ODDS ‘N’ BODS
RCA RECORDS cap their sustained hit streak with the top three places in this week’s disco chart all on the actual RCA label . . . Lobo, now on 12in, is not the ‘Dog Named Boo’ singer but a Dutchman . . . Commodores is also now on 12in, Teena Marie ‘Square Biz’ is on US promo 12in flipped by the old Ozone ‘Mighty-Mighty’, and Marcia Hines is on extended 121½bpm 12in promo (Logo obviously mean business) . . . David Sanborn has a 4-track 12in LV due imminently . . . MSO ‘In The Jungle’ (confusingly titled ‘Colombia’ on 7in) is at least now being stocked by Soho’s Groove Records in Greek Street, who managed to track down the elusive Mainstreet label and order this sizzling slab of pure Latin excitement . . . Robbie Vincent’s VE Night at Dartford Flicks last Thursday was good fun, my reference to Louis Jordan ‘Caldonia‘ as “the week’s hottest new import” (which it would have been in May 1945!) creating a lot of interest, while a confetti cannon detonated up in the lighting gantry destroyed a couple of hundred quids worth of neon tubes! . . . Capital Radio’s jazz session producer Jeremy Lloyd (of Incognito fame) wonders whether Spaces named their ‘Song For Jeremy’ with him in mind! . . . Paul Dower of Waterford’s Suirside Radio is persevering with his disco show and still needs the big disco hits that don’t go Top 40 Pop as these are hard to get in his part of Eire — maybe friendly pluggers could contact him at Suirside, 7 The Mall, Waterford, Ireland . . . Derek ‘Greg’ Lawrence (01 571 4528), well experienced at mixing up futurist and dance music, is angling after a Saturday matinee-style disco gig or any other West London DJ work . . . Nick Davies is going futurist on Sundays at Watford New Penny, with half-price drinks from 8-10pm . . . Kev Hill (Basildon Sweeneys) reports his fave local band Elixia have jazzed up their basic funk sound with more than a hint of Latin influence . . . Preston’s Keith Richard won the £1,000 Carling Lager amateur disco dancing final at Sheffield Top Rank Suite recently . . . Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wignall & Tony Riding, resident at Liverpool’s Wynners in Peters Lane for smart over-22s, will pay anything for a mint condition Johnny Bristol ‘Bristol’s Cream’ LP . . . Don Covey has reunited 1968’s Soul Clan supergroup for live USA appearances, with himself, Solomon Burke, Ben E King, Joe Tex, plus new member Wilson Pickett as replacement for Arthur Conley (and not Ben E King for Otis Redding, as printed by another paper which should have known better) — the original line-up’s ‘Soul Meeting’ single by coincidence having hit the US soul chart exactly 13 years ago last week . . . Carl Carlton, also exactly 13 years ago, had his first minor success with ‘Competition Ain’t Nothing’ as by Little Carl Carlton, “14 Year Old Sensation” . . . Roger Scott’s new Wednesday 6pm ‘Soul Cruising’ on Capital Radio has already done the Soul Clan and probably Carl too by the time you read this, so don’t miss it as every week there’s something among the soul oldies of relevance to today! . . . Barbara Acklin’s 1968 ‘Love Makes A Woman‘ at 118bpm does indeed vari-synch superbly out of Carol Jiani ‘The Woman In Me‘ . . . War ‘Cinco De Mayo’ is the background basis for the latest of Chris Hill’s legendary raps . . . Flash Gordon (Bristol Sinatras) recommends local reggae group Talisman ‘Dole Age‘ / ‘Free Speech‘ — but what’s the label? . . . Froggy’s hot for Hi-Tension ‘There’s A Reason‘, Martin Platts (Blackburn) gets strong reaction to Gap Band ‘When I Look In Your Eyes‘, Marshal ‘Woolie’ King (Sunderland Mayfair Roller Disco) gets ’em skating to Incredible Bongo Band ‘Bongo Rock ’73‘, Frenchie is amongst North-Western jazz jocks on Alphonse Mouzon ‘Funk Transplant‘ (US Metronome LP) from ’79 . . . Edgar Winter ‘Above And Beyond‘ (the exciting bit after the guitar two-thirds through) is terrific out of Sharon Redd’s remix . . . Zenith ‘People Of The Sun‘ (US Lynx 12in) and, now belatedly breaking in US discos, Suzy Q ‘Get On Up And Do It Again‘ (Canadian JC 12in) both got zilch response following my reviews but work really well for me, the latter especially out of the Graingers . . . Mike Morgan, still doing Chelmsford YMCA Saturday roller disco, is now at the Angel in Bocking near Braintree every Tues/Fri/Sunday . . . Ronnie Symonds (or is it Simons?) has joined Larry Foster at Ilford’s Room At The Top to replace Terry Hooper, who as manager opened Stratford’s new Revelations club last week . . . Mark Southall of Newport’s Flashback Records reputedly appears in the cover photo on Cheryl Lynn’s LP, but whether as the extra weight inside her sack or as the stereo-totin’ kid is unclear! . . . Mike Heaney (Southgate), thanx for the support . . . Richie Rome’s album, which first appeared early last August eventually to be dominated by the ‘Remember Me‘ track, merely managed to crack the Disco 90 for four weeks peaking at 81 shortly before Xmas yet nevertheless has only just dropped right out of the survey after a colossal eleven months bubbling under — surely an all-time “sleeper that never was”? . . . Neil Fincham (Dunbar Goldenstones) observes that saying a record “caused a riot” takes on a whole new meaning these days . . . KEEP COOL!
GLENN GRAINGER of the Graingers, whose ‘Shine Your Light‘ (US BC 12in) has yet to do as well here as it deserves, turns out to have toured extensively as musical director and trumpeter with Odyssey, who not surprisingly call him “Grainger the Arranger”!
UK NEWIES
CENTRAL LINE: ‘Walking Into Sunshine’ (Mercury MERX 78).
Sensationally strong simple sleazily chugging 112bpm 12in tripper produced by ex-Heatwave bassist Roy Carter sounds really great out on the floor, the 129-128bpm ‘That’s No Way To Treat My (Love)‘ flip being Eddy Grant-type vocals with Change ‘Searching’ beat as backing.
LEVEL 42: ‘Turn It On’ (Polydor POSPX 286).
Excellent bass synth pushed cool steady 117bpm ticker with a gorgeous atmosphere and beautifully controlled smooth vocals slotting into the powerful unhurried beat, the acappella scat introed 143bpm ‘Beezer One‘ flip being very jazzy.
BLACK SLATE: ‘Live A Life’ (Ensign ENYT 215).
Without the over-obvious gimmicky hook of ‘Amigo’ but aided no end by the catchy vocoder-continued vocal pattern and superb chunky playing, this lovely 65/130(intro)-63½/127-63-126bpm 12in reggae roller is actually even more powerful as a whole and should be huge, while the 0/64(intro)-65bpm ‘Reggae Feeling‘ flip is good too. Continue reading “July 25, 1981: Central Line, Level 42, Black Slate, Brick, The Strikers”