Month: November 1982

November 27, 1982: Malcolm McLaren, Nairobi, New York Skyy, Rod, Toney Lee

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PATRICK COWLEY, gay disco’s synthesizer star, died two Saturdays ago of a nasty form of cancer — just as his marathon remix of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ finally saw the light of day here . . . Morgan Khan’s latest project, unveiled at Mayfair’s Gullivers to a big trade party on Tuesday, is an 8-track full 12in length £2.99 collection of current soul hits called ‘Street Sounds — Edition 1‘ on the new Streetsounds label via PRT (CBS couldn’t get it pressed before Christmas on Streetwave), on LP but with most emphasis placed on the cassette version — slogan “C60 packs of the latest dance tracks” — containing Greg Henderson, Raw Silk, Peech Boys, Grandmaster Flash, ‘Message’, and more “heavy” surprises — some value, huh, kids?! . . . Marvin Howell is releasing imminently on System 12in an odd back-to-back coupling of Michelle Wallace ‘Jazzy Rhythm‘ and the less interesting Brenda Watts ‘Who Needs A Love Like That‘ — what a pity he couldn’t have used Northend ‘Tee’s Happy’ instead, as that is now turning into a monster all over again! . . . Record Shack have evidently picked up Scherrie Payne’s current gay chart topper . . . ABC fans if they’re very quick (and really lucky) might just find in a few shops a special DJ-only 12in version of ‘The Look Of Love’, given a brilliant much emptied out 120bpm “scratch” remix full of clever freaky tricks . . . Edgbaston’s Faces French (in Auchinleck Square by the Five Ways roundabout) holds its 3rd annual DJ Convention this Sunday (28) starting at 2pm, £3 admission at the door — see you there! . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn’s big Shownite 83 celebration to mark their 5th anniversary on 17th January at Hounslow’s Red Lion Hotel will feature the Cold Hand Band live, awards and many major label promotions, tickets at £3 but all DJs will have guest invitations from TVDJA, PO Box 39, Staines, Middlesex . . . Planet Patrol appears to be the new name for Soul Sonic Force . . . Steven Spielberg’s action against ‘E.T. Boogie’ (which hasn’t stopped it being one of London’s top disco sellers last week) seems unfair now that so many other inferior ‘E.T.’ records are coming out — or will they all get solicitor’s letters too? . . . ‘Car Wash’ on telly last week probably prompted a revival of the Rose Royce oldie, the LP version being 110-113-115-117-119-123(break)-121-124bpm (Gwen McCrae varies down beautifully out of the break!) . . . Rick James’s disastrous UK visit also included a PA at Charing Cross’s Heaven on his first night in town, but he was greeted by boos when all he did was throw out a few album sleeves and then walk off . . . Marvin Gaye’s LP does indeed feature a frequency which creates an acoustic feedback-type effect over club speakers, and unfortunately every copy of Sonny Charles’s great ‘Can’t Get Enough’ LP track has a groove that jumps (unless using next to no pickup weight) . . . Mike Ward (Sheffield 0742-879882) will happily supply legitimate London area radio and club jocks with 12in copies of various down home US soul singles, none of the ones he’s sent me quite coming up to the production standard that it takes to make a disco hit but all are of interest . . . Pez, busily funking Mondays with Steve Murphy at Birkenhead’s Chelsea Reach (upstairs), is after upfront alldayer work on 051-639 5746 . . . Dobie Gray’s 147bpm ‘Out On The Floor‘ Northern Soul classic has been re-released on Inferno (via Pinnacle) to tie in as the title of an upcoming BBC Play For Today all about a Northern allniter . . . Graham Hunter “The Rapping Funky Scot” (Basingstoke) got a free copy of ‘Kilimanjaro’ from Virgin’s Danny Goodwin . . . Terry Lennaine has belatedly been given (he never bought it of course!) a copy of the Gunchback Boogie Band ‘Funn‘, which he’s now flogging to death on BBC Radio Merseyside . . . Kev Hill (Basildon 0268-702626 daytime) offers money for the full LP length version of Major Harris ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’ . . . Colin Harris (Fareham), having trouble buying Wham, recommends Radio Victory’s Saturday evening 6-9pm Funkadelic show . . . Teesvalley Roadshow roadie Alistair Jones’s dad died of a heart attack just before Alistair had to go to a gig, but putting on a brave face he lived up the old showbiz dictum and the show went on . . . Evelyn King’s current 7in is flipped not by ‘Shame’ but by ‘I Can’t Stand It’, which must blow its chances as the most logical follow-up . . . 50p 12in picture discs have now been followed by current singles dumped in the ’30p each/4 for £1′ bin as a route to the charts, I see . . . Wolverhampton’s Eve club has a bad case of paranoia . . . “As the fly hit the windscreen, what went through its mind?” — “Its backside!” . . . PUSH IT!

UK NEWIES

MALCOLM McLAREN & THE WORLD’S FAMOUS SUPREME TEAM: ‘Buffalo Gals’ (Charisma MALC 12).
A pity in a way that it’ll be this somewhat opportunistic single which will make everyone aware of the New York DJs freaky “scratch” gimmick (as on ‘Mt. Airy Groove’), but this compulsively extraordinary clucking and smacking 108½bpm 12in amalgamation of funk, rap and square dance (really!) is a mindblower regardless, with a less dense vocal mix plus a straight 135bpm square dance version (great party fun) on 2-track flip.

NAIROBI: ‘Soul Makossa’ (London LONX 17).
Arthur Baker triumphs again with a brilliant totally electronic and vocodered 118bpm 12in remake of Manu Dibango’s classic, with alternative rap and instrumental versions on 2-track flip.

NEW YORK SKYY: ‘Let Love Shine’ (Epic Streetwave EPC 13-2957).
Morgan Khan in putting this slick emptily soulful 120-121bpm lickety-spit shuffler on the 3-track 12in A-side has hidden the far more impressive sweet then worryingly pent-up 115-116-117bpm ‘Won’t You Be Mine‘ on the flip, along with yet another (claimed as “the ultimate”) 116-117bpm Shep Pettibone remix of ‘Let’s Celebrate’. Continue reading “November 27, 1982: Malcolm McLaren, Nairobi, New York Skyy, Rod, Toney Lee”

November 20, 1982: Shalamar, Whodini, Brenda Taylor, The S.O.S. Band, Roy Ayers

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

RICK JAMES, evidently losing millions every day he was away from his Stateside concerts, managed to visit these shores last week to pose salaciously astride a motorbike for photographers and even reached Birmingham for a problem fraught PA at Edgbaston’s Faces French Club Visage, but then decided he didn’t feel well enough on Saturday for radio interviews with Robbie Vincent and Greg Edwards, or further PAs at London’s Lyceum, Bolts and Dartford Flicks — some terrific promotional trip, huh? . . . Robbie should have slipped him some painkillers! . . . DJs are now refusing ever to play Rick James records again — his current US release incidentally is the last album’s retitled ‘She Blew My Mind (69 Times)‘, but here we have the re-released 131bpm ‘Super Freak’ flop . . . DJs are being invited to put together their own “mixer” segued single using nothing but Imagination material (it’s the jump from 84bpm through 100/103bpm to 112bpm and 128bpm that’s the trick, right?) — send your cassette to Steve Walsh at Red Bus Records, 48 Broadly Terrace, London NW8 — the creator of the best sequence will then recreate it in the studio with Imagination’s producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley, get a credit on the released version, a special gold disc, and seats at the group’s extra Hammersmith Odeon gigs on December 26/27th . . . Montana Sextet will be on Virgin here in a fortnight . . . Arthur Baker’s electronic 118bpm remake by Nairobi of ‘Soul Makossa’ has been circulated amongst the chosen few on acetate and is for them already a monster, while the imminently released much sought Disconet originated marathon 15:45 long Patrick Cowley remix of Donna Summer’s 126bpm ‘I Feel Love’ is already on promo pressings (only 100 Disconet copies ever reached Britain) and now is so much more excitingly instrumental that it’s perfect again with today’s electrophonic hits . . . Northend ‘Tee’s Happy‘ (US Emergency 12in) is, speaking of monsters, absolutely dynamite again with of course ‘Heavy Vibes’, and even ‘Jazzy Rhythm’ — dig it out! . . . Legacy ‘The Groove Is Here (Mix-x-xtend)’ should not be overlooked, the flute’s a killer . . . CBS issue the Weather Girls gay chart-topper in two weeks, Prince will have a 3-track 12in of ‘1999’ / ‘DMSR’ / ‘How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore’ to coincide with his UK visit in January . . . Bobby Nunn ‘She’s Just A Groupie‘ is on promo 12in until Motown get sufficient “buzz” to release it — meanwhile of course the buzz will have been and gone . . . First Light’s future product will be on London . . . Edgbaston Faces French’s DJ Convention next Sunday (28) costs £2.50 (£5.50 including a meal) in advance, £3 (no meals available) on the door, 20 per cent off for for five or more people together, plus overnight accommodation is being arranged at the Strathallen Hotel for £19.50 single/£35 double — full advance booking details from Steve Dennis on 021-643 9433 (office hours) . . . Northern Irish DJs going to the DJ Convention are invited to ring Ballymena’s Dave King (0266-43646 evenings) with a view to travelling in a group . . . Earl Klugh is taking copies of the Soul On Sound cassette magazine to sell at his concerts around the world — I wonder what they’ll make of Kev Edward’s Northern club report in Japan? . . . Kelly, along with fellow DJ Neil, has left Brighton Sherrys to operate his own disco, The Academy, in Bournemouth — opening in three weeks, it’ll be an American-style conversion of a large theatre in Boscombe . . . Roger Tovell’s Severn Sound soul show Funktion has become the Junktion, he says, flowing now as it does out of his teens Club 388 pop programme for only 1½ hours from 8pm Fridays . . . Dartford Flicks resident jock Colin Hudd marries leggy Carol Jean next Monday — which does seem to be the day for DJ weddings! . . . Steve Walsh, now handling all PRT disco promotion, says that Nic Wakefield’s query last week, rather than “Ed” John Shearlaw’s Prince Buster suggestion, referred to Parma Dice’s ‘The Trial Of Parma Dice‘ from 1969 and not the differently worded ‘Trial Of Prince Buster . . . Cramond Perry (Edinburgh) wants to identify the electro-disco-ish ‘I’m An Outlaw’ he heard in Ibiza — I rather think it’s by someone on Carrere . . . Brian ‘Burnell’ Mathers (Kirkcaldy Jackie O’s/Glenrothes Follies) reckons Brainstorm ‘Lovin’ Is Really My Game‘ should be re-released to judge from local reaction when he mixes it with Lime ‘Agent 406‘ and Sylvester ‘Do Ya Wanna Funk’ . . . Darryl Payne has been in London to produce Richard Jon Smith . . . Martin Waine, having spent the summer with Radio City’s Roadshow, is now seven nights a week at Colwyn Bay’s Flight Level Zero (“Flo’s” to the regulars) . . . Phil Mitchell, known to Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s HMV shoppers, now souls Sunderland Annabel on Mondays, Newcastle Julies Wed-thru-Sats . . . Nicky Holloway returns under a new manager to the Old Kent Road Astoria on Fridays, also souls Bermondsey’s Swan & Sugarloaf (Mon), Old Kent Road Green Man’s Scotts (Sun/Wed), London Bridge Royal Oak (Tues/Sat) . . . Pete Alex has returned home to Oxford after five years jocking abroad to work at the new Boodles, where he hopes to see old friends . . . Godalming’s fire damaged Secrets hopes to reopen for New Year’s Eve . . . Radio Luxembourg whizz kid Alan Coulthard, who can’t differentiate between Elkie Brooks and Aretha Franklin (tee hee!), enthuses that Kleeer ‘Keep Your Body Working‘ is virtually the same record as, and a killer mix with, Gwen McCrae ‘Keep The Fire Burning‘! . . . I had misgivings about the material available for Soul On Sound 008’s preview mix — great in itself but best for mixing with stuff used already on 007, I thought — except that as it turned out I think you’ll find it all slotted together rather well (most tracks being edited down to reach the permitted length): Bar-Kays ‘Anticipation’/Robert Winters & Fall/Sonny Charles ‘Can’t Get Enough’/Marvin Gaye ‘My Love Is Waiting’ and ‘Turn On Some Music’/Bobby M ‘Let’s Stay Together’/Redding’s ‘Dock Of The Bay’/Dionne Warwick ‘Take The Short Way Home’/Phenomenal/Prince ‘DMSR’/Tony Chambers/Reg Mundy Band/Earl Klugh & Bob James ‘Whiplash’/SOS Band ‘Groovin’/Montana Sextet/Plush/Michelle Wallace/Nairobi/Jammers ‘Be Mine Tonight’/Prince ‘1999’/Vanity 6/Dr Jeckyll/Legacy/Rodney Franklin ‘Sonrise’/Luther Vandross ‘Bad Boy’/Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields ‘Moody’s Mood . . . Graham ‘Funky Scott’ Hunter (Basingstoke) finds Sweet Pea Atkinson ‘Dance Or Die‘ blends imperceptibly for ages out of Sharon Redd ‘Beat The Street’ . . . Jimmie Gray ‘The Kool People‘ has been picking up precious few soul show plays — how come? . . . Rob Harknett (Harlow) sent me a copy of that Saragossa Band medley LP (German Ariola) and I can see why his crowd go crazy for it — very pop, it is extremely exciting and well conceived all the way through, so how about a UK release? . . . Al Taylor (Bodellwydan Poppeys) raves about Loose End’s upcoming ‘Love Isn’t Strong’, previewed off demo tape during the group’s recent PA . . . Patrick Boothe & Greg Parker have produced an answer to ‘ET Boogie’, Ashes & Star ‘Phone Home’ in which ET does finally get through to home amidst lots of telephone noises, but the 130bpm electronic rhythm is unfortunately far from funky . . . I bet Eddy Grant goes well at “divorced & separated” and “hen party” nights, but he’s yet to get any heavyweight disco play in London at least . . . Lenny Henry, in paar-tay mood last Friday, says “Gullivers is still the place, man, you go anywhere else and they play ‘Loopzilla’, but here people really DANCE to it!” — and Streetwave’s Morgan Khan, who checks out all the clubs all the time says Gullivers is the only one playing lots of new hot product . . . Fat Larry’s Band, incidentally, gigged at Gullivers for free last Thursday while trying out a replacement drummer, Larry evidently suffering from the strain of having the group’s first real smash . . . Channel 4 is thankfully repeating that fabulous and very lifelike ‘Going Out’ series on Mondays — any chance to secretly lust after Michelle Winstanley (“Renshaw”) is too good to miss! . . . DJs’ charts of all types, including Boys Town (c’mon gang — what’s happening?), are needed regularly if our three listings are to remain as upfront as possible — so please send your audience-based floor response charts (any length, ideally at least a Top 20) on your own paper to reach us by Wednesday of the week prior to publication, addressed to James Hamilton, RECORD MIRROR, 40 Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT . . . “What was the elephant doing on the motorway?” — “About three miles an hour!” . . . MAKE IT FUNKIER!

UK NEWIES

SHALAMAR: ‘Friends’ (Solar CHUM 1T).
Bubblingly racing through staccato vocals and catchy little licks but underpinned by a 120bpm backbeat, this bright pop hit is on 3-track 12in with the vocodered smacking 117bpm ‘Playing To Win‘ and slow ‘I Just Stopped By Because I Had To’.

WHODINI: ‘Magic’s Wand’ (Jive JIVE T28).
Thomas Dolby-prod/Tee Scott-mixed fantastic electrophonic phunk groove, with a chick declaring “Oh my gawd I think I’m having a rap attack” (that’s rap, not heart, guys!), vocoder and rapping all in different intensities on 3-track 33 1/3rpm 12in, the Special Extended Mix at 113½bpm and the other two at 112bpm.

B.T. (BRENDA TAYLOR): ‘You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too’ (Excaliber EXCL 526).
Soulfully wailing through a purposefully rolling 111bpm 12in momentum, this jolter’s been around so long I’d forgotten how well put together it is, in 3 versions. With the current climate for similar stuff it could even chart nationally. Continue reading “November 20, 1982: Shalamar, Whodini, Brenda Taylor, The S.O.S. Band, Roy Ayers”

November 13, 1982: Marvin Gaye, Warp 9, Planet Patrol, Montana Sextet, Michelle Wallace

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

STIX HOOPER has reportedly left the Crusaders after 19 years, in a big bust up with the now sole original members, Kelly Marie producers Joe Sample & Wilton Felder . . . Extra T’s ‘E.T. Boogie’ has been withdrawn in the States following ‘E.T.’ film-maker Steven Spielberg’s claim that it infringes his trademark — so, just as it really explodes in London with solid Capital Radio play, you’d better buy it while you can . . . Rockers Revenge follow up with another fiercely revived oldie, Jimmy Cliff’s ‘The Harder They Come‘ (huh?!) . . . Marvin Gaye’s 12in was in full supply last week, when all outstanding orders were belatedly filled, so the initial shortage was possibly a pressing plant problem . . . Marvin, my gut reaction and general observations tell me, ought to be top of this week’s disco chart but the points worked out otherwise (in fact it’s really tight in the whole Top 30 with several hot titles slipping despite increased plays) — still, there’s always next week . . . Billy Griffin sold a bundle last week, and electrophonic phunk was the dominating sound in London at least — but most notable was the virtually total lack of disco play for Eddy Grant’s pop radio smash . . . Imagination incredibly have put ‘Heart ‘N’ Soul‘ on hold and instead follow their miss with a remixed ‘Changes‘, boring! . . . Shalamar’s follow-up is a remixed ‘Friends‘ — just about the only thing left after that must be a 12in remix of the LP’s label . . . Madness’s upcoming ‘Our House’ on 12in copies will start with all their oldies intros cleverly segued together . . . Bobby “O”, now out here, has been remixed (both sides) on Canadian Unidisc 12in . . . London’s latest station in an ever increasing jostle is Gaywaves on 104FM Wednesday evenings — I hear it’s a hoot! . . . Discomart ’82, the Barry’s Disco Centre organised equipment, is this Sunday (14) between noon-5.30pm in the Cambridge Suite at the Gloucester Leisure Centre (they say Stantion Road but that could mean Station), with Simon Bates saying “Hi” at 3pm, a huge Pulsar lighting display, giant screen video demonstrations and several new product launches amongst the special attractions . . . Rush Release’s mailing list up-date has so far shown up an amazing 45 bogus DJs — can you believe it?! . . . Rush Release’s Ian Titchener now reckons this page is “once again essential reading” — er, when wasn’t it, or is that because I keep reviewing in all innocence 7in copies of stuff they’ve sent out on 12in to everyone except me? . . . Torso, the dancers who back Gail Grier on ‘In Heat’, appeared with Diana Dors in the video of Adam Ant’s ‘Prince Charming’ . . . Gap Band’s ‘You Dropped A Bomb On Me’ video is in appallingly bad taste . . . Madonna ‘Everybody’ was last week’s highest new US Dance/Disco chart entry, while US Black hits include Peter Gabriel ‘Shock The Monkey‘, Steve Miller ‘Abracadabara’, Yazoo ‘Situation’ . . . I escorted a girlfriend to the Hammersmith Palais last week as her brother Boris was drumming with some new-fangled beat group there — turned out to be the Thompson Twins! . . . Al Taylor, Bodellwydan Poppeys DJ (0745-36757), organises a circuit of North Wales clubs for PAs and invites any interested London soul outfits to travel up there (expenses paid) with the added inducement of a free video copy to keep of their appearance . . . Ian Turner (Llandudno Speakeasy) sent me a snap of Streetwave plugging “perfect gentleman” Orin Cozier living up to his “Ladies Man” nickname — what’s it worth, O?! . . . Orin’s boss meanwhile is secretly — nah, I promised I wouldn’t, but who could it be?! . . . Eyes & Ears plugging Nicky McKenzie starts jocking at Soho’s La Vie En Rose in the old Windmill, Paul Raymond’s new million pound lazer disco, when it opens this coming Tuesday (16) . . . I wonder which well-known DJ started slagging off Ray Parker Jr’s recent rock hit before anyone could tell him he was actually talking to Ray’s brother, Greg? . . . Jon Williams reckons more Merseyside DJs should aggressively promote their gigs, not just with newspaper ads, but like him with handbills given out to people in pubs and wine bars — his own next promotion is another funky river trip on Tuesday 30th November (fuller details later or ring 647 4439/645 3618 early evenings), the £2 cost including a free trip to catch Greg Wilson at the Wigan Pier afterwards . . . Kevin Springham has started a members-only 14-18 year old’s Tuesday “teen night” at Dartford Flicks, take two passport size photos on your first visit for free membership . . . Cippenham (Slough) Alexandras is now after a complete refit called Libertys, Robbie Collins playing alternative music Thursdays, Chris Ryan & Steve James funking Fri/Sats . . . Phil Mitchell, known to Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s HMV shoppers, now souls Sunderland Annabel’s on Mondays, Newcastle’s Swan & Sugarloaf (Mon), Old Kent Road Green Man’s Scotts (Sun/Wed), London Bridge Royal Oak (Tues/Sat) . . . Worcester Park’s oddly named Tressbonn Trashmore, known around South London for his mobile Dancemore Discotheques’s “select dinner dances” is now regularly at Croydon Cinatra’s . . . Nic ‘Jap-Jazz’ Wakefield (Sidmouth Carina’s) is trying to identify an oldie from the mid-’70s, slightly reggae-ish, starting something like “Barabbas you are brought before this court for . . . and the penalty is fifty lashes” — any ideas? . . . Dave Richards (Brown), jocking seven years with wide experience, is now working at Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre but would welcome more work (01-868 1919 evenings) . . . Falco’s Continental smash ‘Der Kommissar‘ is now on 12in here (A&M AMSX 8254) . . . Kelly Marie’s finished copies of her Crusaders-produced ‘Don’t Take Your Love To Hollywood‘, instead of the promo’s instrumental, have her old import ‘New York At Night‘ as flip . . . Mayfair’s Gullivers was buzzing last weekend, what with our own resident freaky dance troupe, a Central Line PA, and the likes of Jeff Young, Tony Monson, Alan James Jewell, Alan Coulthard, Steve Jerome amongst the many familiar old faces . . . Alan James Jewell (we remember him as Wall) was just back from a year of mixing in Oslo before leaving for Bangkok in the new year, and says that Norway’s Monty Python-ish Prima Vera currently have a hot RCA LP track that translates as ‘Everybody’s Getting Herpes For Christmas‘! . . . Pete Alex, jocking as Diskothek Valentino in Wilhelmshaven, West Germany, sent me a cassette of recent Continental hits . . . Willie Hutch varied up a good bit mixes nicely out of Carol Douglas or Greg Henderson, and into Tyrone Brunson . . . Detroit Spinners ‘I’ll Be Around’ is 110-112bpm, Donny Hathaway ‘The Ghetto’ 0-114/57-113bpm, all you old soulies . . . Britain’s record buyers really are buying black disco records again, aren’t they? . . . KEEP IT FUNKY!

UK NEWIES

MARVIN GAYE: ‘My Love Is Waiting’ (LP ‘Midnight Love’ CBS-85977).
On UK release within days of American and Dutch pressings arriving here, the all electronic return to form for Marvin is still too new for me to have fully studied it, but the immediate standout has been this extremely ‘Sexual Healing’-like 92bpm variation on the same smoochy groove — but, annoyingly, the last track on side two. It’s started by Marvin saying “Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I sure hope you’ve enjoyed our new album here on CBS Records”, before continuing through the music to thank Harvey Fuqua, Larking Arnold and Jesus Christ. Nice out of Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields ‘You Send Me’, the lovely tune also disconcertingly (on Dutch pressing) produces an acoustic feedback-like tone. However, it’s a killer, the other likely one being the buoyant sleek 104bpm ‘Turn On Some Music‘ in his old yowling early seventies style.

WARP 9: ‘Nunk’ (Arista ARIST 12509).
That’s “new wave funk”, or electrophonic phunk, and this tight 115bpm 12in thudder has now exploded as it’s perfect with ‘E.T. Boogie’ and, especially, ‘The Smurf’.

PLANET PATROL: ‘Play At Your Own Risk’ (21 Records POSPX 535).
Rockers Revenge meets Soul Sonic Force with Temptations-ish vocals on great 126bpm 12in, a perfect mix with ‘Planet Rock’ — and the flip’s instrumental version is then followed by a 127bpm reprise of exactly that (but why couldn’t they have actually mixed the two?). Continue reading “November 13, 1982: Marvin Gaye, Warp 9, Planet Patrol, Montana Sextet, Michelle Wallace”

November 6, 1982: Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney, Willie Hutch, Gwen McCrae, Billy Griffin, Central Line

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MARVIN GAYE has reputedly already been deleted on 94/47bpm 12in, record shops being supplied with far fewer copies than ordered of those that did appear after the long wait — what game are CBS trying to play? . . . Marvin’s 7in is actually a sharper mix than the 12in, so don’t despair if you missed out . . . Wreckin Crew, after my review last week, caught all the importers on the hop and was in short supply too . . . Marvin Gaye is now based in Belgium (two pads, Ostend & Brussels) with many visits to London, and it seems the latest US soul stars on the house hunting trail in England include Isaac Hayes, Jermaine Jackson, Billy Paul . . . Galaxy’s Phil Fearon has co-produced an interestingly successful fusion of funk and, believe it or not, Pakistani instruments in various 128bpm mixes by Risan, ‘Eastern Palace‘ (Saffron), fully available next week . . . Eddy Grant’s brother Alpine appears as Once Bitten on his self-produced funk 105bpm ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy’, which is literally on white label as no deal has been signed yet . . . Klein & MBO will be on TMT next week, when ‘Bad Boy/Having A Party’ will be Luther Vandross’s UK 7in . . . Stix Hooper ‘Gimme Some Space’ will be on UK 12in, George Clinton ‘Loopzilla’ gets ‘Pot Sharing Tots’ as bonus third track on UK 12in . . . Sharon Redd’s ‘In The Name Of Love’ gay smash is now due on US Prelude 12in with a new instrumental version B-side, not on the Canadian pressing . . . K-tel’s ‘Disco Dancer‘ album (NE 1190) has 18 tracks all mixed as smoothly as the material will allow by none other than Alan Coulthard . . . Fred Dove is after DJs doing kids and young teens gigs to plug WEA’s newly affiliated Walt Disney label, Disneyland — send your work details to Fred at WEA, Disney Mailing List, PO Box 59, Alperton Lane, Wembley, Mx HA0 1FJ . . . Ian Levine rejoins Colin Curtis on Sunday 14th November at a Manchester Ritz alldayer, reviving their mid-’70s Blackpool Mecca material — the transitional period that turned away from old Northern Soul to then current disco, Ian (who’s on before Colin from 5 to 7pm) promising lots of Dr Buzzard, Crown Heights Affair and the like plus more recently released remixes of original classic cuts, but all now played in Ian’s present mixing style — which sounds too good to miss and I hope to be there myself! . . . Liverpool’s Chad, on the bill at this Sunday’s Birmingham Snobs alldayer, is organising a coach to the event — see him at Cagneys or call 74-50587 . . . Wallasey’s Pez sez “Let’s hear it for the Wirral”, which shouldn’t be classed with the rest of Merseyside as a funk desert, when he and Steve Murphy mix every Monday at the Chelsea Reach (upstairs), Pez alone funks Fridays at the Golden Guinea (downstairs), Desa funks Tues/Thursdays at Birkenhead’s Sir James, while up-front newies ‘n oldies are mixed Thurs/Fri/Saturdays at Birkenhead’s Ruperto . . . Mike ‘Hippo’ Page, who says that Shifnal Nell Gwyn’s increasingly mirror be-decked dance area is getting like the 1,000 dollar room at the Chicken Ranch, recommends Telford area DJs to get a discount at the TTS record shop in Madley’s High Street . . . Graham Hunter ‘The Funky Scot’ (44 Waltham Rd, Overton, Basingstoke), who recommends Basingstoke’s Our Price for really cheap imports, is desperate to find a copy of Letta Mbulu ‘Kilimanjaro’ . . . Carl Richardson, jocking at Hull’s brand new gay disco the first Saturday of every month (this week is the second held) at Hull’s Bali Ha’i in George Street, is desperate for a copy of Front Page (featuring Sharon Redd) ‘Love Insurance’ . . . Tony de Vit’s gay slanted disco show on Beacon Radio has been moved forward on Tuesday nights to 9-10pm, and now features a 15 minute mix produced by Tony at home on his new Technics SL 1200 Mk. 2 decks . . . Stereo Fun Inc ‘Gotcha Where I Wantcha Babe‘ (US Moby Dick 12in) gets an early warning tip as a future gay number one by Ian Levine . . . Yaz ‘Don’t Go’, still top of the US/Dance chart, is now commercially available in the States, at least on Sire 12in, in a previously promo-only 6 minute remix version . . . Evelyn King, as of last week, was still top US Black single after five weeks, and top Black LP as well . . . Ian (“wot, ‘im again”) Levine at London’s Heaven currently mixes Scherrie Payne through her scream into the rap intro of Gwen McCrae, her bass break into Sharon Redd ‘In The Name Of Love’, her last break under the tempoless intro of Weather Girls . . . Soul On Sound 007’s preview mix is probably the strongest completely danceable medley yet, (Editor’s note: the mix starts at 0:59) anything that didn’t stand up rhythmically being junked (bye bye most of the UK productions!) — bearing in mind that only around 50 seconds of each track is used and many are edited within themselves to reach the mixing point sooner, the sequence should still work well in more stretched out form and is as follows: Grandmaster Flash ‘It’s A Shame’/Once Bitten/Kurtis Blow/Central Line/Wreckin Crew/Detroit Spinners/Strikers/Syl Johnson/Carl Carlton ‘Swing That Sexy Thang’/Carol Douglas (Inst)/Klymaxx 12in/Jimmie Gray (Inst)/Evelyn King ‘Back To Love’/Melba Moore ‘Knack For Me’/Captain Sky ‘Don’t Touch That Dial’/Jammers (Richie Weeks & Shep Pettibone mixes)/Skyy ‘Won’t You Be Mine’/Hurt ‘Em Bad ‘Monday Night Football’/Gwen Guthrie US Remix/Gloria Gaynor/Stone/Puff (Inst)/Donald Byrd 12in/First Light/Gwen McCrae/Debbie Trusty (26 records in 23:29 on the tape!) . . . Rocket ‘I Wanna Know’ out of Raw Silk worked well for me last weekend at Gullivers . . . Raw Silk’s interview in RM really did hold some surprises — so that’s what became of Jessica Cleaves, whose vocals with the Friends Of Distinction and the early Earth Wind & Fire made some of their songs amongst my all-time faves . . . Soul On Sound’s Tony Jenkins guests this Sunday afternoon on Martin Collins’s Chiltern Radio soul show — SOS back issues are now incidentally in such heavy demand amongst completists that new copies are having to be run off! . . . Streetwave’s Morgan Khan since my introducing him to it has now eaten at Watford’s Ponderosa five more times) . . . Horizon FM was rumoured to be doing a breakfast show complete with traffic plane on Mon/Tuesdays, but when I dialled 94.3 this Monday I got JFM (faintly) instead — still, there’s so many of ’em who knows what’s what? . . . Fusion FM sticks strictly to jazz-fusion and soul on 90.4 from 8.30pm Tuesdays in South London/Croydon . . . Radio Alpha’s Jerry Wilson funks Fri/Sat/Sundays pub hours at Colindale’s Surrey Arms, and joins ‘Steve’ Wed/Thurs/Sundays at Hendon Central’s new Melanies night club (opposite the Classic) . . . ‘Fat’ Larry Foster sent me the year’s first Xmas card (and present!), for which I can only help plug a dance he’s promoting on Tuesday 30th November at Epping Forest Country Club with himself plus Steve Day, Robbie Collins, Steve ‘Soul Messiah’ Goddard & Neil Harnett, £2 tickets from the jocks venues . . . Rob Harknett (Harlow) finally got that Saragossa Band ‘Za-Za-Zabadak’ German Ariola LP he’d been after for ages, and luckily it’s now much requested at his MoR gigs . . . Dave Rawlings (Reading Rebeccas) thanks those pluggers who helped replace some of his stolen records . . . I find that, as predicted, there’s just too much product to play at the moment . . . Mark Summers (Hackney Flappers), inspired by George Clinton, has taken to singing in the bathroom “Don’t touch that knob, just dry your nuts”! . . . EDIT! EDIT!

UK NEWIES

MICHAEL JACKSON/PAUL McCARTNEY: ‘The Girl Is Mine’ (Epic EPC A2729).
Gorgeous dreamily tempoed 81bpm 7in duet with even conversational “Michael” and “Paul” dialogue towards the end (in ‘Two Sleepy People’ style!), the underlying feel being soulful, but the overall message being across-the-board, megahit! The hurriedly frantic noisy 126bpm ‘Can’t Get Outta The Rain‘ flip is a further less satisfying taster to Michael’s imminent new Quincy Jones-produced LP.

WILLIE HUTCH: ‘In And Out’ (Motown TMGT 1285).
All the work’s already been done for Motown on this ultra catchy “in and out — up and down — around and around” jiggler, the soulfully sung 111-112bpm 12in having reached the top of our disco chart on import play alone. Not as totally synthesized as Marvin Gaye, the effect though is similarly of electronics played for and by human beings.

GWEN McCRAE: ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ (Atlantic K 789951-7T).
Already a monster after initial LP play, this beautifully unfurling conversationally starting 128bpm 12in unhurried and deadly catchy soul flier has fantastic huskily sexy singing (and a snappy bass break out of which Debbie Trusty is indeed dynamite!), flipped by her equally good older and, earlier this year, much copied sensuous slowly rolling 98-99bpm ‘Funky Sensation‘. Continue reading “November 6, 1982: Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney, Willie Hutch, Gwen McCrae, Billy Griffin, Central Line”