Steve Monite - Only You (1984) [Reissue 2017]

Steve Monite's album, Only You, is a prime slab of Nigerian boogie. It's sinewy, compact and sexy, a little bit of disco mixed with a big dose of funk. Loose and groovy, it's a sonic seduction from another dimension. With legendary producer Tony Okoroji at the desk, and influential musician and sound engineer, Nkono Teles, creating magic on the synth, the title track is raw and melodic, dark and sweet at the same time. Steve sings about putting out a fire, but the music, and Stella Monye's sultry backing vocals, stoke it with aural gasoline. You've never heard a song less likely to lower the temperature and let cooler heads prevail. While never quite reaching the heights of 'Only You', 'Welcome My Love' and 'Things Fall Apart' keep the groove going, the later with a distinctly Latin swing. A couple of extended 'Disco Jams' and an obligatory, romantic ballad ('I Had A Dream') round out the record. In all honesty, however, it is 'Only You' that you'll keep going back to. It's a killer track, an Afro Boogie classic that would hold its own on any dance floor in the world, whether in the 80s or today. - Peter Moore