Month: July 1984

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LAST WEEK my exploration of sunny Somerset/North Wilts, where Salisbury Plain eases into the South Cotswolds (Castle Combe etc), apart from a bookie in Bath called Chris Hill Racing yielded the sight of two white boys strolling along a remote country road playing playing Break Machine on a ghetto blaster — this electro stuff, hated by club managers who want “smart” older booze-buyers, has been driven into youth club-type teenage discos where it’s now treated just as pop music and is HUGE (so how come we still don’t get many electro charts?) . . . Trevor Thorne wonders why I didn’t listen to Dublin’s pirate stations while in Pembrokeshire, citing Radio Nova 102.8FM (which he can get in Burton-on-Trent on 819MW) and Sunshine Radio 539MW — well if they’d been there to pick up, my Blaupunkt would surely have locked in, but it didn’t . . . London’s Horizon 102.55FM reaches out past Slough, while coming back I just caught one of Peter Young’s jingles in Marlborough before Capital’s 96.8FM became listenable from nearer Hungerford . . . Capital’s assistant librarian ‘Disco’ John Leech made his DJ debut last Saturday dawn, sounding surprisingly posh! . . . Paul Entwistle & Barry Clifford, with a team of jocks from the Costa Brava’s top discos (where Raf ‘Self Control‘ is huge), broadcast 11 hours daily in English with tourist info and music on Radio Holiday 102.3FM from Lloret De Mar . . . Carl Kingston (BBC Radio Humberside) did a package of voice-overs for Texas radio station KYMX-FM 97 in Eastland, and is now off there to present some programmes in his hols! . . . US DJ Bob Atkins, better known as ‘The Dude’ on his regular phone-ins to Steve Wright on Radio One, does Bournemouth’s Showbar Thur/Fri, Southend’s Westcliff Leisure Centre Pimpernells Sat (just send a chart, Bob) . . . Jimmy Cliff ‘Reggae Night‘ according to my neighbours has been huge in Spain and is now remixed by Francois Kevorkian on Columbia, other import remixes being Patti Austin ‘Shoot The Moon‘ (Qwest), Planet Patrol ‘Danger Zone‘ (Tommy Boy), Rick James ’17’ now being on Motown 12in . . . New World Philharmonic Orchestra’s instrumental ‘Body Talk’ is also on 12in — Forrest rather surprisingly is a member of Band Of Gold, while the Funky Sisters who remixed Windjammer turn out to be Chad Jackson & Pete Waterman (mmm, nice!) . . . Tina Turner nipped in as top US Black LP, and Lionel Richie ‘Stuck On You’ sure enough has hit the US Country chart . . . Paulinho Da Costa is currently exciting jazz and radio jocks with a specialist set costing from £8.50 to £10 on import . . . Peter Lee left Bolton’s Dance Factory for a promotions post with Firehurst Leisure, who run nine Merseyside venues including Litherland Clouds and Liverpool New Coconut Grove in which he also still regularly jocks and where this Thursday (26) the Cool Notes PA, followed by Jaki Graham on Saturday (Coconut Grove only) — Chris Hill & Foggy head a mafia team when the Caister Soul Weekend Roadshow 84 hits Taunton Kingston’s Thurs (26), Hastings Downtown Saturday’s Wed (1) . . . Big Phil Etgart, Paul M & “the real” Gray Steele soul-funk-soca Gerrards Cross Smarties behind WH Smiths on Thursdays, when Nick Davies has a ‘Naughty Night’ at Chesham Whispers with sexy barmaids, cheap booze, lurid videos — Gary Oldis finally established his break dance competition every Friday until Aug 10 at Dalton Piercy’s Slix on the A19, further sponsors welcome . . . Pete Tong souls Hemel Hempstead’s The Railway Sat (28), and deputizes for “our man Gal” at South Harrow Bogarts Tues (31) . . . Hammersmith Palais Sunday (29) 3-12pm alldayer has Steve Walsh, Froggy, Mastermind, Frenchie T, Jonathan, and a cast of radio DJs plus a £500 break dance contest . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn meets Sunday (29) lunchtime at Hayes The Adam & Eve, with a preview of Citronic’s new 400w stereo console and a Manhattan light show . . . Friday (27) Bournemouth’s Cabaret Cub has Earlene Bentley & Sylvester (after his Boscombe Academy show), Sly’s other dates being London’s Hippodrome Thur (26)/Mon (30), Rayleigh’s Pink Toothbrush Tues (31) . . . Divine’s remix is now his commercial B-side, Kelly Marie oddly is now called just ‘Kelly’, Roni Griffith’s next revival is of the Jackson 5’s ‘Dancing Machine’, “Miss Piggy” asks “where’s the beef?” — Disco Mix Club megamixer Alan Coulthard took a first in law at University College London and is now going up to Oxford to read for a BCL (he can spell, too!), while Jon Guy celebrated his own BA (Hons) in Geography with some fellow Manchester University graduates in a silly sounding session on KFM — but is the station still on the air? — Adrian Allan (Sunderland) reports that Phil Esterhaus is replaced by newly qualified Sgt Lucy Bates — HEY HEY HEY!

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HORIZON RADIO pirates climbed the marquee’s mast at their Wandsworth alldayer to hoist not the jolly Roger but a UHF aerial — however, the proximity of some very interested Home Office observers stopped any live link-up! As of Monday, Horizon and Skyline were still going strong, with JFM and DBC significantly just transmitting a carrier signal (will their bait be taken?).

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HOT VINYL

M+M: ‘Black Stations/White Stations (Remix)’ (RCA RCAT 426)
Oddly never imported despite huge US club success, the modern Martha & The Muffins pop-sung afro-funk flavoured infectiously jiggling 118bpm bounder has literally exploded now it’s out here — true “Urban contemporary” with lyrics to match (and an instrumental flip) — a monster in the making.

PRECINCT: ‘Shining Star’ (Passion PASH 1232)
Manchester’s Steve Menzies & Leroy Grant somehow previously linked with Dundee’s Rokotto, cleverly cross elements of the Phil Fearon and EWF sounds for an instantly familiar lazy (0-)111bpm summery swayer which lets lovely lyrical sax take over during the dreamy long break (less vocal Astral Mix flip). A bit of a biggie, methinks!

CHUCK BROWN & THE SOUL SEARCHERS: ‘We Need Some Money’ (US T.T.E.D. TDE-3004)
From Washington DC-a-go-go where the percussion based R&B bands still play their jittery soulful party music with real instruments to a distinctive beat borrowed and epitomised by Kurtis Blow on ‘Party Time‘, this gruffly chanted and brassily blown tradition-rooted 104-105-104½bpm infectious ballsy jiggler is hip hop music for and by real live breathing people — and it’s great (two Radio Versions too). Dollar bill, y’all? Continue reading “July 28, 1984: M+M, Precinct, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, Flying Lizards, Janet Kay”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

HORIZON RADIO combined with Showstopper Promotions last Saturday for a hastily arranged alldayer using the latter’s ‘Knebworth’ marquee in a well hidden Wandsworth park (where Sho Pro plan a month of events next year!), with the excellent Change and Ingram playing live, lots of star PAs and all the station’s DJs . . . Capital’s Peter Young and I by some freak of the marquee’s acoustics were feeding lines to the unwitting Chris Stewart from the exact opposite side of the tent — yup, that was us that made him follow the rallying cries of “North London”, “South London” with an incredulous “Croydon?”! Home Office men were actually at Wandsworth to prevent live transmission of the show, but although Tony Monson was pessimistic on air Monday morning (the day that anti-pirate legislation came into force), others at Horizon 102.55FM seem quietly confident about their quite extraordinary security measures to get around yet another legal loophole, if not in fact stay broadcasting . . . Abi Grant (praised last week) turns out to be a girl — oops! — but she’s lost her gig on LWR as the station closed down on Sunday with a special two hour documentary narrated by founder Jonny Haywood: they chose to bow out with dignity rather than face the fines if and when a bust was to come . . . JFM came off air Sunday too but have a plan up their sleeve, while as of Monday night the only other London pirate still to be heard centrally was Skyline 90.2FM . . . Monday’s TV-am had JFM’s Brian Anthony and BBC Radio London’s Tony Blackburn defending the need for soul and other ethnic types of local city-wide radio, rather than pirate or small-scale community radio . . . Capital’s suave John Sachs was then plugged on Blackburn’s show by a girl friend (which one?) as slim-hipped, six foot two, dark and balding! . . . Saturday’s TV-am had featured fun-filled five black/one white girl acappella group the Mint Juleps doing great versions of ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ and ‘Shout’ (Toni Arthur: “Lulu? Nah, the Isley Brothers” — right on!) . . . Phonogram no longer have the De-Lite label, who with Kool & The Gang as a lever are after mucho increased megabucks for a UK deal . . . Sharon Redd still has one last album to do for Prelude, and will be touring here in the winter when her next single’s out . . . Polydor make the logical move next month of reviving on Verve 12in the original just Astrud Gilberto-credited ‘The Girl From Ipanema‘, the gentle subdued samba duet (her first recording) with husband Joao Gilberto from his Antonio Carlos Jobim-penned classic 1963-recorded bossa nova set with Stan Getz, ‘Getz/Gilberto’ — enduringly influential (Tracey Thorn et al), it seemed to encapsulate a world of jet set sophistication when a US hit exactly 20 years ago . . . Steve Harvey’s remix of Arrow ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’ on commercial 12in is a 3-tracker including a brighter mix of the original version . . . Jermaine Jackson’s newie will be a remixed ‘Dynamite’ with just an instrumental ‘Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ as flip (the vocal duet with Michael was licensed for LP use only) . . . Disco Mix Club are planning a special charter trip to New York’s clubs on Monday March 11 immediately after their next DJ convention — I’ve already signed on to go! — while their first vinyl rather than cassette mixes are a usefully extended Wham! ‘Wake Me’ by Les Adams, whose floorfiller has odd contents, Alan Coulthard weighing in with a rather forced Frankie/Evelyn/Bronski and Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards ‘MegaChics’ medley . . . DJ JJ and JFM’s Ricky Rankin start spinning new soul/lovers rock weekly this Thursday (19) at Clapton Pond’s White Hart Hotel . . . Friday (20) finds Tony Blackburn with Steve Walsh at Rayleigh’s Pink Toothbrush, Froggy with Ian Reading at Southend’s Zero 6, Sandy Martin’s beach party (free in beachwear) with wet fun ‘n games at Swindon’s Brunel Rooms (where reclusive Rowdy Yeats was recently spotted guiding Greg Brown to a PA), while Fridays throughout July Chris Hill joins Nicky Holloway at Tottenham’s Valentino’s . . . Sunday (22) Bristol’s Freeze Club in Fairfax Street has a 3pm alldayer with Colin Curtis, Tim Westwood, DJ Munch, Paul Lewis, Kenny Macleod, Nic Wakefield, Baz Maleady and more, plus busy Frenchie T of Birmingham Maximillians “sophisticated Sundays” who reveals his real name is Anthony Quailey — and somehow is meant also this Sunday to be part of the 3pm–3am alldayer at Paisley’s Paris Complex in Scotland, along with London’s Cleveland Anderson, North Wales’ Adrian Thomas, Bristol’s John C, Liverpool’s Brian Davies, Newcastle’s Alex Lowes, Glasgow’s Alan David, Stirling’s Phil Leckie and Radio Clyde’s Shagan . . . Sylvester starts a UK tour at Colchester Tartan House Fri (20), Brighton Coasters Sat, Arbroath Smokees Sun, Glasgow Night Moves Mon, Manchester Heroes Wed (25) . . . Adrian Parkin’s next gay Cahoots night is Wednesday (25) at Doncaster Romeo’s & Juliet’s . . . Ian Levine is not remixing Simone after all, so buy now! . . . New York hip hop producer Mark Berry, back here working with Psycon and Animotion down in the depths of Farnham, has been doing the soundtrack music for the movie ‘Cry Of The Street’ (“a 1984 West Side Story”) . . . ‘Breakin’ (‘Breakdance’) cleaned up but ‘Beat Street’ has already folded in cinemas Stateside and should be available on Home Box Office cable TV there soon — however, both films records are doing well . . . I’m surprised Frankie Goes To Hollywood haven’t topped the Nightclub chart despite all the national hoopla — obviously dancers know a lot of loud noise and nonsense when they hear it! . . . Mark Clarke (Wokingham Mark One Records), red faced says “Whoops, what happened to Michael’s ‘Buffalo Bill’ on the Jacksons album then?” . . . Lakeside’s ‘Restrictions‘ ends with a little smurf protesting to an unbudgeable bouncer “But I’m 21, really!” — love it, love it . . . I explored last week the only sometimes sunny (luckily when it mattered) Welsh border along the Wye Valley, where the Kymin, Symond’s Yat and Skirrid Fawr were pretty spectacular but for sheer jaw-dropping wonder the unbeatable view was from the Gospel Pass above Hay-on-Wye — in the market square of which antiquarian bookshops-stuffed little country town was the incongruous sight of two black hip hoppers breakin’ to Ollie & Jerry on a ghetto blaster! . . . Jocelyn Brown obviously has to eat but by recording so many one-offs she’s now in the position of most reggae hit makers, with all her past labels resurrecting her material to cash in on her current success . . . David Grant has been concentrating on writing strong songs since January and is just about to start recording again, with confidence . . . Junior has been produced again by Arif Mardin (of Scritti Politti fame, and just a few more besides!) . . . Larry Foster, now Mon/Tues/Thur/Fri at Gants Hill Villa, has returned to pub work at Hackney Road’s The Pickle House with cheap booze/’60s soul Wed, upfront Sat/Sun, as is Robbie Collins Fri, Segue Steve Goddard there sometimes too . . . Mike Baker reports Tottenham’s Mayfair is being revamped for a September opening as The Ritzy . . . TVS are so far ahead with ‘Hill Street Blues’ that Frank Furillo has hit the bottle and been sacked (oh yeah, for how long?) while in London we’ve only just lost Sgt Phil Esterhaus, “in for a check up” . . . them lost R.I.P.

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HOT VINYL

MANU DIBANGO: ‘Abele Dance’ (CellulOid CART 339)
The Cameroonian saxist whose ‘Soul Makossa’ was Afro-funk’s breakthrough 11 years ago now goes hip hop by setting his usual big blow honks and weaving chants to a mesmerically jiggling 106bpm electro beat that’s more powerful the louder it’s played (inst dub flip with extra sax). Hot-Hot-Hot!

THE S.O.S. BAND: ‘Just The Way You Like It’ (US Tabu 4Z9 05031)
And talking of hot, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis now not surprisingly combine all their predictable but currently so powerful “hot tempo” tricks in an immediately floor-filling 106bpm Change-sing ‘Just Be Good To Me’/The SOS Band-sing ‘Change Of Heart’ (inst flip) . . . but have the happy dancers realised yet that it’s a new record?!

SCREAMIN’ TONY BAXTER: ‘Get Up Offa That Thing (James Who?)’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 9)
Often mentioned over the last two years by DJs on the Continent, where mislabelled it was known as ‘Screamin’ by Tony Baxter, this Bobby “O”-produced now thoroughly topical funkily chugging 112bpm James Brown remake-cum-medley — NOT a soundalike — is great out of ‘Mr Groove’ and should have very wide appeal (inst flip). Continue reading “July 21, 1984: Manu Dibango, The S.O.S. Band, Screamin’ Tony Baxter, Animal Nightlife, Mtume”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MARGIE JOSEPH’s single here will be ‘Midnight Lover‘ next month, while Sister Sledge’s is a ‘Lost In Music’ remix . . . Madonna’s upcoming new LP is produced by Nile Rodgers . . . Kashif’s ‘Send Me Your Love’ album is out here now (Arista 206 350) . . . I re-explored sunny South Wales again last week, and was amazed to discover within distant sight of the Preseli Hills, also spelt Presely — from which came the blue stones of Stonehenge and, at least as often suggested, the surname of Presley — an ancient parish just east of St David’s actually called St Elvis! (I’ve never seen mention of such an obvious link in all my reading about Elvis Presley, let alone such an authenticated source for his frankly odd first name) . . . Pembrokeshire is so remote the only radio you can get is Ireland’s Galway-based commercial Radio Two 94.9FM, on which without exception every DJ sounded exactly like Terry Wogan, Henry Kelly or (especially) Gloria Hunniford — we in England don’t realise it, but this is obviously the standard “Irish broadcaster” voice . . . BBC veteran broadcaster Wynford Vaughan-Thomas’s book ‘Wales’ helped me find bits I hadn’t done before, and in checking out the photographed views for myself I found myself standing in the street where he lives when not so surprisingly along he came with his shopping — and seeing a true believer immediately spent twenty minutes poring over my map pointing out places for me to visit! . . . Radio One banned Grandmaster Melle Mel ‘Beat Street‘ evidently because they think the word “truck” sounds like something else . . . Tony Blackburn wants Laser 558’s American girl DJ Jessie Brandon to fill in for him on Radio London while he’s off with the Radio One Roadshow — whatever will the Beeb think of that? . . . Horizon 102.5FM has been off the air through nothing more sinister than a mechanical breakdown, although now indeed is nail-biting time for all the pirate stations, with the uncertainty of never knowing when and if there’s going to be a knock on the studio door . . . Abi Grant on LWR 92.6FM’s Sunday night/Monday 1-4am dawn shift may not have a great radio voice but boy does he put together a good programme, mixing up all sorts of stuff with wit and imagination . . . Jon Guy gives more details of Manchester’s KFM 94.2FM, on which his own Friday & Saturday 2-7am dawn patrol is divided up musically with soul for the first and third (4-5am) hours, “alternative” or general stuff in between . . . Paul Dodd, who does JFM 102.85’s Saturday 9-11pm Electro-Funk chart show, is after a SW London/Surrey/Middlesex area residency on 01-897 9111 (days) . . . James Ingram is obviously from a family of the same name but is no relation of the group Ingram — yet certain DJs persist in saying he is . . . One Way replaced Jermaine Jackson atop the US Black LP chart, but for how long with Prince currently overshadowing everyone including the Jacksons? . . . Janet Jackson duets on her new album with Cliff Richard! . . . Michael’s nose job is now so unlike the way his brothers look that if you notice on all current Jacksons photos everyone else’s noses have been touched-up to match! . . . Eartha Kitt’s sleeve photo has people asking “are the legs hers?” (maybe our resident beatnik Gary Crowley could find out how long ago it was taken!) . . . The Heroes ‘Russia And America’ should be 110bpm . . . Pete Wingfield turns out to be behind Band Of Gold’s ‘Love Songs Are Back Again’ (white labels are so informative, aren’t they?) . . . James Brown is suddenly getting much reactivated interest and coincidentally the also revived Linda Clifford ‘Runaway Love‘ just happens to be a perfect if unlikely synch out of ‘Sex Machine’! . . . I was in poor form Friday at Mayfair Gullivers but Saturday’s set fitted together nicely like this: Sizzle/David Joseph ‘You Can’t Hide’ (inst remix)/Miami Sound Machine/Colonel Abrams (dub)/Temper (dub)/The Horne Section (inst)/Rick James/Prince/Jacksons 12in/chop Womack & Womack ‘Scared’/segue Maze ‘Before I Let Go (Live)’/synch through outro Jeffrey Osborne ‘Plane Love’/Steps Ahead ‘Radio-Active’ (middle bit)/Jermaine Jackson ‘Come To Me’/Klinte Jones (dub)/Ollie & Jerry/West Street Mob ‘I Can’t Stop’/chop Rufus ‘Ain’t Nobody’/Emotions . . . Gullivers got visited by a gaggle of girls who work at Dolcis in Oxford Street — and most of them kept taking their shoes off because they hurt! . . . Sunday seemed like the weather to visit Hemel Hempstead for the Whip & Collar’s alfresco alldayer, where sadly broken glass in the river at the bottom of the pub’s garden prevented the planned log rolling competition, and it was too hot for most people to do anything much more than lie around listening . . . Boring Bob plays a funk record, shock horror sensation (naturally it was four years old though), followed by a newie too! . . . Big Phil Etgart (Hackney Follies) recommends a Midlands discovery, Oddity Records in Leicester’s Indoor Market (Unit 2A, ground floor), “not a collectors shop that stocks soul but a soul specialist shop that also caters for collectors” (Leicester 56017): Phil adds cryptically, “‘judging by the final mix on both T. Ski Valley and Orlando Johnson, the Dutch must be listening to a lot of Froggy mixes” . . . Friday the 13th finds Cleveland Anderson chancing his luck with a funky boat trip from Westminster Pier at 8pm (£6 including buffet), Brian Mason at new residency London NW2’s Ashtons joined by Capital’s Roger Scott (will he do his great ‘Two Tribes’/ZZ Top ‘Legs’ mix?), Gary Campbell with a “Summer Soul Beach Party” at Harlow Whispers, York’s hopefully not smoke-damaged The Windmill in Blossom Street reopening with Bry (Godson) & Pete’s weekly soul/funk/60s night . . . Tricky Dicky, the original boy on the boys town disco scene, celebrates his 13th anniversary on the 14th (Saturday) at Stratford’s The Pigeons in Romford Road . . . Nicky A now adds Sunday lunchtime jazz at the Tudor Lodge wine bar in unfunky beer-brewing Romford, where he’s doing his best to keep the soul flag flying . . . Adrian Allen (Sunderland) warns that holidaymakers returning from Benidorm and Torremolinos are heavily into Laid Back ‘White Horse‘ . . . ITV has been showing barefoot water skiing, which looks like breakdancing on water at 40mph! . . . Ian Reading enjoys good dirty fun at Southend’s Zero 6 I hear, his recent “perversion” night resulting in four girls stripping starkers to be touched up all over (so where’s the perversion in that?) . . . Kev Hill (Harlow Whispers) reveals that LaRue himself will evidently be leaving ‘Hill Street Blues’ due to his real life alcoholism problems, while Alan Costa (Brighton Tootsies) says “wait until you see what happens to Sgt Esterhaus’s ashes” . . . Item Last: hey, hey, LET’S HAVE WHIPPED CREAM AND HOT FUDGE OUT THERE!

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HOT VINYL

HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES: ‘Today’s Your Lucky Day’ (US Philly World Records PWR 2019)
(Selling fast on import although already promoed here ahead of UK release in a fortnight (London LONX 52), this “roulette”-introed electronically backed purposeful 114bpm chugger has a girl called Nikko contributing greatly to what’s really a soulful duet, with nice piano breaking briefly through the skittering busy beats or dominating the usefully clean instrumental dub flip. However will soul “purists” reconcile themselves to the backing?!

WINDJAMMER: ‘Tossing And Turning’ (MCA MCAT 897)
Look out now and accept no substitute for the 12in sleeve newly stickered “Hot Re-Mix by the Funky Sisters”, because — whoever they are — they’ve transformed what was always a lovely soul song into a really dynamite much tougher dancer, faster at 112bpm, with “eye-cued” beefy new long intro and breaks just made for mixing (unlike the original — ‘Automatic’ works well). A remix what is a remix?!

THE COOL NOTES: ‘You’re Never Too Young’ (Abstract Dance Records AD 001)
In the groove of last year’s summer tempo hits, this attractively rolling (0-)100bpm purposeful semi-slow weaver has gurgling chix wailing sweetly then grittily over the jerky electro beats and some lovely guitar and synth twiddles — yeah, these girls can sing! Frantic instrumental samba 0-128bpm ‘Sound Of Summer‘ flip. Continue reading “July 14, 1984: Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Windjammer, The Cool Notes, Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields, T.H.S. (The Horne Section)”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JAMES BROWN is suddenly hip to hop recording a “duet” with Afrika Bambaataa (whose ‘A Hip Hop History‘ will be on BBC2 July 12!) and the subject of the latest mastermix ‘Lesson Two‘ by cut ’em up DJs Double Dee & Steinski (on Disconet but circulating as a cassette), which brilliantly mixes up Brown classics with snippets of Junior ‘Mama’, Tweety Pie, Clint Eastwood’s “do you feel lucky, punk?”, Sly Stone ‘Dance To The Music’ — Double Dee & Steinski meanwhile have also redone their original much-sought GLOBE & Whiz Kid ‘Play That Beat Mr DJ’ mastermix using now just Tommy Boy label material, for release here via Island (who picked up everything on the label bar Afrika Bam) . . . Steve Harvey has remixed Arrow with a new dub flip too, due imminently . . . Shannon Green knows how to make friends and influence people by not turning up for PAs (if she’d sent her producers’ beat box instead it would have been more interesting anyway!), but we weren’t too worried at Mayfair Gullivers last week what with Stevie Wonder, Fela Kuti and Ingram all hitting the floor there as punters — incidentally, Stevie’s photo last week leads one to hope he isn’t going deaf as well . . . Hugh Masekela ‘Don’t Go Lose It Baby‘ is huge US Disco/Dance (which, along with US Black 45s & Pop, Prince has indeed topped), while coming up fast is Klinte Jones — others big there but not here include Cherrelle ‘I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On‘ 12in mix, Loleatta Holloway ‘Crash Goes Love‘, Nuance ‘Take A Chance‘ . . . Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ LP is totally pop, which is far from a criticism as it’s brilliant(-ish), merely a warning . . . Jane Eugene of Loose Ends almost didn’t get a visa for the States — she told the truth, that she was going there to make an album! . . . Eleanor Grant’s dad Richard Mack happens to own her label Catawba! . . . Eartha Kitt’s sleeve photo has people asking “are the legs hers?” (maybe Gary Crowley could find out) . . . Greg Edwards starts a new additional soul show on Capital this Friday 9pm-midnight . . . Redhill/Reigate’s future ILR station Mercury Radio has already poached London’s most exciting and individual DJ, which can’t be bad . . . Gary Oldis (Dalton Piercy Slix) guests with Dave Brown on Radio Tees ‘Nightlife’ this Saturday (7) . . . Denise LaSalle & Latimore finally made it on to Radio 2 . . . Chaka Khan’s upcoming LP has either/and/or prod/pen/acc contributions from not only John Robie but also Stevie Wonder, Prince, Melle Mel, Hawk Wolinski, Reggie Griffin, Burt Bacharach, Russ Titleman, Robbie Buchanan, David Foster, Michael Sembello and operations overlord Arif Mardin . . . Malaco snapped up Jocelyn Brown’s evidently brand new ‘Too Through‘ for rush release . . . Graham Gold has cut down to just one afternoon a week on JFM as he’s feeling his age — 30 today (happy birthday)! . . . Eddy James, now on Skyline 90.2FM Sunday 8-10pm, joins Nicky Holloway Thursdays at London Bridge Tooley Street Royal Oak with upfront soul, free B4 10 . . . Nicky A now souls alternate Fridays (like this week, 6) at Romford’s Jaffas, ex-Reservation Club — ta for the drink! . . . Mike’s brother Brian Gardner funks Fridays at The Korker Club in South Bermondsey’s Apples & Pears (free admission) . . . Friday (6) Cleveland Anderson funks Uxbridge University, Dave Smith hosts a “superheroes” 50p drinks night at Mayfair Samantha’s (next to Rockafella’s eaterie), Pete Haigh & Richard Searling have monthly “Mecca soul” at Blackpool Baskerville’s, Colin Hudd starts the weekly non-acrobatic club dancer heats at Dartford Flicks, Chris Kaye crosses the Thames to Canvey Goldmine, Southgate Pink Elephant start weekly “Miss String Vest” heats . . . Sunday (8) Stockwell Academy’s 1pm, electro hip hop alldayer has America’s Whiz Kid with Mastermind, Steve Devonne, Jonathan and more all cutting for the crews, Hemel Hempstead Whip & Collar’s noon-10.30pm “Olympics” alldayer (in a marquee with barbeque) has Martin Collins, Jeff Young, Pete Tong, Bob Jones, Joe Field, Ralph Tee & Mike Allin supervising silly sports, Leeds Tiffany’s 3pm alldayer has the Academy Bodypoppers, US DJ Munch, Colin Curtis, Tim Westwood, Simon Walsh, Baz Maleady, Kenny Macleod ‘n more . . . Frenchie T (could his name be Tony French?) and DJ Everton soul Birmingham Maximillians every Sunday for sophisticated dressers (and ladies who like them) . . . Charing Cross Heaven’s “Hi-NRG” theme party Saturday (7) could have the most boys town acts ever assembled in one place at one time, rumoured to include Evelyn Thomas, Divine, Marsha Raven, Hot Gossip, Kelly Marie, Paul Parker, Simone, Nicci Gable, Life Force, Astaire, Betty Valentine (of American Fade) and more — not forgetting Ian ‘Dimples’ Levine! . . . Divine is live at Rayleigh Pink Toothbrush Tuesday (10) on Steve Cochrane’s Hi-NRG night . . . Change next Wednesday (11) play Luton Pink Elephant, where Matt Johnson slips in some pretty heavy hip hop (or is that at St Albans Adelaide?) . . . I’d consider doing a separate Electro chart if only we had more hip hop contributors — c’mon guys, you know this is one BOF who’d rather hear next month’s hit today than some dredged up oldie from 1979, so send ’em in! . . . I did say, way back last autumn, that Grandmaster Melle Mel was a Top 20 hit — and at the time many thought I was crazy . . . Odyssey ‘Don’t Tell Me Tell Her‘ is apparently being dredged up again around London, while in the States John Luongo has just remixed A Taste Of Honey ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ . . . Sugarhill have reissued the late Linda Jones’ ‘Greatest Hits’ LP on US Chess . . . James Brown’s son Daryl Brown is percussionist of new “pop-funk” trio Realeyes . . . Fatman Graham Canter is back at Piccadilly Xenon Mon/Sat helping resident ace mixer French Fernand from Guadeloupe . . . I did a smooth long “upfront” mix at Gullivers last Saturday: Beau Williams ‘Vie’/Patrice Rushen (dub)/Cerrone (dub)/Grand Groove Bunch ‘Groove’/Orlando Johnson/Fatback ‘Found’/Cheryl Lynn/ Lillo Thomas/Kashif ‘Ooh Love’/Jermaine Jackson ‘Come’/Klinte Jones (dub)/Miami Sound Machine/Colonel Abrams (dub)/Brass Construction ‘International’ — let’s just say, they fit! . . . Roger Dynamite must be having difficulties at his Gt Yarmouth Tiffany’s ’60s Fridays as his entire ’60s/Northern Soul collection was stolen in his car — he got the vehicle back (in a few pieces) but offers substantial rewards for info about the records (0502-60340) . . . Rob Harknett (027-979 2329) after 12 years of Thursdays at Gilbey Vintners Social Club is now after other pop gigs on that night . . . Remaxium 24-track recording studio and rehearsal room is about to open in South London’s Clapham Park Road with real cheapo-cheapo introductory rates (01-627 3507) . . . I finally got mail posted to me on June 8 three weeks later on the 27th, but if you think we got it bad Mark Clark of Wokingham’s Mark One Records reports a Polish DJ customer of theirs had to queue for a week just to use the phone to call and place an order! . . . LET’S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE . . .

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HOT VINYL

MAIN LINE: ‘One And Only (Jackson Medley)’ (Malaco MAL 12-25)
No, not you know who, it’s his vocal impersonator Jessie Daniels further confusing the issue as he does on the here restructured 120-119½-120-119½bpm medley, the one which producer Began Cekic originally made as a copy of Alan Coulthard’s Disco Mix Club megamix. Of most interest to Michael maniacs but neat enough for dancers — although it’s a pity they couldn’t have found a Vincent Price impersonator too!

LEON BRYANT: ‘Finders Keepers’ LP (US De-Lite DSR 8507)
This huskily masculine soul singer’s set just gets better the more I hear it: already mentioned are the great rolling 94bpm title track and gentler also 94bpm ‘Never‘, but now the Clyde McPhatter-ish drifting 72½bpm ‘You’re My Everything‘ and Jackie Wilson/Sam Cooke-ish 50-52/104-106bpm ‘I Can See Me Loving You‘ have really snuck up on me, while others are into the grittily pumping 0-108bpm ‘I’m Gonna Put A Spell On You‘ and snappy 0-106bpm ‘Are You Ready (Until Tonight)‘ — which isn’t to forget the 77bpm ‘Your Kind Of Lovin‘ and jerkily speeding 125bpm ‘Honey‘. So satisfying it should be the next Womack & Womack, thoroughly recommended.

COLONEL ABRAMS: ‘Music Is The Answer’ (US Streetwise SWRL 2235)
Gruffly sung snickety-spit 121bpm jittery fast leaper, far stronger and more infectious in its fabulous largely instrumental dub version with tootling flute and echoing scat building a hefty D Train-ish drive that just refuses to quit and looks like being huge (synch it out of ‘Dr Beat’ — what !), flipped also for exceptional value by his recent minor US hit deep soul 0-63-64½-0bpm ‘Leave The Message Behind The Door‘ smoocher — a big attraction in itself. Continue reading “July 7, 1984: Main Line, Leon Bryant, Colonel Abrams, Lillo Thomas, Donald D”