Month: May 1990

BEATS & PIECES

EASTWEST, better late than never, this week have finally got around to releasing Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box ‘Enjoy’, still in its Paul Oakenfold Future Mix and Golden Lay Original versions as reviewed nine weeks ago when first promoed! . . . Cooltempo, using original Dutch pressings as promos, have released D-Shake ‘Yaaaaaaaaaah’/’Techno Trance’ (COOLX 213) . . . Paula David is the now fully credited singer on Volume Ten’s ‘Pride’, commercial pressings reversing the order of its mixes, making More Than Special the A-side . . . ‘Missing You’, from their new album, is apparently scheduled as a future Soul II Soul single — its guest vocalist, Kym Mazelle will be touring the USA and Japan with them this summer and has been working with Jazzie B on tracks for her own next album . . . Greg Fenton, also DJ at Manchester’s Spice, is building a mailing list with a difference for the carefully targeted new club promotion company, Soft (1st Floor, St. Margaret’s Chambers, S Newton Street, Manchester M1 1HL, telephone 061-236 4138), only promoting self confessed “soul-less dance” — any form of dance music that does not come from a soul background, like new beat, hard beat, electronic body music, euro dance, electro rap — and needs convincing by DJs that their club music policy is appropriate before they qualify for inclusion . . . MC Rubber Ronski’s steadily chugging strange rap adaptation of its composer Jon Moss’s original version of Jesus Loves You’s ‘After The Love’, now about in a tidier remix by Terry Farley as Rubberman ‘Rubberman (Boys Own Mix)‘ (118bpm), is flipped by the busier original ‘Rubberman Rock Da House‘ (117½bpm) that was white labelled last winter on Crew-Cuts . . . Adam & Eve remixed the breathily crooned Ross & Demelza (84½bpm) A-side of The Beloved ‘Time After Time’, while the flip’s Leslie Lyrics toasted reggae dubwise Muffin Mix (87bpm) and lazily swirling instrumental Through The Round Window (86½bpm) were by The Little Sisters . . . Johnny Gill ‘Rub You The Right Way’ in its LP Version should be 111¾bpm (and Short Version 111½bpm) . . . Dream Frequency ‘Live The Dream‘ (123¾bpm) is also in an emptier more sinewy Dream The Dream Mix (124bpm) and a virtually tempoless ambient ‘Dreamscape 1‘ (31½bpm) version, with the girls chanted jauntily jumping hip house tempo ‘Feel It‘ (125bpm) too . . . Beats Per Minute that may be useful for pop jocks include Kylie Minogue ‘Better The Devil You Know (The Mad March Hare Mix)‘ (120bpm), New Kids On The Block ‘Cover Girl (12″ Remix)‘ (122bpm), Paula Abdul ‘Opposites Attract (Street Mix)‘ (117bpm), Depeche Mode ‘Policy Of Truth (Capitol Mix/Pavlov’s Dub)’ (114bpm), Natalie Cole ‘Wild Women Do (Power/Underground Wacko Mixes)’ (120½bpm), Talk Talk ‘It’s My Life (Tropical Love Forest Mix)‘ (127¼bpm), B52’s ‘Roam (12″ Remix)‘ (133bpm), Marc Almond ‘The Desperate Hours (Extended Flamenco Mix)‘ (121bpm), Propaganda ‘Heaven Give Me Words (Honey In Heaven)‘ (97bpm) . . . Jon Williams brings his upfront Euro sounds this Friday (25), and then the last Friday of every month, to the oddly named (but 1,800 capacity) Stroud Subscription Rooms in Stroud centre . . . DJ Kid ‘DFM’ Smurf plus guests jock at the new Meltdown Fridays in Leicester’s Reflections, St James Street off Humberstone Gate (wear what you like) . . . ‘Weight For The Bass’ hit makers Unique 3 and DJ Herbe-EE (The Rave DJ) host the fortnightly “Energy” starting this Saturday (26), 10pm-2am, in Bradford’s new look Palm Cove Club, Hollings Road . . . Yeovil has a soul, funk and jazz ‘Summer Fling’ this weekend with Chris Dinnis, Bob Smith and Jim Hedges jocking at Dukes Nightclub on Saturday night, before joining John C at The King’s Arms for Sunday lunchtime . . . BBG PA this Saturday at Brixton’s The Fridge, where the following evening (Sunday 6pm-midnight) Powerjam 90 features DJs Norman Jay, Johnny Walker, Dave Pearce, Madhatter Trevor, Chris Forbes, George K, DJ Digger, Alan Russell, and various personal appearances — however, the really hot night there is likely to be Bank Holiday Monday (28), when, following their Brixton Academy gig, Eazy-E and N.W.A. paartay with Tim Westwood, DJ Biznizz, Mark Anderson, Soul II Soul’s DJ Crazy, and “a number of extraordinarily special guests” (500 public tickets available on the door that night only at 10.30pm) . . . Eazy-E, N.W.A. and guests London Posse, Demon Boyz, MC Mell’o’ then head for Birmingham’s Hummingbird on Tuesday (29) . . . The Club Chart still having a high entry threshold (although the real log jam has moved to the Top 201), last week’s Bubblers that previously might have been expected to make the 100 included 4105, Rubberman, Fluke, Cool Down Zone, (New York’s) Sweet Sensation, Royal Orchestra, BBG featuring Dina Taylor, Frankie ‘Bones’ presents Bonesbreaks Volume 5, Jesus Loves You (Land Of Oz Mix), Moccasoul, My Bloody Valentine, Gaggia & Visona, Last Tango.

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Eddie Richards

JOVONN ‘Turn And Run Away (Colonnade Mix)’
THE WIZARD AND THE PRINCE ‘The Wiz Is A Genius’
PULSE 8 ‘Radio Morocco (Adrian Sherwood Mix)’
THE CURE ‘Pictures Of You’
BROTHER BEYOND ‘The Girl I Used To Know (Red Zone)’
HYPER ‘The Asylum’

SOUL II SOUL ‘Vol II-1990 A New Decade’ (10 Records DIX 90)
Much better and more consistent than ‘Club Classics’, this imminently massive album relies largely for its vocals on several featured female singers yet ironically its hottest tracks look like being the terrific compulsively clopping and lurching instrumental ‘Time (Untitled)’ (102bpm), and Fab 5 Freddy and Jamie B chatted lazily tapping drum rumbled ‘Our Time Has Now Come‘ (95¾bpm), the ladies contributing Lamya’s lovely piano plonked sweetly wriggling ‘In The Heat Of The Night‘ (101¾bpm) and birdsong washed steadily swaying ‘Love Come Through‘ (92bpm), Kym Mazelle’s soulfully jogging and ultimately mesmeric ‘Missing You‘ (93bpm), the girl group chorused percussively jiggling ‘1990 A New Decade‘ (105¼bpm), Marcia Lewis’s traffic effects introed snappily strutting ‘People‘ (115bpm) and kiddies chorused Christmas hit ‘Get A Life’ (101¼bpm), Victoria Wilson James’s current hit ‘A Dreams A Dream’ (103¼bpm), plus the Courtney Pine soprano saxed instrumental ‘Courtney Blows’ (92½bpm).

ERIC B. & RAKIM ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ (110bpm) (US MCA Records MCA-24026)
So eagerly (and long) awaited that it has instantly exploded, their DJ Mark The 45 King remixed typically fast talking, swirling and churning gruff jiggler jolts bumpily through its 12″ Vocal Version Remix and perhaps more funkily rolling 45 King Club Mix (with an A Cappella too), the hottest hip hopper for quite a while!

GEORGIA JONES ‘Let The Music Play (Club Mix)’ (119¾bpm) (Mercury MERX 323)
Out fully in three weeks, Freddy Bastone’s brilliantly breezy house remake of Shannon’s influential (in the States) electro oldie is not ‘electro’ at all, more Electribe 101-ish, with skipping bass, synthetic strings and other bubbly elements all darting and dancing around the central lightly wailing and scatting Georgia, flipped by her scatted though otherwise basically lyricless Dub and Jazz Mixes. Continue reading “May 26, 1990: Soul II Soul, Eric B & Rakim, Georgia Jones, Yazz, The Chimes”

BEATS & PIECES

KISS-fm held a surprise birthday party for managing director Gordon Mac last week, where it became apparent that the long awaited London incremental station is now at last on schedule for a September 1 launch, with the easy to remember wavelength of 100FM! . . . ‘Sweet Dreams’ really did begin as a bootleg, not a scam, the new Angel version being a legal recreation by a guy genuinely called Dave Angel of that bootleg treatment, his already promoed version being out this week as flip to The Eurythmics’ ‘Angel’ (previously on commercial pressings without it) . . . Eden’s Paradise ‘The Dance (Revisited)’ has had to be withdrawn while its Orbital sample is completely recreated, full release now being due at the end of May — when Guru Josh ‘Who’s Law’ is out commercially with a different new A-side mix . . . Paul Dakeyne & Steve Anderson’s previously promo only remix of Doug Lazy ‘Let The Rhythm Pump’ is due commercially now (Atlantic A7919T) — Steve Anderson teamed this time with Dave Seaman who are the Brothers In Rhythm, responsible for ‘Peace And Harmony (ltalo’s Grand Finale)’ . . . The Blow Monkeys’ newie is in fact a four-track EP, with the hot ‘If You Love Somebody‘ (121¼bpm) — due for a Bones & Musto remix — and jerkily rambling Spanish guitar plucked ‘La Passionara‘ (112bpm) actually on the flip, while the A-side has the good delicately jittering pent up ‘The Other Side Of You‘ (100¼bpm) and, the lead track, sombre slow pop aimed ‘Springtime For The World‘ (81 bpm) . . . Frankie Bones & Lenny Dee’s multi-track ‘Looney Tunes II’ EP, reviewed in full on import only last week, has been rushed out here by XL Recordings (XLEP 104) . . . The Chimes ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, apparently with mixes here that differ from the US version, is promoed in Louie Louie’s lushly swaying Street Mix (83bpm), Gil & Dill’s sparse bossy Boom Mix (84½bpm), and Scruff & Nick’s really soul drenched tapping Manasseh Mix (82¾bpm), to my mind the best . . . BHF Production’s delicately jiggling Edie Brickell/Soul II Soul-type Italian treatment of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U (Dove Mix)‘ (93¾bpm) by MXM is due here in fact on London, rather than the previously announced A.1. Records —this is now rivalled, incidentally, by a totally different guys sung chugging pop version from Germany by Chyp-Notic (119bpm) on Coconut . . . Emma Haywoode’s ‘Need Your Lovin” is being reissued next month in an apparently ‘Power’-ful German remix . . . NWA’s old ‘Express Yourself’ is being re-released in its original format (4th + B’way 12BRW 144) to coincide with their coming UK visit . . . Kim Lewis has set up PCP within the Pacific distribution set-up to handle both in-house and independent club promotion, for outside labels too, building a DJ mailing list at Pacific House, Vale Road, London N4 1QB (081-800 4465) . . . Andrew Skortis is building a DJ mailing list for the as yet little known record label Wing An’ A Prayer at 187 Charlemont Road, East Ham, London E6 4AG (081-472 9252) . . . Dambusters club plugger Jasper G puts his money where his mouth is and jocks on Klub Trick Saturdays at Mayfair’s Legends . . . Quartz, Paradox, Sunsonic, Audio One, Olimax & DJ Shapps plus jocks ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards, Carl Cox, Grooverider, Fabio and Wildchild whip up a Storm! in Brighton this Friday (18), credit card bookings on 0273-202881 . . . History’s ‘Afrika’ rapper Q-Tee PAs at Brixton’s The Fridge this Saturday (19) . . . DJ Kirsty B designs and makes personalised slipmats on 081-552 2928 . . . The Club Chart still having a high entry threshold, last week’s Bubblers that previously might have been expected to make the 100 included Last Tango, Mocca Soul, Kym Mazelle, Mellow Man Ace, Sinead O’Connor, Klymaxx, Frankie Bones & Lenny Dee ‘Looney Tunes II’, Sly & Lovechild, Ice Cube, The Unlimited Orchestra, The Beloved, The Blapps Posse, People People, BBG featuring Dina Taylor, Frazier Chorus, Guaranteed Raw, 4105, 2-Mad, Delusions Of Grandeur, Sybil, Fortran 5, Kate B . . . Irish jocks, look out for full details of Ireland’s first ever dance music/DJ seminar, to be held in Dublin on June 18 . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Jon Dasilva and James Hamilton

LISA STANSFIELD ‘You Can’t Deny It’ (US Arista AD-2025)
Timed to rival her UK newie — with possibly a more sympathetic tempo for the Soul II Soul dominated UK market, too, right now — this US release is her album’s gently jiggling attractive swayer remixed by Gail ‘Sky’ King in Extended Version (100½bpm), Sky King Mix (101bpm) and Single Version (100¾bpm), coupled by the current UK EP’s vigorously socking ‘Lay Me Down‘ (111¾bpm).

VOICE OF AFRICA ‘Hoomba Hoomba’
SWEET MERCY ‘Reach Out’
DREAM FREQUENCY ‘Live The Dream’
TRICKY DISCO ‘Tricky Disco’
THE BELOVED ‘Time After Time’
RUBBERMAN ‘Rubberman Rocks The House (Boys Own Remix)’

SAINT ETIENNE ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ (102¼bpm) (Heavenly HVN 212, via Revolver)
Neil Young’s 1970 US hit is the latest unlikely oldie to have a Soul II Soul-type rhythm grafted to it, backing however a rather painfully pitched deadpan female vocal that some I suppose might find “haunting”, thankfully flipped by a melodica doodled attractive more sinuous reggae-ish instrumental Version (100¾bpm).

970-CLUB ‘Ay Mas (Tell Me What You Want)’ (120¼bpm) (US Raw Records RAW-75005)
Chep Nunez & Louis Flores created breathy girls gasped and Eric Kupper synthed mellow boomy cantering groove, in pulsing ambient 970-Mood Mix, hollow 970-Club Dub, guy whispered 970-Rhythm Vocal Mix, urgently rattling 970-Club Beats, and bassily wriggling Original Concept Club Mix. Continue reading “May 19, 1990: Lisa Stansfield, Saint Etienne, 970-Club, The Shamen, The Unlimited Orchestra”

BEATS & PIECES

A&M RECORDS having closed down their separate Breakout logo, toyed with the idea of launching another label as a replacement but after studying the current dance music dominated pop market, have now decided (despite other reports to the contrary) there is no need for a separate identity so, if it’s dance, it’s on A&M! . . . Wot, no Funk A & Merica! . . . Fluke’s ‘Joni’, despite their earlier ‘Thumper!’ being on Mass Records, turns out to be a genuine white label, unaffiliated to any record company — and indeed up for grabs! . . . Oscar Engles is revamping the Recuts club promotion service’s DJ mailing list at Pinnacle Records, Electron House, Cray Avenue, St Mary Cray. Orpington, Kent 8RS 3PN — which reminds me, I began my DJ-ing career at the Kray Twins’ Knightsbridge club Esmerelda’s Barn, and could have told the makers of their current biopic a thing or two! . . . Warrior Records have not only a new area code, but also a whole new telephone number, 071-490 5475 . . . A1 Records have picked up MXM’s Italo version of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ . . . Ice Cube’s ‘Amerikkka’s Most Wanted’ is coupled by the similarly Public Enemy posse produced (and foul mouthed!) slowly lurching ‘Once Upon A Time In The Projects‘ . . . Stevie V PAs at Boom this Saturday (12) in Brixton’s The Fridge . . . Chris Brown, the veteran punk funk/salsoul/acid house DJ, starts reviving his famous lunchtime sessions (previously at Ascot’s Belvedere) this Sunday noon-4pm at Burnham Beeches’ Henry’s Nightclub in Hawthorne Lane, north of Slough, Bob ‘Hippy’ Jones and Carl Brown joining him in this “down to earth music” Gravity concept . . . Bruce Sandell, Chi-Keat Man and Chris Spearing mix Seventies and Eighties club classics on Bump ‘N’ Hustle Sunday evenings at Uxbridge High Street’s free admission The Villa wine bar (lager, wine and spirits ‘happy hour’ 8-9pm) . . . Miss Bliss, Wendy K, Hannah Ford, Christina Raven and Vie Marshall’s “non-sexist, non-violent and non-racist” Muthaland rap nights turn out to be only once a month with variable venues, the next one being Monday May 28 at Wardour Street’s The Brain, opposite London’s Swiss Centre . . . Jazzy M and Scully P, with big name guest DJs and PAs, on “real music for real people” AKWA Wednesdays are the latest to brave the low tide vertical gangplank of London’s floating Tattershall Castle pub, moored by the Victoria Embankment! . . . Donovan Smith has guest DJs on upfront Thursdays (no dress restrictions, only a quid) at Gloucester’s Crackers Nightclub, and joins Jazzy D on Saturdays at Swindon’s Brunel Rooms Ampitheatre . . . Kym Daniels hosts kickin’ and firin’ hip house Fridays at Swanley’s Hickorys nightclub . . . Jeff Thomas’ latest Swansea area gig is Urban Groove Sunday at Neptunes, just around the corner from The Mumbles lighthouse in Bracelet Bay . . . The Club Chart still having a high entry threshold, last week’s Bubblers that previously might have been expected to make the 100 included Man Machine featuring Zen, Musto & Bones LP, M.K., Fluke, MC Duke & DJ Leader 1, Lance Ellington, Adeva (Smack Mix), DAL, Last Tango, House Conductor, Malcolm McLaren ‘Call A Wave’, Klymaxx, Sly & Lovechild, Diana Brown & Barrie K Sharpe, Guaranteed Raw, Mass Order, X-Clan, The Blapps Posse, MXM, Brothers In Rhythm, BBG featuring Dina Taylor, Yin Yang, Eon.

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Streets Ahead

SINEAD O’CONNOR ‘I Am Stretched On Your Grave’ (93¾bpm) (Ensign GRAVE 1)
An instant collector’s item, only 650 promo 12-inch copies have been pressed of this appropriately gloomy haunting slow Celtic lament, starkly set to a tapping funky snare drum with Irish fiddles joining in just at the very end, apparently much played off her album and now (for the lucky few) made easier to use — though it’s primarily to boost the album as there are no plans, at present, for it to be a single.

DJ MINK ‘Hey Hey (Can You Relate)’
BROTHERS IN RHYTHM ‘Peace And Harmony’
PROMISED LAND ‘Something In The Air’
SMALLAGE ‘Together’
OVERLORD X ‘Powerhouse’
ONE VOICE ‘Soul Talk’
THE CHIMES ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
MY BLOODY VALENTINE ‘Soon’ (Andy Weatherall mix)
FRAZIER CHORUS ‘Cloud 8’ (Paul Oakenfold mix)
COOL DOWN ZONE ‘Heaven Knows’
THE BLOW MONKEYS ‘If You Love Somebody’/’La Passionara’

EDEN’S PARADISE ‘The Dance (Revisited) (Musto Bones Remix)’ (119¾bpm) (de/Construction Records PT 43652)
Exploding out of the blue, this Frankie Bones & Tommy Musto created shuffling and rumbling burbler, a much altered beefier remix of ‘This Is The Dance’ still breathily intoned by Stacey Parris, now uses (composer credited) keyboard colourings from Orbital’s ‘Chime’ amongst other familiar punctuations, with a drier Killer Dub Mix, plus the previously just Stacey Parris credited cantering now more flowingly remixed ‘Feel It In My Heart (Club Remix)’ (119bpm).

COLLINA Featuring L.T.J. ‘Babe What’s Goin’ On’ (Supreme Records SUPET 169)
Rushed out here next week to counter Italian IRMA casadiprimordine imports, this ‘Roots’-ish piano and familiar quotations woven (‘Oops Up Side Your Head’ sticking out at the start) episodic rolling burbler chugs quite funkily through its sax climaxed Club and vibes climaxed Original Versions (111½bpm) and jazzily instrumental Night and Funkysax Versions (110bpm), a good example of how rapidly Italo house is adapting to the slowing of BPMs in Britain. Continue reading “May 12, 1990: Sinead O’Connor, Eden’s Paradise, Collina featuring L.T.J., Soho, 4105”

BEATS & PIECES

REISSUE OF the already promoed DJ Mark The 45 King’s ‘The 900 Number’ is being postponed because, as Chad Jackson went back to the original Marva Whitney ‘Unwind Yourself’ source for his included remixes rather than using DJ Mark’s version (of which a master tape was unavailable), Mark magnanimously has suggested that Chad should put out his much augmented new treatments under his own name — which is how they will appear, retitled ‘Hear The Drummer Get Wicked‘ with an additional new B-side track, in mid-May (Chad, incidentally, was one of the very first to pick up on ‘The 900 Number’ when in New York with DJ Pogo and Cutmaster Swift in July 1988, all three grabbing copies from the first shipment to arrive at Downstairs Records!) . . . Squire Sound & Light, the renowned 1972 established disco equipment suppliers, with stores in Glasgow, Manchester, West Bromwich and Guildford too, have moved their London base from Tufnell Park to a brand new megastore between Harlesden and the North Circular, just off Brentfield Road (by the Shell garage) at Unit 12, New Business Centre, Artesian Close, London NW10 8RW (081-451 5556) . . . Don Pablo’s Animals’ smash bound ‘Venus’ is slower now that it’s out here on Rumour Records (RUMAT 18), in not only The Piano Mix (125-124¼bpm) but also a UK-only new more ‘Din Da Da’-ish chugging The Bonus Mix (122¾-123¼bpm), flipped still by ‘Paranoia’ (115¾bpm) . . . Foremost Poets ‘Reasons To Be Dismal?’ (SBK.One 12SBK 7010) is also here slower than the import, in its Foresight (122¾-123½bpm), Beyond Sight and Insight (120½bpm) Versions . . . Fluke delicately pick the driving acoustic guitar instrumental ‘Joni‘ (110½bpm) (Mass Records FOO 2T, via Pinnacle), flipped by the similar though more chimingly picked jerkily jazzy ‘Taxi‘ (110¾-111bpm) . . . The Farm’s ‘Stepping Stone (Ghost Dance Mix)’ (107½bpm) was uninformatively labelled on promo and in fact is on Produce Records (MILK 101) . . . The Pasadenas ‘Love Thing’ proves to be remixed by Bruce Forest & Paul Wright, its commercial pressing (CBS PASA T4) being A-sided as on promo by their First Love Mix (108¼bpm) but coupled with a fractionally slower instrumental First Day Of Spring Mix, plus the lushly harmonised jerkily lurching ‘He’ll Give You All‘ (82bpm) . . . Blaze’s ‘So Special’ on its commercial pressing is A-sided by a now slow intro lacking, different longer So So Mix (119½bpm), conversely with a slow introed 12-inch Radio Edit and new Instrumental (both also 119½bpm), plus the unchanged ‘Mission’ . . . Lisa Stansfield’s unfashionably frantic ‘What Did I Do To You?’ — surely a stronger, more coherent, soulful and above all slower song than this would be better suited to the UK market right now? — is apparently due as part of an EP, which has not been promoed . . . Lisa Stansfield actually supplies backing vocals to a Blue Zone produced cover version of her own ‘Affection‘ by Liaz, the only act left with Big Life by the once again independent Kool Kat label — whose next releases, all from Detroit, will be newies by KAOS, Rhythim Is Rhythim, and Model 500, plus a ‘Retro Techno’ compilation album of original techno classics . . . Sunshine & Thunder Records and West Yorkshire’s local Events magazine are jointly releasing a Cut 90 series of compilation cassettes to promote the new wave of dance and indie talent emerging in Leeds, the first 40 minute, £3.99 edition called ‘Rize’ featuring EZE & Boy Wonder (aka Nightmares On Wax), Breaking The Illusion, Mad Love, N.M.T., Ictus, Mike Hirst, and the Bridewell Taxis (available from Snowshine Ltd, Unit 22b, 31 Aire Street, Leeds LS2 4HT) . . . Sleeping Bag Records’ rap acts EPMD, Just Ice, Stezo, Nice & Smooth, and Cash Money & Marvelous have a variety of their videos featured on a 50 minute, £9.99 ‘Video Rap Pack’ (Wienerworld WNR 1069, via Parkfield Entertainment) . . . Allan Campbell (keen to hear from pluggers on 031-343 3653) presents a new dance biased ‘The Duke’ show Sundays 7-10pm on Edinburgh’s Radio Forth RFM 97.3FM, interviewing all the stars too . . . No Way F.C. 90 hold their first Thursday of the month ‘hip soul and mellow beats’ night this week (May 3) at The Brain in London’s Wardour Street (opposite the Swiss Centre), with guest DJ Roy The Roach plus regulars Phil Asher, John Hines, ‘Young’ Paul  Williams . . . The Tribal Dance Organisation brings A Touch Of Summer to Bristol Studio this Friday (4) with Carl Cox, Dom T, DJ Sam, Easy Groove Shane and many other artistic attractions . . . Soul II Soul celebrate the first anniversary of their Friday residency at Brixton’s The Fridge this week . . . Craig & Marcus’s monthly Liberation, with big name DJ guests, is presumably at Northfleet’s Red Lion this Saturday . . . Decadence and Synergy combine for a 6pm-2am rave on Bank Holiday Monday (7) at Kentish Town’s Town & Country Club, featuring The Shamen and Orbital live plus DJs ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards, Kid Batchelor, Mr C, Steve Bicknell, Stika and other sound manipulators . . . Miss Bliss, Wendy K, Hannah Ford, Christina Raven and Vie Marshall are the muthas presenting Muthaland Mondays at Westbourne Green’s Woody’s in Woodfield Road, bringing a female sensibility to the presentation of rap in a “non-sexist, non-violent and non-racist environment” . . . Gary Marson has slowed down to bassy and beaty tempos for Below The Beat Wednesdays at the Hippo in Nottingham, where his and Paul O’Wain’s also slower Red Zone Tuesday has by now probably switched from Eden to Venus . . . Mr C and Barney B rave it up on Wednesdays at Daventry’s free admission Beach Comber, and Friday late nights (10pm-6am) at Coventry’s Vine St . . . Steve Briers’ Thursday is the upfront night at Haverfordwest’s Minnies, down by the riverside . . . DJ Jon and Urbania claim their Wild Life Thursday at Players is the best house night in Bath . . . Dave Downes and Martin Rayner reckon their “rampant rave” Tuesdays and soul/dance/house Thur/Fri/Sat/Sundays make Trax the hottest, most happenin’ venue in Basildon . . . Yin Yan’s Friday Dance Crazy rave, with weekly guests, is in the civilised surroundings of Bournemouth’s The Academy . . . Berlins in Derby’s Beckett Street features a Saturday lunchtime session with veteran soul DJ Den Mac spinning ‘modern soul’ to the accompaniment of sporting videos and cheap liquor (info courtesy of his mum!) . . . James Brown, now that he’s been released from jail, is working off a period of community service by counselling troubled teenagers . . . Martin Freeland, the secretive creator of ‘Way Out West’, has given up concealing his identity and is actually PA-ing as Man With No Name! . . . KICKIN’!

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RHYTHMATIC, comprised of familiar faces Mark Gamble (left) from Krush and Leroy Crawford from T-Cut-F, both early Midlands house pioneers, have added another new twist to the story about their hot ‘Take Me Back‘ electro instrumental, confessing they called the original promo’s label 0742 Records deliberately to create a scam, using the Sheffield telephone area code number as its name because of all the attention that city has been receiving as a music making centre. Apparently, the result was that major labels sent scouts to scour Sheffield for the non-existent label, when all along the single was scheduled for full release this week on Birmingham’s Network Records (NWKT 8) — now, ironically, with a new A-side re-edit of the original version by, in fact, FON Force’s Robert Gordon, from Sheffield!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Jay Strongman

JAZZ & THE BROTHERS GRIMM ‘Casanova (Raving Hell Mix)’ (124bpm) (Tam Tam Records TTT 024, via Savage)
Remixed yet again and out now for a third time, this infectiously squawked Coffee girl group oldie reviving hip house-ish bounder (with bursts of male rap) is more excitingly treated than ever, thunderously tumbling and charging, flipped by a more starkly wriggling Rocky Mix (123¾bpm) plus the De La Soul inspired ‘Yellow Can‘ (109½bpm). A likely smash this time!

EN VOGUE ‘Hold On (Extended Version)’ (97¼bpm) (Atlantic A7908T)
As pointed out last week, and borne out by its massive leap up all the dance charts, this Foster McElroy created excellent sultrily jogging purposeful SOS Band-like roller — grittily wailed, growled and cooed by the four girls who wowed Prestatyn and every other audience that have seen them — has suddenly exploded while still on import, and with perfect timing is now out here (Radio Version and 7″ Edit too).

MANTRONIX (Featuring Wondress) ‘Take Your Time’ (Capitol 12CL 573)
Wondress once again wails this specially recorded UK follow-up, a sinuous jiggly jogger funkily drummed in Eric B & Rakim’s ‘Paid In Full’ style through a lovely melodic lilt reminiscent of Leon Ware’s ‘That’s Why I Came To California’, in fadingly segued Club (107¼bpm) and drier Dub (108½bpm) versions, rapper Bryce Luvah alone fast talking the flip’s jerkily racing hip house ‘Don’t You Want More (Club Version)‘ (122bpm), much faster than the LP version. Continue reading “May 5, 1990: Jazz & The Brothers Grimm, En Vogue, Mantronix (featuring Wondress), Going Back To Basics EP, Exocet”