ODDS ‘N’ BODS
SECOND IMAGE, reviewed last week, was incorrectly titled on white label and should in full be called ‘(Get Your Finger Out) Pinpoint The Feeling’ . . . Solar Records, despite RCA’s earlier protestations to the contrary, have indeed announced a distribution switch to WEA (as tipped on this page many months ago) . . . Holland’s enterprising Rams Horn label already has Bobby Thurston ‘Is Something Wrong With You’ on 12in, although CBS have scheduled it here soon too . . . Jacksons follow up with ‘Walk Right Now’ and Heatwave with ‘Posin’ Til Closin’ . . . Vin-Zee and Jimmy Ross releases from the Belgian-based Spice 7 label, slow to chart though selling well, will be issued back-to-back here via Phonogram on the new Megafunk logo . . . Nigel Martinez turns out to have had a hand in the Evasions ‘Wlkka Rap’ — no wonder it’s great! . . . Klique’s LP (reviewed last week) although fine for home listening somehow sounds rather weak on the floor and will need a remix to cut through . . . BPMs for Freddie James, subsequently bought after reviewing it on a dodgy deck, should be ‘Music’ 126, ‘Lady’ 113-115-116, ‘Everybody’ 120-121-120, ‘Energy’ 114-115, ‘Fool’ 123, ‘In Love’ 108-107-0 (‘Dance’ being right at 114) . . . London’s Sundown in Charing Cross Road remains open during alterations but will reopen in a fortnight as another Busby’s . . . Chigwell’s verdantly situated New Epping Forest Country Club has started a jazz-funk club every Monday called Rappers, opened earlier this week by Froggy (who’ll be there again June 8th), with a PA by Incognito next Monday (25) . . . John Grant is now concentrating solely on Manchester’s Rufus in Fennel Street, where he and Colin Curtis feature upfront jazz-funk newies on Saturdays (soon on Wednesdays too) and a mixture of UK on Fridays . . . Keith Barker-Main (Earls Court Graffiti), one of the lucky few with Abba’s Disconet remix, emphasises that despite mixing in a lot of ’70s NY classics he does indeed play current Canadian, Euro and US material . . . Ashley Woods (Sleaford) agrees he needs the bread — to help finance a new BMW 320! — but is only selling duplicates from his extensive record collection and so is keeping all the vital sounds in one form or another . . . Mike Morgan (0245-440 277), looking for a new residency after two years at Chelmsford YMCA, says it does indeed pay to send charts to this page and he encourages more DJs to do so . . . I obviously agree, and could use more returns especially as many from the London area as possible (posted no later than Monday for inclusion in the following week) to James Hamilton, Record Mirror, 40 Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT . . . North East Essex DJ Association is successfully operating a centralised disco pool, to which member DJs direct callers instead of turning down double bookings . . . Frenchie & Pete Haigh (Blackpool JR’s on Tuesdays) run another boat cruise in the Lake District starring Colin Curtis on July 18th . . . Nick Davies has half-price drinks on Sundays between 7.30 and 9.30pm at Watford New Penny, making it cheaper than the pubs (for two hours at any rate!) . . . Robin the Boy Wonder, or young Jeff Elkins as his tax man knows him, is finally being dragged to the altar by Ann this Saturday! . . . Leon Bryant evidently had his grounding in gospel music, working with the Mighty Clouds Of Joy and the Edwin & Walter Hawkins Singers . . . Carol Rayment, moving from mafia-invaded Brighton to university in Bristol later this year, wonders where she’ll find the jazz-funk action there: well, Carol, we used to hear from Bristol’s jazz-funk jocks rather more in the past than we do now, but I’m sure Martin Starr will be onto me like a shot with the answer . . . Robbie Vincent hates it but once again, good old ‘Disco Bouzouki’ (mixed out of ‘Zorba’s Dance’) was what really made an MoR gig lift off for me last weekend . . . Shakin’ Stevens ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ at 122bpm has even more than a strong similarity to Rocky Burnett’s old ‘Tired Of Toein’ The Line’ — which turns out to be 123-122bpm! . . . Alan Donald (Rothesay Paddle Boat), for one, appreciates the Hit Numbers, and says that Elvis Presley ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ gets (none too surprisingly) amazing response chopped out of any Stray Cats-type current “rockabilly” stuff, especially Polecats ‘John’ after one of the guitar runs . . . Alan Coulthard (Barry Atlantic Wine Bar) finds Gino Soccio ‘Street Talk’ mixes brilliantly with ‘Einstein A Go-Go’, and has revived K.I.D. ‘Don’t Stop’ as it’s similarly brill out of the twiddly bits in Unlimited Touch ‘Searching’ remix and also synchs perfectly for ages with Gino Soccio ‘Try It Out’ . . . Silly not to? . . . HI DE HI!
RICK JAMES has his ‘Street Songs’ album out here now (Motown STML 12153). Reviewed in full on import, the cuts other than ‘Give It To Me Baby’ getting most attention are the superbly soulful Teena Marie-interrupted tortuously slow 55-42/21-45-43-44-45/22bpm ‘Fire And Desire’ and steadily smacking 117bpm ‘Ghetto Life’, the whole album though being a well-produced concept set.
UK NEWIES
THELMA HOUSTON: ‘If You Feel It’ (RCA RCAT 77).
Already deservedly monstrous on import and right in the mood at the moment, this ultra-mixable disco gem is a really solid simple hard driving bass-popped 119(intro)-120bpm 12in jiggly jumper sounding much as one might expect ‘Get Tough’ to, if played by Fantasy Hits. It’s perfect with Kleeer itself, Rick James, Whispers (old and new), Mel Sheppard oh, and so many more. Don’t worry though, ‘cos it’s a floor-filler in its own right — and how!
ODYSSEY: ‘Going Back To My Roots’ (RCA RCAT 85).
Already voted People’s Choice on Capital Radio and tearing up every club it’s been played in, this powerfully thrusting jiggly purposeful 0-181bpm 12in chugger has a fabulous full sound yet usefully stays close to Lamont Dozier’s 107(instrumental)-108-110-111-(0-107 Afro)bpm original, which can be imperceptibly mixed in and out of it. The flip’s full ‘Roots Suite‘ includes stop-start jazzy Afro extensions on either end.
L.A.X.: ‘Possessed’ (Epic EPC A 13-1103).
Reduced to 3 tracks, the UK 12in blows its chances by opting for the remixed 106-107-105(piano)-107-106bpm vocal version of this shuffling tense jittery jogger as the full A-side and then instead of using the dynamite instrumental remix with even more of the erupting jazzily plonking piano (the record’s whole attraction), it teams the original LP version with the remixed rambling butchly hollered 118bpm ‘Fight Back‘ as the flip.
EASTSIDE CONNECTION: ‘You’re So Right For Me’ (Excaliber EXCL 101).
Originally huge in early ’78 on import multicoloured vinyl Rampart 12in and subsequently a small hit here on Creole, this chix ‘n’ chaps chanted busily pattering and rattling 123(intro)-121-122(break)-123-121bpm skipper was initially re-broken by Chris Hill and then re-established by all at Caister, and is now flipped on “DJ Purposes Only” 12in by the version released here by Miracle of the Penthouse-originated LOVE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy‘, also recently revived, a repetitive chix-chanted fast slightly Latin 125-126-127(end of vocal)-127-125(start of bass)-126-127bpm skittery jumper from ’79.
KOOL & THE GANG: ‘Celebremos’ (De-Lite DEX 2).
Extremely useful as an alternative for those who find it unhip to play the original now, this Spanish-sung 121-123-122-123bpm version of ‘Celebration’ is officially flip to the bland vocal-orientated ‘Take It To The Top‘ 119bpm 12in thudder, which is nowhere near as interesting or exciting but may sound nice on radio.
LEON BRYANT: ‘Just The Way You Like It’ (De-Lite DEX3).
Pleasant enough hoarsely souled jolting 112bpm 12in languid thudder with nice harmonica and bragging “all night long I’ll keep you coming” lyrics (“coming back for more” being the cop-out continuation!), but many will prefer the great instrumental ‘Something More‘ B-side, a lovely jazz solo-filled 102-104-0bpm ‘Rise’-ish piano swayer.
EDIT POINT: ‘Bright Side’ (EMCL PV 102T).
Rather nice well played jazzy bass-shaped chunky 0-120-124-0bpm 12in jolter (at 33 1/3rpm) with good solos and a haunting keyboard refrain, in vocal and instrumental versions.
PIG BAG: ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Pig Bag’ (Y Y10. via Rough Trade).
Dynamite off the wall tongue in cheek but musically excellent brassily screeching, braying and squealing drums-rattled 136-139-0bpm 7in instrumental galloper currently wowing hip futurists but due soon for a 12in remix. They’re doing a ballet next — ‘Pig Lake’!
MICHAEL McGLOIRY: ‘Won’t You Let Me Be The One’ (Record Shack 12 SHACK 2).
Zingily rattling fast pounding dated 127bpm 12in gay galloper, well enough made in kinda vocal Harry Thumann style, the flip’s cooler ‘Version Two’ being hotter when initially warm on import a few weeks back. Jazz-funk it ain’t, by any stretch of the imagination! Doubtless you’ll be reading how well it’s selling somewhere soon.
ROLLING STONES: ‘If I Was A Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)’ (LP ‘Sucking In The Seventies’ EMI CUNS 39112).
Previously unreleased, this jittering jerky 108-109bpm Stones strut just happens to be a dynamite mix with ‘Rapture’ while the slightly fluctuating 101bpm ‘Hot Stuff‘ oldie is sensational with ‘Muscle Bound’!
IGGY POP: ‘Bang Bang’ (Arista ARIST 407).
Thwacking drum’s-driven spoken/sung 149-148bpm 7in (not any song you’ve known before), usefully the same feel and BPM as ‘Is Vic There?’!
BILLY PRESTON: ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ (Motown TMG 1231).
Great gospel drenched 22-44-43-0bpm 7in deep soul treatment of Sam Cooke’s inspirational anthem.
BARBARA MASON: ‘Yes I’m Ready’ (WMOT 103).
Gorgeous smoochy 25bpm 7in re-recording of her 1965 US smash, from the similarly lovely slow ‘Piece Of My Life’ LP now also out here (WMLP 5002), a must for veteran deep soul freaks.
A TASTE OF HONEY: ‘Sukiyaki’ (Capitol CL 16194).
George Duke-produced exquisitely pretty tinklingly “‘Oriental” (though now English-sung) 0-34-0bpm 7in US hit revival of Kyu Sakamoto’s 1963 Japanese oldie.
IMPORTS
CERRONE: ‘Hooked On You’ (LP ‘Cerrone VII — You Are The One’ Canadian Black Sun ULP 20).
The monolithic Euro-drummer departs somewhat from his past style in a much praised set on which the Jocelyn Brown-led girlie group vocals have also been criticized as detracting from the instrumental sound, this steadily pushing 108bpm tripping jittery bumper being dominated by an unexpected and excellent jazzy piano…It also coincidentally is a killer synching mix with ‘Going Back To My Roots’! Of the other more traditionally gay “disco”-orientated tracks, ‘Took Me So Long‘ is a good zingy romping 128bpm galloper, the title cut a buoyantly chugging tuneful skittery 125bpm smacker, ‘Cherry Tree‘ a frantic ‘I’m A Man’-style 128bpm rattler, ‘Some One To Love‘ a Change ‘Searching’-ish fast 133bpm churner and ‘My Look‘ a dated 127bpm pounder.
SCANDAL featuring LEE GENESIS: ‘I Wanna Do It’ (US SAM S-12338).
Right back in the basic original Al Hudson / Leon Haywood / ‘Ladies Night’ mould but a bit slower than any of ’em, this sleazily rolling chunky 105bpm 12in bass bumbled funky bumper will revive many happy memories but more importantly sounds great today and is already working well.
THE STRIKERS: ‘Body Music’ (Dutch Rams Horn RAMSH 12-3024).
Nicely timed to clash with CBS’s final release here of the original, this ludicrously long nearly 15 minute (but single sided) 12in remix of the jittery monotonous groove is a combination of first the instrumental and then the vocal versions, seemingly going into automatic repeat for a lifetime at 0-123-125-124-123-125(end of instrumental)-124-125 (“rock rock”)-124(“huh huh”)-125(bass)-123-124-125bpm, all of which makes it great for mixers (try with Mystic Merlin!) if not at full stretch for dancers.
ALTON McCLAIN & DESTINY: ‘My Destiny’ (LP ‘Gonna Tell The World’ US Polydor PD-1-6320).
Skip Scarborough-produced superstar-backed shrill girlie group set, this being a bass-bumped sweet jiggly little 113 (intro)-114-115bpm swayer, ‘Love Notes‘ a quaveringly wailed steadily thudding 118-119bpm buoyant chugger, ‘Making Room For Love’ a 35bpm smoocher, ‘Simple Things‘ a rolling 107/53bpm jogger, and ‘We’re Gonna Make It‘ an EWF-ish fast 128bpm strutter.
DONNA WASHINGTON: ‘Scuse Me, While I Fall In Love’ (LP ‘Going For The Glow’ US Capital ST-12147).
Nice low key “scuse me please” start to a then ballsy pent-up powerfully wailed jittering 52/104(intro)-106-107bpm jogger, best of a somewhat overwrought set.
CHERYL LYNN: ‘Shake It Up Tonight’ (US Columbia 43-02103).
Slightly bland creamily tripping intro gets more tense once Cheryl starts wailing with some jittering undertow on acappella-ending 121bpm 12in rolling clomper, which doesn’t sound very 1981, the ‘Baby‘ B-side being a heavy slow jolting 95bpm funker co-penned by both sides producer Ray Parker Jr.
LJ REYNOLDS: ‘Lonely Superstar’ (LP ‘LJ Reynolds’ US Capital ST-12127).
Jazzy squealing sax starts and punctuates this soulfully sung rolling slow purposeful 78bpm jogger, the most likely bet on an otherwise dated Don Davis-produced soul set.
RAISING THE LEVEL – Level 42 No Longer Wight Funks On Hope
THE ISLE of Wight has never really been recognised as one of the great musical capitals of the world. But last month as Level 42 cruised into the Top 40 with the wholly superior ‘Love Games‘ soul shuffle, it was time for their homeland to be proud of them. The fair island raised three of the band as its own, and now they’re no longer just Wight funks on hope, they’ve made it.
Drummer Phil and guitarist/saxist Boon had a bit of a head start; they’re brothers. Gould’s the surname, and they met up with bassman and singer Mark King, just leaving Mike Lindup, now adorning the keyboards, to make up the quartet who’ve made it to Level 42.
The ties go back quite a long way but the records don’t; ‘Love Games’ is only the band’s third single on Polydor. All of us who’d heard and cared about the previous two knew that this had to be the one.
Phil Gould: “The first two singles did OK, the first one (‘Love Meeting Love’, which should have been the late summer smoocher of 1980) got to 61 and then went out, the second one (‘Wings Of Love’) got to 76 and then went out. They got the buzz going, they got the name going but it was important that this single did well.”
As other people have told them, though, ‘Love Games’ is a grower. And it’s produced by Mike Vernon, only the guy who produced the early Fleetwood Mac on ‘Man Of The World’, ‘Albatross’ and the like.
The most straightforward and tempting thing to do is to class Level 42 as another part of the Britfunk wave. But Phil Gould, at least, has very different views about the current surge.
“It’s served its purpose but I’m very wary of nationalism in anything, and maybe it’s time to stop it. It got a scene going, it got people interested in home-grown things, but what’s the point in competing? Bands have a certain sound of their own, not British or American, just whatever sound they’ve got. It seems to me the whole scene was people getting their own back on the States after all these years. There really shouldn’t be any categories like that at all.”
BRITFUNK or not, Level 42 claim and display influences from all over the musical place. In the summer of 1978 Phil Gould combined studies that earned him a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, with a bit of moonlighting for M, and he was around when ‘Pop Muzik’ popped along in 1979. Brother Boon and Mark King, meanwhile, were bounty-hunting in America. They teamed with Phil and Mike Lindup, who’d met Phil while studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama some years before.
By January 1980 the band was rehearsing to be big, a cause helped on its way when Andy Sojka, who owned a local Indie called Elite Records, saw them in rehearsal and gave them all dotted lines to sign on.
Phil Gould has the details: “We did an album for Elite, Andy Sojka leased the first two singles to Polydor, and they leased them back to him so that he could put them on an album. There’s no commitment left to Andy now. His album will probably come out at the end of May. The band isn’t really like that any more. It’s a shame that it couldn’t have come out earlier. It will seem to the public that the albums are coming out together. The other one’s a year old.”
The band are, as you read this, recording their “new” album with Mike Vernon, due in July and including ‘Love Games’ but, for the reasons mentioned, not the previous couple.
At this stage, a surfeit of product can only be a good thing and Boon Gould isn’t worried: “I don’t think people will get it wrong, they’ll know which is the new one.” No hard feelings towards Andy Sojka either, merely a desire forwards and not backwards.
They’ve certainly got the hang of that. Level 42 know a good deal more than just the three-chord trick. 42’s Top 40 Funk is entirely upper-class.
UK Disco Top 90 – May 23, 1981
01 01 It’s A Love Thing – Whispers – Solar 12”
02 02 Sugar Minott – Good Thing Going – RCA 12”
03 07 Jacksons – Can You Feel It – Epic 12”
04 06 Shalamar – Make That Move – Solar 12”
05 05 Linx – Intuition – Chrysalis 12”
06 12 Rick James – Give It To Me Baby – Motown 12”/US promo remix
07 03 Freeez – Flying High / Remix – Beggars Banquet 12”
08 10 Carol Jiani – Hit ‘N’ Run Lover – Champagne 12”
09 08 Quincy Jones – Ai No Corrida – A&M 12”
10 04 Light Of The World – Time (Remix) – Mercury 12”
11 11 Level 42 – Love Games – Polydor 12”
12 15 Starsound – Stars On 45 – CBS 12”
13 14 Thelma Houston – If You Feel It / Hollywood – US RCA 12”
14 09 Quincy Jones – Razzamatazz / The Dude / Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me / Turn On The Action – A&M LP
15 18 Eddy Grant – Can’t Get Enough Of You – Ensign 12”
16 22 The Clash – The Magnificent Seven / The Magnificent Dance – CBS 12”
17 13 Gap Band – Humpin’ – Mercury 12”
18 19 Jeff Lorber Fusion – Spur Of The Moment / Monster Man / Magic Lady – Arista 12”
19 21 Spandau Ballet – Glow / Muscle Bound – Reformation 12”
20 29 Strikers – Body Music – US Prelude 12”/Dutch Rams Horn 12” remix
21 30 The Quick – Zulu – Epic 12”
22 25 Incognito – Shine On / Sunburn / Chase The Clouds Away / Incognito – Ensign LP
23 24 Champaign – How ‘Bout Us – CBS 12”
24 31 Imagination – Body Talk – R&B 12”
25 17 Heatwave – Jitterbuggin’ / Wack That Axe – GTO 12”
26 27 Alphonze Mouzon – By All Means – Excaliber 12”
27 16 Kleeer – Get Tough / De Kleeer Ting – US Atlantic LP
28 20 Sharon Redd – Can You Handle It – Epic 12”
29 35 Harvey Mason – How’s It Feel / Going Through The Motions / We Can Start Tonight / On And On – Arista LP
30 23 Webster Lewis – Let Me Be The One / El Bobo / Kemo-Kimo / ‘Bout The Love / You Are My Life / Flying High – US Epic LP
31 37 Jay Hoggard – Reverend Libra / Sao Pablo – US Contemporary LP
32 26 Freeez – Southern Freeez / Version – Beggars Banquet 12”
33 32 Leprechaun – Loc-It-Up – Excaliber 12”
34 47 Enigma – Ain’t No Stopping – Disco Mix 1981 – Creole 12”
35 39 Unlimited Touch – Searching To Find The One / Carry On / Happy Ever After – US Prelude LP/12” remix
36 76 Eighties Ladies – Turned On To You – US Uno Melodic 12”
37 28 Firefly – Love (Is Gonna Be On Your Side) – Excaliber 12”
38 33 Landscape – Einstein A Go-Go / Japan – RCA 12”
39 42 Bobby Thurston – Very Last Drop / Is Something Wrong With You / Main Attraction / Keep It Going / I Know You Feel Like I Feel – US Prelude LP
40 40 Revelation – Feel It – Handshake 12”
41 72 Evasions – Wikka Rap – Groove Production 12”
42 53 Heath Bros – Dreamin’ / Use It (Don’t Abuse It) – US Columbia LP
43 88 Mystic Merlin – 60 Thrills A Minute – Capitol 12”
44 38 Dave Pike – Swan Lake / Spirit’s Samba – US Muse LP
45 52 Gino Soccio – Try It Out / Hold Tight / Closer / Street Talk – Canadian Celebration LP
46 41 Atmosfear – Interplay / Free Tonight / Invasion / Duende / Funk The Rock – MCA LP
47 43 TW Funk Masters / Powerline / Inversions / Not James Player – Love Money / Double Journey / Mr Mack / Friends Again (Remixes) – Champagne LP
48 46 Raydio – Still In The Groove / It’s Your Night / You Can’t Fight What You Feel / A Woman Needs Love – Arista LP
49 36 Stevie Wonder – Lately – Motown
50 56 Aurra – Are You Single / Nasty Disposition – Salsoul 12”
51 64 L.A.X. – Possessed (Remix) – US Prelude 12”
52 62 Various – Bits & Pieces III (Stars On 45) – Canadian Special Disco Mixer 12”
53 34 Esther Williams – I’ll Be Your Pleasure – US RCA 12”
54 NE Smokey Robinson – Being With You – Motown 12” promo
55 44 Dynasty – Groove Control – Solar 12”
56 58 Eastside Connection – You’re So Right For Me – Excaliber 12”
57 NE Kool & The Gang – Celebremos / Take It To The Top – De-Lite 12”
58 NE Odyssey – Going Back To My Roots – RCA 12”
59 78 Barbara Roy / Ecstasy, Passion & Pain – If You Want Me – US Roy B 12”
60 54 Jerry Knight – Perfect Fit – A&M LP
61 69 Not James Player – Friends Again (Re-Remix) – Ultimate 12”
62 60 Mel Sheppard – Can I Take You Home – US TSOB 12”
63 57 Sun – Jammin’ In Brazil / Force Of Nature / Reaction Satisfaction – US Capitol LP
64 49 Teddy Pendergrass – The Whole Town’s Laughing At Me / Love T.K.O. – Phil Int 12” promo
65 70 Stevie Wonder – Happy Birthday – Motown LP/12” promo
66 65 Coati Mundi – Que Pasa/Me No Pop I – Ze 12”
67 51 Fuse One – Grand Prix – CTI 12”
68 67 Heaven & Earth – I Really Love You / He Don’t Really Love You / Kick It Out – US WMOT LP
69 66 Tata Vega – Love Your Neighbor – Motown 12”
70 NE David Bendeth – Just DeMix (Feel The Real Again) – Ensign 12”
71 48 Players Association – Get On Up Now – US Vanguard 12”
72 84 Vera – Take Me To The Bridge – Canadian Rio 12”
73 59 Chi-Lites – Have You Seen Her? – 20th Century-Fox 12”
74 RE Whispers – I Can Make It Better – US Solar 12”
75 NE Freddie James – She’s A Lady / Music Takes Me Higher / Everybody Here Do Your Thing / Dance To The Beat / In Love For The First Time – Canadian Black Sun LP
76 77 Times Square – You’re Hot – US New York City Records 12”
77 45 Isley Brothers – Tonight Is The Night / Who Said? – Epic/LP
78 61 Rah Band – Downside Up – DJM 12”
79 NE Reality – (Tell Me) What’s Going On In Your Mind – MCA 12”
80 50 Burundi Black – Burundi Black – Barclay 12”
81 RE Tantra – Hills Of Katmandu – US Importe/12 LP/12”
82 85 Rick James – Ghetto Life / Fire And Desire – Motown LP
83 NE Keni Burke – Let Somebody Love You – US RCA 12”
84 NE Second Image – (Get Your Finger Out) Pinpoint The Feeling – Polydor 12”
85 NE Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper / Use Me / I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango) / Walking In The Rain / Nightclubbing – Island LP
86 73 Benny Golson – The New Killer Joe (Rap) – CBS 12”
87 RE Johnny Harris / Hubert Laws / Ramsey Lewis / Stanley Clarke – Odyssey (Part 1) / Family / You Are The Reason / Together Again – CBS LP
88 RE Soft Cell – Memorabilia – Some Bizzare 12”
89 63 Midas Touch – Too Much Too Soon – Maaw 12”
90 NE Stephanie Mills / Teddy Pendergrass – Two Hearts – 20th Century-Fox 12”
BREAKERS
BUBBLING UNDER the UK Disco 90 with increased support are:
Aretha Franklin: ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’ / ‘United Together’ (Arista 12in)
Touchdown: ‘Ease Your Mind’ (Record Shack 12in)
Shirley James / Danny Ray: ‘Why Don’t You Spend The Night’ (Black Jack 12in)
Project: ‘Love Rescue’ (Creole 12in)
Lamont Dozier: ‘Going Back To My Roots’ (Warner Bros 12in/LP)
Edit Point: ‘Bright Side’ (EMCL 12in)
Pacific Jam: ‘Antes De Mais Nada’ (Japanese Discomate LP)
Skip Mahoney: ‘Janice’ (Underworld 12in)
Casiopea: ‘Asayake (Sunrise)’ / ‘Eyes Of The Mind’ (US Alfa LP)
Cerrone: ‘Hooked On You’ (Canadian Black Swan LP)
Third World: ‘Dancing On The Floor’ (CBS 12in)
Kat Mandu: ‘The Break (Remix)’ (Canadian Unidisc 12in)
Linx: ‘Wonder What You’re Doing Now’ / ‘Throw Away The Key’ / ‘I Won’t Forget’ (Chrysalis LP)
Thelma Houston: ‘Never Give You Up’ / ’96 Tears’ (US RCA LP)
Marvin Gaye: ‘Heavy Love Affair’ (Motown 12in)
Watson Beasley: ‘Breakaway’ (Creole 12in)
Michael Jackson: ‘One Day In Your Life’ (Motown)
Jermaine Jackson: ‘You Like Me Don’t You’ (Motown 12in promo)
John Kaizan’s Neptune: ‘Fun Key’ (Japanese Far East LP)
Marlon McClain: ‘Pastel’ / ‘Close To You’ (US Fantasy LP)
Lime: ‘Your Love’ (US Prism 12in)
Claudja Barry: ‘Radio Action’ / ‘Banana Boat (Day-O)’ (Canadian Polydor 12in)
Sharon Redd: ‘Love Is Gonna Get Ya’ (Epic 12in)
Round Trip: ‘Nothing Wrong With Dancing’ / ‘Let’s Go Out Tonite’ / ‘Woman’ (US MCA LP)
Abba: ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ (US Disconet 12in remix)
Leon Bryant: ‘Something More’ / ‘Just The Way You Like It’ (De-Lite 12in)
Banzai: ‘Runaway’ (Groove Prod 12in)
Scandal: ‘I Wanna Do It’ (US SAM 12in)
LA Boppers: ‘La La Means I Love You’ (Mercury 12in)
Shalamar: ‘Full Of Fire’ (US Solar 12in)
Irma Thomas: ‘Safe With Me’ (Polo)
Alton McClain & Destiny: ‘My Destiny’ / ‘Love Notes’ / ‘Making Room For Love’ (US Polydor LP)
Proton Plus: ‘Pay-Up’ (Image 12in)
Voggue: ‘Dancin’ The Night Away’ (Canadian Celsius 12in)
Flakes: ‘Take It To The Max’ (US Salsoul 12in)
DORC (Disco Featured Pop Hits)
1(1) Adam ‘Stand’, 2(2) Bucks Fizz, 3(4) Shakin’ Stevens ‘Crazy’, 4(3) Shakin’ Stevens ‘House’, 5(-) Human League ‘Red’, 6(-) Dept S, 7(6) Visage, 8(7) Kim Wilde ‘Kids’, 9(11) Graham Bonnet, 10(9) Ennio Morricone, 11(12) Liquid Gold, 12(5) Nolans, 13(10) Madness, 14(30) Kim Carnes, 15(-) Kraftwerk, 16(-) Talking Heads, 17(21) Tenpole Tudor, 18(-) Kim Wilde ‘Love’, 19(8) Adam ‘Kings’, 20(19) Heaven 17, 21(15) Bill Haley, 22(16) Coast To Coast, 23(24) Stray Cats, 24(20) Barry Manilow, 25(14) Bad Manners, 26(13) Hazel O’Connor, 27(18) Keith Marshall, 28(29) The Beat, 29(17) Dave Stewart, 30(-) Vangelis.
HIT NUMBERS
Beats Per Minute for last week’s pop chart entries on 7in are:
Squeeze 162-159-161-158-0r, Krokus ‘Bedside Radio’ 125-172c, Imagination 83f, Paul Shane 0-210-0c, Marvin The Paranoid Android 0-138f, 999 0-143-135-142-134-142f, Polecats 0-124/107-218/109f, Grover Washington 48-48/96-96f, Classix Nouveaux 153c.
ELECTRO-DISCO
01 05 Memorabilia – Soft Cell – Some Bizzare 12in
02 02 Planet Earth (Night Version) – Duran Duran – EMI 12in
03 01 Glow / Muscle Bound – Spandau Ballet – Reformation 12in
04 NE Sound Of The Crowd – Human League – Virgin 12”
05 29 Tender Force / Robbots – Space – PRT 12in
06 03 Einstein A Go-Go / Japan – Landscape – RCA 12in
07 NE Pocket Calculator – Kraftwerk – EMI 12in
08 10 Kick In The Eye – Bauhaus – Beggars Banquet 12in
09 07 (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang – Heaven 17 – BEF 12in
10 NE Careless Memories – Duran Duran – EMI 12in
11 04 Mind Of A Toy / We Move / Frequency 7 – Visage – Polydor 12in
12 32 Life In Tokyo – Japan – Ariola Hansa 12in
13 NE Houses In Motion – Talking Heads
14 26 No G.D.M. – Gina X Performance – EMI 12in
15 25 Chase – Giorgio Moroder – Casablanca 12in
16 13 Remembrance Day – B-Movie – Deram 12in
17 36 Que Pasa/Me No Pop I – Coati Mundi – Ze 12in
18 08 Dreaming Of Me – Depeche Mode – Mute
19 NE If You Want Me To Stay – Ronny – Polydor 12in
20 NE Don’t Say That’s Just For White Boys – Way Of The West – Mercury 12in
21 09 I Travel / Celebrate / Changeling – Simple Minds – Arista 12in
22 06 Angel Face / R.E.R.B. – Shock – RCA 12in
23 NE Norman Bates – Landscape – RCA 12in
24 35 Coming To Get You – Tokalon – EDM Champagne 12in
25 17 The Jezebel Spirit / Moonlight In Glory – Brian Eno / David Byrne – EG LP
26 27 It’s A Mystery – Toyah – Safari EP
27 19 Tonight / Fever / La Rocca – Modern Romance – WEA 12in
28 14 Burundi Black – Burundi Black – Barclay 12in
29 21 Tar / Blocks On Blocks / Moon Over Moscow / Visage – Visage – Polydor LP
30 38 Is Vic There? – Department S – Demon
31 16 Reward – Teardrop Explodes – Vertigo
32 18 Reformation / Age Of Blows / Mandolin / Confused / Toys – Spandau Ballet – Reformation LP
33 NE Wheel Me Out – Was (Not Was) – US Antilles 12in
34 28 Shack Up – A Certain Ratio – Factory 12in
35 20 The Model – Kraftwerk – Capitol 12in
36 39 Beat The Clock – Sparks – Virgin 12in
37 22 Quiet Men / Slow Motion – Ultravox – Island
38 11 The Robots Dance / Guilty – Classix Nouveaux – Liberty 12in
39 NE The Art Of Parties – Japan – Virgin 12in
40 34 Magic Fly – Space – Pye 12in.
THIS CHART is compiled only from DJs returns specified as being “futurist” and is intended to relate to specialist venues. Therefore, if you’re including this type of material during the course of a normal night don’t separate it out onto a listing on its own but include it within your main chart. This will help give a far better idea of its crossover penetration into the general disco scene. Even star jazz-funk jocks have been known to go on some of these records, you know! Following the success of his last all-dayer at Dartford Flicks, Rusty Egan has another there with Depeche Mode live this Bank Holiday Monday (25), and then on Wednesday 3rd June joins DJ Stevo with Soft Cell and Ronny live at a big ‘Nightclubbing Dance Night’ held in Nottingham’s Rock City where a crowd of 1700 fashionable dressers are hoped for. Kingsstanding’s Fashion Disco is next at the CCA there on Saturday 30th May with Silence live, and DJ Kevin Wilson suggests that a great opening number is the frantic ’20s chase tune ‘Stuntman’, from Carl Davis’s ‘Hollywood’ TV series score on EMI LP (which he got for £1.99 at Virgin). Danish reader Nells Birk has some interesting European suggestions too, if you can find them: Patrick Juvet ‘Sounds Like Rock ‘N’ Roll‘ (French Barclay) “an ultra fast tune a bit like Ultravox ‘Sleepwalk’ with an Amanda Lear-type feel”, Anita Lindblom ‘You Can Have Him‘ (Swedish Club Trocadero) “a possibly more gay-orientated sparse midtempo remake of her ’60s pop oldie”, Kliche ‘Supertanker‘ (Danish Medley LP) “a Danish-sung but rather electronic set” and the ‘Supercontinent’ flip of the older Continent No.6 ‘Afromerica’ (French Barclay) “has in part a very ‘Burundi Black’ sound that’s a straight rip-off”. To emphasise that some jocks do indeed buy their records, Alan Gibson (Edgbaston Faces) insists that he’d already bought Human League and Japan before Rush Release sent him them (I hope you can get one-to-one swopsies, Gibbo!).
And finally Cyril, I wonder whether any neo-futurists have heard an oldie released in January 1973 by the German group’ Neu, ‘Super’ (UA UP 35485), a monotonous electronically helped 161-159-161bpm drums pounder sounding like something out of Rusty Egan’s wildest prepubescent imaginings, a sorta Burundi Black for white boys. Although guitars are in there somewhere the effects they achieved (especially on the slower ‘Neuschnee‘ flip) were ahead of their time yet most likely inspired by the Hawkwind school of hippy space freak. I remember playing it at a gig in Norfolk and having to whip it off fairly fast to dumbly stupified stares back then, but can’t help thinking that maybe now its time has come! Try and find it.
RECORD SHACK . . . GOSSIP FROM THE SHACK
Editors Note: Looks like Record Shack are happier that there was no Electro/Futurist content in last weeks column, as this week they say…
“Well, this page has drastically improved now, hasn’t it? Nice to see the Old Boy back with us after his temporary lapse.”
…but will they be so happy when they see Hammy’s review of their latest Michael McGloiry single in this weeks UK Newies section above?
James Hamilton's Disco Page 