ODDS ‘N’ BODS
UK FRESH ’86, for which Hashim has cut a theme tune on Streetwave, actually lacks the leading US rap acts, Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Whodini – who, with the Beastie Boys, will be at Hammersmith Odeon on September 12/13, and in Nottingham and Manchester as well! … New York this week at the New Music Seminar was due to see various parties, Profile’s on Tuesday starring Run-DMC, who’ve now sold 1,350,000 LPs in just eight weeks (‘Walk This Way’ is their follow-up single with a great video featuring its originators Aerosmith), while the same night Jellybean was presenting such of his acts as Jocelyn Brown at Anthony And The Camp at Area, and Luther Vandross and Ashford & Simpson were hosting a benefit night at the Felt Forum … Wednesday was due to be “garage” night at Better Days with Bruce Forest and guest DJ Frankie Knuckles presenting Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk, Chip E, Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, Farmboy, Fingers Inc – I hope I was there! … Damon Rochefort, making his first trip Stateside to report for rm, got his passport only the evening before he was due to fly out, and then had to queue at dawn for a visa the day he went! … Ian Dewhirst is quitting EMI to run Serious Records’ singles label, and Orin Cozier has already departed from RCA … Froggy and mixing partner Simon Harris have teamed up with Streetwave to launch their own label, now called Music Of Life – and it is this label that has signed LaToya Jackson, and will debut next month with a remixed Cerrone ‘Supernature’ … Disco Mix Club’s new album of ‘International’ mixes (the monthly DJs-only subscription service provides 3 LPs now; details on 06386-67276) is pulling in such Continental star remixers as Ben Liebrand and Rutger ‘Rutti’ Kroese … Tony Prince in addition is launching an actual commercial label, DMC Records through Arista, committed as an outlet for disco DJs to become producers – the first release will be a total remix by Sanny X of Tina Charles’ old ‘I Love To Love’ (just what the world needed, right?), each release being on standard 12 inch plus a multi-track “remix pack” 12 inch with all the bits that jocks need to create their own versions … Timex Social Club topped US 12 inch Sales, Peter Gabriel Club Play, El DeBarge Black 45s in Billboard … Pillar Promotions are compiling an exhaustive listing of all the country’s top clubs and DJs, to be called DJU and sold to pluggers and suchlike for £200, so they want to hear from anyone who thinks they should be included: call Philip Williams on 01-735 8171 … Steve Walsh stoutly insists that although his Rolls Royce is indeed second hand, it’s a late Seventies, one-owner-only model, a snip at £15,500 … Sinitta ‘So Macho’, still selling strongly up North, is turning into a holiday hit in Spain, so may yet smash nationally … SORRY, WRONG BEAT!
HOT VINYL
JEFFREY OSBORNE ‘Soweto’ (A&M AMY 334)
Really rushed out here hard on the heels of the 115½bpm topical protest song cheekily pinches a riff from Miami Sound Machine’s ‘Dr Beat’, especially on the dub version, and here is coupled also with Larry Levan’s 0-112bpm “special US remix” of the seminal ‘Plane Love’. The best thing on his album, now even better, and destined to be huge.
PHIL FEARON ‘I Can Prove It’ (Ensign 604, via Chrysalis)
I suggested following the Real Thing revival that Tony Etoria’s 1977 hit could be worth digging up, and here comes Phil, sticking almost too close to the (108bpm) original for comfort, in a breezily swinging bubbly 110bpm remake which adds some scat and breaks but otherwise even copies the Welshman’s distinctive enunciation (inst flip), with of course a more spacious modern recording quality. Tony peaked nationally at 21, can this top it?
TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB ‘Rumors’ (US Jay Records JAY 001)
Imagine a male Nu Shooz doing ‘Louie Louie’ with the punks (in the original Sixties garage band meaning) chanting wicked, sometimes scabrous, lyrics to a mind numbing 107½bpm hypnotic beat – ‘Vicious Rumors’ is the longer B-side version – and you’ve got the hottest 12 inch seller in the States right now!
JEFFREE ‘Love’s Gonna Last’ (LP ‘Jeffree’ US MCA Records MCA-3072)
Recently discovered cut-out supplies of this soulful chap’s 1979 album have been selling faster than current releases because at last it makes widely available his very Marvin Gaye-ish, anxious pent-up 87½-88bpm jogger, yet another revived old rarity largely ignored the last time around (the original of Steve Myers’ recent remake).
LIONEL RICHIE ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ (Motown LIO T1)
Sounding indistinguishable from Huey Lewis & The News, Lionel now goes totally pop for an Eric Clapton-accompanied (0-)133¼bpm jolly rock jumper – which’ll obviously be massive, but not in soul circles! At least his classic mellow soulful 101⅓bpm ‘Love Will Find A Way’ has finally made it onto a 12 inch, as flip.
FIVE STAR ‘Find The Time’ (Tent PT 40800)
Another that’s pure pop with rock guitar, although still rooted in their usual sound, this lightweight 0-115¾bpm plaintive strutter has a harder dub (and edit) plus in customary style an instrumental, the moodily skittering 112⅓bpm ‘Sky’.
BETTY WRIGHT ‘Share My Love’ (LP ‘Sevens’ US First String Records F-9644)
Not an immediate grabber maybe, this sneakily swirling 101⅓bpm subdued tugger reveals traces of the Fatback ‘I Found Lovin’’ beat and is being tipped as another Meli’sa Morgan-type “sleeper”. Also getting deserved attention on what’s basically a listening soul set is her US single, the attractive classy 81½bpm ‘The Sun Don’t Shine’.
JEAN CARNE ‘Closer Than Close’ (Omni 12OMN 3, via Pinnacle)
Produced and tootled on by Grover Washington Jr, the vocally teasing soulstress’s classy 58½bpm smoocher finds her in fine gurgling and wailing form, lovely stuff (trickier 0-36⅓bpm ‘Lucky Charm’ flip).
SUBJECT ‘Celebrate – pt. I’ (US Pow Wow PW 412)
Possibly the very first of the Colonel Abrams copyists return, co-prod/penned by Paul ‘Simphonia’ Simpson, with a coolly bounding 113½bpm garage mixture of Abrams-ish vocal and ‘Set It Off’ cymbal beat (inst pt. II). Pshta pshta pshta!
SKIBONE featuring Tommy Ski ‘Take It To The Top’ (US TTED Records Inc TDE-3018)
More go go from Maxx Kidd’s Washington DC stable, this meandering and spurting, rattling and chanting, easy paced percussive groove with tasty solos actually holds a steady 100bpm, in three versions.
E.T. ‘Candy’ (Total Experience DJT 1)
Friskily flying 123½bpm mutterer in the Prince style, the same tempo as ‘Erotic City’ or Sheila E’s ‘The Glamorous Life’, due now although received so far only on uninformative promo – there seem to be two main mixes though, at least.
DAZZ BAND ‘Wild And Free’ (Geffen Records GEF6T, via WEA)
The guys’ label debut here is routine loosely whipping (0-)117½(-104⅔)bpm breezy funk with its so-called instrumental plus the vocally weaving 110⅓bpm ‘Last Chance For Love’, whereas, only on seven inch so far, their even better US single is the jauntily chatting bright 117¾bpm ‘L.O.V.E. M.I.A.’ (US Geffen Records 7-26835) – that’s “Missing In Action” – which wittily quotes from their past hits, with the languid 110¼bpm ‘A Place In My Heart’ as flip.
JUNIOR ‘Oh Louise’ (London LONX 75)
Reissued at a more appropriate time of year weatherwise, this delicate tentatively (and trickily!) started 91½bpm US remixed beauty has built an army of fans since it first flopped last winter and should hopefully now emulate its US success here, flipped (inst too) by the guitar jittered instrumental 120¼bpm ‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’.
LUTHER VANDROSS ‘Give Me The Reason’ (Epic TA 7288)
As warned, the newly slimline Luther’s movie song at 138½/69¼bpm is far from an ideal dance tempo, and in fact his 12 inch has been selling for the included classic old 0-115¼-113½-113¾bpm ‘You’re The Sweetest One’ and 109bpm ‘Never Too Much’. Somehow, the previously advised ‘You’re So Good To Me’ failed to be included.
DOUG E. FRESH AND THE GET FRESH CREW ‘All The Way To Heaven’ (US Reality D-264)
Doing nothing we didn’t hear on ‘The Show’ – and rather less, if anything, although jollied along now by some good brass – this 0-95½-0bpm Full Force-ish go go hip hop judderer seemed dull until radio suddenly revealed it’s actually quite catchy, in three versions plus the human beat boxed ‘Nuthin’‘ – so expect delayed reaction!
TAMBI ‘You Don’t Know’ (US Electric Ice EI 104)
Serious Intention’s garage classic stripped and slowed down into a murkily tugging 0-107⅓bpm strung out treatment with loosely wailing girl and tumbling bass (in three mixes), which doubtless some jocks will find useful!
C-BANK ‘Nightmare Of A Broken Heart’ (US Next Plateau NP50045)
I’m not sure if Jenny Burton is still the girl, but whoever she is her partner for this is Larry Woo, who over acoustic piano starts a soulful talking (possibly tricky) intro before the wriggly 119bpm garage rhythm kicks in – possibly in too genuinely a New York “diva” style UK soul tastes, although it’s an impressive production (in three Bruce Forest mixes, intro-less on flip).
GUINN ‘People Will Be People’ (Motown GUINN T2)
The family group plaintively wail through a fidgety jittery (0-)113bpm swayer which sounds pleasant more than memorable, flipped by their album’s attractively rolling 84⅔bpm ‘Dreamin’‘ (plus its instrumental) for added value.
REGINA ‘Baby Love’ (Funkin’ Marvellous 12MARV 01, via PRT)
Produced by Stephen Bray between sessions for Madonna’s new album, her mate (and soundalike) is doing well Stateside now that her 114bpm near-hit of last winter (when it clashed with Alisha and Jellybean) has been released in a marathon 33⅓rpm Double-Dutch Megamix by Harry Janssen, flipped at 45rpm by the original mix and David Sanborn-saxed picture disc mix.
NU SHOOZ ‘Point Of No Return’ (Atlantic A9392T)
Nowhere near so catchy as their hit, this Shep Pettibone remixed boring 0-109bpm techno-pop jitterer is piercingly at a Madonna-ish pitch whenever (not often) it’s vocal, in three versions.
ROCKWELL ‘Carmé’ (Motown ZT 40778)
Berry Gordy’s boy rattles along at a zingy 118¼-118-0bpm Prince-ish lick on a fairly vacuous fast funker, flipped (inst too) by his Michael Jackson-aided old ‘Thriller’-esque 0-124¼bpm ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’.
L.A. DREAM TEAM ‘Nursery Rhymes’ (US MCA Records MCA-23639)
Taking ‘Peter Piper’ to an even further extreme, this ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’ spiked 0-112½-0bpm jaunty rapper updates various nursery rhymes and their characters into a contemporary urban context (in three mixes), effectively and funnily. Judge Dread could have done this.
GLENN JONES ‘Giving Myself To You’ (US RCA Victor PW-14396)
In competition with his UK release (not that that’s been much in evidence), this sedately tempoed nice 70bpm romantic soul slowie from the Freddie Jackson mould comes in spartan East Coast and lusher West Coast versions, plus an instrumental, with the juddery 116bpm ‘Set The Night On Fire’ remix.
HIGH LIFE ‘Switch Hitter’ (US Thom/Tay T/T 1028)
Thomas & Taylor again use their own label primarily as an export-aimed (ie. import here) promotional vehicle for their Patrick Adams co-produced girlie group’s chunky burbling 107¾bpm backbeat strutter, but it’s far from as haunting as their own hit.
THE FRESHMEN ‘Who Me?’ (US Select Records FMS 62270)
Man Parrish-produced rappers (presumably not Four of them?) in ‘Just Buggin’’ mood, though more sedate than Whistle, on a 97½bpm jiggly plodder with a digitally repeated title line (in three mixes).
NITZER EBB ‘Let Your Body Learn’ (Power Of Voice Communications NEB 3, via The Cartel)
Phil Harding-produced aggressive fast 0-130bpm punk-funk shouter possibly useful as it happens to have the Dinosaur L/Set It Off beat.
DISCO TOP 100 – July 19, 1986
01 01 HEADLINES, Midnight Star, MCA Records 12in
02 04 SET FIRE TO ME/INFERNO DUB, Willie Colon, A&M 12in
03 10 AIN’T NOTHIN’ GOIN’ ON BUT THE RENT (LARRY LEVAN MIXES), Gwen Guthrie, Boiling Point 12in
04 03 BANG ZOOM (LET’S GO-GO), The Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie Tee, Cooltempo 12in
05 05 I CAN’T WAIT (DUTCH MIX), Nu Shooz, Atlantic 12in
06 04 JUMP BACK (SET ME FREE), Dhar Braxton, Fourth & Broadway 12in
07 07 DON’T LET LOVE GET YOU DOWN, Archie Bell & The Drells, Portrait 12in
08 06 WHERE YOU GONNA BE TONIGHT?, Willie Collins, Capitol 12in
09 09 GIVIN’ IT (TO YOU), Skyy, Capitol 12in
10 08 EXPANSIONS ’86/FEARON BROS REMIX, Chris Paul, Fourth & Broadway 12in
11 12 TELL ME TOMORROW (WEEKEND MIX CLUB VERSION), Princess, Supreme Records 12in
12 18 DUB CAN’T TURN AROUND/LOVE CAN’T TURN AROUND, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk & Jessie Saunders, US House Records 12in
13 14 ONE FOR THE MONEY, Sleeque, Malaco Dance 12in
14 21 MY ADIDAS/PETER PIPER, Run-DMC, London 12in
15 13 LIKE I LIKE IT (REMIX), Aurra, 10 Records 12in
16 11 MINE ALL MINE/PARTY FREAK, Cashflow, Club 12in
17 15 I FOUND LOVIN’, Fatback, Important Records 12in
18 17 BURNIN’ LOVE, Con Funk Shun, Club 12in
19 16 AMITYVILLE (THE HOUSE ON THE HILL), Lovebug Starski, Epic 12in
20 22 SAY LA LA/NEW YORK STREET MIX, Pieces Of A Dream, US Manhattan 12in
21 20 NASTY (REMIX), Janet Jackson, A&M 12in
22 25 GO BANG! #5, Dinosaur L, CityBeat 12in
23 19 I CAN’T WAIT (TO ROCK THE MIKE), Spyder-D (featuring DJ Doc), Champion 12in
24 36 I WOULDN’T LIE (REMIX), Yarbrough & Peoples, Total Experience 12in
25 28 GO-GO SWING, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, US Future 12in
26 38 MA FOOM BEY, Cultural Vibe, US Easy Street 12in
27 76 SOWETO (ARTHUR BAKER MIX)/DUB VERSION, Jeffrey Osborne, US A&M 12in
28 31 PEE-WEE’S DANCE, Joeski Love, Cooltempo 12in
29 34 GONNA MAKE YOU MINE (WESTSIDE MIX)/STAY A LITTLE WHILE, CHILD (ALBUM MIX), Loose Ends, Virgin 12in
30 29 BORROWED LOVE (REMIX), The SOS Band, Tabu 12in
31 26 HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE/I’LL TAKE YOU ON, Hanson & Davis, US Fresh Records 12in
32 23 SET ME FREE, Jaki Graham, EMI 12in
33 37 DO YOU GET ENOUGH LOVE?/LAST NIGHT I NEEDED SOMEBODY/SHE KNEW ABOUT ME, Shirley Jones, US Philadelphia International LP
34 35 WHEN I THINK OF YOU, Janet Jackson, A&M LP
35 48 JUMMP-BACK, Wally Jump Junior & The Criminal Element, US Criminal Records 12in
36 42 JACK YOUR BODY/DUB YOUR BODY, Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, US Underground 12in
37 56 STOP ME FROM STARTING THIS FEELING, Lou Rawls, Epic 12in
38 43 MIDAS TOUCH/CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT, Midnight Star, MCA Records LP
39 27 DIAL MY NUMBER, Pauli Carman, CBS 12in
40 40 SAVE SOME TIME FOR ME/JOY RIDE/I CAN GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT, Pieces Of A Dream, US Manhattan LP
41 32 WE WORK HARD, U.T.F.O., US Select Records 12in
42 50 HARDCORE JAZZ (J.B. TRAXX)/(PIANO TRAXX), Duane And Co, US Dance Mania Records 12in
43 24 ALL AND ALL (MANTRONIK MEGA MIX), Joyce Sims, London 12in
44 57 YOU AND ME, Simphonia, US Cotillion 12in
45 45 BYE-BYE, Janice, US 4th + B’way 12in
46 30 TURNED ON TO YOU, Nova Casper, Bluebird/10 12in
47 46 CAN’T GET BY WITHOUT YOU (REMIX), Real Thing, PRT 12in
48 53 FOOL’S PARADISE, Meli’sa Morgan, Capitol LP/US 7in remix
49 58 FOOLIN’ YOURSELF, Paul Hardcastle, Chrysalis 12in
50 44 SEX MACHINE, Fat Boys, WEA 12in
51 66 DO ME RIGHT, The Main Ingredient, Cooltempo 12in
52 69 SWEET AND SEXY THING, Rick James, Motown 12in promo
53 52 STEP BY STEP, T.C. Curtis, Hot Melt 12in
54 60 MAIN THING/MAIN DUB, Shot featuring Kim Marsh, US Easy Street 12in/Affair Records promo
55 — LOVE’S GONNA LAST (87½-88bpm), Jeffree, US MCA Records LP
56 75 NEVER HAD A LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE/TAKE YOUR TIME, Barbara Mitchell, Dutch Mercury LP
57 47 STAY A LITTLE WHILE CHILD/GONNA MAKE YOU MINE, Loose Ends, Virgin 12in
58 67 (SOLUTION TO) THE PROBLEM/THE DEFINITIVE DANCE MIX, Masquerade, Streetwave 12in
59 64 NO WAY BACK/INSTRUMENTAL, Adonis, US Trax 12in
60 54 YOU’RE THE SWEETEST ONE/NEVER TOO MUCH/GIVE ME THE REASON, Luther Vandross, Epic 12in
61 — NEW YORK AFTERNOON (103½bpm), Mondo Cane/Georgie Fame, Lisson Records 12in promo
62 63 GOOD TO GO, Trouble Funk, US Island/TTED 12in
63 49 PASSION (FROGGY & SIMON HARRIS REMIX), William Bell, Tout Ensemble 12in
64 89 SUCH A FEELING, Young & Co, US The Sound of London 12in
65 — PEOPLE WILL BE PEOPLE (0-113bpm), Guinn, Motown 12in
66 55 IS IT LIVE/HIT IT RUN, Run-DMC, US Profile LP
67 33 YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE (M&M REMIX), Candi Staton, Warner Bros 12in
68 78 100% PURE PAIN, O’chi Brown, Magnet 12in promo
69 90 MAKE ME THE ONE (LES ADAMS REMIX), Crown Heights Affair, CityBeat 12in
70 — ONCE YOU GOT ME GOING (117½bpm), Debby Blackwell, 10 Records 12in white label
71 39 DESTINY, D.S.M., Elite 12in
72 97 I CAN PROVE IT, Phil Fearon, Ensign 12in
73 51 SWEET LOVE, Anita Baker, Elektra 12in
74 73 ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE, The TTED All Stars, US TTED Records Inc 12in
75 100= POINT OF NO RETURN (SHEP PETTIBONE SPECIAL MIX), Nu Shooz, Atlantic 12in promo
76 62 MOUNTAINS (REMIX), Prince And The Revolution, Warner Bros 12in
77 82 CAN’T LET LOVE PASS US BY (115½)/SPENDING MONEY(95⅔bpm), Cashflow, Club 12in white label
78 98 SECRETS, Linda Tillery, US 411 Records LP
79 41 HERE I GO AGAIN, Force MD’s, Tommy Boy/Island 12in
80 59 BURNIN’ UP/PIANO DUB, Michael Jonzun, US A&M 12in
81 61 THROUGH THE NIGHT, Blue Moderne, Sure Delight 12in
82 88 WHAT I LIKE, Anthony And The Camp, Warner Bros 12in
83 — TAKE IT TO THE TOP (100bpm), Skibone, US TTED Record Inc 12in
84 80 SHARE MY LOVE (101½)/THE SUN DON’T SHINE (83½bpm), Betty Wright, US First String LP
85 99 THE BEAT IS MINE, Hardrock Soul Movement, Elite 12in
86 re IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER, Zapp, Warner Bros 12in
87 — LOVE OF A LIFETIME, Chaka Khan, Warner Bros 12in
88 86 SQUARE DANCE RAP, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Streetwave 12in
89 72 ERIC B. IS PRESIDENT, Eric B featuring Rakim, US Zakia 12in
90 68 COMPUTER LOVE (REMIXES), Zapp, Warner Bros 12in
91 83 CLOSER THAN CLOSE, Jean Carne, Omni 12in/US LP
92 91 IT’S YOUR ATTITUDE, Cheryl Hunter, US Mercury 12in
93 74 YOUR LOVE, Innerlife, US Personal Records 12in
94 92 CARMÉ, Rockwell, Motown 12in promo
95 71 PAY ME BACK MY LOVE, Colors, US Prelude 12in
96 re HELP IS ON THE WAY, Whatnaughts, US Harlem International 12in
97 — CELEBRATE PT. II (113½bpm), Subject, US Pow Wow 12in
98 — RUMORS/VICIOUS RUMORS (107½bpm), Timex Social Club, US Jay 12in
99 re CANDY (123½bpm), ET, Total Experience 12in promo
100 — ROSES (BERT BEVANS REMIX), Haywoode, CBS 12in
EUROBEAT
01 03 HOW MANY HEARTS, Evelyn Thomas, Record Shack 12in promo
02 07 LANDSLIDE, Croisette, Passion 12in white label
03 23 MUSIC THAT YOU CAN DANCE TO, Sparks, US Curb 12in
04 09 TWILIGHT ZONE, Venus, Passion 12in white label
05 15 TIME AFTER TIME, Paul Parker, Fantasia 12in
06 11 AMERICAN LOVE, Rose Laurens, German WEA 12in
07 — RUN TO ME, Tracy Spencer, Italian CBS 12in
08 24 TOMORROW DOESN’T MATTER TONIGHT, Bianca Fernandez, Make Them Dance! 12in
09 18 SATELLITES (REMIX), Ellie Warren, Columbia 12in promo
10 20 SECRETS, Albert One, Italian Time 12in
11 22 FIRE IN MY HEART, Astaire, Passion 12in white label
12 12 BOXER, Paul Sharada, Italian Il Discotto 12in
13 04 CAN’T LIVE, Suzy Q, Belgian ARS 12in
14 — WEEKEND SPECIAL (IAN LEVINE REMIX), Brenda And The Big Dudes, Capitol 12in promo
15 19 AGAIN (REMIX), Do Piano, Record Shack 12in promo
16 01 MALE STRIPPER, Man 2 Man meet Man Parrish, Bolts Records 12in promo
17 re DOWN DOWN ROMEO/ACTIVATE MY HEART, Meccano, German Ariola 12in
18 02 REFLEX ACTION, Louise Thomas, R&B 12in
19 26 THIRD TIME LUCKY, Pearly Gates, Funkin’ Marvellous 12in promo
20 16 I’M YOUR LOVE, Joe Yellow, Italian Power 12in
21 06 NEW BEGINNING (IAN LEVINE REMIX), Bucks Fizz, Polydor 12in
22 05 VENUS (IAN LEVINE REMIX), Bananarama, London 12in
23 re (IT AIN’T NOTHING LIKE) THE REAL THING, Tom Robinson, Castaway Records 12in
Positions 24 to 30 were not printed in this week’s edition, but most of them can be derived from the previous week’s positions in the next edition.
24 10 CITY NIGHTS MANHATTAN CAFES, Cory Daye, US Blue Chip 12in
25 unknown
26 29 I LOVE MUSIC, Terry M, MCA Records 12in
27 — MR. FANTASY, Lee Marrow, Italian Disco Magic 12in
28 08 IN THE HEAT OF A PASSIONATE MOMENT, Princess, Supreme Records LP
29 27 LOVE PAINS, Lorenza Johnson, Make Them Dance! 12in
30 unknown
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