ODYSSEY’S effervescent ‘Native New Yorker’ is a proper soul dance classic. It’s guaranteed to bring a smile to faces and to get people onto the dance floor. The 1977 outing has a timeless, ethereal quality and still sounds good – some would say even better in a newly discovered mix!
It seems that Brookside Records recently delved into the Sony vaults and found some Odyssey remixes by New York ‘Mixmaster’ Mike Maurro. Tunes were ‘Native New Yorker’ (of course) and ‘Use It Up Wear It Out’ and they’ve just won release and they demand immediate investigation.
The “new” ‘New Yorker’ clocks in at over 9 minutes and features a lengthy intro and extended instrumental breaks whilst retaining all the charm of the wonderful Lillian Lopez vocal (ably supported by sister Louise and Tony Reynolds). ‘Use It Up Wear It Out’ is on the flip and features boosted rhythm and subtle shadings that enhance the song’s magic. It’s still ‘Native New Yorker’ though that grabs the headline here – full of full-on Big Apple excitement, energy and optimism.
