Month: December 1990

BEATS & PIECES

CAPITAL FM in London as usual on New Year’s Eve (10pm-2am) will be broadcasting a continuously megamixed ‘Capital Houseparty’ tape, created once again by Les ‘LA. Mix’ Adams and Record Mirror‘s own James ‘MC Jammy Hammy’ Hamilton, the crucial party period immediately following midnight (which many DJs relay live) being a promised “Jive Bunny-free zone” (nothing wrong with them, there are just better alternatives this year!), featuring instead Mad Jocks ‘Auld Lang Syne’, Bombalurina ‘ltsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’, Mad Jocks ‘Jock Party Mix’, John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John ‘The Grease Megamix’, Blues Brothers ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’, Status Quo ‘The Anniversary Waltz (Parts 1 & 2)’, Jackie Wilson ‘Reet Petite’, Bobby Vinton ‘Blue Velvet’, Righteous Brothers ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’, before easing back into a groove via DNA featuring Suzanne Vega . . .

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / (Part 4 missing) / Part 5 / Part 6

London’s Kiss 100 fm, who 24 hours earlier (December 30, 11pm-1am) will have run down the best selling dance records of 1990, is launching an in-store The Westside Basement radio station at Piccadilly Circus’s Trocadero, manned 10am-8pm seven days a week by Tee Harris and a rota of the main station’s DJs . . . Greg Edwards has left Manchester’s Sunset Radio to take over in a couple of weeks as programme controller at North London’s incremental station WNK 103.3fm . . . Chep Nunez, the Dominican from 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman & A Dominican of 1987’s ‘Do It Properly’ fame, better known now as one of New York’s top remix tape editors, died two weekends ago in an apartment block fire, reportedly started out of malice by someone who had been evicted from the building Chep happened to be in . . . CBS will be called Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited as of January 1, 1991, when its dance department (covering all associated labels, like CBS, Epic, Def Jam, Ruthless, OBR, Solar, ral) becomes the CBS Dance Division, rather like AVL at Virgin . . . ffrr, responding to continued shop demand, have re-serviced the Steve Anderson Remix of Fatman featuring Stella Mae’s ‘Release Me’ (118bpm) (Cue Records FXR 140), the calmly rapped and wailed soulful hip house-ish jiggler that was first out during the summer, following its original Judge Jules & Roy The Roach mixes from back in the spring . . . Soho’s ‘Hippychick‘, recently huge in the US, is being reissued here in the new year . . . Jomanda’s ‘Share’, fully reviewed on import some time ago, appears now to be out here on the new Giant Records (YZ547T, via Warner Music UK) . . . Alexander O’Neal’s plaintively growled pleasant loping ‘All True Man‘ (circa 107bpm off cassette), flipped by the mumbling tender ‘Hang On‘ (76/38bpm ditto), is being released on Christmas Eve! . . . Paul Rutherford And Pressure Zone’s scatting Tammy Payne supported lovely breathily crooned jogging jazz-funky ‘That Moon‘ (Beat Farm Recordings BFR 001T, via 071-386 8934) is in Club, Radio, and Jazz Instrumental Mixes (101bpm), plus a different jerkily jolting dubwise ‘Swingin’ On (That Moon)‘ (101¼bpm), recorded at the group’s own Beat Farm studios in Soho . . . A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd’s frantic hip house ‘Freedom‘ (Tam Tam Records TIT 039), out this week, was white labelled in four unspecified mixes, 126½bpm including the instrumental flip’s techno alternative but not its second, funk riffs punctuated vigorously thrashing breakbeat treatment (some of the “free” repetition sounds like an edited “freeze” from Boney M’s ‘Ma Baker’!) . . . Mariah Carey’s Whitneyesque ‘Someday’ (US Columbia 44 73560), not perhaps the strongest of songs, is however remixed by Shep Pettibone in piano plonked striding New 12″ House, wriggling jiggly New 12″ Jackswing, early Eighties style New 7″ Straight, and (percapella!) self descriptive Pianoapercaloopapella versions (110bpm), coupled also by the smoochy ‘Alone In Love’ (69bpm) . . . The 28th St. Crew have joined fellow Clivilles & Cole created act C&C Music Factory on CBS too . . . Don White is building a DJ mailing list at Contagious Records, The Village Recorders, 4 The Midas Business Centre, Wantz Road, Dagenham, Essex RM10 8PS, first to be plugged being new act State Of The Rhythm . . . Andy Lysandrou (0831-277 376) and Danny Poli (0831-390 120) are building a DJ mailing list for their new Boogie Beat Records dance label, and want to hear especially from radio jocks . . . London’s Shaftesbury’s in Shaftesbury Avenue starts a weekly Colours night this Wednesday (19) with DJs Risky Business, Lenny Grooves, Kid Andy plus regular future guests DJ Spiker, Underground Technician, Hi Frequency, 2 Times, possibly Fabio and more . . . Nemesis 90 this Saturday (22), noon to midnight, at Leicester’s Granby Halls Leisure Centre promises Cyclone, 4 Hero, Ital Rockers, Juno and mix champ DJ Reckless live on stage, plus Fabio, The Grooverider, Carl Cox, DJ SS, Doc Scott, Keith Suckling, DJ Sy, MJP and more (£12.50 ticket details on 0533-627475) . . . Fabio will also be at Brighton’s Zap Club next Sunday (30), with Harvey, DJ Lix and Anton Yule for the first of a monthly in2dance night, following the Colin Hudd headlined one-off there just three nights earlier (Thursday 27) . . . DJs Ian Dark and Nick Warren spin 98 Proof funky soul grooves at Bristol’s Moon Club this (December 20) and alternate Thursdays . . . Mélange Sundays at Soho’s Gullivers in Gaston Street have upfront and ozone friendly dance DJs Steve Solo, KCC, Chris Bass and L.T.J. Bukem, this Sunday (23) with special guest jock from Detroit, Richie ‘Rich’ Hawtin . . . Belfast’s One World DJs Keith, Alan, David & Paul, hosting House/Euro/Balearic Sha-Boom! Fridays at Delaney’s in Lombard Street, are also at Belfast Art College on Boxing Day (Wednesday 26) . . . William Orbit’s sporadic new Ouch! club night will on New Year’s Eve be holding an outdoor beach party — at Hardrin, all the way in trendy Thailand (guest passes, but sadly no free airline tickets, on the Ouch! vibeline, 081-960 5236, quoting ref: “Ouch! Ouch! Aargh!”)! . . . The Big Bang on New Year’s Eve, 9pm-6am, is slightly nearer home, in Holland (at Breda’s Turfschip, £25 ticket details on 071-221 9943, likewise find your own way), with PAs by Fierce Ruling Diva, Liaison D, LFO and Xpansions among the many attractions, including — you guessed? — DJs Fabio and The Grooverider . . . The Video Pool (170a Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UH; ‘phone 071-602 5935, fax 071-602 4338) is now selling Karaoke programmes in VHS format for just £57.50, instantly useable on any video/TV link-up without the need to rent or buy one of the rival very expensive (though faster cueing) laser disc systems, each hour long video tape containing 15 professionally produced tracks (preceded by a countdown clock for cueing) with “bouncing ball”-type progressively colourized lyrics and a guide vocal which can be controlled by the DJ: the starter programme combines classic and current material including ‘Blue Velvet’, `Unchained Melody’, ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’, ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)’, ‘Groove Is In The Heart’, ‘U Can’t Touch This’, ‘Tom’s Diner’, ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ and ‘Birthday’, while programme two in the rapidly expanding series includes ‘Let’s Twist Again’, ‘It’s My Party’, ‘Hot Legs’, ‘Happy Talk’, ‘Nutbush City Limits’, ‘Fattie Bum Bum’, ‘The Smurf Song’, ‘I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ and ‘Bad’ — wheee, what fun! . . . DJs doing Christmas parties might find the following Beats Per Minute of use: Righteous Brothers ‘Unchained Melody’ (66bpm)/’You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’ (92½-97½bpm); Bobby Vinton ‘Blue Velvet’ (80¼bpm); Elton John ‘Sacrifice’ (55½bpm); Jimmy Somerville ‘To Love Somebody’ (76¾bpm)/Boilerhouse Remix (86½bpm); Rod Stewart & Tina Turner ‘It Takes Two’ (141¼bpm)/Extended Remix (127¾bpm); Belinda Carlisle ‘(We Want) The Same Thing (Extended Summer Remix)’ (131bpm)/’Summer Rain (Full Length/Justin Strauss Mixes)’ (128½bpm); E.M.F. ‘Unbelievable (Cin City Sex/7″ Mixes)’ (103¾bpm); The Proclaimers ‘King Of The Road’ (117-124bpm); Bombalurina featuring Timmy Mallett ‘Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) (12″ Remix/7″ Version)’ (132¾bpm); Pet Shop Boys ‘Being Boring (Extended Mix)’ (119¾bpm)/’So Hard (The KLF versus Pet Shop Boys)’ (118¾bpm); U2 ‘Night & Day (Twilight/Steel String Remixes)’ (118bpm); The Metal Gurus ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ (137½-140½bpm) . . . KOOL YULE, Y’ALL!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Chris Mellor

TPE (THAT PETROL EMOTION) ‘Tingle’ (Hard Bop Instrumental/Christmas In Kreuzberg Mix)
E CULTURE ‘Tribal Confusion’ / ‘Unification’
TONY RANSOM ‘In The Name Of Love’ (Club Mix/Hip Hop Mix)
TKEYLOW AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT ORCHESTRA ‘Could It Be I’m Falling In Love’ (House Version/Jah Love Mix)
DJS RULE ‘Serious EP Vol 1’ (‘Get Into The Music’ / ‘In Deep’ / ‘That’s It’ / ‘Makes Me Feel Sexy’)
ADMINISTRATORS ‘I’m In The Mood For Love’
DJ H FEATURING STEFY ‘Think About…’
MIMMO MIX ‘My Way’
DEUTSCHE ENGLISCHE FREUNDSCHAFT ‘The Works’ (‘Autobahn’)
MECHANIX ENTERPRISE ‘Let’s Get Down’ (Black Mother Mix/Power Mix)
DR UMBARDI ‘One Day We’ll All Be Free’

THE KLF ‘3 A.M. Eternal’ (KLF Communications KLF 005X)
Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty’s oldie from last year, like ‘What Time Is Love’ before it, has been completely revamped for January 7 reissue, now featuring rapper Ricardo and mournful title wailing Maxine Harvey in the new disjointedly introed then jiggly dense, droning, spurting and chugging Live At The S.S.L. (117¼bpm), with a sustained applause outro, and much brighter breezily striding Guns Of Mu Mu (120½bpm) remakes, the latter with a fuller vocal by Maxine and continuous “Ancients Of Mu Mu” chant, while a sort of firebell effect that rings through both mixes is more evident too.

MAD JOCKS featuring JOCKMASTER B.A. ‘Jock Party Mix’ (SMP SKMX 21, via Pinnacle)
Inarguably the 1990 festive season’s most useful party megamix, produced by Nigel Wright with on both sides the same tempo and “ah yeah” type clichés that he used also for Bombalurina’s ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’, this progressively accelerating medley of ‘The Conga’ (125¼)/’Knees Up Mother Brown’ (133)/’The Hokey Cokey’ (140-167bpm) has a 16 bar break between songs so that DJs can give voiced-over instructions to their dancers, while the flip’s Big Ben midnight chimes started (through a “wooh yeah” breakbeat) then bagpipes played ‘Auld Lang Syne‘ (126½bpm) is so good chat Les Adams and I have used it instead of a traditional version for Capital FM’s Houseparty on New Year’s Eve. It’ll date faster than ‘The Grease Megamix’, but for this year it’s essential!

ARTHUR MILES ‘Helping Hand (Incisive Remix)’ (106bpm) (ffrr FX 148)
Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery’s nephew, now domiciled in Italy, has deservedly caused an instant stir with this Pippo Landro produced superb mid-Seventies style tensely building jittery attractive swayer, mushily mumbled, throatily rasped and powerfully roared in nostalgic “soul” style, the gospel type chantalong chorus breaking into applause at the end, while on the flip is a slow Sam Cooke-ish then gloriously cantering cover version of A Way Of Life’s ‘Trippin’ On Your Love (Club Remix)‘ (119¾bpm). Will Downing, eat your heart out!

PSYCHOTROPIC ‘Hypnosis’ (118¼bpm) (O2 Records O2 002, via 081-690 7505)
An instantly massive seller, this catchily repeated organ-type synth chords underpinned percolating plinky bleeper shifts its emphasis from time to time as it builds an hypnotically nagging groove, flipped by the title squawking girl and air raid sirens punctuated more routinely techno ‘Get Your Thing Together‘ (122bpm), and “Bobby Lynett and his orchestra” announcement repeating more frenetically churning ‘Bobby Lynett‘ (123¾bpm). Continue reading “December 22, 1990: The KLF, Mad Jocks/Jockmaster B.A., Arthur Miles, Psychotropic, A Tribe Called Quest”

BEATS & PIECES

REVIEWED THREE weeks ago as ‘Love Odyssey’ by Where — and since charted variously as ‘Where’ by Love Odyssey and ‘Love Odyssey’ by Icehouse! — the above uninformatively labelled mystery track turns out to be the Rockhouse Love Odyssey Mix of Maureen’s now properly promoed ‘Where Has All The Love Gone’ (122¾-122½bpm), out on Urban at the very end of the year, which merely adds attractive nasal wailing to become the A-side’s main vocal Rockhouse Mecca Mix . . . Graeme Park’s much speeded up (and how, from its original 89bpm!) although still unhurried steadily clonking 110bpm Twilight Mix of Less Stress (featuring Katherine Wood)’s ‘Don’t Dream Its Over’ (Boy’s Own Productions BOIXR 4) has been so much in demand that it has apparently been bootlegged before ffrr could get their official pressing out . . . PKA ‘Let Me Hear You (Say Yeah) (Bass Bins At Dawn Mix)‘ (119¾bpm), reviewed off white label last week, is now out properly on Stress (SST 1) — which more “hardcore” logo is paired with the pop aimed fbi as the Disco Mix Club’s two new commercial outlets — flipped by the cheekily titled ‘Blipsync‘ (129¾bpm), a silly little bleep adaptation of (geddit?) Lipps, Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’! . . . M.C. Hammer’s unremixed much more ‘When Doves Cry’-like Radio Edit (121¼bpm) is flipped on seven inch by a Junior Vasquez & Shep Pettibone remixed wrigglier Jam The Hammer Mix (119¾bpm) that isn’t on the UK 12 inch, making the smaller format to my mind the better buy . . . York based Thomas Taylor’s “musician friendly” Lendaneer Music label, to be launched in January, optimistically promises that it will be a major chart force and proposes to charge a £40 registration fee (“to cut out the time wasters”) for its DJ mailing list, reckoning on servicing records and videos by brand new acts every week — send a stamped self-addressed envelope for details to Graham Cambridge at Lendaneer Music, 48 Linton Street, York YO2 4SA . . . Rushden based Full Effect Promotions, recently mentioned as building a DJ mailing list, have no connection with the London based business of the same name (new address PO Box 1823, London W10 4NA; ‘phone 081-969 1814, fax 081-9684184), already well established having done dance promotion for the likes of RePublic Records, WARP/Outer Rhythm and Bassic . . . Nomad featuring Sharon Dee Clarke give you devotion at Brixton’s The Fridge this Saturday (15) . . . Botany 5 should be PA-ing at a Space allniter on Boxing Day (December 26) in Glasgow’s The Champion Club (Oswald Street), with top local DJs Toni Scott, Stewart & Orde, Haul, Lars and Richard . . . Colin Hudd, Markie Mark, DJ Lix and Anton Yule bug out with live percussion, singers, dancers and visuals at an in2dance special in Brighton’s Zap Club on Thursday, December 27 . . . DJs Dick Tracy and Gordon meanwhile host Grooveyard Fridays at Brighton’s Escape Club . . . Leland did it, if you believe in dreams . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Paul Gotel

HEAVY SHIFT ‘Come Alive (Reanimating Remix)’
THE TYRREL CORPORATION ‘6 O’Clock’ (Philadelphia Mix/Anthem Mix)
BAD GROOVE ‘Bad Groove’
RHYTHM DOCTOR ‘Phuture’ / ‘Mister’
BEVERLEE ‘Set Me Free’ (The Tribe Mix/Rollin Rap)
MARIAH CAREY ‘Someday’ (New House Mix)
BOULEVARD MOSSE ‘U Can’t Escape The Hypeness’
RHYTHM FACTORY ‘Gotta Have Your Own Style’
EVOLUTION ‘Came Outa Nowhere’
PAUL RUTHERFORD WITH PRESSURE ZONE ‘That Moon’ (Club Mix)
RED NINJA (white label)
A HOMEBOY, A HIPPIE AND A FUNKI DREDD ‘Freedom’ (mixes)
U2 ‘Night And Day’ (Twilight Remix/Steely String Mix)
GAIL ‘N’ JAMES ‘I Don’t Care’

OFF-SHORE ‘I Can’t Take The Power’ (CBS 656570 6)
Created by top German club jocks Jens ‘Jelly’ Lissat & Peter Harder, this simple friskily pounding piano plonked Italo house-meets-Snap type instrumental thumper (hinting at, without actually quoting, the female title line from ‘The Power’) is finally out here in Riva (123¼bpm), Aronow and Dub (123¾bpm) Mixes, having been around for ages as a bootleg — possibly several times over, certainly one illegal version being coupled by “Action” AJ’s ‘The Action’ (see below).

SUBJECT: 13 ‘Eternity’ (Vinyl Solution STORM 23, via SRD)
Penned by David ‘D-Boy’ Stewart with production help from Secret Desire’s Danny O’Shea plus J. Saul Kane, this jittery exciting rave instrumental whips bleeps, low frequencies and flying funky drumbeats into frantically phased and scrubbed Spiritual Club (125¾-125½bpm), Spiritual Dub (125¼bpm), and rapping Breakdown (125½-125¼bpm) Mixes, yet another sizzling stormer from the label.

THE GREASE MEGAMIX featuring JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN ‘You’re The One That I Want (125-214¼)/Greased Lightning (159¼)/Summer Nights’ (125-46½bpm) (Polydor/PWL Records PZ 114)
Brilliantly blended by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow, this exceptionally smooth segue of the biggest hits from the movie ‘Grease’ is a must for mobiles, and all sorts of other jocks at this time of year! Continue reading “December 15, 1990: Off-Shore, Subject: 13, The Grease Megamix, Doug Lazy, Frank “K”/Wiston Office”

BEATS & PIECES

4 HERO, despite already having the biggest selling house hit, hope also to see off a sudden rash of rival cash-ins by totally revamping their own ‘Mr. Kirk’s Nightmare’ as an alternative bassier drum fluttered ‘Kirk’s Back‘ remix, now with less emphatic integration of the actual “Mr Kirk” dialogue (the source of which they’re keeping secret!), this remix like the original being debuted as a Kiss 100 fm exclusive on Steve ‘Jacko’ Jackson’s house show . . . Roots # Soul’s untitled canterer on the flip of ‘Mr Kirk vs The Real Bassline’, reviewed last week, is 124½bpm — the lack of a title to put the Beats Per Minute figure behind made me forget it! . . . Graeme Park is now revealed as having created Black Box’s ‘The Total Mix’ (reviewed last week, out this), and Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley the flip’s ‘I Don’t Know Anybody Else’ US remix . . . Francois Kevorkian’s smash-bound bleeping and striding ‘Situation ’90‘ remix (118½bpm) of 1982’s Alison Moyet wailed classic Yazoo ‘Situation’ (Mute YAZ 4) — with a video that just consists of a psychedelic lightshow! — has his old 1982 US Remix (118½bpm) too plus Youth’s alternative new fluttery tumbling The Aggressive Attitude Mix (119¼bpm), and Paul DaKeyne’s synth burbled ‘State Farm (Play-Doh Dub)‘ (119½bpm) . . . Chris Peat & Mark Archer, Stafford’s C&M Connection, follow their recent success as Altern 8 by reverting to their best known Nexus 21 identity for the 33⅓rpm ‘Progressive Logic EP’ (Network NWKT 15), hottest for a bassily thrummed Mr Whippy Remix (126¼bpm) of their kinda ice cream van chimed ‘Self Hypnosis’ proto bleeper — its more breezily bleeping original (124¾bpm), from a ‘biorhythm’ compilation album, was only ever 12-inched as a much sought after promo (Network 810 DJ1) flipped by their Paris Grey ‘Don’t Lead Me (2001 Version)‘ remix (121¾bpm) — the new four track EP also having the girl cooed Rhythim Is Rhythim ‘Wiggin’ sampling jerky washing machine style ‘Real Love (Obsession)‘ (125¼bpm), twittery scampering ‘Together‘ (125bpm), and piano jangled then jittery bleeping ‘Techno Symphony‘ (122bpm) . . . Eternal has promoed The Basement Boys present Ultra Naté ‘Scandal‘ (119½bpm), a jaunty garage skipper that has already built a buzz in New York from club play by Tony Humphries but is not due commercially here until January 28, when it will make up just one “underground” side of her next single, flipped however until then by its instrumental Hump Mix plus the steadily decelerating old Piano Mix of ‘It’s Over Now’ (118¼-116bpm) . . . A&M has signed up Jam & Lewis’s label Flyte Tyme and all its acts, plus possibly the Tabu logo too in the future, but excluding Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal for the time being . . . South London rapper Einstein has been recruited to join Technotronic, along with new girl Melissa, both replacing the now solo MC Eric and temporarily pregnant Ya Kid K . . . POP Promotions are flogging off (for only a fiver, full details on 081-968 8459) a few original US pressings of 1986’s Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk mixed The Source featuring Candi Staton ‘You Got The Love‘, original inspiration behind Paul Simpson’s ‘Musical Freedom’, ahead of full legal release (with remixes) in the new year of the marriage between its a cappella version and Frankie Knuckles’ Your Love’ that was previously white labelled as “Truelove” . . . Graham Gold is following The Video Pool’s lead by also listing the Beats Per Minute (calculated likewise off the finished video) on his monthly ‘Club Clips’ video compilations, which have always been sequenced in BPM running order anyway, the latest just completed edition being particularly up to date, he claims — subscription details for bona fide disco operators from Diamond Time on 071-433 3355 . . . Brian Mason is looking for an enthusiastic female DJ to warm up for him Fri/Saturdays at Cricklewood’s Ashtons (low pay but useful experience) — contact Mike Byrne at the venue on 081-452 1415 . . . Jeff Young’s very last live DJ-ing gig (unless something else crops up before Christmas, he says!) looks like having been his guest spot last Monday at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard, a night to remember after 18 years of jocking — from now on, he’ll be getting some sleep the better to concentrate on his “proper job” at A&M! — while the day after his very last BBC Radio 1 show on December 28 he’s off to India for a tiger hunt (only shooting film!) . . . Tim Westwood, in addition to his long established Saturday evening 8-10pm rap show on London’s Capital FM, earlier on Saturday morning (really, Friday night) from midnight to 4am also hosts what he reckons is an even more kickin’ four hour rap and ragga jam with live guests and scratch mixing, in the studio with him this week being Shabba Ranks and Nigel Benn . . . Adelaide, Australia, club DJ Jim Hadzantonis is desperate (on 010-61-8 298 4182) to trace Princess for an interview on his Radio 5MMM soul show — if anyone knows her, or brother Don Heslop, please put them in touch . . . Dave Haslam, following his dramatic resignation from the Hacienda in October after four and a half years, has started his own Freedom Saturdays at Manchester’s Boardwalk, presenting eclectic upfront music with positively no “summer of love” nostalgia . . . Kamikazee One 85 maybe should cover ‘Death Of The Kamikazeel . . . Laura Palmer’s murderer is finally revealed only during a dream, thus leaving it open for a further series of ‘Twin Peaks’ . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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HOT VINYL

MADONNA ‘Justify My Love (Remix)’ (99½bpm) (Sire/Warner Bros W9000T)
With an intro on 12-inch that’s definitely not for airplay (naughty girl, just like at Wembley!), William Orbit’s remix, probably the first here of several, is a mumbling, groaning and panting steamy judderer that’s very different from the Lenny Kravitz created original less slinkily jogging 7″ Edit, joined on the flip by Shep Pettibone’s twittery lurching ‘Express Yourself (Shep’s ‘spressin’ Himself Re-Remix)‘ (115½bpm).

CEYBIL ‘Love So Special’ (Atlantic A7779T)
By a nasally wailing lady pronounced “Say-bill” (although her real name is Sybil Jeffries), this “spec-special” repeating guy and piping organ chords prodded terrific madly jaunty little R&B jumper is finally out here — after being promoed for the last two months just in Tony Humphries’ Original Underground Club Mix (121½bpm), which now surprisingly is only available on seven inch as B-side to the Remix Edit! — on 12 inch in Tony’s Extended Remix and instrumental Funky Bass Mix (119¾bpm), and Original Underground Club Dub (120¾bpm) versions. It should be a smash, but, at this time of year, who knows?

P.K.A. ‘Let Me Hear You (Say Yeah)’ (120bpm) (PKA 1)
Massive in Manchester already as a single-sided white label, this ambient synth introed then jaunty bleeps jittered chugging and surging electro skipper has bursts of title line call and answer, “right here right now” repeating girls, jangling piano, throbbing bass and even some rock guitar, and is sure to be huge when fully released soon on Stress Records (with an unheard flip called ‘Blipsync‘). Continue reading “December 8, 1990: Madonna, Ceybil, P.K.A., C&C Music Factory/Freedom Williams, C.F.M. Band”

BEATS & PIECES

THIS COLUMN was the first to reveal back in October 1988, after I’d met him in Hamburg, that the rapping on ‘Girl You Know It’s True’ was actually by Charles Edward Shaw (from Houston, Texas, although based since 1978 in Mannheim, Germany), who is currently being named as one of the anonymous real vocalists behind Milli Vanilli now that their producer Frank Farian finally has confessed what has been suspected for the last two years, that prettily dreadlocked Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan. despite fronting the group with their fancy dance steps, never in fact sang a single note on any of their recordings — Farian reportedly said he was forced to disclose the deception when the duo insisted on singing their next single . . . Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom’s terrifically infectious ‘(I Wanna Give You) Devotion‘ has been deleted already after only two weeks of full release, but is scheduled for early January reissue in additional new mixes, Rumour Records reckoning that — despite rave reaction for the original — it was getting buried by the seasonal build-up of big name, disco megamix, and gimmick hits (new promos should be due before Christmas) . . . Double Dee featuring Dany’s ultra catchily galloping ‘Found Love’, now it’s out here (Epic 656376 6), is in its US released vigorously thumping Caipirina and slow starting more soulful MoZ-Art Remixes (123¾bpm), friskily leaping percussive International Mix (125bpm), plus the original Italian pressing’s retitled sparsely thundering Found Dub (124¼bpm) . . . Champion owner Mel Medalie obviously read the message to A&R men etched in the actual vinyl of D-Zone Records’ pressing, because he has snapped up and already rushed out Bassix’s ‘Close Encounters‘ (CHAMP 12-270), as before in Club, Bassix and Dub Mixes (now all 124¼bpm) . . . Massonix’s recently reviewed ‘Just A Little Bit More‘, now it’s out commercially (Noise Records NNR 512, via Rough Trade), is in speeded up more beefily remixed Denise Johnson Vocal (95½bpm) and Radio (93½bpm) Mixes, plus its original Electro Instrumental Mix (93¼bpm), coupled (without any Barrington Stewart) by the wukka-wukked jaggedly jangling instrumental ‘R.O.2.R.’ (121bpm) . . . Less Stress’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ seems naggingly familiar because of course it was originally a hit by Crowded House . . . Steve Wolfe has taken over club promotion at A&M, as well as dance music A&R there, now that Bob Masters just handles radio promotion . . . Maria Whittaker has been signed by Slamm Records (one of Urban/Polydor’s new dance labels), which may be why she was checkin’ the scene at the Prestatyn weekender! . . . Teddy Riley, apparently now no longer partnered by Gene Griffin, is starting his own The Future label . . . Network/Kool Kat owner Neil Rushton has opened a recording studio and office complex on Hudson Street in New York, base also of the new Hudson Street Productions who have already signed Pandella, Keia Weiss, and the cleverly named 2-NYC (“too nice”) . . . Lenny D, currently in London for a couple of weeks, during which he’ll be jocking at (amongst others) Soho’s Brain this Friday (Nov 30) and Colchester’s The Institute this Saturday (Dec 1), is open for remixing offers at Orinoco Mix on 071-232 0008 . . . Nexus 21 in turn tour the US during January, playing in New York, Detroit, Chicago. Dallas and Los Angeles . . . Capital FM presenter Mick Brown reports that as Mick & Pat’s ‘Use It Up And Wear It Out’ is currently at number four on a Boston radio station, it could become a US hit . . . Starpoint (Weekend) Radio this weekend celebrates its fifth birthday before closing down soon on 93.2fm to campaign instead for a legal black music radio licence in the Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead area . . . Eastern Bloc have defected, or, rather, moved as of this Wednesday (28) into two new side by side shops at 5/6 Central Buildings in Oldham Street, Manchester, one stocking all types of dance and the other both UK and US indie material . . . Max and Dave (not the Hardrock Soul Movement!) are running a branch of Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre from an outdoor stall every Saturday in Ealing Broadway Market (behind the Cannon cinema), stocking upfront newies and exclusive rarities . . . Rocky & Diesel, Steve Lee and Brandon Block this Thursday (29) Break Free! at the Basement on Shepherds Bush Green . . . The Farm play live with Terry Farley, Johnny Walker and Phil Perry at Nottingham’s Venus this Friday (30) . . . Soul II Soul have left their residency at Brixton’s The Fridge, where instead Rose Windross and Ralph Chillin co-host Fridays as of this week . . . Soul II Soul, Rebel MC, Loose Ends, Deee-Lite, Unique 3, MA.C., Donna Gardier, Blue Pearl and T.D.C. all have remixes out . . . David Lynch & Angelo Badalamenti’s haunting smoochy ‘Twin Peaks Theme‘, the preferable instrumental flip of Julee Cruise’s ‘Falling‘ (Warner Bros W9544T), at around 36bpm might synch nicely over a 71¾bpm funky drummer track if such exists but in any case is real ambient — how long before someone does get around to recording it with an added rhythm? . . . DAMN’ FINE!

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THE YOUNG ONE RETIRES

Jeff Young, who presents Radio 1’s The Big Beat show every Friday, is to retire from DJ-ing completely at the end of the year to concentrate on his role as Head of A&R for A&M Records. Jeff has presented The Big Beat, the only national dance music programme, since it began three years ago, establishing it as essential listening for dance fans across the country. Pete Tong, who for the past three years has presented Capital Radio’s The Session show, has been appointed to take over presentation of The Big Beat from the beginning of January.

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Graeme Park and James Hamilton

SIKE ‘Hit ‘Em Wit Dat’ / ‘Merge’ / ‘Intrigue’ / ‘Miditrip’
SNAP ‘Mary Had A Little Boy’
KENYATTA ‘I Wanna Do Something Freaky For You’ / ‘Good Vibes’
BELOVED Blissed Out EP: ‘Up Up And Away (Happy Sexy Mix)’ / ‘Wake Up Soon (Something To Believe In)’ / ‘Pablo (Special K Dub)’
DR TIMOTHY LEARY MEETS THE GRID ‘Origins Of Dance’
NEXUS 21 ‘Self Hypnosis’ / ‘Real Love’ / ‘Together’ / ‘Techno Symphony’
TEN CITY ‘Superficial People (Superficiality Remix)’
THE TODD TERRY PROJECT ‘If You Wanna Ride Kick Another Dope Rhyme’
YAZOO ‘Situation (Aggressive Attitude Mix)’ (Youth) / ‘Situation ‘90’ (Remix)’ (Francis Kevorkian) / ‘Situation (1982 US Remix)’ / ‘State Farm (Play-Doh Dub)’ (Paul Dakeyne)
TEST DEPARTMENT ‘Pax Americana’
PET SHOP BOYS ‘Being Boring (Remix)’ (Marshall Jefferson) / ‘We All Feel Better In The Dark (After Hours Climax)’ (Brothers In Rhythm)

KC FLIGHTT ‘Jump For Joy’ (US RCA/Popular 2629-1-RD)
The hip house pioneering rapper returns with this frenetically scurrying nervy galloper in Club Mix, Underground Dub (125½bpm) and Airwave Mix (125¾bpm), coupled also by the (surely older?) girls prodded wrigglier then sultry reggae dubwise halftempo ‘Hot Days Of Summer’ (126bpm).

4 HERO ‘Combat Dancin” (Reinforced RIVET 1203, via Pacific)
Introed and punctuated by chilling “Mr Kirk?” “Yes” “Your son is dead” “Dead? H-h-how?” “He died of an overdose, come down to the station house” dialogue that I can remember already having detailed in full several years ago (but of course I cannot remember now what it was from then!), the instant smash from this three tracker is the bleeping and booming ‘Mr. Kirk’s Nightmare’ (123½bpm), an obvious attention grabber that has exploded following Kiss 100 fm play, flipped by the bass farted funky drummered rapping ‘Move Wid The House Groove‘ (113bpm), and samples woven derivative sparse disjointed jittery ‘Combat Dance‘ (121½bpm). Meanwhile, there’s already a rival frequency response test introed then “Mr Kirk” dialogue repeating, bleeps and low frequencies filled

ROOTS # SOUL ‘Mr Kirk vs The Real Bassline’ (119¾bpm) (SBP 003),
white labelled with an untitled good bleeps and bass farts woven light tuneful instrumental canterer as flip. Continue reading “December 1, 1990: KC Flightt, 4 Hero, Cyclone, Seal, Innocence”