This album hasn’t been out of my regular rotation since the day it was released in 1987.

On A Night Like This was Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural’s major label debut, but he released seven albums on smaller labels in the eight years prior to ’87. I’d love to pretend that I’d been on the bandwagon since he started releasing records in 1979, but that would be a lie. As the ’80s dawned I was too busy with Van Halen and the Nuge to appreciate Buckwheat’s special mix of zydeco and funk.

So I jumped on the bandwagon when everybody else did, and I never jumped off. Why? Take a minute and listen to a few bars of “Ma Tit Fille:”

And that’s just a taste. “Hot Tamale Baby” and “Buckwheat’s Special” drive even harder, while tracks like “Marie Marie” would be right at home on a Stax compilation or a Blues Brothers album.

The entire album is just pure joy laid down in 33 1/3 grooves. I dare you to listen to the whole thing without smiling.

For 3-5 bucks you can have your own copy of On A Night Like This, which is an absolute steal as far as I’m concerned. Happy hunting.