Due to the poor quality scan of this week’s column, some of the BPM fractions could not be deciphered, so in these cases they have been replaced with ½.
ODDS ‘N’ BODS
Stock Aitken Waterman’s ‘Roadblock’, which has exploded in New York City on WBLS (without actually having a US label yet!), is here now also flipped by a sizzling 0-99½bpm Rare Dub (Breakout USAT 611), cutting in bits from such as ‘Hustlers’ Convention’, ‘The Bugga Groove’, ‘Get Busy’, Paul Scott’s ‘Off The Wall’, Moonfou’s ‘Shut Up’ and, of course, the exhortations of James Brown and Bobby Byrd … BBC2 next Wednesday (August 5) at 7.30pm in the ‘Open Space’ slot are screening ‘Bad Meaning Good’, a documentary about London’s hip hop scene with Run-DMC, Tim Westwood, London Posse, Cookie Crew and many more – Tim Westwood, incidentally, is running a free admission open air jam on Wormwood Scrubs Common every Sunday afternoon, with two more to go … New York’s New Music Seminar sounds to have been much as usual, bad feeling surrounding the win by Cash Money (who scratched using his belly) over LA’s DJ Cooley in the DJ competition, while a secret ballot had to decide the rapping result, Melle Mel being awarded the belt by his peers for a tired performance whereas King Sun only came second following blistering extemporised raps about each of the judges (last year’s winner Grandmaster Caz came third, Roxanne Shanté being barred in case her bad language upset puritanical judge Kurtis Blow again!) … Gail King evidently impressed everyone with her def mixing at Stringfellows, of all places, during an Epic-hosted party the dance night at new “in” spot 1018 being shambolically over-crowded in typical New York style, while the planned British Dance Music Gala had to be postponed until next year’s Seminar following too many last minute snags … T-Coy’s ‘Carino’, the ‘Set It Off’-ish house hustler co-created by Manchester Hacienda DJ (and rm chart contributor) Mike Pickering, is now in an improved 115bpm Hot Remix (deConstruction Records M 263), flipped by 114½bpm Loco and Nude Mixes which have much less of the fiery Latin piano … Paul Johnson’s ‘Are We Strong Enough’ has already been circulated as a blander 104bpm Godwin Logie Remix (CBS PJOHN O3) … Capitol have preceded the first in their new ‘Capitol Collectables’ compilation LP series with a pair of promo-only and thus even more collectable 12 inchers, coupling Peggi Blu’s ‘Tender Moments’/O’Jays ‘Don’t Take Your Love Away’ and Cheryl Lynn ‘If You Were Mine’/Beau Williams ‘All Because Of You’, this last track in a brand new unreleased 108½bpm remix which makes it hottest of the lot … CBS are attempting to relaunch, now that it’s finally huge in the US, the 98bpm David ‘Pic’ Conley’s second remix of Surface ‘Happy’ … Sybil ‘My Love Is Guaranteed’, promoed ahead of August 10 release, is a jerky 118¾bpm canterer made almost Hi-NRG by its Ian Levine-type tinny “brass” and electronic rhythm … Brian Chin, my opposite number at US trade paper Billboard, has become A&R head of the Profile label … Virgin have signed Mantronix for the world, away from Sleeping Bag Records even in the USA … Mike Allen may be doing less on Capital Radio now, but instead he seems to be getting into CB … Tony Prince co-hosted a Le Palais, Hammersmith launch party for the Paul Dakeyne-mixed ‘Sixties Mix’ LP, on Stylus, with such veteran stars as Brian Poole, Cliff Bennett, Billie Davis, Screaming Lord Sutch, Mike Sarne, Dave Dee, Denny Laine, Clem Curtis … Millie’s 131½-130¾bpm Jamaica ska classic from 1964, ‘My Boy Lollipop’ has been reissued on probably the shortest 12 inch A-side ever at under two minutes (Island 12WIP 6574), other current pop party pleasers include the Ritchie Valens Mexican knees-up reviving 154½-156-156½-122bpm Los Lobos ‘La Bamba’ (London LASHX 13) and, of course, the frantic 192-190bpm Jackie Wilson’s ‘Higher And Higher’ (SMP SKM 12 10) … Jean Carn sings on Grover Washington Jr’s jazzy new import LP, Xavier Gold being the female vocalist for Ralphi Rosario … Sherrick’s review last week somehow got garbled, WEA servicing jocks with both the 12 inch and the original seven inch, as so many prefer the latter’s mix … Rick Astley turns out to be a surprisingly young looking redhead, possibly against the evidence of his mature voice … LA Mix’s ‘Don’t Stop (Jammin’)’ looks like making the Philly groove rare again … Alan Coulthard is now a fully qualified barrister, his first brief being to represent his colleagues at the Disco Mix Club in copyright law matters … Chad Jackson and world mixing runner-up Joe Rodriguez are touring France together in a megamix package … Derek B cuts ‘em up at Camden Town Dingwalls’ Across The Tracks this Thursday (July 30), when Epping Forest Country Club’s reopening is an underwear party with two rooms of fun and funk featuring such as Mick Brown, Roberto and Toni Forzoni, DJ Curtis … Sunday (Aug 2) Odyssey appear at Dublin’s gay Flikkers for a wear white night … Peter Sievewright proves it isn’t all Hi-NRG in Scotland (hee hee!), getting great reaction at Perth Yorky’s to James Brown’s ‘Honky Tonk’ from 1972, not the rarest of grooves maybe … Kev Ashton (Newquay Frizzbys/Tall Trees) says Cornish jocks are fed up with patronising tourists asking “Have you heard of house music?” and then requesting ‘Palpitation’ or ‘Power Station’ by the House Master Boyz! … Def Jam have made some rather saucy white shorts to promote the Beastie Boys’ ‘She’s On It’, which makes a change from T-shirts … I wonder how many people remember that the Gap Band’s ‘Oops Up Side Your Head’ was originally titled in 1979 ‘I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops Up Side Your Head)’? … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
Michael Jackson at last releases his album ‘Bad’ on September 1, its first single (serviced initially on seven inch) being out now, ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ (Epic 650202 7). Featuring that busy duettist, Siedah Garrett, it’s a gently pulsing 0-50/100 (99¼)bpm romantic swayer with an amusingly self-satirising tenderly whispered start – or is he actually being serious? Michael wrote eight of the Quincy Jones-produced album’s 10 songs, and duets with Stevie Wonder (on one that he didn’t write). Can you wait?
HOT VINYL
ALEXANDER O’NEAL ‘Hearsay’ LP (Tabu 450936 1)
Party chatter and instrumental doodles confusingly (for DJs) intersperse many of the tracks on this eagerly anticipated and otherwise consistently strong Jam & Lewis-created set, Cherrelle duetting the gorgeous easily swaying 0-104-0bpm ‘Never Knew Love Like This’ with their voices complementing each other just as perfectly as on ‘Saturday Love’, big Alex sounding typical on the swaying (0-)101½-0bpm title track, tranquil cool (0-)69½-0bpm ‘Sunshine’, gently drifting 56½-0bpm ‘Crying Overtime’, Isleys-ish slinky (0-)81-0bpm ‘When The Party’s Over’, Janet-ish pumping (0-)115½-0bpm ‘What Can I Say (To Make You Love Me)’, rolling (0-)105-0bpm ‘The Lovers’ already known 112½-0bpm ‘Fake’, smoothly burbling 116½bpm ‘Criticize’.
NITRO DELUXE ‘Let’s Get Brutal (Mega Mix)’ (Cooltempo COOLD 142)
Cooltempo continue trying to crossover this the year’s biggest house tune, so far as club reaction rather than pop chart success has been concerned, now dropping ‘The/This Brutal House’ in favour of its original US couplings (here as 114⅔-115-114¾-115bpm flip) given an all new and quite altered 116¾-116½-116⅔-116½-116¾bpm bass burbled jerkily rolling remix with added muttering and effects but, like ‘The Brutal Mix’ before it, not much of the ultra-catchy piercing “whee-ee” hookline.
Due to the poor quality scan of this week’s column, some of the BPM fractions could not be deciphered, so in these cases they have been replaced with ½.
ODDS ‘N’ BODS
Freddie Bastone’s complete revamp of The Temptations’ ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’ (due imminently) really is a killer, only the vocal and a few instrumental elements remaining from the original eight-track recording, Freddie boosting the remix to 24 tracks with totally new rhythms – and he’s also been doing the same for Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ … Atlantic has circulated a strangely promo-only brilliant Pete Hammond-created 171⅓-144-123-121½-120½-124½-171⅓bpm megamix, with background party chatter and some James Brown cut-ins, of Arthur Conley ‘Sweet Soul Music’/Don Covay ‘See Saw’/Aretha Franklin ‘Respect’/Sam & Dave ‘Soul Man’/Wilson Pickett ‘In The Midnight Hour’, hopefully commercial one day … US pressings of the Public Enemy 12 inch include an extra instrumental version of the beat-cutting hot ‘Rebel Without A Pause’, too … Joyce Sims’ ‘Lifetime Love’ now appears to be flipped by an appropriately “jacked up” House Mix, which some may find useful … Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley has done a remix of Pseudo Echo’s great guitar-rocked 127½bpm pop revival of ‘Funky Town’ … Vaneese Thomas’s eponymous ‘Vaneese’ LP is already out here (Geffen Records K9241411) … Morgan Khan has signed the American Macola Record Co label for a worldwide deal … Horizon Radio International, a legal company now based in Gibraltar, is setting up a radio station in Spain with massive financial backing and has no connection with a new pirate station in London that’s passing itself off under the old Horizon name, falsely quoting founding director Chris Stewart’s name when trying to sell advertising … Mike Allen’s hip hop shows seem to have slipped quietly off Capital Radio’s schedule, a shame – he had become the current young generation’s Alan Freeman … Greg Edwards, also on Capital, did a stunning segue between Janet Jackson ‘Nasty’ and Terence Trent D’Arby ‘Wishing Well’, not the most similar of records on first impression … Friday (July 24) Steve Walsh joins Rick Davis at Uxbridge Regals, with a PA by David Grant too, before joining Jeff Thomas at Swansea Martha’s Vineyard on Monday (27) … Sunday (July 25) sees Robbie Vincent souling Walthamstow Racers, Chris Brown and Johnny Walker souling London Argyle Street’s Gazebo (by the Palladium), and a massive Fred Astaire tribute complete with filmclips and Pete Tong, Nicky Holloway, Gilles Peterson, Bob Jones and the usual crew at Northfleet Red Lion’s Slammer … Radio Orwell’s Busta Brooker and Essex Radio’s Dave Gregory headline a beach party all-dayer on Sunday (July 26) at Clacton-on-Sea Oscars … Epping Forest Country Club reopens after its fire next Thursday (July 30), with Gary Smith there that night weekly … The Castle Beat turns out apparently to have some connection with Prince Charles & The City Beat Band … Expansion Records have recorded a four-track single in Miami by the JBs featuring Mickey Murray … John Saint-Laurent (Winchester) points out that Alexander O’Neal’s ‘Fake’ and One Way’s ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ are awfully similar, and can be made to sync like a bitch (as we DJs put it!) … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
HOT VINYL
LILLO THOMAS ‘Downtown (Remix)’ (Capitol 12CL 453)
Remixed exotically wriggly 101⅔-0bpm jitterer once a bit like ‘All Night Long (All Night)’ but now possibly over-full of digital chipmunks and chirrups, although the rhythm remains good (seven inch version flip, and 114-0bpm ‘I’m In Love (Remix)’).
JAMES KING ‘Memory’ (Expansion Records EXPAND 8)
Fabulous uplifting infectious fluidly bounding 121½-121¼bpm real soul flier by the sometime leader of Philadelphia vocal group the Futures, full of timeless quality, flipped by the easily rolling 109½bpm ‘Easy Love’ and smoochy 72¼bpm ‘The Sorrow, The Pain’, just as soulful. You’ll play it again and again!
RICK ASTLEY ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (RCA PT41448)
And now Stock Aitken Waterman recreate the Seventies Philly soul sound, sort of, for this catchily striding facile 113½bpm canterer with hustling hi-hats and rich baritone singing by the Rick of Rick And Lisa (inst/edit flip), tipped by many as a smash. Continue reading “July 25, 1987: Lillo Thomas, James King, Rick Astley, Sherrick, Roxanne Shanté”
‘Just Call‘, the hot import seven inch by Sherrick (which should have been printed as lead review last week) is indeed now on UK promo 12 inch in two extended remixes, the pausing and slowly fading 112bpm Hot Line Mix, and trickily introed but more subtly soulful thunderthumbed (0-)112bpm Collect Call Mix, neither however necessarily improving on the original (which, just for the record, WEA’s disco plugger Fred Dove points out was actually circulated on the ‘Spring In The Air’ promo cassette at the beginning of February!) … Urban, amidst doubts that it’ll be commercially released, have promoed with great chart success a Nigel Wright-produced strong house-ish 125¼bpm treatment of the ‘James Bond’ theme, Jax ‘007 Licensed To Chill’ (URBX 6), complete with effects and dialogue including what sounds the Capital Radio DJ John Sachs’ usual impersonation of Sean Connery! … Club similarly have promoed, just on seven inch to gauge reaction, Jeff Lorber’s pleasantly duetted 79bpm ‘Back In Love‘ and drifting 97⅓bpm ‘Keep On Lovin’ Her‘ … Total Contrast will be plugging their Timmy Regisford-remixed sparsely pattering and snapping emphatically lurching 119¼bpm ‘Jody‘, due at the end of the month, by undertaking an exhaustive 44 date national PA tour — amidst which a couple of dates are suddenly reavailable, contact Steve Woolfe on 0474 327061 … Virgin, still trying to create interest in their London-based duo Well Red, have circulated import promo copies of their George Clinton mixed Slave-ishly jiggling 108⅔bpm ‘Get Lucky‘ … Regina Belle’s brilliant album is now out here at last (CBS 450998 1) … Tim Raidel is setting up a label called Dynamic Dance Records and is after hip hop, soul and house demo tapes at 90 Midland Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 0BL (0582 452807) … lan Dewhirst, the new “Rowdy Yates”, has left Fourth & Broadway … Peter Castle is after good PAs an 0737 772771 for Radio Mercury’s live Friday broadcasts from Redhill’s The Millionaire … Nicky Holloway, guesting at Simon Goffe’s Camden Lock Dingwalls Across The Tracks night this Thursday (July 16), is Doo-in It In The Park on Saturday (July 18) in London South Bank’s Jubilee Gardens (next to Festival Hall) with Pete Tong, Rob Day, Gilles Peterson, Chris Bangs, Bob Jones plus — get this! — PAs by James Brown veteran supporters Bobby Byrd and Vicki Anderson … Sybil joins jocks MP² — that’s Mike Pickering and Martin Prendergast — at Manchester Hacienda’s Nude Night this Friday (July 17), and Jeff Thomas at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard on Monday (July 20) … Dancin’ Danny D joins Paul Needham at Derby’s Knotted Snake for a Cooltempo ‘Fierce’ promotion on Saturday (July 18) … Jon Jules, Nic Wakefield, John Matthews and more mount a DJ Extravaganza at the Bass Bin in South Harrow’s The Avenue (Shaftesbury Circle) on Tuesday (July 21) … Dean Savonne’s funky Spats has moved on Mondays to Tulips in London’s Euston Road … Radio TKO’s DJs Roberto Forzoni and Mike Gee funk Clerkenwell Road’s Turnmills in the City of London on Tuesdays, the station’s Sunday 7-9pm jazz jock Big H Jazzing Ascot’s Belvedere (Blacknest) on Fridays and funking Camberley JW’s on Wednesdays … ‘Dirty Dave’ Woolstoncroft moved recently from Aberdeen to scratch mix nothing but house and soul (positively no chart music) at Charnock Richard’s The Park Nightstyle in Park Hall on Fridays/Saturdays … I got away last week back to the even sunnier Midlands, exploring Staffordshire’s Manifold Valley, Dove Dale, Weaver Hills and, circling it from every viewpoint without actually succumbing to the Towers’ funfair, Alton — the only consistently available radio station while driving around the country is BBC Radio 2, refreshingly different, nothing but big bands, dated jazz, country music, and seemingly a different version each day of the old song ‘Green Eyes’! … Adrian Love is the station’s best DJ, at least one knows where he’s coming from, man, and he manages not to sound as if he’s reading a script … Music Of Life soon releases ‘The Tables Are Turnin’‘ by Technics UK Mixing champ CJ Mackintosh & Einstein … LL Cool J’s 12 inch of ‘I’m Bad’ turns out only to have added the original version of ‘Rock The Bells’, not a remix, and ‘I Can’t Live Without My Radio’ … Terry Lewis, credited as co-producer of the Master Mix-released Meli’sa Morgan oldie, is not the Jimmy Jam-partnering chap of that name … rm’s Disco chart apparently needs explaining again (although it should be obvious). It reflects the material being played at specifically “black music” venues, the Hi-NRG chart reflects nowadays not only gay clubs but a certain Scottish input, while general pop clubs’ chart returns are used only in the compilation of the all-embracing chart printed by Jocks magazine: however, there’s a rumour that the pop-orientated Nightclub chart may be reappearing in rm … Severn Sound’s soul DJ Jerry Hipkiss points out: “The ‘Roadblock’ pre-release furore was the almost exact parallel of 1974’s Northern Soul scam when the Javells’ ‘Goodbye, Nothing To Say‘ was circulated on white label to certain select jocks, building an immense buzz, before it was discovered to be a British recording already released on Pye … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
ISLINGTON MUSIC WORKSHOP, a self-help music charity based at 44 Peartree Street, London EC1V 3SB (01-608 0232), is setting up its own I-M-W label in direct opposition to Morgan Khan and other operators who invite talent to walk in off the street, claiming that I-M-W will indeed release any music off the street that is good, without tying the artists up in financially unrewarding knots. Not a “cultural ghetto label”, it’s after all types of music. I just hope it doesn’t end up by being too idealistic in this hard business world.
HOT VINYL
STEPHANIE MILLS ‘If I Were Your Woman’ LP (MCA Records MCF 3385)
On a pleasant enough slushy listening set full of crawling slowies, the soulful dancefloor standout is the delicate coolly ticking and rolling 101⅚bpm ‘(You’re Puttin’) A Rush On Me’, totally created by producer Paul Laurence with bassist Timmy Allen and remixed already by Louil Silas Jr, the only other rhythmic tracks being the Wayne Brathwaite-produced languidly tapping 110¾bpm ‘Running For Your Love‘ and Davy D/Russell Simmons-produced juddery rolling 99⅔bpm ‘Can’t Change My Ways‘, while the Nick Martinelli-produced dead slow 30½/61-0bpm ballad ‘I Feel Good All Over‘ currently tops the US Black Singles Chart.
SLY & ROBBIE ‘Fire’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 71)
Now in a completely new Groucho Smykle remix, this 0-103½-0bpm ponderously bumping Ohio Players funk revamp may already be well known (the 1974 original inspired David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ the following year) but is nowhere near as instantly commercial as ‘Boops’. The flip has their old slinky 94bpm adaptation of the Beatles’ ‘Ticket To Ride‘, and drain-gurgling lightly loping 124½bpm reggae-ish ‘Miles (Black Satin)‘ organ instrumental.
STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN ‘Roadblock’ (Breakout USAF 611)
Turning out to be as I’d suspected all along “rare grooves to order”, this brilliant steadily rolling 0-99⅚-99⅔bpm dated funk groove has Maceo Parker-type sax by Gary Barnacle, chanting girls and party hardy atmosphere (dub flip), all created by the world famous production team who as artistes previously brought you a recreation of ‘New York Afternoon’. Continue reading “July 18, 1987: Stephanie Mills, Sly & Robbie, Stock Aitken Waterman, Criminal Element Orchestra, Jonathan Butler”
JAKI GRAKAM, Princess, Black Britain and Dorothy Galdez are amongst the UK acts confirmed for next Tuesday’s British Dance Music Gala at New York’s Palladium (where only a few hundred of the 7,000 capacity crowd will be lucky to see anything!) during the New Music Seminar, while UK DJs performing too include Chad Jackson, Jeff Young, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold and, as MC, Steve Walsh … Disco Aid has actually changed the date of its national charity night, coming forward a week to Saturday, November 14 … Tony Blackburn’s frequent plugs for Paddington’s Bluebird Records shop, supplier of imports for his Radio London show, made headline news last week in The London Evening Standard: it seems he exceeds by far the four or five mentions he’s allowed to give the store in a year on non-commercial BBC, one listener having counted 29 plugs during the last three months — tut, tut! … Chris Hill was the subject of, and took part in, a segment of Ned Sherrin’s sparky ‘Loose Ends’ programme on Radio 4 recently, talking about his Canvey Island Goldmine career (currently revived on Fridays) … Theo Loyla’s Herne Bay-based Superjocks club promotion service has been incorporated (with himself as head at the old address) into the new Disco/Club Promotion division of London-based retail/media promotion company Bullet … Record Shack Records are finally forsaking Hi-NRG “to follow our natural route to dance orientated rock music”, says Jeff Weston, the label having found that apparent disco and radio acceptance even in the US does not necessarily translate into actual sales … Dancin’ Danny D has serviced lucky DJs with a ‘Rock The House’-ish 116½bpm jiggly thrash ‘n scratch in the current retro-funk fashion, Criminal Element Orchestra ‘Put The Needle To The Record‘ (Cooltempo COOLX 150), which he says will only be available commercially as a track on the label’s upcoming ‘Fierce’ compilation of current releases, although the promo 12 inch contains three mixes … Kool Chip (who, following his photo appearing last week, I now hear from Island Records is currently on bail after being arrested) has had a more jerkily rhythmic 0-100-0bpm Summerbeat Remix by Dancin’ Danny D (Fourth & Broadway 12BRWX 62) … Mantronix ‘Scream’ is also in a 101bpm Jack ‘N’ Chill Remix (10 Records TENR 169) … Arthur Baker’s creation for Champion Records, white-labelled for the New Music Seminar but not due commercially until probably September, Jack E Makossa ‘The Opera House‘ is, as exclusively revealed months ago, a truly “diva”-started 0-119½bpm scratch ‘n mix of opera and house, although basically just a bass-heavy jack trap as the flip’s opera-less African Mix emphasises … David Joseph’s white-labelled ‘No Turning Back’ is daringly an African-tempoed 108¾bpm instrumental wriggler — incidentally, it transpires that the original vocalist who David replaced on Chris Paul’s ‘Expansions’ was John Matthews, DJ on Sundays at South Harrow’s Bogarts! … Prince (if one can still mention him) has ‘Housequake’ scheduled as only the B-side of ‘U Got The Look‘, his follow-up next month, while as probably anticipated Herb Alpert follows with ‘Making Love In The Rain‘, the remaining Janet Jackson-featuring album track, but stupidly the Beastie Boys’ newie is ‘She’s On It‘ when ‘Girls‘ is just crying out to be a national number one! … I thought Tony Griffin’s comment about Bristol’s lack of a funk scene would stir the locals, Gary Neal responding: “How can someone who’s only been in Bristol a couple of months be such a wally? If he’d care to look around he’d find a great, healthy funk and disco scene” … Paul Morrissey spins soul/jazz/rare groove on Thursdays at Bristol’s The Colosseum, Redcliffe Hill, and on Mondays with Mike Shawe and Vince Thomas at Bath’s Chemies in Kingsmead Square … Nicky Holloway and guests continue funking downstairs on Fridays, with Bob Jones newly resident upstairs for jazz and real soul, at the revamped Special Branch near London Bridge (strictly members only, details on 01-439 2628) … Ian Gordon funks Thursdays at Southport’s Kingsway Entertainment Centre on the promenade, and Saturdays at Bootle’s Quadrant Park … Sybil joins DJs Jeff Young and Paul Oakenfold at Streatham’s Project at Zigi’s this Friday (July 10), and is with Jocelyn Brown at Nottingham Rock City’s alldayer on Sunday … Jackie Becker has started a Thursday upfront funk/house/hip hop night at Brighton’s The Gloucester in Gloucester Place, and is after suitable PAs on 0273-604136 … Al Charles (Newton Le Willows Scandals) tells the tale of a Southport club owner who installed SL 1200 decks for the first time, and then told the new mixing DJ to stop scratching as he thought it would damage them! … James Brown’s oldies are being scratched in so much on other people’s records these days, why doesn’t he do a rap to them himself? … Les Adams has just equipped his home mixing studio with a 16-track recorder — makes a change from the old mono Studer! … Kev Ashton (Newquay Frizzbys/Tall Trees/Disco 5000) reckons Rozlyn Sorrell ‘Sucker For Candy’ sounds like Serious Intention’s ‘Serious’ … Freddie Jackson really needs to have a photo session, his latest import single features yet another of those old balcony shots! … Sherrick was actually included on WEA’s ‘Spring In The Air’ promo cassette sampler back in April, and played at Prestatyn … Boogie Down Productions/DJ Scott La Rock & Blastmaster KRS One’s ‘Criminal Minded’ album will be the first LP on Westside Records, with two unreleased bonus tracks, on July 20 … Feedback’s ‘Simply Magic’, already reviewed, isn’t in fact out until next week (distributed via PRT) … Natalie Cole’s jerkily bashing staccato 123bpm ‘Jump Start’ will here as well as in the US be flipped by her album’s far classier ‘More Than The Stars’ – that LP plus the equally classy Vaneese Thomas and funk-orientated Trouble Funk import sets, and the cocktail sippin’ and pickin’ George Benson/Earl Klugh collaboration will be reviewed when the weather’s not so good! … I last week took time away from the turntable to explore those bits of the sun-soaked Midlands that I’d previously rushed past, falling in love particularly with Bridgnorth, and Ironbridge – in the latter of which, discerning gourmets note, the recently opened Au Pont de Fer restaurant has food on a par with Ullswater’s Sharrow Bay Hotel, um yum, bloat bloat! … A&M serviced certain lucky DJs with Fred Perry shirts emblazoned by the Breakout logo in place of the designer trademark … Alan Jones and I do implore chart contributors please to make sure that their names and venues are always listed too on their returns, as some of the blank chart forms that record pluggers are sending DJs are very rudimentary and have no space for these (we don’t mind DJs using these forms if they find them easy to fill in, as we monitor all returns closely to prevent blatant hype anyway) … Pete Haigh (Blackpool) puts the South East/North West soul music divide in neat perspective – London is “rare groove”, we are “cool groove”! … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
‘DIRTY DEN’, Bristol’s Technics mixing finalist Dennis Murray, also came out as winner of the Mixing part of BBC Radio Bristol’s recent 1987 West Of England Rapping & Mixing Championships, with an inventive set which made up in klaxon and cheers-greeted excitement what it sometimes missed in finesse. Ironically, runner-up to him in the Technics area heats, Burnham-on Sea’s Martin Eccles was second again, with Richard Dean third. Winning rapper was MC Wizz Fresh, with the eight year old Little Rapper (Sam) coming second, judged on ability more than on sentimentality about his age, and Prince Gismo (Nathan Lewis) third. The radio station’s ‘Close Up’ programme presented an informative round up of the contest, with audience interviews which proved funk is truly alive and well, and living in Bristol!
HOT VINYL
[Note: there was a mix-up in the ordering of this week’s reviews, which should have been led by Sherrick’s ‘Just Call’.]
DAVID GRANT ‘Change’ (Alternate Mix)’ (Polydor POSPX 871)
Obviously a punning title, this Phil Harding mixed rolling (0-)119¼-0bpm churner is just like ‘Searching’ by the group called Change’!
ERROL BROWN ‘Personal Touch (The Personal Mix)’ (WEA YZ130T)
Swain & Jolley-produced gently jiggling weaving (0-)97⅙bpm jogger with an interminable start, less blatantly commercial than his Hot Chocolate stuff although much tighter and more typical in its edited version.
OFF ‘Electrica Salsa’ (Sonet SONL 2323)
Ancient news for many by now, maybe, this Falco-esque gruffly muttered, changed and “aha aha”-ed haunting (0-)113⅔bpm electro pulsed jiggly Continental swayer (Remix flip) has been huge in Scotland, and in Eurobeat venues generally, but still has powerful pop potential. Continue reading “July 11, 1987: Sherrick, Colonel Abrams, Keni Stevens, Mr Lee, Public Enemy”
SERIOUS RECORDS, no sooner had I reviewed their white label of First Choice ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’, delivered the commercial pressing which turns out to be a four-tracker (at 33⅓rpm) and does indeed include Rutger Kroese’s Special Dutch House Mix —here called just House Mix, while the white label’s House Mix 87 is now billed as Jack The Body Mix — plus the hustling 126⅗bpm ‘Let Me Down Easy (Club Mix) ‘ … Stock Aitken Waterman’s teasingly “bootlegged” ‘Roadblock’ has in fact been signed for UK release by Breakout all along, the label’s Mike Sefton concocting with wily Pete Waterman the whole scam, pressing up just 500 uncredited imports to wind up the rare groove snobs — and I could name several DJs who swore (before knowing they’d been conned) that they of course had had the “original seven inch” since 1973, crediting it variously to Maceo & The Macks and to the ‘lost’ James Brown session with Sly & Robbie … Breakout also snapped up Roxanne Shanté here … Steve Walsh has now totally replaced Fatback to ‘sing’ his own rabble-rousing 106⅙ chant-along version of ‘I Found Lovin’‘ (A1 Records 12A 1299), somewhat Judge Dread-accented and unlikely to get played much by his rival London DJs although possibly a welcome alternative for provincial jocks! … Radio London’s 4th of July soul celebrations actually start on Friday, July 3, at 10pm with Pete Tong for an hour, followed by Dave Pearce broadcasting live from New York’s WBLS with one of its DJs until midnight, when Steve Walsh comes from Watford’s Paradise Lost followed by Tony Blackburn with Graham Gold from Basildon’s Festival Halls before Dave Pearce closes down between 1-2am … Hardrock Soul Movement ‘Elaweaser Just A Skeezer’ on commercial pressings has been speeded up to 0-89⅙-0bpm … The Blow Monkeys with Curtis Mayfield ‘Celebrate’ has had a more starkly bonking 116⅔-0bpm striding remix, promoed on white label 12 inch although I believe in commercial form it may be a 10 inch … Terence Trent D’Arby ‘Wishing Well’ has been promoed in two drily tapping slower 104⅙ remixes, not obviously more danceable although some jocks are charting them … WEA’s disco plugger Fred Dove has circulated translucent gold coloured US Geffen Records promos of the excellent pent-up wailing soulfully jogging 78⅝bpm Vaneese Thomas ‘Let’s Talk It Over‘ (she’s apparently one of Memphis veteran Rufus Thomas’s daughters), certainly available at least on seven inch commercially … 10 Records sent DJs a pair of slipmats plugging Mantronix ‘Scream’ … Rob Manley, Manchester mixing mate of Chad Jackson, becomes A&M’s new dance promotions man from July 20, helping Def Sef … Paul Truelove is compiling a DJ mailing list for Basildon based Wax Records on 0268-728574, should you really want Gonzalez! … Thursday (July 2) Warren Aylward starts Chillin’ Out weekly with soul/jazz/rare grooves at Portsmouth’s Martines … Saturday (July 4) Doug Osborne, Dave Malone, Guy Palmer, Turbo and more funk and jazz (on two floors) a Nautical Nonsense Party at Sudbury’s Queen’s Arms in Gt. Cornard, Jeff Young and Doug Hughes soul Bexleyheath’s Drayman, and Carl Cox, Tony Wilson and Paul Clark funk Mile End’s Nashville … Sunday (July 5) lain Norman and Def Steph start a weekly jazz, samba and rap night at Stowmarket’s Stag Tavern … Monday (July 6) Astrud Gilberto, Flora Purim, Airto and Azymuth bring a breath of Brazil in a special Rio package to Le Palais, Hammersmith, while Jocelyn Brown plays Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard … Tuesday (July 7) Tony Norris starts rare grooving Catford’s Forest Hill Frolics weekly … Dave Rawlings has a one hundred per cent jazz session Sunday lunchtimes in Basingstoke’s The Basshouse … DJ/entertainments manager Andy King is looking on 0905-612428 for properly professional promotion companies to supply Worcester’s The Pavilion with personal appearances who actually appear, personally and on time! … Epic here has finally released the previously import-only 1982 album by Luther Vandross, ‘Forever, For Always, For Love’ (EPC 25013), the one with ‘Bad Boy/Having A Party’, ‘You’re The Sweetest One’, ‘Since I Lost My Baby’ … Rough Trade is now, as previously warned, distributing various oldies on the Celluloid label, including the otherwise unremarkable Fab 5 Freddy ‘Change The Beat‘ (CEL 156), side two of which just happens to end with that much-scratched “this stuff is really fresh”… Atlantic Starr’s follow-up will be ‘One Lover At A Time‘, rather than the possibly anticipated ‘Let The Sun In‘ … should a ‘Roadblock’-type mystery import arrive sounding like something by Vince Montana, it may have come no further than from Worcester Park! … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
KOOL CHIP is otherwise known as Jack Blakney. A rapping and scratching homeboy from the Bronx, he actually recorded ‘Jazz It Up‘ a year ago, when it was turned down by labels all over New York, only to hit finally in the enlightened UK!
Seen here in 1973, when they recorded ‘I Believe In Miracles’, are the JACKSON SISTERS — clockwise from top left, Rae, Gennie, Lyn, Jackie, and Pat. From Compton, California, the girls scored several soul hits in the USA, the biggest being released here (‘Miracles’ included) on the Mums label. Get grooving, rare freaks!
HOT VINYL
RUSS BROWN ‘Take My Love’ (10 Records TENT 182)
Owner of New York City’s Soul Scissors salon, the gospel-singing hairdresser returns with a mournfully moaning (0-)116¼-116bpm burbling tense monotonous chugger (dub too), overshadowed however by the flip’s strong new 112½bpm remixed 1987 Edit of last year’s floor-filling ‘Set It Off’-ish ‘Gotta Find A Way’, still a haunting underground ‘sleeper’.
THE VALENTINE BROTHERS ‘No Better Love’ (US EMI America V-19225)
Self-produced excellent classy if maddeningly and naggingly derivative easily strolling 101⅔bpm thudding soul slinker (dub/edit too), a real grower and destined to be large although maybe not such a crossover as ‘Money’s Too Tight To Mention’!
Rare groove fans must be feeling very sheepish – the supposedly bootleg import called ‘Roadblock’ turns out to have been purpose built for that market by none other than Stock Aitken Waterman, not only as producers but as the thus far unnamed artists too! … King Enri, now back in South London (Deptford Champs Fridays/Sidcup Danielles Saturdays), has been jocking in Florida where record stores are much slower than ours to stock US newies, American record companies apparently now exporting disco material to England for initial reaction before letting Florida’s shops have their product, by then of course over-stickered as ‘UK Club Hit’! … Birmingham mixer Scooby Swift’s UK remix of Denise Motto ‘IMNXTC’ is evidently Chicago’s hottest import … Jack ‘N’ Chill ‘The Jack That House Built’ is now in a frenetically edited and stun-gunned 126bpm Demolition Mix (10 Records TENR 174), and Liaz ‘Mission Impossible’ is in a slightly beefier 121bpm The Impossible 12″ Mix (Kool Kat KOOL TR4) … Freddie Bastone has been allowed by Motown to create a totally restructured and overdubbed real remix of the Temptations’ ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’ … Pete Waterman will be remixing Disco Aid ‘Give Give Give’ for this year’s November 21 charity night … Cooltempo will be marketing the more exciting jack track-ish US Grooveline-released Def Mix of its ‘original’ 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican in a week or two, and has snapped up Kid ‘N Play for rush release … LL Cool J ‘I’m Bad’ evidently is due to be flipped by a remix of ‘Rock The Bells’ … BADJ, the newly formed Bristol Association of Disc Jockeys, holds its first meeting at Kingswood’s Chase Suite on Monday (June 29) at 8pm, further info on 0454-317070 … Tony Griffin points out that these days there is no funk scene at all in Bristol, where he’s resident jock at The Parkside (which Tristan Bolitho left because of the commercial music policy), but there is a funk scene in Cheltenham, where Tony lives! … Jerry Hipkiss is slipping in as much soul as possible while temporarily sitting in on Severn Sound’s nightly 2-6am slot … Deptford Champs (formerly Cheeks) also has Capital Radio’s Chris Forbes and King Enri on Thursdays for a new ‘hardcore’ Night Train session … Saturday (June 27) Chris Hill and Steve Wren join Gordon G at Walthamstow’s Racers, while Pete Tong, Nicky Holloway, Eddie Gordon, Maggot and more move ‘n’ groove The Slammer at Northfleet’s Red Lion … Paul Clark souls and rare grooves Sunday evenings at Hove’s Palmeira, plus this Saturday (June 27) joins Tony Fernandez at Cambridge’s De-Freville Arms, and on Monday (June 29) helps open Horley’s brand new Davinchis in Consort Way’s Victoria House with a ‘Brickhouse Special’ … Tuesday (June 30), and every fourth Tuesday, Steve Walsh joins Les Adams at Norbury’s Sussex Tavern for a ‘Two Tons Of Funk’ night! … James Lewis is joined at Bridgend Astons next Tuesday (June 30) by David Grant, and the following week (July 7) by Dancin’ Danny D for a Cooltempo promotion night … London’s Simon Goffe has really crossed the track to trek up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for a soul night at Zoots every Wednesday … Bruce ‘The Juice’ Edward is the soul jock at the Rooftops pub club in Sheffield’s brand new Charlie Parkers complex, on Charles Street … Barry Island’s Butlins camp has in fact reopened under the new ownership of Majestic Holidays which plans a new million pound up-market club complex … Shaun Sullivan (0922-27307) is after good PAs for his new Friday soul-funk-house night with Adrian John at Walsall’s Three Crowns in Sutton Road … Colonel Abrams’ long-awaited next album appears to be scheduled in the US for August release … ‘Bellvue Patient‘, title track of the otherwise lacklustre rap LP by Funk Master Wizard Wiz (US Tuff City), uses Bill Withers ‘Use Me’ bass line … Castle Communications’ new label Blatant has issued a double LP ‘Genius Of Rap‘ (BLAT LP 1), chronicling the Sugarhill story through such obvious oldies as ‘Rapper’s Delight’, ‘White Lines’, ‘Drop The Bomb’ and eight more … Ian Levine has re-recorded ‘Needle In A Haystack’ with the original four Velvelettes … Morgan Khan, whose Rumors hip hop newsletter will merely be one photo-copied sheet without any advertising, has finally given up looking for Britain’s Michael Jackson — he’s now after another Prince or Madonna! … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
RALPH TEE is behind the Arista Masters reissue series which has just resurrected ‘How Could You Break My Heart‘ by Bobby Womack, seen here with him, while soon to follow are Jeff Perry ‘Love Don’t Come No Stronger‘, General Johnson ‘Don’t Walk Away‘, Tom Browne ‘Funkin’ For Jamaica’, Debbie Taylor ‘Just Don’t Pay‘ and a Don Blackman four-tracker. Ralph’s also supplying soul gossip for Martin Collins’ Chiltern Radio show on Wednesdays at 8pm, and has started a Sunday soul residency at Belmonts near Sutton in Surrey.
HOT VINYL
FEEDBACK ‘Simply Magic’ (Production House PNT 007)
A bit too digitally stuttered at the start, this Lillo Thomas/Kashif-ish wriggly pushing 0-112bpm roller has a pent-up lead bursting out of the hushed though gently insistent lurching choruses (dub flip), a fine follow-up to ‘So Fine’.
SPOONIE GEE ‘The Godfather’ (US Tuff City TUF 128019)
As the title suggests, this Marley Mari-mixed 103⅔bpm rap uses a rolling jiggly rhythm by the godfather of soul, the hardest workIn’ man in showbusiness, Mr Please Please himself, James Brown (inst/dub flip), so of course it’s just made for London’s clubs today!
FIRST CHOICE ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ (Serious Records OUS 3)
This Roshelle Fleming-led Philadelphia girl group’s disjointedly rambling 0-118⅔-118-118½-119½-121½-121-120⅔-119¾bpm disco oldie was a major influence on Chicago’s house music (compare the bass line with ‘Jack Your Body’!), although the rhythm is far from house as we now envisage it — and neither is the flip’s much remixed more instrumental beefier 119⅓-117½-118⅔-121¼-120⅔bpm House Mix ’87, which, beware, turns out not to be Rutger ‘RuTTI’ Kroese’s imported Special Dutch House Mix after all.
JELLYBEAN featuring Elisa Fiorillo ‘Who Found Who’ (US Chrysalis 4V9 43089)
Jellybean of course produced and assembled this Paul Gurvitz-penned bright — would you believe? — Madonna-ish breezy 118bpm canterer (two differently emphasised dubs as well), while soul jocks are flipping for the bass burbled and snare drummed building 0-114¼-114½-0bpm ‘The Real Thing, Part II (Instrumental)‘, which actually has some Pandy/Abrams-ish vocal and ends up quite house-like.
WAS (NOT WAS) ‘Spy In The House Of Love’ (Fontana WAS 212)
Gruffly wailed easily loping instantly familiar seeming catchy soul canterer, given a house tinge by its lyrics and vocal timbre even in its 0-118bpm Single Mix, but especially in Jeff Young’s cheeky Maceo & The Macks-introed ‘jack’-ified main 0-118-0bpm Jeffrey B Young & Dangerous Mix, and ‘chipmunk’-ed 0-118bpm In House Mix. Nice, incidentally, to see Phonogram resurrect the old Fontana label for this.
MEL & KIM ‘FLM’ (Supreme Records UPET 113)
Stock Aitken Waterman-created zingily hustling guitar-chinked racer in an instrumentally started 122bpm Mega Club Version or brighter more instantaneous 121¾bpm Alternative Version, which latter deserves to be the A- rather than AA-side.
THE SYSTEM ‘Don’t Disturb This Groove (Extended Remix)’ (Atlantic A9241T)
A real sleeper since it appeared in January, this deceptively downtempo chunkily rolling 80½bpm attractive naggingly impassioned slowie (in three mixes plus the amorphous gentle 115bpm ‘Save Me‘) has been drummed into Londoners’ skulls by repeated radio play —which also obviously helped it to be huge in the US.
ERNESTA DUNBAR ‘Checking Out’ (US World Records WR-004)
Time honoured Philly sounds permeate this wailingly souled busily churning and jiggling 119¾bpm backbeat chugger, bright and frisky in three mixes reminiscent somehow of Candi Staton — plus there’s the really excellent gorgeous soulfully swaying 100¾-0bpm ‘You’, even better and well worth finding.
THE NIGHT WRITERS ‘Let The Music (Use You)’ (US Danica Records DAN-1610)
Rather good Frankie Knuckles-produced cowbell and hi-hat sizzled smoothly flowing fast 124½bpm pulsating house racer with a slippery bass line and some soulful Darryl Pandy-ish vocal punctuation (in three mixes).
CHICAGO TRAX ‘Megamix’ (German BCM/Trax Records TX 33-5003-45)
Much better than ‘Mic Mac’ Meyers’ last house megamixes, these excellent ones created from Trax material include a useful House Master Boyz-remixing (0-)120bpm ‘House Nation Beat Box’, a (0-)119⅔-119½-119¾-119⅔-119¾-120bpm ‘Floor Smoker Mix‘, and 0-118⅔-118½-118⅔bpm ‘Chicago Hot Mix‘ plus its 0-118¼-118⅔bpm Radio Edit.
WAYNE FERNANDEZ ‘Let Me Call You Angel (Heaven’s Own Mix)’ (Epic WAYNE T1)
Epic obviously sees this quavery voiced soulster as another Terence Trent D’Arby/Paul Johnson, to judge from the push behind his debut Rod Temperton/Barry Blue-penned jittery swaying 101⅓bpm lilting jogger, with a familiarly catchy chorus which not even Barry’s over-busy production can obscure.
LUTHER VANDROSS ‘I Really Didn’t Mean It (12″ Mix)’ (Epic LUTH T3)
His current album’s other UK floor-filler has been remixed in Jam & Lewis-ish style (by Bruce & Marcus Miller) to become a quivering and tapping lightly lurching 114bpm trotter that’s spoilt by some gimmicky digital edits (in three mixes), not as good as it could have been.
D.J. SLICE ‘Slice It Up’ (US Jam City Records/Erika Records Inc ERJ-1001)
Hidden as flip to the drily chatting 98bpm KOOL ROCK JAY ‘Check It Out‘ (instrumental too), this exciting jittery fierce 117½-117¾-118-0bpm rap ‘n’ scratch cuts in ‘One Nation Under A Groove’, ‘The Smurf’ and many more, at a tempo that could be useful for house mixers too!
THE ISLEY BROTHERS ‘Smooth Sailin’ Tonight (Extended Version)’ (US Warner Bros 0-20675)
Lovely relaxed tranquil gently rolling 76⅔-76⅓bpm slow swayer in typical vocal style, despite there only being two brothers left, Ronald and Rudolph, helped now by writer/co-producer Angela Winbush of René & Angela (dub flip).
FREDDIE McGREGOR ‘Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely’ (Germain Records DGT 24, via Jet Star)
Soulfully sung lovely rolling 85½bpm lovers’ rock revival of the Main Ingredient oldie (dub/version too).
TONGUE IN CHEEK ‘Don’t Stop The Love’ (Criminal Records BUST 4, via Jet Star)
Girl-led Loose Ends-type pleasant 92bpm rolling slow purposeful jitterer with cooing choruses and some scratchy sax (dub/edit flip).
PHUTURE ‘Acid Tracks’ (US Trax Records TX 142)
Marshall Jefferson-produced odd long drily thumping then throbbing 119¼-119-118¾-118½-118¼-118bpm windswept instrumental overlaid with naggingly wheezling and chirping squiggly synth, interestingly unusual, flipped by the separate pulsing 119⅔-118¼bpm ‘Phuture Jacks‘ and anti-cocaine 117½-117bpm ‘Your Only Friend‘.
SCHOOLLY-D ‘B-Boy Rhyme & Riddle’ (LP ‘Saturday Night! The Album’ Flame Records MELT LP-2)
Good if stark jerky rap ‘n’ scratch set, this interesting 96½bpm jolter having a distinctive organ break, while the percussively patterning 93bpm ‘Dedication To All B-Boys‘ has also had more reaction than the aggressively juddering 93⅙bpm ‘We Get Ill‘, monotonous instrumental (0-)105⅓bpm ‘It’s Crack‘, cutting 92⅚bpm ‘Get “n” Paid‘, older 99½bpm ‘Saturday Night’ single and its ‘Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf’-cutting 103⅔bpm ‘Do It Do It’ flip.
UK DISCO TOP 100 – June 27, 1987
01 02 LIFETIME LOVE (JAZZY BEAT/DEF BEAT/DEF DUB/JAZZY DUB) Joyce Sims, London 12in
02 02 DO IT PROPERLY (NO WAY BACK) Adonis (featuring 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican)/NO WAY BACK Adonis, London 12in
03 03 CROSS THE TRACK (EXTENDED)/SOUL POWER 74 Maceo & The Macks, Urban 12in
04 04 FAKE Alexander O’Neal, Tabu 12in
05 05 ROCK STEADY The Whispers, MCA Records 12in
06 21 I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES (EXTENDED MIX) Jackson Sisters, Urban 12in
07 07 LET YOURSELF GO (CLUB/PARADISE MIXES) Sybil, Champion 12in
08 06 I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL Eric B and Rakim, Cooltempo 12in
09 40 I’M IN LOVE (REMIX) Lillo Thomas, Capitol 12in
10 23 I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) (REMIX) Whitney Houston, Arista 12in
11 36 DANCING IN THE NIGHT Lanier & Co, Syncopate 12in
12 12 SERIOUS/BAD LOVE Donna Allen, Portrait 12in
13 16 FUNKY NASSAU Black Britain, 10 Records 12in
14 10 LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE Jody Watley, MCA Records 12in
15 28 THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT/DUB Jack ‘N’ Chill, 10 Records 12in
16 27 I’M BAD/GET DOWN LL Cool J, Def Jam 12in
17 39 LAST NIGHT Kid ‘N Play, US Select 12in/Cooltempo promo
18 08 BACK AND FORTH (EXTENDED REMIX/DUB VERSION) Cameo, Club 12in
19 14 HARD CORE (ON THE ONE) (AT THE ORGAN/JB IN HEAT/LOWDOWN ‘N’ FUNKY/JB TRAXX II) Duane & Co, US Dance Mania Records 12in
20 11 HOUSE NATION The House Master Boyz and The Rude Boy Of House, Magnetic Dance 12in
21 24 THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE (SHEP PETTIBONE REMIX/DUB) Janet Jackson, Breakout 12in
22 17 OUTLAW (THE BANDIT MIX) Strafe, Breakout 12in
23 56 DO IT PROPERLY (FIERCE CLUB MIX) 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican, Cooltempo 12in
24 22 CAN U DANCE/CAN U JACK Kenny ‘Jammin’ Jason with ‘Fast’ Eddie Smith, Champion 12in
25 44 SCREAM (PRIMAL SCREAM) Mantronix, 10 Records 12in
26 13 DOUBLE-X-POSURE/POUR IT ON Mason, Elektra 12in
27 45 ALWAYS (LP VERSION)/I’M IN LOVE Atlantic Starr, Warner Brothers 12in
28 15 DIAMONDS (DANCE MIX) Herb Alpert, Breakout 12in
29 49 CARINO T-Coy, deConstruction Records 12in
30 54 JAZZ IT UP Kool Chip featuring Toni Smith, Fourth & Broadway 12in
31 19 A TOUCH OF JAZZ (COLLAPSED IN THE STREET/EXTENDED RE-TOUCH) Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Champion 12in
32 35 MAKOSSA ’87 (BIG BLOW) Manu Dibango, Urban 12in
33 20 ROCK THIS HOUSE/DUB MIX Hotline, Rhythm King 12in
34 25 CHICAGO SONG (REMIX) David Sanborn, Warner Brothers 12in
35 09 I’M IN LOVE (LONGER LOVE MIX) Lillo Thomas, Capitol 12in
36 42 FOR THE LOVE OF YOU/JUST THE LONELY TALKING AGAIN/LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY/WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO Whitney Houston, Arista LP
37 38 STRAIGHT FROM THE JUNGLE/JUST GIVE THE DJ A BREAK, Dynamix II, US Bass Station Records 12in
38 18 I AIN’T INTO THAT The Rappin’ Reverend (C Dexter Wise III), Cooltempo 12in
39 37 NEW GENERATION The Classical Two, Jive 12in
40 62 HAVE A NICE DAY Roxanne Shanté, US Cold Chillin’ 12in
41 53 I’LL RETURN 52nd Street, 10 Records 12in
42 89 FUNKY NASSAU (REMIX) Black Britain, 10 Records 12in
43 80 DON’T DISTURB THIS GROOVE (REMIX) The System, US Atlantic 12in
44 32 LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER (SPECIAL DUTCH HOUSE MIX) First Choice, Dutch Rams Horn 12in
45 — WOMAN OF PRINCIPLE Trouble Funk, Fourth & Broadway 12in
46 — LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER (ORIGINAL MIX/HOUSE MIX) First Choice, Serious Records 12in
47 — SHOW ME THE WAY Regina Belle, CBS 12in
48 30 THIS IS THE NIGHT (PROGRESSIVE MIX) Sweet Heat, Champion 12in
49 — ROK DA HOUSE The Beatmasters featuring The Cookie Crew, Rhythm King 12in
50 75 DIAMONDS (COOL SUMMER MIX) Herb Alpert, Breakout 12in
51 47 ROCK-A-LOTT (REMIX) Aretha Franklin, Arista 12in
52 46 LET’S BEGIN/STEPHEN’S OVERTURE Turntable Terror Trax Vol 2, Bluebird 12in
53 26 EVERYTHING BAMBOO (“BAM BOO”) Lenny D & Tommy Musto, Magnetic Dance 12in
54 — THE GODFATHER Spoonie Gee, US Tuff City 12in
55 41 PLEASE BE MINE/SO MANY TEARS/TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY Regina Belle, US Columbia LP
56 58 DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER (ORIGINAL REMIX/NEW REMIX/INSTRUMENTAL) Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett, Gordy 12in
57 — THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT (DEMOLITION MIX) Jack ‘N’ Chill, 10 Records 12in
58 — IF YOU WERE MINE (DANCE MIX) Cheryl Lynn, US Manhattan 12in
59 48 BOOPS (CJ SCRATCH REMIX) Sly & Robbie, Fourth & Broadway 12in
60 52 ROCK THE BEAT Derek B, Music Of Life 12in
61 65 SUCKER FOR CANDY (THE HOT CANDY KISS MIX) Rozlyn Sorrell, US Atlantic 12in
62 31 MIRACLE WORKER (EXTENDED MIX) First Circle, EMI America 12in
63 79 TAKE SOME TIME OUT (CLUB/DUB) Arnold Jarvis, US Fourth Floor Records 12in
64 93 MAKE IT FUNKY (CLUB MIX) Ice-T, US Sire 12in
65 74 PICKS ME UP (YOUR LOVE) Point 3 FM, Hardcore 12in
66 57 SKRATCH FEVER/JUNGLE FEVER (MEGAMIX) Kinkina, Champion 12in
67 90 SPECIAL FX/IN THE MOOD/GIVE IT TO ME/NO PAIN NO GAIN/I WANT YOU The Whispers, Solar LP
68 78 IT’S TRICKY (SHEP PETTIBONE CLUB MIX) Run-DMC, London 12in
69 60 FASCINATED (CLUB MIX) Company B, Bluebird Records 12in
70 72 LET THE SUN IN/ONE LOVER AT A TIME/DON’T TAKE ME FOR GRANTED Atlantic Starr, Warner Bros LP
71 66 FUNKY NASSAU (EXTENDED VERSION) The Beginning Of The End, Atlantic 12in
72 55 GO CUT CREATOR GO/THE DO WOP/THE BREAKTHROUGH/KANDAY/THE BRISTOL HOTEL/I NEED LOVE LL Cool J, Def Jam LP
73 92 IF YOU ONLY KNEW Robert Brookins, MCA Records 12in
74 — SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE (JEFFREY B YOUNG & DANGEROUS MIX) Was (Not Was), Fontana 12in
75 83 AM I THE SAME GIRL/LOVE MAKES A WOMAN Barbara Acklin, Debut 12in
76 81 IF I WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND Prince, Paisley Park 12in
77 61 NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN/BRASS MONKEY Beastie Boys, Def Jam 12in
78 97 DO IT PROPERLY (DAVID MORALES DEF MIX) 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican, US Grooveline 12in
79 82 SHY GIRL (DUB/VOCAL) Lachandra, Syncopate 12in
80 — COOLIN OUT Private Joy, Champion 12in
81 — GOOD FRIENDS Faze One, Westside Records 12in
82 64 IT’S NOT UNUSUAL/EXTENDED VERSION/LIVE MEDLEY Tom Jones, Decca 12in
83 67 LATELY/FOLLOW YOUR HEART/TRYING TO KEEP MY HEAD Ronnie McNeir, Expansion Records LP
84 — I REALLY DIDN’T MEAN IT (12” MIX) Luther Vandross, Epic 12in
85 51 ROCK THE HOUSE (MEDLEY) (PTS I & II) Mr K Mix by Special K, US TD Records Inc 12in
86 34 SOUTHERN FREEEZ ’87 Freeez, Total Control Records 12in
87 69 HOUSE NATION BEAT BOX/CHICAGO HOT MIX/FLOOR SMOKER MIX Chicago Trax Megamix by ‘Mic Mac’ Meyers, German BCM/Trax Records 12in
88 — SONGBIRD (EXTENDED VERSION) Kenny G, Arista 12in
89 84 ROADBLOCK Stock Aitken Waterman, US Lynx Records 12in
90 re THE JACKIN’ NATIONAL ANTHEM/HOUSEBROKEN Ramos, US Hot Mix 5 12in
91 — I REALLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU (SUMMER SOUL MIX) Rick Clarke & Emma, RCA 12in
92 59 SWEETHEART (MIAMI MIX) Lee Prentiss, Funkin’ Marvellous Records 12in
93 95 HOW COULD YOU BREAK MY HEART Bobby Womack, Arista 12in
94 — (IF YOU) LOVE ME JUST A LITTLE La La, Arista 12in
95 — TAKE MY LOVE/GOTTA FIND A WAY (1987 EDIT) Russ Brown, US Jump Street 12in
96 — SLICE IT UP DJ Slice, US Jam City Records/Erika Records Inc 12in
97 — WHEN YOU GONNA (THE BOROUGH ANARCHY MIX) Rick and Lisa, RCA 12in
98 re YOU USED TO HOLD ME Ralphi Rosario featuring Xavier Gold, US Hot Mix 5 12in
99 85 WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE/DOWN FOR THE THIRD TIME Bobby Caldwell, Magnetic Dance 12in
100= 100= — CABBAGE PATCH The World Class Wreckin Cru, US Kru-Cut Records/Macola Record Co 12in
100= — HAPPY (CLUB VERSION) Camelot II, US Jam-Kru 12in
100= — JACK IT ALL NIGHT LONG Bad Boy Bill, US DJ International Records 12in
HI-NRG
01 01 ELECTRICA SALSA/REMIX Off, Sonet 12in
02 04 ARMED ROBBERY Seventh Avenue, Nightmare 12in
03 05 FASCINATED Company B, Bluebird 12in
04 03 HEARTBEAT Vivien Vee, Italian X-Energy 12in
05 02 LOVE CHILD Jamie Dean, Uptown Records 12in
06 07 I NEED A MAN/ENERGY IS EUROBEAT Man To Man, Bolts 12in
07 06 CALL ME Spagna, CBS 12in
08 14 GET READY (EXTENDED REMIX) Carol Hitchcock, A&M 12in
09 29 VICTIM OF LOVE Erasure, Mute 12in
10 11 PAPER MONEY Helena, Arista 12in
11 30 I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) (REMIX) Whitney Houston, Arista 12in
12 10 SIGNAL YOUR INTENTION Kim Weston, Nightmare 12in
13 15 PANINARO (REMIX) Pet Shop Boys, Italian Parlophone 12in
14 12 NOTHING’S GONNA STOP ME NOW Samantha Fox, Jive 12in
15 16 PUT MY LOVE ON THE LINE Darryl Pandy, Nightmare 12in
16 08 DON’T GET MAD, GET EVEN Mary Wilson, Nightmare 12in
17 17 THIRD FINGER LEFT HAND/LANDSLIDE Angie Gold, Passion 12in
18 22 PERFECT OPPORTUNITY Rob Keane, Nightmare 12in
19 13 RAINSTORM (REMIX) Eastbound Expressway, US Vinylmania 12in
20 — GIMME THE LIGHT Solid Strangers, German ZYX 12in
21 — ALWAYS DOESN’T MEAN FOREVER (MY-AMI MIX) Hazell Dean, EMI 12in
22 21 RECONCILIATE Le Page, US Prism 12in
23 09 IN LOVE WITH LOVE Debbie Harry, Chrysalis 12in
24 — BACKTRACK Shezwae Powell, Nightmare 12in
25 25 I’M A MAN Damian Davey, Passion 12in
26 — MY HANDS ARE TIED Susan Wells, Nightmare 12in
27 — TOY BOY Sinitta, Fanfare 12in
28 20 STEP BY STEP Off, German ZYX 12in
29 18 NIGHT CITY Secret Service, German Teldec 12in
30 23 THE BIG BANG Fantasy Ten, German ZYX 12in
Department Of Trade And Industry ‘pirate busters’ have been barred from confiscating records and tapes when they raid illegal radio stations, although they can still take all the transmission equipment, the House of Lords having upheld a Court of Appeal ruling that records and tapes are merely “music carriers” and not actual broadcasting “apparatus” under the 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act – good news for DJs who put their record collections at risk by taking them into the studio … Motown has slipped out a less tensely ticking and even longer introed fractionally faster 95½bpm New Remix of Dennis Edwards ‘Don’t Look Any Further’ (Gordy TGMT 1334 R), with a useful 95⅓bpm instrumental for the first time plus the 95bpm Original Remix from 1984 … Beggars Banquet is now reissuing the 1981 original of Freeez ‘Southern Freeez’, hard on the heels of Total Control Records’ remake … Club is issuing a new ’87 Extended Mix of 1980’s ‘rowing’ classic, the now 106-105½-104-104⅔-104⅓-104-103-104-103⅔-103⅓-103⅔-104⅓-107⅔-104bpm Gap Band ‘Oops Upside Your Head’ … Cooltempo has completely reserviced both Nitro Deluxe pressings, ‘This Brutal House’/UK Edit and ‘Let’s Get Brutal’, following a delayed sales surge that could finally make it a real crossover pop hit (after being the year’s biggest house hit in discos) … Damon D’Cruz, an original co-founder of Serious Records, is launching his own Jack Trax label with a house LP called ‘Jack Trax – The First Album’ containing Raze, Ramos, Ralphi Rosario, Ulysses, White Knight, Paul Scott, Professor Funk, MG², the start of a regular series at roughly six week intervals … Serious has picked up Duane & Co … Lachandra ‘Shy Girl’ is now in a cleaner lazily loping 100½bpm remix (Syncopate 12SYX 2) … Luther Vandross’s UK single to coincide with his concerts here will be ‘I Really Didn’t Mean It’ … T-Jam ‘Jacko’ and TC Curtis ‘Love Got Me On A Merry-Go-Round’, promoed, reviewed, and even briefly in our chart many weeks ago, have in fact only just come out on commercial release … Thomas & Taylor have signed with Southend-on-Sea agent Barry Collings’ new label Raise The Roof, and are of course currently touring here for him … Hammersmith’s revamped Le Palais still feels like the old Hammersmith Palais, a dance hall, despite new bars (out of coconut cream by 11.15pm on opening night!) and flashy lighting rigs – these latter telescoping down out of the ceiling like inverted wedding cakes, with wedge shaped trapdoors sliding across to fill the holes once they’ve retracted back, plus more telescoping vertical lighting towers enclosed in glass columns like something from ‘Metropolis’ … David Steel’s Brazilian bosom buddy Cleo Roccos rather bizarrely will be spinning Latin-American on Tuesdays at Le Palais, with John Sachs featuring solid soul on Wednesdays … Mayfair’s Gullivers is currently advertising in prime time on Capital Radio, with resident DJ Graham Gold doing the commercial, which is one way back into legal radio (he’s returned through frustration to a Saturday afternoon soul show on SOLAR-fm) … Capital could be going through changes soon, with exciting plans for soul fans on Sundays … Kool Chip ‘Jazz It Up’ is about a year old, and originally was turned down by all the New York labels! … Tristan Bolltho hosts BBC Radio Bristol’s previously detailed 1987 West Of England Rapping & Mixing Contest this Thursday (June 18) at Bristol’s Studio … Thursday also sees Derek B (who’s signed to Profile in the US) cutting up Across The Tracks at Camden Lock’s Dingwalls, while Chris Brown and Johnny Walker return to what was their legendary Frenchies venue in Camberley but which is now the massively revamped JW’s Nightclub, starting the weekly Dance Area with guests Nicky Holloway and Bob Jones … Friday (June 19) Paul Morrissey funks Tottenham Sams … New York’s Sleeping Bag and Fresh Records artistes Joyce Sims, Just Ice, T La Rock and Hanson & Davis are due at London’s Camden Palace on Monday (June 22), when Chris Paul funks Watford’s Paradise Lost (the following Monday too) … Neil Fincham celebrates Edinburgh Styx’s second anniversary next Wednesday (June 24) with an 8pm-8am all night blacktie party including four buffets, three bands, two Page 3 girls, and a partridge in a pear tree … Laura Harland, the general manager’s personal assistant who was the distributed labels’ main contact at PRT until she recently resigned, would I’m sure appreciate offers of similarly responsible positions on 01-647 0446 … Pinnacle is now distributing several of the Stax label’s much-reissued seven inch oldies, including Jean Knight ‘Mr Big Stuff’ and the Staple Singers ‘Respect Yourself’ … Hotline of ‘Rock This House’ (its proper title now it’s on full release) are evidently big in Chicago, although from Huddersfield! … Atlantic picked up Projection in the US and is remixing ‘Lovestruck’ … Billboard’s US dance chart-toppers since last mentioned have been, atop 12 Inch Sales, Madonna ‘La Isla Bonita’, Dead Or Alive ‘Something In My House’, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam ‘Head To Toe’ (yet to be received by me), this latter also topping Club Play but ousted there by Janet Jackson ‘The Pleasure Principle’ … a particular promotion company is currently threatening DJs with removal from its mailing list if they don’t react favourably to a certain record and return it to our chart, a situation you can rest assured we are watching closely, along with chart abuse in general … Kenny G plays his last show of a European tour on July 22 at the London Palladium, no less … Damon Rochefort celebrated the end of his season at London’s Video Café, as fun and games organising ‘redcoat’ to Dave Pearce’s VJ (they’ll be back there later in the year), by drinking a whole bottle of champagne out of an ice bucket – I then made the mistake of giving him a lift home, and he misdirected me in several fruitless circles around the East End until by total chance we went past his street! … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
Jon Jules, caught here doing his day job behind the counter at Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre (where the best people buy their vinyl!), joins Nic Wakefield at Uxbridge Regals for the next few Fridays, playing lots of funk ‘n’ house.
DYNAMIX II featuring Too Tough Tee ‘Just Give The DJ A Break’ (US Bass Station Records BSR 005)
The sensation of the moment, this ‘Planet Rock’-ish vocodered excellent 0-118⅔-0bpm scratch mix of famous beats and dialogue lines (shorter rap vocal too) has an equally – and even more – brilliant 0-103⅔bpm ‘Straight From The Jungle’ flip that amusingly mixes up rap, beats, effects and Tarzan yells. Dynamite!
2 PUERTO RICANS A BLACKMAN AND A DOMINICAN ‘Do It Properly (The Original)’ (Grooveline GRL 5001)
Are you prepared for total confusion? Cooltempo’s ‘original’ has the same label copy but on this import version the flip’s Def Mix is now far better than anything on the UK pressing, being a flying semi-instrumental 124-0bpm jack track treatment complete with organ-type keyboards that complement the Adonis ‘bootleg’! Continue reading “June 20, 1987: LL Cool J, Dynamix II, 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican, ‘Roadblock’, Ice-T”
Now it can more or less be told, although it’s still pretty garbled: 2 Puerto Ricans are Robert Clivilis and David Morales, a Blackman is David Cole and a Dominican is Chep Nunez, who certainly assembled the current ‘Do It Properly’ and had a part to play in the originally available version too, although it was DJ Bruce Forest at New York’s Better Days who evidently first mixed up Adonis ‘No Way Back’ live in the club, using his keyboards and other jack tracks to create a mix (which either inspired or was inspired by an original demo cassette of ‘Do It Properly’ by the 2PRABAAD), Bruce’s mix then being recreated by some unnamed parties and bootlegged on Fierce Records under the name we know — and as the bootleg uses so many tracks already licensed by London, it can co-exist now to Adonis (featuring 2 Puerto Ricans A Blackman And A Dominican) alongside the totally original vocal recording which Cooltempo has rush released (see its review for more details) … I’m afraid gathering the threads of this story has taken so long that, although many BPMs are done, I haven’t time to complete the reviews this week of such currently hot albums as (on import) Regina Belle, The O’Jays, Nancy Wilson (the latter mainly for a great swinging version of Robert Brookins’ ‘If You Only Knew’), and (out here) Whitney Houston, LL Cool J, Schoolly-D, the Isley Brothers, and the latest ‘Rob Olson’s Chicago Jackbeat Vol Two‘ – check the chart as usual for Beats Per Minute of those that hit … ‘Hey Love’ by King Sun-D Moet (which turns out to be the name of two separate blokes, King Sun and D-Moet) has now been reacquired here by Flame Records for, in a one-off deal, full distribution by Priority/RCA to maximise its hit potential … MCA Records has reissued last autumn’s very soulfully sung mesmerically rolling 104pbm One Way ‘Don’t Think About It‘ (MCAT 1097), never as big as it should have been … Syncopate snapped up Lanier & Co ‘Dancing In The Night’ … Morgan Khan, undaunted by previous experiences, is preparing to launch a fortnightly hip hop newsletter called Rumors on subscription only to purchasers of the StreetSounds Hip Hop/Electro LP series, plus he’s mulling over renewed plans for a UK Fresh 87 show after all — while Morgan’s brother Henry Khan has formed his own Intouch label … Mike Rice’s previously mentioned local Bucks and Berks mixing competition at Downley’s Masters has had such a large number of cassettes entered since we published it that the date of the final has been put right back until September! … Les Adams and Pascal Gabriel have created an ‘election special’ 122bpm house record, The House Of Commons ‘Join The Party’, using samples of all the leading politicos plus various news readers and a vocal by Sharon Dee Clarke. Although played off tape on radio it was too late even for rush release, so will be updated and made more general with the inclusion of international figures like Ronald Reagan for commercial release … MCA’s compilation LP of oldies by the Whispers, Shalamar, Collage and Midnight Star, ‘The Solar System‘ (Solar MCG 3338) includes a bonus 12 inch with two Les Adams megamixes, as neat as ever … Lillo Thomas ‘I’m In Love’ is now in yet another snickety snapping 114¼bpm remix (Capitol 12CLX 450) with ‘Sexy Girl’ added to the flip, while other remixes include the 121¾bpm Kenny ‘Jammin’ Jason ‘Can U Dance’ (Champion CHAMPX 1241), impact lessening 111½bpm Black Britain ‘Funky Nassau’ (10 Records TENR 171), and the now wickedly Mel & Kim-sampling far more useful 120bpm Rick and Lisa ‘When You Gonna (The Borough Anarchy Mix)‘ (RCA RICK MEL 1) — the Borough in South London being where Pete Waterman’s studio is … Rose Royce did a live ‘playback’ gig at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard last week during Jeff Thomas’s Monday soul night, and to say the place was packed would be an understatement — had there been rafters they’d have been swinging from them, and in fact I saw the queue before I saw the club! — the soul policy now being extended to Fridays as well and Jeff being joined both nights by The Bean … Thomas & Taylor are in Swansea this coming Monday (15), and a bit further east the following night at Bridgend’s Astons for James Lewis’s Tuesday night —this new club, with a wine bar below (in which Gerald Holley spins listening soul) is reminiscent of Walkers in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, being owned by some business-minded local soul fans … Gerald Holley is also taking soul through the valleys on Wednesdays at Merthyr Tydfil’s Charbonniers and Saturdays at Aberdare’s Deckers … Alan Christo is now DJ/promotions manager and looking for PAs at Cardiff’s Jacksons (on 0443-740557) … lain Bruce’s Saturday soul show on Cardiff’s Red Dragon Radio since he took it over last July has increased its audience by 450 per cent to be double the weekly evening figures, and has extended as a consequence to three hours, 6-9pm — some minority interest programme, huh? … Martin Collins on the other hand, due to some misreading of the recent audience figures at Chiltern Radio, was in danger of having his weekday evening soul show replaced by pop until public outcry prompted a re-examination of the figures, which actually showed he had a massive 90 per cent of the available audience at that time! … Dave Treharne’s more esoteric That’s Why They Call It The Blues R&B show on DevonAir picked up figures and for the summer now runs 7-9pm on Thursdays … Nottingham’s def dude Graeme Park in fact is involved with a new black music label that’s about to be launched called Submission Records, and is building a mailing list at 22 Birkin Avenue, Nottingham NG7 5AF — he’s also back (with coach party details on 0602-476888) at Streatham’s Project at Zigis this Friday (June 12), and has started weekly on Mondays in Derby at the new 20th Century Club … Aurra have become Deja, produced by Monte Moir … Saché, whose groin-grinding ‘Help Me To Get Over The Hurt‘ (US Atlantic) sold quite well without hitting any DJs’ charts, turns out to be an actual group, a trio of rather attractive girls in the Expose-cum-Stacy Lattisaw mould … The Cover Girls ‘Show Me‘ has generated some interest as it was used in his mix at the Albert Hall by US champ Joe Rodriguez … Kid ‘N’ Play and Heavy D and the Boyz’ newies both namecheck BMW, obviously the B Boys’ favourite wheels (me myself, I’ve just bought a Nissan Silvia 1.8 Turbo — real acceleration at last!) … LAH DEE DAH DEE!
SERIOUS RECORDS’ head Mahesh Bajaj is on the lookout for homegrown black female singers to record (on 01-487 3008). The label has picked up not only First Choice ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ but also Pleasure Pump ‘Fantasize Me’, and an upcoming ‘Best Of House Volume 1‘ LP will include such recent hits as Master C&J ‘Face It’, the House Master Boyz and The Rude Boy Of House ‘House Nation’, T-Coy ‘Carino’.
HOT VINYL
JACKSON SISTERS ‘I Believe In Miracles’ (Urban URBX 4)
Other than that somebody chose to bootleg it along with Maceo & The Macks, quite why this ‘Shaft’-influenced vocally Latin-flavoured spirited brassy jiggler from 1973 should now be considered a ‘rare groove’ is a mystery as it’s no better than many other forgotten tracks of similar vintage — which suddenly conjures up the vision of sharp London operators scouring American record stores and warehouses for all the oldies that their Northern Soul predecessors ignored! Horrors! Anyway, it’s certainly good, and probably fresher sounding now than it was then, Simon Harris having brilliantly re-edited a brand new 107⅓-107⅔-107-108-107⅓-107-108bpm Extended Mix which emphasises the previously rushed rhythm elements to bring out their soulful qualities (and a hidden James Brown flavour), for fascination comparison with the included 108-108⅔-109-108⅔bpm original 7” Version (the equally dated pleasant 72bpm ‘Why Can’t We Be More Than Just Friends‘ and Jackson 5/Honey Cone-type 99-97½-98bpm ‘Boy, You’re Dynamite‘ complete this package).
FIRST CHOICE ‘Let No Man Put Asunder (Special Dutch Mix)’ (Dutch Rams Horn RHR 3609)
Due here coupled with the Salsoul original on June 22 and already white-labelled by Serious Records, this Philadelphia-recorded disco oldie was a big influence on Chicago’s house music (compare the bass line with ‘Jack Your Body’!) although even in this disjointedly rambling 0-122-117½-118½-118- 121½-122½-122-119-121-0bpm new remix by Rutger ‘Rutti’ Kroese it’s still not exactly ‘house’ as we here know it. Gay jocks flirted with the new mix some months back, but the soul boys only just seem to have caught up with it! In the photo above, lead singer Roshelle Fleming (centre) will be visiting the UK this coming week.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END ‘Funky Nassau’ (Atlantic K10021T)
Promoed by WEA’s Fred Dove several years ago although only now out in logical competition with Black Britain’s remake, this 119-120⅔-121½-122-123bpm extended version of the classic brassy Bahamian soul kicker from 1971 has Wes Montgomery-ish guitar in the last half, and the original seven incher’s Parts 1 and 2 as flip. Always a party pleaser! Continue reading “June 13, 1987: Jackson Sisters, First Choice, The Beginning Of The End, Bobby Caldwell, Eric B. and Rakim”
2 PUERTO RICANS A BLACKMAN AND A DOMINICAN ‘Do It Properly!’ always was a bootleg, but apparently the version that has so far been available here (now as the Adonis flip) is itself a bootleg, even down to the ‘group’ name, of a different evidently superior original — if this seems garbled, watch this space for clarification … Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, with Davy D and Chris ‘CJ’ Mackintosh on the wheels of steel too, blew the Limelight apart performing lengthy live guest sets at the Music Of Life label’s first birthday party, the hip hop gig of the year so far … George Michael’s cousin, who used to work at Streetwave and had his own Hardback label there, Andros Georgiou is being philosophical about Morgan Khan’s use of the similar name Hardcore for one of his new labels, Andros’ company now getting into specialist club and radio promotion too (on 01-493 3064) … Marie Birch is yet again updating her DJ mailing list at Sound Promotions on 01-960 6999 … Motown has reissued 1984’s enduring Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett ‘Don’t Look Any Further‘ (Gordy TMGT 1334), the jogging 95bpm soul duet that — along with ‘I Found Lovin’’, ‘Encore’, ‘Rising To The Top’ and about two others! — remains one of Steve Walsh’s chief floor-fillers, and black London’s much loved anthems … Bluebird is reissuing the stunningly soulful hesitant delicately pent-up 43-84-82⅓-83bpm Paris ‘I Choose You‘ (Bluebird BRT 38), from several years back … George Michael is sure to be a pop disco pleaser with his Prince-inspired, controversially worded, jogging ‘I Want Your Sex’ — the Rhythm 1 Lust mix being 97⅚-0bpm on the rather quietly pressed seven inch which is all that I have so far … Luther Vandross’s involvement with Diana Ross’s current single was evidently much exaggerated by the press handout that accompanied its white label promo — he had nothing to do with it! … Saturday (June 6) sees Steve Aspey’s first Sweat Box night, which he hopes will become monthly at Knights in Cowley’s Temple Club, Oxford … Chris Paul and Dave Rawlings have carried their successful Chris & Dave partnership from Ealing’s Broadway Boulevard to Wednesdays at Kensington’s The Park — Dave alone also doing Fridays now at Croydon’s Easy Street … Jameel, after five years funking southern England, is now spreading the word in Belfast with a Soul Shakedown on Wednesdays at the Abercorn — Top Of The House … Paul Morrissey plus guests jazz, soul and rare groove funk Thursdays at Bristol’s plush Colosseum … Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day guests next Thursday (June 11) at Theo Loyla’s weekly general oldies night in Upstreet’s Ship Inn, near Canterbury (election night notwithstanding) … Disco Aid day (or night, if you like) will be November 21 this year … Steve Walsh’s management, Martyn Levett & Company (01-607 8311) now offer a complete back-up service for his guest appearances, with a merchandise range and customisable posters available to clubs and promoters at favourable rates — seems businesslike … Steve Watt is leaving Bluebird Records this month and would appreciate offers of promotion/PR or A&R work on 07375-52110 (who wouldn’t?) … John Sachs’ weekday afternoon listening figures have gone back up on Capital Radio … LAH DE DAH DEE!
PEGGI BLU at last has her stunning album released here, ‘Blu Blowin’’ (Capitol ESTV 2033). The sanctified sounding multi-winner of US TV’s ‘Star Search’ sears through the Nick Martinelli-produced sophisticated jiggly offbeat 91⅙bpm ‘Tender Moments‘, Isleys-penned attractive 83¾bpm ‘Once Had Your Love‘, Bert Robinson-duetted gospel-ish 58⅓bpm ‘All The Way With You‘, smoothly jittering 107bpm ‘Two Can Play At That Game’, Janet Jackson-ish lurching 119⅔bpm ‘Mesmorize Me’, datedly cantering 113¼bpm ‘Love’s Just A Mystery’ and 61-122bpm ‘Over And Over’. Not fantastically floor-filling maybe, but well worth hearing.
HOT VINYL
ADONIS ‘No Way Back’ (London LONX 136)
Although this simple cleanly bounding 125¾bpm jack track (instrumental too) from a year ago is nominally 12 inch A-side in its original version, the AA-side (and seven inch plugside) is far hotter and more exciting, being the current hugely popular 0-124bpm import bootleg treatment — now officially credited as ADONIS (featuring 2 PUERTO RICANS A BLACKMAN AND A DOMINICAN) ‘Do It Properly (No Way Back)’ – which uses the backing rhythm as the basis for terrific rippling and romping keyboards with bits of ‘Jack Your Body’ and other house hit samples mixed in, to frenzy whipping effect!
JIMMY WILLIAMS ‘Do You Really Want To Wait’ (Hardcore HAKT 3, via PRT)
David ‘Pic’ Conley (of Surface)-produced excellent striding and surging catchy 116½bpm canterer (in three mixes) by the expressively soulful lead voice of Double Exposure’s Seventies classic ‘Ten Per Cent’, here soloing although these days he fronts the Trammps.
WHITNEY HOUSTON may be flavour of the moment in the pop charts, but did you know, prior to her Arista debut, she contributed the Bill Laswell-produced ‘Memories‘ on a Material album about four years ago on CellulOid … Disco Mix Club have released a full two hour long VHS video of the Royal Albert Hall 1987 Technics World DJ Mixing Championship Finals (£29 from DMC Ltd, PO Box 89, Slough SL1 8NA, England), showing every competitor in colourful close-up for armchair critics to judge for themselves, plus the Janet Jackson, Alexander O’Neal, Jam & Lewis all-star awards presentation. It’s a professional production which cost £15,000 to make, and is worth seeing even if you were there … Herb Alpert has followed his tightrope-walking video with another brilliant one for ‘Diamonds’, with an hilarious comedy prologue in which buck-toothed disco DJ “Bucky” is finally persuaded by a plugger to play the record — a situation every jock will enjoy! … New York’s New Music Seminar looks likely to include a special British Dance Night showcase at one of the city’s top nightclubs, probably the Palladium, featuring 15 UK acts … Cooltempo managed to grab the UK singles rights for Eric B and Rakim’s ‘I Know You Got Soul’, following an earlier deal with the act, although their current US label Fourth & Broadway will have their upcoming LP here … Mirage, apparently selling well in the pop chart although still has much to do in the DJ charts, now has yet another 124bpm ‘Jack Mix III‘ (Debut DEBTR 3022) featuring this time ‘Living In A Box/Can U Dance/Jack Your Body/Showing Out/Respectable/Axel F/Jackin’/Do It Properly/Male Stripper/House Nation/Underwater/Let Yourself Go’ — provided they keep updating it with current hits, is there any reason why the idea shouldn’t run and run, for years on end? … Man To Man’s official ‘Male Stripper’ follow-up, already on a white label, here couples as double A-side the crass 129½bpm ‘Energy Is Eurobeat‘ with Paul Zone & Man Parrish’s current zingily racing 130-0bpm ‘I Need A Man‘ (Bolts BOLTS 5-12), the latter of course a now much altered Grace Jones oldie … MCA Records’ latest Solar oldie four-tracker is of Shalamar (SHALT 5), whose material has been reissued recently already, containing the classic sinuous 108⅓bpm ‘A Night To Remember’, lurching 102½-102¾bpm ‘There It Is’, dated 117bpm ‘Take That To The Bank’ and 127bpm ‘Uptown Festival’ … Capitol have reissued last October’s soulfully worried pent-up slow 0-38½/77bpm Freddie Jackson & Melba Moore ‘A Little Bit More‘ (12CL 446), following both singers’ sustained US success … US LPs recently reviewed in full on import and now out here are The Whispers ‘Just Gets Better With Time’ (Solar MCF 3381) and Norwood ‘Can’t Let You Go’ (MCA Records MCF 3381), both excellent soul sets … Donna Allen ‘Serious’ has now been marketed in a dubbier 0-110¼bpm Delirious Mix (Portrait 650744 8) … Herbie Laidly has added a bassier 119½-0bpm beat to make Company B ‘Fascinated (Mastermind Herbie Remix)‘ (Bluebird BRTX 35) a little bit more house than Miami … 10 Records have promoted T La Rock’s LP with a strictly promo-only 12 inch sampler containing the now 89-0bpm ‘Lyrical King‘, 100⅓bpm ‘This Beat Kicks‘, 104¾bpm ‘It’s Time To Chill‘, 89⅚-0bpm ‘Big Beat In London‘, serviced to mailing list DJs which may influence any subsequent chart action, diverting attention from the actual album … North Wales’s veteran jock Alan Taylor has opened his own record shop, Right Trax Records in Rhyl’s, Piazza Centre, offering discounts to DJs … Nottingham’s def dude Graeme Park has a recording project called Submission he keeps playing off successive tapes — so when’s it going to reach vinyl, then? — and no doubt he’ll be debuting ‘Submission 8′ (or whatever number it’s up to) this Friday (May 29) when he, Winston Hazel, Ping Pong, Parrot, Jass AB plus guest PAs funk ‘n’ jazz Sheffield City Hall 10pm-2am … Monday (June 1) Dave Pearce — no longer souling the afternoon now that Susie Barnes is back — presents Radio London’s 10pm A Fresh Start To The Week live from Camden Palace with hip hoppers Faze One, Derek B, Three Wise Men, Roger Johnson … Charing Cross Heaven next Friday (June 5), for its first Motown night in four years, presents the original Velvelettes, Martha Reeves and the reformed Vandellas, and Marv Johnson! … Le Palais, Hammersmith, reopens to the general public next Saturday (June 6) following two VIP nights, with Dave Munday as resident DJ/promotions manager … Brighton Montis XXI in Montpelier Road has funk/house/rap/go-go every Monday with Mick Fuller, plus jazz/Latin upstairs … Glen Gunner has started two weekly clubs, Blow Your Head at Soho’s Paramount City in Great Windmill Street every Tuesday with guest DJs (and rappers/scratchers invited on 01-578 3673), plus Blow Your Head (Again) on Thursday in jazz jock Paul Murphy’s new venue The Cat at 307 Finchley Road (corner Lithos Road) London, the fare at both being rare groove, rap, house, Sixties soul … Ian Reading has turned Thursday at Southend Zero 6 into hip hop night, but seems a bit confused calling hip hop “a new trend flooding New York at the moment” and then saying the evening will feature house and go-go, too! … Simon Dunmore and Ivor Jones play rare and real soul at Hayes’ Keats Winebar Sundays, the Rhythm Zone night having become a regular fixture the first Thursday every month at Northolt’s C&L Country Club … Ken ‘B’ Brudenell, having left his Mecca promotions post, has returned to jocking Thursday/Fridays at Luton Coliseum … Lowestoft Ziggies has added a seafront ‘real music’ bar called Rumours, playing mainly soul, funk, house and some MoR (eh?) with Paul Allen from the disco upstairs its frequent DJ … Steve Day has moved to Milton Keynes where he spins house/jazz/soul Sundays 6-7.30pm on the local CRMK 90.6FM, and seems to be gigging at just about every disco in the area … Jerry Hipkiss for the summer season now souls Severn Sound 102.4FM from 7-9pm Saturdays, followed 9-11pm by Ivanhoe Campbell’s reggae … US rap LPs of so-so specialist interest include the latest from the Fat Boys, with a track actually featuring the Beach Boys that combines the old ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ and ‘Wipeout’ (its title)! … Norwood’s UK follow-up will be the Colonel Abrams-ish ‘Give It Up‘ rather than the slower US choice — and, speaking of Colonel, where’s he been for the last year? … Judge Dread is resurfacing with one of his periodical send-ups, turning ‘Jack Your Body’ into the probably fairly dubious ‘Jerk Your Body‘ … Tina Charles ‘I Love To Love’ in its DMC Records remix by Sanny X has sold over 600,000 copies in Europe … John Sinclair (Loughborough Sammys) and Gary Hickson (Blackburn Kaleidoscope/Peppermint Place) both tip that One Way and Cameo synch superbly together, Kev Ashton (Newquay Frizzbys) similarly tips Lillo Thomas ‘I’m In Love’ blends imperceptibly with Herb Alpert ‘Keep Your Eye On Me’, and Graham Gold (Mayfair Gullivers) runs Joyce Sims with Black Britain … Def Jam’s recently touring Tashan, Chuck Stanley and Oran ‘Juice’ Jones have done noticeably worse with their current singles than Mason, for whom exposure to the crowd at Livewire’s Prestatyn weekender was not considered a waste of time – and Prestatyn probably didn’t hurt Maceo & The Macks, either! … LAH DE DAH DE!
TOM WILSON every Saturday at 6.30pm on Radio Forth broadcasts the Scottish Dance Chart, compiled from 100 disco jocks’ returns by First Class Radio & Club Promotions, whose Bill Grainger then repeats it during his Sunday wee small hours Hi-NRG show at 3am on Radio Clyde. As Scotland’s jocks are a law unto themselves, this makes immense good sense!
HOT VINYL
T LA ROCK ‘Lyrical King (From The Boogie Down Bronx)’ LP (10 Records DIX 52)
On this ponderously heavy specialist rap set, Mantronik only produces the old 98bpm ‘Back To Burn’ and helps on the break beat-cutting 100½bpm ‘This Beat Kicks‘, T LA and Louie Lou being joined by human beat box Greg Nice for the 89½-0bpm title track, amusing 0-86⅔-0bpm ‘Tudy Fruity Judy‘, 10 minute chattering hip hop hoedown 0-110-113-116-0bpm ‘Live Drummin’ With The Country Boy‘, 93⅙-0bpm ‘Bust These Lyrics‘, 90-0bpm ‘Big Beat In London’, 105bpm ‘It’s Time To Chill’, plus the totally human ‘Having Fun/Three Minutes Of Beat Box‘.
JOYCE SIMS ‘Lifetime Love’ (London LONX 137)
Already massive in soul clubs thanks to a mixture of advance promos and import copies, this Mantronik-produced plaintively small voiced haunting subtle 107½bpm monotonous ticking jitterer has had its six US mixes here reversed and reduced so that Soft Club is now the main A-side Jazzy Beat, Hard Dub 2 the Jazzy Dub, Hard Club (America’s A-side) the Def Beat, and Hard Dub and Def Dub.
James Hamilton's Disco Page 