pop breakout hit, a track that dominated clubs from L.A. to Rio and beyond. It set the foundation for the group’s unique brand of intellectual, tech-driven pop, a sound that remains as vibrant today as ever.

Show Tracklisting:

• Swan's Splashdown (Perry and Kingsley)
• The Little Man from Mars (Perry and Kingsley)
• Are Friends Electric? (Tubeway Army)
• Bacchanale (Information Society)
• Running (Information Society)
• What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) (Information Society)
• Walking Away (Information Society)
• What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) Live at Rock in Rio (Information Society)

Information Society on Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/informationsociety_official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/informationsociety
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/informationsociety
• Bandcamp: https://informationsociety.bandcamp.com/
   

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel 

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Back in December 1977, a young actor named John Travolta (by then only known for his role as Vinnie Barbarino on the TV comedy "Welcome Back Kotter) strutted across the streets of New York to the funky beat of an English trio that reinvented themselves from Soft Rock gentlemen to the purveyors of the global Disco explosion. 

While The Bee Gees' music was the centerpiece of "Saturday Night Fever," the film's soundtrack gave a spotlight to notable pop performers like Yvonne Elliman, masterful musicians and arrangers like David Shire, Ralph McDonald, and R&B veterans like The Trammps and Tavares that were also heavily instrumental in creating the blueprint of Disco in the early 70s.

Show Tracklisting:

• Jive Talkin' (Bee Gees)
• You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees)
• I Don't Know How To Love Him (Yvonne Elliman)
• Love Me (Yvonne Elliman)
• How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees)
• If I Can't Have You (Yvonne Elliman)
• More Than A Woman (Bee Gees)
• More Than A Woman (Tavares)
• It Only Takes A Minute (Tavares)
• Boogie Shoes (KC & The Sunshine Band)
• Open Sesame (Kook & The Gang)
• K-Jee (MFSB)
• A Fifth Of Beethoven (Walter Murphy)
• Calypso Breakdown (Ralph McDonald)
• Night on Disco Mountain (David Shire)
• Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (The Trammps)
• Disco Inferno (The Trammps)

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

Before he graced the covers of Right On! and Black Beat, O’Bryan was a church kid with a stunning tenor tone informed by years of listening to Stevie Wonder, Donny Hattaway, Phyllis Hyman, and the Delphonics, among others.

His vocal abilities impressed a string of influential people that guided him through his musical journey, from Philly Soul legend Ron Kersey to the mighty "Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius, who later became co-writer of his songs and executive producer for most of his output with Capitol Records

For his first single release with Capitol, O’Bryan choose a masterful blend of sounds that signaled a shift in musical trends in the early 1980s. It was the first in a series of tunes that elevated him as one of the top Rhythm and Blues heartthrobs of his generation, creating an unbroken relationship with his devoted audience.

Show Tracklisting:

• I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
• Ben (Michael Jackson)
• Right From The Start (O’Bryan)
• Still Waters (Love) (O’Bryan)
• The Gigolo (O’Bryan)
• Soul Train’s A Comin’ (O’Bryan)
• Lovelite (O’Bryan)

O’Bryan on social media

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obryanmusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAMOBRYAN

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

Multiple tributes flooded social media channels and websites when Joyce Sims made her peaceful transition on October 13th, 2022, all noting the tangible influence she had on music and people's lives. 

This Rochester, NY native found her way from perfecting her craft to soaring the international charts with a heavenly mix of Hip-Hop, electronic beats, and R&B vocal stylings, thanks to her collaboration with Sleeping Bag Records producer Mantronix. That mix led to some remarkable singles in the mid-to-late 80s, including "(You Are My) All And All," and "Come Into My Life," the latter becoming her most-known tune.

Taking cues from one of her final interviews, we take a look back at Joyce's beginnings in music, her efforts to learn the process behind the engineering desk, her surprise rise to fame, and her last recordings before her passing.

Show Tracklisting:

• Come Into My Life (Joyce Sims)
• (You Are My) All And All (Joyce Sims)
• What You Won't Do For Love (Joyce Sims)
   

Interview with Joyce Sims (Courtesy of Halftime Chat)

https://youtu.be/_fIXHpFvGtU

https://youtu.be/QUqlpyo0NS0

https://youtu.be/V6H2ZlaZ0_U

https://youtu.be/r4Wv1jnSWAw

https://youtu.be/Mj2aJi49s4s

Donate or support the production of Halftime Chat

CASHAPP: £halftimechat

PAYPAL: nesoul

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

As the glamour of New Wave made its way through the UK music scene with acts like Visage, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet, a band made out of three black men was making the most, sashaying into TV studios with an extravagant image and hypnotic tunes to match. 

Vocalist Leee John, bassist Ashley Ingram, and drummer Errol Kennedy ruled both the charts and the dancefloors with their own silky and soulful "Imagination" sound, created in collaboration with innovative production team Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, later architects of pop classics recorded by Spandau, Alison Moyet, and Bananarama. 

In this special CHOONS episode, Leee takes a trip back to his days working the pub circuit and learning from the greats, his pre-Imagination recordings, the inspiration behind his first hit singles with the band, and the treacherous session that led to one of the most unforgettable floor-fillers of the 1980s.

Show Tracklisting:

• Just An Illusion - Nightdubbing Version (Imagination)
• Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet (Gonzalez)
• Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed)
• Body Talk (Imagination)
• Burnin' Up (Imagination)
• I'll Always Love You (But Don't Look Back) (Imagination)
• Flashback (Imagination)
• True (Spandau Ballet)
• Just An Illusion - Instrumental (Imagination)
• Just An Illusion (Imagination)
• In The Heat of The Night (Imagination)

Pre-order Imagination featuring Leee John "40 Years" Limited Edition Box Set Out February 2023: https://leeejohn.lnk.to/imagination40

Leee John on Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeejohnofficial/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/leeejohn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeeJohn
• Website: https://www.leeejohn.com/

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

On January 3rd, 1990, days after a unified East and West Berlin welcomed the new decade with a memorable New Years celebration a few feet away from Brandenburg Gate, German producers Luca Anzilotti and Michael Münzing unleashed "The Power," a song that blended soul, dance, and rap sounds. 

Though they weren't the first to come up with this fusion, the result was one of the most recognizable songs of all time and a symbol of the often problematic practices found in relationships between artists and production teams.

Penny Ford, a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer with years working alongside greats like Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell, Zapp, and the Gap Band, was caught in the whirlwind of it all, and saw her life completely turned upside down by the unexpected opportunity of fronting the Snap! project, and securing its afterlife for the next three decades.

Show Tracklisting

• In The Name Of Love (Sharon Redd)
• Tell Me Something Good (Rufus feat. Chaka Khan)
• Change Your Wicked Ways (Penny Ford)
• Our Day Will Come (Chaka Khan and Edwin Starr)
• Where Are You? (16 Bit)
• Oops Up (Snap!)
• Mary Had a Little Boy (Snap!)
• The Power (Chill Rob G)
• Love's Gonna Get You (Jocelyn Brown)
• The Power (Snap!)
• Rhythm Is A Dancer (Snap!)

Snap! on Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialpennyford/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pennypal101
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Penny-Ford/100063719559672/

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

Back in 1980, Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia) had finally gained independence from the British, marking the end of racial segregation after a protracted war of liberation that claimed many lives. A year later, a young Alton Edwards became a prodigal son when his debut single climbed the UK top 20, one of the very first instances of a 12" single achieving success in the pop charts.

It was the culmination of a journey that took Alton from being a member of several bands to leading his own solo project in collaboration with innovative record producer Chris Cameron. Though his journey also included obstacles that ultimately curtailed his momentum, Alton continues to express his creativity with impactful projects. He's also immensely grateful for the dancey tune that put him on the map and that makes bodies shake to this very day.

Show Tracklisting

• Sanibonani (Dianne Chandler)
• Boogie Nights (Heatwave)
• I Just Wanna (Spend Some Time With You) (Alton Edwards)
• I Just Wanna (Spend Some Time With You) Michael Gray Remix (Alton Edwards)

Alton Edwards on Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altonedwards/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/altonedwards

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

Different Fur has been a landmark of the music scene in the Bay Area and at the cutting edge of studio technology since it was founded in 1968 by synth wiz Patrick Gleeson, who went on to play on albums by Herbie Hancock, and in soundtrack albums for the films "Apocalypse Now" and "The Plague Dogs." 

Nestled between taquerias and cocktail bars, it has hosted an array of legendary musicians, up-and-coming artists, and music lovers who have attended community-based events that are now the stuff of legend in the Mission. After navigating the shakeup of the COVID-19 pandemic, Different Fur looks to the future with its new co-managers, Lien Do and Grace Coleman. Both talk to us about their musical beginnings, their relationship with artists, and their goals for the future of this recording studio. 

More on Different Fur

• Website: https://differentfurstudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/differentfur/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/differentfur
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/differentfur/

Show Tracklisting:

• Come Back Jonee (Devo)
• America Is Waiting (David Byrne & Brian Eno)

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel 

Special Thanks to Marcel Caldera III

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

Born Norman Washington Giscombe on June 6, 1957, Junior had been making the rounds of the London music scene, just as the Britfunk movement was bridging the gap of a racially-divided England with its friendly and inviting sound, one inspired by American R&B, soul and funk.

After dabbling in rock and even Disco, Junior found his groove with producer Bob Carter and tapped into the words of wisdom of his Jamaican mother to create a song that touched a nerve with audiences in the UK and the US.

With its universal message of love, knowledge, and self-acceptance, “Mama Used To Say” helped Junior make history as one of the first British soul singers to cross over to America, and served as inspiration and praise for a number of equally iconic performers.

Show Tracklisting

• Get Up and Dance (Norman Giscombe Jr.)
• Love Dies (Junior)
• Let Me Know (Junior)
• Mama Used To Say (Junior)
• Mama Used To Say - American Instrumental Mix (Junior)
• I Specialize in Love (Sharon Brown)
• Mama Used To Say - American Remix (Junior)
• Too Late (Junior)
• Oh Louise (Junior)

Junior on Social Media:

• Website: https://www.juniorgiscombe.co.uk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juniorgiscombe_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juniorgiscombe
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuniorGiscombe

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel 

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod

In the mid-1980s, a new batch of artists emerged on the UK music scene, blending pop sensibilities, refined arrangements, and an understated sense of fashion. Among the likes of Sade, Prefab Sprout, and Simply Red, there was the unique style of Swing Out Sister, originally comprised of jazz-tinged vocalist and songwriter Corinne Drewery, keyboardist Andy Connell, and drummer Martin Jackson.

Influenced by an array of performers, from Dionne Warwick to Ennio Morricone, Swing Out Sister broke through in 1985 but failed to make a dent on the charts with their first single. However, a series of isolated (and almost tragic) circumstances propelled the group to throw everything but the kitchen sink on the next effort, an exuberant and positive song that shot to the top 10 in both sides of the Atlantic.

As they celebrate 35 years of their debut album with a retrospective box set, Corinne and Andy are not afraid to look back at their legacy, and discuss how a sincere song born from a record label’s ultimatum came to define an entire era, and influence millions of listeners to change their lives around.

Show Tracklisting

• I'd Like To See You Again (A Certain Ratio)
• Real Time (Retrospective Dub) (Zer-O)
• Venceremos (Working Week)
• Blue Mood (Swing Out Sister)
• Breakout (Swing Out Sister)
• You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (Dusty Springsteen)
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Diana Ross)
• Diamonds Are Forever (Shirley Bassey)
• Breakout (Maisie Goulsbra)
• Am I The Same Girl? (Swing Out Sister)
• Don't Give The Game Away - Instrumental (Swing Out Sister)

Swing Out Sister on Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sosister/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swingoutsister
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/swingoutsister

Host and Producer: Diego Martinez

Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo

Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel 

Follow us on social media: @choonspod

Subscribe to our PATREON: patreon.com/choonspod