ODDS ‘N’ BODS
TEDDY PENDERGRASS ‘Love T.K.O.’ will finally be out here to coincide with his UK visit, jocks getting a 3-track promo-only 12in . . . Morgan ‘Mr Reliability’ Khan’s R&B label for UK product will debut after much re-recording with Imagination ‘Body Talk‘, a falsetto-sung slinky steady, slow-rolling 83bpm ‘Rise’-type thudder with Yarbrough & Peoples-style feel through a piano-based sound that’s all its own – and to judge from Capital Radio play it’s rather good . . . RCA look likely to be picking up the next reggae smash too, the lovely Shirley James / Danny Ray ‘Why Don’t You Spend The Night‘ currently on Black Jack 12in . . . Manchester-originating Inversions secret ingredient since moving South turns out to have been session sax superstar Steve Gregory, so no wonder they’re good – Steve, once a mainstay of Gonzales, I’ve known since he was in that 1965 Alan Price Set (with Radio One’s John Walters on trumpet), but he still looks about 18, darn him! . . . Alan Price back then incidentally could be reckoned to have had the first jazz-rock group . . . Inversions at Mayfair Gullivers last Wednesday were technical perfection to hear, visually only coming alive when their percussionist let rip, and attracted to the club such as Johnnie & Keith Wilder, Zoot Money, plus Gully’s stars in residence, Clem Curtis and Carl Douglas . . . Casablanca / Chocolate City labels will soon be distributed here via Phonogram . . . East Midland DJ Assn hold a disco exhibition on Sunday 26th April between noon and 8pm at Derby Tiffanys, fast food and bar open all day, details from Derby (0332) 367959 / 763769 . . . Staines Fusion Few’s fanzine will be available for free, while Groove Weekly have a double boomer-basher issue for Caister in which Exeter’s Chris Dinnis starts a fortnightly ‘Wild West Column’ covering the funk scene at his end of the country . . . Caister-goers are as usual advised to take home comforts with them (I’m not sure about the chalets, but you won’t go wrong taking matches, bog paper, soap, towel, an FM radio and plenty of food) . . . Yarmouth’s Anglian Lodge at 69 Regent Road (50 yards up on the left off the roundabout at the top of the main seafront promenade) is traditionally the mafia’s favoured late-nite eaterie for cheap lobsters and gigantic steaks, but check first that it’ll be open late on Friday (Gt. Yarmouth 3985) . . . Nostalcia ‘Break Down‘ has sold so well it could be in short supply and is unquestionably the most useful “mixer” to date for funk jocks – a real floor filler, it really flows without any naff links to disrupt the happy dancers . . . Nostalcia in fact breaks down at 117-116-117-116-117-122-120-122bpm and the much poppier ‘Goodie Goodie Mixer’ at 115(TK)-114-115bpm . . . Mike Allen can now be revealed as Capital Radio’s future lunchtime jock, Graham Dene going back to breakfasts but just at the weekend . . . Congress ‘That’s Jazz’ could kick off a chain reaction, with Greg Edwards planning to go into record production properly next year . . . Mark Clark (Bracknell) has left Reading’s Radio 210 to go back on the road – “there’s more money in it and less bitching!” says he . . . MI5 mole probes and tales of treachery are getting as common in the papers now as shock horror sensations about chart hyping . . . Chris Tittley & Pete Haigh (Blackpool), who notice a return to heavy funk but with a fast beat in their area report that the Northern jazz-funk scene is now getting organised with a sense of responsibility, to prevent a repeat of last year’s debacle . . . I discovered a dynamite long running mixing General Caine II ‘Jungle Music‘ into Mel Sheppard ‘Can I Take You Home‘, while Graham Gold went brilliantly from the new US promo remix of ConFunkShun ‘Lady’s Wild’ into Heatwave ‘Jitterbuggin’ . . . Brian Brindle (Chelsea Kings Road) finds the 1973 Eddie Harris ‘Is It In‘ LP popular and modern sounding still (try it with Manu Dibango!), and Mad Max Cosgrove (Southern) recommends the old Hi-Tension ‘Latin Inspiration‘ . . . Bob ‘The Boring Minder’ Jones gets Chelmsford Countryman full to overflowing on Mondays playing old jazz and ’70s soul . . . John Douglas is surprised the Under-16s on Tuesdays at Colchester Embassy prefer chart disco hits to the Mod/Futurist thing, while on the jazz-funk Sundays there, he and Gary Soul have revived in a big way the Penthouse Orchestra ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy‘ . . . Ronnie Jones ‘Video Games‘ (Polydor 12in) which I still rate highly, has been getting more futurist play than straight disco . . . Barry King, resident with his Wheels of Steel show at Ballymena’s Raglan Lounges in Northern Ireland says Landscape now pulls as many dancers as the local number one, Kelly Marie . . . Alan Coulthard (Barry Atlantic Wine Bar) should note that it was quite accurately observed that Carol Jiani was listed as a gay smash, but it’s a crossover and surely sounds faster than its 122bpm . . . Stephen Robinson (Darlington), that recent futurist splurge was not intended by me to takeover the page to the extent it did, OK? . . . I picked up on ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ rather than conversation heard in ‘Superman II’ during a Mid West small town bar scene . . . Disco 90 and Futurist 40 chart contributors are requested to post their charts early in the hope they’ll reach us by Thursday, (with any info enclosed being published the following week), the address being Record Mirror, 40 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LG . . . Richard Hart (Wells-Next-The-Sea) provides us with this exchange “I say I say did you know that Steve Austin has changed his parts supplier to Ford” – “No, why?” – “Cos Ford parts are easier to get” . . . Boom Boom . . . KEEP IT GOOD!
DAVID BENDETH was born In East London but from high school days on has shuttled backwards and forwards between Canada and London, and more recently New York. In 1979 he was backed by the likes of Lenny White, Billy Cobham and Marcus Miller on his debut solo LP, which spawned his ‘Feel The Real’ hit now re-recorded on his brand new ‘Just Dessert’ album.
On track with Shakatak
“DJs seem to like the name – no one ever says “That was the new single by Shakatak”, they all say “That was the new single by Shak-a-tak.” It’s a good word to get your chops around.”
The words of Bill Sharpe and Roger Odell, two-fifths of another little part of the British jazz-funk uprising, name of Shakatak and recent chart residents with ‘Feels Like The Right Time’ and ‘Living In The UK’. Like their Polydor stablemates Level 42 they’ve been getting famous quietly, preferring to build slowly and surely via those records and a series of successful but spasmodic club gigs. If they’ve gone in your ear already and been made welcome, you’ll want to know that the coming out is imminent, by way of an album and tour.
They’re plenty happy that people are writing about them at all, mispellings or not, for a long time they didn’t think that their music was quite the ticket so far as potential record sales went. Roger recalls the birth of the band. “I was playing in a sort of jazz-rock, jazz-funk band with Bill and Keith Winter (Shakatak guitarists) called Tracks. I was also playing with Nigel and Steve Underwood (Shakatak bass) in another band doing Earth, Wind and Fire material and so on. We did a record ourselves with Tracks, a little 200 copies job, and sold them just at our local gig. Nigel heard it and said we should combine the two bands.”
Bill Sharpe recalls of ‘Steppin’: “I think Radio One refused to play it because of all the gaps in it. It did remarkably well considering it had hardly any radio play, it got to about 76 or something.” Frustrating to get so near to the all-important 75? Seems not. “Being our first record we were pretty pleased that it did so well. “Anyhow the two subsequent singles, which are hard to resist jazz-pop just made for radio have cracked that chart and the big push is coming. Their first album ‘Drivin’ Hard’, recorded in the first two months of this year, is out in May and they’re aiming at a three or four week tour in support of that. They promise some variety and experimentation on the LP, too. “People who’ve just heard our singles will be surprised,” notes Bill Sharpe.
‘Living In The UK’ sounds like an appropriate hit for one of the nation’s new wave of jazz-funkers. Ain’t no half ‘Steppin’.
UK NEWIES
ALPHONSE MOUZON: ‘By All Means’ (Excaliber EXCL 509).
The hottest jazz-funk album import smash of the year now with the hottest two tracks back-to-back on excellent value full length (a combined 22:30) 12in! The star-billed drummer thumps along behind Herbie Hancock’s fluidly sizzling piano, the ‘Seawind Horns’ blistering brass. Lee Ritenour’s guitar rhythm accents and a Freddie Hubbard flugelhorn solo on the 57-113-114 bpm subtly building then hard driving A-side (beat started at the main bass beat or the brass), the ‘Do I Have To?‘ flip being an attractive nagging 98bpm jogger.
FUSE ONE: ‘Grand Prix’ (CTI CTSPX 16).
And yet more excellent jazz-funk 12in value, combining the two hottest tracks from the first of a planned series of Creed Taylor-produced supersession albums. Fuse One comprising here Joe Farrell, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke and Paulinho DaCosta on a bounding electronically pinging and plunking 0-129-126-129-131-130bpm fast jagged throbbing racer, flipped by the possibly more easily accessible catchily tootling 109-110 bpm ‘Double Steal‘ jogger.
BENNY GOLSON: ‘The New Killer Joe Rap / The New Killer Joe’ (LP ‘Bitter Suite’ CBS 22082).
Make no mistake – this is the one that’s going to sell CBS’s (once more) excellent value budget priced double LP of jazz-funk classics! Much sought since it was scarce on import, the jive-talking sleazy 117bpm rap by Ted Lange in Dr Horse ‘Jack That Cat Was Clean’ style leads into a superb sparse bass-pushed 119bpm groove very similar to the original Quincy Jones version. The other great tracks being such recent faves as MFSB ‘Mysteries Of The World’, Ned Doheny ‘To Prove My Love’, Herbie Hancock ‘Just Around The Corner’, Rodney Franklin ‘In The Center’, George Duke ‘Brazilian Love Affair’, Hubert Laws ‘Family’, plus Richard Tee ‘First Love’, Stanley Clarke ‘Together Again’, Phil Upchurch ‘Strawberry Letter 23’, Eric Gale ‘Sara Smile’, Ramsey Lewis ‘You Are The Reason’, Bob James & Earl Klugh ‘Kan’, John Tropea ‘To Touch You Again’ / ‘Lady Blue’, Willie Bobo ‘Palos’, Sadao Watanabe ‘All About Love’, and interestingly the widely overlooked almost futurist synth jiggled thudding 0-110bpm Johnny Harris ‘Odyssey (Part 1)‘. Given a bit more time I might even get around to BPMing the rest one day!
RAY PARKER JR & RAYDIO: ‘Still In The Groove’ (LP ‘A Woman Needs Love’ Arista SPART 1152).
One of my biggest current tracks (Try mixing on into Webster Lewis ‘Kemo-Kimo’), this dynamite 118bpm heavy funk instrumental is appropriately titled as it’s a virtual continuation of ‘For Those Who Like To Groove’, as to an extent also are the vocal grittily bumping 115bpm ‘It’s Your Night‘ and lighter choppy 117bpm ‘You Can’t Fight What You Feel‘, the title track being a pleasant mellow 92/46 bpm swayer already on 7in (ARIST 392) with the dead slow 21/43bpm ‘So Into You’ while ‘All In The Way You Get Down’ is an extremely Heatwave-ish 0-117bpm smooth loper. ‘That Old Story’ an undistinguished 111/56bpm swayer and ‘Old Pro’ a really pretty 44/88 bpm smoocher with future hit prospects.
CHI-LITES: ‘Have You Seen Her’ (20th Century-Fox / Chi-Sound TCD 2481).
At last on now hopefully hit-bound 12in, the Gene Record-sung superb 36bpm 1980 revival of their classic smoocher retains the “and in 1980 still lookin’ for my baby” line just to rub in how long we’ve been waiting!
VARIOUS (ENIGMA): ‘Ain’t No Stopping – Disco Mix 1981’ (Skratch SK 2, via Record Shack).
Shakatak produced 12in “disco mixer” legally uses quite accurate cover versions of the original hit snippets (except their tempos are usefully consistent now so is it in fact a newly recorded medley rather than mixer?), starting and ending at 121bpm with ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’ and mixing up the vintages in between. Despite negative comments from some quarters it’s really very well done and will be a wow at parties.
STAR SOUND: ‘Stars On 45’ (CBS A13-1102).
Anyone who’s got ‘Bits & Pieces III’ will turn up their noses at this Dutch-recorded medley copy of the same (slightly truncated) running order on 124bpm 12in, but for those who haven’t, this legal, decent and honest version will obviously seem attractive – pop crowds in their droves are likely to chart it. This version leaves out the “disco” hits and concentrates on the mainly 1960s pop hits, all linked by a consistent beat.
GENE DUNLAP: ‘Rock Radio’ (Capitol 12CL 16186).
Hard on the heels of ‘Love Dancin’ and flipped again by the Earl Klugh strummed Spanish flavoured 0-112/56-113-118bpm ‘Surest Things Can Change‘ jazz instrumental, this extremely Isley Brothers-ish 0-127-128bpm 12in jerky smacker in hindsight seems much more likely to hit – not least because so many radio DJs still actively prefer it.
LEVEL 42: ‘Sandstorm’ (Elite DAZZ 4).
Flipping the not “commercially” available white label remixed 12in version of Powerline ‘Journey‘, this is a military snaredrum introed vibrantly driving c.126-130-126bpm bass-snapped jazzy instrumental jolter which you’ll probably already have missed by now. Tough!
RUFUS: ‘Tonight We Love’ (MCA MCAT 690).
AWB-ish bass snapped jittery 116bpm 12in blue-eyed guys-sung smacker minus Chaka will probably mix in quite well without being sensational, the ‘Party Till You’re Broke‘ flip being a frenetic 130bpm rattler.
JUNIOR ENGLISH: ‘Keep On Trying’ (Ethnic ETH 1328, via 01 737 4162).
Rather nice bass rumbled sweet 44(intro)-89bpm 12in reggae slowie successfully copies Curtis Mayfield’s squeaky singing style to soulful effect.
EUGENE PAUL: ‘Children Go To School’ (Ensign ENYT 205).
Pink Floyd contradicting “don’t be a dropout” loping 62/124bpm 12in reggae message song sung nicely in Sam Cooke style.
TWINKLE BROTHERS: ‘Africa For The Africans’ (Twinkle NG 643).
Squidgily plodding 62bpm 12in reggae swayer with message chanting rather than lovers rocking.
BERNARD WRIGHT: ‘Just Chillin’ Out’ (Arista ARIST 12-389).
Forget this 3-track 12in as its biggest attraction loses the great ‘Funkin’ For Jamaica’-like intro to clock in at just 118-119-120bpm (as you’ll have noticed I’m still listing it in the chart on the far superior album), leaving the heavy slow 0-95-96-98-100bpm ‘Haboglabotribin‘ P’funk judderer and ultra-jittery complex 110-111-113bpm ‘Spinnin‘ as the other cuts.
TOUCH: ‘It’s Up To You’ (EMI 12EMI 5140).
Chris Palmer co-produced enthusiastically unpolished young British group reminiscent of Mirage on an acappella rattling introed and interrupted fast bouncy 130bpm 12in bounder spiked briefly by a blazing too-short sax break but mainly merely chanted in rather dated style.
INCH BY INCH: “If It’s Magic (We Don’t Want It)’ (Blue Of London BOL 001).
Amateurishly recorded guys-sung basic 117-116-118-120bpm 12in plodding bumbler with swimming bass tightening up a bit by the acappella end.
THE BOHANA MOUSE BAND: ‘F’ (Circus CIRC 0001).
Bristol-based label bows in with an untidily rushed 123bpm 12in stab at a soprano sax instrumental supposedly intended to sound like jazz-funk.
CECIL PARKER: ‘What It Is’ (EMI 12EMI 5139).
Fairly uninteresting jiggly little 112bpm 12in thudder only showing up due to mailing list jocks.
BILL SUMMERS & SUMMERS HEAT: ‘Call It What You Want’ (MCA MCAT 689).
Uninspired 121bpm 12in staccato bumper with precise bass lines and little else. Flipped by the 122bpm ‘Jammin‘ which similarly sank rapidly without trace on import.
JASON BLACK: ‘I’m Walking Alone’ (Beggars Banquet BEG 53).
Interestingly accurate impersonation of Al Green on a typical (for him) 112bpm 7in slinky jogger. Most interesting because it’s so unexpected.
IMPORTS
DAVE PIKE: ‘Swan Lake’ (LP ‘Let The Minstrels Play On’ US Muse MR 5203).
Recorded exactly three years ago and released last year. The jazz vibist’s Brazilian influenced set’s belated big discovery is this lazily jiggling guitar-backed 0-110-112-113-112-0bpm instrumental reinterpretation of the not particularly recognisable Tchaikovsky ballet tune. Here given a sorta subdued Roy Ayers-type treatment after a long dead slow music box intro, while the bouncy chick-scatted then hard driving c.124-127-125bpm ‘Spirit’s Samba‘ packs a specialist punch.
NOBUO YAGI: ‘MiMi Africa’ (LP ‘Mi Mi Africa’ Japanese Invitation VIH-6060).
Originally played to me by John Grant and subsequently discovered by specialist jocks down south but only just offered to me at a price I couldn’t refuse, this somewhat ‘Shoestring’ / Stevie Wonder-ish harmonica instrumental is preceded by a freaky sound effects long tapping intro that crescendos before dropping into a different bass build-up to the slightly stop-start powering 0-56(intro)-113-115-56/113-116-115-116-117bpm big brass and strings arrangement, other Japanese-titled tracks by the slant-eyed mouth-harpist being pleasant doodling slowies.
JACK McDUFF: ‘Nasty’ (LP ‘Kisses’ US Sugarhill SH247).
Veteran organist returns on various keyboards in a widely welcomed specialist jazz set, this being an infectiously cooking subtle 97-98-99bpm jogger with bubbling piano tones. ‘Primavera‘ an attractive smoochy slow 94/47-95-94bpm swayer with Joe Farrell soprano sax. ‘Say Sumpin’ Nice‘ a George Benson co-penned torpid 91-93bpm jolter. ‘Tunisian Affair’ an atmospheric tense 0-96-95bpm patterer, ‘Night Fantasies’ a slow 38/77bpm doodler, while the 0-88-87bpm title track is similar to Webster Lewis’s old ‘Emotion’.
MANTRA: ‘Doin’ It To The Bone’ (LP ‘Mantra’ US Casablanca NBLP 7256).
A fairly amateurish-sounding outfit with a functional jittery steady sparse thunking 114bpm heavy funk smacker that nevertheless works well enough without causing a stampede. Other less strong cuts being the derivative jerky 119bpm ‘Action‘ and slow heavy jolting 84bpm ‘Boogie Just To Boogie‘.
PASSAGE: ‘Power’ (LP ‘Passage’ US A&M SP-4851).
Brother Louis Johnson with Valerie Johnson and Richard Heath leads a religiously worded pleasant listening set, this bass-popped cool ‘Stomp’-style 119(intro)-121-120-121bpm pusher being the only real dancer which works best when mixed well out of something similar.
BERT LIGON: ‘Saturday’ (LP ‘Condor’ US Inner City IC 1107).
Quite strong sounding jauntily clopping sax-squealed comes-and-goes 116-115bpm jazz instrumental. Bert being an electronic keyboardist and a bit more to the fore on the bumper 117bpm ‘The Unicorn’.
VARIOUS: ‘Manhattan No.1’ (US Disco Sampler SW57).
Green vinyl pressed purportedly in the US but British looking and sounding. This 12in “special” disco mixer begins not very usefully at 121bpm with Lipps Inc ‘How Long’ before finally reaching such as ‘Just A Groove’, ‘Celebration’, ‘Love Festival’, ‘Rapp Payback’. None of the mix being anything special at all, ending with ‘Masterblaster’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Jammin’ at 128bpm. For avid collectors only.
GRACE JONES: ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ (US Island IS49697).
Infectious bumpily jolting tight little 109-110bpm 7in chugger just like a re-write of ‘The Bottle’ with traffic noise, from her upcoming new ‘Nightclubbing’ album.
FLAKES: ‘Take It To The Max’ (US Salsoul SG545).
Violently smacking 131bpm 12in strutter, rather too messily energetic.
ZINGARA: ‘Love’s Calling’ (US Wheel WH 2001).
Lamont Dozier-prod/penned lovely swaying 35/71bpm 12in deep soul smoocher sung by an agonised guy getting Greg Edwards plugs, the strings swamped cooing 119-118-119bpm ‘Getting Down‘ flip being almost MoR in Mike Sammes Singers style!
UK Disco Top 90 – April 4, 1981
01 03 It’s A Love Thing – Whispers – Solar 12”
02 01 Freeez – Southern Freeez / Version – Beggars Banquet 12”
03 05 Kleeer – Get Tough / De Kleeer Ting / Sippin’ & Kissin’ – US Atlantic LP
04 02 Sharon Redd – Can You Handle It – Epic 12”
05 04 Beggar & Co – (Somebody) Help Me Out – Ensign 12”
06 06 Jacksons – Can You Feel It / Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) – Epic 12”
07 08 Linx – Intuition / Together We Can Shine – Chrysalis 12”
08 07 Sister Sledge – All American Girls – Atlantic 12”
09 10 Firefly – Love (Is Gonna Be On Your Side) – Excaliber 12”
10 11 Alphonze Mouzon – By All Means / Do I Have To? – US PAUSA/German Metronome LP
11 24 Light Of The World – Time – Mercury 12”
12 30 Heatwave – Jitterbuggin’ / Wack That Axe – GTO 12”
13 12 Ray Carless – Tarantula Walk – Ensign 12”
14 23 Shalamar – Make That Move – Solar 12”
15 16 Harry Thumann – Underwater – Decca 12”
16 18 Kool & The Gang – Jones Vs Jones – De-Lite 12”
17 17 Bernard Wright – Bread Sandwiches / Just Chillin’ Out / Master Rocker / Firebolt Hustle – US Arista GRP LP
18 13 K.I.D. – Don’t Stop / Do It Again – Groove/EMI 12”
19 22 Shakatak – Living In The UK – Polydor 12”
20 25 Leprechaun – Loc-It-Up – US Citation 12”
21 14 Rah Band – Slide – DJM 12”
22 19 Lakeside – Fantastic Voyage – Solar 12”
23 26 Mystic Touch – Get Yourself Together – Champagne 12”
24 09 Gap Band – Burn Rubber On Me – Mercury 12”
25 21 Second Image – Dance Dance Dance / The Jazzy Dancer – Polydor 12”
26 20 T.S. Monk – Bon Bon Vie – Mirage 12”
27 15 Yarbrough & Peoples – Don’t Stop The Music – Mercury 12”
28 38 Dynasty – Groove Control – Solar 12”
29 35 Stevie Wonder – Lately – Motown
30 36 Scratsch Band – Your Place Or Mine? (Instrumental) – Groove/EMI 12”
31 50 Strikers – Body Music – US Prelude 12”
32 41 Marvin Gaye – Praise / Funk Me – Motown 12”
33 64 Level 42 – Love Games – Polydor 12”
34 45 Free Expression – Chill-Out! – Vanguard 12”
35 29 Manu Dibango – Goro City / Happy Feeling – Island 12”
36 33 Gene Dunlap – Love Dancin’ / It’s Just The Way I Feel – Capitol 12”
37 NE Landscape – Einstein A Go-Go – RCA 12”
38 56 Carol Jiani – Nit ‘N’ Run Lover – Canadian Matra 12”
39 87 Webster Lewis – Kemo-Kimo / El Bobo / Let Me Be The One / Flying High / ‘Bout The Love / You Are My Life – US Epic LP
40 53 Jerry Knight – Perfect Fit – A&M/US LP
41 40 Earth Wind & Fire – And Love Goes On – CBS 12”
42 48 Arni Egilsson – Howduz Disco? – US Inner City LP
43 28 Young & Company – Strut Your Stuff (Sexy Lady) – Excaliber 12”
44 39 Whispers – Imagination / I Can Make It Better / Continental Shuffle / Up On Soul Train – Solar LP
45 47 Sylvia Striplin – Give Me Your Love – Champagne 12”
46 46 Spectrum – Taking It To The Top – Smokey 12”
47 49 Freeez – Flying High / Remix – Beggars Banquet 12”
48 31 T.S. Monk – Candidate For Love – Mirage LP
49 55 Shock – Angel Face – RCA 12”
50 NE Gap Band – Humpin’ – Mercury 12”
51 66 Sugar Minott – Good Thing Going – RCA 12”
52 NE Isley Brothers – Tonight Is The Night – Epic
53 60 Fuse One – Grand Prix / Double Steal – CTI 12”
54 54 Adrian Baker – High Time – Polo 12”
55 72 Champaign – How ‘Bout Us – CBS
56 44 Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson – The Bottle – Vintage Champagne 12”
57 78 Mel Sheppard – Can I Take You Home – US TSOB 12”
58 43 Breakfast Band – L.A.14 – Disc Empire 12”
59 61 Johnny Bristol – Love No Longer Has A Hold On Me (Remix) – Ariola Hansa
60 65 Unlimited Touch – Searching To Find The One / Happy Ever After – US Prelude LP
61 NE Incognito – Shine On / Sunburn / Incognito / Chase The Clouds Away / Interference – Ensign LP promo
62 37 Joe Sample – Burnin’ Up The Carnival – MCA 12”/LP
63 68 Frankie Valli – Soul – MCA 12”
64 89 Quincy Jones – Ai No Corrida – A&M 12”
65 NE Quincy Jones – Razzamatazz / The Dude / Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me – US A&M LP
66 NE Spandau Ballet – Glow / Muscle Bound – Reformation 12”
67 83 Atlantic Starr – When Love Calls – US A&M/LP
68 NE Dave Pike – Swan Lake / Spirit’s Samba – US Muse LP
69 82 Cold Fire – Daydreamin’ / Whispering – US Capitol LP
70 52 Not James Player – Friends Again / Can We Still Be Friends – Ultimate 12”
71 63 Alicia Myers – Spirit Of The Boogie / Don’t Stop What You’re Doin’ / I Want To Thank You – US MCA LP
72 NE General Caine II – L.R.J. Pop / Jungle Music / Shake / Get Down Attack – US Groove Time LP
73 58 Rudy Grant – Lately – Ensign 12”
74 57 Isley Brothers – Young Girls / Party Night / I Once Had Your Love / Don’t Let Up – US T-Neck LP
75 59 Blackbyrds – Don’t Know What To Say / Rock Creek Park – Fantasy 12”
76 80 Tantra – Hills Of Katmandu / Wishbone – US Import/12” LP
77 67 Various – Bits & Pieces III – Canadian Special Disco Mixer 12”
78 79 Sun – Jammin’ In Brazil / Reaction Satisfaction / This Is What You Wanted – US Capitol LP
79 49 Freeez – Mariposa (Butterfly) / Sunset / Caribbean Winter – Beggars Banquet LP
80 76 Spandau Ballet – The Freeze – Reformation 12”
81 62 Marvin Gaye – Heavy Love Affair / Love Party – Motown LP
82 75 Sister Sledge – If You Really Want Me / Music Makes Me Feel Good / Ooh You Caught My Heart / Make A Move – Atlantic LP
83 70 George Benson – What’s On Your Mind / Turn Out The Lamplight – Warner Bros 12”
84 NE Powerline / Level 42 – Journey (Remix) / Sandstorm – Elite 12” White Label
85 74 Azoto – San Salvador – Dutch Rams Horn 12”
86 90 Frank Hooker & Positive People – Ooh Suga Wooga / This Feelin’ (Remix) – US Panorama LP/12”
87 NE Wizzdom – Free Bass – US TK 12”
88 RE Inversions – Mr Mac / Passport – Groove Production 12”
89 72 Champaign – Can You Find The Time – US Columbia LP
90 NE Bliss – Fun – US Rap City 12”
BREAKERS
BUBBLING UNDER the UK Disco 90 with increased support are:
Congress: ‘That’s Jazz’ (Congress Productions 12in)
Harris Simon Group: ‘Wind Chant’ (Japanese Overseas LP)
Michael McGloiry: ‘Won’t You Let Me Be The One (Version Two)’ (US Airwave 12in)
Jermaine: ‘It’s Mine And You Don’t Own It’ (DJM 12in)
Kool & The Gang: ‘Love Festival’ / ‘Take It To The Top’ (De-Lite LP)
Kat Mandu: ‘The Break (Remix)’ (Canadian Unidisc 12in)
Jones Girls: ‘At Peace With Woman’ / ‘When I’m Gone’ (Phil Int)
Various: ‘Break Down’ (US Alto Nostalcia 12in)
Rufus: ‘Tonight We Love’ (MCA 12in)
Tata Vega: ‘Love Your Neighbour’ / ‘Givin’ All My Love’ (Motown LP)
Bill Summers: ‘Call It What You Want’ (MCA 12in)
Jack McDuff: ‘Primavera’ / ‘Nasty’ / ‘Say Sumpin’ Nice’ (US Sugarhill LP)
Starpoint: ‘Keep On It’ / ‘I Just Want To Be Your Lover’ (US Chocolate City LP)
Cecil Parker: ‘What It Is’ (EMI 12in)
Stars On 45: ‘Stars On 45’ (‘Bits & Pieces III’) (Dutch CNR 12in)
Noel Pointer: ‘Brookline’ (US Liberty LP)
Harlow: ‘Take Off’ (US GRAF LP)
Gene Dunlap: ‘Rock Radio’ (Capitol 12in)
Kid Creole & The Coconuts Present Coati Mundi: ‘Que Pasa/Me No Pop I’ (US Antilles 12in)
Dayton: ‘Eyes On You’ (US UA LP)
ConFunkShun: ‘Lady’s Wild’ (US Mercury 12in promo)
David Bendeth: ‘Feel The Real (Again)’ / ‘Risque Rock’ (Ensign LP)
Victor Romero Evans: ‘At The Club’ / The Detonators ‘Lift Off’ (Special Request 12in)
Victor Feldman: ‘Skippin’ / ‘In My Pocket’ (US Cohearent Sound LP)
One Way: ‘Push’ / ‘I Didn’t Mean To Break Your Heart’ (US MCA LP)
Denise LaSalle: ‘I’m Trippin’ On You’ / ‘Sharing Your Love’ (US MCA LP)
Joe Bataan: ‘La Botella’ (Epic)
Jason Black: ‘I’m Walking Alone’ (Beggars Banquet)
Mantra: ‘Doin’ It To The Bone’ (US Casablanca LP)
New York Skyy: ‘Superlove’ (Excaliber 12”)
DORC (Disco Featured Pop Hits)
1(4) Shakin’ Stevens, 2(1) Roxy Music, 3(2) Adam ‘Kings’, 4(9) Visage ‘Toy’, 5(6) Talking Heads, 6(5) Coast To Coast, 7(7) Kiki Dee, 8(16) Kim Wilde, 9(8) Kelly Marie, 10(10) Adam ‘Antmusic’, 11(13) Phil Collins, 12(14) Ultravox, 13(15) Visage ‘Fade’, 14(-) Duran Duran, 15(11) Yoko Ono, 16(19) Madness, 17(-) Who, 18(12) Stray Cats, 19(-) Teardrop Explodes, 20(26) Joe Dolce, 21(-) Nolans, 22(22) Eddie Rabbitt, 23(28) Rainbow, 24(20) Jam, 25(17) Sheena Easton, 26(30) Ultravox ‘Mr. X’, 27(-) Status Quo, 28(24) Classix Nouveaux, 29(-) Toyah, 30(23) John Lennon ‘Woman’.
ELECTRO DISCO
1 3 Mind Of A Toy / Frequency 7 / We Move – Visage – Polydor 12”
2 4 Einstein A Go Go / Japan – Landscape RCA 12in
3 1 Planet Earth / Late Bar – Duran Duran – EMI 12” promo
4 2 Angel Face / R.E.R.B. – Shock – MCA 12”
5 5 Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads – Sire 12”
6 NE Glow / Muscle Bound – Spandau Ballet – Reformation 12”
7 7 The Freeze – Spandau Ballet – Reformation 12”
8 17 Guilty / The Robots Dance – Classix Nouveaux – Liberty 12”
9 9 Fuel To The Fire / Debris – Music For Pleasure – Rage
10 13 I Travel / Celebrate / Changeling – Simple Minds – Arista 12”
11 19 Reformation / Age Of Blows – Spandau Ballet – Reformation LP
12 NE Reward – Teardrop Explodes – Vertigo
13 12 Dreaming Of Me – Depeche Mode – Mute
14 23 Tar / Moon Over Moscow / Blocks On Blocks / Visage / Visa-Age – Visage – Polydor LP
15 NE (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thing – Heaven 17 – Virgin 12”
16 6 Vienna / Herr X / Passionate Reply – Ultravox – Chrysalis 12”
17 14 Don’t Don’t / Beginning Of The Heartbreak – Love Of Life Orchestra – Beggars Banquet 12in
18 NE Remembrance Day – B-Movie – Dream 12”
19 15 Euthenics – Modern Eon – DinDisc
20 24 19th Nervous Breakdown – Nash The Slash – DinDisc
21 30 Life In Tokyo – Japan – Ariola 12in
22 8 Fade To Grey – Visage – Polydor 12”
23 10 Luxury – New Musik – GTO
24 21 The Model – Kraftwerk – Capitol LP
25 NE Memorabilia – Soft Cell – Some Bizarre 12in
26 NE A Crow And A Baby – Human League – Virgin LP
27 NE A Kick In The Eye – Bauhaus – Beggars Banquet 12in
28 16 She’s Lost Control / Atmosphere – Joy Division – Factory 12”
29 NE Ceremony – New Order – Factory
30 NE Photographic – Depeche Mode – Some Bizarre LP
31 22 Boys And Girls – Human League – Virgin
32 NE Disco Rough – Mathematiques Modernes – Dorian 12in
33 NE Yellow Pearl – Philip Lynott – Vertigo 12in
34 NE New Toy – Lene Lovich – Stiff 12in
35 29 Warm Leatherette – The Normal – Mute
36 25 Demolition Man – Grace Jones – Island 12in
37 NE Shack Up – A Certain Ratio – Factory 12in
38 27 Underwater – Harry Thumann – Decca 12in
39 18 Dead Man’s Curve – Nash The Slash – DinDisc
40 NE The Jezebel Spirit – Brian Eno/David Byrne – EG LP
BREAKERS INCLUDE Ultravox ‘Quiet Men’ / ‘Slow Motion’ (Island), Burundi Black ‘Burundi Black’ (Barclay 12in), David Bowie ‘Up The Hill Backwards’ (RCA), Giorgio Moroder ‘Chase’ (Casablanca 12in), Science ‘Tokyo’ (Rialto).
Yup, we’re getting so many “Futurist” Charts from DJs now that this listing can easily warrant being stretched to a Top 40. However, the field is still wide open with a huge range of records being mentioned and it would help us a lot if chart contributors could list labels and LP titles as well as the relevant track titles because sometimes it can get pretty confusing. Also it might be interesting to see what the oldies are that you’re playing . . . in fact, in London it’s becoming a joke now that whenever a soul DJ does an oldies set he gets accused of going futurist! It must be said to judge from some of the supposedly futurist charts that have come in there is a tendency for certain jocks to think (at least this is what it looks like). “Ooh, I’ve got a bunch of chart records / I’m on Rush Release’s mailing list, so I’m a futurist DJ too!” It ain’t what you play, it’s the way how you play it that matters. Hmm, ‘Sundown A No Go’, huh?!
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