true to the groove
Horizon's Hip Joint Album now Available
Get Your Copy today!
It's been a year in the making, but we think the new album has definitely been worth the wait. Hip Joint features some brand new dance tunes and soulful ballads along with a few remakes of our favorites from the past. Many thanks to Ron Morales at Studio M for an awesome sound and collaboration on the production. Support the band and get your copy today. Hip Joint will also soon be available on 30 different streaming services as well.
Here's a sampling of media coverage, record company comments and YouTube fans' reactions to Horizon's music.
"In San Antonio, Conjunto and Tejano remain its best-known musical exports, but for a brief moment in the late seventies and early eighties, the city was host to a small but vibrant boogie-funk scene, and at its center was the six-member, multiethnic band Horizon. It was the rare local group that recorded a few singles, got played on AM and FM stations, were Friday night staples at the area’s numerous clubs and military bases, opened for national acts such as the Commodores and Kool and the Gang, and packed venues in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
While Horizon never broke onto the national scene, its handful of privately pressed singles have become collector’s items in Europe, Japan and the U.S., at times fetching hundreds of dollars per 45 vinyl. In November 2021, however, Chicago-based funk and house imprint Still Music compiled and released Magic Music: The Story of Horizon, an anthology of the band’s released singles as well as ten previously unreleased tracks . Here you'll find a strain of South Texas funk, boogie, and modern soul for a new generation of listeners and deejays."
Jerome Derradji - Still Music Records
San Antonio, Texas has never been known as a hotspot for driving boogie/funk music and sweet modern soul. Nevertheless, Horizon, formed in the early 1980s, consistently scored radio play on South Texas pop and soul stations, played large local parties, and even opened for the Commodores and other touring funk bands of the time.
With only a handful of superb and very sought after private press 7” releases under their belt, Horizon managed to reach a cult status amongst funk and soul collectors worldwide. So it is with great pride that Chicago-based Jerome Derradji's Past Due Records released - for the first time on vinyl - “MAGIC MUSIC - The Story of Horizon - San Antonio, TX 1977 - 84 in November of 2021.
This DLP gatefold compilation includes all the rare Horizon 7"s releases along with 10 previously unreleased songs! As always, the story of the band is written by Jacob Arnold with a superb artwork from Al Kent. Magic Music is also available on a digipack CD including a booklet and on digital format.
David Munoz - San Antonio Hall of Fame Radio DJ - SA's Jazzman
"Through my years in this business, I'm fortunate to have met and listened to many bands and artists. Horizon is one of the bands that I've had the pleasure of seeing and hearing on several occasions. They are all very talented musicians who carry themselves with a fine sense of professionalism. Their sound is crisp and clean. Crowds are always pleased with their performances, as am I."
Julien Minarro - Music Producer in France
"I wanted to thank you for the journey so far, it's been a real pleasure to work with you on this compilation album project. We already received some nice feedback about the album from DJs & Sol Discos subscribers here in France. We're placing your song "They Don't Make 'Em Like You" as the second song on the album and we will be sure to send you some copies when the album is released. Horizon has a great sound and out of all the independent R&B songs from that era from bands like yours, we were really pleased to find this one and be able to include in this compilation." Julien
Tomomichi Shimizu - BBQ Records, Japan
"Thank you for the opportunity to work with Horizon on the BBQ Records CD project. The band has a great sound and very good dance music. While Japan is primarily J-Pop now, there are lots of fans of your funk/soul retro style. We also have many international customers who will like this CD. We look forward to adding Horizon's music to our catalogue of bands from the United States." Tomo
Russell Paine - Founder of Super Disco Edits, England
I find myself constantly scratching my head and thinking........how can a group
that displays powerful and well crafted dance songs, backed with tight production and incredibly soulful melodies not have been a household name here in London and Europe during the golden era of funk/disco music. Horizon could easily be stable mates with groups like Crown Heights Affair/Con Funk Shun and One Way. With the group's creative writing and arranging it's a joy to know, through the love of real soul music fans, the Horizon heat from Texas has been re-ignited and ready to BLOW!! Can't wait to hear the new album and play it in clubs here in England!
YouTube Comments
Try My Love Again
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For Real, For Real, dedicated to the fans of original Soul Music!️
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Such a sexy song
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I have literally been looking for this song for years. I was in basic training at Lackland during the time this was released and loved this song. Thanks for posting!!!! You made this man very happy!!!
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Absolutely beautiful!
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Gorgeous!
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That’s a smoldering, silk rustling ballad!
Let Me Be The One
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Amazing song and amazing quality!!!!
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Pure merveille!!!
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Top 80s boogie…
Magic Music
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Feelin superfunky!!! Might dance later!!!
You Went Away
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…this is the Magic One ! Thx
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Killer 2 stepper
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Great tune! Nearly 5,000 views/listens on YouTube, wow!
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like You
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SUPER GOOD.
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WOW, as soon as a see a record was made between 75 and 85, I'm theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere. And this is why.
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Temazoooo!! (Puerto Rican for Great Song!)
ABOUT HORIZON
Playing music together is always fun.
That's probably the key reason Horizon has stayed together for so long. In the early 1980s, we were San Antonio's most successful funk and soul band. There were a lot of great cover bands at the time, but we've always been known as a band that has great original music.
Many of our new followers probably don’t know that some of our early recordings played on radio stations in South Texas in the early 1980s and that our original music got us some opening act gigs with some of R&B legends like the Commodores, Kool and the Gang, Tavares, Zapp, and a few others. We got a chance to play for thousands of people at a time in the Hemisfair Arena, Majestic Theater in downtown San Antonio and the famed Austin City Limits theater in Austin, and some nice venues in Dallas and Houston. There’s a special rush you get in performing for great crowds and we’re fortunate to have experienced that feeling on some large stages.
So what's new? It's been a while since the band was in the studio, so we're really excited to be releasing a brand new album called Hip Joint. It is a combination of new soulful dance tunes and ballads, plus we've rearranged a few of our fan favorites. So look for that big announcement in spring of 2024.
Horizon also loves to cover other songs for our dance fans. We do tunes from Bruno Mars, Jonas Brothers, John Mayer, Santana, Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, Commodores and Rolling Stones to name a few. Plus, we cover country music hits from the likes of George Strait, Brooks and Dunn and Clay Walker. Our audiences always get up to dance for the Motown hits as well as our Tejano tunes. And, we always drop in a few of Horizon's own songs that have become fan favorites.
Horizon's musicians include: Joe Barron, lead vocals, Freddy Carrillo (sax, lead and background vocals, keyboards), Raul Rodriguez (guitar, background vocals), Geoff Boggess (drums),and John Boggess (keyboards, songwriting, background vocals). If you haven’t heard the group lately, you should definitely come check us out.
Below, you can give a listen to what Texas Monthly, our favorite radio legend, international record companies and some YouTube listeners have to say about Horizon's music.
The guys in Horizon have been playing music together since high school. While there have been a few changes to the lineup over the years, the core group of musicians has remained the same. The band's specialty is funk/R&B but they are also at home doing Boot Scootin' Boogie, Elvis medleys, Rolling Stones, Tejano cumbias, 40s classics and much more.
Horizon is a perfect pick for corporate events, weddings and private parties because of its versatility. But, the band is equally at home generating great club dance sets.
Horizon works with the concert-quality sound team of OverFlow so you can count on great music from studio-quality musicians and its sound company.
Along with excellent cover songs, you'll also get a chance to hear Horizon original music which has always set the band apart from other traditional cover bands.
We enjoy playing great music for enthusiastic audiences, and we'd love the opportunity to play for yours. So, check out our resume and music below, then send us a note about how we can work with you.
Here's our favorite photo from back in the day. Playing for 14,000 people at the Hemisfair Arena.
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