Month: August 1984

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

Stevie Wonder delivered a 6½ minute 12in remix, due here next week . . . Curtis Mayfield’s own label CRC is being activated here through IDS by Nigel Bagley, who’s scheduled a total remake of ‘Move On Up’ and — yup, you guessed! — Linda Clifford ‘Runaway Love’ within a month . . . Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 ‘Mas Que Nada‘ (A&M) looks like the next Sivuca/Astrud Gilberto, to judge from the buzz . . . Nile Rodgers’ remix of Sister Sledge ‘Lost In Music’, out next week, features overdubs by Simon Le Bon & Andy Taylor of Duran Duran — how hip is that! . . . Yogi Lee is Ralph MacDonald’s featured lady . . . Pete Tong has moved sideways from Polydor to become the “London man” he was always meant to be, replaced by Paul Redman who will now consider more applicants for the mailing list at Polydor, 14 St George Street, London WIR 9DE (Mike Sefton continues to handle London club promotion) . . . Bluebird Records seem, like Streetwave, to be picking up some select CBS material including evidently that much-sought Willie Bobo ‘Always There’ remix (however rumour has it that CBS themselves may feature it on a “mid-’70s classix” LP) — Bluebird meanwhile have made a hip hop musical called ‘Zero-One’ for sale to TV, containing tracks by Paul Hardcastle and Whiz Kid . . . London’s airwaves are going mad again — I can only suggest pirate freaks twiddle around the clock to monitor the current situation for themselves — while belatedly The Standard evening newspaper last week did some investigative reports on pirate radio, quite a hoot and so investigative that they kept going on about a North Sea station called “Lazar”! . . . “Wonderful Radio London” should be joining Laser and Caroline broadcasting from off The Naze this weekend . . . Island’s plugger Julian Palmer reports back from New York’s New Music Seminar that all he seemed to hear in clubs and on KISS-fm were Aleem, Run-DMC, Disco 3 and Pure Energy . . . Billboard’s US pop Hot 100 last week saw Lionel Richie join Ray Parker Jr, Tina Turner, Jacksons and Prince to make an entirely black Top 5 (Peabo Bryson at 10, too!), if their skin colour counts for more than their music, while Sheila E’s great ‘The Glamorous Life‘ topped US Dance/Disco . . . Morris Day has said “time” to The Time and disbanded them, just as his own role in Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ film is stealing thunder from the Starr . . . ‘When Doves Cry’ has been done in three different ‘Rapp’ treatments by Captain Rapp, MC Fosty & Lovin’ C, and Arcade Gang Featuring Rich Cason all on the same 12in (US Rappers Rapp Disco Co RR-12″-2002) . . . Larry Levan has remixed Dan Hartman’s US smash ‘I Can Dream About You’ . . . Antena’s sleeve photo seems a mistake, putting off many potential buyers . . . Chris Dinnis, getting great reaction to the old Alessi ‘Oh Lori‘ (A&M), souls Yeovil Electric Studio Fri (24), Exeter Nosey Parkers Sun (26), while Friday also finds TP & Grandmaster ‘G’ piloting a new funk gig at Harlow’s Moat House Motel (ex-Saxon Inn), and Adrian Allen at South Shields Chelsea Cat holding a “Shorts” night, free if wearing shorts and all spirits (shorts) 50p . . . Sat (25) Darryl Hayden wows Winchester’s Gordon Road Recreation Centre with his newly enlarged 5 kilowatt video roadshow . . . Thursdays see Phil England temporarily at Salisbury’s Jams, Steve Cochrane souling Rayleigh Pink Toothbrush (with I Level live next week 30th) . . . Mike Allin has quit jocking, Joe Field souling alone at Hemel Hempstead’s Whip & Collar Sundays and fortnightly Thursdays (next week 30th with Chris Brown), plus Joe’s at Luton Cheers Tuesdays . . . Kev Hill at Harlow’s heaving soulful Whispers hosts a Tony Jackson PA Saturday (25), and with Gary Campbell a charity allniter Sunday (26) midnight-5am Monday — similar timing to Dartford Flicks annual charity ‘niter (their eleventh, in aid of Dartford Age Concern) this time starring Greg Edwards with Colin Hudd & John Rush (breakfast included) . . . Bank Holiday Monday’s major events are a marathon 10am-1am Soul On Sound alldayer at Epping Forest Country Club with Tony Jenkins, John Osborne, Dave Gregory, Robbins Collins, parascending, steel band, barbeque and footballing DJs vs First Division All Stars Trevor Brooking, Danny Thomas, Mo Johnston etc; Showstoppers noon-11pm Treasure Island alldayer with Chris Hill and the usual crew taking over Tiffany’s, The Quay & Boxes on Exeter’s Quay with market stalls and outdoor fun; Gary Kent and a Horizon team noon-past midnight at Forest Gate Uppercut Stadium with Kadenza live, lotsa PAs, £1000 breakdance contest; Dave Thomas & Richard Searling noon-midnight with jazz-funk and northern rooms at Oswestry’s Moreton Lodge; Preston Clouds 2pm-midnight with Colin Curtis, Mike Shaft and the usual crew; Paul Clark, John Osborne, Nicky Holloway, Simon Grant etc 3pm-midnight at Sayers Common’s Hickstead Dance Factory on the A23; Kev Ashman, The Dude and other Kentish Men just 6pm-1am at West Malling The Greenway’s Hawaiian beach party with lotsa PAs and live music . . . Hazell Dean plays Haringey Bolts Sat (25), Norma Lewis Edinburgh Fire Island Sun (26) . . . Ian Levine’s “gay northern soul” Sunday (26) at London’s Charing Cross Heaven will feature Jimmy Ruffin live . . . ERC are releasing the ‘Prime Cuts’ medley commercially next week . . . Andy Greg (Loughton Tempo Rico) has written an hilarious “Hi-NRG” lyric, unprintable but it’s called ‘Three Men In A Bed’! . . . Mad Mike says dancers at Redcar Leo’s have switched from hip hop to Hi-NRG . . . Ken ‘B’ Brudenell (Poole Mariners Wharf) rejoices “A week when Frankie wasn’t even requested, let alone played — thankfully they really are getting peed off with the noise and nonsense!” . . . Steve Ogley (Lowestoft Oulton Broad Park Avenue) is amazed the James Brown revival has even reached “Carrot Crunch Country”, where you’re never more than three months away from a hit! . . . John Keenan (Barrow-in-Furness Champers) says pop biggies with holidaymakers returning from Spain are Alphaville ‘Big In Japan‘, Baby’s Gang ‘Happy Song‘, Xalan ‘I Only Move For Money‘ . . . I revisited misty Shropshire, Mid-Wales and the sunny Gower last week, spotting in The Mumbles a girl sporting our Record Mirror T-Shirt! . . . Mark Ryman, who used to write regularly from around Swansea, after travelling the world for Bacchus has been resident DJ-PR at London Piccadilly’s swank Tokyo Joe since 1981 . . . James Lewis B.Sc. (Hons), with the only soul show in South-West Wales on University Radio Abertawe Sat 10am-noon, suggests jocks needing radio experience could do worse than approaching their local pro soccer club (yes, James, I revisited the Worms only on Saturday!) . . . Aug 14 saw mail arrive posted July 19 and 24 — maybe more record companies could consider biking me their stuff? . . . America’s Labor Day record releases have flooded import shops with so much new vinyl that this week only a few can fit! . . . BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

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HOT VINYL

DAVID LASLEY: ‘Saved By Love’ (EMI America 12EA 179)
Strange but true — this falsetto-singing session man sang lead on Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’ and Chic’s ‘Everybody Dance’! Officially A-side of his self-penned-Don Was (Not Was)-produced 3-track 12in, the 122bpm ‘Where Does That Boy Hang Out‘ sounds like Sylvester singing ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ while the 186/93bpm ‘Next Time’ is a finger snappin’ Frankie Lymon-type ’50s doo-wop jumper (all kinda Billy Joel so far, huh?), but the big noise in soul circles is this excellent squeaky swaying lush 98bpm jogger with soaring sax and again an affectionate nod towards established styles. Hot on the grapevine for months, it’ll sell the record.

MTUME: ‘Prime Time’ (LP ‘You, Me And He’ US Epic FE 39473)
Infinitely better than their last LP and sure to reward repeated home listening, the truly mature set’s immediate dance hit is this superb rolling 109bpm ticker like ‘Juicy Fruit’ brought up to the hot tempo, while ‘C.O.D. (I’ll Deliver)‘ is another teetering suspenseful slow 93½bpm jolter modelled on that earlier classic, ‘You Are My Sunshine‘ an even more strung out 80bpm entwining smoocher, the title track single a terrific stripped down crawling 72bpm examination of a romantic triangle with a separate “I love another” conversation started and sweetly saxed 71½bpm ‘Sweet For You And Me (Monogamy Mix)‘ variation, leaving three funkier cuts in the starkly lurching choppy 99½bpm ‘I Simply Like‘, sax ‘n guitar jiggled instrumental (0-)121bpm ‘To Be Or Not To Bop That Is The Question‘, and loose 103bpm party burbler ‘Tie Me Up‘ which starts and ends with chatter and footsteps as they stroll over to Spooner’s Place to hear Mtume play!

THE STAPLE SINGERS: ‘Slippery People’ (US Private I Records 4Z9 05078)
The suddenly super-hot label’s latest smash is a superb brightly wriggling and whomping 107bpm rattling electro drums-driven trotter with slippery synth squiggles and Mavis leading the family in her usual vocal style like an infectious ‘Do The Do’ combining the modern with the old (inst flip). Continue reading “August 25, 1984: David Lasley, Mtume, The Staple Singers, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, LaToya Jackson”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

TONY PRINCE rang me hot on his return from New York’s New Music Seminar (having flown the “excellent” Virgin Airline in preparation for the Disco Mix Club’s own NY jaunt next March) bubbling with info about this Tommy Boy/Rockpool organised annual $150 forum which seems to have replaced the old Bilboard Disco Forums — for instance, best event was a demonstration of scratch mixing moderated by Whiz Kid with Duke Bootee’s Mix Master Cheese, Wanda D, Davy DMX, Jam Master J, Run-D.M.C., Farley (Funkin’) Keith, Chicago Hot Mix 5 and possibly Kool DJ Herc all cuttin’ with giant videos of their hands at the decks . . . American DJs evidently make friends with their audiences and end build up a mailing list so that when they move clubs they can inform their punters, which should be useful as there’s friction between jocks and some club owners’ newly restrictive music policies — best club to Tony’s mind was the Area on Hudson Street, which amazingly completely changes its entire decor theme every four weeks (a logical development to keep curiosity boiling?) . . . Pete Tong, likewise back from the seminar, says Paradise Garage is “still the joint” while New York’s hottest sounds are Aleem ‘Release Yourself (Dub)‘ (NIA), Stephanie Mills ‘The Medicine Song (Dub)‘ (Casablanca), GL & Band ‘Equador‘ (Taxi Music), Scritti Politti ‘Wood Beez (Inst)‘, the emphasis there being on instrumentals rather than vocals . . . Ian Levine, just back from Florida, found a Ft. Lauderdale record shop celled Spec’s Music which imports 15 copies of Record Mirror every week so local DJs can stay ahead with our Hi-NRG and Disco charts! Tony Blackburn has started a guest club DJ “floor-filler” spot on his BBC Radio London 94.9FM weekday morning soul show at about 11.20am, the rota being Steve Walsh Mon/Colin Hudd Tues/Chris Hill Wed/Graham Gold Thur/Ian Reading Fri . . . I thought yet another pirate was on London’s soulful Saturday evening airwaves until realising I’d picked up Ralph Tee guesting with Dave Gregory on Essex Radio 95.3FM! . . . Dread Broadcasting Corp 39.9FM Wednesday afternoons (up to 4pm) has a fabulous fresh sounding black rock ‘n’ roll/fast blues oldies show hosted by The Duke, evidently sitting in for Smiley . . . Pirate Watcher ‘Crow’s Nest 7’ (like it!) reports the horrendous fact that London has no fewer than four simultaneous Greek stations on FM — British Greek Community Radio 104.5, Radio Maria 104.3, LGR London 104, Greek Cypriot Broadcasting To London 92.8 — while those Arabs are still blaring out down among the low numbers . . . Edwin King, who as the (now graduated) Warwick University winner of Radio One’s student programme competition presented a ‘History Of Rap’ in April, is currently Radio Caroline’s newest recruit sitting in for a while nightly 10pm-2am, playing much more black music than usual on the station and featuring every Saturday an individual artist medley (Donna Summer this week) . . . I don’t know why radio DJs can’t listen to Manu Dibango’s own pronunciation of ‘Abele’ which should be “ahbaylay” . . . Phonogram have retained Kool & The Gang for the UK, and just first refusal rights to other De-Lite label material . . . Disco Mix Club’s August mixes by brainy Alan Coulthard are excellent Hi-NRG and Prince, an oddly draggy Phil Fearon (just three tunes which need speeding up to sound brighter), and a Double Dee & Steinski-inspired though less accomplished exploration of ‘Good Times’ co-mixed with Simon Harris . . . Adrian Dunbar (Southampton Raffles/Bolts) has compiled from our charts (using inverse points) a Jan-June 1984 master chart, Top 5 Disco being (1) Rufus ‘Ain’t Nobody’, (2) Kenny G ‘Hi, How Ya Doin’, (3) Change ‘Change Of Heart’, (4) Madonna ‘Holiday’, (5) Jocelyn Brown ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’, and Hi-NRG (1) Evelyn Thomas ‘High Energy’, (2) Lisa ‘Rocket To Your Heart’, (3) Kofi & The Lovetones ‘Countdown’, (4) Pamala Stanley ‘Coming Out Of Hiding’, (5) Earlene Bentley ‘Living My Own Life’ (a pity Carrere couldn’t capitalise on Lisa while she was so hot on import) . . . Evelyn Thomas is currently touring Thursday (16) Leeds Rockshots 2, Fri Newcastle-upon-Tyne Rockshots, Sat Montrose Toffs, Sun Edinburgh Fire Island, Mon Glasgow Panama Jax, Wed (22) Liverpool Coconut Grove . . . Bill Grainger at Edinburgh’s Fire Island appears to have got his club immortalised in song by Secession, who play there Sat (18) . . . I must point out my review of Hazell Dean’s current hit was based on the elsewhere also much criticised 12in mix, not on the subsequent smoother 7in version! . . . Andy Greg (Loughton Tempo Rico wine bar) reckons a modernised remix of Dan Hartman ‘Relight My Fire‘ could be hot Hi-NRG now . . . Ian Levine, whose 12 minute Vikki Benson remix is due, tries the first ever “gay northern soul night” at London’s Heaven Bank Holiday Sunday (25), reviving all the original roots of Hi-NRG . . . Mary Love, whose mid-’60s records became northern soul classics, is back with ‘Save Me‘ (US Mirage), described as “Gloria Gaynor-ish” — if it’s a Hi-NRG hit it’ll make up for Linda Lewis reviving her old ‘You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet‘! . . . Esther Phillips died aged 47 of a liver ailment last week: she started scoring R&B hits as a kid 35 years ago (hence “Little Esther”), produced by Johnny Otis who was also involved with Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton, the 1953 originator of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller’s ‘Hound Dog’, who has also died aged 57 of a heart attack — both were founding mothers of our music . . . America’s top four Pop hits last week were all black (in fact the same but in different order as the top four Black hits) — however, all have a rock bias, being Ray Parker Jr, Prince, Jacksons, Tina Turner — while Ollie & Jerry topped US Dance/Disco with Sheila E at 2 . . . Michael Jackson has produced sister Rebbie Jackson’s ‘Centipede‘ . . . Jellybean is collaborating on a song for Quincy Jones’s next solo LP, co-prod/arr/penning with Q . . . Bobby Womack will tour here late Sept/early Oct possibly with Sly Stone, and The Crusaders are due then too, Joe, Wilton & Ndugu being augmented by David T Walker’s guitar, Byron Millers bass, Mary Williams White’s vocals . . . Disco 3 of ‘Human Beat Box‘ fame are now officially calling themselves after the A-side title of their US single, the Fat Boys . . . Whiz Kid’s “secret weapon” is Visage’s old ‘Pleasure Boys‘, played and cut . . . Mastermind want it known they weren’t responsible for the edits on their Loose Ends ‘Mastermind Turntable Mix‘ — maybe it’s time they practised cutting with a razor blade, too? . . . Steve Jason & Darren Collins hope to get ’em breakin’ on the diving board at Peterborough open air swimming pool’s charity beach party this Saturday (18) . . . Gary Oldis, soon starting Sunday soul at Dalton Piercy Slix, was amazed by a recent breakdance contestant, a white guy in black make-up with a biscuit on his head, calling himself Lionel Rich Tea! . . . Nicky A, the guvners Fred & Joyce and more at beer-brewing Romford’s Tudor Lodge wine bar really sent me a “drink”, a 3 litre box of Liebfraumilch — ta very much! (Nicky’s soulful there Wed/Sat, and this Friday is his fortnightly spot at Romford Jaffas too) . . . Matt Johnson (St Albans Adelaide), playing Byron Lee’s equally good ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’ instead of Arrow, is another jock annoyed by audiences not wanting new material . . . US Elektra have started a ‘Dance Classics’ 12in series coupling old disco hits, first releases being Lamont Dozier ‘Going Back To My Roots’/David Williams ‘Come On Down Boogie People’ and Tamiko Jones ‘Can’t Live Without Your Love’/Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ . . . Atlantic here are evidently reviving Beginning Of The End ‘Funky Nassau‘ on 12in . . . Danny Smith (Gt Yarmouth One Five One Club) is after Gazebo ‘I Like Chopin‘ (Baby 12in) on 0493-857303 . . . Vicious Pink’s new split-channel mix is selling well to DJs: the only other such exaggerated channel separation I can think of was Malcolm McLaren ‘Buffalo Girls’ . . . Miami Sound Machine turn out to be well established salsa stars — pity about their current LP, and its sleeve photo, though . . . The Cool Notes are keen to PA and play — contact manager Mr McIntosh on 01-733 1817 . . . Total Control Records boss Steve Walsh corrects, “Not Barclays, Frankie Goes To The Nat West”! . . . Tony Roma’s A Place For Ribs in London’s St Martin’s Lane is my current fave gorging eaterie, totally American — and when the piano bar singer isn’t there they relay Skyline 90.15FM! . . . Kent’s new ILR Invicta Sound, starting October from studios in Canterbury on 497m/603kHz MW and Maidstone on 242/1242, intends programming more “jazz-funk” throughout the day than other commercial stations and head of music Andy Grahamme is anxious for record companies to supply him with suitable product c/o Invicta at 15 Station Road East, Canterbury, Kent . . . Roydon’s tiny village youth club raised £1649 for the Ben Hardwick Appeal through a 12 hour darts marathon, market and Rob Harknett-run disco, TV’s Bonnie Langford & Charlie Smithers chucking the first arrers . . . BBC-TV kept the nation’s insomniacs waiting all night long for Lionel Richie, only to stop transmitting the Olympics finale at 6.05am before he came on — to add insult to injury CEEFAX then read “the star of the show, however, was Lionel Richie who concluded the ceremony with a special version of his ‘All Night Long’ — and in Monday evening’s recap there was only the briefest clip of him, with one tantalizing shot of the “hundred” breakdancers — boo! . . . Nick Cravat in 1952’s marvellous ‘The Crimson Pirate’ (on telly last Sunday) has to have been the model for Hill Street Blues’ Belker . . . YO HO HO!

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HOT VINYL

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & The Godfather Of Soul JAMES BROWN: ‘Unity’ (US Tommy Boy TB 847)
Two funk generations clash, and either Bam was overawed or Mr B can’t do anything else but this remains in essence a James Brown record of the old school, brass, bass and guitar mashing beefily with the 111bpm electronic drumbeat. On 12in in six sub-titled variations, with scraps of chatter between tracks, Pt. 4 is the longest groove with both stars evenly matched, Pt. 5 is funkily instrumental, Pt. 3 is Afrika’s stark hip hop attack, Pts. 1 & 2 are funky hip hop with Brown’s rap ahead on 1, Bam’s on 2, and Pt. 6 is acappella. Not quite the third coming, but the Zulu Nation will get down on the good foot!

CHERYL LYNN: ‘Encore’ (Streetwave MKHAN 23)
Hot in hip soul circles ever since initial release on LP last Christmas, this topped the US Black chart back in the spring and has been a permanent fixture in our own Disco chart for the entire year so far — in short, it’s another slow burner like ‘Ain’t Nobody’, yet CBS passed and let someone else put it out here! Why’s it so hot? Well, one of the tracks that defined the “hot tempo”, its only a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis penned/co-produced 108½bpm wriggle ‘n tap mind-nagger with Cheryl squirming, worming, wailing and yodelling all over the tense rhythm in ultra soulful style, with applause intro and outro — nothing special, Y’know! The 12in mix here is flipped by her original 108bpm LP version and, a useful bonus, older trotting 114-113bpm ‘Got To Be Real’. Vital vinyl.

ALICIA MYERS: ‘You Get The Best From Me (Say, Say, Say) (MCA MCAT 914)
Rush released here, yet evidently recorded four years ago by the girl from One Way’s stable, this dangerously infectious (0-)111bpm loose limbed loping swinger is all set to be a crossover smash (nice smoothly wailed 109bpm ‘I Want To Thank You‘ flip). Watch this go! Continue reading “August 18, 1984: Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown, Cheryl Lynn, Alicia Myers, Rick James, Stephanie Mills”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LONDON’S AIRWAVES are buzzing again with Horizon, Skyline, DBC being rejoined by JFM but on 103.4FM (not to clash with BBC Radio Kent who have claimed 102.8 with a Radio 2 relay, which is also keeping 103.1 clear — and in fact there seems to be increased activity further on up to 105.9, including that Greek Cypriot pirate) . . . JFM’s new no chat/continuous mellow soul format is tagged “Where we gag the DJs to give you more music” — it’s certainly easy listening! . . . US radio stations seem to have construed Carol Lynn Townes’ ‘99½‘ as a plug for rivals broadcasting on 99.5, so she’s evidently re-recorded alternative versions for 99.5, 95.5, 97.5, 98.5! . . . Capital’s Roger Scott is currently catching 10 consecutive shows by Bruce Springsteen all at New Jersey’s Meadowlands stadium, with a side trip the one night Brucie isn’t playing, to see and interview the Jacksons in Knoxville, Tennessee! . . . Stockport/South Manchester’s 24hr KFM 94.2FM have made a properly prepared application for an experimental licence to operate a local radio service, and are still on air (though of course unlicensed) . . . London club attendances especially have been boosted by regular pirate radio advertising, all those punters being likely to rush out and buy Cheryl Lynn’s ‘Encore‘ when clever Morgan Khan releases it here next week on Streetwave — bubbling away since Christmas, it’s the next ‘Ain’t Nobody’ . . . Atlantic must regret not making ‘Love Is In Season‘ the first release from the Detroit Spinners album back in the spring — but if quality “will out”, what the hell happened? . . . Master Mix picked up Chuck Brown, Island got Simplicious, PRT are issuing Cerrone and Klinte Jones . . . Bryan Loren’s LP is on Virgin next week, followed by a remixed 12in ‘Easier Said Than Done’/’Lollipop Luv’/’Do You Really Love Me’ coupling . . . Chad ‘Funky Sister’ Jackson has remixed Hi Tension ‘Hi Tension’ it better be good! — while unfortunately the new Cherrelle US remix is only ‘Fragile . . . Handle With Care‘ . . . Special Request ‘Take It To The Max’ reviewed last week, is already out here (Tommy Boy 12IS 194) . . . ‘Breaker Beat‘, a jittery 111bpm electro instrumental, is the only hard cut from a pretty predictable Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson US Columbia LP . . . Lionel Richie plus a hundred body poppers don’t forget are due to perform ‘All Night Long’ at the Olympics closing ceremony —meanwhile, Colin Hudd & John Rush host fancy dress Olympic fun & games at Dartford Flicks Friday (10) . . . Saturday (11) sees Robbie Vincent at Harlow Whispers, fire-eating video DJ Darryl Hayden at Dorchester Buzz Inn . . . Sunday (12) London’s Heaven under Charing Cross arches becomes ‘Soul City’ for a 3pm-1am alldayer with a cast of at least 17 DJs from around Great Britain, etc etc . . . “Black Monday” (13) Pete Girtley & Steel City Gary Senior start weekly free sophisticated funk at Sheffield Exchange Street precinct’s The Garden wine bar . . . Darren Fogel adds soulful Fridays (free) at Bethnal Green/Mile End The Beehive in Roman Road, and also lurks during Sunday trading hours down Petticoat Lane (playing music?) . . . Martin T insists Saturdays at Hackney’s Pickle House are his alone, Robbie Collins souling Fri, Larry Foster Wed/Sun, Steve Goddard sometimes . . . Mike Hall’s Saturday soul sessions at the new T’s in Erith (Pier Rd) give away one new import LP and one new UK LP weekly in a competition, answers to which are usually found in these pages . . . Mad Marx soul/funk/Latin/jazzes Leigh-On-Sea’s Whispers wine bar/restaurant Sunday evenings . . . Pete Haigh has moved from Sundays to the better Tuesdays mixing urban funk ‘n soul at Caton’s Scarthwaite Hotel near Lancaster (A683 from exit 34 off the M6), and guests Wednesdays at Morecambe Harvey’s Clubranger night — he suggests trying Mtume with Fatback ‘Please Stay’ . . . Steve Jason solved a segue problem by following Arrow with Booker T & The MG’s instantly recognised TV cricket theme ‘Soul Limbo’ on hot-hot-hot sweaty Sundays at Peterborough Cantors . . . Nick Epps (any relation of Preston?!) and partner Trev Pearce are long established on Wednesdays with their Sophisticated Sounds mobile at Fair Oak’s Old George near Southampton, where during hot weather the punters boogie in the street . . . Norman Scott is back at Bang’s on Monday . . . Terry Deal has just started compiling a gay disco chart for the monthly Him, and immediately like me wonders why some record companies spend more time and effort in whingeing on about the positions they reach than in ensuring their releases are really strong to start with! . . . Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ LP review should have read that even soul fans should enjoy the sexily “grinding” 77-79-81-0bpm ‘Darling Nikki‘, which’ll never get airplay! . . . Uncle James the DJ’s buddy? . . . YO!

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HIP HOP takes off! Manchester’s break dance crew Broken Glass have finally hit vinyl via ex-DJ Greg Wilson’s pet project ‘Style Of The Street‘, and following TV appearances on such as The Tube are currently breakin’ up suitably roomy clubs and under-18 venues. Book ’em off S. Taylor, 73 Carlton Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester 16.

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HOT VINYL

HUGH MASEKELA: ‘Don’t Go Lose It Baby’ (Jive Afrika JIVE T 64)
This better brand new faster 122bpm Hot African Mix re-emphasises the lurching polyrhythms, bringing in Hugh’s sharply stabbing trumpet and the afro chants with more immediacy, but still seems unlikely to repeat its huge US disco success here (very freaky dub/acappella flip).

PAUL HARDCASTLE: ‘Guilty — The Retrial’ (Total Control Records TOCO 2)
With a freakily distorted spacey vocal intro, this perhaps slightly more skitteringly jolting 116bpm remix is the now mandatory marketing ploy to make people with more money than sense buy it again and help it even higher up the chart (inst flip). Frankie Goes To Barclays.

JERMAINE JACKSON: ‘Dynamite’ (Arista JJK 122)
Jellybean remix notwithstanding, who do Arista think will want this ludicrously fast 190bpm rock-disco leaper? Once again, flip it for Jermaine’s outstanding rhythmically adventurous jittering and jumping 115bpm ‘Come To Me (One Way Or Another)‘, evidently remixed, and a new instrumental of the now Michael-less slower but similar 108½bpm ‘Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good To Be True)’. Continue reading “August 11, 1984: Hugh Masekela, Paul Hardcastle, Jermaine Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Bobby Glover”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LENNY HENRY’s long threatened ‘Katanga‘ is finally due next month on Chrysalis, coinciding with his new TV series . . . Horizon and Skyline are still broadcasting to London and Dread Broadcasting Corp 93.9FM even re-emerged on Friday, while some West London wallys called Radio Duck keep over-modulating on 94.4FM . . . Paul Burnett is sitting in (without any outrageous chat about nipples and 12 inchers though!) for Tony Blackburn on BBC Radio London . . . Simon Harris (Walthamstow Charlie Chans Tues) makes a monthly megamix for Gary Crowley’s Magic Box show on Capital 95.8FM, last Saturday’s “electro” blinder being worthy of Double Dee & Steinski — and he promises something “very special” on this month’s Disco Mix Club too! . . . Art Of Noise’s US LP/7in hit ‘Close (To The Edit)’ is the same as the UK issued ‘Beat Box (Diversion Two)‘ remix . . . Vicious Pink Phenomena ‘CCCan’t You See’ is due again in a speeded up harder Tony Mansfield remix with English vocals/new dub/mastermix with drums on one channel, vocal & keyboards the other (for panned mono separation)/effect/original B-side coupling — all on the one 12in (look for Parlophone 12RA 6074) . . . Chart File’s Alan ‘Sherlock’ Jones reckons the straight jazz instrumental ‘Comfort And Joy‘ mysteriously promoed as by Mark One is really Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits! . . . The Cool Notes, held back by still only being on promo, have an evidently “blinding” remix due commercially . . . Morgan Khan has a remix of Rose Royce ‘Magic Touch’ due on Streetwave, while ‘Street Sounds 10‘ will include Change ‘Change Of Heart’, Fatback ‘I Found Lovin’ Arrow ‘Hot-Hot-Hot (Remix)’, Funk Deluxe ‘Tender Lovin’, Kashif ‘I’ve Been Missin’ You’ . . . Froggy’s remix of Kenny G (now also on shaped picture disc 7in) is evidently intended to play at ultra high and soft volume without distortion . . . Rayners Lane Record & Disco Centre already have the Jacksons ‘State Of Shock‘ as one end of a shrink-wrapped 12in “lucky dip” ten-pack at £2.99, the only way they can shift it! . . . Kelly Marie objects to becoming just “Kelly” and has reverted to her old name, while Marsha Raven is sucking her teeth over a cash-in ‘US Remix’ of her old ‘I Like Plastic’ . . . ERC’s promo-only medley 12in of ‘Prime Cuts’ from their ‘Greatest Hi-NRG Hits’ LP is cheekily linked by the ‘High Energy’ rhythm riff — mind you, if he released the 12in commercially Marvin Howell might even have a hit, for once! . . . Mark Clark (Wokingham Mark One Records) has the hots for the new Arnold Schwarzenegger “work out” LP sleeve — he guesses gay clubs’ll love the cover as a poster . . . Prince is now top of the US Black LP, Black 45, Dance/Disco and Pop 45 charts (and could have dethroned Brucie as Pop LP by now) — this kid is hot! . . . Jocelyn Brown’s UK released ‘Too Through’ is indeed an oldie, originally credited to the Bad Girls on Began Cekic’s BC label . . . Phillipa Wynne, who died July 14, as well as lead vocalist on the Detroit Spinners classic ’70s hits was of course latterly a P-Funk All Star . . . Roger Dynamite should now be back (but sitting down) at Gt Yarmouth Tiffany’s after some particularly hairy surgery . . . Friday (3) Colin Hudd hosts a “1980 tribal reunion” at Dartford Flicks, Robbie Vincent waves banners across the water from Southend Zero 6 . . . Saturday (4) the Broken Glass Street Crew break dance around Liverpool with a lunchtime kids show at the Coconut Grove, then evening gigs at Gatsby’s, Litherland Clouds and the Grove again . . . Saturday also sees Chris Hill and big Tom Holland kick off a month-long celebration at Canvey Goldmine with “12 Years Of Soul & Jazz” before reaching the official 12th birthday party on Saturday 25th . . . Chris Hill & Froggy head the Caister Roadshow ’84 at Great Yarmouth Tiffany’s next Thursday (9) . . . Harp Lager Rock Week at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts in The Mall (by the steps from Lower Regent Street) kicks off Tuesday (7) with Mastermind, Maurice, Greg Wilson, break dancers and more at a Streetsounds/Streetwave night, Paul Murphy presenting Onward International and Kalmia live on Wed (8), while Record Mirror’s own Gary Crowley, Jon Reid & Graham Smith play DJ on the Sat (11) pop night . . . Chris Stewart, who late the other Friday night sounded despondent about sluggish reaction to great new records at his regular gig, finally got away with “no reggae at all” at Hackney Dougie’s for his “best night ever” — good on ya! . . . Steve Glover (Bournemouth Zig Zag) just got married, sold his flat, bought a much more expensive house — and the mortgage rate went up! . . . Paul ‘Frenchie’ French (Dunfermline Night Magic), thanks for the “drink” — but you know, staples make holes in a tea bag! . . . James B Sikking repeats his Howard Hunter role as an admiral in ‘Star Trek III’ . . . YO!

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HOT VINYL

CHANGE: ‘You Are My Melody’ (WEA YZ 14T)
Smoothly souled by Rick Brennan and much more placid than the nervy intense ‘Change Of Heart’, this Jimmy Jam Harris & Terry Lewis-prod/penned slickly ticking 110bpm wriggler nevertheless slips in under the skin to become just as compulsive in a more traditional way. Commercial copies will be flipped by the old ‘Glow Of Love’ (Luther sung) and ‘Hold Tight’.

RUFUS & CHAKA: ‘Do You Love What You Feel’ (MCA MCAT 892)
Sensible reissue in a ‘Special US Disco Mix’ — (whatever significance that has) of the Quincy Jones-prod/Hawk Wolinski-penned steadily jolting 120bpm jittery side-to-side kicker that was the last, early 1980, US hit of the group’s classic period (jumbled brassy c.114bpm ‘Dancin’ Mood‘ flip),

PHIL FEARON & GALAXY: ‘Everybody’s Laughing (Sangria Mix)’ (Ensign XENY 534)
So hot off the press that Phil himself was touting only an acetate around the radio stations last weekend, this overdubbed and re-edited 116-115-116-115-116bpm remix has many extra breaks and added “bup doo bup” repetitions — and not to be too cynical is mainly a marketing ploy to boost its chart placing. You can almost hear the tape edits whir by! Continue reading “August 4, 1984: Change, Rufus & Chaka, Phil Fearon & Galaxy, Bonnie Pointer, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson”