Month: April 1982

April 24, 1982: Linda Taylor, Electrik Funk, Patrice Rushen, The Temptations, Mike Anthony

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

STEVE JEROME has been snapped up by RCA who rush his sensational ‘I’m Into Your Love‘ in a fortnight — busted wide open for us at Gullivers on exclusive acetate, it’s already hotter than Patrick Boothe and sounds like a summer smash! . . . Virgin’s Mick Clark is circulating a white label promo, not due for a month, of Loose End ‘In The Sky‘, a Chris & Eddie (Real Thing) Amoo-produced pleasant chick-cooed burbling 57-114-113bpm 12in jazzy shuffler featuring Jam trumpeter Steve Nichol amongst others, all very well made with a nagging grow-on-you title line hook and instrumental version on 2-track flip but unlikely to break overground into the Shakatak audience . . . I.C.Q. the Ivan Chandler Quintet (all six of ’em!) — hit the bottom of the chart with a jazz white label that’s been boosted by Chris Brown and Holborn’s City Sounds shop . . . Stevie Wonder, sleeve artwork resolved, now at the last minute has changed the running order to delay his hits album even further . . . Motown, it’s whispered, didn’t know the Temptations LP was out until they heard it on Robbie Vincent’s show . . . Roni Griffith ‘Breaking Up’ has been scheduled by PRT . . . Patrick Boothe’s actual pressing — on master tape at 112½bpm and acetate at 113bpm — turns out to be 112bpm, with the instrumental flip 111bpm . . . East Midlands DJ Assn’s Disco & Lighting Exhibition 1982 is this Sunday (25) from noon to 7pm at Nottingham’s Sherwood Rooms in Greyfriar Street (£1 admission) with lots of participants . . . Capital Radio’s John Sachs provisionally opens a club at 3 Green Street in Mayfair this Friday, aimed at music biz and other “sensible” people, but still hasn’t come up with a name for it — your successful suggestion will win two free memberships and a champagne evening on the official big opening night in three weeks, so send ideas to John at Capital, PO Box 194, London NW1 3DR . . . Tom Holland starts a new residency next Wednesday (28) at White’s in Chatham — Tom was with a fully clothed Del Rae when he looked in at Gullivers last Saturday, when we also greeted Tom Wilson (Edinburgh Oscars), Alton Edwards, Steve Jerome and a Finesse PA . . . Tony Monson jocks weekly from next Wednesday (28) when the Brighton Soul Society re-emerges at the Savannah in Brighton’s Queens Hotel, free admission for the first fortnight, an older crowd of jazz-funk/soul fans being aimed for . . . Ashford & Simpson make their London debut at the Dominion on May 7th/8th . . . Bev Sage of the Techno Twins is belatedly revealed as Modern Romance’s rapping “Queen” (maybe you knew already?) . . . Tricky Dicky (London’s Dicks Inn venues) reckons a weekly gay chart wouldn’t change enough as the gay “clones” still require a steady diet of Imortals, Ferrara, Phyllis Nelson, Patrick Cowley, although a new younger camp are emerging who like up to date electronic pop: Dicky also criticizes record companies for releasing the big gay hits far too late here for the gay buyers, even though the likes of Lime and Imortals will sell steadily for longer than most disco soul hits . . . Edgbaston’s Faces French purposefully mis-spelt Club Jardine to counteract local pronunciation, “Jar-deen” sounding more mellifluous than the linguistically correct “Jardan” or Jardin without an “e”! . . . Phil Lang, formerly head of promotion at Chrysalis, has bought Derby’s Blue Note club, where DJ Phil Howell handles funk/reggae Fridays, electro/funk Saturdays, with live groups tending to be on Thursdays . . . Gary Allan (Liverpool McMillans) will probably be surprised to hear his PSLP 307 promo is by Sponooch . . . Gary Williamson (Elland 0422 76063) is after a good condition copy of the LP Moulin Rouge ‘Moulin Rouge’ (ABC AA 1120) . . . Kev James, whose various London residencies like Golders Green Great Expectations are much frequented by foreigners, tips off that vital Eurodisco hits for the summer invasion include Massarra ‘Mama Oh Mama’ (in Italian), Candido ‘Jingo’, Soft Cell ‘Tainted Love’, anything by German superstar Peter Moffey, Ottowan ‘Hands Up’ / ‘D.I.S.C.O.’ (in French), Lime ‘Your Love’, Carol Jiani ‘Hit ‘N’ Run Lover’, Giorgio Moroder ‘Chase’, Kim Larsen ‘Up E Det Blu’ (and any other dance tracks on Danish CBS), Umberto Tozzi ‘Gloria’ (in Italian) . . . Bananarama, despite a looser structure, surprisingly at 135bpm is only 1bpm slower than the Velvelettes original ‘He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’ . . . Derek Pierce (Bath Moles) plays Billy Fields ‘Bad Habits’ LP (CBS) — the guy’s got taste! . . . David ‘Weary’ Yeats (anything for a weekly namecheck?) advises would-be mailing list applicants that they’ll do better if they can spell when they write in — not that a high degree of literacy makes a good DJ, but it does help when it comes to reaction reports . . . Larry Foster (01-519 7280 after 2pm) needs a DJ to double for him at various East London residencies when he’s elsewhere at mobile gigs . . . Nick Ratcliffe, busy as previously detailed around Berks/Surrey venues, now needs a new Thursday night residency — offers on 03447 2535 (days) . . . Martin Platts (where is it you do work in Burnley?) raised £1500 on his charity run uphill, but collapsed and ended up in hospital with exhaustion after yet another marathon . . . King Enri (Catford Saxon Tavern) says Savanna do a great PA with acappella Maze-style singing when their record stops . . . Linda Taylor has an excellent video, marred slightly by some clumsy freeze-frame bits that don’t help the flow . . . Norma Lewis’s chart appearance was inevitable, considering her TMT label’s initials stand for Titchener – McAleer – Titchener . . . Froggy would a wooing go? . . . Clumber Horse Trials on Easter Saturday included a horse called ‘Discotheque’, with the un-nerving announcement coming over the loudspeakers after its cross-country trial that “Discotheque has finished”! . . . Dave Godin reminisced later that night on Richard Searling’s Hallam soul show about such ’60s soulsters as Kenny Carter (a New York mate of mine in ’64, when we nicknamed him “KC” Duvall, who I last saw in ’76 unchanged but going grey) and Bessie Banks (whose ‘Go Now’ I sent to the Moody Blues) — memories, Dave! . . . I see some other Northerners (one in particular) can hardly stand upright for the weight of the chips on their shoulders, sadly it still seems — if ever we have the civil war they evidently want, their ludicrous inferiority complex must make them the losers from the start . . . Ralph Tee, comic strip star? — he appeared in the April 10 edition of ‘Eagle’ in a photo story called Trash! . . . GROOVE ON!

NORMAN GISCOMBE JR. now better known as just Junior, has to be the most successful black British singer ever to hit in America with his self-penned ‘Mama Used To Say’, not only poised at the peak of the US soul chart but fast climbing the pop chart there too. The South Londoner’s record had disco action here last year but had faded by the time this current Tee Scott remix came out in the States in November, since when it has been the USA’s top selling 12in. Junior’s overdue UK success finally looks assured now too, with radio rapidly picking up on his record as well as disco DJ’s realizing its potential.

UK NEWIES

LINDA TAYLOR: ‘You And Me Just Started’ (Groove Production GP 3112).
Chris Palmer-produced excellent chunkily bumping 114bpm 12in staccato lurcher full of great little twiddly bits and a strong ‘Good Times’ influence — in fact with quartz locked decks you can craftily mix Chic in the break near the end — flipped by a freaky flutter echo started totally different sounding 113bpm ‘Club Mix‘ which synchs well between Patrick Boothe’s instrumental and Patrice Rushen. Vocally, Linda sounds like a star.

ELECTRIK FUNK: ‘On A Journey (I Sing The Funk Electric)’ (Epic EPC 13A-2299).
The dummies at CBS have done it again — as with ‘You’re The One For Me’ (with which it synchs like a bitch!) the ultra hot instrumental side of this dynamite electronically bubbling 121bpm 12in skipper is the only side that signifies (in fact NOBODY is on the white boy sung 0-121-122bpm vocal side), yet guess which is still the A-side here?! Don’t they want radio play up to the news, at the very least?

PATRICE RUSHEN: ‘Number One’ (LP ‘Straight From The Heart’ Elektra K 52352).
Strong if rhythmically samey set selling like hot cakes, the biggest track by far being this electronically “taking off” powerful steady 114bpm instrumental smacker in ‘Forget Me Nots’ style with her jazzy piano tinkling through brass, beat and humming. Continue reading “April 24, 1982: Linda Taylor, Electrik Funk, Patrice Rushen, The Temptations, Mike Anthony”

April 17, 1982: Patrick Boothe, Alton Edwards, The Members, Brass Construction, Touchdown

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MAZE’S MEMENTO of their London triumph will be a Hammersmith-recorded coupling of ‘Before I Let Go‘ (the one with Frankie’s rhythmic grunting) and ‘Golden Time Of Day’ on UK 12in as soon as ‘Joy And Pain’ has run its course — however, I’ve been insisting that we MUST be given the Hammersmith ‘Joy And Pain’ too in some form, so stay tuned! . . . Morgan Khan has indeed picked up The Band AKA ‘Grace’ for Streetwave 12in . . . Morgan, who categorically denies he walks out of clubs as soon as the DJ plays Imagination, reckons the original ‘(I Just Wanna) Dance All Night With You’ title sounded too much like something else to use in full for Patrick Boothe’s debut! . . . David ‘Rowdy’ Yeats quits RCA for WEA (“Weary” — geddit?) at the end of the month, to be Special Product Manager in a capacity that’s totally removed from Fred Dove’s promotion gig, amidst much rejoicing from Solar quarters . . . US product due to hit these shores imminently if not sooner must include albums from Rose Royce, Change, Bootsy Collins, Dramatics, A Taste Of Honey, while Herbie Hancock ‘Lite Me Up’ should be on UK white label 12in this week, along with Ashford & Simpson’s ‘Street Corner’ 12in bow on Capitol . . . Electrik Funk is due here in a fortnight . . . Island will be swelling their African catalogue with the signing of ‘King’ Sunny Ade, Nigeria’s juju music ruler . . . Tony Jenkins suspects he really must be making it in a big way now he isn’t mentioned by The Noze — Tony’s Ambience set-up embraces the virtual takeover of a smart Piccadilly club, a group of the same name and the autumn launch of a fashion line . . . Chris Ellis, key designer of these fashions (under the name ‘Christopher Anthony’) departs soon to seek inspiration and stock for six months through the hot spots of North Africa, Sri Lanka, Tristan Da Cunha, Java, and Japan — it beats the dole!) . . . I must say, one does not expect to be dripped upon from the glass roof when taking tea at The Ritz! . . . Jeff Young and Chris Brown found a new restaurant in Great Yarmouth and say, whatever happens, I mustn’t miss the next Caister! . . . Fatman Graham Canter has invented a delicious cocktail at Soho’s Le Beat Route — vodka, Tia Maria and pineapple juice (although he sometimes uses brandy as spirit) — while Derek Ryder reports from South Harrow Bogarts Tuesday electro night that one of their cocktails is an African Queen — Bacardi, Tia Maria, Creme de Bananas and orange juice (Schlurp! Schlurp!) . . . Rush Release are rubbing in their change of address by sending out over-printed cork beermats, but I hear the printing is rubbing off already! . . . West Yorkshire Assn of DJs meet next Sunday (25) at noon in Keighley’s Victoria Hotel (details from Gary Williamson on 0422-76063 or Steve Lockwood on 0484-607667): page 3 of the Assn’s ‘Insight’ mag is a bit startling — “get down on it”, indeed! — but amongst other info is sensible advice about getting on mailing lists . . . Paul Barron doesn’t only play ‘Nightclubbing’ music at Rotherham Tiffany’s, he even runs a ‘Grab A Granny’ night, but he is now doing a Nightclubbing chart night on Mondays after 10.30pm — at other times he’s playing Shakatak, Savanna, Search and even Iris Williams (on 7in or 12in?) . . . Watford’s New Penny club now needs a DJ for Thursday nights — call Mr Harris Thurs-Sunday after 8pm on Watford 22003 . . . Paul Major (Great Yarmouth Brunswick) recommends Norwich’s Andy’s Records in Lower Goat Lane near the Market Place for jazz-funk and imports . . . Aberdeen’s North Sound radio is due to start a new 9-10pm Sunday soul/jazz show hosted by Steve Agisaid . . . Chris ‘Frenchie’ Tittley (Blackpool) finds the old 113-116bpm Bruni Pagan ‘Fantasy‘ (US Elektra 12in) fits nicely with much current stuff . . . Junior at number 2 last week looks set to top the US Soul chart as Stevie Wonder can’t last there much longer with ‘That Girl’ (amazingly now his all-time biggest US hit) . . . Linda Clifford has replaced Chas Jankel finally as top of the US Disco chart, although when it comes to “our” sort of disco the UK chart is way ahead of the US, where as of last week still climbing there were Sharon Brown at 6, War at 7, Goldie Alexander at 33, Kleeer at 39, Lamont Dozier at 46, Maxine Singleton at 51, Smokey Robinson at 59, Patrice Rushen at 60, Electrik Funk at 68, Fat Larry at 69, Brass Construction at 70 — although by the same token, the Yanks include a lot of gay material and white boys / rock which arguably is ahead of us (most of the white boys being British) . . . New York was hit by blizzards last week, just after Capital Radio producer Mike Childs got there for a holiday (tee hee!) . . . Rick James’s bludgeoning “whoa whoa” approach may be necessary in huge stadiums but looks overblown and self indulgent in close up on TV . . . Bryan O’Connor (London Xclusiv) has a handshake that breaks bones . . . P-Funk All Stars chart performance over the last month (68 — 36 — 50 — 81) bears out perfectly my recent comments about mailing list DJs . . . Spandau’s ‘Chant No.1’ remix is way ahead of ‘Instinction’ so far amongst dancers . . . I wonder how a record that only arrived the same day can be a “floor filler” on radio before it’s even had a club play . . . I’ve been hearing disturbing stories about the ways in which certain DJs and clubs find it necessary to have their egos and reputations artificially boosted . . . Steve Wiggins (Barry Freddie’s Bar) missed it and so did I, but evidently the last ‘OTT’ ended with the camera following Chris Tarrant while behind him getting progressively more distant the buxom lady finally let ’em flop — but by the time they were out you could hardly see ’em (though the story is, they were BIG, baby BIG!) KEEP ‘EM COMING!

UK NEWIES

PATRICK BOOTHE: ‘Dance All Night’ (Streetwave STR A13-2213).
Only on very limited white label until next week’s full release, this excellent Richard Jones-produced Phoenix Horns-backed George Benson-ish even tempoed 113bpm 12in spurting smacker is well up to the very classiest of American standards — amazingly so for a British recording — yet nevertheless naggingly disappoints me still by not being mindblowingly different in other respects. With an instrumental flip, it’ll obviously be very big here indeed.

ALTON EDWARDS: ‘Strange Woman’ (CBS A13-2275).
Less immediately grabbing than ‘I Just Wanna’ but surreptitiously catchy enough to sneak right upside your head after a few plays, this bass bubbled bumpily weaving 109bpm slinky swayer still has elements of his previous sound in its slower beat and is on 3-track 12in with an instrumental continuation and the dead slow starting schmaltzy cabaret-type ‘What Love.’

THE MEMBERS: ‘Radio’ (Genetic 12WIP 6773).
Exhilaratingly exciting 138bpm fusion of Edwin Starr-Style ’60s soul and Spandau Balletics, overshadowed by a truly blinding more electronic longer dub version on 3-track 12in with the angrily spitting 125bpm ‘(If You) Can’t Stand Up‘. White boys’ funk at its very best, this is the biggest blast I’ve had since Soft Cell’s ‘Memorabilia’! Continue reading “April 17, 1982: Patrick Boothe, Alton Edwards, The Members, Brass Construction, Touchdown”

April 10, 1982: Sharon Brown, Patrice Rushen, Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields, “D” Train, Fat Larry’s Band

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PETER POWELL starts BBC Radio One’s retitled ‘Steppin’ Out’ summer soul show with a special edition on Easter Monday, after which it will comprise the last 6-7pm hour of his regular weekday show every Monday and feature a 3-way guest rota that includes Froggy and Pete Tong . . . Martin Collins now hosts the whole Sunday 3 – 6pm soul show on Chiltern Radio (362MW/97.5FM) . . . “Murray The K” Kaufman, the New York radio DJ who back in 1964 on WABC was dubbed “The 5th Beatle”, sadly has gone to watch those submarine races in the sky — It was at one of his Brooklyn Fox stage shows that I met Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Ronettes, Searchers, Millie Small, Jimmy Cliff (and that was less than half the bill!) . . . Hungarian jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo has also died, in Budapest, aged 45 of liver and kidney troubles . . . Tom Browne’s “Top 6” must have shaken up a few of Mike Allen’s Capital Radio housewife listeners, climaxing as it did with George Duke’s ‘Festival‘! . . . Tom Browne and Junior Giscombe each pretended to be ordinary punters doing impersonations of themselves at Caister’s alternative appalling talent contest . . . Linx’s Sketch says that out of all the current Brit-funkers, Junior stands out as a real future star (which I don’t doubt, but Sketch also thinks that Maze aren’t soulful!) . . . UK copies of Junior ‘Mama Used To Say’ are just like the US 12in, a 33 1/3rpm 3-tracker featuring Tee Scott’s ‘American Remix’ plus an ‘American Instrumental Mix’ and ‘British Party Mix’ (all at 110bpm) . . . Roy Carter is bubbling about his forthcoming new singles for Second Image and Central Line . . . Richard James Burgess is the drummer on the current D’Llegance import 12in, the tracks of which were laid down over two years ago but never issued then . . . Steve Jerome’s self-financed last recent effort may have been a no-no, but the two new tracks he’s now got in the can would even make Morgan Khan green with envy — talk about hot! . . . Morgan meanwhile is dropping “Gracious” hints . . . Is Rowdy getting “Weary”? . . . Orin Cozier is happily plugging independently, and has lots of work . . . Motown picked up UK rights to Bobby Womack’s ‘The Poet’ LP, for rush-release here in June (rush-release?!) . . . Rush Release and Island combined for a promo-only compilation LP featuring current stuff by Gwen Guthrie, The Cage, Was (Not Was), Pablo, The Members, plus an unreleased newie from Kid Creole, ‘Wonderful Thing’, a subduedly sassy steady slow 102-103bpm ticker . . . WEA’s Fred Dove has sent out white labels of The Dukes ‘Nite Music‘ an attempt to get funky (the looser 115(intro)-117-119bpm ‘Part 2’ is best) which white boys may like . . . Lothian & Fife DJ Assn (hon. President: Radio Forth’s Jay Crawford) have slashed their annual subscription by half to only £7.50, which gets you an LFDJA T-shirt, car stickers, membership card and six issues of their bi-monthly ‘Sound Pad’ mag (they’re working on the usual insurance-type benefits too) — apply to secretary Ian Gavin, 5 Howdenhall Loan, Edinburgh EH16 6UY (031 664 6533) . . . Tony St Michael has formed a funk club called Funk Connection (South) and does a gig next Saturday (17) in Blackpool — but where? — for which £1 tickets are available with an SAE from (his real name: M. A. Bird, 22 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 — It’s not a lot to go on, is it? . . . ‘Instalead’, the lamp bulb paint mentioned last week, comes from good glass shops (which may be good class shops too!) . . . psst, who’s the Rotherham DJ who, when asked for “D” Train, played the vocal side of a 7in copy? (snigger, snigger) . . . Bananarama were on the floor in force at my Soho Le Beat Route ’60s soul night last Tuesday, but didn’t look too happy when I played the Velvelettes ‘He Was Really Saying Something’! . . . Haircut One Hundred’s sex symbol Nick Heyward, tucking into a steak at Capital Radio’s canteen last Friday, said that, no, it wasn’t him that used to go to Caister, but a couple of other guys in the group probably did . . . US TV has a spin-off series now based on the movie ‘Fame’ . . . Mel Brooks ‘It’s Good To Be The King‘ (and Sylvia’s answer version) is huge on New York urban contemporary radio, and TC Curtis ‘Body Shake‘ is getting played there too . . . how come some people keep raving about Xavier ‘Sucker‘ and P-Funk All Stars ‘Pump‘ as great funk dance records when in my experience they’re both instant death to the floor at Gullivers (which, let’s face it, is full of funky black Americans and Africans)? . . . I imagine Monsoon ‘Ever So Lonely‘ must mix beautifully with Altered Images ‘Happy Birthday’ . . . The Reddings have recorded Daddy/Uncle Otis’s ‘(Sittin’ On The) Dock Of The Bay‘ for US 7in release . . . Stevie Wonder’s long overdue album, virtually all of it old material but delayed because Stevie evidently doesn’t like the cover art (talk about ‘Inner Vision’!), has got record dealers running scared now, as they’d ordered it in large quantities for pre-Christmas sale and now expect it to stay sitting on their shelves . . . US Disco and Soul charts should soon be reappearing in RM, and — if we get a whole page for all those type of charts — we’ll consider compiling a UK gay disco chart provided enough jocks consistently return to us . . . Teddy Pendergrass is rumoured to have had an odd choice in travelling companion . . . Paul Major (Gt Yarmouth Brunswick Regency Suite) declares, “Bumpkins do it standing in the hay”! . . . Sandy Martin (Swindon Brunel Rooms) says he calls his sideburns “side-pins”, because (he adds) “If the ladies get too close, well, they get “pricked!” . . . Jim Kershaw (Sheffield) reports the local Svenson clinic now do a very handsome Rasta locks weave . . . Nick Ratcliffe (Winkfield) reckons, “If you can’t comb ’em, weave ’em!” . . . hang on, there goes the ‘phone . . . John Malkin (Rotherham), silver tongued flatterer, says “Odds ‘N’ Bods make it worth getting up on Thursday” . . . RISE AND SHINE!

UK NEWIES

SHARON BROWN: ‘I Specialise In Love’ (Virgin VS 494-12).
Now packaged in full colour pictorial sleeve to show off Sharon’s striking grey-eyed looks, this sinuously tugging subtle unhurried multi-textured side to side kicking 114bpm 12in simple catchy chorus smacker (instrumental flip) actually did the near impossible these days and rocketed to number one while still on import. It synchs sensationally out of Vicky “D”’s break, and at any other time would have been a cert for pop crossover in the tradition of ’79.

PATRICE RUSHEN: ‘Forget Me Nots’ (Elektra K 13173T).
Sharon had better enjoy her time at the top while she can, ‘cos this sensational lightweight seeming but steely purposeful 114bpm whomping strutter will be there before too long, with Patrice coolly squeaking over a steady rhythm drive (Atlantic Starr and McCrarys synch superbly out of it) on 3-track 12in flipped by her older ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.

RICHARD ‘DIMPLES’ FIELDS: ‘If It Ain’t One Thing . . . It’s Another’ (LP ‘Mr Look So Good’ Epic EPC 85693).
This languidly jogging bittersweet lush long 98bpm smoocher with conversational talking is evidently proving an inspiration to listeners in the States. The yearning 30/61bpm ‘Taking Applications‘ (he’s lookin’ for a fox!) continues his ‘Papers’ line of chat with a sexy lady joining in. The title track‘s a jaunty 121-123bpm pulsator, while the boffo boss is his gorgeous re-recording of the Moonglows classic 67/34-68bpm ‘Sincerely‘ doo-wop ballad. Continue reading “April 10, 1982: Sharon Brown, Patrice Rushen, Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields, “D” Train, Fat Larry’s Band”

April 3, 1982: Maze, Brass Construction, Stone, The McCrarys, Judy Roberts

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

UNDERGROUND SOUL truly surfaced to confound the overground media last week when Maze sold out two terrific nights at Hammersmith Odeon after just one plug on Robbie Vincent’s Radio London show . . . Maze refresh the parts that mere boogie bands miss — by going back to gospel roots, disguised by a web of rhythm that’s far from traditional, they use subtly shifting simple repetition and Frankie Beverly’s superb sinuous vocal gymnastics to cut right through to the soul (it can be no coincidence his favourite singer is Sam Cooke) . . . Monday’s show was evidently recorded live, so maybe we can expect London’s very own version of ‘Joy And Pain’, the final encore of which was continued in acappella unison for a full two minutes by the audience (in fact it was only the band returning to wave goodbye which stopped it), to start up again spontaneously as people drifted out through the foyer — and then minutes later, Capital Radio’s John Sachs played the record … magic! . . . Funktion’s Peter Byfield obviously knew something we didn’t when he referred to himself as “the Freddie Laker of jazz-funk” — Funktion folded last week, leaving the future of their Barracuda club in some doubt (now then, who claims to be the “Tiny Rowlands of jazz-funk”?!) . . . Lenny Henry has rapidly recorded his ‘Katanga Rap’ . . . RCA picked up Stone ‘Time’ . . . KR reissue in a fortnight Lloyd Charmers superb lovers rock reading of Phil Collins ‘If Leaving Me Is Easy’ . . . Phonogram dropped Janet Kay . . . Bob James ‘Angela (Theme from Taxi)’ is due on 3-track 12in, Star Sound’s follow-up is (yawn) a Rolling Stones medley (how many of them have there been?), while in a fortnight after Easter there’s a new 12in by Herbie Hancock and also “D” Train’s revival of Dionne Warwick’s ‘Walk On By’ . . . Rick James has cancelled his UK visit next week . . . SEDA ’82 Spring Fair at Hollingbourne’s Great Danes Hotel a few miles east of Maidstone starts this Saturday afternoon with a record fair, followed by Froggy’s disco in the evening, then Sunday (4) there’s the equipment exhibition, followed by an annual dinner and cabaret . . . Froggy will again be Radio One’s jazz-funk mouthpiece as well as doing some nifty mixes when Peter Powell’s summer soul show returns . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn secretary Frank Smith is currently on a computer programming course so he can cope with the new Sinclair ZX 81 now installed at TVDJA HQ to handle membership data . . . Tom Amigo (Barry) is also settling into his new day job computer programming . . . London’s Organisation of DJs (LODJ) is after more members — call Ralph on 01-805 8211 . . . Burnley’s Martin Platts, typically, this Saturday runs up the highest point in Lancashire with a 40lb pack on his back to raise funds for a hospice, starting at 11am at Darwen Circus (there’ll be a disco 800 feet up at the summit!) . . . Alan Taylor, 26 Terence Avenue, Rhyl, Clwyd, North Wales, LL18 1DD, has a US VHS 1½hr video of roller disco and invites Mark Clarke to drop him a line for a list of song titles used . . . Rob Harknett (Harlow) has a DIY tip for people wanting to paint their lamp bulbs: ‘Instalead’ comes in many colours and handy £1.05 tins from good class shops . . . Chris Kaye, 36 Dudley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1LH, has a secure but boring day job writing for a technical mag on frozen foods when he’s not DJing, but would prefer an interesting creative position in the music biz (so would lots of people who used to be in the music biz) . . . Staines Fusion Few and the Grooving Gropers both stayed away from Caister in protest at the banning by Showstoppers of Groove Weekly, who evidently had the temerity to print some letters criticising the previous Caister and other Sho-Pro gigs . . . Kevin James (Golders Green Great Expectations/various London pubs) was asked by a Greek accented young lady for some ballet music — no, not Swan Lake — “Belly dance music. I’m a belly dancer!” . . . Kev Hill (Basildon Sweeney’s) loved his trip to see Earth Wind & Fire: someone nicked his sweatshirt, while outside his car was broken into with superglue squirted all over his locks and the CB radio taken, and then his exhaust blew on the way home . . . I encountered a thief at Le Beat Route: some swine stole my original copies of Gene Chandler ‘Nothing Can Stop Me’, Tyrone Davis ‘Can I Change My Mind’, Willie Tee ‘Thank You John’ / ‘Walking Up A One Way Street’ and ‘Teasin’ You’ — offers of replacements would be appreciated . . . Steve Wiggins (Barry) has his own woes, a dose of glandular fever . . . Paul Major now funks Gt Yarmouth’s Brunswick (Regency Suite) every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday when its the Country Bumpkins Club . . . Eddie Gee of the 150-strong Loughborough University Jazz-Funk Society has a campus radio soul show called ‘The Sounds Of Underground Loughborough’, and goes mobile with Rohail Banduri in the Mastermind Roadshow . . . Robbie Collins now jazz-funks Ilford Lords on Fridays and has a teenage soul disco there on Mondays . . . Shalamar ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’ actually sounds insidiously catchy on radio . . . Voggue ‘Love Buzz’ is 122-121-122bpm . . . Roger Ames — I didn’t know Junior Giscombe was a white non-“disco” performer! . . . I must emphasise that the purpose of DJs sending us charts is not to hype records received in the mail but to reflect true floor reaction to your current playlist, thus giving the lower end of both the UK Disco 90 and POD more stability, and enabling companies to advertise their disco hits with more confidence — instead of, as was the recent case, watching their record drop right out again after an initial high entry — hyping helps nobody if you aren’t getting genuine audience reaction — and if you really are playing all the rubbish received in the mail, the last person it’s helping is you . . . KEEP IT GOOD!

UK NEWIES

MAZE featuring FRANKIE BEVERLY: ‘Joy And Pain’ (Capitol 12CL 211).
With nothing to stop it being a pop smash as it’s rhythmically similar to ‘Roots’ (out of which it mixes superbly), this live-recorded terrific jittery soulful subtle 106-105bpm anthem has an acappella singalong finish and should break wide open now following their sensational shows here, especially on 3-track clear vinyl 12in, flipped by the lovely gentle 38½-0bpm ‘Happy Feelin’s’ and older equally lovely mellow 49bpm ‘Golden Time Of Day’. To continue your education, get the parent ‘Live In New Orleans’ album (EST-12156), with the full length ‘Joy And Pain’, chugging 105-106-105bpm ‘Southern Girl‘, hustling 118½-119-120bpm ‘Changing Times‘ and similarly sinuous long 97-98-100-101-99bpm ‘Feel That You’re Feelin‘ and 95-94-96-0bpm ‘The Look In Your Eyes‘. THE sound of ’80s soul, not to be missed.

BRASS CONSTRUCTION: ‘Can You See The Light’ (Liberty 12UP 652).
Randy Muller in an overdue style change has created a dynamite ultra-infectious skipping little 116-117-116-115-116bpm 12in smacker with a nagging simple synth riff and catchy “na na na” chants which explode into the title line, all of which the funk fans are lapping up even if some stick-in-the-mud jazzers are groaning, while it’s breezy enough to hit pop fans too.

STONE: ‘Time’ (Carrere CART 236).
Blatantly modelled on the Strikers ‘Body Music’ and synching like a bitch with “D” Train, this tick-tocking alarm clock introed 123(very start)-121-123-121-123bpm 12in shrill chix/gruff guys prodded synth grumbler is so dead simple it’s the right side of moronic to have wide appeal, the shorter 121-123bpm instrumental flip being useful for mixing too. Continue reading “April 3, 1982: Maze, Brass Construction, Stone, The McCrarys, Judy Roberts”