ODDS ‘N’ BODS
CHAD JACKSON, who started out by synching ‘The James Bond Theme’ with ‘Set It Off’, is going to be a hard act to beat in the 1986 Technics DJ Mixing Championships, easily winning the Birmingham heat at Millionaires, where others worthy of mention were runners-up Tony De Vit and Mike T, plus Stourbridge’s Mick Jones (a faulty stylus foiled Chad in last year’s contest) … London’s heat at Croydon’s Easy Street saw a less high general standard of mixing although it was stylishly won by John Robinson (just back jetlagged from Dubai) in a close finish with his Julianas chum Alan Muir, Hastings-based runner-up Mark Ryder and currently gig-less Andrew Marriot also deserving credit … I’ve bad news for the winning national finalist – DJ Cheese seems likely to be representing America in the international final at the Disco Mix Club’s March 16 DJ Convention at the Hippodrome, where other star attractions will include Jermaine Jackson, Jaki Graham, Princess, LW5 and a singing Samantha Fox … Technics incidentally have a rival at last as Citronic have just launched their own competitively priced vari-speed disco decks (how about a pair for review, then?!) … CBS/Epic, flush with crossover hits by “unknown” black acts, have finally realised there’s more to their soul catalogue than Michael Jackson and have appointed Julian Palmer (recently of 4th & B’way) to the newly created post of UK A&R manager for black product, as of next Monday … Total Contrast’s import 12in of ‘The River’ will be on sale here at UK prices next week (London LONX 83), after which the actual UK pressing will substitute ‘Takes A Little Time (US Mix)’ instead of ‘Sunshine (Instrumental)’ on the flip – ah, the manipulations of creative marketing! … Aretha Franklin’s UK 12in only contains the main US Dance Mix, flipped by the dead slow ‘Kind Of Man’ … Mantronix actually comes in at 101⅚bpm and Whistle at 101⅔bpm on UK 12in: their beats remain the same! … Narada Michael Walden’s 1980 classic ‘I Shoulda Loved Ya’ has had a heavyhanded 112¾-113¼bpm revival by the old Cool Runners (Streetwave), due next week … The Walkers have had to add an opening ‘Hey’ to their upcoming 114¾bpm ‘Don’t Waste My Time‘ (Club) so it won’t clash with Paul Hardcastle’s current title! … The Three Degrees ‘This Is The House‘ (Supreme) has been promoed already in a fairly tedious 110½bpm mix three weeks ahead of release – after which who knows how many more Stock-Aitken-Waterman remixes there’ll be? – while Brilliant’s far better ‘Change Of Heart’-style 107⅚bpm ‘Love Is War‘ (WEA/Food) by that same production team is due a week earlier, by which time a Cool And Deadly Mix of O’chi Brown and John Rocca’s remix of Evelyn Thomas should also be about … LPs now out here include Yarbrough & Peoples’ ‘Guilty’ (Total Experience FL8S715) and Nicole ‘What About Me?’ (Portrait PRT 26844) … Sunday is a good night to be driving away from London with only a radio for company, Steve Walsh’s black music programme on Radio London stretching on FM as far as Watford Gap where if your tuning is right you then switch to Robbie Vincent’s soul show (note the distinction) on national Radio One – Steve’s interesting guests two Sundays ago were his MIDEM mates the mixers John Morales and Timmy Regisford, rapper (and Beauty and The Beat label owner) Duke Bootee and Reality Records owner David Lucchesi … London’s “independent soul stations” seem more off than on these days, latest name on the airwaves being Fame 94.4FM … Birmingham’s PCRL (People’s Community Radio Line) 103.7FM souls around the clock … Radio London’s Soul Night Out returns at Hammersmith Palais Thursday (13), visiting Windsor Blazers next week, the new season running until July … Ian Stewart this Thursday (13) launches a weekly soul night at Charlies in Wickford’s Dickens pub, with special guest “The Real” Chris Hill — as opposed to the impersonator who’s currently fooling club managers in Birmingham! … Kenny B, Paul ‘Mix Wizard’ Dixon and Frenchie solidly funk Edgbaston Faces every sweaty Sunday … Gordon Mac starts weekly funk at Luton’s Tropicana Beach next Tuesday (18) with Steve Walsh, Rapattack, George Power, CJ Carlos and dance troupes as regular guests … Peckham Kisses becomes the over-21s La Plaza next weekend … Dartford Flicks’ massive lighting rig is finally elevating up and down again … James Brown topped US 12in Sales, Jennifer Holliday Club Play in Billboard … ‘Gilligan’s Island’ was an old US TV series whose theme tune, like ‘Inspector Gadget’ and others, is now cropping up in many hip hop records such as 12:41 … The Bombers ‘Let’s Dance‘ (US West End LP) is becoming a revived big boom tune in London’s darker dives … Ian Levine suggests anyone seeking a good New York City source for deleted Hi-NRG material should contact Charlie Groppone at Vinyl Mania s 52 Carmine Street branch in Greenwich Village … Junior went along on the Red Wedge tour not to boost Labour but to get black kids interested in politics generally, but he only saw one black face in the audience at both Newcastle and Birmingham, and two girls down front at Cardiff! … Phyllis Hyman actually sang at a Duke Ellington tribute concert here, so May’s New York jazz Explosion will hardly be her first UK visit ever, regardless of what The Gutter Press says, but no matter … GET LOOSE!
FREDDIE JACKSON has become America’s hottest new soul heart-throb thanks to the huge success of his debut solo album, and especially to his wondrous now reissued single smash ‘Rock Me Tonight (For Old Time’s Sake)’ (Capitol 12CL 358). This romantic smoochy 71¾bpm knee-trembling return to ‘Sexual Healing’ territory (on 12in in three mixes) benefits now from only an included new poster so there’s little incentive for has established UK following to re-buy it, but with lots of TV lined up here there’s every chance it’ll finally get through to the country at large. And about time too!
HOT VINYL
MELI’SA MORGAN ‘Do Me Baby’ LP (US Capitol ST-12434)
From the same Paul Laurence-produced stable as — and indeed featuring support from — Freddie Jackson (although in this case largely collaborating with jazzy keyboardist Lesette Wilson), sweetly walling Miss Morgan’s debut set has the outstanding soulfully grinding smooth 100¼bpm ‘Fool’s Paradise’, and jittery 115¼bpm ‘Lies‘, juddery 111½bpm ‘Getting To Know You Better‘, skittery 0-123½bpm ‘I’ll Give It When I Want It‘, while joining her sultry 62⅔bpm title track hit as other smoochers are the 93¼bpm ‘Heart Breaking Decision’, 42⅔bpm ‘Do You Still Love Me’, 37½bpm ‘Now Or Never’. Not bad.
JUICY ‘Sugar Free’ (Epic TA 6917)
CBS continue putting all their eggs in one basket, or hot tracks on one 12in, this ‘Juicy Fruit’-ish sinuous (0-)92bpm groin-grinder’s two Deodato remixes and the previously released catchy 105bpm ‘Bad Boy‘ here being joined by the brother/sister duo’s next-best album cut, the sweetly jolting ‘Forever And Ever‘. Good value, huh?
DURELL COLEMAN ‘Do You Love Me’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 42)
A bit of a grower, although oddly it attracted little attention on import, this soulful wriggly (almost go go-hip hop compatible?) 97⅓bpm roller is by a strong voiced O’Neal-type guy who, like Motown’s Sam Harris before him, won US TV’s ‘Star Search’ talent contest. The flip’s edit is joined by the 116bpm ‘Take Me Back To My Love In China‘.
TOTAL CONTRAST ‘Total Contrast’ LP (German Metronome 828 002-IME)
With ‘The River‘ at a slower 116½bpm version there are only three other new dance tracks on the duo’s largely Steve Harvey-produced debut set, which until side two gets going seems a bit disappointing. These are the exotically wriggling sparse breathy 108bpm ‘What You Gonna Do About It’, jauntily chugging Luther/Abrams-ish 119bpm ‘Entangled‘, and doodling Vandross-ish 111¾bpm ‘How Many Reasons‘. The rest have been on singles, the delicate dreamy vocal 0-97⅓bpm ‘Sunshine‘, (0-)111 bpm ‘Takes A Little Time‘, 114bpm ‘Hit And Run‘, plus there’s a dead slow smoocher. Incidentally, German release has beaten both the US and UK by several weeks!
PROJECTION ‘Turn Your Love (Right Around)’ (Elite DAZZ 48)
Less incisive but similar in basic idea to ‘Warrior Groove’, this is a wriggly 108½bpm pastiche of various recent rhythm patterns blandly cooed by a characterless chick, the blatant similarity to so many other things (dig the ‘Twilight’ blip blips!) making it a passionately supported mixer record especially in the Midlands. The flip’s 108⅚bpm instrumental treatment must surety be called the ‘Set It Off Mix’?!
NICCI ‘Can’t Get Close To You’ (Debut DEBTX 3002, via PRT)
A rather good marriage of lovers rock-rooted sweet London soul vocal and purposefully rumbling beefy 0-113½bpm Kashif-ish rhythm is flipped by its ‘Close To Who?‘ dub which in fact cheekily copies Cameo’s ‘Single Life’ beat!
CHERRELLE ‘Will You Satisfy?’ (Tabu TA 6927)
More good value from CBS with a trio of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis tracks on one 12in, this sultrily swaying 100⅙bpm jogger being flipped by the more Change-ish 120½bpm ‘You Look Good To Me (Remix)‘ and SOS Band-ish 103⅙bpm ‘When You Look In My Eyes‘, although none are another ‘Saturday Love’.
WALLY BADAROU ‘Novela Das Nove’ (Soundtrack LP ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ Island ISTA 12)
Currently being remixed and extended (not the version already on US 12in), this jiggly light little Latin-ish 102⅙bpm instrumental is attracting the same jocks who first spotted ‘Chief Inspector’, so beware!
VAL YOUNG ‘If You Should Ever Be Lonely’ (Gordy ZT40578)
The immediately striking powerful acappella-style start to the dubby Street Mix of this good offbeat 117½bpm canterer is the most impressive part of the whole record, the less startling Club Mix (and edit) however being more of a song, so there’s yet a chance that mixers M&M may do a re-edit.
SYMBOLIC THREE featuring D.J. Dr Shock ‘No Show’ (PRT 12P 345)
The chix-led answer to ‘The Show’ follows a similar 0-102¾bpm format wittily reversing the lyrics, except it seems a cheap swipe to make out that The Get Fresh Crew are gay however funny the result.
MATT BIANCO ‘Upfront’ (WEA YZ62T)
Yet another invigoratingly breezy — and ballsy — 114bpm samba-style instrumental flip steals the thunder from the official A-side, in this case a daring complex 115/57½bpm sparse jolter called ‘I Just Can’t Stand It Anymore‘ with touches of jazz and Sixties soul.
HIT NUMBERS
BEATS PER MINUTE for last week’s top 75 entries on 7in (f/c/r for fade/cold/resonant ends):
The Damned 0-71-143½-71-144-0-144¾-0-145f complex Barry Ryan revival, Su Pollard 126¼-0c mid-Sixties-ish MoR TV theme, Shakin’ Stevens 160¼f slick rockabilly, Talking Heads 125½/62¾-126½r wordily lurching trotter, Midge Ure 0-32½/65f depressing dirge, Colonel Abrams 117¼f hot soul canterer, Betty Wright 84¼f hot soul slowie, Cactus World News 171¾-172¼f Byrds-ish Irish guitars, Prefab Sprout 0-31-62-124/62-0c delicate builder, Starship (0-)100f AoR slowie, Motley Crue 134½-138-137-0c Brownsville Station rock revival, Leo Sayer 48-96f Al Hibbler ballad revival, Prime Movers (0-)117¼f Big Countryish guitar pop.
UK DISCO TOP 100 – February 15, 1986
01 02 MY MAGIC MAN, Rochelle, Warner Bros 12in
02 01 IF I RULED THE WORLD, Kurtis Blow, Club 12in
03 06 I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU (REMIX)/DUB MIX, Colonel Abrams, MCA Records 12in
04 04 LIVING IN AMERICA, James Brown, Scotti Brothers 12in
05 03 ALICE I WANT YOU JUST FOR ME!, Full Force, CBS 12in
06 12 WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING/CLUB MIX, Billy Ocean, Jive 12in
07 08 PULL UP TO THE BUMPER (REMIX)/GRACE JONES MUSCLEMIX/LA VIE EN ROSE, Grace Jones, Island 12in
08 07 WHO’S ZOOMIN’ WHO, Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
09 11 IT DOESN’T MATTER (REMIX), Zapp, Warner Bros 12in
10 10 BABY TALK/DUB INSTRUMENTAL, Alisha, Total Control 12in
11 13 BABY LOVE, Regina, Funkin’ Marvellous Records 12in
12 09 SATURDAY LOVE (REMIX), Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal, Tabu 12in
13 05 SATURDAY LOVE, Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal, Tabu 12in
14 19 LADIES/DUB INSTRUMENTAL, Mantronix, 10 Records 12in
15 17 DON’T WASTE MY TIME, Paul Hardcastle, Chrysalis 12in
16 14 FUNKY SENSATION, Ladies Choice, Sure Delight 12in
17 26 (NOTHING SERIOUS) JUST BUGGIN’, Whistle, US Select Records 12in/Champion promo
18 18 A LOVE BIZARRE, PARTS I AND II, Sheila E, Warner Bros/Paisley Park 12in
19 23 HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL/DON’T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC/WHODUNIT (BEN LIEBRAND REMIXES), Tavares, Capitol 12in promo
20 20 SUGAR FREE (DEO/REMIXES)/FOREVER AND EVER/BAD BOY, Juicy, Epic 12in
21 34 SIDEWALK TALK/WAS DOG A DOUGHNUT, Jellybean, EMI America 12in
22 25 COLD SHOULDER, Evelyn Thomas, Record Shack 12in
23 16 ONE NATION (DEF MIX), Masquerade, Streetwave 12in
24 21 WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, Prince Charles, PRT 12in white label
25 33 IF YOU’RE READY (COME GO WITH ME), Ruby Turner, Jive 12in
26 77 WHAT’S MISSING/IF YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT/SOFT VERSION, Alexander O’Neal, Tabu 12in
27 27 PAIN, Betty Wright, Cooltempo 12in
28 29 HOW WILL I KNOW (JELLYBEAN REMIX), Whitney Houston, Arista 12in
29 24 GET LOOSE, Aleem (featuring Leroy Burgess), Streetwave 12in
30 52 KEEP ON, Bobby Mardis, Bluebird/10 12in
31 30 HOW TO WIN YOUR LOVE, Spencer Jones, Champion 12in
32 38 HEADLINE NEWS/PASSION/HEAVY ON THE LOVE SIDE, William Bell, US Wilbe Recording Corporation LP
33 51 COLDER ARE MY NIGHTS, The Isley Brothers, Warner Bros 12in
34 42 HOLD ME, Teddy Pendergrass (with Whitney Houston), Asylum 12in
35 54 SYSTEM ADDICT (M&M REMIX), Five Star, Tent 12in
36 32 DARE TO DREAM, Viola Wills, US Wide Angle 12in/Streetwave promo
37 15 SHE’S STRANGE/LES ADAMS MEGAMIX, Cameo, Club 12in
38 53 SKIPS A BEAT, Warp 9, Motown 12in
39 22 NEW YORK EYES, Nicole (with Timmy Thomas), Portrait 12in
40 89 BORDERLINE (JELLYBEAN REMIX), Madonna, Sire 12in
41 76 IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE LONELY (STREET MIX)/CLUB MIX, Val Young, US Gordy 12in
42 43 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, Taka Boom, Boiling Point 12in
43 — DO YOU LOVE ME (REMIX), Durell Coleman, Fourth & Broadway 12in
44 37 YOU’RE MY LAST CHANCE/REPRIEVED REMIXES/I’M AVAILABLE, 52nd Street, 10 Records twin-pack
45 — PARTY FREAK (LATIN RASCAL EDIT), Cashflow, US Mercury 12in
46 35 UPTOWN EXPRESS, BT Express, Streetwave 12in
47 — RHYTHM OF YOUR LOVE, Isabell Roberts, Hot Vinyl 12in white label
48 — THE RIVER (CLUB VERSION)/DUB VERSION/SUNSHINE (INSTRUMENTAL), Total Contrast, US London 12in
49 31 AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE (‘BAD’ MIX), Princess, Supreme Records 12in
50 85 BASSLINE, Mantronix, US Sleeping Bag LP
51 87 ALL I WANT IS MY BABY, Roberta Gillam, WEA 12in
52 68 FOOL’S PARADISE/NOW OR NEVER/DO YOU STILL LOVE ME?, Meli’sa Morgan, US Capitol LP
53 — YOU CAN DO IT (IT’S SO EASY) (105⅓-0bpm), Dino Terrell, US New Image 12in
54 40 IF YOU WANT LOVE, Tululah Moon, US Beauty and The Beat 12in
55 70 IN THE MORNING TIME, Tramaine, US A&M 12in
56 41 THE OAK TREE, Morris Day, Warner Bros 12in
57 47 THE THINGS THAT MEN DO, Krystol, US Epic 12in
58 36 WHENEVER YOU NEED SOMEBODY (PULL IT OFF MIX), O’chi Brown, Magnet 12in
59 46 DON’T STOP THAT GO GO BEAT, Effectron, Nightbeat 12in white label
60 39 GUILTY, Yarbrough And Peoples, Total Experience 12in
61 — NASTY (103¾)/WHEN I THINK OF YOU (0-116¼)/HE DOESN’T KNOW I’M ALIVE (0-120½-0)/FUNNY HOW TIME FLIES (0-77¼-0)/THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE (116¾), Janet Jackson, US A&M LP
62 78 $UCCE$$ IS THE WORD, 12:41, US Fresh Records 12in
63 — WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY, Janet Jackson, US A&M 12in
64 45 DO ME BABY, Meli’sa Morgan, Capitol 12in
65 44 LOVE’S GONNA GET YOU, Jocelyn Brown, US Warner Bros/Jellybean 12in
66 57 WILL YOU SATISFY?/ARTIFICIAL HEART/YOU LOOK GOOD TO ME, Cherrelle, US Tabu LP
67 — LET MY PEOPLE GO (M&M REMIX), The Winans, Qwest 12in promo
68 83 CLOUD NINE, Mystery Assignment, Virgin 12in
69 81 ONE MORE TIME (US REMIX), Third World, CBS 12in
70 100= YOU BLOW MY MIND, Stimulus featuring Milton Smith, US Roulette 12in
71 92 DON’T CHA GO NOWHERE, Donald Dee, US Sutra 12in
72 49 OBJECT OF MY DESIRE, Starpoint, Elektra 12in
73 62 CURIOSITY, The Jets, MCA Records 12in
74 56 TOO TOUGH (REMIX), Lonnie Reaves, US Qwest 12in
75 100= DOUBLE DEF FRESH, Hardrock Soul Movement, Elite 12in
76 — FEMALE INTUITION (INTUITION MIX) (110¾)/EXPANDED REMIX (111bpm), Mai Tai, Virgin/Hot Melt 12in
77 73 BABY DON’T STOP ME, Quest For Life, US SeaBright 12in
78 84 I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT MY RADIO/I CAN GIVE YOU MORE, L.L. Cool J, CBS/Def Jam 12in
79 — HOLD ON TO YOUR LOVE, Smokey Robinson, Motown 12in
80 58 PASSION, Bata Drum, Champion 12in
81 — OH SHEILA (M&M REMIX), Ready For The World, MCA Records 12in
82 59 FIRE, Fire Fox, Atlantic 12in
83 — TURN YOUR LOVE (RIGHT AROUND), Projection, Elite 12in
84 65 HOW CAN I GET NEXT TO YOU, Chapter 8, US Beverly Glen Music LP
85 — GOTTA FIND A WAY (112⅔bpm), Russ Brown, US Jump Street 12in
86 91 THE SUPER BOWL SHUFFLE, The Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew, US Red Label 12in
87 80 SPECULATION/TABLE FOR TWO, Colonel Abrams, MCA Records LP
88 61 WE GOT THE FUNK, Positive Force, Streetwave 12in
89 — (YOU ARE MY) ALL AND ALL (0-109⅔bpm), Joyce Sims, US Sleeping Bag Records 12in
90 82 AFTER THE LOVE HAS GO-GO GONE, Princess, Supreme 12in
91 72 BEST FRIENDS . . . CRAZY MIXX, Eddie Towns (E.T.), US Total Experience 12in
92 99 NO SHOW, Symbolic Three featuring DJ Dr Shock, PRT 12in
93 69 MY MIND IS MADE UP, Keith Sweat, US Stadium 12in
94 93 LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME (INSTRUMENTAL)/COME ON OVER, Junior, London 12in white label
95 re CHEMISTRY OF LOVE/HIGH HORSE/I’M SCARED, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, RCA LP
96 — ONE DANCE WON’T DO, Audrey Hall, Germain Records 12in
97 — BABY BE MINE (109¾-110½bpm), Eddie ‘Ski’ White, US Smokin’ 12in
98 75 100% (TAKE IT TO THE MAX), Caprice, Lovebeat International 12in
99 — I MISS YOU (0-70-0bpm), Klymaxx, MCA Records 12in
100= — DANCING ON THE NILE (0-122½bpm), Cairo, Champion Records 12in white label
100= — ANOTHER NIGHT (DANCE MIX), Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
EUROBEAT
01 01 LOVE’S GONE MAD, Seventh Avenue, Record Shack 12in
02 02 PISTOL IN MY POCKET, Lana Pellay, Sublime 12in
03 11 CHARLESTON/FEEDBACK, Den Harrow, Italian Baby 12in
04 03 BOTH SIDES NOW, Viola Wills, US Wide Angle 12in
05 12 ONE BITE (JOHN MORALES REMIX), Street Angels, Calibre 12in
06 — SECLUSION, Shaun Benson, US TSR 12in
07 05 I’M THE ONE YOU WANT, Les Lee, US Mega Bolt 12in
08 09 FLY TO ME, Aleph, Italian Disco Magic 12in
09 — DIAL MY NUMBER, The Back Bag, German Transparent 12in
10 13 MIDNIGHT LOVER, Bernadette, German CBS 12in
11 — ANOTHER NIGHT (DANCE MIX), Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
12 18 MIDNIGHT LOVER, People Like Us, Passion 12in white label
13 27 FOR YOUR SWEET INFORMATION, P.J. Marcus, Italian Cruisin’ 12in
14 10 AMERICA, Cruisin’ Gang, Italian Cruisin’ 12in
15 04 TONIGHT, Ken Laszlo, Italian MEM 12in
16 — THIS IS MY LIFE, Eartha Kitt, French Black Scorpio 12in
17 14 TAKE ME AND YOU’LL WIN, Kay Franzes, Dutch Injection 12in
18 07 MAGIC, Brian Soares, US Night Wave 12in
19 20 YOU THINK YOU’RE A MEDLEY, Divine, Proto 12in white label
20 22 EXOTIC AND EROTIC, Sandy Marton, German CBS 12in
21 19 IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE LONELY (CLUB MIX), Val Young, US Gordy 12in
22 30= BOLERO, Fancy, Swedish Mega 12in
23 23 FAIRY TALE, Rose, Italian Disco Magic 12in
24 24 LET US DANCE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, Secret Service, German Sonet 12in
25 08 CUBA LIBRE (REMIX), Modern Rocketry featuring Jo-Lo, US Megatone 12in
26 — PEOPLE SAY IT’S IN THE AIR, The Herreys, Canadian Chateau 12in
27 21 STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND/RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES, Pamala Stanley & Paul Parker, US TSR 12in
28 re SCRATCH MY NAME, Creative Connection, Conifer 12in
29 re DIAMONDS NEVER MADE A LADY, Lift Up, German Chic 12in
30 — PULL UP TO THE BUMPER (REMIX), Grace Jones, Island 12in
The mixing championship heats having from the future Chad Jackson, Tony De Vit and future king of hardcore/rave Mark Ryder all doing well. And at another night a first mention for Samantha Fox as a singer (at a funk night!) and Janet Jackson’s landmark album (although on a personal level it’s just the kind of mid 80s production I dislike) entering the dance charts – this week’s column as usual so interesting in seeing how things unfolded.
LikeLike
JH was right to suggest it was bad news for the DMC finalists to be up against DJ Cheese.
I was there that night, and the roar from the crowd when Cheese started cutting up drum sounds to make a beat was incredible. Most of us had never seen or heard anything like that before.
It’s at about 5:45 on this clip
LikeLiked by 1 person
James will be covering the DMC finals in full, so I’ll save most of my comments until then, but thanks for linking to that video clip of Cheese – I’d heard his winning set before, but not actually seen it. I fully agree – from a UK perspective, this was a groundbreaking moment.
LikeLike
I just dug out my old TDK SA60 cassette of the full 10m Cheese performance (now digitized for safekeeping), along with those by Orlando Voorn, Mick Hansen and Roger Tuuri. They’re all on YouTube too!
LikeLike
I’ve also got the Orlando Voorn performance on cassette, taped off the radio at the time, along with the Chad Jackson. I taped over the Cheese set, as it sounded too weird and without being able to see it, I didn’t fully understand what was going on!
LikeLike
Just been watching the Chad Jackson performance on YouTube. Scratching with his foot!
It must be the following year when things get really silly, and people are scratching with snooker cues, rugby balls, bicycle wheels – even climbing on the turntable and revolving themselves.
LikeLike
I remember that DJ Cheese win with Chad Jackson being talked about at the time.
Also noticed Russ Brown “Gotta Find A Way” entering the dance chart – this was very big although I don’t think it was old it was sort of synonymous with the whole of that rare groove thing that was soon to take off – it was on the pirates for ages.
LikeLike
Yes, props became the big thing in DJ battles in 86 & 87. One guy in a UK final even brought in the kitchen sink literally, and scratched with it. The controversy surrounding DJ Cheese’s win was if it was a scratching or mixing contest, and the DMC’s has been predominantly a scratching, and beatjugglin’ contest ever since ’86.
LikeLike