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BEATS & PIECES

NOTE NOW that we have moved, making the new address for all charts and other communications — as of last week, so this really is important! — rm, Punch Publications Ltd, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UZ (Fax number for charts, addressed like envelopes for the attention of Alan Jones/James Hamilton, is 01-928 5158) … I currently have a deadline so early on Thursday that unless record companies have ensured bike delivery of their product to my home address by Wednesday afternoon, they stand no chance of it being considered for review the following week (The Club Chart however will continue to reflect records’ activity up to the weekend immediately preceding publication) … London Jazz Radio, with backers including Michael Caine, Humphrey Lyttleton, Cleo Laine, Johnny Dankworth, Miles Kington, Bill Oddie, Brian Rix, Andre Deutsch and several MPs, won the London incremental FM radio licence — which won’t be bad, as the professionally run station promises a range of programming embracing all types of jazz plus soul, R&B and blues, influenced very probably by the way in which US jazz stations operate … KISS-fm’s hopeful backers meanwhile are described as being “choked”, but, although undeniably popular when operating as a pirate, their shoddy presentation just was not professional and tight enough to deserve to win: however, they were apparently one of the runners-up, and, depending on whose report you believe, further FM airspace may or may not be made available in London for the best two runners-up … Capital Radio’s Los Angeles recorded new jingles feature Philip Ingram, no less … BBC2-tv finally shows the drastically edited highlights of the Technics World DJ Mixing Championships Royal Albert Hall stage show this coming Monday (24) between 6.30-7pm … Les Adams celebrated the LA Mix single’s entry into the Top 20 by somehow getting pneumonia, but (against the advice of two doctors and, for what it was worth, myself) he nevertheless drove down from Newport Pagnell to Hammersmith for the Bobby Bland/Johnnie Taylor/Denise LaSalle show, but was in such pain on arriving that he checked in instead to the luckily nearby Charing Cross Hospital — where, following the show, Emma Freilich, Peter Young (“PY The Pink Tie” as he’s now known!) and MC Jammy Hammy found him sitting in just his underpants on a trolley with nobody looking after him, it taking us three hours then to get him properly admitted and tucked up in bed (which at the time of writing is where he seems likely to stay for some time yet) … West London’s Record & Disco Centre has been short of staff after the opening of a new sandwich bar, as within two days’ at least 25 people went down with food poisoning, including the shop’s Jerry Green, Sheridan Jules and Barvin Patel! … Brixton’s Red Records, having branched successfully into Soho, has just opened another new store in Peckham, at Rye Lane’s Aylesham Centre (described as a high street location without the usual high street compromises!) … Lil Louis ‘French Kiss’ has been promoed by ffrr, initial UK pressings being flipped by the import’s ‘Wargames’ and ‘Jupiter’ although vocal versions are yet to come — meanwhile, though, Simon Harris has recorded a cover version under the name Big Louis, which his own Living Beat Records will release on August 7, a fortnight after the original in a gentleman’s agreement with ffrr (for whom, of course, to complicate things, he records under his own name!) … Unyque Artists have split away totally from The Dance Yard Recording Corporation as an independent label, distributed by Spartan still … ‘Ska Train‘, so hot on promo, will after all now be a double A side on the Beatmasters’ next single … CBS have promoed on US-style seven inch the Soul II Soul/Loose Ends-ish jogging 95⅓bpm ‘Stronger Together (Demo Version)’ by The Chimes, flipped by the less good brassily jolting 0-94⅓bpm ‘Bodyrock‘ … I regret my new deadline left no time to review (on import) the girl wailed James Bratton & Kelly Charles created garage Franda Robertson ‘Think‘ (Micmac); aggressively snarled pumping hip house White Knight ‘Keep It Movin’‘ (Jive); afro rhythm flavoured jiggly Italian Landro & Co ‘Belo E Sambar‘ (New Music); anxious guy wailed vigorously bounding The Fascination ‘Serious‘ (Play House Records); Randy Muller penned swingbeat Skyy ‘Love All The Way‘ (Atlantic); Frankie Bones and Lenny Dee created typical acid, hip house and even rock eight-track ‘Looney Tunes‘ EP (Nugroove); War accompanied slow gruff rap Ice-T ‘Heartbeat (Remix)‘ (Sire); MC Jammy Hammy “get off” sampling murkily volume pumping Italian St Andrew’s Gang ‘The Family House’ (Discomagic); swingbeat-ish one side and slow soul t’other Babyface ‘Tender Lover’ (Solar LP); and (out here) totally Les Adams remade breezily chugging Viola Wills ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now‘ (Music Man); Teddy Riley produced and Timmy Regisford remixed whompingly buoyant swingbeat Déjà ‘Goin’ Crazy‘ (10 Records); girls sung bass pumped cantering Biddu Orchestra featuring Erica ‘Foundation Of Love‘ (Trax); Yazoo ‘Don’t Go’ based (rather than the Yazz you might here expect) jittery Euro house Two Without Hats ‘Try Yazz‘ (Music Man); DC Lee led ethereal “yay yay yeah” background girls chanted catchy sparse wriggly striding Slam Slam ‘Move (Dance All Night)‘ (MCA Records) … Koxo Club Band ‘Paradhouse Remix’ in its A-side German remix is 117⅘-117⅗bpm, while similarly Doug Lazy ‘Let It Roll’ on Atlantic is also only 117⅘bpm, Dee Major ‘Rock My Rhyme’ is 0-111⅘bpm and Steady B ‘Nasty Girls (Extended Version)’ is 122 bpm (none with “changing girls”, or “chanting chix” for that matter!) … Donnie Elbert, the distinctively high piercing pitched falsetto revivalist in the early Seventies of ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ and ‘I Can’t Help Myself’, has died aged 52 in Philadelphia — his searingly intense 1957 US hit slowie ‘What Can I Do‘ became something of a standard that was much covered subsequently by Jamaican singers, while the song for which he will probably be best remembered (his Motown revival pop hits notwithstanding) is the ‘Can I Get A Witness’ tempoed mid-Sixties mod anthem, ‘A Little Piece Of Leather‘ … Overlord X heads a big rap/funk/raga jam this Saturday (22) at Ipswich’s ICA in Woodbridge Road … Mark Richards spins upfront house/hip hop and soul classics at Reading’s After Dark Club on Thursdays, Sundays and Under 18 Saturday lunchtimes … Arista labelmates Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston’s upcoming ‘It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be’ duet has been remixed by Clivilles & Cole, hopefully a good sign … Sonia’s pop smash strikes me now as being reminiscent, in pitch and atmosphere if not actual chords, of Sheena Easton’s debut hits … BCM Records’ all-star funk fest in Berlin is fast becoming THE place to be over the August bank holiday, although before then we are in danger of being regaled by tall stories from everyone currently in New York at the New Music Seminar (of course I’m not there, with my deadlines I haven’t time to go anywhere!) … I’m outta here, BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

JODY WATLEY with Eric B. & Rakim ‘Friends (Extended Version)’ (MCA Records MCAT 1352)
The Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler and Paul Shabazz remixed fidgety bouncing and bumping ultra-jittery (0-)100⅙bpm swingbeat jolter with Rakim’s guest rap was surprisingly slow to take off on import but is so rhythm packed it’s sure to hit here, flipped (instrumental too) by the similarly Andre Cymone produced more plaintively jittering 102⅙bpm ‘Private Life’.

ADEVA ‘Warning’ (Cooltempo COOLX 185)
Promoed at any rate in two alternative double A side mixes, Adeva plummily gurgles and wails through this terrifically powerful garage newie, which may not have the benefit of already familiar lyrics like ‘Respect’ but is instantly catchy, in Paul Simpson’s rumbling and tumbling 0-119⅕bpm High On Hope Mix and Tony Humphries’ nervily jerking (0-)119-118⅘bpm Zanzibar Mix (the latter with more angular Chic-ish guitar and “D” Train-type synth). Watch it explode!

THE 28th ST. CREW ‘I Need A Rhythm (Vocal Club Mix)’ (US Vendetta Records VE-7023)
The Clivilles & Cole created “group” album’s title track is now 12-inched, a girls sung samples woven jittery 0-125-125⅖bpm house canterer echoing the likes of Jomanda ‘Make My Body Rock’, Maurice ‘This Is Acid’ and Adeva ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ in a smoother variation of the Todd Terry style, flipped by new Dubs numbers 1 and 2 — which, when this is out here soon in identical form (Breakout USAT 666), will be designated as the juddery tripping 125⅕-0bpm Dub Style and more interestingly episodic lurching 123⅕-0-123⅗-0bpm alternative Dub. Continue reading “July 22, 1989: Jody Watley with Eric B. & Rakim, Adeva, The 28th St. Crew, Smokin’ Gang, Fax Yourself”

BEATS & PIECES

SOUL II SOUL ‘Keep On Movin’’, having already topped the US Club Play chart in Billboard, last week was still number one in 12-Inch Single Sales and also hit number one in the overall Hot Black Singles chart (healthily as the top seller, rather than through radio play), although by now UK imports of ‘Back To Life’ are currently hotter than hot in the New York City — their follow-up here will couple re-recorded versions of the album’s ‘Holdin’ On (Bambelela)’ and ‘Jazzie’s Groove’ … Clivilles & Cole’s remix of ‘Clouds’ — surely the best track on her oldies album? — will be Chaka Khan’s follow up … ffrr’s UK pressing of Lil Louis ‘French Kiss’ will include two new local versions, presumably to give radio something easier to play … Teddy Riley is being sued by Jive/Zomba for allegedly wriggling out of a five year production and writing contract by crediting the more recent of his own creations to colleague Gene Griffin (also named in the suit), his remixing and arranging work obviously not being covered by the contract — Teddy, for instance, “arranged” the current Redhead Kingpin hit, co-penned/produced (as pointed out in its review) by a mysterious and so far unidentified Markell Riley … Bob Masters has moved from Supreme Records to become promotions manager at Sleeping Bag Records … Island — in the USA, at least — have launched a 4th + B’way sister label called Great Jones for what is considered there to be the more “underground” types of dance music, y’know, like rap and house! … Heavy D & The Boyz ‘We Got Our Own Thang’ — to judge from the national chart! — would appear to have been released here on the quiet (MCA Records MCAT 23942) … Kiara’s promo twinpack is now commercially available … Raul featuring J. Bonell ‘Guitarra’ has had its full commercial release delayed to coincide with BBC1-tv’s new Saturday morning ‘Up 2 U’ kids’ show, for which its various mixes are being used as theme music — meanwhile, the also Spanish guitar strumming Gipsy Kings have had a slight hiccup while their label A1 Records switches distribution from the defunct PRT to BMG/The Total Record Company, the same arrangement made also by Touchtone Records for the current Princess single … Milli Vanilli ‘Blame It On The Rain’ in its commercial 12 inch form has its (0-)97⅓bpm Club Mix flipped by a gentler (0-)97bpm Radio Mix and Pink Floyd cash till effects sampling jerky 123⅕bpm ‘Money (Remix)‘… Liz Torres ‘Payback Is A Bitch’, reviewed off better value import in all six of its mixes, has been promoed here in just its Club Mix and Spanish Version but the commercial release will couple first on July 24 the Club Mix, Bassy Bitch Mix and Radio Edit, followed on August 7 (Gallup chart rules permitting) by the Spanish Version, Edward ‘Get Down’ Crosby Mix and Lugo Dub Mix … Norman Cook’s video for ‘Blame It On The Bassline’ is great fun, a real game of spot the DJs, Norman sharing the decks with Streets Ahead while others cavort on the sidelines — his hit was originally promoed as a single side 12 inch with just the clubs aimed ‘Bassline’, the side its obviously been selling for but commercial pressings turn out to be A-sided by the supposedly more radio orientated (though not very), semi-falsetto title repeating jiggly calm walking bass burbled 0-105⅔bpm ‘Won’t Talk About It‘ featuring Billy Bragg, while the MC Wildski rapped ‘Blame It On The Bassline’ is also now in a DJ Streets Ahead scratched twittery hip house (0-)120½bpm Remix (Go Beat GODXR 33) … Mark Moore of S’Express and William Orbit have done wonders remixing Prince ‘Batdance’ (which I haven’t had time to BPM yet), making a fast but funkily driving coherent Batmix out of the uptempo ingredients and a separate Vicki Vale Mix out of the slower passage’s elements … Blacksmith’s long awaited Swing Beat Club Mix of their own ‘Get Back To Love’ is also about at last … LA Mix’s upcoming remix of ‘Get Loose’ replaces its Atmosfear break beat with a “harder” original groove … US imports I’ve had not time to review yet include the Clivilles & Cole created Maurice ‘This Is Acid’ and Jomanda ‘Make My Body Rock’ sampling (with two new dubs as flip) The 28th St. Crew ‘I Need A Rhythm‘ (Vendetta Records); twittery acidic hip house Smokin’ Gang featuring DJ Jack Boy, Rapper ‘Just Rock (Rap House Anthem)‘ (Hot Mix 5 Inc Records); breathily hushed muttering (by a guy previously spelt as Jerry) subdued loping house Jere McAllister ‘What I Do‘ (D.J. International Records); typical dated Todd Terry created “yo yo get funky” samples woven jittery lurching Royal House ‘Get Funky‘ (Idlers); samples studded jerky monotonous The Break Boys ‘Give Us A Break (Boyee)‘ (Fourth Floor Records) … I was instead driving along the sundrenched Devon and Dorset border last Tuesday afternoon listening to a Motown oldies show on BBC Radio Bristol when surprisingly the jingle appeared to identify its presenter as former SOLAR-fm supremo Tony Monson — but later investigation revealed him to be Tony Moxon (the “real” Mr Monson is currently back on Essex Radio presenting Saturday night’s 10pm-2am ‘Essex Mayhem’ soul show!) … London’s incremental FM licence winning station was due to have been informed of its success last Saturday … Adrian Allen (‘Little Chunky’), as last week’s mention was meant to read, has graduated on Metro Radio’s Teeside based TFM to hosting not only Saturday’s 5-8pm soul show but also the weekday 2.30-4.30pm afternoon show, while his colleague Tim Smith at Tyneside’s Metro FM sister station handles weekday 4.30-7pm “drive time” as well as Sunday’s 2-4pm soul slot … Greg Edwards is trying to syndicate his ‘Soul Spectrum’ show … Pete Tong (who surely can’t be slipping?) is amazingly in no direct way behind the currently exploding Italian scam! … London’s Charing Cross Road Busbys is where the Special Branch has returned to Doo it again every Friday with Nicky Holloway, Pete Tong and (upstairs) Gilles Peterson, Chris Bangs, Simon Dunmore — just like old times again! … Paul O Wain and Steve Poulton need no plugs for their Thursday at Rock City but are trying also to build up a harder house/garage/hip hop/funk/soul Monday scene at Nottingham’s Hippo … Upnorth Promotions’ fifth so-called “Blackpool” weekender — highly praised as being much more soulful that the others, always — actually moves up the coast to Morecambe on October 20/21/22, full details and £48 inclusive tickets on 091-389 0317 … Rhythim Is Rhythim ‘Sinister‘, about which Tim Jeffery raved in his Cool Cuts chart last week, has been out several times already in various combinations, including on a UK issued Jack Trax album … Tim Taylor has returned from a refreshing experience jocking for two nights in Brazil at Sao Paulo’s Nation, where he played a lot of latin hip hop/free-style but the mainly gay crowd (who were happy to dance to anything new) really got off on the likes of Ralphi Rosario, 2 In A Room, Double Trouble, Bang – The Party, Bones Breaks, WestBam, ABC, Voodoo Doll, A Guy Called Gerald, and indeed acid and techno in general (wot, no sambas!!) … Stephen Plant of Kings Norton raves about a “totally outrageous and over the top” Acid Remix of Petula Clark’s already recently rejigged ‘Downtown’, this newer treatment only being out in France on Clever Records … Hithouse turns out apparently to be a direct translation of Dutch producer/mixer Peter Slaghuis’s surname — certainly “slag” is Dutch for “cream”, as I’ve pointed out in the past, so maybe there’s an element of slang or poetic licence involved? … Sybil’s full name turns out to be Sybil Lunch! … KAOS is Simianne Joy, a Birmingham (West Midlands, not Alabama) singer for whom Kevin Saunderson created ‘Definition Of Love’ after she’d auditioned for him in London a year ago … Final Cut (whose ‘You Can’t Deny The Bass‘ was reviewed recently) are Detroit DJ Jeff ‘The Wizard’ Mills with Tony Srock (sic), accompanied by True Faith in the form of vocalist Jeanette Sellers … George Benson has finally been allowed to do what he wants to do, his new ‘Tenderly’ album being straight jazz in cocktail/easy listening style (apparently considered to be so uncommercial by Warner Bros that it has had hardly any promotion) … Greedy Beat Records’ marketing methods are beyond understanding: despite my encouraging reviews (and a supposed April 24 release date), their last batch of rather good singles still appear never to have reached either DJs or shops – and now they’re pushing out some new ones! … ‘Batman’ has a very clever logo — how many of you realised instantly that it was a bat shape, rather than the prominent front teeth (or Mouseketeer ears!) that its glittery surround initially suggests? … I’m outta here — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

PET SHOP BOYS ‘It’s Alright (The D.J. International Mixes)’ (Parlophone 12RX 6220)
Their ‘Introspective’ album’s Sterling Void cover version has been long awaited on single, a Frankie Knuckles remix once being rumoured, finally hitting the pop chart last week in a throbbingly frantic then typically vocal frisky flying (0-)124-0-123⅘bpm Extended Version (Parlophone 12R 6220), but this week it’s going to hit The Club Chart in the form of these authentic house remixes, The Tyree Mix being a thudding and twittering hard (0-)123¼-123½bpm acidic instrumental with just Tessa Niles & Sally Bradshaw’s background vocals while (remixed by the tune’s originator along with Rocky Jones) The Sterling Void Mix is an also twittery although actually much softer and poppier 123½bpm full Pet Shop Boys vocal.

STARLIGHT ‘Numero Uno’ (CityBeat CBE 1242)
Originally credited as being by Starlight Invention Group when on Italy’s Dee Jay Lelewel label, one of the biggest and best DJ created volume pumping contenders to follow Cappella in the suddenly much hyped “Italian house” trend is this brightly jumping 123-123⅕-0bpm jitterer sampling Hi-Tension’s “bless the funk”, James Brown grunts and a whole host more over jauntily jangling piano and driving beats, with a synth buzzed less “vocal” 123-0bpm Alternative Mix flip. While nothing new, it’s so simple and instantly infectious it’s sure to smash when out here fully on July 31.

KOXO CLUB BAND ‘Paradhouse Remix’ (CityBeat CBE 1240)
Already raved over on import many months back, this long established Balearic smash has been deservedly huge at certain venues for over a year, a superb Spanish guitar picked and girls muttered disco-flamenco bounder along the lines of the Gipsy Kings and Raul featuring J. Bonnell with bursts of ‘Tequila’ and other party rousers in the previously reviewed 127⅘-117⅗bpm German remix by Bob One, Enzo Persueder and Sunny, who actually combined the Spanish ‘La Maranza’ with — coupled now for the first time on the same record — the piano jangled more mundane but beefily driven good house-ish chugging 119bpm Original Mix and instrumental 118⅘bpm Piano Mix which, without any Spanish influence, were in fact the creation of yet another Italian DJ, Mario Tomasoni (who recently quit Rimini’s The Yellow Flag club to enter the priesthood!). Continue reading “July 15, 1989: Pet Shop Boys, Starlight, Koxo Club Band, Black Box, Skipworth & Turner”

BEATS & PIECES

Pete Tong, it comes as no surprise to learn, has snapped up Lil Louis’ ‘French Kiss’ for ffrr release here! … RePublic Records picked up Raven Maize ‘Forever Together’, and will replace the import’s dubs with two brand new remixes … Fourth & Broadway, rather than BCM Records, have ended up winning NWA here … Huddersfield/Bradford DJ group the Unique 3’s limited local pressing (reviewed last year) of their acidic ‘The Theme’ has become the most eagerly sought and hottest dance hit in Newcastle upon Tyne specifically and up North generally, but now 10 Records, having signed the group, are getting them to re-record an acid-less new version for release in about five weeks … Champion meanwhile have been delaying release of Razette ‘Ready 4 Love’ until July 17 (which seems sad to me even if it is a political move), when Farley Jackmaster presents Precious Red ‘Think’ is now also due, Sybil ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ having been brought forward to next Monday (July 10) and Chubb Rock with Howie Tee ‘Ya Bad Chubbs’ put back until July 31 … ‘Do You Love What You Feel’ is indeed the next Inner City single, on July 17, in an odd hip house tempoed Mike ‘Hitman’ Wilson remix … Darren Ensom of the now obviously defunct Nite Shift promotion department at PRT wants to express through this column his sincere thanks to all the DJs who helped make the company’s distribution set-up so successful in the black music field … Bobby Brown, literally leaping from side to side of the stage when he wasn’t dry humping it, was crudely sexual (and crowd pleasing, despite poor sound) at Wembley Arena, his dancing being as excitingly intense as anticipated, but what really impressed was the way he boosted rap music, as if an ambassador for it, impersonating Doug E Fresh’s human beat box style, dancing to Big Daddy Kane and actually performing De La Soul’s ‘Me Myself And I’ … David Peaston’s hot import album (reviewed last week) is out here next week, ‘Introducing … David Peaston’ (Geffen Records K9242281), followed by his single on July 17, while also out next week is Ten City ‘Where Do We Go?’ (the Earl Young’s Revenge mix of which does indeed feature live drums by the self same legendary Trammps drummer) … Richie Rich’s album due on Gee Street next week has already been successfully preceded by a mailing list promo sampler containing its MC Rumble rapped strong P’funky 109⅗bpm ‘I Can Make You Dance’ title track, Sugar Bear rapped murky dull 101½bpm ‘Coming From London’, Sylvia multi-tracked jerkily tripping deep house 0-120bpm ‘Set Yourself Free’, and yet another subtle piano plinked (0-)120bpm remix of ‘Salsa House’ (not the one on ‘ffrr – Silver On Black’) … UK newies I have yet to review in full include the funky drummered (0-)116⅕bpm chunkily burbling jerky tense garage-ish The Blow Monkeys featuring Sylvia Tella ‘Choice?’ (RCA); sinuously soulful strolling Skipworth & Turner ‘Cash’ (Fourth & Broadway); Spanish guitar picked Balearic smash Koxo Club Band ‘Paradhouse (Remix)’ (CityBeat); Randy Muller created (and spiced up for the UK!) spine tingling girl squalled bubbly sparse shuffling Funk Deluxe ‘I Surrender’ (Tam Tam); Grace Jones ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ based angry Brooklyn rap The Together Brothers ‘Movin’ On Up’ (Blue Chip); West Country DJ Simon Power created samples woven lively acidically striding wriggly Urban Nature ‘Get On The Floor!’ (Moles Records); samples studded slippery fast lurching hip house tempo The Moody Boys ‘First National Rapper’ (CityBeat); loosely produced fusion of some sk’ouse trappings with lots of Cliff Nobles & Co’s 1968 classic ‘The Horse’ instrumental Soul Brothers Inc ‘Ska Soul’ (Blue Chip); nasal Lisa Cousins crooned wriggly latin house Federal State ‘Deeper In Love’ (Warrior Records); newly remixed sinuous jiggly jogging Womack & Womack ‘MPB (Missin’ Persons Bureau)’ (Fourth & Broadway); Samantha Fox answering jerky fast rap Steady B ‘Nasty Girls’ (Jive) … Too Nice ‘I Git Minze’ has been re-edited here in new 119⅔bpm Extended and Single Versions (due July 31) to emphasise the catchy “say jump, jump, jump, jump” line … UK pressings of Boogie Down Productions ‘Why Is That?’ (Jive JIVE T 210), reviewed last week on import, are 95⅚bpm and replace ‘Who Protects Us From You?’ with the ragamuffin rap 88½bpm ‘Hip Hop Rules’ … Kool & The Gang ‘Raindrops’ will be speeded up by Blaze for UK release, with the import version as flip … ‘You’ve Got To Love Me’ is now the official title line of the ‘Can’t Mess Around’ track (crossed out on import labels) on the Intense ‘Garage Movement’ EP, this Sonja Rogers wailed bounder and at least also ‘Let The Rain Come Down’ having been picked up from it by Champion for UK release, although when that will be is anybody’s guess! … LA Mix featuring Jazzi P and MC Jammy Hammy travelled, as did many London based club pluggers, all the way to Newcastle upon Tyne’s Walkers last Tuesday after being led to believe that a black and soul awards night was being held there, which was far from the case, the industry figures practically outnumbering the 20 punters who had turned up (Fourth & Broadway had even had special videos made of Mica Paris and Will Downing just for the event) … ‘Sex Dwarf’ Adrian Allen, now known as ‘Little Chunky’ (short – the operative word – for ‘Chunky But Funky’!) has graduated on Metro FM sister station handles weekday 4.30-7pm drive time as well as Sunday’s 2-4pm soul slot … Bobby Bland, Johnnie Taylor, Denise LaSalle, Mosley & Johnson plus the Muscle Shoals Horns represent the Malaco all-star blues blast (unfortunately Little Milton had to withdraw) at London’s Hammersmith Odeon this Saturday (8), a must for soul traditionalists … Peabo Bryson together with Chapter 8 and Lavine Hudson will be at the same venue next Saturday (July 15) … Mark Moore and Tim Simenon are among the DJs who Stunn and Algonquin in Mayfair’s Horseshoe Yard every Thursday, when Eon Irving plus guests and live bands funk the nearby Wall Street in Bruton Place (calling it The Revolution, which was the club’s name back in the late Sixties) … Seth Gibbard’s serious hip hop night at Liverpool’s Mardi Gras is proving so serious it’s moved up to Friday now! … Pressure Zone PA at Rainham’s Berwick Mansions this Saturday (8) … Kev Brennan gets upfront Sundays at Preston’s Winckleys on the Square … Mike Shawe, spinning modern soul and boogie every Saturday at Bath’s Players (where Deli G and DJ Lynx from Smith & Mighty play Fridays), points out that Centre Field Assignment ‘Mi Casa’ is the house record sampled in Twin Hype ‘Do It To The Crowd’ … Top Billin’s first single through a Phonogram distribution deal will feature PP Arnold and be ‘My Thing’, with no ‘Set It Off’ connections now! … Big Shot have expanded into larger Toronto offices to become “a proper record company” … Viceroy Records seem likely to give Hardrock Soul Movement their own label, Dave VJ and Max LX calling themselves just Hardrock for hip hop and Soul Movement for street soul in future … Chad Jackson is also featured (if you can catch him amongst the fast cutting mayhem) in the LA Mix video, my own frighteningly close up cameo appearance unfortunately showing me to be as fat and tired as I felt, having been awake as usual for about 48 hours! … I’m outta here,  BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

TEDDY RILEY featuring GUY ‘My Fantasy (Extended Version)’ (US Motown MOT-4643)
Fast becoming a living legend for his swingbeat productions and now stepping out front, Teddy (the one without specs!) has remixed his group’s major contribution to the hot ‘Do The Right Thing’ soundtrack, an ‘Atomic Dog’-ishly starting, Bobby Byrd “I’m comin’” punctuated, at times Stevie Wonder accented, chunkily strutting 0-114⅖bpm infectious P’funky trotter, flipped by a more conversational (0-)114⅖bpm Rap Version and bumpy 114⅖bpm Bonus Beats. The identical UK pressing, due commercially July 24 (MCA Records MCAT 1353), is 0-114bpm with 113⅘bpm flip.

BOBBY BROWN ‘On Our Own (Extended Club Version)’ (MCA Records MCAT 1350)
Rush released, his ‘Ghostbusters II’ featured lurching here 102⅓bpm LA & Babyface created swingbeat jiggler is revealed as having a catchy wordless “ahh ahh wah-oh” backing harmony that really cuts through, the partly rapped lyrics actually mentioning “Ghostbusters” several times to commercial effect (102½bpm Radio Edit and Instrumental flip), so allied to his currently high profile it is sure to be big!

SHA-LOR ‘I’m In Love (Remix)’ (RCA D 003)
Originally a real “sleeper” as an import on the Gertie label, big in Manchester from last autumn but not hitting (then only modestly) The Club Chart until February, this now UK released and remixed steadily striding sparse haunting 121-0bpm garage tripper coolly crooned by Sharmelle and Lorrie — Sha-Lor, geddit? — would have hit again last week on promo sales way ahead of July 31 commercial release but I didn’t dare chart it in case anyone thought I was the only person who had a copy (heavy sarcasm directed at certain people who know who they are!), the UK remix seemingly re-edited from bits of the import’s Caught Up, Conservative and Sweat It Versions, with in fact the Conservative Version now retitled as the flip’s 120½bpm Classic mix and a new instrumental 120⅘bpm Harmonic Mix. Continue reading “July 8, 1989: Teddy Riley featuring Guy, Bobby Brown, Sha-Lor, Beastie Boys, Company 2”

BEATS & PIECES

“MENTAL HOUSE” is fast becoming this summer’s replacement for “acid house”, with (as in the Manic MCs) “mental” the new “acieed” chant … PRT’s abrupt closure has caused consternation and upheaval in the dance music business, its distribution wing having handled perhaps more independent dance labels than any other, these now suddenly finding themselves with no way of marketing their product … Peter Edge has moved from Cooltempo, which he set up at Chrysalis, to start a similar though more “left field” artist orientated black music label (untitled so far but for probable August launch) at WEA, as a UK collaboration with specifically US Warner Bros, working in association with the latter’s Benny Medina, vice president of black music (and a demon dancer!) … Rhythm King have promoed on 12 inch off The Beatmasters’ album their very derivative (but no less powerful for that) storming 0-123½bpm ‘Ska Train‘, authentically Sixties style ska with just a few token modern twitters so hardly sk’ouse/sk’acid, amazingly not scheduled as the next single although sure to hit The Club Chart … Precious ‘In Motion’, as the lead review last week should have read, is nowhere near as strong as the now UK flip relegated similar though much chunkier 119⅗-119⅘bpm A Definition Of A Rap and superb struttingly swinging dry bass driven instrumental (0-)119⅘-120⅕bpm A Definition Of A Track (these tracks now of course being due as the A-side after all!) … Motown’s hot soundtrack compilation album from Spike Lee’s new movie is now out here following full review on import, ‘Music from “Do The Right Thing”‘ (Motown ZL 72665), as is LL Cool J ‘Walking With A Panther’ (Def Jam 465112 1) … KISS-fm’s bid for the Greater London FM incremental radio licence will hopefully not have been harmed by a dreadfully amateurish cassette demo of the station’s presenters (on which, incidentally, Bob Jones sounded exactly like Pete Tong!), it being the cassette’s production that was at fault rather than many of the actual jocks, sounding as if all the worst bits had been slung together … Solar Records’ new association with Epic will be kicked off by solo product from Babyface … David Morales’ percussively throbbing 121⅓bpm The Classic Remix of Frankie Knuckles presents Satoshi Tomiie ‘Tears’ (ffrr FXR 108) has a couple more new 121⅓-0bpm mixes as flip although only one Classic Remix Dub is labelled … Champion’s rapidly promoed UK pressing of Chubb Rock ‘Ya Bad Chubbs’ (CHAMP 12-215) has the here 108bpm Chubb Club, 107½bpm Instrumental, 118¼bpm Crib Mix and 107⅓-0bpm Howie’s Beat (retitled as a Remix) versions … Leotis alleges that his friend Miki Howard, who sang on Side Effect’s ‘Always There’, is to be heard also on CharVoni’s current version! … Lindsay Wesker points out that Corporation Of One’s ‘Vanessa Del Rio‘, apart from its ‘Break 4 Love’ influence, is based on the Police’s ‘When The World Is Running Down (You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around)‘ … Limahl’s comeback album on Arista (one everyone’s sure to be waiting for!) will include a Shaun Imrei-penned house track produced by Kevin Saunderson, called ‘Life Must Go On’ … Graeme Park turns out not to have had any involvement in Kicking Back’s ‘Keep On Trying’ on Submission … Chris Phillips & Paul Bennun are joined by Prince’s official UK fan club The Revolution at a massive Minnea-P-Funk party in Exeter’s Warehouse this Thursday (29) for their latest GOD (Get On Down) night, which next Thursday (July 6) moves to Southampton’s Escape Club for a W.E.F.U.N.K. one-off … Norman Jay gets ‘High On Hope’ by the sea this Friday (30) with the likes of Norman Cook, Carl Cox and Streets Ahead at Brighton’s newly revamped Zap Club … Stu Allan brings his funky stuff to Blackpool’s Adam & Eve’s opposite the central pier every Wednesday through the summer, with a wear what you like policy … Tim Westwood and Lindon T throwdown Thursdays at Paddington’s Starlight in Praed Street … Lonnie Gordon maybe should consider changing her name, the number of times she ends up misprinted as “Lennie” (incidentally, the close proximity of “t” and “g” on typesetting keyboards probably makes it inevitable that “chanting” will often end up in print as “changing”)! … Scotland, sweltering early last week on my quick four day tour, apparently is getting fewer American visitors this year just because that unfortunate airliner was blown up over Lockerbie … I’m outta here — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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JITTERY JIGGLERS

I know that for the casual reader, there may appear to be a puzzling repetition of adjectives, adverbs and verbs in my reviews of records. While these reviews are there for all to read, they are actually written for the professional users of records, DJs — who hopefully by now understand what’s going on! Every descriptive word has been repeated consistently for years as near as possible within the same context, to describe specific elements in the structure of records, with the result that regular readers should in theory be able to tell exactly what something is going to sound like. From the feedback I’ve had over the years, this thankfully would appear to be the case. As for the repetition — have you had to listen to all these records? A lot of them sound the same, so, using this style of consistently descriptive reviewing, repetition is inevitable! Once it used to be “hi-hat hissed hustlers”, “funkily bumping chuggers”, “juddery hip hop jolters”, “rolling soulful joggers”, “bounding house fliers”, “twittery acidic sizzlers”; right now I am swamped by, and am consequently churning out in turn, “jittery swingbeat jigglers” — can anyone who has to listen to them deny that they all jitter and jiggle? Unfortunately, Roget’s Thesaurus does not suggest any more appropriate descriptive alternatives. Personally, I still yearn for that long past era when everything came with “chanting chix”!! (Personally, I certainly don’t — Ed.)

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HOT VINYL

L.A. MIX FEATURING JAZZI P ‘Get Loose (Not For Long Mix)’ (Breakout USAT 659)
Plaintively rapping Jazzi Pauline joins (I to r) Emma Freilich, Les Adams and Mike Stevens for the first single from their variety packed upcoming ‘On The Side’ LP, an Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ break beat based (by permission) frantically wordy hip house flier, 127-127⅕-127bpm now that the Aleem originated “get loose” line has been re-recorded for this commercial pressing, flipped by Mike’s 0-127-0bpm Atmospheric Sax Dub and a Chad Jay (Jackson) scratched less frenetic 0- 127bpm Rock To The Hardcore Mix (Jazzipella too). Oh yes, your own MC Jammy Hammy provides the pivotal male sample of “But not for long” — which may explain a few things!

SYBIL ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ (Champion CHAMP 12-213)
One of the few long delayed pre-release promo strategies that have worked for the label, as massive already on DJs’ play alone and still not due commercially until July 17, this Bacharach & David penned Dionne Warwick launching 1963 classic has been revived with a sweetly simple street soul vocal and attractive tinkling arrangement set — here’s the commercial clincher! — to a gently jogging 96⅓bpm swingbeat rhythm (fully vocal so-called Dub Mix and 96½-0bpm 3.29 Mix too). Thanks to a combination of the sweet treatment and the song’s familiarity, it’ll possibly have wide enough appeal even to top the pop chart!

LIL LOUIS ‘French Kiss’ (US Diamond Records LL-01)
Although accurately described by Pete Tong as “to house music what ‘The 900 Number’ was to hip hop”, this moronically repetitive (0-)123⅖-123⅗-123⅘-0-124-0bpm instrumental driver does modulate through several changes of emphasis during its 10 minutes, most notably a gradual deceleration and acceleration into and out of an orgasmic girl groaned tempoless passage about two-thirds through, the mesmeric result creating dancefloor mayhem for the lucky few who managed to find one of the four-tracker’s initially limited pressings, coupled by the sheet metal clanging tumblingly swaying (0-)125⅖-125⅘-126bpm ‘Wargames (Remix)‘, percolating 124bpm ‘New York‘, twittery 0-121⅗bpm ‘Jupiter‘. Continue reading “July 1, 1989: L.A. Mix featuring Jazzi P & MC Jammy Hammy, Sybil, Lil Louis, Rufus & Chaka Khan, “Jittery Jigglers””

BEATS & PIECES

MCA RECORDS dance supremo Adrian Sykes returned from the States aghast at the cock-up that had occurred in his absence over the promo of Precious (see lead review), and promises that when released fully on July 3 it will indeed be called ‘Definition Of A Track’ with best versions on the A-side! … Champion’s label copy on the UK pressing of the A Guy Called Gerald based Voodoo Doll ‘Women Beat Their Men’ revealingly states “Licensed from Breaking Bones Records in co-operation with Rham Records” … Smith & Mighty merely mixed (as finished label copy reveals) the self-produced Dorothy ‘Reflections’ … Big Daddy Kane ‘Rap Summary (Lean On Me)’ is now in a stuttery (0-)103bpm Remix on import (US Cold Chillin’ 0-21235), scratching the ‘Lean On Me’ soundtrack’s gospel version and generally jiggling everything up over a tugging bass … UK released remixes I have neither time nor room to review this week include Mystique, Kariya (by M|A|R|R|S), Frankie Knuckles presents Satoshi Tomiie, Joyce Sims, D-Mob, Cookie Crew, Simon Harris, FFWD (Fast Forward), Tone Loc, Baby Ford … Raven Maize didn’t hit The Club Chart quite as high as anticipated last week because supplies back then were still hard to come by, while more recently hard to find has been the moronically repetitive Li’l Louis ‘French Kiss‘ (US Diamond), accurately described by Pete Tong as “to house what ‘The 900 Number’ was to hip hop” … DJ (rather than sales) returns were significant for the following releases roadblocked outside The Club Chart’s top 100 last week: Corporation Of One (House Mix UK), Overlord X, Imagination, Bizarre Inc (Atmosphere Mix), Kelly Charles (Remix), R. Tyme, Circuit (Remix), Edwin Starr, Karyn White, Levert, Paula Abdul, Tyree (Double Trouble Mix). Cybertron, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, June Montana (Remix), Three Times Dope, The Lincoln Boys, Poppa Ron Love, Chubb Rock, The Mafia … RCA have signed Mica Paris’s big sister, Alisha — not to be confused with an American girl of the same name on the same label some time ago! — who’s more in a street soul bag … Elvis Presley’s lookalike may not be too apparent if all you get to see is the main musical section of the Real Roxanne video (which is being re-cut to accommodate the Norman Cook remix in a separate version), as he is featured in the best part, a dialogue only intro … Big Fun ‘I Feel The Earth Move’ has reputedly had to be withdrawn, a disaster for pop jocks who didn’t get the promo! … Jason Donovan ‘Sealed With A Kiss’ (orchestrally preambled on 0-95⅚-95½-0bpm 12 inch) is flipped by the Philly Soul style attractively cantering semi-instrumental 0-124⅕-124⅖bpm ‘Just Call Me Up‘, worth checking … Friday (23) finds an under 18s Meltdown rave at Greenford Hall in Ruislip Road, Greenford, with Paul Goldsmith, Mark and Jason, while Deep (plus Sweet, Northern & Modern — Soul, that is) is supplied at Camden Town’s Dingwalls by Ivor Jones, Graeme Ellis, Ian Clark, Simon Dunmore and Gary Dennis … Aberdeen DJ Derek Howie, who has worked for Impulse in the past and knows the groundwork (like, for instance, the radio stations and all the chart return shops between Dundee and Aberdeen!), is offering his record promotional services for oil rich North East Scotland to interested companies on 0224-645522 … Pete Tong refers to me as “the Welsh Tourist Board”, although this week I’ve been up in farthest North West Scotland yet again, for the fourth time, just to watch it stay relatively light all night — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

CRY SISCO! ‘Afro Dizzi Act’ (Escape Records AWOLT 1, via PRT)
Sounding as if recorded in an arab souk, this actually Paris recorded confusing noises washed jittery 93⅚bpm bass bombing jogger samples bits of Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn dialogue from ‘The African Queen’, amongst many other effects, and is suddenly much hyped on a French pressing from last year that is apparently exploding in Balearic venues here (it’s for the Kon Kan market, if you get my drift), flipped by a 93⅔bpm edit and the altogether jollier breezily bounding 121bpm ‘Ki Ton Ko’ afro-pop-house chanter.

PRECIOUS ‘In Motion’ (MCA Records MCAT 1349)
Precisely ⅕bpm slower than the US pressing and with its priorities totally messed up, this UK pressing has made the import’s secondary B-side 119⅘bpm ‘In Motion (Vocal Mix)’ its lead title track, a hip house-ishly loping female rap that’s nowhere near as strong as the now UK flip relegated similar though much chunkier 119⅗-119⅘bpm A Definition Of A Track (the track in fact that, originally on last year’s influential ‘Back To Basics’ EP, gives the import its main ‘Definition Of A Track’ title), the UK single also including the instrumental 119⅘bpm Beats and Breakdown versions but omitting the harder vocal The Rap’s In Motion. Apart from the loss of its surely much more memorable main ‘Definition’ title, none of this really matters so long as you bear in mind that the best tracks are on the B-side.

HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ ‘Big Tyme’ (US Uptown Records MCA-42302)
Instantly massive on import, this strong rap album has the Zapp ‘More Bounce To The Ounce’ based ultra funky 108(intro)-105½bpm ‘More Bounce’, Marley Marl produced madly jaunty 0-102⅓bpm ‘Here We Go Again, Y’All‘, exciting JB sampling fast talking jumpy 109bpm ‘Flexin’‘, Brown & Byrd jittered funky 105½bpm ‘Big Tyme‘, ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ introed then ‘Mr Magic’ jazzy organ jogged 0-99⅙pm ‘You Ain’t Heard Nuttin Yet‘, patois accented attractive reggae 0-90⅚bpm ‘Mood For Love‘, Marley Marl produced wordily rolling 105⅚bpm ‘EZ Duz It, Do It EZ‘, Al B. Sure! backed swingbeat 0-105⅓bpm ‘Somebody For Me‘, dryly bragging 94bpm ‘Gyrlz, They Love Me‘, Martin Luther King preambled sombre (though jaunty oldies backed) 0-89⅙bpm ‘A Better Land‘, frantic “live” (0-)113½bpm ‘Let It Flow‘, and current Teddy Riley produced twiddly diddly jiggling (0-)114bpm ‘We Got Our Own Thang‘. Continue reading “June 24, 1989: Cry Sisco!, Precious, Heavy D & The Boyz, ‘Do The Right Thing’ soundtrack, Neneh Cherry”

BEATS & PIECES

HOME OFFICE plans for the further expansion of local radio could result in another 300 to 500 low power stations being on air as early as 1991, broadcasting on temporarily assigned frequencies to areas 12 miles in diameter … Dave Dorrell & CJ Mackintosh of M|A|R|R|S have done a Big Ben introed more resonantly booming slinky 0-110bpm remix of the Hall & Oates ‘I Can’t Go For That’ based terrific infectiously chugging and scrubbing De La Soul ‘Say No Go (Say No Dope Mix)‘, promoed with a pictorially etched blank flip ahead of June 26 release … Smack Music Productions’ guys talked (and barked!) 119¾bpm bubbly bumping K-Y-ZE ‘Stomp (Move, Jump, Jack Your Body)‘ has nicely wry drily intoned comments and dance instructions, flipped by the huskily moaned 121⅕bpm wriggly striding Fred Fowler ‘Times Are Changin’‘ on a popular promo that plugs Cooltempo’s imminent ‘This Is Garage‘ compilation LP … Teddy Riley arranged gruffly mature 17 years old rapper David ‘Redhead’ Guppy’s jerkily rolling swingbeat/hip hop Redhead Kingpin & The FBI ‘Do The Right Thing‘ (10 Records), in 0-108-108⅓bpm 12″ and (0-)108⅓-108⅙-0bpm US Street Mixes, likely to chart ahead of July 3 release … Peabo Bryson’s ‘All My Love’ LP is indeed now out here (Capitol EST 2097) … ffrr’s compilation album ‘ffrr – Silver On Black‘ could well be losing its Rockers Revenge (featuring Donnie Calvin) ‘Walking On Sunshine 89‘ remix as allegedly it was unauthorised by the existing group, who have a new re-recorded modern update awaiting rival release … Pressure Point ‘Dreaming’ has had its commercial release put back to next Monday due to a cracked lacquer … Frankie Knuckles’ bumpily swaying 0-104⅔bpm remix of ‘Ain’t Nobody’ from Chaka Khan’s album has been promoed coupled with a totally different drumkit tapped and moody piano jangled resonant instrumental 0-104½bpm Hallucinogenic Version and Soul II Soul-ish strings backed sparsely surging 0- 104bpm Bassapella … US imports I had neither time nor room to review In full include the prettily tinkled instrumental (in its best 121⅕-0bpm Krazee Mix); Da Posse featuring Martell ‘Searchin’ Hard‘ (Dance Mania); Fast Eddie scratched exciting (in its 0-123⅖-0bpm Jumpin Cut) if typical hip house Julian’ “Jumpin” Perez featuring Kool Rock Steady ‘Ain’t We Funky Now‘ (DJ International Records); Delegation ‘Oh Honey’ based slinkily conversational rap Three Times Dope ‘Funky Dividends‘ (Arista); Robert Brookins produced and Blaze remixed swingbeat Jackie Jackson ‘Cruzin‘ (Polydor); jerkily jiggling swingbeat Paul Laurence ‘I Ain’t Wit It‘ (Capitol); disappointingly patchy album of house, rap and Hi-NRG Corporation Of One ‘Black Like Me’ (Smokin’ LP) … Karyn White ‘Superwoman (Long Version)‘ on commercial 12 inch is flipped by the juddery jittery rolling 0-105⅔-105½-106bpm New York Groove Edit of her old ‘The Way You Love Me’ … Fast Globe have cashed in on ‘Helyom Halib’ by reissuing Cappella ‘Push The Beat/Bauhaus (The Better Beat Mix)‘ (12 FGL 1), their blatantly ‘Pump Up The Volume’ based episodic samples woven chugging 0-117⅓-0bpm debut UK hit from around 18 months ago … Precious ‘Definition Of A Track’ will be on MCA Records here in about a fortnight … Renegade Soundwave ‘The Phantom (It’s In There)‘ is being spun by some jocks at 33⅓rpm, turning it into a 90bpm heavy reggae-ish dub! … Tam Tam are updating their club mailing list for DJs outside London specifically — write to Sheyla Asian at Savage Records/Tam Tam Records, 31A Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU … Jive have just made their club plugger Steve Wren redundant, among other staff … Manchester’s Hacienda jocks Mike Pickering and Graeme Park are behind the de/Construction Records promoed Dynasty Of Two ‘Stop This Thing‘, a mournful girl keened 0-117-116⅘bpm electronically lurching “greenhouse” canterer (ie: it’s about the ecology!) — Mike meanwhile is touring the States as continuity DJ and compere of the New Order/De La Soul/PiL stadium package … Carlon hosts the salsoul/garage Metro party at Ealing’s Haven Stables this Tuesday (13), with a follow-up if you missed that one at the same venue on July 11 … Cutmaster Swift, DJ Pogo and MC Mello guest with Colin Watts, Mick Foster and Stumpy this Thursday (15) at Luton’s The Coliseum … Disco Mix Club are retaining the BlueBird name of their recently acquired record shops not only for continuity of goodwill, but also perhaps because unfortunately there already is a nine shop DMC Retail chain in the North West! … I’m outta here – BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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OMAR, currently impressing all who hear his Al Jarreau-ishly multi-tracked ‘I Don’t Mind The Waiting‘, is a 20-year-old much schooled and fully trained multi-instrumentalist/vocalist from Canterbury and turns out to be the big brother of UK mixing championships runner-up, the Scratch Professor!

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HOT VINYL

THE REAL ROXANNE `Roxanne’s On A Roll (Norman Cook Remix)’ (Urban URBA 42)
Eric B & Rakim’s “The R” assumes greater stuttery prominence in this name spelling totally different, no longer ‘Think (About It)’ driven, jiggly lurching 0-116⅓-0bpm clever remix by the DJ-ing ex-Housemartin (with his excellent even punchier 0-116⅓bpm Bonus Beats and an Edit too), not due fully until June 26. Above is a clip from the song’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’ styled video!

RAVEN MAIZE ‘Forever Together’ (US Quark QK017)
Initially hard to find but highly charted by those few who had it, and now selling so fast it’ll shoot into The Club Chart, this breezy New Jersey house bounder has bursts of repetitive simple vocal and catchily archetypal Latin keyboards in the A-side’s 123⅕bpm Forever United Mix and 0-122⅘bpm Give Me Some Dub Mix, flipped by the different bassily striding percussive straight house 123⅖bpm Freedom Mix and 0-122⅗-0bpm Dubbin’ Together Mix.

PUBLIC ENEMY ‘Fight The Power (Extended Version)’ (Motown ZT42878)
Out now and destined to be immediately massive (particularly as only seven inch copies were promoed ahead of release!), this ‘Feel The Noise’-style powerful 0-105⅓bpm funky jiggler has sharply cogent lyrics (some bleeped, unlike on the parent ‘Do The Right Thing’ soundtrack album) and builds a terrific JB-type compulsive groove (0-105bpm Radio Edit and conversationally rapped Flavor Flav Meets Spike Lee). Continue reading “June 17, 1989: The Real Roxanne, Raven Maize, Public Enemy, Manic MC’s, Nicole”

BEATS & PIECES

DAVID PEASTON, the gospel toned continual winner of the weekly amateur talent contest in the recently televised ‘Showtime At The Apollo’ series, has just had his Teddy Riley & Gene Griffin mixed inevitably swingbeat style debut single released in the US on Geffen Records, ‘Two Wrongs (Don’t Make It Right)‘, worth watching out for on import as it’s already been promoed on CD and is brilliant! … Tim Raidl (0582-412460) has set up the Luton-based Mix Connection DJ Mastermix Service to “get the bedroom mixers out of the bedroom and onto vinyl”, with the aim of building and promoting internationally a “Brit-Mix” team of remix DJs, who will be starting out modestly enough by remixing currently available product from vinyl to persuade record companies that their efforts are worthy of release too — signed up so far are Mark Fletcher, Social Elite, and DJ Paradise … Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ will be reissued in several brand new remixes in a couple of months or so, once LA Mix featuring Jazzi P ‘Get Loose’ has re-established its break beat in the chart! … ‘Body Talk’ has been remixed by Frankie Knuckles, ‘Just An Illusion’ by T-Coy and ‘So Good So Right’ by Backroom Music Productions, amongst other similar examples, for an album of remixed Imagination hits that’s scheduled for release in the US if not yet here too … Chaka Khan’s remix album lists the “Approx. BPM” for every track, but all are printed as between 2½-4bpm faster than they are in fact, which suggests to me that they were probably calculated from a cassette copy before the vinyl was pressed — a compromise that never works, and really isn’t worth the effort … Black Radical MK II ‘Monsoon‘, the Coldcut produced rap reviewed two months ago, is only now finally out commercially (on 2 The Bone Records TMS004R, via Pinnacle), minus the ‘Interview’ and ‘Brake’ versions … Soul II Soul’s seven inch of ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)‘ is yet another different 0-100⅔bpm mix, clean, sparse and good, with a brief acappella intro … Candi McKenzie’s commercial pressing of the 0-107⅚-0bpm ‘Honesty (Big Beat Mix)’ turns out to be flipped by a piano jangled juddery 107⅚bpm Jazz Beat Mix plus the Chic-ishly jittered 114⅓bpm ‘The Last Word’ … State Of Mind’s sk’ouse ‘God Only Knows’ on its fully commercial pressing is in a still 123⅙bpm but more house-ishly bounding cleaner new mix … Baby Ford’s version of ‘Children Of The Revolution’ is only just out, after months on white label, the commercial version being the remix by Jeremy Healy of Haysi Fantaysi that was reviewed a few weeks back (so far, the flip’s ‘Hi Mister Logan’ has had more DJ reaction) … Roberta Flack ‘Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)‘ is due here in a fortnight … Stylus Music associated Pyramid Promotions & Publicity at 31 Norfolk Place, London W2 1QH (01-258 0035) are starting a club DJ mailing list, contact Cristina D’Alessio … Down By Law ‘Living In The Ghetto’, a girl wailed 100½bpm drum and bass jiggled Soul II Soul-style jogger due on CityBeat later in the month is already getting strong DJ response, but may not hit The Club Chart yet without sales support too … US imports I had no time to review in full (irritatingly, as I know several are certain to hit The Club Chart, which this week I compiled alone while Alan Jones was away) include the squeakily semi-falsetto unhurriedly trotting remixed Joe Smooth featuring Mikkhiel ‘I’ll Be There‘ (DJ International Records); powerfully cranking self congratulatory wordy rap Breeze ‘LA Posse‘ (Atlantic); chuggingly syncopated wordy hoarse Chubb Rock with Howie Tee ‘Ya Bad Chubbs‘ (Select); Gail ‘Sky’ King remixed throbbing drily rapped hip house Too Nice ‘I Git Minze‘ (Arista); familiar sampled notes woven instrumental Jammix ‘Funhouse‘ (Fourth Floor Records); moaning and sighing (with surf and seagull effects in the Sam Caraballo Club BPM mix) largely instrumental house Bluejean ‘Paradise’ (Top Secret); Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band 1970 street funk classic backed catchy rap NWA ‘Express Yourself‘ (Ruthless Records); Ronald Burrell created percolating percussion tapping and lurching instrumental Equation ‘The Answer‘ (Nugroove) … Orange Lemon ‘Dreams Of Santa Anna‘/’The Texican‘ is another “sleeper” from last year which only ever hit The Club Chart for one week (in May 1988) yet which now is selling better than ever (on US Idlers although it did come out here on Champion) … The Club Chart last week was again tough to get into, roadblocked breakers just outside the 100 being Ralphi Rosario (EP), Arthur Baker (remix), Wanda Dee, Imagination, Maureen, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Kings Of Pressure (LP), Kelly Charles (remix); Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock ‘Joy And Pain’, Razette, Rockie Robbins, Bonnie Byrd (remix), Kool Moe Dee (LP), Circuit featuring Koffi (remix), Presure Zone … De La Soul are making a clean sweep of the US charts in Billboard, ‘Me Myself And l’ topping 12 Inch Singles Sales, Club Play, Rap Singles, and Black Singles Sales, while their album is number one Black Album (somehow Natalie Cole ‘Miss You Like Crazy’, which is only number four in Sales and two in Airplay, slipping from number one, tops the overall Hot Black Singles Chart, but then that’s Billboard for you!) … Sunday to Tuesday August 27/28/29 are the correct dates for BCM Records’ star-studded “Funkausstellung in Berlin”, mentioned last week, fuller details to follow … Darryl Wynn, co-creator of R. Tyme’s recordings, will be DJing on Inner City’s European tour in September … Lynch turns out actually to be Roger Troutman’s son, aged 18 … Eric B & Rakim is the uncredited rap act joining Jody Watley on ‘Friends‘ … 17 years old American Indian Toni Scott, whose ‘That’s How I’m Living’ hip house hit is still huge in clubs here, was also of course on last year’s Dutch import rap treatment of ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ … Bobby Brown’s single from the ‘Ghostbusters II’ movie would appear to be called ‘On Our Own‘ — incidentally, Bobby looks more like Nat ‘King’ Cole than any other big name singer ever has, should Hollywood finally decide to make a biopic … Doug Lazy ‘Let It Roll’ is out again on Atlantic now in the US at least … Ian Levine is switching his Hi-NRG acts to the Saturday label, leaving Nightmare more for soul product following the success of his Chuck Jackson release… Mike Carr has produced a comeback album by Irene Reid, the long neglected jazz singer whose version of ‘I Love Paris In The Springtime‘ on MGM Records back in 1964 inspired me to see her live at New York’s Birdland, sharing the bill with John Coltrane — in truth, the only reason why I ever got to see the latter late legend! … Lonnie Gordon’s solo single (she’s featured on Simon Harris’s newie) will be an Yvonne Turner remixed remake of First Choice’s ‘Let No Man Put Asunder‘ … Garage Trax are releasing a four album box set (selling for £14.99) of “the best of” the Salsoul label’s output, including rarities among its 19 tracks and a Tony Humphries megamix … Ricky Dillard is handling all the vocals on a Larry Heard produced album by the Nightwriters that’s being recorded specially for the UK … LA Mix featuring Jazzi P PA with Greg Edwards this Tuesday (6) at London Old Kent Road’s Dun Cow … 20 year old Bournemouth DJ Kevin Scott has actually had a big business backed brand new club named after him, Kevin’s House, opening this Friday (9) in Holdenhurst Road with a rap, house, jazz, reggae, soul, no dress restrictions policy — quite a feat! … Double Trouble + The Rebel MC perform a half hour set for Flip this Saturday (10) at Rainham’s Berwick Manor … Tim Westwood guests at Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard next Monday (12) — if the weather’s good that might be a cue for my next visit there, too! … Seth Gibbard claims his Jungle City Thursday at the Mardi Gras is Liverpool’s “only serious hip hop night”, while likewise Jason Bushby boasts that his Friday night at Saltburn-By-The-Sea’s Philmore Discotheque is heaving with totally upfront people from all over the North-East — that’s nice, but is it news? … Sheerness’s The Crown is soulful every weekend with upfront DJ Jay on Fridays and Seventies/Eighties spanning Slick Mick on Saturdays … Eddie Gordon, and his Gravesend gig The Slammer, were repeatedly described by a local newspaper report as “disconcerning” (a word that doesn’t exist), in case anyone thought I’ve been having a go at him in recent weeks! … Jim Skilton, head of music at the University of Lancaster’s on-campus University Radio Bailrigg (and its specialist dance music show’s presenter), finds the intro of K-9 Posse ‘Ain’t Nothin’ To It’ “mixes like a bitch” with Cookie Crew ‘Females’ (and, yes Jim, I was that liner note writer) … Peabo Bryson & Dietra Hicks’ marvellous ‘Palm Of Your Hand‘ was on automatic repeat at full volume just about the whole time as I explored picturesque Anglesey last week (not so sunny by the time I’d waited for the bank holiday mob to leave, but with exhilarating distant views of Snowdonia!) … I’m outta here — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

THE JACKSONS ‘2300 Jackson Street’ (US Epic OE 40911)
Still not due out here until June 19 (Epic EPC 463352) but selling fast on import, this album has two total killers and much else that’s OK, the standouts being the Teddy Riley/Gene Griffin/Guy created, Randy Jackson led, buoyantly chugging swingbeat (0-)114½bpm ‘She’, and whole family sung (including Michael, Janet and Rebbie, plus all the married Jacksons’ children) breathily meandering autobiographical lovely Riley & Griffin co-produced 82-0-82bpm title track. Otherwise, the brotherly group themselves produced the ‘Bad’ meets ‘Speed Demon’-type modern funk (0-)114⅘-0bpm ‘Harley‘, chunkily jolting 116¼bpm ‘Play It Up‘, jiggly lurching (0-)105⅔-0bpm ‘Midnight Rendezvous‘ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’-ishly tempoed 171⅓bpm ‘Alright With Me‘, Jermaine produced the Lee Oskar of War harmonica-ed jittery smacking (0-)120bpm ‘Maria‘, LA & Babyface of course produced the currently charted swingbeat 105-104⅚bpm ‘Nothin’ (That Compares 2 U)‘, while Michael Omartian handled the pleasantly swaying 0-86⅓bpm ‘Private Affair‘, ethereally drifting (0-)73¾-74⅛-0bpm ‘If You’d Only Believe‘, and — perhaps the most nondescript thing on the album — the opening juddery thumping (0-)116bpm ‘Art Of Madness‘.

DOROTHY ‘Reflections (Style 1)’ (Cooltempo COOLX 187)
Exploding on pre-release promo way ahead of full commercial availability on June 19, this typically drum and bass backed sparse Smith & Mighty produced slinky bumping and meandering 99⅔bpm adaptation of the Supremes’ 1967 hit still features a Diana Ross soundalike girl and even samples bursts of the original backing track (dubwise harder jerkier 99⅔bpm Style 2 and different swingbeat tempoed 98bpm R & R Instrumental too), surely smashbound!

KICKING BACK ‘Keep On Trying’ (Submission SUBX 014, via Pacific Records)
Yazz-ish though more street cred girl wailed infectiously bubbling bass and galloping beats driven excellent homegrown flier, let down slightly by an overly repetitive “you’ve got to keep on trying” song structure, but bounding brightly through its (0-)121bpm Hold On, (0-)121⅖bpm Feeling Good, and 120⅔bpm Extended Club Mixes (similar slower 118⅗bpm ‘Turn Your Back’ too). The promo’s label tells one nothing about the people involved, which is a pity — doubtless Graeme Park participates somehow? Continue reading “June 10, 1989: The Jacksons, Dorothy, Kicking Back, Casanovas Revenge, Kevin Saunderson presents KAOS”

BEATS & PIECES

PROFILE RECORDS was launched in the UK with a formal cocktail party for the business at the faintly incongruous and very proper Naval and Military Club (Piccadilly’s famous “In and Out”) — less incongruous when one discovers that the label’s Paul Oakenfold was previously employed as a French chef there, ten years ago … Profile’s UK pressings turned out to have the exact same Beats Per Minute as the import versions, but that couldn’t be taken for granted last week … Greg Edwards has revived his old ‘Soul Spectrum’ show, not now on Capital Radio but on Kent ILR station Invicta’s split frequency AM service … Graham Gold, despite joining the increasingly pessimistic KISS-fm bid for London’s FM incremental licence, looks like getting a Friday night general music show on Chiltern Radio in the meantime … BBC-2 will now be screening merely a 30 minute heavily edited version of the Royal Albert Hall Technics World DJ Mixing Championships final — with barely a glimpse of any DJs, no awards presentations, and mainly the live star performers — on Sunday, July 30 (which proves it doesn’t do to trust what TV people say) … Caroline Pead has moved from A&R to take over Linda Rogers’ old role as club plugger at Phonogram — who appear to have dropped both Derek B and Krush from their roster, but have licensed the Rapsonic label from The Dance Yard Recording Corporation (first release to be Top Billin’s ‘Set It Off’, based indeed on the Harlequin Four’s, amongst others) … BCM Records owner Brian Carter is planning a massive dance music three-dayer in Berlin for September (Sun/Mon/Tuesday 17/18/19, I think), to shake up Germany’s dance market with the likes of De La Soul and many more top stars — fuller details later, but already lots of Londoners are getting excited at the prospect! Bud Nijjar and Future Shock Promotions (01-533 3840) are running a club trip to Madrid with Jazzy M, Norman Jay, Nick Halkes and other guest DJs on June 15-18, for £196 all in … Voltalight*Soundspin International Ltd need two pro DJs for both South London’s Bon Bonne and a club in Corfu, the Greek gig with all expenses paid (call Philip Dinnis on 0836 372630) … Marie Birch, recovering from a blood disorder, is just about back in action updating her DJ mailing list at Sound Promotions, 106 Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, Middlesex (01-861 0578), the same address as for the Everton Webb shared PA’s Unlimited … New Music Seminar registrants and Marriott Marquis hotel guests alone will be allowed into the revolving bar this year, following my recommendation that this is where New York visitors can meet everyone without having actually to pay for the Seminar — bad news, sorry! … Chaka Khan may not now be at the November Prestatyn weekender, it’s Guy and Teddy Riley who are being mentioned instead! … MC Jammy Hammy provides the pivotal “male sample” for the now promoed LA Mix featuring Jazzi P ‘Get Loose’ (Breakout USAT 659, not due fully until the end of June), and Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ break beat based (with permission) frantically wordy Jazzi Pauline rapped hip house flier in 126⅘bpm Not For Long Mix, Mike Stevens saxed 0-127-0bpm Atmospheric Sax Dub, and Chad Jackson scratched alternative less frenetic 0-127bpm Rock To The Hardcore Mix versions — Atmosfear appears to always to have been an anthem for rollerskaters, so it was a lucky coincidence that the video is set in a roller disco! … Princess, having extricated herself from a fruitless Polydor contract, returns at the end of June on her brother’s new Touchtown label warbling much as before although with less strong a song the repetitive judderingly throbbing and jangling breezy 120bpm ‘Lover Don’t Go!‘ … Jaki Graham returns after almost as long a hiatus on June 12 with the Paula Abdul-ish very American style jittery chugging ‘From Now On‘, but the initially promoed jerkily thudding 97⅙bpm Here & Now Mix by Shep Pettibone is not the commercial version … London Boys’ follow-up on June 12 is the more stolidly tempoed though similarly textured very European 0-119⅖bpm ‘London Nights‘ … Blacksmith ‘Get Back To Love’ isn’t actually out fully now until June 26, and has an even better swingbeat mix to follow (the one to wait for) … Miles Jaye’s album ‘Irresistible’ is out here now (Fourth & Broadway BRLP 531) … Norman Cook ‘Blame It On The Bassline’ features rapper MC Wildski, on the Go Beat label rather than Go! Discs … Soul II Soul’s newie turns out (on seven inch at least) to have the full title ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)’ … de/Construction Records are releasing Casanovas Revenge ‘Let’s Work‘ here … NWA’s excellent if controversial ‘Straight Outta Compton’ rap album will finally be out here on BCM Records, with ‘Express Yourself‘ as a single … City Beat Records are releasing here the brilliant Koxo Club Band ‘Paradhouse Remix‘ … S’Express’s next single will be the decidedly weird ‘Mantra For A State Of Mind‘, not necessarily a floor filler! … UK promos which might start hitting before full release next week include the Barry Upton produced, Peter Slaghuis mixed, cornily dated volume pumping pop-house Krazy House ‘Krazy House‘ (Supreme), and Australian girl’s reworded Commodores funk oldie reviving Kate Ceberano ‘Young Boys Are My Weakness‘ (London) … Lonnie Gordon, guest vocalist on Simon Harris’s newie, is recording in her own right for Supreme Records … Music Of Life recorded and are issuing as a live album the ‘Hustlers’ Convention‘ rap party they held at the Cafe de Paris following the DJ Convention in March, featuring jams by Daddy Freddy, DJ Mark The 45 King, MC Duke, Latifah, Demon Boyz, Merlin, and Asher D … BMG’s “disconcerting” Eddie Gordon claims that Motown’s upcoming soundtrack album from Spike Lee’s new ‘Do The Right Thing’ movie is the best black soundtrack since ‘Shaft’ — well, the latter was a fully composed orchestral score whereas the new one is merely a compilation album, but, having driven around sun drenched East Kent listening to it for several days, I can confirm it is an excellent compilation with strong newies by Public Enemy (their next single!), Teddy Riley featuring Guy, and EU, plus Perri, Take 6, Ruben Blades, Al Jarreau and more … Theo Loyla’s cottage near Herne Bay, with a distant view of the Reculver towers across buttercups, daisies and grazing ponies, is for sale — contact Seekers. the no commission esate agents, on 0227-367225 … Colchester mixing DJ Conan plus Ben Howard, Mark Smith and DJ ‘H’ have an upfront Groove this Friday (2) at Sudbury’s Tudor Youth Centre — the thought of an upfront Tudor youth is quite a mental image! … I’m outta here — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

TWIN HYPE ‘Do It To The Crowd’ (US Profile PRO-7255)
Instantly massive, this ‘Monkees Theme’ introed then (following some unbroadcastable comments!) ‘Stone Fox Chase’ and many other scurrying and scratching Todd Terry-type samples 0-114⅘bpm rap jiggler (with intro-less Instrumental and Bonus Beats flip) is already scheduled for June 19 release here, and was in fact reviewed off a UK pressing (Profile PROFT 255, via Pinnacle). Hot to trot!

JOYCE SIMS ‘Looking For A Love (Club Mix)’ (ffrr FX 109)
A haunting “grower” as anticipated, this self-penned/arranged/co-produced naggingly attractive flute tootled lightly Latin-style 109⅔-109¾bpm pattering and jiggling swayer (109¾bpm Instrumental and 109⅔bpm Radio Version flip) has been worth the wait, very pleasant – and a probable smash?

KECHIA JENKINS ‘Still Waiting’ (Profile PROFT 250, via Pinnacle)
Originally seen by many as the logical “garage” successor to Chanelle and Adeva, although in the event never quite that big while on import, this now UK issued (and label launching) excellent powerfully wailed timelessly trotting bass snapped and drums smacked strider — with some sneaky quotes from ‘Ring My Bell’! — could still end up that hot, here in just its 115⅕-115bpm Fly Guy Mix, 116⅗-116⅔-0bpm, Damn, That Girl Can Sing Dub, and jerkily bounding 116⅔-0bpm Kechia’s House versions. Continue reading “June 3, 1989: Twin Hype, Joyce Sims, Kechia Jenkins, Sweet Tee, Monie Love”

BEATS & PIECES

ATLANTIC RECORDS are now rumoured to have signed up Vaughan Mason’s whole Groove St. label, including Doug Lazy and presumably Raze (for certain territories, at least!) … Johnny Walker spends so much time partying with Chris Butler that now not surprisingly he’s moving from ffrr two floors down at Polydor/London to join him as head of Urban’s A&R, with Dave Pearce still a part-time consultant … Omar’s excellent ‘I Don’t Mind The Waiting‘ (which turns out to be on Kongo, rather than Congo, and features none other than the Scratch Professor!) was intended to be last week’s lead review, but somehow the entire Hot Vinyl section came out in completely arbitrary order — sorry if it messed up your shopping list … Mystique might turn out to have closer links with M-D-Emm than merely its remixers Mark Ryder and Dave Lee, who incidentally have added the useful info that its samples include not only The It ‘Donnie’ (DJ International) but also Sylvia Smith ‘Heartbreaker’ (Qwest), Jackie Silvers ‘If You Want Me’ (MCA LP), Echo ‘I Can’t Live Without Your Love’ (Bassment), Fingers Inc ‘Mystery Of Love’ (DJ International) — so no wonder the vocals sound like Robert Owens! — while the ‘Salsa Party’ side samples Bravo ‘Feel It’ (Quark) … Paul Oakenfold, despite several telephone conversations and promises of a messenger delivery, still hadn’t got his label’s debut releases to me by press time — however, Profile is launched in the UK with a party at Sin in London’s Astoria this Saturday (27) starring Sweet Tee, Kechia Jenkins, Chanelle, and guest DJ Gail ‘Sky’ King … Graphic Records, not content with compiling rare groove albums, are now seeking black music-type demos with a view to signing up their own artist roster — send cassettes to Lindsay Wesker and Heddi Green-wood at Graphic Records, 14 Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, London N4 2DR … Monie Love’s newie, due fully on June 5, is the Afrika Bambaataa dedicated ‘Grandpa’s Party‘, a frantically churning 125bpm hip house racer produced by Dancin’ Danny D with Ritchie Fermie of Adrenalin MOD — my only criticism being that every time I hear it on the radio its corny title makes me think of the considerably less def Paul Nicholas’s ‘Grandma’s Party’ from 1976! … Cookie Crew’s follow-up will be the more hardcore, Curtis Mayfield percussion sampling and ‘Tramp’ rhythm prodded, 96bpm ‘Come On & Get Some (Superfly Mix)‘ … Paul Dakeyne, in the wake of the Cookies’ use of its break beat, has created an 124-124⅓-124-124¼-0bpm remix of Edwin Starr’s ’25 Miles’, with an overdubbed fluttering hi-hat and some modern style edits, for upcoming Motown release … Johnny Kemp ‘Birthday Suit‘ was promoed in Keith Cohen’s vigorously chugging 120⅕-0bpm Extended Mix and starker so-called House Mix but is apparently out commercially (CBS 654838 8) in the Extended Mix flipped by a Club Dub and Percapella — whether the House Mix and Club Dub are the same is unclear until a finished pressing reaches me … RCA have promoed Imagination ‘Love’s Taking Over’ in David Morales’s bass thrummed striding deep house-style 124⅘-124½-0bpm Sensitive Mix … Arthur Baker’s remix of the Gipsy Kings ‘Bamboleo’, the existence of which was first exclusively revealed by rm, is due for UK release with white labels to be promoed this week … Joyce Sims ‘Looking For A Love‘ will be on ffrr here in a fortnight (Andy ‘Panda’ Tripoli is the full name of her co-producer!) … ‘ffrr — silver on black‘ (ffrr 828 155-1) is a double album compilation of the label’s releases, the only inclusions not already on UK 12 inch being the (0-)121bpm Richie Rich ‘Salsa House (Remix)‘, (0- )115⅗bpm Rockers Revenge featuring Donnie Calvin ‘Walking On Sunshine 89‘, riotously ragamuffin 95⅚bpm Simon Harris featuring Asher D & Daddy Freddy ‘London’s Finest‘ … Chaka Khan’s follow-up will be a Frankie Knuckles remix of ‘Ain’t Nobody’, from the now finally released ‘Life Is A Dance — The Remix Project‘ (Warner Bros WX 268) double album, which I had no time to BPM this week … WEA are re-releasing Carly Simon ‘Why‘ to satisfy demand created by London’s still trendy Balearic jocks … Kariya ‘Let Me Love You For Tonight‘ (Sleeping Bag Records) has been ticking over steadily since it came out last October yet only ever spent three weeks in The Club Chart, peaking at 35 largely due to sales when it was released here in February, but is now turning into a huge underground cult hit with more DJs charting it than when new … US imports that I had no time to review fully this issue include the hit-bound ‘Monkees Theme’ introed then ‘Stone Fox Chase’ and other scratching Todd Terry-type samples backed exciting rap Twin Hype ‘Do It To The Crowd‘ (Profile); strong slickly speeding huskily soulful house Forte (featuring Leon Evans) ‘I’ll Set Ya Free‘ (Pet Project) good rare groove-type funky break beats woven jogging rap Nu Sounds ‘Condition Red‘ (UNI); Bobby Glover ‘Your Spell’ rewording Roger produced teasingly started then soulful high pitched harmonies washed rolling Lynch ‘Magic Spell‘ (Capitol); Crown Heights Affair “dada dada, dip dip dip” scat-based and many other funkily chugging break beats woven The Dynamic Duo ‘In The Pocket‘ (Nugroove); Frankie Knuckles remixed beefily thumping and bounding busy house Lost Boys ‘It’s Time For A Change‘ (4th + B’way); Todd Terry-type samples woven raucously rapped somewhat untidily frantic hip house Brooklyn Funk Essentials ‘Change The Track‘ (Minimal); rawly mixed bright dated jazz-funkily jiggling Walter P.P.K. ‘Get On Board‘ (Bassic); Full Force created spikily jolting swing-beat Cheryl Pepsii Riley ‘Seein’ Is Believin’ (The Pepsii Dance Remix)‘ (Columbia) … Alton ‘Wokie’ Stewart is pleasing “real soul” fans with his gruff dated “D” Train-type swingbeat and slowies oriented import album, ‘All Our Love’ (Epic), but significantly none of the jocks supposedly playing it have listed any specific tracks in their charts … D Mob ‘We Call It Acieed’/’Trance Dance’ has topped the US Club Play chart in Billboard, but is still struggling comparatively in the actual 12-inch Singles Sales chart (last week at 30 with a bullet) … Glyn Prince has just left Swindon Brunel Rooms’ Amphitheatre to take over the same town’s brand new Hardings from this week on Thursday and Saturday nights, spinning upfront and old soul for smart over-21s … Jules, Jasper and Johnny S host a Soul Underground Seaside Special this Friday (26) at Brighton Old Steine’s Club Savannah … Jeff Young, Tim Westwood, Chris Hill, Chrissie Jackson, Eddie ‘Disconcerning’ Gordon, Steve Wren and more slam dunk this Sunday’s Great Yarmouth Beach Ball Alldayer, 6-12pm at Gt Yarmouth Tiffanys … I wonder if Britain’s “black music” jocks will get behind Michael Jackson again when ‘Liberian Girl‘ (the album track they most liked when it was new) is soon out on single? … I’m outta here — BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

FRANKIE KNUCKLES presents SATOSHI TOMIIE featuring Robert Owens ‘Tears’ (ffrr FX 108)
The Tokyo recorded fascinating result of a meeting between Japanese jazzer Tomiie and New York’s Knuckles is this Owens whispered, wailed, sobbed and growled beautiful sinuously subtle sparse tuneful deep house galloper in 121⅓bpm Classic Vocal and Instrumental (the latter especially haunting), and 121¾bpm Percussion mixes, massive already on promo and not to be missed when it’s out fully next week.

RENEGADE SOUNDWAVE ‘The Phantom (It’s In There)’ (Mute France MF 19364)
Perhaps the wildest rhythm workout since ‘Burundi Black’, this fantastic mesmerically monotonous though gradually shifting extremely powerful percussion jittered 121⅓-0bpm intense instrumental, with some Arabic chanting and other wordless vocal noises at times but no actual lyrics, is designed to drive dancers into whirling dervishes once they’re hooked by the groove (less effective 0-119⅕bpm ‘Ozone Breakdown‘ flip). Find it if you can!

GREEDY BEAT SYNDICATE ‘This Is London’ (Greedy Beat Records 12 GREED 8, via Revolver)
Great gently attractive lazily undulating dated jazz-funky “doo be doop doo wah”-type jogging 0-97⅙-0bpm street soul instrumental with some sampled break beats, radio announcements, and title line repetition (alternative longer flip with tube train sound effects at the end), reminiscent of Light Of The World’s ‘London Town’ and highly recommended. Continue reading “May 27, 1989: Frankie Knuckles/Satoshi Tomiie/Robert Owens, Renegade Soundwave, Greedy Beat Syndicate, Norman Cook, Precious”

BEATS & PIECES

ATLANTIC are insisting that they have signed Raze presents: Doug Lazy ‘Let It Roll‘ for the world, including the UK: however, the situation is complicated here as Champion (who have already promoed the single) have exclusive UK rights to all products created by Vaughan Mason using his studio “group” name Raze, but not automatically to other artistes’ releases on his Grove St. US label — which, it could be argued, in this case has only used the established Raze name, as the wording suggests, to help draw attention to and introduce protégé Doug Finley, who to all intents and purposes (other than that Raze always features normally anonymous guest vocalists) performs the self-penned single as a separate solo signing – the problem being that Raze still owes Champion an undelivered although paid for album and the UK label’s Mel Medalie was unwilling to fork out yet more money when Mason suggested that the Doug Lazy project was a separate deal (he subsequently nearly signed it to PRT until Medalie got heavy!), Mason now allegedly agreeing that right is on Medalie’s side (although there is talk of change to Vaughan Mason presents: Doug Lazy on future pressings!) and saying that he’ll sort things out with Atlantic is the States … watch this space … Champion owner Mel Medalie, incidentally, was the hairdresser for the original film of ‘Ferry ‘Cross The Mersey’ (his name is in the credits)! … Lamya, the female singer on Razette’s ‘Ready 4 Love’, is the traffic stopping Arabic origin girl who was with Vaughan Mason on Raze’s UK visit last month … Mike Shaft’s winning of the incremental (“community of interest”) radio licence for Manchester with his now at last to be a reality Sunset Radio, and ex-pirates FTP (For The People) winning the Bristol licence (both being black music stations of course), plus the Asian-aimed piratical West London Radio not too surprisingly winning the Hounslow licence, hopes are high that maybe sense will prevail and the mightily united KISS/SOLAR/S.O.U.L. consortium’s bid for the London FM licence will succeed and finally give the capital city a badly needed legal black music outlet (I can anticipate complete airwave anarchy breaking out if a black station doesn’t win!) … ‘The Two Billys’, Russell and Carruthers, are retiring to their Scottish castle and have sold to the Disco Mix Club their three London BlueBird record shops, which will retain the same name and carry on trading as usual (this deal excludes the Luton branch, where there has been a management buy-out) … Freddy Bastone has done some most unlikely Corporation Of One-style remixes, and vocal-less dubs, of — wait for it! — Bananarama’s ‘Cruel Summer’ and ‘I Heard A Rumour‘, for future separate UK 12 inch release as well as inclusion in a remixed greatest hits album (the latter seemingly scheduled for the US if not also here) … Westside Records have now also released here the US mixes of Tyree ‘Hardcore Hip House’ (DJ International Records DJINX 11), the now 123⅕bpm Tyree’s Mix Hard, 123⅕bpm Deep Housetramental, 123¼-123-123⅕-0bpm Julian ‘Jumpin’ Perez Mix and 123⅖bpm Joe Smooth’s Too Deep Mix, originally reviewed on import and all totally different from the initial alternative UK mixes … Pressure Zone, whose excellent deep house revival of the O’Jays’ ‘Backstabbers’ was reviewed off white label last week, turn out to feature Juliet Roberts along with Nat Augustin, plus Marco Perry and Dave Clayton (the different mixes being labelled quite simply, in reviewed order, as Stab 1, 2, 3) … The Style Council’s commercial A-side turns out to be ‘Long Hot Summer 89 Mix’, relegating their instantly accepted new ‘Everybody’s On The Run’ to the flip … Timmy Regisford’s remixes of D Mob ‘Trance Dance’ are exclusive to the UK, Dancin’ Danny D’s mixes being out in the US as flip to ‘We Call It Acieed’ … Polydor have promoed a mystery white label called ‘Back In The Groove‘, an amazingly blatant Rick Astley soundalike 118⅘bpm cheerful canterer that is actually by ex-dancing champ Frankie Johnson (for June 12 release on Hand) … LA Mix’s repeated “get loose” sample of Aleem on their upcoming newie will only be included on instant collectors’ item promo pressings, Mike Stevens having re-recorded a close vocal facsimile as “everybody get loose” for commercial release … Mystique featuring Kid Valdez ‘Heartbreaker (I Can’t Understand)’ apparently samples the much sought The It ‘Donnie’ … US imports also include the ‘I’ll House You’ rewording girl group hip house Dopestyle ‘I’ll Bass You‘ (Bassment Records); Todd Terry remixed though UK originated acid house Funtopia ‘Beautiful People‘ (Idlers); Public Enemy Hammersmith concert sampling jittery muttering hip house Brickhouse featuring MC Joe ‘Feel The Bass‘ (Requestline Records); overly juddery rolling swingbeat Leotis ‘On A Mission‘ (Mercury) — his identically titled album being in dated early Eighties style … UK newies include the reissued classic if not by now over familiar Maze featuring Frankie Beverley ‘Joy And Pain’ (Capitol); PP Arnold souled superb classy if specialist burbingly drifting jazz-funk Pressure Point ‘Dreaming‘ (Viceroy Records); late Sixties style brass and organ funk instrumental The James Taylor Quartet ‘Breakout‘ (Urban); fairly routine hip house Cybertron ‘The Deliverance’ (WA) while on UK LP are the Delores Springer sung gentle calm sparse slow street soul Deluxe ‘Just A Little More‘ (Unyque Artists) and, to my mind tiresomely pitched over such long length, rapping Cookie Crew ‘Born This Way‘ (ffrr) … The Club Chart currently requires a higher points total than possibly ever before for records even to hit it at number 100=, there being such a crush of stuff struggling to get in: roadblocked just below last week’s with enough points normally to qualify were (the yo yo-ing) Dave Collins & Jacqui Jones, Velma Wright, Rickster presents KLE, Royal House featuring Ian Star, The Controllers LP, Coldcut LP, Tone Loc, Diskonexion, LaKim Shabazz 12 inch, Taravhonty, Candi McKenzie, Omen, Levert, Kidzstuff — meanwhile, chart completists should note that the positions of previous entries making perhaps their last appearance in the “Missing” Club Chart of two weeks ago were: 25 Corporation Of One, 28 Chanelle, 30 Bobby Brown ‘Cruel’, 34 Joyce ‘Fenderella’ Irby, 37 Gerald Alston, 48 El DeBarge, 49 Richie Rich, Deja, 51 Sharon Dee Clarke, 53 Guy, 57 Longsy D’s House Sound, 59 A Guy Called Gerald (US mixes), 60 Paul Simpson/Candi Staton, 62 K-9 Posse, 65 Cookie Crew, 74 Tyree (Double Trouble Mix), 77 Natalie Cole, 81 Today, 82 Cookie Crew (Danny D Remix), 91 Baby Ford, 96 Diana Ross, 97 Stezo, 100= Yazz, Dino, Jungle Wonz (armed with this info plus the “last week” positions in last week’s chart, if you really want to you can reconstruct the whole missing chart for yourself!) … Umbrella Seminar III at Hammersmith’s Novotel this Saturday/Sunday (20/21) is being put on by independent record labels, with the likes of Jon Jules, Simon Harris, Dave Lee and myself on the Dance Market panel at 3.15pm Sunday (it costs £60 to register, details on 01-226 3261, so I don’t expect to see many of you there!) … KISS-fm’s fourth Record Fair is at Highgate’s Jacksons Lane Community Centre this Sunday, 10am-4pm … South Eastern Discotheque Association’s disco exhibition SEDA 89 is at Gravesend’s Woodville Halls on Sunday, June 4, from noon-6pm … Dartford’s Flicks closed down a couple of Saturdays ago with a nostalgic final night featuring such old regulars as Colin Hudd, Chris Hill, Robbie Vincent, Tom Holland plus the more recent John Rush, Cosmic, Gary Sutton and Russell Melford — having been purchased by Premier Leisure it is being totally revamped into a so-called “up-market’ new venue for September reopening (I don’t recall it being exactly downmarket before!) … Robert Clivilles and David Cole have opened their own studio on New York’s 28th Street, hence The 28th St. Crew … Damon Rochefort points out that Nomad (as in his production of The Ragamuffin Number’) is of course Damon spelt backwards! … ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’ is the nation’s favourite James Brown recording of all time — at least, that was the result of Robbie Vincent’s poll on Radio I, with ‘Sex Machine’ and ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ runners up! Profile, with a UK launch imminent, appear to have promoed their current Kechia Jenkins and Sweet Tee import hits here but have yet to get them, or anything else, to me – it seems Paul Oakenfold has lost my correct address … I’m outta here – BUT NOT FOR LONG!

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HOT VINYL

INNER CITY ‘Paradise’ (10 Records DIX81)
The label’s ploy of separately promoting three tracks in advance of this eagerly anticipated and obviously big selling album maybe made sense after all, as in truth it’s a disappointingly patchy set with only the attractive wriggly strong 123⅓bpm ‘Do You Love What You Feel’ approaching the dancefloor power of the included 121⅓bpm ‘Good Life’, 120⅕bpm ‘Big Fun’ and 119⅓bpm ‘Ain’t Nobody Better’ hits, while the plaintive swirling 121⅔bpm ‘Set Your Body Free‘ and chunkily scurrying 121bpm ‘Secrets Of The Mind‘ are pleasant too, leaving the jerkily shuffling routine 121½bpm title track, philosophically muttered moodily spurting 0-127bpm ‘Inner City Theme‘, dull sparsely slinky 77⅔bpm ‘Power Of Passion‘ and flurryingly frantic 133½bpm ‘And I Do‘ frankly as fillers.

LEVERT ‘Gotta Get The Money (Extended Remix)’ (US Atlantic 0-86422)
The guys who, back on ‘Casanova’, were chiefly responsible for adding hip hop’s new jack swing to soul now return with an incredibly infectious jerkily jiggling 108½bpm swingbeat jumper that really leaps along with excitingly smacking syncopation, sampling James Brown and other rhythm elements through four excellent mixes.

SUPREME DJ NYBORN ‘Versatility’ (US Payroll Records PR-732)
Charted for months now by a few DJs who managed to find it when apparently flipped by MC Capone’s ‘Smoove Style’, this elusive languidly chatted funkily rolling unhurried 101⅙bpm rap ‘n’ scratch (dubwise semi-Inst. too) is — in this edition, anyway — flipped by an amusing conversationally started then scrubbingly scratched jigglier still 101⅙bpm ‘Versatile Extension‘ remix, plus the Freda Payne ‘Band Of Gold’ bass looping wordy fast 126½bpm ‘Rhymes From A Swift Mind’ (in three mixes). My thanks to ‘Jocks’ editor Tim Jeffery for the loan of his copy! Continue reading “May 20, 1989: Inner City, Levert, Supreme DJ Nyborn, The 28th St. Crew, Miles Jaye”