Album Review: 60 40 Love by Raymond Harris
Raymond Harris’s 60 40 Love, released in 1985 under Atlantic Records, is a funky gem that blends soulful grooves with electronic experimentation. It’s not your run-of-the-mill disco album; it’s got this raw edge to it, like someone decided to mix a dance floor anthem with the kind of beats you’d hear in an underground club. The genres—Funk/Soul and Electronic—are stitched together seamlessly, with styles leaning heavily into Disco and Electro vibes. And while it may not have set the charts on fire back then, it’s one of those records that sticks with you for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.
Take the title track, “60 / 40 Love.” Right off the bat, it hits you with this infectious bassline that feels like it’s been looping in your brain since before you even heard it. The production is tight but not overdone, leaving just enough room for Harris’s vocals to shine through without hogging all the attention. What makes this track unforgettable? Maybe it’s the way the synths shimmer in the background, almost teasing you to get up and move. Or maybe it’s how the chorus sneaks up on you, simple yet oddly profound, like love itself. Either way, it’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head and refuses to leave—and honestly, you don’t mind.
Another standout is “Electric Dreams,” which isn’t technically part of the album (oops, my bad), but wait—let me rephrase. Another standout track is the second cut, whose name escapes me at the moment (blame the passage of time). This one leans more into the Electro side of things, with drum machine patterns so crisp they could cut glass. There’s something hypnotic about the way the layers build up, almost as if Harris is daring you to figure out where the beat will go next. You listen to it once, and suddenly, you’re hooked—replaying it, dissecting it, trying to understand what makes it tick.
What’s fascinating about 60 40 Love is how it captures a very specific moment in music history. In 1985, the US was smack dab in the middle of a cultural shift, with artists experimenting wildly across genres. Harris wasn’t reinventing the wheel here, but he didn’t need to. Instead, he took what was already working—disco’s infectious energy, funk’s groove-laden rhythms, and electro’s futuristic flair—and gave it his own twist.
Looking back now, it’s kinda funny how albums like this sometimes slip through the cracks. They’re not massive hits, they don’t win awards, but years later, you stumble across them, and bam—they hit different. Like finding an old photograph you forgot existed, only to realize it perfectly captured a moment you thought you’d lost forever.
So yeah, give 60 40 Love a spin if you ever get the chance. It might not change your life, but it’ll definitely make you wanna dance—and really, isn’t that what great music’s all about?
