Month: November 1990

BEATS & PIECES

KAMIKAZE ONE 85 featuring The Beatles’ The Beatles Juice E.P.’, the record containing the funky drummer remix of ‘Yesterday’ that was reviewed two weeks ago, arrived on my doormat having been sent from I know not whom nor where, but it does exist and is being sold (probably under the counter!) by a select few specialist dance music record shops which you will have to locate for yourselves — please stop calling me about it, as I know no more than I’ve said! . . . fbi, the label on which Ben Liebrand’s remix of Dimples D ‘Sucker DJ’ appears here, is in fact the Disco Mix Club’s new commercial logo — the remix started out on July’s edition of the DMC subscription service, off which it was bootlegged in Italy before DMC had even obtained the rights to release it commercially, which they now of course have done, licensing it in the process to Media Records in Italy where it’s now both large and legal! . . . Snap’s next single is their album’s nursery rhyme adapting ‘Mary Had A Little Boy’, promoed in its Club Edit (121¼-120¾bpm), while Ten City’s will be the lurchingly loping ‘Superficial People’, promoed as a single-sider in Simon Law’s Superficiality Remix (104¾bpm) ahead of full release in a fortnight . . . Soul II Soul’s ‘Missing You’ on seven inch — completists note — is in a sexually healing The Healer Mix (93bpm), matched on the flip by its The Healer Instrumental, this latter being the only Healer version on 12 inch . . . P-X-U’s ‘The Scheme’, reviewed off white label last week, was indeed co-produced by Dave Lee and Mark Ryder, but with its Sheffield based performers, Mark McCormack and William Goring, who have a self-produced ‘Steel City’ EP due soon too . . . Alison Limerick’s jangling piano started then sparsely percussive pulsing attractive Knuckles & Morales Mix (122-121¾bpm) of ‘Where Love Lives’ is reputedly the last that Frankie & Dave will be doing together, flipped by their individual instrumental lush strings backed Knuckles and dry electro Red Zone Mixes (121¾bpm) . . . Monie Love’s A-side Touch Down Mix of ‘Down To Earth’ turns out to be the work of Cooltempo dance supremo Simon Dunmore, the flip’s mixes being by Pete Lorimer and John Wadell respectively . . . N.W.A.’s album, following their notorious ‘100 Miles And Runnin” EP, will be called ‘Efil Rof Zaggin’ (spell it backwards, with attitude!) . . . Rhyme ‘n’ Reason’s rapper Lex scratches up a storm on Orbital’s next single, ‘Satan‘ . . . Shades Of Rhythm, whose ‘Frequency Frequency’ album was hard to find on their own limited SOR Recordings private pressing back in July, have now signed to ZTT and both the LP and new remixes of its tracks ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Homicide’ will be out properly come January . . . Soul II Soul recording engineers Howie Bernstein and Dobie Campbell have signed to 4th + B’way as recording act Nomad Soul . . . Blip label owner Eric Gooden and his Manchester colleague Melanie Williams, following respective production and vocal experience in Detroit, have formed their own group Temper Temper on Ten Records, for launch in the new year . . . Phil Wells of local shop The Record Basement (40 Station Hill) starts a weekly Nitrous rave at Reading’s Irish Club in Chatham Street this Thursday (22) . . . Run-D.M.C. headline a Kiss 100 fm soul night out this Friday (23) at Brixton’s Academy supported by Innocence, Donna Gardier, Double Trouble’s Collective Effort, MC Duke, N-Joi plus DJs Coldcut, Paul ‘Trouble Those Decks’ Anderson, MC Pugwash and more . . . UK mixing champ DJ Reckless guests at Welling’s The Station this Sunday (25) with resident Doug Hughes, who has a Wednesday guest night there too . . . Jeff Thomas celebrates an 8th Anniversary Party at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard next Monday (26) with a return visit by Jeff Young plus PAs by Kariya and more . . . The Sindecut guest the same night at Unique 3 DJs Cutz & Edzy’s Monday 10pm-2am Phase 3 night in Bradford’s Wall Street, with deep house, hard hip hop and selected grooves . . . Dave Charnley is joined at Blackpool’s Hackett’s on Central Drive by Bedrock DJs Sasha and Marcus on Tuesdays, the same plus John J. on packed rave Fridays, and by Paul Oakenfold alternating every other week with Sasha on Saturdays . . . Virgin in a fortnight releases a ‘Dance Energy‘ double album compilation, from various labels, featuring hits by 32 of the acts appearing on BBC2-tv’s series of the same name . . . Chris Brown wonders when the Pasadenas will do a Philly flavoured cover of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Step Back In Time’?! . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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HOT VINYL

EARTH PEOPLE ‘Dance’ (Champion CHAMP R12-258)
Still included on the flip in its original Club Mix (124bpm), this ‘Pal Joey’ Longo created wickedly catchy Chic ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ quoting sax tootled summer floorfiller is now out here again as a Party Remix (122bpm) which, from the recently reviewed ‘DJ Breaks Classics Vol. 3’ US Underworld Records EP, is actually Reynald ‘Crazy Frenchman’ Deschamps’ excellent ‘Earth People Dance Party Mix’ (kicked off by a typically declaimed introduction to Pal Joey by James Brown’s valet Danny Ray), plus Reynald’s alternative here edited Party Remix Instrumental (122bpm), while the flip also features for added, already great, value the older jiggly snapping ‘Reach Up To Mars‘ (121bpm), the rhythm of which is used in the above remixes.

CARTOUCHE ‘Feel The Groove’ (123bpm) (The Brothers Organisation 12 BORG 21, via BMG)
Rushed out here hard on the heels of its fast selling Dutch import pressing, this Serge Ramaekers created tribute to a club called Cartouche is a simple Myrelle Tholen (daughter of R&B band leader Johnny Otis) chanted and piano pounded frantic Italo house type whomper punctuated by all sorts of familiar exhortations, with an Instrumental in which Jean Paul Visser’s vocoder snarled refrain shows up more, plus a new sparser thrumming B-side dub (123½bpm) that wasn’t on the import.

BOBBY McFERRIN ‘I’m Crazy About Your Body’ (97½bpm)
Apparently created by the team who also combined ‘The Power Of Human Nature’ back in the summer, this totally blank (apart from an etched “It wasn’t us your honour”!) label-less bootleg brilliantly sets Bobby’s original of his Cadbury’s commercial tune to funkily burbling beats woven from several sources, flipped by a terrific jazzy piano instrumental over the same rhythm track (97¾bpm), plus that rhythm in unadorned dubwise form.

RUM & BLACK ‘F*** The Legal Stations’ (123¾bpm) (Shut Up And Dance Records SUAD 8)
Repeatedly punctuated by a “Turn off that motherf***in’ radio” comment borrowed from Ice Cube’s ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ album, which seems likely to get it banned like N.W.A. at many stores, this acid guitar looping angrily churning and scrubbing instrumental rumbler is already flying out of specialist dance music stockists, flipped by the bleeped and boomed frantically throbbing ‘I’m Not In Love‘ (127¼bpm) with an occasionally repeated female title line. Continue reading “November 24, 1990: Earth People, Cartouche, Bobby McFerrin, Rum & Black, Eon”

BEATS & PIECES

KISS 100 FM broadcasts a non-stop ‘Master-Mix’ show in London every Saturday 9-11 pm, in the New York style, totally megamixed without interruption for the whole of its two hours by a roster of DJs that includes Paul ‘Trouble Those Decks’ Anderson, Kid Batchelor, Judge Jules, Graeme Park, Richie Rich, Danny Rampling, Colin Dale, DJ Pogo, KC, CJ Mackintosh, Mike Pickering, Fabio . . . Brian Mason (081-440 4172), by coincidence, is looking for a mixing DJ to produce regular tapes of continuous upfront soul and dance music for a wine bar he’s opening . . . A Homeboy, A Hippie And A Funki Dredd’s ‘Total Confusion’ apparently was built up from a master tape originally created by Casper for producer Ian Levine . . . Turntable Overload’s ‘T.T.O.’ started out as ‘TTO’ by TTO on a mystery black label reviewed back in August, this “original” actually being a Dave Lee remixed dub of a still unreleased US remake by the Turntable Orchestra of — would you believe? — the Bee Gees’ ‘You Should Be Dancing’, stripped down by Dave around the time that LFO’s ‘LFO’ was breaking and so retitled as a joke, its current completely revamped re-remixes by Dave and, as had become obvious, Mark Ryder being out fully now on the RePublic Records associated Made On Earth label . . . African Business’s four mixes of ‘In Zaire’, promoed across two separate pressings, are all together on the single 33⅓rpm commercial 12 inch (Urban URBX 64) . . . King For A Day’s ‘Kick That Rhythm’, despite being promoed on Crucial Dance, proves to be out commercially on PWL Records (PWLT 67) . . . L.A. Mix’s ‘Mysteries Of Love’, reviewed last week, now looks like not being out commercially until December 8, or even after Christmas . . . Creation’s dazedly galloping Black Box ‘Ride On Time’-type ‘Give It Up’ turns out to be a UK creation by Barry Leng & Duncan Hannant . . . Eve Gallagher, statuesque and tall with a silver streak in her hair like a character from ‘Superman III’, is actually from Sunderland although she does indeed live in Switzerland (“It’s a long story!”, she laughs) . . . Ragga Twins’ ‘Spliffhead‘ appeared to be the track most played by Prestatyn punters at their own chalet parties . . . Andrew Beer is updating the DJ mailing list at Warrior Records, PO Box 775, London EC1A 4LB (‘phone 071-490 5475, fax 071-490 7920) . . . Moz Morris is building a mailing list of DJs who can use Hi-NRG and pop dance (like Lisa’s recent gay hit ‘Stand Up And Sing‘ and German act Ultramatix’s new dance version of Elton John’s ‘Sacrifice‘) at Manic Records, 10 Park Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 4HT (enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope with your application) . . . Emily Leggatt and Ian Gotts’ correct telephone number at Power Promotions is 071-482 0728, and not as misinformed last week, so adjust your files accordingly . . . Kiss 100 fm breakfast show co-presenter Graham Gold has — for obvious reasons like sleep! — had to give up his full time nightclub residency at Soho’s Gullivers (only three months short of 10 years there, possibly a record for an unbroken soul residency in London?), but returns for one night only this Saturday (Nov 17), while he manages to jock with Jon ‘Gummo’ Jules every Wednesday at Ealing’s Broadway Boulevard, and is to be found over the next few Fridays guesting at Kingston upon Thames’s Options (23), Hackney’s Shenolas (30), Grays’ P’Zaz Nightclub (Dec 7) . . . Donna Gardier’s ‘I’ll Be There’ video is the living embodiment of the word “slinky” — phworr! . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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PRESTATYN 8

PRESTATYN 8 had a noticeably lower turnout than usual, mainly because of counter attraction weekenders like its promoter LiveWire’s own recent Kaos rave, and suffered from the last minute cancellation of En Vogue’s concert, but seemed to be retrenching its tradition with an increased emphasis by the DJs on slower soul amidst the house and rap. Innocence featuring Gee Morris (pictured below) were perhaps the most popular of the PAs, while a long live set by the specially reformed Light Of The World rivalled Public Enemy’s live show for many. To my mind the best PAs were by the dominatrix-like Eve Gallagher, oozing sensuality, and the excellent Master Ace, who was accompanied by scratching DJ Steady Pace and two tubby dancers, dressed and acting like winos to begin their act. Al B. Sure! (with a complete dance troupe) didn’t realise his US hit material was unknown here, other appearances being by pluckily swooping acappella Tammy Payne, tightly choreographed Alison Limerick, disappointing Diana Brown & Barrie K. Sharpe, Kenny Thomas, Bass-O-Matic, Unique 3, Sindecut, Ashley & Jackson, New Life, and Carlton. Not a classic maybe, but not bad. Prestatyn 9 next Easter is rumoured to be the last of this type of weekender at the present site, the soul event possibly moving elsewhere with a rave replacing it there.

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HOT VINYL

FRANCES NERO ‘Footsteps Following Me’ (104¾bpm) (Motorcity MOTC 24, via Pacific)
About for some time but now building support, this Sister Sledge ‘Thinking Of You’ inspired beefily pushing slinky soul roller, by an obscure ex-Motown artiste (she had one single on the associated Soul label) who was tracked down in Detroit by producer Ian Levine, could yet end up absolutely massive given the chance (Instrumental flip).

JOHNNY BRISTOL ‘Man Up In The Sky’ (102½bpm) (Motorcity MOTC 21, via Pacific)
Dating from last year but easily the anthem in the “chillout” real soul/jazz room at Prestatyn, this Ian Levine produced lovely late Seventies-style soulful swayer always was a soul boy fave and really proved itself, causing massed formation dancing and crowd demanded repeat plays (Instrumental flip).

808 STATE ‘Cübik’ (ZTT ZANG 5T)
Finally checked on 12 inch, this distinctive fruity fart tones and ‘Dr Who’-type spacey synth prodded instrumental hit is in its previously UK B-sided Jimi Hendrix-like guitar introed and freaky effects outroed jerky Original Mix (123¾bpm) plus a much more smoothly shuffling Pan Am Mix (123½bpm), as its hotter import’s Pan American Excursion becomes, flipped by the friskily flowing synthed and bleeped melodic house ‘Olympic’ (as the previously promoed ‘Olympic State’ is now called) in its jumpily driving Euro Bass Mix (122¼bpm), as the promo’s Heavy Bass Euromix becomes, plus a new attractive bell tinkling Flutey Mix (122½bpm). Continue reading “November 17, 1990: Frances Nero, Johnny Bristol, 808 State, Nomad/M.C. Mikee Freedom, Dimples D”

BEATS & PIECES

BIRMINGHAM’S NETWORK label set out to test its growing “underground” reputation by deliberately not sending out promos of the Altern 8 EP to see whether, if released without either promotion or advertising, it could hold its own alongside imports on such cult US labels as Nugroove — which it did so successfully that it has already sold around 10,000 copies, more than respectable considering the lower sales that are currently general! . . . Altern 8, as previously noted, is a side project of Nexus 21, whose ‘Progressive Logic’ EP is due next week with as main track a new remix of ‘Self Hypnosis’ — the original of which was recently bootlegged here, along with Psyche’s ‘Elements‘ from Network’s house pioneering parent Kool Kat label, whose early releases by the likes of Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May have also been much pirated of late . . . Rave 2001’s almost year old ‘Seduce Me‘ has likewise been remixed for re-release after being bootlegged in Italy (where it’s flipped by Tyree’s ‘My Melody’), a US pirate pressing also having appeared . . . Avenue Records are releasing a ‘Rap Declares War‘ double album (AVENL 1, via Rough Trade) with an interesting compilation concept, every track (by such as Mellow Man Ace, Beastie Boys, Dream Team, Kwame, Poor Righteous Teachers. The 7A3, Tony D and many more) either sampling or being based on an original by War — an advance white label promo EP featuring the ‘Heartbeat’ based Ice-T ‘Heartbeat‘ (88½bpm), ‘Slippin’ Into Darkness’ based Mantronix ‘Join Me Please (Home Boys Make Some Noise)‘ (94¾bpm), ‘Magic Mountain’ based De La Soul ‘Potholes In My Lawn‘ (92¾bpm) and ‘Get Down’ based Wrecks ‘n’ Effect ‘New Jack Swing‘ (106½bpm) has been circulated by Full Effect Promotions (whose Peter Malski is building a DJ mailing list at 100 Portland Road, Rushden, Northants NN10 ODP; ‘phone 081 743 1333, fax 081 749 0751) . . . Power Promotions (32 Holmes Road, Kentish Town, London NW5 3AB; ‘phone 071 482 0729, fax 071 482 0881) are adding to their already flourishing club and press promotion services with the introduction of radio promotion run by Emily Leggatt (who wants to hear from both licensed and unlicensed radio — NOT club — DJs), plus a personal appearance agency run by Ian Gotts to supply fee paying club PAs . . . The Video Pool’s latest, November, edition lists all of the 30 included videos’ Beats Per Minute calculated from the actual finished tape (rather than the records) for complete programming accuracy — monthly subscription details (available to UK based disco operators only) from Roz Bea, 170a Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UH; ‘phone 071 602 5935, fax 071 602 4338 . . . Gang Starr have been signed by Cooltempo for future UK releases . . . Musto & Bones’ ‘Dangerous On The Dancefloor (Club Remix)‘ (121½bpm) (CityBeat CBE 1253), a jauntily jittering hip house chugger all about a dirty dancer called Rita (a real crowd pleaser!), is rapped by Brooklyn’s P.C.P., while Stacey Parris slinkily sings the flip’s undulating ‘Time Is Running Out (Club Remix)‘ (94½bpm) . . . Carleen Anderson, vocalist on the Young Disciples’ Get Yourself Together’, is the daughter of James Brown’s former Famous Flames sidekick Bobby Byrd and Vicki Anderson . . . Kickin/GTi Records’ new act The Kick Squad appears to be The Scientist again, joined by a couple of cronies . . . Eve Gallagher’s ‘Love Come Down’ (More Protein PROT 612), fully reviewed a fortnight ago, as suspected is not out commercially until November 19, while Johnetta Alston’s ‘Keep The Fire Burning (The Slamming Club Mix)’ (Global Village NORX 1), reviewed three weeks ago, is just out now . . . 2 In A Room’s infectiously jumpy ‘Wiggle It‘ (reviewed w/e Aug 25) always deserved more attention here and indeed has topped the US Club Play chart in Billboard . . . N.W.A.’s amusingly smutty ‘Just Don’t Bite It‘ appears to have so outraged most of the main, middle of the road, UK record retailing chains that they have refused to stock the ‘100 Miles And Runnin” EP which contains it — with slightly warped logic (when you think about it), the group has officially responded to the ban by stating, “If people don’t like it, they can s*** my d***!” . . . Massivo member Jon Jules has had to have nine teeth extracted —ouch! . . . Cleveland Area DJ Association’s now national Disc Jockey Kidney Machine Trust Fund is only a few hundred pounds short of its £7,000 target, thanks most recently to donations from Cliff Richard and many others at the Light Sound Show ’90 . . . A Homeboy, A Hippie And A Funki Dredd PA this Thursday (Nov 8) at Brixton’s The Fridge . . . Chris Brown starts The Fire underground dance music night for dressed up over-21s this Friday (9) at Masquerade in Bracknell’s The Point . . . Blackburn’s Ian ‘DJ IMC’ McIntyre starts jocking this Friday and Saturday, with upfront Thursday from next week too, at Whalley’s brand new Club Rendezvous . . . Mark Kavanagh is joined by Chris Lovechild presenting a strictly upfront Hype! night 11pm until late every Tuesday in Dublin’s Judge Roy Bean’s, and by other guest DJs for an uptempo Rave Central! night 8pm until late every Thursday in Dunlaoghaire’s The Pirates’ Den . . . Jeff Thomas is back on the track with a no dress restriction upfront Friday Thang again, as well as Mondays, at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard . . . Jerry Hipkiss, now in charge of music programming at Severn Sound FM, has restarted at Cheltenham’s Gas playing the more soulful good stuff Fridays and Saturdays . . . Edinburgh’s Donny Hughes, formerly world famous as club jock DJ Shuggy (well, he had his photo on this page once!), is now the weekday mid-afternoon presenter on Radio Forth and was really chuffed when Phonogram flew him down to London and back just for an Oleta Adams reception . . . cellnet’s jaunty TV jingle, the 1948 recorded Blossom Dearie/Betty Boop-type artfully “little girl” voiced and lightly quickstepping piano trio backed Rose Murphy ‘Busy Line‘ (around 99¾/199½bpm) has been seven inched by RCA (PB 44087) and could be useful fun for more adventurous jocks . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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HOT VINYL

DEEE-LITE ‘Power Of Love (Sampladelic Remix)’ (121½bpm) (Elektra EKR117T)
One of the many house tracks from their LP, this episodically surging breezy leaper rambles around loosely spurting off in different directions while following perhaps too rigidly the conventions of its pure house style, without adding enough of the zany individuality that made ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ such a standout delight — which is not to mean that it won’t be some sort of an automatic crossover hit as follow-up, now that it’s finally out this week, more that were it by anyone else it would likely remain a specialist underground seller. Maybe in recognition of this, (with a tempoless Loveapella too) it’s coupled by both the samples woven short but ultra funky rumbling ‘Deee-Lite Theme (Global Village Mix)‘ (99bpm), and instrumental bumpily bounding bright ‘Build A Bridge (Cross Cultural Mix)‘ (120-120¼bpm), neither on vinyl before.

KAMIKAZE ONE 85 featuring THE BEATLES ‘The Beatles Juice E.P.’ (Parlophone 12R6272)
Don’t bother trying to order it from EMI because, despite the supposed label and catalogue number (and nice cartoon cover illustration), this — as exclusively warned five weeks ago — is the Beatles bootleg, adding the usual funky drummer beat to the studio out-take chatter introed ‘Yesterday’ (96¾bpm), with its new Instrumental (97bpm), coupled by an “ignition sequence” countdown introed but then more drearily tempoed ‘Because’ (78¾bpm), with its Instrumental (78½bpm) too. Collectors, of course, will kill for it!

L.A. MIX ‘Mysteries Of Love’ (101bpm) (A&M/PM AMYDJ 707)
Promoed ahead of commercial release in three weeks, Les & Emma Adams’ follow-up to the distinctly street cred ‘Coming Back For More’ is a possibly even more street cred gorgeous sinuous jogger soulfully wailed by Chaka Khan backing singer Beverly Brown through an attractively weaving arrangement, punctuated by some oddly enunciated D Marcus C rap (almost phonetic sounding although he’s from Eltham!), in Premier, Tougher, Instrumental and 7″ Version Mixes, another London radio smash!

DIMPLES D ‘A Witch For Love (Sucker DJ)’ (107¾bpm) (Italian Baia Degli Angell BDA 001)
Possibly bootlegged in Italy as on both sides of the record in the same so called Strega Mix, this Ben Liebrand remixed girl rapper’s madly jaunty ‘I Dream Of Jeannie’ TV theme backed bouncing early Eighties-type leaper is in fact due out here as ‘Sucker DJ’ (fbi FBI 11T, via Spartan), serviced only on seven inch so far, and is so catchy it has to be an instant crossover smash! Continue reading “November 10, 1990: Deee-Lite, Kamikaze One 85/The Beatles, L.A. Mix, Dimples D, Cartouche”

BEATS & PIECES

PHONOGRAPHIC PERFORMANCE LIMITED (PPL), according to their officer Rehan Khan, have terminated the Disco Mix Club’s ‘dubbing’ licence and issued a writ in the latest stage of a continuing dispute about the terms of the licence — a blanket royalty agreement which was originally conceived, at a rate of 15 per cent of revenue, for firms who compile and copy existing records onto cassette (perhaps to make background music-type programmes) for rental only, but which has been adapted into a special ‘mixing’ licence at a slightly higher 17½ per cent of their revenue for services like the DMC who in return are enabled to supply subscribers with remixes and megamixes on vinyl (having first also obtained individual clearances from the record companies concerned for the tracks used). The situation now, while PPL registered companies wait for the pending litigation to be resolved, means that the club is limited to using only non-PPL labels’ material in its mixes, which will appear this coming month without interruption according to the DMC’s Tony Prince, who, in a letter circulated to the record industry, says “More than anything, I hope you will appreciate better than the people who do not know us, that our integrity is not in question” . . . 808 State have combined both ‘Cübik’ and ‘Olympic State’ for their UK newie, confusingly labelled as ‘CübikOlympic808State’ (ZTT ZANG 5T), only received so far as a seven inch but due to have the fruity fart tones and ‘Dr Who’-type spacey synth prodded ‘Cübik’ in its Jimi Hendrix-like guitar introed and freaky effects outroed jerky Original Mix (123¾bpm) plus a Pan Am Mix (presumably the hot import Pan American Excursion version, which was a smoother 124¼bpm), flipped by the friskily melodic bleeping ‘Olympic State’ in a new attractive bell tinkled light Flutey Mix (122½bpm) plus a Euro Bass Mix (presumably the original promo’s driving house-ier Heavy Bass Euromix, 122¾bpm) . . . Prince ‘New Power Generation (LP Version)‘ (110¾-112bpm) (Paisley Park Records W9525T), the latest single from his ‘Graffiti Bridge’ album, has also only arrived on seven inch so far but is a good funkily lurching chantalong stomper, fluctuating in tempo — and if, as seems likely, the raucous Pt II (112¼-113¼bpm) is continuous, it climaxes even faster (with a ragged slow finish) . . . 2 Tuff ‘Slow Down‘ (96¾bpm) (eastwest YZ542T), the unhurried husky rap that combines ‘Hold On’ and ‘Ghetto Heaven’ among its familiar main elements and pays ’nuff respect to Soul II Soul for helping slow down dance rhythms again, was originally promoed back in June (with limited availability later) on an Intrigue pressing intended primarily for export to meet demand in Italy and Germany for its then B-side, ‘Tribute‘, a drily chatted plea for unity among rappers, included here in just its “whoo/yeah” prodded slinkily jaunty old reggae beats underpinned “Ska” Remix (106¾bpm), both now newly flipped by the Jazzie B-style rapped and girls cooed attractive sinuously pulsing ‘Elevate Your Mind‘ (101¼bpm) . . . Teena Marie’s ‘Since Day One (Remix)‘ (97bpm) (Epic 656429 6) is a perfect example of the type of quality soul that Kiss 100 fm is returning to popular prominence in London, usefully just as Teena returns to her typically wailing and scatting superb soul style of old, this Jazzie B produced track from her ‘Ivory’ album being a naggingly catchy gorgeous swooping and searing slinky jogger underpinned by Barry White’s ‘I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby’ bass and piano at times, out this week but promoed as a twinpack with its Instrumental (96¾bpm) on the other disc . . . Bristol’s FTP incremental radio station is now linked financially with the Chiltern Radio Network, whose lessons learnt in particular at black music orientated Horizon Radio and Choice FM seem likely to be passed on . . . Caroline Pead in a fortnight leaves Phonogram to handle dance music A&R and set up a DJ mailing list at the actual Virgin label, as opposed to the Associated Virgin Labels (AVL) division . . . Gwen Guthrie ‘Miss My Love’ (Reprise W9763), reviewed on import w/e September 22 and promoed as a US white label, is now out here . . . Nightmares On Wax’s fast selling ‘Aftermath’ is due also now in a remix by L.F.O. . . . Steve Eusebe is the featured vocalist with not only Sound Of Shoom but also Mr Monday, on the latter’s good ‘Pushing‘ B-side . . . Mr Monday actually is the debut release on DJs Judge Jules and Roy the Roach’s own label, Elevation Inc. . . . London’s Brown’s club, formerly Blitz, really has been blitzed — or at least apparently burnt out in a fire . . . Brian Gardner changes the pace with D.Stress Tuesdays starting this week (Oct 30) at Soho’s Wag Club, promising plenty of rare groove, soul, swingbeat and other slinky stuff but positively no house . . . Dean Thatcher, Mark Doyle, Normski and guests celebrate the second birthday of Freestyle this Thursday (Nov 1) at Ealing’s Haven Stables, where you’re likely to hear everything from Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Zoe, Young Disciples and the Soup Dragons to Tommy Roe’s ‘Dizzy’ (not forgetting The Aloof, eh Dean?!) . . . Paul Major promises a totally terrifying ‘Tunnel Of Horror’ leading all the way upstairs to Lowestoft’s Bluenotes II for his Hallowe’en party this Thursday (1), half price entry and cash prizes for fancy dressers . . . London’s gay Bolts has returned with DJ Norman Scott on Fridays to its old home, formerly Lazers but now called the Arena in Haringey’s Green Lanes, where stars like George Michael used to be regulars . . . Total Kaos with all sorts of fun, including fireworks and foghorns, is promised by DJ Sy, Micky Finn, DJ SS, MJP, DJ Chipie, Formation 5, Hardcore Trio, Yorkie and DJ Tony this Friday {2) at Leicester’s Spectrum “round the corner from the Helsinki”, while rather confusingly Johnny Walker reckons he’s headlining a Spectrum allniter this Saturday (3) at Leicester’s Oasis . . . The Scientist’s follow-up will be ‘The Bee‘, with a buzzzzzzing bee effect making the ultimate bleep! . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by DJ Streets Ahead and James Hamilton

GALLIANO ‘Welcome To The Story’
OLETA ADAMS ‘Rhythm Of Life’ (Rhythm Dub/Full Remix)
MUSTO AND BONES ‘Dangerous On The Dancefloor (Club Remix)’
ROZALLA ‘Born To Love Ya’
FATBACK BAND ‘Bus Stop (Remix)’
ALISON LIMERICK ‘Where Love Lives’ (Knuckles and Morales Mix/Red Zone Mix/Knuckles Mix)
DADDY FREDDY ‘Respect’
KINGS OF SWING ‘Nod Your Head To This (Norman Cook Remix)’
THE LIGHTNING SEEDS ‘Lightning Beats’ [All I Want (Extended Mix)]
2 FOR JOY ‘In A State (Juno Latuno Mix)’

HYPERSONIC ‘Dance-Tones’ (D-Zone Records DANCE 001, via 0708 727029)
Lacking details like the same label’s N-R Gee Posse/Ree-Venge promo double-sider, this fully released instant fast seller from Dance Zone Records is a “3,000 cycles per second” tone introed then thrumming and bleeping unhurried techno instrumental (124¼bpm), ending with another test tone that continues right around the run-out groove, while on the ‘Cübik’ prodded flip are slightly more hip house tempoed (124¾bpm) and fiercer siren filled (124¼bpm) treatments of the same tune, the siren again continuing through the run-out groove. The next big bleeper?

MENTAL CUBE ‘Chile Of The Bass Generation’ (118bpm) (Debut DEBTX 3104)
Driven by a thrashing drum and repetitively looped flute squawk, this variety filled funkily driving instrumental is underpinned by ever shifting bursts of rumbling and yowling low frequency oscillation as it builds through organ and wah wah guitar, making it refreshingly different and very fresh, flipped by the less essential blippy chugging ‘Q’ (119¼bpm) and short frantic ‘Dope Module‘ (138bpm).

RED BANDIT ‘I’m Back (Funk Mix)’ (99¾bpm) (Motown ZT 44138)
Starting with an amusingly (and misleadingly!) sexy answering machine greeting before mumbling rapper James Bowman leaves his message, which amounts to the song that follows, this P’funkily rumbling and slithering judderer is in fact his answer version to Lisa Stansfield’s ‘All Around The World’, and not only is addressed to Lisa in the lyrics but also actually samples brief phrases by her amidst the tumbling beats (less confused in its ‘Atomic Dog’-ish Funk Instrumental), the sparser pleasant gently wriggling Single Version (99½bpm) having more of Lisa herself. Continue reading “November 3, 1990: Hypersonic, Mental Cube, Red Bandit, Rebel M.C., Caveman”