Month: September 1989

BEATS & PIECES

MOTOWN RECORDS have teamed up with Harlem’s legendary black talent showcase the Apollo to launch a new Apollo Theatre Records label . . . Gilles Peterson, the Anglo/Swiss presenter of the late lamented BBC Radio London jazz show, as previously mentioned now has a day job at Phonogram, in fact setting up a new Talkin’ Loud label for jazzily inclined projects in parallel with a separately headed soul/dance label yet to be announced . . . Dancin’ Danny D has signed his Slam Jam Productions to WEA/Warner Bros Records and is now actively seeking new acts for his Slam Jam label at Unit 32, Ransomes Dock, 35/37 Parkgate Road, London SW11 4NP (01-228 4000) . . . Toronto based Bigshot Records have opened a London office headed by Don Gallacher at Media Business Associates, 9 Carnaby Street (01-437 2747), to field all the enquiries for their hot product . . . Les Adams and LA Mix are now managed by Jimmy ‘Shamus’ O’Reilly at nearby Wardour Street’s Pure Music (01-287 2072) . . . BBC2 last Wednesday morning surprisingly showed an excellent ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’ educational documentary about job prospects in the world of hip hop (I think that was its intention, or maybe it was originally on Def II?), with interesting contributions from Jazzie B, Monie Love, Cutmaster Swift, Doctor K and many more . . . Simon Harris’ latest purpose built album of basic ‘Beats, Breaks & Scratches Vol 4‘ (Music Of Life MOMIX 4) has had all its BPMs calculated by yours truly, and if there is any discrepancy between running speed of the original acetate and the finished pressing it is so infinitesimal that for once you can be assured of accuracy! . . . Birmingham’s old Powerhouse reopens this Thursday (28), with a VIP party the night before, as the totally refurbished £2,500,000 triple venue Ritzy, with resident DJ Kenny Jaymes . . . Foster McElroy’s album, reviewed last week, is called ‘FM²’ — which, word processor incompatibility permitting, should have a small 2 after the FM as in ‘FM squared’ (the pound sterling symbol doesn’t seem to print either incidentally, amongst other things!) . . . Paul McCartney ‘Ou Est Le Soleil?’ appears to be out here too now (Parlophone 12 SOL 1), the same BPM as in last week’s import review . . . Wrecks ‘N’ Effect’s import album is also out here (Motown ZL72679) . . . October 2 is building up as a heavyweight release date for dance product, most of the currently promoed pre-release club hits being due commercially then (surely not following Eddie Gordon’s previously revealed strategy, the start of the month being when punters have money to burn?!) . . . Electribe 101 ‘Tell Me When The Fever Ended’ turns out to be on Mercury (hard to tell from an info lacking white — or rather, pink — label), and out on October 9 just to be different, along with other releases from Phonogram . . . I do wish Rhythm King could make up their minds once and for all about the different mixes of S’Xpress’ ‘Mantra For A State Of Mind’: now the previously promoed and mentioned 120.2bpm Club Vocal/Groove Mantra/Mantra System versions have indeed been released commercially too (LEFT R35T), but as ‘The Club Mixes’ rather than the Levitation Mix (which always was a separate different version, white labelled to some people even before the others), while yet another brand new Baby Ford remix should be out next week — a pity the actual tune isn’t really good enough to warrant all this! . . . DJ Kid Smurf usefully points out that the bassline from Faze-0 ‘Hi’ backs the Fresh 4’s ‘Wishing On A Star’ . . . Sydney Youngblood’s ‘If Only I Could’ seems to use much the same rhythm as Raze ‘Break 4 Love’ (does Mel ‘Litigation’ Medalie realise this yet?), while it is of course the Richie Havens version of the ‘Going Back To My Roots’ rhythm that Judge Jules uses for his Georgette Della Rosa ‘D’ Ya Wanna’ remixes . . . Jon Williams and Judge Jules mix up Italo house for Rusty Egan’s Saturday nights at Mayfair’s Wall Street . . . Jon Jules, Jerry Green plus other DJs and road crew were arrested before they had even started what the tabloid press would doubtless call an ‘acid house’ gig near Southampton two weekends ago (it was actually being promoted by a solicitor!), were locked up but not charged, and when brought before the beak were merely bound over to keep the peace for a year — for doing what? . . . Joyce Sims guests at the Unique 3’s fast becoming legendary the Sound Yard this Sunday (October 1) in Bradford’s Club Rio . . . Da Posse featuring Martell ‘Searchin’ Hard‘ (US Dance Mania), first hot in June, is now suddenly hotter than ever . . . David Peaston proves to be the younger brother of ‘Rescue Me’ immortalising mid-Sixties soul veteran Fontella Bass . . . Kevin Saunderson’s modern remix of the classic Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King ‘Shame’ is now scheduled for RCA release here . . . Jay ‘Mixbuster’ Davis has created a megamix of every track for inclusion in a Salsoul compilation box set coming soon on Indigo Music’s label Garage Trax . . . Frankie Knuckles Presents ‘Your Love’ is included in the currently released UK album compilation ‘Chicago Trax LP Vol 1′ (Trax Records TRAXLP 701, via Radical Records) . . . Jeff Lorber has been in London producing an album by, believe it or not, Brother Beyond (but on his own next set returns more to jazz) . . . I may have been mischievously misinformed about some of DMC’s current affairs, and, if so, naturally apologise should I have overstated the situation (after all they’ve achieved for the DJ world, and the fun we’ve had together, I certainly don’t wish ’em ill) . . . Marlborough for a cream tea was unfortunately the extent of my foray into last week’s brilliant weather — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

SUENO LATINO featuring Carolina Damas ‘Sueno Latino (The Latin Dream Mix)’ (BCM Records BCM 323 X, via Pinnacle)
Differently subtitled but the same as the import’s Paradise Version, this haunting here (0-)117.4-0bpm massive Italian groove patters, pants, sighs and sexily mutters through bursts of some sort of bird noise that becomes its most nagging hook out on the dancefloor (beat losingly introed then more acidic instrumental 117.2bpm Cutmaster-G Mix, and A Cappella).

UNIQUE 3 ‘The Theme (Unique Mix)’ (10 Records TENX285)
Minus the Mad Musician now and co-produced instead by FON Force’s Rob Gordon, this Sheffield re-recording of last year’s hard to find enduringly huge northern “sleeper” by the DJ team from Sundays at The Sound Yard in Bradford’s Club Rio is a crowd effects and rap started then tinny synth piped jittery twittery throbbing unhurried 0-120.6-0bpm deep house instrumental (with a further brief burst of rap), flipped though by the arguably still better more haunting bass synth underpinned fully instrumental (0-)122.8-122.6-122.4-122-122.4-122.6bpm Original Chill Mix, the version whose few pressings on Chill Records first caused all the fuss (new quietly ticking 120-0bpm ‘7 A.M.‘ too), not due fully until October 9.

ADEVA ‘I Thank You (The Philadelphia Mix)’ (Cooltempo COOLX 192)
The outstanding track from her album remixed by Paul Simpson, a gradually building then rompingly whomping emphatically wailed brisk (0-)121.4bpm stomping and swinging strider, not due fully until October 9 but flipped on promo at any rate by Paul’s even better and breezier gloriously loose limbed soulfully sung and tinklingly vibed 119.6bpm Philly Dub Mix, for my money the side to check. Continue reading “September 30, 1989: Sueno Latino, Unique 3, Adeva, De La Soul, Janet Jackson”

BEATS & PIECES

[In two weeks’ time, James will lead his column with an unreserved apology for his inaccurate claim that DMC were over extended at the bank.]

TROUBLE AT T’MILL? — DMC Ltd, over extended at the bank due to their expansion into magazine publishing and record retailing, have just lost the services of not only star remixer/producer Les Adams but also the Disco Mix Club’s founding mixer Alan Coulthard and ex-world champion mixing DJ Chad Jackson, severing their management links with the company’s Tony and Christine Prince due to stated dissatisfaction, and prompting the remaining in-house mixers/producers to hold out for more money . . . Alan Coulthard, currently a hot property in Europe where his megamixes of such as Boney M and the Village People have been huge hits in France (suddenly megamix crazy as a result!) and other countries, is now representing his own interests (he is a qualified barrister too) on 0628-603452. Chad Jackson, currently working with Trevor Horn and Bruce Forest on a radically house/hip hop/orchestral project for release on ZTT, is contactable on 0860-461567 — he and Alan will be working out of Les’s studio . . . David Grant’s current ‘Life’ was produced by Mike Stevens at his own 8-track home studio in Newport Pagnell, not far down the road from his above mentioned LA Mix partner’s more sophisticated though also bedroom housed studio! . . . Inner City’s next single, not from their album, will apparently mark a change of musical direction . . . Kelli Saé sings ‘It’s Too Late’, last week’s review missing out the accented ‘é’ due to incompatibility between word processing systems (which an rm financed and hopefully soon to be installed £7,000 adaptation to my own computer will rectify for good!), in the same way that The Latin Rage’s title is ‘Esti Locà’ with an accented first ‘à’ . . . Mayday’s already reviewed remix of De-Lite featuring Osca Child ‘Wild Times’ is not due commercially until October 2 — chart returning DJs, as always whenever several mixes are available, please be sure to specify which particular mix(es) you are playing . . . The Club Chart last week, as a result of an increased number of DJs’ returns, had so many records struggling to get into it that there were at least 15 breakers bubbling under with enough chart points to have hit the top 100 only a week before (when it seemed hard enough pressed as it was!), namely Cappella ‘House Energy Revenge’ (Music Man), Prince ‘Partyman’ (Warner Bros), Bäs Noir ‘I’m Glad You Came To Me (Remix)’ (10 Records), Jesus Loves You ‘After The Love’ (More Protein), Paul McCartney ‘Ou Est Le Soleil?’ (US Capitol), Betty Wright ‘Keep Lovin’ New’ (Sure Delight), Jo Ann Jones ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ (Champion), Adonte ‘Dreams’ (GTi Records), Richie Havens ‘Going Back To My Roots’ (US Week-Off), Gary Jackmaster Wallace & Jammin’ J ‘Party Time’ (US House N Effect), Johnson Dean featuring Lynda Law ‘Somebody Somewhere (Remix)’ (W.A.U./Mr Modo Recordings), YZ.G-Rock ‘Thinking Of A Master Plan’/’In Control Of Things’/’I’m In The Party’ (US Tuff City), CeCe Rogers ‘I Wanna Be’ (US Atlantic LP), Snowboy ‘Snowboy’s House Of Latin’ (Urban), Dizzi Heights ‘Gangster Boogie’ (Viceroy) . . . Prince ‘Partyman’ on commercial pressings is flipped by the previously unreleased good P’funkily smacking lascivious 111.6bpm ‘Feel U Up (Long Stroke)‘ . . . LA Mix (featuring Kevin Henry) ‘Love Together’ on its commercial pressings is in just the British Lovers 12 inch, American Lovers 12 inch, and Banji Lovers Dub mixes, all 120bpm still . . . Redhead Kingpin & The FBI’s next single here, following negative feedback to the idea of the originally announced US choice of ‘Pump It Hottie‘, will now be ‘Superbad, Superslick‘ . . . The JB All Stars with the Funk Ambassadors (ie: The JB’s) are funkin’ Blackpool’s Winter Gardens Pavilion Theatre this Saturday (23) and kick off the relaunched weekly Edinburgh Soul Club at that city’s Calton Studios on Sunday (24) . . . Cardiff’s hip hop and soul posses apparently hang out and buy their vinyl at Spillers Records in The Hayes . . . Jersey was incredibly hot, humid and hazy although thankfully ended up with more sun burning through than anywhere else in England while my mother and I were there last week — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

GEORGETTE DELLA ROSA ‘D’Ya Wanna’ (W.A.U/Mr Modo Recordings MWS 006R)
Unimpressive in its originally released mixes back around last spring, this Barry Upton produced but now Judge Jules remixed sexy girl groaned terrific 115.6-0bpm groove has been newly set to the ‘Going Back To My Roots’ rhythm in its Roots Mix and more smoothly chugging acidic variations in its Organic and Italian chattered (Italian) Roots Mixes, leaving just the twittery thudding 116.2-115.6bpm Do It (Deep) Mix from before.

THE REBEL MC & DOUBLE TROUBLE ‘Street Tuff’ (Desire WANTX 18)
Leigh Guest and chums get into skacid with a vengeance, not in the A-side’s breezily trotting though dull by comparison hip house 118.4bpm Club Mix, but instead really rip up the reggae riffing madly infectious pumping flip’s punningly titled 0-118.4bpm Scar Mix. Riddim!

SERGIO MENDES ‘Mas Que Nada (The Justin Strauss Remixes)’ (Breakout USAT 672)
Using an Ish Ledesma co-produced modern re-recording of the Portuguese girl sung jaunty samba classic as their basis, Justin’s 109.3bpm 12 Vocal, Just Right Mix Dub and Percapella are driven by breezily percolating though rather stolid metronomic percussion, and even drop into the ‘wooh-yeah’ break beat. Continue reading “September 23, 1989: Georgette Della Rosa, The Rebel MC & Double Trouble, Sergio Mendes, Sybil, Foster McElroy”

BEATS & PIECES

ERICK & PARRISH of EPMD (which stands for Erick & Parrish Makin’ Dollars), as a truncated caption last week failed to make clear, did indeed make dollars in appearing at BCM Records’ Summer Dance Festival, only being persuaded to visit Berlin by Sleeping Bag Records advancing them $200,000 of album royalties not in fact due until next April! . . . CDs being such a big part of even the dance market in Germany, BCM Records not surprisingly have circulated there a very limited edition 24 track double CD compilation as a memento of their ‘Summer Dance Festival – The Musical Highlights‘ (BCM 55321), nice to have, even if the included De La Soul, Chubb Rock and Stevie B in the event did not appear . . . Futureshock Promotions (01-533 3840) are organising another exotic weekender in Madrid between Thursday-Sunday, October 5-8, with visits to the city’s most upfront clubs on the other nights but the main focus being early hours ‘happenings’ on the Friday night/Saturday morning hosted by DJs Judge Jules and Graeme Park, at Archy and Kitsch . . . Livewire Promotions’ next Prestatyn weekender (see also photo caption) will feature some significant changes in the main Arena, new American vari-lights livening up the dancefloor and the DJ console being separated off to its own stage on one side, thus helping speed up change-overs between the live acts . . . N.W.A. ‘Straight Outta Compton’, the controversial rap album about which I raved at length some six or seven months back, is finally out here on Fourth & Broadway (BRLP 534) . . . Les Adams has belatedly just realised that the Clivilles & Cole created 28th St Crew ‘I Need A Rhythm‘ quite blatantly uses his own US hit remake of Maurice ‘This Is Acid‘ as its basis (both are on the same label, so there’s no great legal problem!) — Les meanwhile, as well as remixing Norman Cook ‘Blame It On The Bassline’ for the US, is also completely remaking (to be credited as a full LA Mix production) the previously unissued Maurice ‘All Because Of You’ in R&B and House versions . . . The Manic MC’s ‘Mental’ turns out to have been heavily inspired by Hipnosis’ ‘Droid‘, an obscure (as in not very good!) German ‘sleeper’ from the new beat era . . . David Peaston and CeCe Rogers performed at a private promotional showcase in London on Monday and doubtless will be visiting a few more venues while they’re here . . . Steve Wiggins now jocks Wed/Thur/Fri/Saturdays at Cardiff’s The Bank, trendily converted from a real bank, in St Mary Street, booking PAs and promotions for the club too (on 0446-735562) . . . Gary Oldis has gone back to his roots in Sunderland, after three years jocking in the south (well, Scarborough!), running Tues/Wed/Thur/Fridays at Chambers Nightclub in High Street West, Wednesday being the upfront music and live guests night (PAs wanted on 0723-378508 — he’s already had the likes of the Unique 3, Richie Rich and Merlin) . . . Andy King (0905-22551) is likewise after PAs to shake their funky thang for his upfront and packed 8-10.30pm Sunday soul, house and video session at Dudley’s Cromwell’s Nightclub . . . Dancefloor Liberation, embodied by DJs Paul Kirk and Kevin Roux (any good in the kitchen?), jock in Leicester at Streetlife on Fridays and The Forum on Saturdays . . . Stevie May spins upfront soul and house Saturdays at St Helens’ newest nightclub, Lowies . . . DJ Peachy has started ‘a fusion of house beats and rhymes’ called Vision every Sunday (free before 11pm) at Bermondsey Old Kent Road’s Dun Cow . . . Billy Popham has quit globe trotting for a while to become resident DJ at Clerkenwell’s Cage, where Jay Strongman runs his Pig night on Saturdays . . . Tony Griffin turns out to be the jock with the indecipherable signature who, normally resident Thurs/Fri/Saturdays at Birmingham’s Bobby Brown’s, does the Monday soul/funk/house session at Cheltenham’s Swifts . . . DJs being pestered by record pluggers to send us charts, please note (as often stated in the past) that we do not have our own printed chart forms, instead — very simply — just send your genuine floor response based top 20 (or more) on your own paper as regularly as possible, posted ideally on Monday to reach us by Wednesday at the latest (the same deadline for Faxed charts on 01-928 5158) to Alan Jones/James Hamilton, rm, Punch Publications Ltd, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UZ (be sure to include your name and address, where you work, and the date, and bear in mind that any info included for publication will not appear in print until at least two weeks later, so give plenty of warning about any upcoming events) . . . ‘I Thank You’ will thankfully be Adeva’s follow-up (it’s her album’s freshest and most distinctive cut), remixed by Paul Simpson . . . Blacksmith’s Brixton Bass Remix of Diana Brown & Barrie K Sharpe’ Blind Faith’ should be due by now . . . Big Life are releasing the 2 In A Room album and unincluded ‘Somebody In The House Say Yeah!‘ single here, while CityBeat’s new label, XL Recordings, likewise have the current Ellis ‘D’ LP . . . 17-years-old Silver Bullet, real name Richard Brown, was originally in the Aylesbury based rap trio Triple Element . . . Soul II Soul’s next single (not out until November so that the rest of the world can catch up with their UK release schedule) now seems likely to be all new and aimed at the Christmas market, with a kiddie chorus — I kid you not! . . . ffrr supremo and Capital Radio dance show presenter, Pete Tong tied the knot with Debbie last Saturday and is currently off honeymooning in — but of course! — Italy . . . Burnham-on-Crouch, Tillingham, and the whole sparsely populated but picturesque Dengie peninsular in Essex is where I caught the sun last week, before taking my mum to Jersey — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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PRESTATYN 6, Livewire Promotions’ soul/dance music weekender in North Wales on November 3/4/5, now will feature not only ADEVA (above) with her full band plus Bobby Brown’s amazing dance troupe on the Friday, but also — at last — the long awaited live concert appearance there on the Saturday of none other than MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly! Quick, booking details on 01-364 1212!

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HOT VINYL

ABC ‘The Real Thing (Album Version)’ (Neutron NTXDJ 115)
Still apparently only on promo, and done an injustice in my review of the previously also promoed instrumental mixes which I not unnaturally assumed would be better than the subsequent vocal version, this Martin Fry groaned catchily cantering typically facile 118.8bpm vocal is in fact as good as white boy’s house gets (except perhaps it could do with more of a song to cross over), not necessarily improved though flipped for added street cred by emptily throbbing 118.4bpm Frankie Knuckles and better more tightly trotting (with some nice vibes) 122.2bpm Bruce Forest Mixes.

JAZZ & THE BROTHERS GRIMM featuring Baby D & MC Juice ‘Casanova (The Raising Hell Remix)’ (Production House Records PNT 008R)
Hotter than ever now that it’s been remixed, the Coffee revival gains a ‘Let’s Start The Dance’ jiggled jaggedly leaping bass’ heavy new 0-124-0-124bpm hip house-ish attack (beat losingly edited during the rhythm slurring lull near the start), flipped by its 124bpm possibly even wilder Swing To The Hip House Mix and suddenly tame seeming acidic Original Mix.

SILVER BULLET ‘Bring Forth The Guillotine (The Ben Chapman Remix)’ (Tam Tam Records TTT 013)
Infectious ragamuffin hip house rap finally exploding in this ‘Tales From The Darkside’/’Twilight Zone’-ishly introed then James Brown brass and other samples prodded lively lurching 120-0bpm superior remix, with a different scrubbingly shuffling (instru-)Mental Mix and the original 119.8-0bpm Darkside Mix. Continue reading “September 16, 1989: ABC, Jazz & The Brothers Grimm, Silver Bullet, MC’s Logik, The Minutemen”

BEATS & PIECES

Raul Orellana (a regular weekly rm reader!) jocks at Studio 54, the biggest disco in Barcelona, and so far has released 14 megamixed medley records as well as his own productions — J Bonell, the distinctive guitarist on the hits for which he is best known here, is actually a jazz musician and Raul is accompanied on stage instead by flamenco playing Carvajal . . . US Capitol’s ‘Black Havana’ album is being promoted by Syncopate here with a UK tour between September 24 and October 10, featuring CharVoni, Keith Thompson, Madagascar and — a chance to see him that you should not miss — the superb Glenn ‘Sweety-G’ Toby . . . Glenn and his brother Randall E. Toby have their own Queens Village, New York, based International Entertainment Network management, production and artist development company, handling (amongst others) choreographers Christopher ‘Shake’ Mathis and Crystal Glass, the former’s video credits reading like a who’s who in modern black music, including Bobby Brown, Heavy D & The Boyz, Guy, Al B. Sure!, Diana Ross, Rob Base, Ten City, Run-DMC, and even Samantha Fox, while the latter has choreographed for the likes of Colonel Abrams, Kechia Jenkins, The Klub, Kelly Rogers and CeCe Rogers . . . Adeva, who is looking forward especially to working with a live band at November’s Prestatyn weekender, had a good time dancing with Cassio Ware, and Daddy Freddie’s manager Othman Mukhlis struck up a touchingly tender relationship with Nocera, at Cha Cha, the Berlin club (reminiscent in size and atmosphere of the old Gullivers in Mayfair) where all the acts ended up partying after the final night of the Summer Dance Festival, to the expertly synchronised mixing of resident English jock Corin O’Shanahan (he uses his mother’s Irish maiden name!) and Big Beat label owner Craig Kallman (who jocks at New York’s The Tunnel) . . . Mark Moore from S’Express looked in just as a spectator at the Summer Dance Festival — he was appearing at a huge hi-fi exhibition also being held in Berlin (which tied up all the hotels in the process, causing our party’s accommodation to be scattered all over the city) . . . Sonia, presumably for a similar reason, was sitting not far behind me on the ‘plane out to Berlin, but my attempt at a paparazzi-style grab shot photo failed when, in waiting for the right moment, I forgot I’d turned my camera off! . . . I actually had great difficulty getting any good action photos of the Summer Dance Festival thanks to some of the security guys guarding the stage front being direct descendants of the storm troopers, one of them even lining up a punch at my face until two more reasonable colleagues grabbed him! . . . Norbo, the bassist with Kraze, is working on both a comic strip and a treatment for a film about the group, with a story along the lines of the brain police trying to stop house music . . . De La Soul’s name and logo were amongst the graffiti covering the Berlin Wall . . . Bobby Womack says his new album is out next month, featuring such guests as Carlos Santana and Rod Stewart — make of that what you will . . . The Mix Master ‘Grand Piano’ will have some of its possibly more incriminating samples, of such as Bobby Brown removed before it’s released here by, inevitably, BCM Records . . . Syreeta rather than Martha Reeves is the actual singer of the bit of ‘I Can’t Dance To That Music You’re Playing’ heard in The Beatmasters’ current hit (something not a lot of people knew) . . . Cool Cut and Outerlimit would also have been at 97= in The Club Chart last week had there been room . . . Donna Allen helps kick off a new soul night this Thursday (7) at Rainham’s Berwick Manor . . . Chris Hill has returned to his legendary Seventies haunt, Canvey Island’s Goldmine, ramming the place by word of mouth (with coaches from Birmingham and the like!) when he jocks there on an irregular basis about once every three weeks . . . I’m hoping to eat lobsters in Jersey this weekend — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

L.A. MIX (featuring Kevin Henry) ‘Love Together’ (Breakout USAT 662)
Ringing the changes (as does everything on their upcoming ‘On The Side’ album), this Kevin Henry sung rapid follow-up to the Jazzi P rapped hip house ‘Get Loose’ is a Philly Soul-style Ten City- ish (but in fact Carl Bean inspired!) incredibly catchy romping singalong soul anthem that seems so comfortably familiar that the second time you hear it you’ll think you’ve known it for ever. Initial promo pressings have had six mixes, the 120bpm British Lovers, 120.2bpm British Lovers Breakdown and 121-120.6-120.4-120bpm Emma’s Love Mix on the Les Adams side, and three emptier more sinewy 120bpm American mixes on the Frankie Knuckles & David Morales side (other remixes will follow, too). Les and Kevin are seen above being interviewed by Antonia Langsdorf for the five times weekly ‘Tanz House’ show on Germany’s Tele 5 cable channel.

FRESH 4 (Children Of The Ghetto) featuring Lizz E. ‘Wishing On A Star’ (10 Records TENX 287)
Hauntingly produced by Smith & Mighty with the sound of the bass and (funky) drum(mer), this Bristol group’s deadpan girl moaned and occasionally guys mumbled 0-92.3-0bpm revival of Rose Royce’s 1978 ballad is right in today’s Soul II Soul-ish groin grinding groove and, despite actually being full of technical faults, is so loaded with atmosphere its sure to be huge (sparser 92.3bpm Housey and instrumental 92.5bpm Smoke Filled Thoughts versions too).

STARDUST ‘Love Will Find A Way (Sweet Embrace Mix)’ (Republic Records LICT 029)
Blaze using another name create a terrific Vince Montana-ish classily pulsing 117.5bpm jazz-funk/garage instrumental, flipped for value by the ‘Paradise Regained’ compilation’s excellent party chatter introed then interestingly afro-jazz plinky plunked skipping 0-120.3bpm ‘Blazin’ in its Album Mix and drier new Extended Dance Mix, both sides refreshingly different in this day and age. Continue reading “September 9, 1989: “The Berliners can’t be blamed if they’re a bit behind””

BEATS & PIECES

Richie Rich’s ‘Salsa House’, promoed as a five tracker, turns out to be available commercially with the Silver On Black Remix coupled by the Orbital Mix and Original Mix (Edit) on ffrr FX 113, and with the Freaky Rap coupled by the Dub Zone and Full Length Original Mix on ffrr FXR 113 . . . PLASA (the Professional Lighting And Sound Association) holds its annual The Light And Sound Show (LASS?!) for the second time now at London’s Olympia 2 between Sunday/Wednesday, September 10/13, this year’s getting in on the prevailing trend by including several seminar sessions . . . Anglo-Swiss Gilles Peterson, sometime jazz presenter on the late lamented BBC Radio London and now an important part of the yet to be launched London Jazz Radio, has got a new day job doing jazz A&R for Phonogram . . . rm’s sister monthly mag for DJs, Jocks, is running a competition for bedroom mixers, the prize being two days in a fully equipped studio with Norman Cook to produce a finished record for release on Music Factory Records — don’t miss this month’s issue! . . Highbury’s Blapps! Records, bedroom based home of the Dynamic Guv’nors, is starting its own club promotion department (probably in a cupboard!) for forthcoming releases, including an MC Untouchable six-tracker which scratches some old John Lee Hooker blues — bona fide DJs, call Jazzy Jason on 01-226 2122 . . . Diamond Time, who programme most of the UK’s video jukeboxes as well as making the excellent continuously segued two hour monthly DiscEyes video compilation, are launching a new one and a half hour DiscEyes-Dance compilation also for monthly hire (at about £39.50) specifically to discos — details on 01-586 7056 . . . The Club Chart last week had no room to include also at 97= (equivalent to number 100) a re-entry by Kool & The Gang ‘Raindrops’ . . . Pete Tong’s number one radio request should hopefully be about in less exclusive numbers by now, the Smith & Mighty produced remake of Rose Royce’s ‘Wishing On A Star‘ by the Bristol-based (of course) Fresh Four . . . kc Flightt’s recently reviewed ‘In Flightt’ import album is now out here (RCA PL 89776) . . . Old Gold are promoting their dance oldie reissues with a ‘Best Of 12 inch Gold’ mini LP series, each volume containing eight also separately available past floor fillers . . . Desa, one of several DJ stars of ‘Blind Date’, who has added the street soul-meets-sweet soul (groin-grinding joggers, in other words!) Solutions every Tuesday at Wallasey’s Royal Swan to his other successful Merseyside nights, points out that the main Raven Maize backing track is the same as last year’s ‘(We’re) Out Of Control’ (US Fourth Floor Records) . . . Darren Fogel, another DJ notorious from some ‘Blind Date’ exploits, announces he now jocks under his real name of Darren James following a summer stint playing house and rap in Spain . . . DJ The Kid Smurf says Bliss is the place to be this Thursday (31) at Leicester’s Streetlife for house/rap/rare groove . . . KISS-fm hold their 5th Record Fair this Sunday (3) at Highgate’s Jackson Lane Community Centre between 10am-4pm, the first hour costing twice the rest of the day’s admission price at 2 because, like the slogan says, ‘Rare Groove is not dead!’, and it’s the early birds who will get the rarities . . . MC Duke joins Jeff Thomas at Swansea Martha’s Vineyard next Monday (4) . . .  Tim Raidl’s Luton based Mix Connection, currently with 40 megamix and remix creating producers on its Britmix books, is now setting up a subscription service aimed at upfront jocks (details on 0582-412460) . . . Cutmaster-G, involved with Sueno Latino (especially on the B-side), is Andrea Gemolotto, Italy’s finalist in this year’s Technics World DJ Mixing Championships . . . Pascal Gabriel has been producing one side of an album for Jimmy Sommerville, likely to interest pop jocks when released . . . David Brooker and Anne Plaxton’s now Pacific distributed Rumour Records label is releasing next week a compilation album called ‘Warehouse Raves‘ that looks more useful than most, containing such trendy titles as Loleatta Holloway & Dan Hartman ‘Love Sensation (Dutch House Mix)’, Starlight ‘Numero Uno’, Koxo Club Band ‘Paradhouse Remix’, Kariya ‘Let Me Love You For Tonight (Original)’, Fax Yourself ‘Sunshine ’89 (Extended Mix)’, Illusion ‘Why Can’t We Live Together (Love & Unity Remix)’, Rhythim Is Rhythim ‘Strings Of Life (Piano Mix)’, Candy Flip ‘Love Is Life’, Amnesia ‘It’s A Dream (Special Mix)’, Total Science ‘Just A Little Bit’ . . . Newhaven, the Seven Sisters, Beachy Head and that area of Sussex (as well as an earlier brief foray to Cobham in Kent) is where I ended up catching the sun last week (I know you care!), before flying out to Berlin — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

N.W.A. ‘Express Yourself (Extended Mix)’ (Fourth & Broadway 12 BRW 144)
Hot since the winter, the Los Angeles ghetto’s Niggers With Attitudes (to fill out their initials) — Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Eazy-E, Yella and MC Ren — are finally getting a British release for not only their controversially worded album but also right now this catchy (and clean) rare groove-ish (0-)96.2bpm jiggly lurching rap based on Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band’s 1970 street funk classic of the same name (Bonus Beats too), flipped by their album titling angrily aggressive (0-)102.2-0-102.2-0bpm ‘Straight Outta Compton (Extended Mix)‘ and the unincluded ‘Tramp’-ishly lurching filthily funny 97.3bpm ‘A Bitch Iz A Bitch‘ (neither of the latter pair being suitable for airplay!).

THE MIX MASTER ‘Grand Piano’ (Spanish blanco y negro Music MX-229)
Still the potential smashes pour out of Europe, this week’s main sizzler coming via Spain although confusingly it credits Italy’s ‘Ride On Time’ creators Dee Jay Lelewel and Mirko Limoni as composers, an incredibly powerful piano pounded 0-124.3-123.4-123.6-124-124.3-0bpm stormer sampling gruff voiced Joe Tex (distinctively asking at the start, ‘Fellas, what d’you think about the women’s liberation?’) plus the likes of Loleatta Holloway, Tyree, KAOS and more, Raul Orellana remixing the flip’s piano jangled alternative 124.6bpm ‘Take Me Away’ while unexpectedly the 0-209/104.5bpm ‘Piano Groove‘ is based on the throbbing ‘Burundi Black’ rhythm. Dynamite!

DIGITAL UNDERGROUND ‘Doowutchyalike (Playhowyalike Mix)’ (BCM Records BCM 330 X, via Pinnacle)
Still waiting to explode, this De La Soul-ish lazily drawling guys chatted terrific 108.8-0bpm P’funk roller is ear-grabbingly interrupted after three and a half minutes by an amusingly announced pause for station identification and a false fade for radio DJs (not false in the actual Radio Mix!), flipped by the sleazily rumbling and in spurts jauntily vaudevillian 92.2bpm ‘Hip-Hop Doll‘. Continue reading “September 2, 1989: N.W.A., The Mix Master, Digital Underground, 808 State, Ce Ce Rogers”