July 1982 – James Hamilton's Disco Page

July 31, 1982: I Level, Evelyn King, Roy Hamilton, Eddie Murphy, Peech Boys

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

THE CRUSADERS continue in their attempt to alienate all their original fans. Joe Sample and Wilton Felder (who will be doing production work here several times a year now) have produced, written and played on the next release by — honestly, you’re never in a million years going to guess this, and in fact I find it hard to believe still, despite Joe having told me himself — yes, really, Kelly Marie! . . . Tony Jenkins SFX-like ‘Soul On Sound’ cassette magazine debuts this week and includes a review section constructed as a marathon mix of just 45 seconds each of 26 records, all segued in a continuous session by myself — and considering the restrictions, TJ hovering stopwatch in hand to tell me when 45 seconds was coming up, I think the result ain’t bad (it really was just one take, but there’s a splice near the end as a stylus jumped!) . . . Motown’s Robert Blenman is planning some Rick James promotion nights (featuring his records and videos with giveaways etc.) for the period 19-29 August and needs more midweek venues — if interested, contact Robert or Rose on 01-499 4100 . . . Rick’s follow-up, due then, will be ‘Hard To Get’ . . . Phonogram’s Jeff Young urgently requires heavy metal jocks for a new mailing list — apply to him with full genuine work details at Phonogram/Decca, 50 New Bond Street, London, W1 9HA . . . Polydor Promotions’ Adam Vincent is putting together a very limited video club list . . . Sharon Redd’s UK single looks like being ‘In The Name Of Love’ (oh well, another one down the tube) . . . Narada Michael Walden’s ‘Summer Lady‘, evidently big on the Continent thanks no doubt to its French speaking lady, is now on US Atlantic 12in flipped by his current UK issued ‘You Ought To Love Me’ . . . Rah Band’s remixed ‘Tears And Rain’ is due now as the A-side on 3-track KR 12in flipped by their recent TMT red label’s other two cuts . . . Pinnacle distributed Ace Records (one of Ted ‘Rock On’ Carroll’s labels along with Chiswick) in August launches a new Kent Records logo especially for ’60s soul, starting with a ‘For Dancers Only‘ LP containing such Northern specialities as Mary Love, Felice Taylor, Ikettes, ZZ Hill . . . Phonogram’s licence for Can’t Stop Productions — Ritchie Family and, er Village People product — expired last December so rather than having to renegotiate a new deal which would include the, er, Village People they passed on the Ritchie Family (although there were belated talks about just their album until that subsequently stiffed), while Can’t Stop’s deal with RCA evidently doesn’t include Britain . . . Whitehaven Whitehouse’s DJ Colin Young has his club top 20 on Radio Luxembourg this Friday (11pm), Colin’s own ‘Turn It Up’ show going out on BBC Radio Cumbria every Tuesday and Thursday 5-6pm . . . Luxembourg irritatingly kept fading away during Alan Coulthard’s ‘1979 CBS’ mix last Friday, a week when Alan sported his first love bite from a home town Cardiff girl who didn’t know he’d found such fame in London, that he’s now even getting records from Fred Dove! . . . WEA’s Dove incidentally takes time out in North Wales this weekend to help Al Taylor run to WEA party nights on Fri/Saturday at Poppeys in Bodelwyddan, just south of Rhyl . . . Roger Tovell’s Friday Funkshun show on Gloucester’s Severn Sound (388 MW) is an hour shorter now, 8-10pm, but much more up-front since its reclassification as a minority interest programme — Roger also jocks Fri/Saturdays at apathy-filled Stroud’s Brewhouse . . . Capital Radio’s Tony Hale, once producer of Radio One’s old Al Matthews soul show, never stopped talking about Bobby McFerrin during his on-air plugs for the Knebworth jazz festival (where the weather continued to be fine) — I wonder who told him Bobby was hot! . . . Jennifer Holliday is now top US black single and climbing the pop chart too . . . Angela Clemmons here has finally broken outside gay clubs — and it’s good to see Second Image with a chart hit at last . . . Irene Cara’s 12in quartz locks at 130bpm, the massive success of ‘Fame’ unfortunately proving that as people go out less these days you’ve really got to be on telly to get a hit . . . Gary Allan (Liverpool McMillans) says: “Still waiting for the return of the US Disco chart, as Billboard is starting to eat a large hole in my pocket — I’d rather buy a record with the money it costs” . . . Pete Tong should note my idea of soul is not “one big hand-clap”, although handclaps do help make disco records danceable — trouble is, there are not many people left who can remember my own idea of real soul (for instance, how many Falcons fans are out there now?!) . . . Jeff Young, Ian Shaw, now Wigan Pier’s Greg Wilson is the latest with a poodle haircut . . . Paul Anthony (Wolverhampton’s luxurious Eve’s, where he’d welcome more artist PA’s) watched for the first time a video of the movie ‘Fame’ and was more shocked by the language than young son Duncan! . . . Edgbaston Faces French jocks Steve Dennis and Alan Gibson are both noticing a demand for newer and newer material, Gibbo in the previously futurist-slanted Club Jardine section now playing what he calls “innovative uptempo electronic dance music”, which combines electro pop, funk, and gay sounds . . . Gary Old is packing Aycliffe Bee Jays at the weekends with mainly soul/funk people, nevertheless breaks up the night with no complaints from anyone by catering to the future-pop fans with two half-hour spots early and late in the evening . . . Newcastle Upon Tyne’s David Emery (54 Reid Park Road, Jesmond, NE2 2ES) has been operating a hand serviced promotion service to just a dozen or so Newcastle/Sunderland area DJs on behalf of various major labels (no jerks serviced and no other DJs needed at the moment), and would welcome further record company interest . . . Trevor Hughes of Telford’s Redeye mobile says Abba’s ‘When All Is Said And Done‘ is currently big with rock fans when played at 33 1/3rpm and introduced as the newie by either Jim Steinman or Meat Loaf! . . . Mike Page (Telford Nell Gwynn) had better strap on his cowboy holster incidentally as Trev is gunning for him with the charge that by under-cutting fees at the gig he’s spoiling things for established local jocks . . . Graham Gold hosts the first of four Sundays this week (1) at Deptford’s Albany Empire to be divided fortnightly between funk and reggae, this Sunday seeing Incognito and One Force playing live, then Second Image there two weeks later (15) . . . Keith Barker-Main, ex-Earls Court Grafitti, starts a weekly gay night at Brixton’s well-appointed Fridge club next Thursday (5) . . . Imagination ‘Just An Illusion’ still gets more requests than ‘Music And Lights’ — anyone else notice that? . . . Paul Major is busy at Great Yarmouth’s Brunswick Regency Suite yet still finds time to write a weekly Country Bumpkin newsletter full of reviews of his promos, and to write a book (which he’s paying to have published — Paul, that’s a con, they should be paying you) — so why’s he looking for work elsewhere? . . . Paul’s brother at some other unidentified East Anglian hot spot, Roger Dynamite, was impressed by the fun and games during a recent Tony Prince appearance, a “change your clothes” competition producing lots of fast fully frontal stripping, followed by 1500 plus people all turning their clothes inside out to Odyssey . . . Steve Day next season starting 21st August will be club DJ at Leyton Orient football ground . . . Bob Jones & Nicky Peck’s recent Isle of Wight jazz-funk boat trip had the added attraction of a close look in Portsmouth harbour at all the returned Falkland fleet . . . Hot Quisine ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling’ finished copies quartz lock at 124bpm . . . Chris Britton: ‘Saddle Up’ is 110bpm, T-Connection ‘Wanna’ 120-122bpm, OK? . . . Tony Reeve (St Albans) thinks it’s unfair and sexist in this age of ‘equal pay’ that club managements should give concessions to women with free or reduced admission and fewer dress restrictions than for men — but, Tony, think about it as a man, aren’t you going to frequent a club that’s full of scantily clad young ladles? . . . Paul Macey has moved residencies on the Isle Of Wight to the Warners Puckpool Holiday Camp at Ryde, while Mad Marx says “hi de hi” and “see you in September” to his jazz punters from his seasonal stint as a Redcoat at Clacton on Sea Butlins . . . Gary Allan is now taking bookings for a weekender at Butlins in Wales, any DJs want to join him? (that’s a joke!) . . . M Platts says “I’ve got to be honest, sometimes I do exaggerate” — no, surely not? . . . Nick Bradman, resident at Sheffield’s luxurious Maximillions, writes in the guise of “Disgusted, Rotherham” that as a bona fide full time DJ he still doesn’t get many promos . . . Edinburgh’s naughty DJ is rumoured now to have been using other DJs names to try and get additional mailouts from record companies, which may unwittingly have cut off the genuine DJs . . . oh for a return to the days when everyone bought all their records . . . KEEP IT TIGHT!

UK NEWIES

I LEVEL: ‘Give Me’ (Virgin VS 523-12).
Brilliant British trio, (two white, one black) debut with a fantastically simple catchy fresh 113½–114½–113½bpm 12in snapping and tapping roller (dynamite between Freddie James and Larry Graham) full of weird effects and budgie noises, smoothly chanted or instrumental on the ‘3 a.m.’ flip. This has crossover pop appeal just as much as the funksters will love it.

EVELYN KING: ‘Love Come Down’ (RCA RCAT 249).
Typically well controlled and carefully crafted steady 116-117bpm 12in snicker, terrific out of Larry Graham, with a surprisingly faster 117½-118½bpm instrumental flip, Evelyn wailing well and most powerfully as it progresses, but unless she pulls pop punters pre-conditioned by Patrice she may not cross over from the committed disco crowd this time.

ROY HAMILTON: ‘Take Your Time (The Ultimate Mixx)’ (Excaliber EXCL 522).
Roy’s terrific frantically fierce smacking Narada/“D” Train-inspired 130(intro)-123-121-123bpm 12in instrumental exciter has been cleaned up since its brief burst of white label activity — but beware, as it’s the flip that’s good, his new remixed vocal A-side now actually being worse than the first. Continue reading “July 31, 1982: I Level, Evelyn King, Roy Hamilton, Eddie Murphy, Peech Boys”

July 24, 1982: Kool & The Gang, Patrick Boothe, Keni Burke, Sharon Redd, Freddie James, first gay club chart

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

ROCKERS REVENGE has been snapped up by Phonogram for rush release on London, Satril picked up Dunn & Bruce Street . . . I’ve finally invested in a quartz locked deck, so all bpm’s will now be absolutely accurate (unless marked with c for circa — meaning they were done in a shop) . . . Steve Walsh (01-724 1559) is looking for a lighting and sound engineer, to learn the business from scratch if necessary, at one of the World’s major ballrooms (I wonder which one?!) . . . M Platts now — beat this! — says: “When between DJ jobs my charts are more accurate than half those working” . . . Russ Winstanley reintroduces Northern Soul allniters to Wigan at Tiffany’s the second Friday of every month from Friday August 13 (let’s hope that’s not an omen!), with all the old Casino jocks plus the prospect of Edwin Starr live in September — £2 for members, 1am-8am, 1,200 capacity, lotsa sweat! . . . Capital Radio’s open air Jazz Festival at Knebworth last weekend, at least, had great weather for once . . . Top Of The Pops recent ‘Soul Train’-like edition had its effect — look at the top end of the pop chart . . . I stopped playing ‘Fame’ after the fifth time at a mobile gig last Saturday — the TV series’ Erica Gimpel must be bitter that it’s not her version that hit here, as most people probably think they’re buying her . . . UK pressings of the ‘KISS Mastermixes’ double album, although identified by catalogue number and sleeve logo as on Epic, actually use the Prelude label on the actual records — a long overdue British identity for the hot American disco outlet . . . Whitehaven Whitehouse’s Phil Haslehurst sent me a tape of local Cumbrian band It Bites, whose ‘Ytopio’ is a very accomplished catchy fast flowing sax-led jazz instrumental . . . Gary Crowley could make a fortune doing gigs, to judge from the likely lad’s first live Tuesday broadcast from the Camden Palace recently on Capital . . . Alan Coulthard’s Solar mix got everyone talking who’d heard it on Luxembourg last Friday at 10.10pm — like a fool I forgot to hear it as I was out drinking with Peter Young! . . . OK, Keith, so Persis Kambata is not in the new ‘Star Trek’ flick, though it’s still subtitled ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ . . . Richard Allinson just did a brill segue from Ultravox ‘All Stood Still’ into the similar Sheena Easton ‘Machinery’ — what a way to start sitting in for Nicky Horne! . . . Rush Release’s Ian Titchener marries Clare soon, and invited the world to Harringay Lazers to celebrate this Tuesday just gone . . . Nicky Sands, once disco plugger for such as CBS and UA but now an area manager for Alfred Marks, finally made Joy an honest woman and honeymooned in New York where they caught all the many doo-wop shows, both live and on radio (check 101FM Sundays 7pm-midnight, and twiddle through AM frequencies Saturday 10am-2pm to locate Bobby Jay’s show) . . . Rick Holland kindly gave me a replacement Willie Tee ‘Walking Up A One Way Street‘ so Tuesdays at Le Beat Route are cool again! . . . Rick himself jocks at Tulse Hill’s Bonne Bonne (pronounced “Bon Bonnie”) where he alternates with Tom Nelson (The Admiral), and at Twickenham’s Winning Post . . . Bristol’s Martin Starr, thanks to a mention on this page, temporarily does Dave Beeching’s Level One club in Neasden shopping centre every Mon/Thursday . . . Mayfair Gullivers lets you drink yourself legless for free up until midnight every Tuesday, provided you pay £5 admission . . . Pigbag ‘Big Bean’ on 12in is 129-131-129-131bpm . . . I have seen the likely reality of the 21st century on Earth, in a preview of the hit US movie ‘Blade Runner’, and it is not a pretty sight — but the movie and its visionary effects are stunning . . . Abba’s ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ was only on 12in here, but did indeed come out in the States on 7in . . . Ronnie Scott’s got a chef in his club who’s half black and half Japanese, so every December he attacks Pearl Bailey! . . . KEEP IT TIGHT!

DUTCH BAND Blue Feather, currently climbing the charts with ‘Let’s Funk Tonight’, play a string of dates starting this month.

They kick off by supporting Light Of The World at Hammersmith Odeon on July 31 followed by gigs in their own right at: Hitchin Regal August 5, Manchester Unity 7, Cardiff Top Rank September 3, Brighton Top Rank 10, London Venue 11.

More dates will be confirmed later.

UK NEWIES

KOOL & THE GANG: ‘Big Fun’ (De-Lite DEX 7).
‘Celebration’ meets ‘Get Down On It’ halfway at 116bpm — which really says it all — the 12in being flipped by the extended 110-111bpm remix of ‘Get Down On It’ previously only available for Walkman wearers on the ‘Dura-Dance’ cassette compilation.

PATRICK BOOTHE: ‘Never Knew Love Like This Before’ (Streetwave STR A13-2596).
The Richard Jones-produced track is so truly awesome this time that the sinister bass figure is likely to do damage to your speakers as this purposefully pushing 109bpm 12in jitterer unwinds, Earth Wind & Fire’s overworked Phoenix Horns yet again braying behind pent up Patrick (instrumental flip) — but, vital to Streetwave though this release is, I still have the nagging doubt that not enough of a song develops, despite the last minute insertion at my suggestion of more variety towards the end. However, its immediate impact is strong (especially on radio), and it should do much better than that last disaster.

KENI BURKE: ‘Risin’ To The Top’ (RCA RCAT 252).
Around for ages on album, this beautifully soulful classy cool unhurried (0 -)94bpm 12in jogger has been flipped for value by his set’s next hottest cut, the similarly cool drifting and rolling 111-112½bpm ‘Hang Tight‘. On both, it’s the man’s vocal quality that counts. Continue reading “July 24, 1982: Kool & The Gang, Patrick Boothe, Keni Burke, Sharon Redd, Freddie James, first gay club chart”

July 17, 1982: Jeffrey Osborne, Fonda Rae, Shep Pettibone’s Mastermixes, Leroy Hutson, Zapp

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

SUGARHILL GANG ‘The Lover In You‘ was co-produced/penned by our own Pete Wingfield following Sylvia’s borrowing of his ‘It’s Good To Be The King‘ tune, and Pete along with Tiny Duke, Craig Derry and the Sequence actually handle all the singing with the Gang only doing the rap, a rather different original mix by Pete being likely to show up in some form here . . . Sugarhill’s house engineer Steve Jerome is indeed the immensely fat veteran who with brother Bill Jerome was responsible for many old hits like Hot Butter, and is not to be confused with British singer Jerome . . . Alan Coulthard’s debut remix medley of Kool & The Gang material on Radio Luxembourg last Friday at 10.10pm was so staggeringly brilliant I nearly wet myself with excitement, no way had I expected it to be that good — Froggy can forget it! . . . “D” Train’s import version of ‘Keep On’ is reputedly yet another better remix with a new dub flip . . . Wham, yet to live up to expectations, have a US promo remix of ‘Wham Rap’ . . . Renee Geyer’s Australian smash version of ‘Say I Love You‘, which got radio play but missed out in discos to Lenny Zakatek’s more authentic version here, is now on belated 12in (Portrait PRT A13-2056) . . . Eyes & Ears are circulating a 3-track 12in promo of singles currently only on Motown 7in, Bobby Womack ‘So Many Sides Of You‘ a mellow but forceful fast 127bpm bounder, High Inergy ‘First Impressions‘ a tremulously trilled tripping 112bpm swayer, and Bettye Lavette ‘I Can’t Stop‘ a ponderous ebbing and flowing 116bpm strutter . . . Phonogram’s Jeff Young sent out a US promo 12in of Starpoint ‘Get Your Body Up‘, a basic repetitive 119bpm funk jolter, purely because he had some . . . A&M are likely to be speeding up their black US releases here soon, and to keep things current when they do so will not be issuing Howard Johnson ‘So Fine’ . . . Gap Band yo-yo back to US Black number one, Stevie Wonder is top Dance/Disco . . . Colin Hudd is looking for a professionally minded DJ with the same mental attitude as expressed last week by Flash Gordon (DJ Top 20) for one night a week at Dartford Flicks (which will now reopen in August) — write to Colin at the club, Flicks, Kent Road, Dartford, Kent . . . Cleveland Area DJ Assn is promoting itself in September with an Adrian Love-headed monster roadshow incorporating a DJ competition open only to DJF members and (if sponsors can be found) a disco dancing contest too, at Redcar Leisure Centre — details from Tees-valley Roadshow’s Graham Bond (0642-325112) . . . Rob Hartman (Roydon) has updated news on the rigorous tests that DJs have to pass in Czechoslovakia before they can then charge a fee, which is itself assessed according to how they fare in the following: a mammoth written exam on the history and development of pop music, another ditto on world politics, practical and written tests on both listening and dancing programmes, plus a six-part test for equipment, microphone voice, lighting, wiring etc — not surprisingly there’s no “cowboy” problem there! . . . M. Platts is still representing himself to record companies as playing to — get this! — 48,000 people a week (which is some average for three staff discos in five weeks), and confesses that although he told me he’d raised £8,500 by running up Snowdon with a 90lb pack on his back he actually didn’t raise anything . . . you could say he’s been dead clever conning so many record companies for so long, but whichever way, it’s been an interesting case of the Walter Mitty’s — and a lesson is to be learnt: DJs who write too much in their reaction reports obviously can’t be that busy or else they wouldn’t have the time, whereas unfortunately it’s the really busy jocks who can do most for record companies in promoting their product rather than those with the time to write back . . . Paul Major, how busy are you? . . . Edinburgh’s Paul Fabian, now minus a lucrative source of revenue following the cessation of record company mailouts to him, no longer represents Eyes & Ears in Scotland . . . South Wales veteran Alan Christo, most recently working in Porthcawl, is open to offers on Abercynon 741463 from clubs in the area . . . Derek Pierce every Thursday at Moles Cub in Bath is featuring a whole range of black music, including Afro, reggae, funk and rap . . . Brother To Brother are busy on Thursdays at Stanmore Limes Country Clubs Chevaliers, but are so packed on Fri/Saturdays you have to be there before 10.30pm not to be amongst the 200 or more regularly turned away . . . Pete Haigh & Frenchie’s jazz-funk regularly pulls around 500 every Monday to Blackpool’s Man Friday’s, where Southern punters point up the musical differences by requesting Oliver Sain who never hit in the North-West . . . Greg Wilson is leaving Wigan’s Pier on a resident basis to funk as a freelance, but will still be there Tuesdays, and at Manchester Legend on Wednesdays . . . Larry Foster, busy around East London with five residency nights a week plus mobile gigs, is currently also back at Ilford’s Room At The Top on Saturday/Tuesday to stand in for vacationing John Osbourne . . . Nigel Porter has left Leicester to become assistant manager at Exeter’s HMV Shop, and immediately reports favourably on Chris Dinnis’s jazz-funk Saturdays at Boxes, but wonders if there’s a real market for the music in Exeter as his shop at present doesn’t stock it — which he could rectify given encouragement . . . Davy King reports from Northern Ireland that bona fide DJs get 10 per cent discount from Ian McDowell at Ballymena’s Cameron’s record shop . . . Nick Davies (Watford New Penny/Reading Cavershams) returned from the South of France clutching a Canadian import Beatles medley mixer with all their best known rockers expertly dovetailed under added drums and bass (rather than a drum machine) . . . Oui magazine recently featured a nude spread on Phyllis Hyman — gangway! . . . Ritchie Family was once due here via Phonogram — what happened? . . . Linx are noticeably absent from London’s Top 30 disco sellers . . . Evelyn King/Howard Johnson producer Kashif is recording himself for an autumn debut on Arista . . . Odyssey/Slave producer Jimmy Douglass is working with GQ now . . . Herbie Hancock’s US 7in is ‘Gettin’ To The Good Part’ . . . Chris Britton (Watford Baileys) wants £1,850 for his S-reg/full MoT/low mileage/electric windows/sunroof/stereo/leather upholstered Peugeot 604 SL (“good nick” sez he) — call Chesham 0494-772977 . . . Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre has a deck running a big 4bpm slow, I now discover, which means some of my short “circa” BPM calculations (despite adjustment) may be a little bit out! . . . Lindsay Wesker, thanx! . . . Rush Release seem to have serviced a whole lot of stuff that never reached me, hence I’ve no way of knowing what reviews may be missing . . . ‘Star Trek II’, with a now hirsute Persis Kambata still looking somewhat Morgan-like, is subtitled ‘The Wrath Of Khan’! . . . TV’s Robin Day, on leaving a table of friends at Soho’s L’Escargot brasserie (so convenient for Groove and Le Beat Route), took part in the following exchange: “Goodbye, Day” — “Sir Robin to you!” . . . KEEP IT TIGHT!

BROADWAY’S ‘DREAMGIRLS’ smash musical, about a Sixties black girlie group, now has its original cast album issued here (Geffen GEF 85578), off which the stunningly soulful Jennifer Holiday’s ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going‘ is a top ten 7in in the US black singles chart and a must for all true soul fans to hear. The standout of the recently televised Tony Awards, her stage version has sadly been drastically shortened even on LP (the BPM is immaterial although 0-30/60-0r), the whole thing being an emotional tour de force in which overweight Jennifer protests to her manager, who’s also been her lover, that she won’t leave the otherwise svelte Dreams to make way for a slimline replacement. The actual singing style of the Dreams is nothing like that of the Supremes, incidentally.

HOT QUISINE last Saturday had to be the hardest working band in show business, driving down from Sheffield in the morning to do a PA at an alldayer in Tolworth (SW London) before playing live at The Venue and then doing six more club PA’s, only to drive straight back home to Sheffield as the cold grey light of dawn was breaking. All this was to promote their upcoming new 12in, already about on white label, ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling‘ (Kaleidoscope KRL A13-2560).

UK NEWIES

JEFFREY OSBORNE: ‘I Really Don’t Need No Light’ (A&M AMSX 8234).
Great deceptively strong lazily jogging 107bpm 12in tugger by LTD’s ex-lead singer does nothing spectacular but is just darned soulful, and terrific mixed between Fatback ‘Shining Star’ and Lamont Dozier ‘Roots’. Yeah, like Maze, you could call it the “new soul”. Let it seep into you!

FONDA RAE: ‘Over Like A Fat Rat’ (Vanguard VSL 5023).
Purposefully but quietly authoritative precisely smacking chick souled chunky 111bpm 12in thudder builds tension to become extremely powerful in accumulative effect, and should have been bigger on import.

VARIOUS: ‘98.7 KISS FM presents Shep Pettibone’s Mastermixes‘ LP (Epic EPC 22138).
The 1980’s equivalent of those ‘Good Guys’ oldies but goodies albums which every US radio station used to put out plastered (as is this) with their DJs signatures, the much discussed double album of Prelude remixes is currently hot amongst the mixing fraternity for the inevitable 120bpm “D” Train ‘You’re The One For Me‘, the wild and wonderful 113bpm Jeanette ‘Lady’ Day ‘Come Let Me Love You‘, 111bpm Sharon Redd ‘Can You Handle It‘, 112bpm France Joli ‘Gonna Get Over You‘, 121bpm Secret Weapon ‘Must Be The Music‘. The UK price of around £5.50 is reckoned to be cheap. Continue reading “July 17, 1982: Jeffrey Osborne, Fonda Rae, Shep Pettibone’s Mastermixes, Leroy Hutson, Zapp”

July 10, 1982: Thunderthumbs & The Toetsenman, D Train, Junior, Deodato, Bohannon

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

ALAN COULTHARD starts this Friday a weekly ten minute mixing spot on Tony Prince’s Radio Luxembourg disco show (9-11pm) — Froggy’d better watch his crown! . . . Blue Feather’s ‘Let’s Funk Tonight (Club Instrumental)‘, the “Young & Strong second edition” now as third track on their 12in, still has a snatch of vocal at the start and is at 119bpm just 1bpm faster than the plugside (which I hadn’t realized in the UK pressing has yet more vocal at the end, unlike the therefore still superior US version) . . . Ian Levine (Charing Cross Heaven) reminds us that the Broadway smash ‘Dreamgirls’ is extremely similar to the 1976 film ‘Sparkle’ starring ‘Fame’s Irene Cara, Lonette McKee and more as a Supremes-like girlie group called Sister And The Sisters, with Sixties-style score by Curtis Mayfield featuring Aretha Franklin on the soundtrack album — who’s got the UK rights? . . . Marvin Howell’s picked up the Boys Town Gang’s Dutch chart-topping ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, but for ERC rather than his Project or System labels . . . Jonathan King’s slot on ‘Top Of The Pops’ has to be the biggest boost a foreign record can get here . . . David ‘Frantique’ Christie’s ‘Saddle Up’, evidently hitting all over the world, turns out to be the first product from Mike ‘Shout’ Collier’s new Joy label, leased to KR as a one-off . . . Cheri have been answered in the States by The Murphy’s ‘Murphy’s Jive Law‘ (US Venture) . . . Gap Band briefly hiccuped to number 1 in the US Black Singles chart (as Billboard now calls it) only for the Dazz Band to return after one week, but Gap are now top Black LP, while Sinnamon is top Dance/Disco . . . Illusion’s version of ‘Why Can’t We Live Together‘ is a US black hit on Sugarhill there . . . ‘Jive Rhythm Trax‘, instrumental rhythm track versions of various current hits, will soon be on Jive LP . . . Ken ‘B’ full-time instore DJ at Southampton’s Top Man/Top Shop (33-35 Above Bar), finds it increasingly difficult to get onto mailing lists yet says large stores like his are ideal for record promotion — maybe he should try radio rather than disco pluggers . . . West Surrey & Hants DJ Assn meet Monday (12) at 8pm in Guildford’s Stoke Hotel (details Chris on Cranleigh 2641 — and, er, make that XL blue!) . . . Capital never stop playing the Valentine Brothers following the belated enthusiasm of Gary Crowley — they obviously weren’t paying as much attention to Greg Edwards two months ago, or to Peter Young almost as long ago (Peter’s promos for last week’s ‘Best Disco In Town’ were incidentally amongst the funniest things I’ve ever heard — “Say hi South London, say hi North London, say hi Mum!”) . . . Shalamar’s Jeffrey Daniels, still body-poppin’ all over the place (and making a smash in the process), had his hair cut in Chelsea’s Kings Road . . . Dartford Flicks will reopen on a Friday later this month with Chris Hill and Colin Hudd holding a fireman’s fancy dress night in the revamped interior (just don’t let Colin near any matches!) . . . Bob Jones, still funk-jazzing Chelmsford’s Countryman Mon/Fridays, plays solid jazz every Tuesday at The Oddfellows pub in Chelmsford’s Springfield Road, where Gene Ammons ‘Jungle Strutt‘ is the boss biggie for Bob, who returns a “hi” to Mike Page (Telford Nell Gwynn) . . . Paul Rae reports from Manchester Legend that their Thursdays are “allsorts” nights, mixing Killing Joke/Bauhaus, German imports, funky electro-disco, reggae, Northern soul, Sixties oldies and sillies like Bucks Fizz or Boney M — in other words it sounds like a regular Wally gig (no insult intended!) and evidently surprised a visiting Clare Grogan . . . Paul also wonders why, with so much great sound equipment but no microphone, the Camden Palace doesn’t employ DJs who can mix? . . . hmm! . . . Tony ‘Soul On Sound’ Jenkins whispers that the place to be this Friday is . . . mumble, mumble, mumble . . . Paul Fabian, come in, your time is up! . . . Colin Cordrey (Edinburgh Madhatters Speakeasy), wait for ‘Soul On Sound’ . . . oh, yes, Laytons Cellars, under St Pancras Station in Midland Road, smart attire essential . . . Bee Gee Barry Gibb is currently producing (separately) Righteous Brother Bill Medley and Dionne Warwick, both of whom could well sound good given his style . . . Darryl Hayden has given up fire-eating and DJing to get a proper job as manager of West Kensington’s Sunset Club in North End Road . . . Glen Auld (Prestwick) would give his right arm for a copy of that Shep Pettibone remixed KISS version of Diana Ross ‘Mirror Mirror’ — now that is a record you will never own! . . . Polydor have re-released again the classic 1962 live recording of James Brown, now retitled ‘Live And Lowdown At The Apollo, Vol. 1’ (Polydor mid-price 2482 530), from the era that I must confess, turned me deeply onto soul — but it does sound strange hearing it now in stereo . . . I haven’t been mentioning my Sixties Soul nights every Tuesday at Soho Greek Street’s Le Beat Route (with Alex Getrry topping and tailing the evening) mainly because they are every week, and (touch wood) are going extremely well . . . Steve Durrell (Staines) didn’t know Chan Romero originated ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’ — that’s Association Of Stammerers 1, Disco nil! . . . ‘I Want Candy’, ‘Iko Iko’ now the Belle Stars have done ‘The Clapping Song’ — not to mention Bananarama reviving the Sixties girlie group sound — it’s just like 1965 all over again! . . . how long before someone unearths Bunker Hill ‘Hide And Go Seek‘? . . . DJs using the Light Of The World promo 4-track 12in presumably didn’t realise that ‘I Can’t Stop’ was flip of the group’s previous 12in, totally ignored then . . . is there something cryptic in the Jane Fonda Workout Record’s caption, ‘Can You Feel It’ — The Jacksons?! . . . KEEP IT TIGHT!

KID CREOLE’S new release on remixed 12in this week is ‘Stool Pigeon‘ (Ze 12WIP 6793), a jerkily rolling 108½bpm smacker with typically sassy low-life storyline after a long intro, flipped by the brand new and as yet unheard ‘Double On Back‘.

AT LAST! Here are the mysterious men behind top disco sellers Blue Feather and their mega club hit, ‘Lets Funk Tonight’. Blue Feather, who all come from Holland, have been together since 1976 and feature Ron and Ed Brouwer singing and playing guitar, Dirk Nusink on percussion, Rob Hoelen on guitar, Jan Willem Weeds singing and playing keyboards and Lex Nusink on drums.

CAUGHT ON THE HOP

MARTIN PLATTS, well opinionated scourge of the record companies in his voluminous weekly reaction reports, has after extensive detective work been exposed. He has been receiving free promotional records for several years without having a regular disc-jockeying job.

My own suspicions (as you may have noticed in several cryptic comments) were increased when his unending stories about his marathon charity running activities never mentioned where he was working.

The running probably isn’t genuine either, come to that!

DJ Federation chairman and secretary of the North West DJ Association, Maggie Parsons had tried to contact Blackburn based Platts’ telephone number and address printed on this page, thinking that such an active DJ in the area should be approached to join the Association, but the telephone was cut off and no written replies came.

After further attempts to trace him, the NWDJA then decided to check a big outdoor charity event he was evidently doing at Clitheroe Castle, only to discover that no such event was to take place. After yet more detective work, Maggie noted from this page that in a newsletter from independent plugger Theo Loyla early in June that Platts was reportedly working in North Wales at Butlin’s in Pwllheli, as he had told Theo, but not me.

Maggie rang Butlin’s and asked for the name of their DJ, “Keith” they said. Maggie then rang Theo to tell him of her suspicions and Theo informed her that Platts was indeed working at Butlin’s, as he had a copy of his staff number.

Maggie immediately rang the Butlin’s personnel officer and after establishing her credentials was informed that Martin Platts was a counter service hand in the retail sales department . . . which probably meant he was wiping tables in the cafe. When pressed, he claimed he was planning a staff disco at Butlin’s.

Further detective work amongst WEA’s Fred Dove and CBS’s Caroline Moore had thrown up other doubts and ideas about his supposed DJ work.

Certainly three years ago Martin Platts was a real live club DJ at Romeo & Juliet’s in Blackburn where he was seen by Theo Loyla.

Since then however, after losing his gig, it appears that he kept on the record companies’ books by concocting more and more outrageous fantasies about his activities and by supposedly running a panel of punters who took hours to deliberate about the accurate chart placing for all the promo records he played — this last effort being practised by Theo in the newsletter which was to prove his undoing.

When approached by RECORD MIRROR, Platts said he was working as a regular DJ at Butlin’s staff club, in five weeks he had worked there three times. At the moment he was a counter service hand, but he was hoping for a full time job as a DJ.

The last marathon he had run in was the Inter Service Championships at RAF Swinderby near Lincoln on April 26.

UK NEWIES

THUNDERTHUMBS AND THE TOETSENMAN: ‘Freedom’ (Polydor POSPX 480).
Level 42’s bassist Mark King and keyboardist Mike Lindup (Toetsenman is Dutch for keyboard) combine alone for a great smoothly harmonised but otherwise all happening joyously bright and lively 127-126-127bpm 12in racing rattling romp with Latin percussion, Al DiMeola-ish guitar and the whole shebang recorded in crystal clarity. Wow! Stay still to this if you can! The ‘Freedom A Go-Go‘ flip’s an instrumental treatment.

“D” TRAIN: ‘Keep On’ (Epic EPC A13-2543).
Always bigger for upfront jocks than ‘Walk On By’, this remixed Evelyn King-ish coolly tripping 116-0bpm burbler is modern disco perfection as it thumps along through many changes to a great chiming and rattling synth climax (don’t mix out of it early — play it all!), on 3-track 12in with his LP’s dub-like 120bpm ‘You’re The One For Me (Reprise)’ and less distinguished 124bpm ‘Love Vibrations’.

JUNIOR: ‘Too Late’ (Mercury MERX 112).
Ponderously jolting slow 104bpm 12in melodic roller — here is the Tee Scott remixed US promo version without the original LP’s doodling finish — distinguished by truly outstanding lyrics beautifully sung in a worrying pent-up whinny. Continue reading “July 10, 1982: Thunderthumbs & The Toetsenman, D Train, Junior, Deodato, Bohannon”

July 3, 1982: Patrice Rushen, Candela, Sinnamon, Booker T, Magic Lady

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

Kool’s new ‘Big Fun’ 12in is due here in a fortnight hopefully, with the ‘Get Down On It’ remix as probable flip, the Gang’s ‘Best Of’ double LP having been shelved temporarily . . . Roy Hamilton will be remixed on Excaliber . . . Linx and Rick James are both on picture disc 7in, Rick also being confirmed as a commercial 12in . . . Motown have a full length ‘Do I Do’ video which includes Dizzy Gillespie, but ‘Top Of The Pops’ obviously didn’t get that far! . . . “D” Train’s ‘Keep On’ 12in is a 3-tracker including ‘You’re The One For Me (Reprise)’, but somehow it hasn’t reached me yet— nor has the Rah Band’s new 3-tracker, ‘Hungry For Your Jungle Love’ / ‘Party Games’ / ‘Tears And Rain’ (TMT) . . . Donna Summer (ooh — let’s use a pic, quick!) has a US promo 12in that’s only the 40 seconds longer LP version, but a new Quincy Jones remix could be coming commercially . . . Deodato’s fast ‘Celebration’-ish new ‘Happy Hour‘ (127bpm US 12in promo / 126bpm UK 7in) is due here on 3-track 12in with the better more mellow 115-116bpm ‘Sweet Magic‘ and old 114bpm ‘Night Cruiser’ (Warner Bros) . . . Jeffrey Osborne ‘I Really Don’t Need No Light‘ is imminent here on 12in, Herbie Hancock’s rapid follow-up (7in so far) is ‘The Fun Tracks’ / ‘Give It All Your Heart’ . . . Billy Ocean’s empty 127bpm ‘I Can’t Stop’ UK 7in release is on promo 12in now . . . Saint Tropez have an import 4-track “mini-LP” with extended versions of the great ‘Femmes Fatales‘, ‘Belle De Jour’, ‘Love Stealers’, ‘One More Minute’ (US Destiny DTA-20001) . . . Odyssey are the pop number one in London and even Larry Graham’s at 29 (2 Disco) — Larry incidentally will be in town this Saturday, doing PA’s in Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre at 2.30pm and Paddington’s Bluebird Records shop as well sometime . . . ever tried mixing to a muffled echo because (although requested) the monitors weren’t on, using a cue system which cuts off the PFL as soon as you start running the record in, with decks which won’t slip start when you try to chop mix? — that’s what it was like at Margate on Sunday, so apologies for any disappointment . . . Steve Walsh had the devil of a job trying to co-ordinate the all-dayer’s events, but at least there was a good crowd (poorly served by the atrocious sound system) and there was always the seafront sleaze as a counter-attraction . . . I called in on Nicky Peck at Bearsted’s Tudor whatsit on the way home, bumping into Tom Holland, and was interested to note that Nicky had a far better floor, once he switched from commercial to hard sounds — or was it just that the bar had closed and there was nothing else to do but dance?! . . . Tom really did celebrate his birthday at Leysdown Stage 3 last Saturday, but not his 21st — in fact, he’s (whisper whisper whisper) four years younger than me! . . . Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes were so superb (as if the ’70s had never existed) at Mayfair Gullivers last Wednesday that they came back on Friday as well, Wednesday’s audience having included Ben E King and Shalamar’s Jeffrey Daniel . . . Jeffrey was in fact much in evidence around London last week, doing his dance at Le Beat Route’s “every Monday is New Year’s Eve” night — which is amazingly good and busy, not only for a Monday but for any night . . . Slave are rumoured to be in line for a seaside gig in October — ouch, that’s me kneecaps! . . . Ernie Priestman, co-founder of Whitehaven’s legendary Whitehouse, has resurfaced with a new club in Blackpool opening this coming Tuesday (6), the Touchdown in Talbot Road, where Ernie himself and local lad Gary Hickson will handle the jocking (Chris & Carol, we’re invited up) . . . Nick Ratcliffe starts a freestyle dance championship at Camberley Ragamuffins on Tuesday (6) to run through August weekly, details on Camberley 24420 . . . Froggy does a Chris Hill and starts a Friday residency at Southend’s Zero 6 this month . . . Pete Tong has surrendered Fridays at the Barracuda to an electro night and is already funking Charing’s King Arthur’s Court instead . . . Cleveland Area DJ Association meet this Sunday (4) 7-10pm at Middlesbrough’s Post House with a special guest, DJF secretary Mike Hill, details from Teesvalley Roadshow’s Graham Bond (0642-325112) . . . Radio Cleveland’s Colin Bunion is inviting Cleveland area DJs to review new records ‘Round Table’ style on air, call him on Middlesbrough, 248491 . . . West Surrey & Hampshire DJ Assn’s Disco magazine is getting quite bulky — a cheque/PO for £3.60 (payable to the assn) will get ten issues mailed from Chris Cole, Brooklands Farm Bungalow, Pepperbox Lane, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey, GU5 0LW . . . SOS stands for ‘Soul On Sound’ and is an interesting new aural enterprise from Tony Jenkins, who’s got things taped . . . Tom Wilson (Edinburgh Oscars) reckons the Beeb are bigoted by not mentioning the black Deniece Williams and Ray Parker Jr in a recent US chart rundown on ‘Top Of The Pops’ — but at least ‘TOTP’ made up for it last week, looking at times more like ‘Soul Train’! . . . Yvonne Mobely’s Shep Pettibone interview on ‘Steppin’ Out’ was a waste of time, all typically American hot air telling one nothing about the technique of remixing records, and using bland American records as a demonstration instead of something recognizable here so that we could spot what had been done to change them . . . Jack Wood (Huddersfield Flix) does his own clever remixes which he puts on cassette, ‘You’re The One For Me’ being best that I’ve heard . . . those illegal remixes mentioned last week are going to be impossible to find, I fear, as the whistle’s really been blown on ’em . . . Mark Clark (Bracknell) is back from Rotterdam clutching some Canadian speed-up remixes of Imagination’s singles . . . Bobby McFerrin is obviously the macho name to put in your charts currently, his 134-128-0-(intro)-132/264bpm ‘Dance With Me‘ being undeniably brilliant and popular at a certain level — but a major floor-filler? . . . South Wales’s Phil Black is now Head of Music on Jersey for the Modern Hotels Group’s own internal radio station MHG Radio Channel 2 . . . Paul Macey, busy over the last two years since starting at Nodes Point holiday camp, has returned to the Isle Of Wight as full-time resident jock at the big screen video equipped Keats Inn in Shanklin, and would welcome any VHS promos (73 Downsview Road, St Helens, Ryde, IoW, PO33 1YD . . . Neil Midha & Billy Baker jazz-funk Kensington Muppets every Tuesday now with reduced £2 admission for non-members, free cocktails before 11pm and other inducements, because they say (and this is a real cri de coeur!), “We are funking sick of playing ‘Boogie Wonderland’ to wallies who think they’re dancing to jazz-funk and if I have to play ‘Ladies Night’ as a request for one more person I think I’ll give up being a jock and become a consultant for run down DJs” . . . Phil Jay’s jazz-funk activities now embrace Godalming’s Secrets club Sunday/Thursday, Guildford’s Royal Hotel Friday, West Byfleet’s Carafino pub Tuesday — all evidently doing well . . . Stockton’s Fiesta has closed briefly for a refit to become a top class disco . . . Rob Harknett (Harlow) finds that local bands are now copying the medley running order of his German Ariola 7in version of Saragossa Band ‘Saragossa On 45’ . . . Alan Costa (Brighton Kings Club) has a similar medley of Italian disco hits, Italian Stars ‘Italian Disco Stars‘ . . . Boys White Teeth from Hampshire are the first disco signing to Melksham’s TW label (now home of ex-CBS Jenni Nicholson), their ‘Prices (Will Be Quoted)‘ being due soon . . . Fatman Graham Canter jocked at Drifter Johnny Moore’s wedding recently, and says it was the funkiest gig he’s over done! . . . Teddy Pendergrass, while obviously not very fit, is reportedly not as bad as feared and could even be returning to the studios soon (which must please the ailing Philadelphia International) . . . Alan Donald (Rothesay Paddle Boat) has revived Nancy Wilson ‘I’ve Never Been To Me‘ (Capitol) . . . It seems a certain hot and bothered Edinburgh DJ has been dealing in the futures market — like flogging the rights to his future mail-outs from individual companies to other less fortunate jocks at a hundred quid a time . . . Earth Wind & Fire’s ever busy Phoenix Horns Esquire are on Genesis ‘Paperlate’ . . . Graham Gold (Mayfair Gullivers) surprised himself with a brilliant mix from Dunn & Bruce Street into A Taste of Honey, Eddie Gee (Loughborough Students Union Jazz-Funk Society) mixes Superior Movement ‘Wide Shot’ and the KISS remix Empress ‘Dyin’ To Be Dancin’ . . . Mike Anthony (Uxbridge) mixes Chic ‘Good Times’ clapping break into Cheri . . . I badly need lots more pix of good disco artistes to use in this expanded column, if record companies could oblige . . . Capital Radio’s Peter Young (who originally didn’t want a name check but has now changed his mind) is responsible for this current tag — KEEP IT TIGHT! (or right!) (pop-pickers!) (stay bright!) . . . AAH, SHUDDUP!

PHYLLIS HYMAN, star of the long running smash Tony Award Winning Broadway musical ‘Sophisticated Ladies’ built around the music of Duke Ellington, has had special leave of absence to appear as a guest singer at The Duke Ellington Sacred Concert this coming Wednesday (7) at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Any chance of some PAs too, cos over here she’s better known as a soul star?

UK NEWIES

PATRICE RUSHEN: ‘I Was Tired Of Being Alone’ (Elektra K 13184T).
Her album’s slow ‘Remind Me‘ would have given radio a better indication of Patrice’s staying power than this pale and so far insignificant 118bpm imitation of ‘Forget Me Nots’, BUT — it is on a 3-track 12in with an extended 115-114-115bpm version of the monster cool jazzy ‘Number One‘ instrumental and the older but now extremely useful soaringly stomping 113(intro)-115-116-118-115-116-118-115(break)-116bpm ‘The Funk Won’t Let You Down‘. Flip it!

CANDELA: ‘Love You Madly’ (Arista ARIST 12473).
‘Boogie Wonderland’ — introed strong vocal interplay driven lurching 117bpm 12in thudder with wailing chix, soulful guys and an exciting stereo synth break, combining to make an established import hit with possibly classic potential.

SINNAMON: ‘Thanks To You’ (Becket BKL 3).
Starting with a great abrasively scolding lady and timid guys “telephone” exchange over the basic beat, this import smash sparsely arranged ever changing chick squawked excellent drumkit prodded 118-119-118bpm 12in thudder is remarkably (and ultra-mixably) like Electrik Funk most of the time, especially on 2-track flipside 119bpm instrumental and Peech Boys-ish ‘Fierce Reprise‘ continuation. Continue reading “July 3, 1982: Patrice Rushen, Candela, Sinnamon, Booker T, Magic Lady”