October 1982 – James Hamilton's Disco Page

October 30, 1982: Gary’s Gang, Nick Straker Band, Greg Henderson, Wreckin Crew, Madonna, Janet Jackson

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

EVELYN KING ‘Back To Love‘ / ‘Shame’ is the follow-up, due now . . . Lionel Richie is now selling better on less noisily pressed French import, but in fact his album has been banned on import anyway . . . Mighty Diamonds ‘Pass The Kouchie‘ has been re-promoted not surprisingly on 70½bpm 7in (Music Works RT 100), but whether it’s on 12in again is unclear . . . Mark Clark, with friends in high places, got the Liberal Publication Dept to send me David Steel’s ‘I Feel Liberal — Alright!‘ (Scotland Video SV 555), a fairly moronic 94-95bpm 7in pop chanter complete with printed instructions to dance the Steel-Step, of curiosity value solely for the Liberal leader’s superimposed “rap” towards the end! . . . Incantation’s “Andean” 96-122bpm ‘Cacharpaya’ is also on 12in (Beggars Banquet BEG 84T) . . . Freda Payne, Denroy Morgan, Jamaica Girls, Disco Connection are coming from PRT . . . The Jammers ‘And You Know That’ has now appeared in a Shep Pettibone ‘Dub Version’ with his original mix side as flip (US Salsoul SG 337) . . . Yaz(oo) ‘Don’t Go’ now tops the US Dance/Disco chart . . . Barry’s Disco Centre holds another equipment exhibition in Gloucester on Sunday 14th November, in the Gloucester Leisure Centre 12-5.30pm, including large screen video, a huge Pulsar lighting display, and PA by Radio 1’s Simon Bates . . . Edgbaston Faces French now hold the DJ Convention on Sunday 28th November, and it’s co-sponsored by Rush Release/Club Mirror — who are also mounting a national search for the Disc Jockey Of The Year (disco/cabaret club/college/pub jocks eligible) . . . Rush Release Video Ltd has also been launched to supply clubs with up to date video compilations covering three musical categories — Pop/MoR, Soul/Disco, Alternative/Dance — as near to monthly as possible and all for just a £25 registration fee (for one category, £50 for two, £60 for three) per annum, the actual tapes being financed by a sponsor’s adverts which will comprise 2 second flashes between tracks and one full commercial (details 01-675 4916) . . . Disc-Eyes video compilations at £60 per month for one hour of general chart/new release/oldies material look less attractive in comparison now although they’re in line with other prevailing charges (details 01-734 8311) . . . New York based Davemann Enterprises (they control OPEC, the Organisation of Professional Entertainers of Color, a DJ record pool) are rather sketchily asking for UK or European “music coordinators” (ie: DJs) to work in America — don’t only send your details but ask for their full terms and conditions, contacting Diana Bravo, 175 Main Ave, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798, USA (Suite 170) . . . Giles Rankin (ex-Southampton University’s Bootsies) will be assistant manager at the new Our Price record shop in Bournemouth’s Commercial Road, and personally responsible for the import stock giving DJs reasonable rates . . . Peterborough’s ‘Godfather’ Steve Allen sits in for holidaying Robert Jones on Hereward Radio’s Soul Show this Saturday 7-10pm, Greg ‘115bpm’ Wilson should be starting his new mixing spots (three of 15 minutes each) on Mike Shaft’s Piccadilly Radio soul show this Sunday afternoon . . . Harvey Fuqua rang me last week to say that he’ll be working here and in Belgium now, and — considering he gave Marvin Gaye his first gig back in the late ’50s as one of his Moonglows — Harvey’s new production partnership with Marvin is aptly called Full Circle . . . Marvin incidentally is conspicuously absent from Motown’s new two ’16 Big Hits’ LPs (‘The Early ’60s’ / ‘The Late ’60s’), but on the other hand there’s an inordinate amount of Diana Ross & The Supremes included . . . Theo Loyla finally marries Level 42 sleeve-designing Joy Barling this coming Monday, celebrating afterwards at the now thoroughly presentable and flourishing Mayfair Gullivers . . . I did a wedding gig last Saturday in possibly the largest acreage of marquee I’ve ever seen, ending up this time with all the fellas zooming up and down the full length to the ‘Dambusters’! . . . Frank Sinatra’s ‘Night And Day’ suddenly sounds essential, since its brilliant adaptation into an Outdoor Girl cosmetics commercial . . . Gary Oldis (Aycliffe Bee Jays Country Club) compiled his current chart purely from request slips, and still Alfie Silas ‘Puppet‘ came in at number 9 — hurrah! . . . Mark Clark (Bracknell 54799) needs the US 12in disco remake of Andy Williams ‘Love Story’, your price paid . . . Chris Ramrachia (01-422 6338), early week warm-up to Graham Gold at Gullivers, wants mobile or resident work (who doesn’t?) . . . Graham’s hairstyle incidentally, halfway to a new cut last week, temporarily made him look like an economy size Steve Walsh! . . . ouch, that’s my shin! . . . Kev Hill (Brentwood) was puzzled by a request for “the one with the geezer who shouts “horse shit”, until it turned out to be the “push it” bit from Weeks & Co! . . . Colin Cordrey (Edinburgh Mad Hatter’s Speakeasy) had a white drawling US southerner ask after an hour of solid soul mixing, “Don’t you-all ever play any American music?” — turned out the idiot appeared quite unaware of any music outside Country & Western! . . . Larry Foster says he almost saw John Osborne at Ilford’s Room At The Top but before he could get near him, John was fighting off a posse of women who mistook him for Nick Heyward — and he was literally caught with his pants down! . . . The Hudsons have done a great jingle for Soul On Sound, so how come they can’t sing that well on their record?! . . . Frenchie’s latest slow oldie around the North-West is Roberta Flack ‘Qual E Malindrinho‘ (MCA LP) . . . Charly Records have released the Nina Simone ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ LP of vintage ’50s cuts (CR 30217) . . . John Dene (Dunstable & Wimbledon Tiffanys) superimposes the first few seconds of ‘E.T. Boogie’ over any instrumental bit of Yaz ‘Situation (Dub Mix)’ . . . ‘Star Wars’ as predicted lost its sense of wonder when seen on the small screen (in fact I went out for a meal!) . . . Chris Hill, future singing star? . . . Paul Anthony (Wolverhampton Eve’s) continues his “do it do it” theme with “DJs do it with Shure microphones, James Hamilton does it with a stopwatch, Steve Walsh does it with curling tongs, Rush Release do it with everybody, Radio One’s Steve Wright won’t do it in Wolverhampton” . . . Paul Anthony does it without kneecaps? . . . KEEP THE FORCE!

AT LAST CBS have released the long awaited 12in version of Marvin Gaye’s superbly sensuous 97/47bpm ‘(Sexual) Healing‘ (CBS A 13-2855), although at 4:50 the ‘Club Mix’ is hardly a marathon — so mixers will still probably combine two copies using the instrumental flip. Unbelievably, all the backing is completely electronic.

UK NEWIES

GARY’S GANG: ‘Knock Me Out’ (Arista ARIST 12499).
Right back with their old ‘Keep On Dancin’ sound, this Eric Matthew-produced cheerfully romping 121½-121bpm 12in crossover smash sounds refreshingly simple and frisky (instrumental flip) and is already hitting radio here.

THE NICK STRAKER BAND: ‘Straight Ahead’ (Firebird/Pinnacle 12 FLAME 33).
Appropriately titled excellent simple 121½bpm 12in driving smacker has high pitched harmonies, honking sax, intensifying rhythm, and two more differently treated instrumental versions on the flip.

GREG HENDERSON: ‘Dreamin’ (Greyhound Record Productions GRPT 101, via IDS).
On UK release just as it’s picked up by SAM in the States, this massive smash jazz-funk flowing 116bpm 12in shuffler may have less commercial appeal than the above two reviews but musically is the one discerning fans will buy. Continue reading “October 30, 1982: Gary’s Gang, Nick Straker Band, Greg Henderson, Wreckin Crew, Madonna, Janet Jackson”

October 23, 1982: Caister Soul Weekend report, Peech Boys, Ruddy Thomas & Susan Cadogan, Conway & Temple, Donald Byrd

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

YAZ(OO) ‘SITUATION’ remixed imports can no longer be sold here as the publishers, Sonet, have not issued a licence to cover the mechanical copyright — so why don’t Mute put it out? . . . Casablanca will soon release here the highly prized (and priced) Disconet remix of Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’ . . . Greg Henderson will be the first release on import distributors Greyhound’s own new Greyhound Record Productions label . . . Gwen McCrae ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ is due on 12in this weekend (c/w ‘Funky Sensation’) . . . Billy Griffin will be on UK 12in early November . . . Gary’s Gang has been picked up by Arista . . . UK release is also due for the SOS Band, Extra T’s, “Q”, Bobby “O”, Divine, Flirts . . . Caister debuted the Arthur Baker produced remake by Nairobi of ‘Soul Makossa’ (out here immediately after the first import copies arrive), Prince ‘Dance Music Sex Romance‘ (a big Chris Hill wind up mixed with Mandrill/George Clinton but not due on single), Central Line ‘You’ve Said Enough‘, and (another Hill exclusive) the promo-only US RCA 12in B-side remix of Eric Robinson ‘Walk In The Light‘ . . . Pieces Of A Dream have answered Grand Master Flash with their own rap treatment of ‘Mt. Airy Groove’ in the USA . . . Earl Klugh’s old ‘Twinkle‘ 12in (Liberty 12UP 647) has been revived for his UK visit . . . Ralph Tee’s excellent much read Groove Weekly fanzine has sadly bowed out, but in great style, marking both its 100th issue and the 10th Caister with a fully typeset edition featuring a full colour cover . . . David ‘Rowdy’ Yeats has returned to PRT in an A&R capacity . . . CBS disco plugger Caroline Douratsos has been receiving completed reaction reports to a record which although mentioned never came out — there really are some dummies out there! . . . Al Taylor (Bodelwyddan Poppeys) says a Phil Ramacon PA was overshadowed by Island plugger Lloyd Burrell’s limelight stealing Jeffrey Daniel dance routine! . . . Sandy Martin (Swindon Brunel Rooms), plugging local funk group Cloud’s ‘Steppin Out (With You)‘ / ‘Rico Rico‘ single due soon, wishes there was a central agency organising club PA’s instead of all the individual companies that have to be contacted . . . DB5, London based mobile disco company, for the coming Christmas season need around four reliable entertaining jocks with records and transport but not necessarily equipment, though they must have “all round” ability — call 01-629 5897 . . . Cleveland Area DJ Association welcomes all DJs to a meeting this Sunday (24) at Thornaby’s Odd Fellows Arms to discuss book keeping and tax, but at what time is unclear . . . ‘The Smurf’ is evidently a big new dance in the States, GQ’s latest less than great single being ‘Try Smurfing‘ . . . Sharon Redd’s LP — “(all cuts)” — now tops the US Dance/Disco Top 80 but Evelyn is still top Black single . . . Stacy Lattisaw ‘Attack Of The Name Game‘, not due here until at least the new year, is hitting US pop, as finally is Grand Master Flash, but Rockers Revenge has stagnated in the lower reaches of the US Black chart . . . Khemlstry are produced by Willie Lester & Rodney Brown, adding to the soulfulness of their set reviewed last week . . . Lionel Richie’s LP suffers from bad surface noise on everybody’s copy, I’ve discovered . . . Imagination’s drop in the pop chart, if continued, must show that the wrong singles choice was indeed made . . . Paul & Robin Wheeler have in fact just this moment sold their Wheelers club in Henley . . . Canvey Goldmine owners Stan & Jayne Barrett have now bought the Sheffield Arms pub in Sheffield Green near Haywards Heath, where they plan to open ‘The Music Room’ next month . . . Stan incidentally thought he’d found a shortcut from his hotel to Caister, but ran out of road and had to take a ferry across the Norfolk Broads! . . . Barry Maleedy, jocking around Merseyside from St Helens, runs a renowned ‘Streetbeat’ disco fanzine with help from Barry Williams and ‘Chad’, and reports the local scene seems to be going back into the cities like Manchester after being country and town orientated for a while, many dedicated DJs being unable to break into clubs because of Wally jocks domination of potential up-front venues . . . BBC Radio Merseyside “soul show” DJ, Terry Lennaine must be largely responsible for Liverpool’s decline as an up-front funk centre, actually boasting that he hasn’t bought a record (let alone an import) for ages and only features the crud he’s sent in the mail — no wonder that Soul On Sound with its preview mix is selling hugely in Liverpool! . . . Liverpool does now at least have a reportedly good up-front import shop, Cheverton Records in Richmond Street . . . ‘Chad’, funking Liverpool Cagneys with Mike Davidson Fri/Saturdays, is one of the jocks seeking up-front work (on St Helens 60587) . . . Standish Cassinelli’s is being refitted but starts its up-front nights again in the new year . . . Godalming’s Secrets is temporarily closed following a fire which gutted the main bar . . . Nic Wakefield, my host at Caister, is as up-front as possible and very jazzy on Fri/Saturdays at Sidmouth Carina’s, together with Exeter Boxes Chris Dinnis keeping a healthy scene going down Devon way . . . Greg Wilson, good at his doubling-up mixes, could now handle guest spots in the South (or anywhere) on Saturday nights or Sundays alldayers ideally, as long as up to date vari-speed decks are provided — call 051-678 9683 . . . Froggy ‘Goldilocks’ now claims he never made out he was a mixing jock — he certainly talks enough these days! . . . I came up with, even if I do say so myself, some killer mixes on the next Soul On Sound: (Editor’s note: the mix starts at 0:58) Denroy Morgan/Whodini/Loose End, and Bootsy/George Clinton/Warp 9/Tyrone Brunson/Pure Energy/(chop) Planet Patrol/Joel Peskin . . . Ilford Funk Union, keen on my SOS mixes, kindly say I should jock Caister . . . See Bees T-shirts’ Radio Caister commercials kept emphasising that they don’t print a size big enough to fit Steve Walsh! . . . Steve’s Svenson advertising photo was actually used totally out of context by Private Eye recently! . . . Flashback has now moved to 90.2MHz . . . Cramond Perry (Edinburgh Annabel’s Riviera Suite) says winter’s already arrived up in Scotland — brr! . . . Dave Rawlings (Reading Rebecca’s) warns against leaving records unattended in your car, having lost a box (luckily of replaceable stuff) at 3 o’clock on a Sunday morning . . . Jeff Shack, of all people, is reportedly unkeen on competitive prices in rival shops! . . . Paul Anthony (Wolverhampton Eve’s), now with Beacon Radio’s Pete Clement bring merriment, madness and a bit of music to a few select mobile party bookings, has a list of “do its” for DJs, eg: DJs DO IT WITH TWELVE INCHERS!

Caister’s Soulful Weekend

SUNDAY AFTERNOON, I’m standing atop a sand dune. Behind me, the sea, solitary stoical fishermen, children playing on the beach with their dogs. Immediately in front of me, the Cambridge ‘Dons’ are waving their arms in time to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, while a few hundred yards across a football pitch 3,500 more happy funkateers are all doing likewise crowded in front of a makeshift open air stage, all the sound being relayed on hundreds of portable radio/cassette speakers. This was the climax to Showstopper Promotions tenth ‘Golden’ Caister Soul Weekend, one of the very best ever, held for the first time over four days and with the largest crowd admitted since Caister II.

Amongst many innovations, the musical venues this time were spread out across large distances thus meaning that the most common sight was of windswept shivering hordes trekking from site to site between caravans and chalets that were throbbing to a jazzy soulful beat.

The main “vibe up” Silver Sands venue, equipped with Froggy’s superb sound system and brand new banana shaped console, was so hot ‘n’ humid on Friday night that it even had its own cloud formations, inside! Friday in fact seemed the biggest night, as with three nights and four days there was a much easier pace to everything, enabling the jocks (Chris Hill, Robbie ‘Painkiller’ Vincent, Froggy, Jeff Young, Chris Brown, Pete Tong, Martin Collins, Sean French, Bob Jones, Paul Clark and a fleeting Colin Hudd) to stretch out and play a wide selection of music with no rush . . . and the music this time was truly memorable, a mixture of jazz and soul of different vintages, including much James Brown/JB’s of the ‘It’s Too Funky In Here’ type.

Chris Hill was at fever pitch on Friday, less frenzied on Saturday when he featured Latin jazz and lots of mixing amongst the wind-ups, in a marathon two and one half hour set. Meanwhile in the Holiday Inn jazz room, Jeff & Pete’s double act was totally compulsive in a “what are they going to follow THAT with?!” way, culminating with some swing and even Georgie Fame’s ‘Yeh Yeh’. In fact nowhere on Saturday seemed packed, least of all the Neptune’s Palace live music venue. Because of the large crowd, admission to this was divided according to people’s pass number, the Warrior and Junior each doing shows on Friday and Saturday — but live music seemed less of a draw than records, and while the Warriors were well received Junior was perhaps too pop for prevailing tastes. This venue was also used for another major innovation, music videos and late night film shows of the ‘Porkys’, ‘Airplane’, ‘Life Of Brian’ type, plus some surprise “extras” including an audience participation ‘Animal House’ (bun fights, ‘Shout’) and a brilliant impersonation by the Brixton Front Line’s Ed and Kev of the Blues Brothers before the film of the same name.

As before, there was round the clock Radio Caister, the radio Stardust Room with all day bar becoming the social centre especially for resting jocks and all the piss artists! This time to my ears the radio stars were Chris Brown and the now well practised Jeff Young, Jeff’s Jap jazz show especially being good (anyone recording it could have saved a fortune!). This shift of social centre meant for me at least there was less caravan hopping than before, but Groove Weekly’s Ralph Tee and I were entertained to a trout dinner by Sidmouth Carina’s Nic Wakefield, Tim the jazzy chef and Frank the dog.

OK, so what were the hits? There was so much played that the accent was not necessarily on newies, but the two biggest buzzes were definitely — I hesitate to mention it — Kid Creole’s ‘Annie I Love Your Fanny’, and Willie Hutch complete with dance step to “in and out, up and down, around and around”. By the end of the weekend everyone was singing ‘In And Out‘ acappella, and a flushed Chris Hill was saying “Now let’s see Motown lose that record in the charts!” Chris has been reviving the Detroit Spinners ‘I’ll Be Around‘ for ages so that was the biggest oldie (Jeff also did well with their ‘It’s A Shame’), along with Donny Hathaway’s original ‘The Ghetto’, other oldies often heard (as well as James Brown) being Beginning Of The End ‘Funky Nassau’ and the Moments/Whatnauts ‘Girls’. Robbie Vincent (“the Leonard Cohen of jazz-funk”?) so overkilled Marvin Gaye ‘(Sexual) Healing’ that I and several others real demand for electrophonic phunk was met by some jocks with ‘E.T. Boogie’ and ‘The Smurf’, other monsters being George Clinton, Gwen McCrae, Billy Griffin, Steve Arrington, Greg Henderson, while other current material I was conscious of hearing included the SOS Band, Mandrill, New Jersey Connection, Bootsy’s Rubber Band, Exodus, Tomorrow’s Edition, Jay W McGee, Weeks & Co, The Limit (‘Pop’), Deodato, Leon Ware, William DeVaughn, Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Nunn, and — raising none of the response that Froggy had expected — Kool ‘Hi De Hi’.

All in all, an excellent Caister, with good weather when it mattered, and leaves still on all the trees. Caister XI is already set for 15, 16 and 17 April 1983, shortly before a return trip to St Tropez. My favourite comment of the entire weekend was overheard as someone stepped into a caravan: “I’m really worried, I came here expecting a rockabilly weekend . . . !”

JIM KERSHAW, the Sheffield DJ who as we reported was picked for his uncanny resemblance to the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ to play the part in a film, has now indeed completed his scenes. Called ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ and made for TV, the film will be shown in the States at Easter — but apart from video sales there are no plans yet for a UK showing. Jim’s scenes are all done as flashback sequences through a sepia screen effect, without dialogue. It’s certainly not the happiest of roles with which to make one’s screen debut, but even if (as discretion must surely dictate) he’s not seen nationally this time, Jim will hopefully get other chances.

UK NEWIES

PEECH BOYS: ‘Don’t Make Me Walt’ (TMT TMTT 7001, via IDS 01-476 3222).
Larry Levan’s masterwork (the New York mixing jock virtually is the Peech Boys), this was continually used as reference point in my reviews until the term “fierce” came to signify the style of freaky electrophonic disco which this extremely important record started way back at the beginning of the year. OK, so it’s been big on import ever since — but this direct influence on Rockers Revenge (and currently great mix with ‘E.T. Boogie’!), full of flutter flanging and all sorts of fierce freakiness, is now here on 3-track 12in in 115bpm original A-side form, 114bpm alternative ‘Dub’ mix (the easiest to use), and brand new 116bpm vocally started special version which is very different, with hollering acappella finale! Go get it!

RUDDY THOMAS & SUSAN CADOGAN: ‘(You Know How To Make Me) Feel So Good’ (Virgin VS 555-12).
Causing a sensation ever since it appeared just the other day on Hawkeye, this beautiful gently reggaefied 85-86bpm 12in lovers rock duet of the familiar Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “touch me” slowie has a backing lifted from William DeVaughn’s ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’ and now it’s on a major label is all set to mash up de nation!

CONWAY & TEMPLE: ‘You Can Lay Your Head On My Shoulder (Love Lights)’ (Jive JIVE T 27).
Kinda late out here, this excellent sneakily compulsive catchy chick ‘n’ chap duetted 111bpm 12in soulful swayer grooves pleasantly before becoming a bit of a rapper near the end (instrumental flip). Previously better known as ‘Love Lights’, the rearranged title now puts emphasis rightly on the line that everyone remembers. Continue reading “October 23, 1982: Caister Soul Weekend report, Peech Boys, Ruddy Thomas & Susan Cadogan, Conway & Temple, Donald Byrd”

October 16, 1982: Grace Jones, Cargo, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Whodini, William DeVaughn

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MARVIN GAYE ‘Sexual Healing’ has unexpectedly turned up in a new extended version which is now set for commercial UK 12in imminently . . . Rockers Revenge ‘Sunshine Partytime (Rap)‘ — but not ‘Dubbing In Sunshine’ — will be B-side here to their next proper UK follow-up, due soon (as are several more Arthur Baker productions) on London . . . Lyn Paul, the blonde ex New Seeker, is engaged to Paul Wheeler (who with twin brother Robin ‘Nash’ Wheeler founded Camberley Frenchies, Staines Jacksons and currently owns Henley Wheelers). Paul being Ms Paul’s second club owning husband in a row . . . Mayfair Gullivers has had such a complete modernising refit I didn’t recognize it last week — it now looks really great, serves cocktails every weekday evening from 5.30pm, and last Friday at any rate was packed with funky fun lovers . . . Fat Larry’s Band’s ‘Zoom’ vocalist looks disconcertingly terrified in their TOTP video clip . . . Grand Master Flash’s import album has only one moderately warm newie, ‘It’s A Shame‘, which intersperses little bits of Detroit Spinners old intro between a rap that’s backed by Pieces Of A Dream’s ‘Mt. Airy Groove’ . . . George Clinton is 115bpm, Spandau Ballet 120bpm, Carol Jiani (Streetwave LP) 123-122-121bpm, Luther Vandross ‘She Loves Me Back’ 107-111-112-27-113-114bpm, and Birmingham’s University of Aston student disco plays to 1,000 a week (not just 100!) . . . Camden Palace styled civilised looking competent jocks into up-front exciting Yazoo/Electrophonic Phunk type dance music are invited to apply on 09905-8219 to audition for Saturday nights at a well known Windsor area club (now which one could that be?!) . . . Rush Release, 65 Bedford Hill, London SW12, updating and adding to their promotional mailing lists, invite all jocks to send an SAE for an application form — but with the warning that all DJs (including current ones) will be checked at their supposed place of work, as twelve bogus claimants have been caught out already! . . . Mike Ward (Sheffield 0742-879882) is after two or three radio/club jocks interested in buying spare copies of the various black music 12in/7in imports (many on obscure labels) which friends send him regularly from the States . . . Flash Gordon at Bristol Misty’s in Park Street has switched music policy exclusively to up-front soulful material (slightly more commercial soul early evening) Tuesday-thru-Saturday, and only wants punters who’ll appreciate it — a move which deserves much support . . . Phil Jay (Byfleet 42694) needs a new Friday residence — other nights he’s souling Godalming Secrets (Thurs/Sun), Cranleigh Cranley Hotel (Sat), Guildford Cinderella Rockerfellas (Tues), West Byfleet Carafino (Wed) . . . Dave Van Sieger, Dennis Brynner and Steve Jensen pulled out of Southampton Barbarellas after the hydraulic DJ console crashed into the floor from ten feet up (nearly severing an ardent funk fan’s arm in the process), the team now jocking at Poole’s Mariner’s Wharf right at the water’s edge with its own marina and lots of smart punters . . . Nicky Holloway and Ian Shaw have blown out their Bensons venue at the Old Kent Road Astoria on Sundays as there were too many unannounced Greek weddings displacing them! . . . Nlcky also wonders, how do you keep an idiot in suspense? — I’ll tell you later . . . Andy Baker now joins Colin Clews and David Henry every Monday jocking at Rhyl Cee J’s Nightspot — which may make Manchester a closer destination than London for his import-buying sorties . . . Colin Irving (Llandudno Risboro Hotel) cryptically says he still manages to do it even with a broken ankle — presumably, he means play records? . . . Camberley Frenchies is already selling tickets for the traditional Christmas Day beach party . . . John Luongo’s remix of Visage ‘The Anvil’ is due in a fortnight, while Rusty Egan’s next release on his Metropolis label will be Anusia ‘Imagination‘ (actually on Carrere) . . . Millie Jackson visits Liverpool and London early next month, to coincide with the UK release of her new ‘Hard Times’ LP and ‘Special Occasion‘ single . . . Motown Latino is a new label whose promise has yet to be realised, initial releases merely being dull slowies by Jose Feliciano and Charlene, sung in Spanish (oh wow) . . . Stevie Wonder ‘Ribbon In The Sky‘ is now on UK 12in — don’t all rush at once! . . . Soul On Sound’s fifth preview mix may confuse a few listeners, the Rockers Revenge bit being ‘Acappella Sunshine’ synched over ‘Dubbing In Sunshine’, chopped into ‘Sunshine Partytime (Rap)’, which is then edited into its own synthesizer intro . . . Jeff Young just about synchs ‘Acappella Sunshine’ over Mandrill’s instrumental flip . . . Capital’s Phil Allen can joke if he likes, but it’s just as well I did scribble down Tony Monson’s chart last week as it turned out! . . . I did one of my typical mobile gigs last Saturday, a 21st in a marquee, lots of rock and sillies, ending up in usual style at 20 to 7 in the morning with the last few stragglers tap dancing to Fred Astaire soundtracks and imitation Satchmo to ‘Now You Has Jazz’ . . . Paul Major (East Anglia) wonders how The Explainer ‘Lorraine‘ got into the disco chart — mainly because in London at least (where it had lots of radio play), people actually scream and shout as soon as it comes on . . . Rayners Lane’s Record And Disco Centre report that sales following the recent influx of hot imports were just like Christmas . . . Gary Allan (Liverpool McMillans) once again heads for Caister this week, as do I and thousands more, so to each and all it’s a big HI DE HI!

UK NEWIES

GRACE JONES: ‘Nipple To The Bottle’ (Island 12WIP 6779).
Forget the tiresome return to talking slow 65/130bpm reggae on the official ‘The Apple Stretching‘ 12in A-side, and flip for this ‘The Message’-mixing stark rolling 101-102-101bpm jiggly electro smacker, very like a slower ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ and rightly the A-side in the States (where the flip in fact is instrumental, making the import a better buy).

CARGO: ‘Holding On For Love’ (CG Records CG 1021, via 01-458 1020).
Mike Carr on vibes and keyboards leads a classy UK jazz line up through a commendably restrained yet driving sultry 98(intro)-101-102bpm 12in jogger, with some soulful Vandross-ish vocal by Dave Collins or a longer instrumental ‘It’s Your Love‘ B-side version, obviously similar to (good) Roy Ayers and well worth finding.

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: ‘Fiesta (A Celebration Of Popular Classics From Spain)’ (CBS A2471).
Terrifically jolly ‘Hooked On Classics’-style 129-132bpm 7in medley, an immediate monster at mobile gigs.

LOOSE END: ‘We’ve Arrived’ (Virgin VS 545-12).
Mark Berry’s stark 113bpm 12in A-side ‘US Mix’ of this rolling jolter at first seems dangerously empty but eventually sinks in, although the 2-track flip’s adventurous sometime militaristic and banjo backed 114bpm ‘UK Mix‘ has far more winsome Jane Eugene warbled charm and the instrumental 113bpm ‘Dangerous Dub Version‘ is most dramatic of all. Continue reading “October 16, 1982: Grace Jones, Cargo, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Whodini, William DeVaughn”

October 9, 1982: The Breakfast Band, Streetnoise, Willie Hutch, George Clinton, Bootsy’s Rubber Band

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LAST WEEK’S ridiculous rush of strong imports, many of which must surely get lost, also included a set by the Commodores; Lionel Ritchie with one killer dancer amongst the slowies, jazz from Spyro Gyra, and the disappointing Diana Ross set (‘Muscles’ not being a dancer at all) . . . B.T. (Brenda Taylor) will be on Excaliber imminently, Virgin have picked up Ruddy Thomas & Susan Cadogan ‘Make Me Feel Good’ — was it Sharon Paige & Harold Melvin who did it first? . . . McFadden & Whitehead have signed to Capitol . . . Junior and the Warriors will be live at Caister next week, the four-dayer promising to be musically better than ever with lotsa videos and zany late nite film shows, big records tipped to be Greg Henderson, Gwen McCrae, and a moody Jap import from some months ago by Otis Clay . . . Caister-goers, don’t forget your FM radios, matches, bog paper, towels, soap, dry clothes . . . Camden Palace is bringing over Kurtis Blow and Afrika Bambaataa for a rapperama in November . . . Edgbaston Faces French’s DJ Convention will be on Sunday 7th November, this year’s theme being ‘The DJ — an entertainer or the pillock at the front with two record players?’, and the D. Jeneration Game being club DJs v mobile DJs . . . Watford Baileys Chris Britton (0494-772977) is selling a complete boxed record collection of some 1000 7in, 500 12in and 150 LPs containing all the classic dance records from the ’50s up to January 1982 and, get this, the ludicrously small offer of £400 will get ’em all . . . Holborn’s City Sounds record shop answered a request from a serviceman in the Falklands for new release info by actually taping a sample cassette of jazz-soul newies, and then were swamped with orders from half the force there! . . . City Sounds incidentally are pressurising CBS to release Billy Griffin ‘Hold Me Tighter In The Rain’, saying they’ll order 1000 copies straight off if it comes out here . . . Bournemouth Soul Centre has renamed and relocated itself as Destiny Records at Unit 108 in Old Town Market, Dear Hay Lane, Poole, selling general stuff now as well as soul imports and deletions . . . Marylebone Cinecitta jock Mark Clark launches his own Mark 1 Records shop in Wokingham this month, staying open late one night a week . . . Adrian Martin (Denbigh Bamboo/Towyn Hollie Nights) plans driving most Mondays to Manchester or London to buy imports and will give other local jocks a lift (Rhyl 0745 4672) — now there’s enterprise! . . . Ian Turner (Llandudno Speakeasy) and Al Taylor (Bodelwyddan Poppeys) combine resources to get PA’s at their respective clubs but both say the UK Players didn’t exactly create a good impression whereas the Hudsons were a joy . . . August Bank Holiday’s virtually unpublicised charity gig by IDQ, Chris Brown & Mike Sefton jazzing Ascot’s Belvedere, with £1 admission, raised £1000 (ie: 1000 punters turned up!) which was later presented to Eric Morecambe for the British Heart Foundation . . . Luther Vandross and, separately, Melba Moore were both in London last weekend . . . so now it’s ‘Linx featuring David Grant’ . . . Stacy Lattisaw’s ‘Attack Of The Name Game’ is following her ‘Don’t Throw It All Away’ up the US Black singles chart, both — and especially the kids appeal former — being better bets than the one that’s out here . . . Evelyn now tops both US Black and Dance charts. Alfie Silas is now breaking into both too (well deserved), while Steve Miller Band ‘Abracadabra’ and Yaz(oo) ‘Situation (Remix)’ are climbing the Black list (as Melba Moore’s manager says, they sound fresh and exciting to black ears) . . . 29 out of last week’s US Dance/Disco Top 80 were straight pop or “new wave dance”, rather than black or gay disco in the accepted sense, and 19 of those 29 were British . . . Tomorrow’s Edition, already cold here, are huge in US discos with ‘In The Grooves‘ . . . Ilford Room At The Top’s John Osborne, who denies looking like Nick Heywood (he says it’s the other way round!), needs a good new warm-up jock on the busiest Fri/Saturday nights — call him on 01-478 5588 after 9pm Tues-Sat . . . Room At The Top’s up-front imports night is now Wednesday, Tuesday being a free drink night (admission £4-£6 depending on membership and gender), Thursday is John’s silly party night, plus he packs Gants Hill Villa on Mondays — busy lad! . . . Steve Dennis, busy himself doing the overnight shows on BRMB in Birmingham, now makes a big feature of his ‘Midweek Madness’ Wednesday pop party night at Edgbaston Faces French, limiting himself there at the weekends to special spots on Thurs/Fri/Saturdays in both the electro Club Visage and funky Club Jardine with fun and games in both . . . Tom Wilson (Edinburgh Oscars) has had over a hundred black American sailors visiting his club every night, to his delight, pushing Zapp to the top of his chart . . . Neil Fincham (Edinburgh Mad Hatters Speakeasy), disorientated during his BADEM visit to London, staggered out of Xenon dazzled by the lighting display and then took seven hours to find his car! Bill Robertson, in seventh heaven at Bathgate’s Quincys, where the owner actually wants lots of jazz-funk, crams in 500 every Thurs/Fri/Saturday (free admission) but still isn’t on mailing lists . . . Malcolm Days, head DJ at Birmingham’s University of Aston where the student disco has £10,000 of equipment and plays to 100 a week, similarly wonders about mail-outs — pluggers call him at The Union on 021-359 6531 . . . Steven Fay, regularly sending charts from Darwen in Lancashire and presumably mobile, is playing some really classy soul these days . . . Lindsay Wesker, camera toting scribbler much in evidence at everyone else’s soul gigs, gets behind the decks himself later in the month at Mayfair’s Penthouse Club! . . . Sandy Martin (Swindon Brunel Rooms) now writes a chatty pop page in the Wiltshire distributed ‘Town & Country Magazine’, delivered monthly to Chuck & Di’s Tetbury pad amongst 30,000 others . . . Jinx Joynson, busily mobile around Merseyside, has a sound-and-look-alike called Dave Graham who plays 8 hours of “nightclub” a week on two different wavelengths (266/241 MW) . . . Greg ‘115bpm’ Wilson has pulled out of his Liverpool Rotters gig on Saturdays, the once funk orientated city now evidently no longer being able to support an up-front night . . . Les Spaine, your city needs you! . . . Rusty Egan is still undecided about a label for Cori Josias . . . BBC TV’s showing of Diana Ross in ‘Lady Sings The Blues’ evidently emptied all the gay clubs that night! . . . West End in the States have released a 30 minute ‘Master Mix Medley‘ on cassette only, packaged on a 12in sleeve . . . Adrian Dunbar (Bournemouth Adam’s — and looking for further Fri/Saturday work in the area) mixes George Benson ‘Turn Your Love Around’ with, FLB ‘Zoom’, Jim Kershaw (Sheffield), mixes Boys Town Gang ‘Disco Kicks (Remix)’ with the old Bob McGilpin ‘Superstar‘ (Ember 12in) . . . DJ Bowler does funky megamixes most nights at Southgate Pink Elephant (ex-Royalty) Dumbo’s Bar . . . Mark Summers (Hackney Flappers) joins the queue trying to find the now no longer available digital readout Technics SL 1200 Mk.1 decks . . . I myself wouldn’t mind a Revox B77 Mk.II tape deck, having really mastered the art of tape editing on the next Soul On Sound preview mix — however it’s got some tasty synch mixes too, like Peech Boys out of the very similar ‘E.T. Boogie’, Carol Williams out of Rockers Revenge (the latter being somewhat reorganised!) — tape edits though taking less time to set up . . . Streetwave’s Morgan Khan & Jolanda Lucassen gave me a lift out to Dunstable for Martin Collins’s Chiltern Radio soul show last Sunday, after which we ate of course at Watford’s Ponderosa (“unbelievable!” said Morgan), where a fire in the grill released a ton of extinguishing powder thus closing the kitchen, and then a customer passed out — but all was handled with exemplary tact, and those who’d already fed carried on with the usual free refills of drinks and salad — you’ve got to try the place . . . Gary Allan (Liverpool McMillans) reckons Jermaine’s ‘Tickle’ track is very like Peter Brown’s ‘Crank It Up’ . . . Kev Hill (Canvey Kings ) suggests that the “dance like Fred Astair” song enquired about by Steve Humphreys (Headcorn) is the ABC album’s ‘Valentine’s Day’ . . . Wham’s choreographer/dancer Dee is just as nice as Shirley . . . Streetwave’s 6-track Streetnoise 12in/LP has nothing to do with Melba Moore, despite last week’s illusion . . . I find you can’t even give away Junior’s newie . . . Graham Murray (Ormesby TeesValley Roadshow) says DJs DO IT BY REQUEST!

Situated in Mayfair surrounded by dodgy diplomats residencies, the Soul On Sound studio, where RM’s James Hamilton assembles his preview mix medleys, sometimes picks up coded radio signals on its microphone inputs when interviews are being conducted there — and this unfortunate phenomenon happened in the middle of a chat with Melba Moore last week!

UK NEWIES

THE BREAKFAST BAND: ‘Such A Feeling’ (Breakfast Music 12BM 102, via PRT).
The steel drums accented sexy jazzers start out jaggedly jittery on this self-produced 0-109-108-107bpm 12in with for the first time ex-Marley/Chosen Few vocalist Carl Lewis weaving scat lines into the rhythm before his simple group answered repetitive sinuously soulful singing gradually smooths away the exciting earlier edge. Ever gigging, the guys really know what they’re doing and have a distinctive sound of their own, which vocals can only help win a wider audience.

VARIOUS: ‘Streetnoise’ LP (Epic/Streetwave STR 32234).
Classified as an LP but marketed more like a 12in at just £2.99, this 6-tracker contains full versions of the currently hot Weeks & Co. ‘Go With The Flow‘, a flowing jittery 118bpm judderer emphatically sung with catchy chants and fierce final half, plus its calmer jazzier 118bpm instrumental version, and Hi Voltage ‘Let’s Get Horny‘, an interesting 124½bpm instrumental with several distinct sections quoting from various oldies as it builds on up, plus the LIVE Band ‘A Chance For Hope‘, a very Maze influenced good 0-111-109-110bpm jiggly jogger, The Salsoul Orchestra featuring Loleatta Holloway ‘Seconds‘, an acappella started disastrously strung out 109-112bpm Shep Pettibone remix of what was a soulful song but is in this form merely disjointed and dull, while considered by many the dark horse of the set but actually its biggest potential crossover hit (and certainly the one that I’ll now be using) is Carol Jiani ‘You’re Gonna Lose My Love‘, a simple terrific loopingly loping 123-122-121bpm ultra-soulful swinger with a lovely lilt and jazzy sax.

Sorry, we done run right out of space!

IMPORTS

WILLIE HUTCH: ‘In And Out’ (US Motown 66668-D).
Through a sensational busily snapping and tapping jittery 111-112bpm 12in rhythm texture and an intensifying blanket of synths Willie wails a great dead catchy “in and out — around” lyric line which has all the classic simplicity of another “Digging the scene with a gangster lean” sung in Bobby Womack-ish tones. What a monster!

GEORGE CLINTON: ‘Loopzilla’ (US Capitol 8538).
Starting with an indent for once mighty black New York radio station WWRL and carrying on with other call signs as they repetitively chant variations on “don’t touch that radio, don’t touch that knob, like ‘Planet Rock’ we just don’t stop we’re gonna drive you nuts!”, the Parliafunkadelicment thing drives on and on in a brain numbing and feet moving booming 114bpm 12in funk smack groove, incorporating bits from ‘Dancing in The Street/I Can’t Help Myself/One Nation Under A Groove/More Bounce To The Ounce/Baby Love’ and many more. Absolute dynamite!

BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND: ‘Body Slam!’ (US Warner Bros 0-29919).
Obviously designed to work with George Clinton though more varied and less dense in sound, this also dynamite 115bpm 12in P’funk jittery smacker has great jazzy piano nagging through Bootsy Collins bass. You can’t get one without the other! Continue reading “October 9, 1982: The Breakfast Band, Streetnoise, Willie Hutch, George Clinton, Bootsy’s Rubber Band”

October 2, 1982: Kool & The Gang, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Ruddy Thomas & Susan Cadogan, Rockers Revenge, Gwen Guthrie

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MUSICAL YOUTH, as my review would have revealed, have a great promotional video available to clubs for a quid from MCA, the young Brummies coming across like a juvenile Jacksons . . . Grace Jones’s new ‘Nipple To The Bottle’ US single will be the B-side here to ‘Apple Stretching’, due imminently . . . Island’s Lloyd Burrell is hoping to build an exclusive DJ mailing list — only people who can realistically break new product, no time wasters, “big names” welcome — so write to convince him at Island Records, 22 St Peters Square, London W6 . . . Liberal leader David Steele’s rapping ‘I Feel Liberal — Alright!‘ really is out on record — but what label, who’s doing disc promotion, and will there be an Arthur Baker “fierce” remix ?! . . . Peech Boys rather belatedly will be out here in a fortnight on IDS, via RCA . . . Morgan Khan has replaced the NY Skyy track with the Salsoul Orchestra/Loleatta Holloway ‘Seconds’ remix on Melba Moore’s UK 12in, as well as the instrumental version, has on 2-track flip for some reason the rather short and dated 113½bpm ‘Let’s Go Back To Lovin’ from last year . . . Luther Vandross’s new US Epic 7in, an oddly disjointed old fashioned nice medley of ‘Bad Boy/Having A Party‘ (Sam Cooke’s song), may not be so danceable by today’s standards but sounds very much as if it was recorded at the ‘Jump To It’ session . . . Martin Collins has me as his guest playing some choice soul oldies this Sunday (3) during the second hour of his 3-6pm ‘Soul Seekin’ show on Chiltern Radio (792m MW), which can be picked up certainly in North London . . . Dick Sheppard, expatriate Brit now playing “new wave dance” records as the prime time “morning drive” jock on Los Angeles’s number one rated radio station KROQ, has had the sad task of returning to Torquay for the funeral of his dad, Reg — my oldest reader, according to Dick, he used to send out these disco pages complete with his own comments to LA every week . . . Dick also reports that LA has finally gone “new wave dance” crazy, the Whisky on Sunset Strip for instance scrapping its famed live music sessions to become a records-only new wave disco, while its new wave dance policy is what put KROQ at number one — let’s hope the Yanks don’t go into over-kill like they did with “disco” . . . London’s Capital Radio has made getting up (or going to bed if you’re like me!) a pleasure all through the week again, Graham Dene returning to the weekday breakfast show and Peter Young taking over at weekends — see, the good guys do sometimes win! . . . The Limit ‘She’s So Divine’ won Capital’s People’s Choice vote last week . . . Sunday night’s ‘Roseland’ movie on TV featured Cheryl Lynn’s ‘Super Cool’ during a hustle sequence — penned by Elton John/Bernie Taupin, it was produced by none other than Greg Edwards (OUR Greg Edwards?)! . . . Ian Levine (Charing Cross Heaven), currently raving about the Weather Girls ‘It’s Raining Men’ (US Columbia 12in) — they’re the Two Tons Of Fun by another name — and Melissa Manchester ‘You Should Hear How She Talks About You‘ (US Arista 12in), has done a two-part history of gay disco music in this and the next issue of ‘Him’ magazine . . . Cori Josias, recently seen on TV, turns out to be one of Rusty Egan’s proteges, her ‘Taking It Straight‘ presumably being destined for release soon . . . Evelyn King rapidly replaced Rockers Revenge at the top of the US Dance/Disco chart . . . Thames Valley Disc Jockeys Association will be celebrating its fifth anniversary next January with “the biggest promotion night ever attempted by a DJ Assn” . . . Theo Loyla’s lady Joy Barling once again painted Level 42’s LP sleeve . . . Erskine G, gigging at Southall’s White Hart with an electrophonic phunk bias, is seeking further work (01-571 4528 evenings) and invites club managers to give him a club full of receptive young people and he’ll prove he’s good — trouble is, if it’s already full, why would it need him?! . . . Steve Goddard, the Curly Wurly chewing ‘Soul Messiah’, could do with more gigs no matter how modest around the London area on 01-500 2749 . . . Watford’s New Penny is now looking for DJs who play a wide range of music and can work big screen video equipment — call Mr Harris on Watford 22003 Thurs-Sunday evenings . . . Phil Richards now does Luton Sands . . . Eddy Grant’s original ‘Walking On Sunshine’ / ‘Sunshine Jam’ (Ice 12in) is still at the usual £1.99 from Adrian’s in Wickford High Street . . . Nigel Halkes (Portishead) reports from a Greek holiday that Athens is flooded with cheap bootlegs (incidentally Nigel, your unidentified track is Pino D’Angio ‘Ma Quale Idea‘), and has sent me a tape from New York’s WBLS of Grover Washington Jr endorsing Kentucky Fried Chicken! . . . the Isley Brothers look shagged out and wrecked on their current LP sleeve, but then none of us are getting any younger . . . Chris Hill reckons the Beverly Glen Music label should now add Tyrone Davis or someone of similarly soulful stature to their artist roster, which so far comprises Bobby Womack and Johnnie Taylor . . . who the hell is Tiny K? . . . Greg Wilson, Wigan-based mixing star, says the funk scene up North is healthier than for ages with packed alldayers and booming import sales in Manchester/Liverpool specialist shops, even futuristic gigs featuring a fair amount of funk in return for the electrophonic phunk that’s been adding colour to soul playlists . . . Micky Holloway (Bermondsey Bensons) is pleased that the Phase One Roadshow adapted their mixer’s cueing controls (which gave me such difficulty in Margate) at his suggestion so that now he can do running mixes with no problems . . . Mark Summers (Hackney Marshes Flappers), who’ll pay for copies of our old disco charts up to 1978, raves that Shalamar ‘There It Is’ synchs sensationally at the break with “D” Train ‘Trying To Get Over’ instrumental remix . . . Neil Fincham (Edinburgh Mad Hatters Speakeasy) makes the valid point that women especially like dancing to the obvious hits and oldies so that if you kick off with these you can get the evening going early, and then when asked for something in that category once you’ve swung into “up front” gear you can also make the excuse that you played it earlier . . . LET’S DANCE!

UK NEWIES

KOOL & THE GANG: ‘Ooh, La, La, La (Let’s Go Dancin’)’ (De-Lite DEX 9).
Switching around the brackets in its title here, this subdued in tempo though jolly in atmosphere reggae-inspired 96½bpm 12in jitterer is already getting rave reaction from fun loving black dancers and will obviously be yet another pop smash — and again it’s worth mentioning how good it is with Freddie McGregor’s ‘Reggae On It‘ (Intense 12in), a reggae version of their ‘Get Down On It’ at a similar speed.

KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS: ‘Annie, ‘I’m Not Your Daddy’ (Ze 12WIP 6801).
Another ultra jiggly goodtime sleazy (and now remixed) 110bpm 12in mixture of Latin-ish exotic textures trucks and sashays along with fruity trombone poking through the polyrhythms.

RUDDY THOMAS & SUSAN CADOGAN: ‘Make Me Feel Good’ (Hawkeye HD 44, via 01-961 0866).
Sizzling hot superbly beautiful gently reggaefied 85-86bpm 12in lovers rock duet by the two stars of the familiar Gamble & Huff-penned “touch me” slowie — who did it, was it Teddy & Stephanie? — screaming out for regular radio play and pop hit status. Continue reading “October 2, 1982: Kool & The Gang, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Ruddy Thomas & Susan Cadogan, Rockers Revenge, Gwen Guthrie”