Month: June 1986

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

STEVE ‘SILK’ HURLEY also has a totally different treatment due of ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’, the Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk & Jessie Saunders version of which exploded in our chart last week, not by being the biggest selling newie but because most jocks charting it already had it at number one! . . . Chicago’s “house” and “jack” styles (ie: “garage” by its local name) may be the most exciting new development in dance music but typically it’s being resisted in Central London’s blacker clubs — however, the faster tempos are taking off elsewhere, and it seems north of Watford Gap many jocks are already taking things to extremes (as they usually do with any easily definable style, miaou, miaou!) . . . Dancin’ Danny D has remixed Loose Ends’ ‘Gonna Make You Mine’ B-side, and Ian Levine is remixing Bucks Fizz (well he would, wouldn’t he?) . . . Style Council’s next single will feature the Showmen’s chairman of the board General Johnson as lead vocalist, reviving last year’s General Crooks & Willie Clayton ‘Love Pains’ . . . Sixties veteran Steve Mancha’s comeback single for EMI is shaping up as a joyful goodie, sorta Dr Buzzard meets the Temptations on the Grapevine! . . . Paradise leader, gospel singing Paul Johnson, is recording secular soul for CBS produced by his chum Junior . . . Luther Vandross’ next B-side will include his track from ‘The Goonies’ soundtrack, ‘She’s So Good To Me‘ . . . The O’Jays’ old ‘My Favourite Person‘ is becoming another boom tune around London . . . CBS’s one-time disco plugger, now in A&R, Steve Ripley, is moving to New York as International Product Manager, off hats! . . . Sergio Munzibai has indeed resigned his Motown post (so is that an end to those M&M remixes on the label?) . . . Regina ‘Baby Love‘ belatedly topped US Club Play (it’ll be reissued here next month) and Billy Ocean ‘Sad Songs‘ Black 45s in Billboard . . . Sinitta ‘So Macho’ evidently sold more copies in one Sheffield shop than anything ever, including ‘Mull Of Kintyre’ . . . Fnday (27) Chad Jackson cuts up Lowestoft Ziggies, Saturday (28) Robbie Vincent souls Bristol Sanborn’s, Monday (30) Kev Hill kicks off his “wicked” weekly Guvnor’s Clinic at Basildon Sweeney’s with guests Pete Tong & Bob Jones . . . BBC Radio Merseyside soul jock Kenni James hosts a funky river cruise next Thursday (3), tickets from Hot Waxx and Chevertons record shops . . . Gary Hickson (Blackburn Kaleidoscope), already doing a club chart rundown Fridays on BBC Radio Lancashire, is about to sit in for holidaying afternoon man Simon Johnson . . . Johnny Wakelin supported Muhammad Ali on ‘Black Superman’ and ‘In Zaire’ now he’s turned — in similarly rabble rousing 0-108¼bpm basic chant style — to ‘Bruno‘ (Chrysalis KOX 1), featuring “you know what I mean, ‘Arry?” loud and clear, unlike last weeks inferior although officially sanctioned rival . . . SORRY, WRONG BEAT!

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JULIE ROBERTS, now she’s a TV presenter, has gone all posh and added a “t” to make her Juliet for the revived ‘More Than One Night (Love Mix)‘ (Bluebird/10 BRT 22). Remixed by Herbie Mastermind and herself, the original old B-side had a reggae-ish following in London’s blacker clubs but now, with a “shabba dabba doo” or two and some muted horn, it’s become a possibly too loosely strung rambling 0-81¾bpm jiggly slow weaver (instrumental flip).

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STREETWAVE RECORDS continue to raid the ‘CBS Club Classics 2’ LP for their DJ Limited Edition 12-inch series, the latest teaming back to back DEXTER WANSEL ‘Life On Mars‘/WILLIE BOBO ‘Always There‘ (Streetwave SWAVE 9).

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HOT VINYL

THE S.O.S. BAND: ‘Borrowed Love (Remix)’ (Tabu TA 7241)
Jam & Lewis replough that fertile Yarbrough & Peoples pioneered ‘Change Of Heart’ furrow for this acappella finished 100¼bpm purposeful roller, flipped by the group’s own self-produced but still typical (0-)87½bpm ‘Do You Still Want To?‘ Uh-huh.

YOUNG & CO.: ‘Such A Feeling’ (US The Sound of London SOL-986-12)
With an infectious burbling bassline and hints of Aurra’s oldie of the same name, this joyful gospelish 119½bpm bounder comes in three mixes, the dubbier Club (B) being pure garage. Er, I thought TSOL was one of Morgan Khan’s labels?

MELBA MOORE: ‘Love The One I’m With’ (US Capitol V-15236)
Bouncily duetted with producer Kashif, this perkily lurching 115½bpm skipper is typically staccato over spiky beats and sets up a happy feeling despite the cold mechanics of its backing. Certainly for soul modernists, it could have wider appeal, too. Continue reading “June 28, 1986: The S.O.S. Band, Young & Co, Melba Moore, Wally Jump Junior, Innerlife”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

THIS COULD be a long hot sweaty summer if the faster ‘garage’ grooves like Dinosaur L succeed in forcing black dance tempos back up to the 130bpm region . . . StreetSounds have finally launched their Picture Box dance music video series, 12 clip compilations at about £12.50, released bi-monthly in alternation with a Hip Hop video series too, the same label has also started their new Artists Showcase LP series with a good retrospective of The Jones Girls (MUSIC 4), while jazz jock Gilles Peterson has compiled not only ‘Jazz Juice 2‘ (StreetSounds SOUND 4), including Dianne Schuur ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing‘, but also the even more specialist ‘Blue Bossa‘ (Blue Note BNSLP 1, via EMI) . . . The Temptations ‘My Girl’ heads a four-track oldies 12-incher to celebrate their 25th anniversary (Motown ZT 40744) . . . I had no time to mention Loose Ends’ flip, the emphatically wriggling 105¾bpm ‘Gonna Make You Mine‘, now proving hotter for many . . . Froggy & Simon Harris have remixed William Bell ‘Passion’ (and are choked they didn’t get to do the second even bigger Real Thing hit remix!) . . . Theo Loyla’s DJ mailing list Superjocks Hit Squad has amicably divorced itself from the Disco Mix Club so as not to compromise the latter’s impartial dealings with other, rival record promotion companies (Theo, by the way, Level 42 are an excellent pop-rock band, but hardly funk nowadays) . . . US firm Finial Technology later this year launch a $2,500 record playing turntable using a laser beam instead of a stylus (similar to, but incompatible with, the CD system), an instant start/cue professional model for disco and radio use following in 1987 . . . Janet Jackson ‘Nasty’ topped US Black 45s, but Patti LaBelle finally replaced her as top Black LP, while The SOS Band ‘The Finest’ topped 12-inch Sales and Dhar Braxton Club Play, in Billboard . . . US “urban” radio stations appear to be getting much blacker in an effort to show there’s more to R&B than dance music . . . Motown have closed their New York A&R office, presumably putting Sergio Munzibai out of a job (amazingly, the actual office was right above one I used to work in years ago!) . . . Asian immigrants were amongst the earliest audience for electro here, but in the States they’ve been identified (by Dance Music Report’s Hi-NRG correspondent Casey Jones) as chief buyers of Eurobeat, which they call “New Wave”! . . . Fresh Fest III 1986 Mardi Gras Tour, the hip hop package currently touring the US, includes such as Kurtis Blow, Full Force, UTFO, Joeski Love, Whistle, Fat Boys, LA Dream Team, Shabba-Doo, Boogaloo Shrimp and the Jets . . . Aerosmith it is, or rather members Steve Tyler and Joe Perry, who contribute the AoR element to Run-DMC’s ‘Walk This Way‘ . . . July 19 could be chaos at Wembley, what with the UK Fresh ’86 rap fest at the Arena and Frank Bruno fighting in the Stadium — Frank’s “You know what I mean?” comments incidentally turn out to be inserted (very badly) into The Contenders’ dreadful Hi-NRG 130bpm ‘Where’s Harry?‘ (Columbia 12DB 9136) . . . Dave Gregory, in addition to the Essex Radio Soul Night Specials, is setting up his own touring show around the South East with regular gigs at such as West Malling Greenways, Braintree Essex Barn, Basildon Festival Hall, featuring guest jocks and PAs: artists interested in the latter, contact TAC Promotions on 0702-347237 . . . Friday (20) Rapattack join ‘underground’ groover Rob Day and upstairs soulster Bob Jones at their weekly New Cross Harp Club Big TV night . . . Disco Gary & Steve Goddard’s Friday Funk-Shun at Maidstone Harveys skips July 4 but is otherwise regular now . . . Mad Max & Perry Daniels start funking Catford Panthers this Saturday (21) with guest Greg Edwards . . . Monday (23) Neil Fincham celebrates Edinburgh Styx’s first birthday with a 12 hour 9pm-9am (licensed) formal black tie party for all the club’s regulars . . . Andy Baker is cock-a-hoop that his venue at Rhyl’s The Downtown is the first on the North Wales coast to get a 2am licence (he also got married!) . . . Swansea soul supporter James Lewis adds commercial Mondays at Harry’s Dance Bar, and Wednesdays at Cwmbran’s Ripples (the only club in town) . . . I’m afraid the weather’s too warm for Hit Numbers . . . SORRY, WRONG BEAT!

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CHRIS PAUL’s ‘Expansions ’86 (Expand Your Mind)’ has been much expanded by the Brothers Fearon in a more percussive 0-113¾-113½-113¾-0bpm remix, which is not necessarily an improvement. Shrink-wrapped as a white label with the original 12-inch over this last weekend, it’s now out in its own right with the original tracks as flip (Fourth & Broadway 12BRWX 48). Incidentally, is this the first pic to be published of Chris? I had to take it myself!

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HOT VINYL

SLEEQUE: ‘One For The Money’ (Malaco Dance Records MAL 12-33)
The Jon Williams-renamed and designed label kicks off with my current fave, an infectiously skittering breezy (0-)114-0bpm spacious wriggler with lovely piano and a catchy lilt (in three Paul Simpson mixes). Go man go!

FARLEY ‘JACKMASTER’ FUNK & JESSIE SAUNDERS: ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ (US House Records FU-10)
More “jack trax” from another of Chicago’s “house” masters, this dynamically spurting express train tempoed 122bpm “garage” groove (in three mixes) is so terrifically exciting it deserves to spread this new true disco style’s following to more than just the trendier clubs. Oddly, the really raving ‘Dub Can’t Turn Around’ is much more vocal than the labelled Club Mix. Try it!

JANICE: ‘Bye-Bye’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 49)
Nu Shooz look out, here comes the next emulator hook-filled maddeningly catchy gimmick hit. Surprisingly only supported on import by the UK’s leading soul jocks, this is greasy kids stuff personified, a silly 113½bpm electro leaper with crazy breaks and Kate Bush-type vocal bursts (here edited in four versions). Continue reading “June 21, 1986: Sleeque, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk & Jessie Saunders, Janice, Dinosaur L, The Latin Rascals”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PHIL FEARON obviously heeds my hints, as he’s reviving Tony Etoria’s ‘I Can Prove It’ (he’s also expanding ‘Expansions 86’ for Chris Paul)! . . . Chris Paul himself is after personality DJs for South Harrow Bogarts and a new Ealing nightclub: send CV and tape to him at Bogarts, Alexandra Avenue, South Harrow, Middlesex HA2 9AD . . . Stock-Aitken-Waterman will be making their debut as artists with guest vocalists, who could well include the likes of Astrud Gilberto and Georgie Fame, on a segued medley of Richie Cole’s ‘New York Afternoon‘ and their own new ‘Everlasting Love‘ bossa nova . . . Randy ‘Funky Chicken’ Muller rang me to say he only missed a bomb in Germany by three days last year but regardless he and Skyy leader Solomon Roberts Jr will visit the UK some time this year, if only to keep up to date with the fashions: Randy’s currently producing a group of New York rappers called Rappers Convention, and for EMI release soon an outfit called Nyteshift . . . Chad Jackson arrived at the Nimes festival in the Roman amphitheatre to find it was a competition for personality DJs rather than mixers, yet he still came second! . . . Disco Mix Club launch in the States in July, following the May introduction of now a third LP in their monthly subscription DJ-only service, this one devoted to International Mixes — this month Les Adams has excelled himself with a ‘Laugh It Off‘ mix that medleys George Formby, Charles Penrose, Lonnie Donegan and more to the ‘Set It Off’ beat, a party classic for years to come (subscription details on 06286 67276) . . . London now have UK rights to Run-DMC, who’ve already sold out New York’s massive Madison Square Gardens for two nights the weekend immediately after the New Music Seminar (coinciding with London’s own UK Fresh ’86 rap fest) . . . New York hip hoppers turned out in force to mourn, at the Bronx’s Devil’s Nest, the recent closure of the legendary home of rap Disco Fever, tribute payers including Run-DMC, Fat Boys, Whodini, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Doug E Fresh, Force MD’s, Lisa Lisa, Jellybean Benitez, Bernard Wright and more — the real Fresh ’86? . . . Archie Bell & The Drell’s big boom oldie, now the other one’s out here, is rapidly becoming ‘Hard Not To Like You‘ . . . Matt Bianco is now twin-packed with a bonus c.116½-120½bpm ‘Matt’s Megamix‘ of their samba-style hits . . . Ian Foster ‘Tell Me It’s True’ is already also in a 97¾bpm New York Remix (MCA MCAX 1025) to split its sparse sales, and even a Les Adams 0-109-115¾-0bpm Total Contrast Megamix has had little effect on ‘What You Gonna Do About It’ (London LONXR 95) . . . Haywoode ‘Roses’ is also in a DJs-only promo remix by Michael Barbiero, but forgive me if I don’t BPM it, there are other things to do — um, like would you believe four weeks worth of Hit Numbers for next week?! . . . Steve Walsh, now driving a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 1 number S(teven) M(aurice) W(alsh) 100, guests on ‘Solid Soul’ this Friday (13), and later that evening with Danny Smith at Gt Yarmouth Marina Centre for “the hottest in black music including heavy funk, improvised jazz and real emotional soul” — doesn’t sound like the Walsh gigs we know! . . . Saturday (14) Essex Radio’s Disco John Leech, Bob Jones and Gilles Peterson head Sudbury Gainsborough Club’s 4pm alldayer . . . Nu Shooz and the Crown Heights Affair remix synch together “forever”, tips Graham Gold, who’s returned on Saturdays to Mayfair Gullivers (which doesn’t close until late August) . . . Pete Waterman points out the amazing similarity of Maze ‘Twilight’ to Colonel Abrams ‘I’m Not Gonna Let’ — so maybe Frankie Beverly is really The Godfather Of House and guvnor of the garage groove? . . . Antionette’s backing appears to be by B.T. Express, in spirit if not in fact . . . Princess’s original version of her Hi-NRG LP track ‘In The Heat Of A Passionate Moment’, yet to be released, is really Hi-NRG! . . . Julian Jonah’s ludicrously Paul Hardcastle-like single was actually mixed by him, so no wonder . . . Frank Bruno is cutting a single, naturally enough called ‘Know What I Mean’! . . . RELEASE THE TENSION!

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HOT VINYL

WILLIE COLON: ‘Set Fire To Me’ (A&M AMY 330)
The salsa star is already creating mayhem on floors here with his somewhat Santana-ish 116½bpm Latin Jazzbo sizzler and its even beefier scatting Inferno Dub flip, practically the new ‘Jingo’ except not quite as dynamic. But what a beat!

UTFO: ‘We Work Hard’ (US Select Records FMS 62272)
On an excellent value double-sider, this Full Force-produced furious jittery 0-100¾-100¼-0bpm go go hip hop rapper in ‘Alice’ style with human beat box and many bright hooks is flipped by the equally hot — or hotter — nursery rhyme singalong ‘n’ rap 0-105¼-0bpm ‘Kangol & Doc‘, both scratched by Hitman Howie Tee. The freshest jams in town.

THE REAL ROXANNE with HITMAN HOWIE TEE: ‘(Bang Zoom) Let’s Go-Go’ (Cooltempo COOLX 125)
Full Force are behind this other hot double-sider too, backing the bragging 0-99-0bpm rap ‘n’ scratch with a fascinating sequence including real soul singing, Fred Astaire big band licks and a ‘Bugs Bunny’ Elmer Fudd finale! The stark 101¾bpm ‘Howie’s Teed Off‘ cuts in Brick’s ‘Dazz’ amongst others, on a strong flip. Continue reading “June 14, 1986: “House” is actually Chicago-speak for “garage””

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PHYLLIS HYMAN’s continued unavailability (some say it’s chickenpox) has forced complete cancellation of July 26/27’s New York Jazz Explosion — but worry not, as surely an even bigger attraction has been booked into the Hammersmith Odeon on those same dates as solo replacement, Anita Baker! (original tickets will be refunded or exchanged at point of purchase) . . . Important Records are reissuing Fatback ‘I Found Lovin’, which seems logical, flipped by ‘Is This The Future?’, which seems good value . . . Willie Hutch ‘Easy Does It‘, an old Whitfield-released B-side, is the latest Northern Soul — sorry, London oldie to be touted as a biggie that all the DJs must have . . . Bluebird/10’s commercial copies of the Matthew David ‘Don’t Let Love Get You Down‘ cover version crazily don’t have its usefully promoed instrumental version as flip, negating any advantage left in the face of Archie Bell’s original: already the label has plans to rectify this . . . CBS have reissued on 12 inch The O’Jays ‘Love Train’/’I Love Music’/’Backstabbers’ (Portrait TA 7235) and The Isley Brothers ‘Harvest For The World’/’Summer Breeze’/’That Lady’ (Epic TA 7234), all easily available in other forms, like on Streetwave/StreetSounds, and in fact the outlet now starts its systematic plundering of the ‘CBS Club Classics’ LPs by coupling Wilbert Longmire ‘Black Is The Color’, MFSB ‘Mysteries Of The World’ (Streetwave Limited Edition SWAVE 8) . . . Motown have released as a mid-price double album the Kudu-recorded 1977 Grover Washington Jr ‘Live At The Bijou’ (WL72267(2)), containing ‘Sausalito‘, ‘Summer Song‘, ‘Mr Magic‘ . . . WEA have already rushed UK release of the Bob James/David Sanborn ‘Double Vision’ LP (Warner Bros 925 393-1) . . . Hanson & Davis’ review last week should have mentioned the label (US Fresh Records FRE-5EP) . . . Champion are rushing out Spyder-D’s Nu Shooz rap . . . Thomas + Taylor have a re-edit due with added harmonica . . . Haywoode ‘Roses’ (CBS TA 7224) has been reissued as a rockier, more choppily thunderthumbed aggressive 114¾bpm Bert Bevans remix (promoed to DJs as a 10 inch) . . . Lisson Records (catalogue number prefix DOLEQ) was named by Tilly Rutherford and his partner Pete Waterman after the dole office where he and other redundant PRT employees had to sign on, in London’s Lisson Grove — where there’s also the fashionable Seashell fish ‘n’ chips shop, in which naturally enough the label’s launch lunch was held this Tuesday! . . . Sandra Edwards is first artiste on the Pinnacle distributed new label Soul Town 45, a DJ mailing list being complied by Nik Miles on 01-802 7605 . . . Max LX and Dave VJ of Hardrock Soul Movement are after a rapping lady DJ to join them — send photo and tape, if possible, to (Roger’s sister) Nikki Tovell at Elite Records, 41 Eton Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 3AZ . . . I can’t tell at this stage how useful it might be here, but the Key West, Florida based monthly $20 subscription Harmonic Keys dance music programming service lists all the disco records applicable to its US market not only by beats per minute but also by musical key, breaking down all changes in tempo and modulation — full details from Stuart Soroka on 010-1-305-294-4491 . . . Alan Coulthard, nearing completion of his law studies, has resigned from Disco Mix Club and severed management connections with its co-founder Tony Prince due to “personal differences” — a shame . . . London’s much loved legendary club DJ from the Sixties (amongst other claims to fame he taught Lulu how to dance), Al Needles sadly died of a heart attack two weekends ago . . . Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Walkers club was robbed of the bank holiday takings in a shotgun raid, no joke . . . Dardanella Braxton is Dhar’s real name, before the spelling got gimmicky . . . South Eastern Discotheque Association’s annual disco equipment exhibition SEDA 86 is this Sunday (8) afternoon at Gravesend’s Woodville Halls, opened by the Cool Notes . . . Graeme Park spins upfront dance hits Tues/Fri/Sat at Nottingham’s trendily named The Garage — yup, he plays “garage”, too! — as well as Wed at Leicester’s Fan club and this Thursday (5) at Derby’s Glint club in the Blue Note . . . Colin Curtis guests at Manchester Cloud Nine’s modern soul night this Friday (6), and Chris Hill souls Bristol Sanborn’s Sunday (8) . . . Peterborough’s Hereward Radio rather unexpectedly was the clearest station on MW when I spent a sybaritic night near Bala in North Wales at the Pale Hall hotel! . . . Timmy Regisford, following his Colonel Abrams remix, has “done a Sergio Munzibai” and become MCA Records’ New York A&R man . . . Steven Winwood’s next single will be a duet with Chaka Khan . . . Hit Numbers will return next issue, following Bank Holiday disruptions, with a bumper edition three weeks worth of beats per minute for all you pop pickers . . . Disco chart-returning DJs, if you aren’t mailing us your chart on Monday (to arrive by Wednesday), please do so if at all possible — we are of course grateful whenever it’s received, but somehow always just the same few DJs manage to send theirs late, making much more work . . . RELEASE THE TENSION!

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HOT VINYL

SKYY: ‘From The Left Side’ LP (US Capitol ST-12448)
Still sounding something like Michael Jackson backed by Brass Construction, the Randy Muller and Solomon Roberts Jr-produced group give out from the left side, the heart, their usual good grooves on the (0-)117bpm ‘Non-Stop’, 115½bpm ‘Love Attack‘, 114½bpm ‘Jealousitis‘, 101½bpm ‘Love Illogical‘, 113¾-0bpm ‘Big Fun‘, 112½bpm ‘Rock It‘, and of course 113bpm ‘Givin’ It (To You)‘, slowing down soulfully for the 0-51½/25¾bpm ‘Song Song’, 38bpm ‘Tell Her You Care’. If they did they’d come here and tour as planned.

ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS: ‘Don’t Let Love Get You Down’ (Portrait TA 7254)
In the vanguard of London’s current Northern Soul-like Seventies “rare soul” revival since first boosted last year, this much sought gently yet grittily weaving singalong 92¼-94¼bpm sleazy swayer is finally out on 12 inch for all to buy, flipped by the much more dated though possibly Tavares-compatible 127½-126½-125½-126½-125-127bpm ‘Soul City Walk‘ and (0-)117-119-117-116½-116bpm ‘Where Will You Go When The Party’s Over?‘.

PIECES OF A DREAM: ‘Say La La’ (US Manhattan V-56022)
Designed for partying under starry skies all night long (all night), the young jazzers’ languid 99bpm vocal jogger combines gently go go-ish beats, a summery lilt, simple “la la la” chorus and distinctive solos (in three mixes) Hot hot hot! Continue reading “June 7, 1986: Skyy, Archie Bell & The Drells, Pieces Of A Dream, Jimmy McGriff, Colors”