March 8, 1986: Slave, Mildred Scott, Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess, James Cobbin & Prime Cut, Ruth Dawes

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

WHITNEY HOUSTON, denied as reported a newcomer nomination due to some niggling technicality, went ahead and beat ’em all anyway to win the Grammy for best female vocal, period! … Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal ‘Saturday Love’ belatedly topped US 12in Sales, Val Young Club Play in Billboard — Val (who seems unlikely for a re-edit now) marred Michael ‘Smoothie’ Gibson from Process And The Doo Rags on Valentine’s Day … Alexander O’Neal contributes a song, ‘The Finest‘, to The SOS Band’s next album (produced of course as he is by Jam & Lewis) … The Chicago Bears’ shufflin’ and tappin’ William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry is to replace Mr T in ‘The A-Team’ … Effectron, despite earlier assumptions they were British, turn out be a genuine Washington DC go go group, their similarity to Micki Jessup being less than coincidence — he sings the lead! … North Sea pirates are due to be joined by the solid soul WSOL 801, manned by four black DJs, and the pop Stereo Hits 576 (the old Caroline wavelength on MW but in stereo), the 10 strong DJ team being primarily American … Froggy’s seemingly endless six week stay on Capital Radio thankfully did end — a nice guy, he’s just irritatingly inept as a programme presenter … New York remixer Bert Bevins is the latest to tout for work in lucrative London … The Three Degrees (with Miquel Brown filling in for pregnant Helen) have as predicted the first of several remixes already in the can, but amazingly it doesn’t copy anything! … Paul Hardcastle (whose Lenny Henry Crucial Remix is 102⅓bpm) also has a mix with male vocal by Kevin Henry, not necessarily for release … Cameo’s rock radio-aimed 47½/95bpm slowie ‘A Goodbye‘ is being bolstered on 12in twin-pack for funk fans by some vintage oldies, promoed now but due next week … Jive have reissued Sinnamon ‘I Need You Now‘ (JIVE T36), a building 113-114-114½bpm soul burbler that always was a black underground “sleeper” three years ago … Total Contrast’s LP is finally out here (London LONLP 15), as is Juicy’s (Epic EPC 26886), while the continuously mixed ‘The Very Best of “D” Train — 47 Minutes Of Nonstop Dancing‘ (German Prelude 260.07.083) could interest some … Quincy Jones, Isley Brothers (including ‘Shout’) and Isley Jasper Isley (just ‘Caravan Of Love’) are on StreetSounds’ ‘Artists 4‘, a single LP this time … Streetwave are starting another label, Brilliant … A version of ‘(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’’ in a note perfect 102-0bpm cover briefly appeared here with no artist mentioned on a supposedly French label Hip Hop Juice, the same version but credited to Tin Tin (no relation of Stephen Duffy) also being withdrawn from StreetSounds’ upcoming ‘Electro/Hip Hop 11‘ — at least this silly stunt finally forced Whistle into the shops on UK pressings (incidentally, their TV theme quote, now almost mandatory on hip hop records, is apparently from ‘Green Acres’) … Britain’s Danté, his name nicked in America, will be called Steven Danté when his Colonel Abrams-ish 113½bpm ‘Give It Up For Love‘ comes out at the end of March … EMI lost Roshelle Fleming despite already making some re-edit improvements of their own … Eastbound Expressway’s anthemic ‘You’re A Beat’ will be on Passion —which may be why Record Shack are trying desperately to sway opinion away from the term Eurobeat and back to Hi-NRG! … Seventh Avenue’s horridly jolly Baltimora-sings-Ottowan style 120⅓bpm ‘Love’s Gone Mad‘ (Record Shack SOHOT56) is finally out fully here, other current UK-released Hi-NRG hits including the rattling 132½bpm Divine-ish Lana Pellay ‘Pistol In My Pocket‘ (Sublime WMET 101) and 0-132¼bpm People Like Us ‘Midnight Lover‘ (Passion PASH 12-51), galloping 0-130¾bpm Street Angels ‘One Bite (John Morales Remix)’ (Calibre CABLS 207), 125½bpm Angel Chorus ‘Devil On My Shoulder‘ (10 Records TEN 90-12) and 135bpm Astaire ‘Fire Me Up‘ (Passion PASH 12-52), chugging dated Eurodisco 121¾bpm Eartha Kitt ‘This Is My Life‘ (Record Shack SOHOT61), clumsy crashing 118¾bpm Nicole ‘Don’t You Want My Love?‘ (Portrait TA6933), while — a Sylvester-ish 115bpm bounding throbber with Colonel Abrams touches too — L.I.F.E. ‘All Played Out‘ (US Dance-Sing DS 802) is due here soon on Lovebeat International (LOVT 4) … Grace Jones’ emptily racing (0-)143-145bpm ‘Love Is The Drug (Remix)‘ sounds unnecessary for most jocks … Pal, twin sisters Rhett & Sinden Cellier and chum Rebekha Sweet, were all former secretaries at Motown in the Martha Reeves and Rita (Syreeta) Wright tradition, so it’s a shame their debut 159bpm ‘Talk We Don’t‘ (Motown ZT40562) is so awful … Colonel Abrams’ title now it’s a single in the States is indeed called ‘I’m Not Gonna Let’, without the ‘You’ … Viola Wills although now living in Minneapolis makes a twice weekly 2,000 mile journey to Los Angeles so she can continue studying studio technology at UCLA – crazy! … Frankie Johnson Jnr moves on stage as if a descendant of descriptively nicknamed dancer Snakehips Johnson, except the latter didn’t do a strip (which was then hilariously sent up at Radio London’s Soul Night Out by Tony Blackburn) … Steve Walsh was not at The Hippodrome this Wednesday after all, but Thursday (6) finds Chris Hill kicking off the first weekly “Bognor” DJ-hosted jazz-soul night at Reading Majestic, plus Paul Major & Micky T celebrating Birmingham Pagoda Park’s award for its rocky waterfall decor … Mick James, not Jones (the name given the judges), was the Stourbridge mixing DJ in Birmingham … Midas Media are updating their DJ mailing list on 01-379 0776 … I may no longer be able to review the weekend’s latest newies but the Disco chart remains as up to date as ever and, as you may have noticed, now includes at least the accurate BPM of anything not previously covered … GET LOOSE!


CHAD JACKSON as anticipated won the Technics UK DJ Mixing Championships, with an athletic 10 minute set in which he managed to scratch behind his back, with his elbow, chin and bare foot! Scratch is all he did though, his antics (reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis’) obscuring for most judges the more musical worth of runners-up Jon Davis and John Robinson, who were visually exciting too. Jon, a black DJ from Bude in Cornwall, was the mixer whose brilliance I enjoyed and voted for most, while John, who globetrots for the Juliana’s disco chain, did an excellent Madonna medley that was just right for The Hippodrome. Interestingly the best mixers in all the preliminary heats had been from areas well away from London (Chad is from Manchester), which seems to confirm that while London jocks may be too blasé (or frightened!) to enter it’s the provincial DJs with possibly most to gain who try harder. And of the six finalists, four all used the Harleqiun Four’s ‘Set It Off’!


HOT VINYL

SLAVE ‘Thrill Me’ (Certain 12ACERT 6) is another characteristic murkily rolling 112bpm lurcher with exaggerated enunciation and chatter, flipped by a 116½bpm remix of the older ‘Jazzy Lady‘, both being on their LP ‘Unchained At Last’ (Certain LPACERT 1) with the better even more datedly typical 117¾bpm ‘I’d Like To Get You‘. Meanwhile, ex-member Mark Hicks has released as DRAC ‘I Want Your Love‘ (US Ichiban Records 12-104), a choppily chugging 113½bpm version of their type of groove with funky muttering and toy hooter blowing, rather brighter than the real thing but still really only for veteran Slave fans.

MILDRED SCOTT ‘Prisoner Of Love’ (US 4th + B’way BWAY-421)
Detroit recorded in exuberant old Jocelyn Brown style, this solidly strutting 110¼bpm happy jumper leaps along so infectiously it’s already exploding in both soul and gay clubs (two strong dubs too). A biggie!

ALEEM featuring Leroy Burgess ‘Love’s On Fire’ (US Atlantic 0-86825)
Huskily worrying Leroy tells the Fantastic Aleems when to “sing it for me, boys”, rather as Rick James did the Temptations, on a nervily jittering 116¾bpm wriggler full of soul in the fast skittery Colonel Abrams style (good vocal dub/edit flip). It’s a grower.

JAMES COBBIN & PRIME CUT ‘Caught In The Middle’ (US Tuckwood TW 102)
Soulfully sung good jiggly 114¾bpm tugger with wriggly modern electronic backing but a timeless vocal to please purists, maybe not a monster although very satisfying (inst flip).

RUTH DAWES ‘I Love Only You’ (US Profile PRO-7095)
Full of nice soulful traditional values, like strings, this wailing insistent 108½bpm chugger may have too convoluted a song to break out of specialist discos, good though it is (inst flip).

JANET JACKSON ‘What Have You Done For Me Lately’ (A&M AMY 308)
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’s starkly smacking taut 114bpm strutter, overshadowed now by her album, here has her Rene & Angela-prod/penned old zingily striding 123¼bpm ‘Young Love‘ added to the flip.

ORIGINAL CONCEPT Can You Feel It?’ (US Def Jam recordings 44-05342)
I only had to mention the Mohawks’ classic The Champ’ from 1968 and here it is, cut up (along with interjections from Bobby Byrd, and apparently a Jacksons concert) all through this hot 0-100⅚bpm hip hop scratcher!

PAZ featuring Marianne Davidson ‘Always There’ (Coda CODS I6T)
Soothingly cooed pleasantly loping (0-)11 3-0bpm jazzy swayer — no, not the Ronnie Laws oldie!

PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION ‘Kiss’ (Warner Bros/Paisley Park W8751T)
Hitting a brittle groove before then getting very fragmentary, this 111½-108-112-108⅓-0bpm return to his tiny-voiced squeaky soul style of about five years ago nukes a welcome change.

94 EAST ‘Games’ (LP ‘Minneapolis Genius’ US Hot Pink HLP 3223)
Comprising keyboardist Pepe Willie, bassist Andre Cymone, and a certain cat of many colours called Prince, this embryo purple outfit from 1976/7 have had their rambling instrumentals resurrected, remixed and overdubbed (the saxist for instance isn’t credited), best being this 104-104½-105½-104½-105½bpm funkier effort.

SHIRLEY MURDOCK ‘Truth Or Dare (Remix)’ (Elektra EKR36T)
Coyly sung lightweight (0-)121bpm tripper kinds like ‘Oops Up Side Your Head’ meeting ‘Lady Marmalade’ over the ‘Billie Jean’ beat, produced by Roger Troutman and now rather emptily remixed (her album is due too).

JOCELYN BROWN ‘Love’s Gonna Get You’ (Warner Bros W8889T)
Just a little bit late out here, Jellybean’s production of this vocally good though rather lifelessly electro-backed 108bpm jitterer (in four mixes) struck me as a disappointment for Jocelyn but did hang about on import for a while.

UP YAWS ‘Dedicated To – – – – -‘ (Tell It Like It Is Records 2, via RLR 01-868 8637)
An under-the-counter job, the lulling Barry White-ish “lurve” rap intro of this soulfully backed 81-0-79-82- 81½-82⅓bpm tranquil swayer doesn’t prepare one for the insults which follow, mainly a chant that rhymes with “trucking punt”! Find it if you can, but don’t tell Mary Whitehouse where!

FOX THE FOX ‘Precious Little Diamond (Remix)’ (Epic TA6911)
Out several times since 1984 and an international smash practically everywhere except Britain, this 115½bpm Bee Gees-ish Eurobeat shuffler in its new Shep Pettibone remix is currently climbing Stateside and should surely at last have holidaymaker pop appeal here?


HIT NUMBERS

BEATS PER MINUTE for last week’s top 75 entries on 7in (f/c/r for fade/cold/resonant ends):

Sigue Sigue Sputnik (0-)193f vacuous video garbage, Kate Bush 72½/145-0c anxious subtle tension, Whistle 0-102f hot go go hip hop, Electric Light Orchestra (0-)126¼ typical pop chugger, Grace Jones 143½-144¾f unfunky pop, Blow Monkeys 102⅔ hot pop swayer (Marc Bolan sings soul!), Mr Mister 0-89½c pomp rock, James Brown 0-107¾-109f funk classic, Elton John 0-35-0r largely tempoless, Redskins 0-54-110-114¾-0r striking gruff Bruce-ish builder, Total Contrast 117¾ Colonel Abrams-ish disco, Cherrelle 100¼c soul swayer, Matt Bianco 115f jerker, but Mark Fisher’s flying inst 114f jazz-funk flip is what’s selling it.


UK DISCO TOP 100 – March 8, 1986

01 02 (NOTHING SERIOUS) JUST BUGGIN’, Whistle, Champion 12in
02 03 SUGAR FREE (DEO/REMIXES)/FOREVER AND EVER/BAD BOY, Juicy, Epic 12in
03 04 I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU (RICHARD JAMES BURGESS UK REMIX), Colonel Abrams, MCA Records 12in
04 07 LADIES/DUB INSTRUMENTAL, Mantronix, 10 Records 12in
05 09 DO YOU LOVE ME (REMIX), Durell Coleman, Fourth & Broadway 12in
06 25 RHYTHM OF YOUR LOVE, Isabel Roberts, Hot Vinyl 12in
07 01 MY MAGIC MAN, Rochelle, Warner Bros 12in
08 12 DARE TO DREAM (LONDON REMIX)/US MIX, Viola Wills, Streetwave 12in white label
09 11 WHAT’S MISSING/IF YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT, Alexander O’Neal, Tabu 12in
10 13 WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, Prince Charles and the City Beat Band, PRT 12in
11 06 WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING, Billy Ocean, Jive 12in
12 05 LIVING IN AMERICA, James Brown, Scotti Brothers 12in
13 08 IF I RULED THE WORLD, Kurtis Blow, Club 12in
14 14 HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL/WHODUNIT/DON’T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC (BEN LIEBRAND REMIXES), Tavares, Capitol 12in
15 23 GOTTA FIND A WAY, Russ Brown, US Jump Street 12in
16 15 THE RIVER (CLUB VERSION)/SUNSHINE (INSTRUMENTAL), Total Contrast, US London 12in
17 20 WHEN I THINK OF YOU/NASTY/THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE/FUNNY HOW TIME FLIES/WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY, Janet Jackson, US A&M LP
18 10 DON’T WASTE MY TIME, Paul Hardcastle, Chrysalis 12in
19 26 PARTY FREAK (LATIN RASCAL EDIT), Cashflow, US Mercury 12in
20 17 HOW WILL I KNOW (JELLYBEAN REMIX), Whitney Houston, Arista 12in
21 24 WILL YOU SATISFY?, Cherrelle, Tabu 12in
22 22 HEADLINE NEWS, William Bell, US WRC LP
23 16 IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER (REMIX), Zapp, Warner Bros 12in
24 36 STRUNG OUT (DANCE MIX), Paul Laurence, Capitol 12in
25 18 PAIN, Betty Wright, Cooltempo 12in
26 94 I CAN’T LET YOU GO (REMIX)/JAZZ VERSION, 52nd Street, 10 Records 12in
27 — YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING (THE DECADE REMIX 76-86), The Real Thing, PRT 12in
28 31 BABY LOVE, Regina, Funkin’ Marvellous Records 12in
29 19 ROCK ME TONIGHT, Freddie Jackson, Capitol 12in
30 35 HEY! DON’T WASTE MY TIME, The Walkers, Club 12in
31 60 DON’T WASTE MY TIME (ESSENTIAL WELL-HARD CRUCIAL MIX), Paul Hardcastle, Capitol 12in
32 32 YOU CAN DO IT (IT’S SO EASY), Dino Terrell, US New Image 12in
33 42 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY (REMIX), Janet Jackson, US A&M 12in
34 38 ALL I WANT IS MY BABY, Roberta Gillam, WEA 12in
35 47 LOVE MONEY (REMIX 86)/FORT KNOX, Funk Masters, Tai Wan 12in
36 57 FOOL’S PARADISE, Meli’sa Morgan, US Capitol LP
37 21 ALICE I WANT YOU JUST FOR ME!, Full Force, CBS 12in
38 29 PULL UP TO THE BUMPER (REMIX), Grace Jones, Island 12in
39 44 UPFRONT, Matt Bianco, WEA 12in
40 30 FUNKY SENSATION, Ladies Choice, Sure Delight 12in
41 50 GALVESTON BAY (EXTENDED RE-EDIT), Lonnie Hill, 10 Records 12in white label
42 34 ANOTHER NIGHT (DANCE MIX), Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
43 74 PRISONER OF LOVE, Mildred Scott, US 4th + B’way 12in
44 — THE RIVER (EXTENSIVE REMIX), Total Contrast, London 12in
45 — SECRET LOVERS (40/80-79¾-0bpm)/ONE LOVE (DANCE MIX) (108⅔bpm), Atlantic Starr, A&M 12in
46 28 SIDEWALK TALK/WAS DOG A DOUGHNUT, Jellybean, EMI America 12in
47 40 IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE LONELY (STREET MIX/CLUB MIX), Val Young, US Gordy 12in
48 48 TURN YOUR LOVE (RIGHT AROUND), Projection, Elite 12in
49 54 $UCCE$$ IS THE WORD, 12:41, US Fresh Records 12in
50 46 HOW TO WIN YOUR LOVE, Spencer Jones, Champion 12in
51 75 DON’T CHA GO NOWHERE, Donald Dee, US Sutra 12in
52 33 WHO’S ZOOMIN’ WHO, Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
53 — YOU NEED MORE CALYPSO (CLUB VERSION), Ralph MacDonald featuring Dennis Collins, US Polydor 12in/promo
54 78 GAMES, 94 East, US Hot Pink LP
55 76 YOU BLOW MY MIND, Stimulus featuring Milton Smith, US Roulette 12in
56 — HIGH HORSE (REMIX), Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, RCA 12in white label
57 53 COLDER ARE MY NIGHTS, The Isley Brothers, Warner Bros 12in
58 58 TRUTH OR DARE (LP VERSION), Shirley Murdock, Elektra 12in white label
59 79 (YOU ARE MY) ALL AND ALL, Joyce Sims, US Sleeping Bag Records 12in
60 37 SKIPS A BEAT (CLUB MIX), Warp 9, Motown 12in
61 89 CAN YOU FEEL IT?, Original Concept, US Def Jam 12in
62 87 KING HOLIDAY, King Dream Chorus & Holiday Crew, US Mercury 12in/promo
63 73 TOUCHING AND CARING, Nina Simone, US VPI Records LP
64 41 A LOVE BIZARRE, PARTS I AND II, Sheila E, Warner Bros/Paisley Park 12in
65 39 COLD SHOULDER, Evelyn Thomas, Record Shack 12in
66 51 LOVE’S ON FIRE, Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess, US Atlantic 12in
67 re BEST FRIENDS . . . CRAZY MIXX, Eddie Towns (ET), US Total Experience 12in
68 100 PASSION, Bata Drum, Champion 12in
69 re LOVE’S GONNA GET YOU, Jocelyn Brown, Warner Bros 12
70 52 IF YOU’RE READY (COME GO WITH ME), Ruby Turner, Jive 12in
71 — CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE, James Cobbin & Prime Cut, US Tuckwood 12in
72 55 HOLD ME, Teddy Pendergrass (with Whitney Houston), Asylum 12in
73 43 BABY TALK, Alisha, Total Control 12in
74 81 IN THE MORNING TIME, Tramaine, US A&M 12in
75 re SATELLITE MUSIC/I SHOULDA LOVED YA, Cool Runners, Streetwave 12in
76 re MY DOWNTOWN LADY, Reaction, US Strawberry Records Unltd. 12in
77 67 LET MY PEOPLE GO (M&M REMIX), The Winans, Qwest 12in
78 91 CLOUD NINE, Mystery Assignment, Virgin 12in
79 66 THIS IS THE HOUSE (GHETTO CONDO MINIMUM MIX), Three Degrees, Supreme Records 12in white label
80 65 IF YOU WANT LOVE, Tululah Moon, US Beauty and The Beat 12in
81 64 DOUBLE DEF FRESH, Hardrock Soul Movement, Elite 12in
82 — DUB THE TENSION (122¼bpm)/RELEASE THE TENSION (122⅓-122-122¼bpm), J-A Groove, US Studio Records 12in
83 — FIRESTARTER (95⅓bpm), Tease, US Epic 12in
84 69 THE THINGS THAT MEN DO, Krystol, US Epic 12in
85 90 I LOVE ONLY YOU, Ruth Dawes, US Profile 12in
86 — YOU CAN’T BLAME LOVE (CLUB VERSION) (101⅔-102-101¾bpm), Thomas & Taylor, US Thom/Tay 12in
87 77 BASSLINE/NEEDLE TO THE GROOVE, Mantronix, US Sleeping Bag LP
88 85 LOVE IS SERIOUS/SPECIAL, The Stylistics, US Streetwise LP
89 re INSATIABLE WOMAN, Isley Jasper Isley, Epic 12in
90 93 FEMALE INTUITION, Mai Tai, Virgin/Hot Melt 12in
91 — MAYBE TOMORROW (91½-92bpm), Perri, US Zebra Records LP
92 92 I CAN’T STOP (51-103¾-104⅔-104⅓-105-105⅓-104⅔bpm), Theresa Davies featuring Jerry Butler, US DJ 7in
93 99 ONE MORE TIME (US REMIX), Third World, CBS 12in
94 — OVERJOYED, Stevie Wonder, Motown 12in
95 — WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT/ENTANGLED, Total Contrast, London LP
96 re MY MIND IS MADE UP, Keith Sweat, US Stadium 12in
97 71 SHE’S THE ONE, Cabo Frio, US Zebra Records LP
98 70 DON’T STOP THAT GO GO BEAT, Effectron, MDM Records 12in
99 — THE HUNT, Jimmy Scott, Move 12in
100 56 KEEP ON, Bobby Mardis, Bluebird/10 12in


EUROBEAT

01 01 LOVE’S GONE MAD (EUROBEAT MIX), Seventh Avenue, Record Shack 12in
02 02 PISTOL IN MY POCKET, Lana Pellay, Sublime 12in
03 03 ANOTHER NIGHT (DANCE MIX), Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
04 04 FLY TO ME, Aleph, Italian Disco Magic 12in
05 11 PRISONER OF LOVE, Mildred Scott, US 4th + B’way 12in
06 — YOU’RE A BEAT, Eastbound Expressway, Passion 12in white label
07 12 DANGER FOR LOVE, Deborah, German ZYX 12in
08 09 ALL PLAYED OUT, L.I.F.E., US Dance-Sing 12in
09 21 PEOPLE SAY IT’S IN THE AIR, The Herreys, Canadian Chateau 12in
10 17 STRANGER, Linda Imperial, US Pink Glove 12in
11 05 MIDNIGHT LOVER, People Like Us, Passion 12in
12 14 LIFELINE DANCING, Pattie Brooks, US Easy Street 12in
13 15 CHAIN REACTION (DANCE REMIX), Diana Ross, Capitol 12in
14 20 DIAL MY NUMBER, The Back Bag, German Transparent 12in
15 08 ONE BITE (JOHN MORALES REMIX), Street Angels, Calibre 12in
16 10 THIS IS MY LIFE, Eartha Kitt, Record Shack 12in
17 07 BOTH SIDES NOW, Viola Wills, US Wide Angle 12in
18 19 IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE LONELY (CLUB MIX), Val Young, US Gordy 12in
19 13 MIDNIGHT LOVER, Bernadette, German CBS 12in
20 26 MOSKOW DISKO (1986 VERSION), Telex, German Rush 12in
21 re MY DELIGHT, Solid Strangers, German ZYX 12in
22 — I ENGINEER, Animotion, US Casablanca 12in
23 16 TONIGHT, Ken Laszlo, Italian MEM 12in
24 22 BOLERO, Fancy, Swedish Mega 12in
25 — LIVIN’ FOR THE CITY, Sylvester, US Megatone 12in
26 06 CHARLESTON, Den Harrow, Italian Baby 12in
27 — COME ON, Alan Barry, Italian Time 12in
28 — ICE COLD LOVE, Madigan, Italian On The Road 12in
29 re DON’T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC/HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL (BEN LIEBRAND REMIXES), Tavares, Capitol 12in
30= 30 ROMANTIC VIDEO, New Romance, German Polydor 12in
30= 29 FIRE ME UP, Astaire, Passion 12in white label
30= 27 SECLUSION, Shaun Benson, US TSR 12in

5 thoughts on “March 8, 1986: Slave, Mildred Scott, Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess, James Cobbin & Prime Cut, Ruth Dawes”

  1. It may not hail from Chicago – the label was actually based in Maryland – but J-A Groove’s “Release The Tension”/”Dub The Tension”, which sneaks into this week’s chart at 82, sounds absolutely like house to me (especially the dub). Tellingly, it’s a speeded-up and stripped-down cover of a 1984 track by Circuit, which was originally written and produced by Timmy Regisford and Boyd Jarvis (yes, him again – I’ve started to see him as a forgotten forefather).

    Jocelyn Brown’s “Love’s Gonna Get You” enjoyed only modest success, but one line from her vocal had a far more successful second life, as a sample on one of the biggest dance hits of 1990. Yeah, you know the one!

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    1. Ha, you eat me to it with the comment about the Jocelyn Brown track. I’m sure there’s at least one other track that uses part of the acapella too…

      On the subject of Leroy Burgess from Aleem, there’s a rather good Red Bull Music Academy video of him talking about his various projects and also singing and playing!

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  2. So Original Concept with their “Can You Feel It?” were the original borrowers for something that was sampled time after time in so many house/hardcore/hard house/trance you name it records for years after – the live “Can You Feel It” sample from the Jacksons. Also The Mohawks ‘The Champ’ took off over the next few weeks/months to become a big revival in itself. I seem to remember hearing it at a pub night Johnny Walker (the acid house DJ not the national radio one) used to play and that we sometimes used to go to on Friday nights in about 1985/1986 out somewhere near Maidenhead where you’d hear the upfront stuff mixed with the popular revival funk, jazz and soul that I suppose eventually got to be called ‘rare groove’ when the central London hipster types discovered it.

    After that flurry of better tunes a couple of months ago things seem to have gone a bit quieter again and the remixes of the Real Thing, Tavares and the other revived 12″s we’ve seen in the chart lately may show just how thin things had become.

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      1. No I think it was called it was called the East Arms – I did go to an acid house night in 1988 at Valbonne called Passion which I think Judge Jules did – although I didn’t know who Judge Jules was at the time. I also used to go in the Rocking Horse Bar there in the summer of 1983 when they used to play jazz-funk on the sound system all night every night of the week – very pleasant memories of me and my mate sitting outside by the river with Michael Wycoff ‘Tell Me Love’, Jazzy Dee ‘Get On Up’, Kenny Lynch ‘Half the Day’s Gone’ and other big tunes of the time playing..

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