October 18, 1986: Raze, Georgie Fame, Commodores, Chico DeBarge, Sybil

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

THE FIRST issue is out this week of rm’s sister magazine, the new monthly for DJs, JOCKS – so check the advertisement for details, should you not have received a copy. Supplementing rather than replacing these BPM pages, it’s designed as a complement to rm and carries totally different charts, including many interestingly detailed breakdowns by area and music type, plus a much wider range of news and opinion than there is room for here … Tony Blackburn is now playing Oran ‘Juice’ Jones ‘The Rain’, but only the seven inch version which ludicrously leaves out the vital talking finish, the whole point of the record and the controversial cause of its US success – are CBS mad? … Ian Dewhirst splits from Serious Records next month to take over running Fourth & Broadway … Phil Fearon’s next cover version revival is of the Showstoppers’ 1967 classic ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party’, due imminently (how long before he gets around to the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose?) … Shep Pettibone has not necessarily improved Lionel Richie ‘Love Will Conquer All’ with his stolidly plodding (0-)99¼bpm extended remix (Motown LIOT 2R) … Anita Ward ‘Ring My Bell’ has had a new drum track added on reissued import (US Sunnyview Classics SUN 3309) … Bob Dylan is the surprise guest rapper on the droning 98bpm ‘Street Rock‘ on the new Kurtis Blow ‘Kingdom Blow’ LP (US Mercury 830 215-1 M-1); full review next week … Morgan ‘Southpaw’ Khan is making his favourite group available for a fantastic bargain, putting all 12 tracks of Blue Magic’s ‘Greatest Hits’ LP on one £3.99 12-inch (Streetwave XKHAN 508)! … Jessica Martin is the amazing impressionist featured as the Monty MC’s on ‘Holiday Rap With A Capital C‘ … Barbara Roy topped US Club Play, Stacey Q returned atop 12 Inch Sales in Billboard … Disco breakers here last week, with really quite strong support yet possibly still struggling outside the Top 100 (currently tough to get into), included Lionel Richie, Tamiko Jones, George Duke, Billie, Was (Not Was) remix, Schoolly-D, Billy Griffin, Company B, Robbie B & Jazzy J, Dazz Band, Steinski, The Naturals, Lady Peachena and The Movement … Rick Davis (01-669 8082, evenings) is looking for weekend PAs at Uxbridge Regals … Tuesday (21) Hardrock Soul Movement and Faze One are live at London’s Limelight … JACK THE HOUSE!

BARRY ISLAND

LIVE WIRE’s soul weekender in South Wales at Barry Island was at the most compactly laid out holiday camp yet, beautifully sited (especially for sizzling Saturday), overlooking a sandy beach with one of Britain’s better fun fairs for free right next door. Working conditions were the best the DJs had ever encountered, but for some the actual accommodation was a bit primitive, and there were complaints from serious funksters of an ’18-30′ element in this, the biggest weekender crowd to date. Fatback played three hugely popular shows, the highlight of the event, though, being Georgie Fame’s Saturday lunchtime gig, which got him right back to 1986’s equivalent of his original 1963 audience. As anticipated, ‘Samba‘ got played a bit! The other surprise sensation was Jesse Saunders cutting up a storm at the decks, extending and remixing Chicago’s house hits ‘live’, and in fact house was so predominant that the “der rump dump dum dum dump dum” rhythm seemed at times to be running through everything! Lots of oldies, jazz and – note this – rap was played, but current stuff that stood out included Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, Raze, Hercules, The Force, TC Curtis, James Brown ‘Goliath’, One Way, James (D-Train) Williams ‘Misunderstanding’, Company B, Sybil, Oran ‘Juice’ Jones, Lady Peachena, Kurtis Blow, Al Jarreau ‘Tell Me What I Gotta Do (Remix)’, while two big oldies were Younger Generation ‘We Rap More Mellow‘ and Kinkina ‘Jungle Fever‘. Alexander O’Neal ‘What’s Missing’ tore the roof off – the hit that CBS totally bungled! For the finale each DJ ‘sang’ a line from Side Effect ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling‘, and Chris Hill did one of his inimitable swinging raps to Boogaloo Joe Jones ‘Six Thirty Blues‘. A good one, and as if to prove it, already 2,000 applications have been received for the next one, again at Barry, which for the first time will be well into the season and spread over four days, the May 22-25 Bank Holiday weekend!

HOT VINYL

RAZE ‘Jack The Groove’ (Champion CHAMP 12-23)
Cramming floors across the country, this Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley-style rhythm chattering 118⅔bpm jack track in fact was produced by Vaughan Mason in New Jersey, despite sounding pure Chicago!

GEORGIE FAME ‘Samba (Toda Menina Baiana Mix)’ (Ensign ENYX 605)
Created specifically for the Barry Island weekender, this Stock/Aitken/ Waterman-produced fast flying 102⅔/205⅓bpm samba is, as the title suggests, a purpose-built translation by Georgie himself of Gilberto Gil’s ‘Toda Menina Baiana’, the 12-inch starting in the original Portuguese while the B-side’s edit starts straight into English. Irresistibly infectious, it really bubbles and leaps along.

COMMODORES ‘Goin’ To The Bank’ (Polydor POSPX 826)
Enthusiastically leaping 116bpm chanter with some amusing double-entendre dialogue between a female bank teller and the group’s English-accented J D Nicholas about making an “early withdrawal” (dub/edit too, plus the also 116bpm slightly ‘All Night Long (All Night)’-ish snappy ‘Serious Love‘). Continue reading “October 18, 1986: Raze, Georgie Fame, Commodores, Chico DeBarge, Sybil”

October 11, 1986: Nocera, Sweet D, Princess, Cyndi Phillips, Oran ‘Juice’ Jones

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

GWEN GUTHRIE’s unidentified singing partner on ‘Save Your Love For Me‘ turns out to be Fred Owen, a friend who also appears as the “rent” payer in her video – meanwhile, a US remix of ‘Outside In The Rain’ could prove scarce here as imports apparently are banned to give ‘Close To You’ a clear field … US Cable TV’s Disney Channel on November 18 is showing an hour long ‘The Making Of Disney’s “Captain EO”‘, which in ‘Thriller’ style may possibly end up as a commercial video — though whether much of the complete 17 minute, Michael Jackson starring, George Lucas produced, Francis Ford Coppola directed $20,000.000 ‘Captain EO’ fantasy extravaganza will be included is doubtful, as the whole purpose of its making was that it should remain an exclusive attraction only to be seen by visitors at Disneyworld (Michael’s two featured songs, ‘We Are Here To Change The World’ and ‘Another Part Of Me’, seem unlikely to be on his new LP, due hopefully by Christmas) … Michael’s siblings continue to spread themselves around on different labels, Marlon Jackson signing solo to Capitol (and Cheryl Lynn would appear to be on Manhattan now) … Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk’s vocal remix of ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ actually slipped out here in limited quantities a few weeks ago, so quietly that not even the lads at London knew! … Danny Poku’s 105¾bpm messy Dancing Danny D and better Hip Hop N’ Go Go remixes of Timex Social Club have finally appeared (Cooltempo COOLR 133), flipped by the Shep Pettibone and original US mixes, while similarly Nick Martinelli’s mix of Loose Ends now flips a neat Herbie Laidly-medleyed 101⅔…120½-0bpm ‘Mastermind Turntable Mix‘ of familiar Ends material (Virgin VS 884-13) … Loose Ends ‘Stay A Little While, Child‘ stiffed here but is snorting up the US Black chart, which Cameo topped (their album is now out here, Club JABH 19) although Oran ‘Juice’ Jones remained biggest seller in Billboard … US radio really seems to be waking up to the fact that lots of white people prefer listening to black “urban” stations, the hottest format now fast becoming an Urban Top 40 hybrid, while the soft soul-jazz “Quiet Storm” format continues to attract older listeners of all colours too … Brian Chin, my counterpart in Billboard, is over here for a couple of weeks to take in both this weekend’s massively sold-out Barry Island and next weekend’s Caister soul weekenders (remember to take an FM radio!) … Incredible Mr Freeze will be at Barry … Meli’sa Morgan was produced by Terry Lewis (of Jam And Lewis) some time before signing with Capitol, the record never being released – will it be now? … Radio London jazz jock Gilles Peterson has been busy again, compiling ‘Blue Bop‘ (Blue Note BNSLP 2) made up of very early Sixties’ jazz including the much sought Don Wilkerson ‘Dem Tambourines‘ … Damon de Cruz, having split from Serious Records, is now helping put Rhythm King and Flame Records product into the right shops … Baad Records actually continues independently, having left Cherry Red, now being run by ‘Evil Eddie’ Richards and Steve Rumney (on the Wicked Pulse hotline 01-701 7156), looking for “street” material to release or record — Eddie, incidentally, pioneered the technique two years ago of electronically sampling and sequencing with a computer other records’ rhythms for use in his live club mixes, but became so discouraged by lack of industry interest that he no longer bothers lugging the gear to his gigs (like Camden Palace Fri/Sat) … Arista picked up Sharon Dee Clarke, following all the radio plays by Tony Blackburn and Greg Edwards, which has made Nellie ‘Mixmaster’ Rochefort a little richer! … I just knew the Kartoon Krew’s hip hopping ‘Batman‘ theme was a hot one, and sure enough It hit John Sach’s listeners-voted Hitline on Capital Radio last week (luckily after my enthusiasm had prompted Champion to schedule it here!) … Marie Birch is extending her DJ mailing list at Sound Promotions, Suite 6, Graham Court, Eastcote Lane, Middlesex UB5 4HT … Bluebird Records last Saturday opened its new shop doors at 378 Edgware Road, with hot chicken wings and such guests as (inevitably!) Juliet Roberts, Loose Ends, Phil Fearon … Steve Walsh walks through a brick wall looking large and shouts “Listen!” in the current Streetsounds TV commercial! … Private Possession featuring Hunter Hayes’ ‘This Time‘, originally on US Mega Bolt some months back (first pressings confusingly credited Les Lee), has turned up again on US Fourth & B’way – and in fact, there currently seem to be more repressed oldies than newies on import, for some reason … Gary Hickson (Blackburn Kaleidoscope) reports a mega revival of 1982’s Spencer Jones ‘How High (Garage Mix)’ … Viktor Lazio turns out to be the name of the female singer! … Raze really has penetrated remarkably deep across the country while still only on import … Jan Allen-Willmot (Hampden Park Gullivers/Eastbourne Shimmers) reports the new lyrics currently sung at his gigs to ‘Jack Your Body’ are unprintable!… JACK THE HOUSE!

HOT VINYL

NOCERA ‘Summertime, Summertime’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 54)
Late for the season even on import and now more aptly retitled ‘Indian Summertime’, surely, this Mantronik-mixed juvenile girl’s jerkily skittering wriggly 116¼bpm jolter has proved to be as nagging as originally predicted, her sometimes almost painful voice fighting through the beats (in three mixes).

SWEET D ‘Thank Ya’ (US Trax Records TX 119)
Clapping out a happy fast offbeat between bursts of simply chorded catchy melody, this jumpy little 120⅔-119¼-0bpm “house” instrumental is showing signs that it has what it takes to be one of the biggies, even if it did make its initial showing in the Eurobeat chart! The flip’s 123bpm ‘Turn It‘ usefully borrows the ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ riff (0-122¼bpm ‘Do Do It‘, 0-57/114bpm ‘Dig I Da-Dig I Da‘ too).

PRINCESS ‘In The Heat Of A Passionate Moment’ (Supreme Records SUPET 109)
Although still quite Hi-NRG, this breezily bounding 117⅔bpm galloper has been solidified a bit for The Final Frontier Mix and totally restructured much dubbier Garage Mix alternative ‘A’ side. Catchy candyfloss. Continue reading “October 11, 1986: Nocera, Sweet D, Princess, Cyndi Phillips, Oran ‘Juice’ Jones”

October 4, 1986: Gwen Guthrie, One Way, Wally Jump Junior, J.M. Silk, Q-Pid featuring Nikki Q

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

BRUCE FORSYTH was the most famous person spotted at Wembley digging Al Jarreau, whose musical director on keyboards was Neil Larsen: it wasn’t as exciting a show as two years ago (when of course, it was being videoed and recorded) … George Benson’s follow-up is ‘Shiver‘, so reason has prevailed … Omni Records have signed Rose Royce, produced by Nick Martinelli and Arthur Baker for their initial LP … Music Of Life are now reissuing Sylvia Striplin ‘Give Me Your Love‘, and have drastically remixed LaToya Jackson for commercial release … Was (Not Was) ‘Robot Girl’ is already about as a remix, the more basically percussive 111⅔-0bpm Paris Mix flipped by the violent 0-111⅓bpm East Grinstead mix cutting in “gimme a beat” … Ronnie Laws and Stanley Clarke have classy import albums mainly for home listening, likely “sleepers”, and George Duke’s is now out here (Elektra 960 480-1) … Bluebird Records this week have a big record sale prior to moving their Paddington Green shop around the corner into much larger Edgware Road premises — will they include a hairdressing salon there? … Ian Levine has now produced Darryl Pandy in a duet with Hazell Dean on the old Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing’ (the song is Coca Cola’s current US Jingle), at around 116bpm for EMI … Sylvester – the Darryl Pandy of the Seventies? – has signed to Warner Bros and evidently will be in funkier style than before … CBS snapped up Ricky Dillard ‘You Can’t Hide‘ produced by Chicago Warehouse mainman DJ Frankie Knuckles … Sunday (5) Essex Radio soul presenters Tony Monson and Disco John Leech cruise the Thames from Bermondsey’s Cherry Garden Pier aboard the good ship Mayflower Garden between 2-6pm, advance booking being advisable on 01-599 1471 … Danny Smith and guest DJs soul Great Yarmouth’s Scruples (ex-Aquarius) on Fridays 3 and 24 … Lynton Elcocks funks Pashas Thur/Fri, saying it’s open later than any other club around Swindon … Pete Haigh now souls Sundays at Blackpool’s Lips … Peter C. Helyer’s funk nights are Thurs at Bristol Studio and Mon at Newport (Gwent) Rockerfellas, which he pops Wed/Fri/Sat too … London’s KISS-fm airplay is forcing the reissue of Bunny Wailer’s ‘Back To School‘ from 1982 … Chris Nat (“Luge & Legal”) has temporarily left Radio TKO … Hereward Radio’s Thurs/Sat soul presenter Steve Allen, also hosting upfront Sunday evenings at Peterborough’s Manhattan Bar, confirms that Gil Silverbird’s title was originally printed, pre-Meli’sa Morgan. as ‘Fool’s Paradise’ … SEDA members meet this Sunday (5) in Wrotham’s Royal Oak at 7.30pm … DJ Pinney (South Ockendon) says that ‘Le Freak’ isn’t requested anything like as much as Chic’s ‘Good Times’ – which never was 12 inched here at the right tempo, being speeded up for the UK, so a reissue could even now be really useful … Kevin Kane (Exmouth Samanthas) reckons the way things are going ‘The March Of The Mods’ must be next for reissue! … JOCKS, if it’s to run the much requested charts like Alternative and Hip Hop, can’t do so unless we get enough returns from the relevant DJs, so send ’em in pronto … JACK THE HOUSE!

JAY STRONGMAN (above), renowned warehouse DJ and occasional rm contributor, is running Mute Records’ new “collectable funk” label subsidiary Flame Records, a replacement for the short lived Baad logo. The debut release from Memphis is the enthusiastic-sounding ROBERT & TOM SANDERS ‘Doing Bad’ (Flame Records MELT 1T), a squidgily chugging 117bpm funk rap flipped by the slightly go go-ish 114¼bpm ‘Jamming In The Big “M” Town’, both with more atmosphere than they’d have had if recorded in New York, although stylistically up to the minute.

HOT VINYL

GWEN GUTHRIE ‘(They Long To Be) Close To You’ (Boiling Point POSPX 822)
Selling in upfront shops already, although not strictly out until next week, Larry Levan’s tougher 96⅔bpm remix of Bacharach & David’s all-time classic Carpenters song now kicks straight in with the mellow beat, and is obviously a crossover smash. Her ‘Good To Go Lover’ LP (Boiling Point POLD 5201) provides the slow 53-0bpm ‘You Touched My Life‘, joined as flip by the bonus of a previously unheard lovely sultry 96⅔/48⅓bpm ‘Save Your Love For Me‘ duet with an uncredited classily soulful chap. Who he?

ONE WAY ‘Don’t Think About It’ (US MCA Records MCA-23659)
Produced by Eumir Deodato in Jam & Lewis style, this coolly tapping 104⅙bpm swayer becomes totally mesmerising as soulful vocals weave through the tension building repetitive simple rhythm, creating hidden depths the longer you let it wash over you (on five versions). Continue reading “October 4, 1986: Gwen Guthrie, One Way, Wally Jump Junior, J.M. Silk, Q-Pid featuring Nikki Q”

September 27, 1986: Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, Lionel Richie, Freddie Jackson, 80’s Ladies, Kurtis Blow

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LES ADAMS has done a quick remix of Cameo ‘Word Up’, due in shops now, and incidentally tips that a vari-speed synch out of Raze into Michael McDonald (SILAS mix) goes on and on and on on! … John Morales, giving up his London flat to do even his UK remixes back in New York, has done a harder Five Star ‘Can’t Wait Another Minute’ for the US black chart, while the M&M mix of Colonel Abrams’ ‘Over And Over’ never came out (now ‘Speculation’ has appeared in a Regisford & Jarvis remix on import) … Loose Ends’ commercial 12 inch twin-pack only features the Nick Martinelli remix and dub version of ‘Slow Down’, the group’s own ‘Slow-Jam’, plus Dancin’ Danny D & Godwin Logie’s old Westside mix of ‘Gonna Make You Mine’ — leaving the latter team’s widely considered superior ‘Slowdown’ remix only on the promo pressing, unless of course it’s due for creative marketing! … Carroll Thompson’s commercial 12 inch has had the lovers’ rock ‘Tonight’ altered into a new 93bpm Daybreak Mix, but still lacks the Townhouse Mix of ‘Strangest Love Affair’ … Mel & Kim (a delightful duo to meet!) have inevitably been remixed as a more dubwise 119¾bpm Mortgage Mix, Jak To Jak ‘Take It Easy’ has finally reappeared (on promo only so far) in a much tighter more subdued 114bpm Mastermix, and Rosaline Joyce’s remix will include a snatch of ‘Cloud Nine’ … Bluebird/10 picked up Davis/Pinckney Project … Ian Levine is starting his own Nightmare label through PRT next month, not specifically for hi-NRG, debuting with ‘Animal Magnetism‘ by Darryl Pandy (who’s also heavily featured on the Anti-Smack Project all-star single’s acappella flip) … Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk has tried to distance himself from house music’s origins by recording something along the lines of “I’m Not Gay I’m A Man”, which has got his fellow Chicagoans in an uproar … Jesse Saunders will be spinning Chicago house tracks next month around London’s record shops, at Tower and Virgin on Friday 17, Rayner’s Lane Saturday 18 (a bit of advance news there!) … Central London readers may be in time for Jay Strongman, Julian ‘Cool’ Palmer & Simon Witter’s P’funk party this Wednesday (24) at the Limelight … JOCKS magazine is already looking for letters and feedback from DJs about relevant disco topics, so send your scribblings to editor Philip Chapman (at the same address as rm) … Madonna’s original 115⅔bpm ‘Holiday’ has made a timely, if surely unnecessary, reappearance as flip to the Shep Pettibone remixed pleasantly Sixties-ish (0-)120¼bpm ‘True Blue’ (Sire W8550T), and while still in a pop frame of thought, the 118½bpm Tracy Spencer ‘Run To Me‘ (CBS TA 7007) and 130½bpm Stacey Q ‘Two Of Hearts‘ (Atlantic A9381T) seem to be expanding on their initial hi-NRG appeal … Ralph Tee has been dredging through Motown’s vaults as well, to compile some of their less obvious but soulful album tracks from the last 14 years into a various artists ‘Motown Trackin’‘ (WL 72518), plus he’s also compiled a double LP of Jean Carne ‘Legendary Tracks‘ (StreetSounds MUSID 7) … Hermione Ross, doing radio promotion at Jive, wants to hear from “weekend radio” DJs on 01-459 8899 … British Telecom’s “ring up and spend a fortune listening to records on the telephone” Livewire service has now gone fully national, the Dave Pearce hosted RM Dance Line being on 0898-121318 – the launch party was a bit spectacular, up in the revolving old restaurant on top of the Post Office Tower! … Mantronik is in London with T La Rock, laying down rhythm tracks, and they were surprise ‘live’ guests at Radio London’s Soul Night Out – which began its new irregular season with such other guests as Gwen Guthrie, Timex Social Club, Paul Hardcastle, Mel & Kim, TC Curtis … Chris Forbes sounds fine … ‘Ebony’ this Friday on BBC2 interviews Nellie ‘Mixmaster’ Rush about house music and features footage shot with Dave Pearce in New York (for some reason) last week … Graeme Park’s chart from Nottingham’s Garage (Tues/Fri/Sat) and Leicester Fan Club (Wed) is broadcast every Monday between 7-10pm on Radio Trent’s 12 inch show … New York’s new WQHT ‘Hot 103’ seems to be concentrating on hi-NRG, playing no rap, slowies or ballads … Jellybean Benitez is ‘musical director’ of New York’s latest club 4D, just opened at the old Visage site … Oran ‘Juice’ Jones as predicted topped US Black 45s, Anita Baker Black LPs and Janet Jackson ‘When I Think Of You’ Club Play in Billboard … Freddie Jackson, Melba Moore and James Brown were due to have appeared this Tuesday at a $300-a-head anti-“crack” fundraiser in New York’s swank Plaza Hotel … James Brown has co-written his autobiography ‘The Godfather Of Soul’ for US publication by Macmillan in November … Lillo Thomas is returning to the limelight, after a bad car crash in Brazil, co-produced and mixed by M&M … Dave Malone, still pulling 300+ soul fans on Fridays at the Gainsborough Club, has just lost his other long standing Sudbury night on Thursdays at the Queens Arms due to a change of landlords, and would welcome a replacement gig within 60 miles on 0787-72355 … Mark Clark (Wokingham Mark One Records) wonders whether Ivor Biggun will remake ‘Jack Off’! … JACK THE HOUSE!

PAUL OAKENFOLD has left Rush Release promotions to handle A&R and promotion for Champion Records, who have just picked up for UK release Raze and Sybil. This doesn’t mean he’s given up dee-jaying; he still funks Croydon Scarletts on Thursdays, Streatham Project at Zigi’s on Fridays and guests around on Saturdays. The little hip hopper!

HOT VINYL

STEVE ‘SILK’ HURLEY ‘Jack Your Body’ (London LONX 117)
Massive for months on import right across the country, this is well established as the other really big house hit, comprising four sparse “jack trax” which electronically repeat the title line (or the name Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley), to bounding lean beats on the 122bpm Club Your Body and Jack Your Body – Home Made, 121¾bpm Dub Your Body, 125¼bpm Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley mixes. Confused? This looks like the Harleqiun Four’s of 1986 and it’s out while it’s still hot!

LIONEL RICHIE ‘Love Will Conquer All’ (Motown LIOT 2)
Possibly having learnt that Lionel still needs black support to score a real hit, Motown rapidly follow his rock foray with the new album’s cream soul cut, a gorgeous mellow undulating (0-)98bpm swayer dripping with lazy appeal (old 0-64½bpm ‘The Only One’ flip).

FREDDIE JACKSON ‘Tasty Love’ (US Capitol V-15254)
‘Rock Me Tonight’ revisited in typically yearning tender 80bpm tasty stylee (edit too), with his last album’s swaying 105⅓bpm ‘I Wanna Say I Love You‘ as flip. Already, it’s due here next week (Capitol 12CL 428). Continue reading “September 27, 1986: Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, Lionel Richie, Freddie Jackson, 80’s Ladies, Kurtis Blow”

September 20, 1986: Midnight Star, U.T.F.O., Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Wally Badarou, Robbie B. & Jazzy J.

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PAUL HARDCASTLE has already re-recorded a jazz version of ‘The Wizard’ — and it was he who gave me details about his production of the Disco Aid single (due October 20 on Total Control Records), wrongly crediting writer Steve MacIntosh to Loose Ends instead of course to the Cool Notes … Wally Jump Junior & The Criminal Element have now done an answer version to Gwen Guthrie, burning up New York’s airwaves already! … Marshall Jefferson’s original Trax Records version is what Affair Records have issued here, but London Records are releasing what amounts to the remix, as they have four new versions (one 122½bpm remix is on their compilation LP ‘The House Sound Of Chicago‘ (LONLP 22)) — all co-existing side by side thanks to the previously hinted contractual confusion in Chicago (where I hear Al Capone would still feel at home!) … Dancin’ Danny D has now done yet another, more choppily percussive, remix of Timex Social Club … Roy Ayers has discovered that the master tape of Eighties Ladies ‘Turned On To You‘ was destroyed in a fire, so Simon Harris has been unable to do a remix, but is releasing the original anyway on Music Of Life Records —who’ve promoed LaToya Jackson’s untidy jerkily spurting 114⅓bpm Prince-meets-Janet-type Cerrone-produced ‘Oops Oh No‘ only in its LP Version, ahead of the commercial Club Mix … Ben Liebrand’s chugging new 103⅔bpm remix of ‘Main Attraction’ is being added to the BB&Q 12 inch, and ‘My Melody’ has now been returned to UK copies of Eric B featuring Rakim … Leroy Burgess, working on new stuff for the label too, has remixed Intrigue ‘Fly Girl’ for Cooltempo release soon … Les Adam’s fragmented 120⅔bpm remix of Kelly Marie ‘Feels Like I’m In Love’ turns out to be on PRT (12P 365), flipped by his 122⅔bpm rejig of Ellie Warren ‘Shattered Glass‘, doubtless soon to be big in Yorkshire! … CityBeat picked up Carlton … I had no time to collect Kurtis Blow ‘I’m Chillin’‘ (US Mercury 888 004-1), Trouble Funk-backed go go repeatedly using the “Transformers, robots in disguise” TV advert’s chant, and a hot Freddie Jackson newie was due too just after my deadline, so as usual check the chart for the latest BPMs … Capital Radio’s Saturday night/Sunday morning soul show presenter now actually, for the time being, is Chris Forbes of TV’s ‘Solid Soul’ … ‘Happy Hippo’ Jerry Hipkiss’ Saturday soul show on Severn Sound 95FM is so popular it’s been extended to 7-11pm … Guy Hornsby has left Radio London to become breakfast presenter at Solent’s October 12 launched new Ocean Sound ILR station, where he’ll also host a Saturday 6-10pm soul show … BBC2’s marathon ‘Rock Around The Clock’ this Saturday (20) includes at 8.05pm a 20 minute hip hop jam with Mantronix, T La Rock, DJ Cheese, Faze One, and a Morgan Khan interview … Hardrock Soul Movement have cut a one-off single with Afrika Bambaataa as vocalist for Streetwave … US b boys appear to be bringing back the yo-yo craze, bouncing fluorescent ones while they dance … Levert’s lovely soulful 0-40/80bpm ‘(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind‘ (US Atlantic 7-89389 seven inch) topped US Black 45s, with Oran ‘Juice’ Jones ‘The Rain‘ fast closing on it, while Claudja Barry’s galloping enigmatic 123½bpm ‘Down And Counting‘ (US Epic 49-05926) topped both 12 Inch Sales and Club Play in Billboard … The Ponderosa comes to Hammersmith – yum yum! … Huey Lewis And The News may seem an unlikely source, but their new LP ‘Fore!’ (Chrysalis CDL 1534) contains the 80¾bpm ‘Simple As That‘ which is screaming out to be covered in Seventies’ soul vocal group style (there’s also a superb acappella doo wop ‘Naturally‘) … Ben E King’s original ‘Stand By Me’ is being reissued by US Atlantic following a film of the same name … Eon Irving has another one-off funk jam Friday (19) at Kensington Roof Gardens … Gil Silverbird’s single is called ‘We Can’t Go On Without Love’, on my copy anyway, so why are people calling it ‘Fool’s Paradise’? … JACK THE HOUSE!

HOT VINYL

MIDNIGHT STAR ‘Midas Touch’ (Solar MCAT 1096)
Much played by radio off the LP even while ‘Headlines’ was at its height, and now remixed by Ellis Jay, this old-style Shalamar/Whispers-type jaunty (0-)117½bpm swaying chugger (inst/acappella flip) is an obvious smash. It’s 40 seconds shorter than the US A-side.

U.T.F.O. ‘Split Personality (The Remix)’ (US Select Records FMS 62276)
The next ‘Bang Zoom’, Hitman Howie Tee & Dave Ogrin’s remix of Full Force’s zappy 98⅓bpm go go hip hop jitterer finds the schizoid guys rapping in tongues — including pidgin French, Chinese, Jamaican, Spanish — terrific fun! As well as the dub, UK copies out in a fortnight (Cooltempo COOLX 136) will include Dancin’ Danny D’s 0-106⅔bpm remix of ‘Where Did You Go?’ plus bonus beats.

JAZZY JEFF & FRESH PRINCE ‘Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble’ (Champion CHAMP 1218)
The Philly scratcher now gets spelt correctly for the UK remix, by Paul Oakenfold & Herbie Mastermind, of this great 94⅚bpm go go hip hop rap about chatting up girls and the trouble to be had if they say yes – here flipped by a massive bonus, their own 93½bpm ‘Guys Ain’t Nothing But Trouble‘ answer version, with Miss Ice Cream T joining in to present her argument. The TV theme synched through both is from Larry Hagman’s old ‘I Dream Of Jeanie’. Continue reading “September 20, 1986: Midnight Star, U.T.F.O., Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Wally Badarou, Robbie B. & Jazzy J.”

September 13, 1986: Disco Aid, Cameo, Phyllis Hyman, Howard Hewett, Paul Hardcastle

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

PAUL HARDCASTLE has produced the Disco Aid charity single, ‘Give Give Give’, written by Steve MacIntosh of Loose Ends, with lead vocals by Sheila Ferguson, Jean Carne, Jaki Graham, Chris Amoo, Lenny Henry, Kevin Henry, Odyssey and the Cool Notes, Kenny G on sax, and an Edwin Starr-conducted chorus of Boris Gardiner, Aswad, Smiley Culture, Tippa Irie, Phil Fearon & Galaxy, Total Contrast, Real Thing, Sinitta, Derek Green, Direct Drive, Beggar & Co, Mel & Kim, Masquerade, Toyin, Judge Dread, Keith Henry, Dizzi Heights, Press The Flesh – if every DJ buys it the week of release (it won’t of course be promoed), we’ll see the true chart impact of disco power! … London are issuing Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley ‘Jack Your Body’, followed by Marshall Jefferson ‘Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)’, while in the US J. M. Silk have signed to RCA and Jessie Saunders to Geffen … Chicago’s Trax Records belongs to a pressing plant which merely pays local DJs for their productions to press up in limited quantities purely for the Chicago market alone – a reasonable deal, except now their pressings are even hotter elsewhere and nobody’s under contract … Elite Records here are getting into “house” music now, a stripped down style that should suit Andy Sojka’s production techniques ideally! … Geffen Records are bringing over Jessie Saunders, the Bang Orchestra, and “a top Chicago DJ with unknown house tracks” for club gigs next month, including either/or the Barry Island/Caister soul weekenders … Caister is back on October 17-19, at the Seashore camp, with Lonnie Liston Smith live plus a DJ team including Martin Collins, Graham Gold, Jonathon More, Chris Dinnis, Alex Lowes (details on 01-886 8141) … Radio London’s Soul Night Out returns next Thursday (18) with a beachwear party at Hammersmith Palais … Saturday nights have at last returned to normal on Capital Radio, with Phil Allen back doing the midnight soul show and even Tony Monson running down his sales chart again at about 1.45am (Sunday) … Froggy has already split from his own label Music Of Life Records over musical differences of opinion, leaving it to Simon Harris and fellow directors … Capital’s gospel jock Al Matthews, wearing his actor’s hat, is one of the main stars of ‘Aliens’! … Timex Social Club’s mention of “Tina” seems to have been edited from radio versions of ‘Rumors’ – what, too juicy? … Loose Ends’ ‘Slowdown’ in commercial form will have Nick Martinelli’s mix flipped by Dancin’ Danny D & Godwin Logie’s … Howard Hewett’s LP review mixed up the 95bpm ‘I Commit To Love’, 98bpm ‘Stay’ … Saturday (13) Eon Irving funks Covent Garden’s African Centre – and, back from a holiday visit, reports that black dancers in New York just as in London tend to find “house” tempos too fast … Gwen Guthrie is Al Jarreau’s guest on his return to Wembley Arena next Saturday (20) … Rick Davis, still funking Uxbridge Regals Fridays, souls Horton Queens Mondays, wants more gigs on 01-669 8082 … Preston’s Clouds has reopened as the totally restructured Easy Street … Radio Broadland’s soul presenter Chrissie Jackson joins Dave Brown funking Mondays at Norwich Henrys … Robert Starks is anticipating the rejuvenation of the label by starting a DJ mailing list at Avatar Communications, Unit 5, Imperial Studios, Imperial Road, London SW6 2AG … DMC Records are soon following Tina Charles with Kelly Marie, in a Les Adams re-production – can the Brotherhood Of Man be far behind? … ‘I Can Prove It’ was actually recorded a year ago, originally with lead vocals by and as a potential release for North West Ten, whose voices are still heard behind Phil Fearon … Ken Brudenell (Bracknell Oceans Fri/Sat) reminds us the original ‘I Can’t Let You Go’, even before Haywoode’s 1984 version, was by Talkback in 1982 … Jaki Graham’s media party at Groucho’s last week decamped in more private form to the newly reopened Munkberry’s, now in the same virtually unaltered site at the Swinging Sixties society haunt, Sybilla’s … Luther Vandross is unrecognisable in ads for his upcoming album, he’s got so thin! … Ian Levine has already remixed the next brand new single by Sister Sledge … Gwen Guthrie finally topped US Black 45s, Nu Shooz ‘Point Of No Return‘ Club Play, Stacey Q 12 Inch Sales in Billboard … ‘Hill Street Blues’ fans, prepare for a shock – Joe Coffey gets shot, dead … Spotlight Publications’ new specialist magazine Jocks, launched in October with a free sample copy before monthly publication begins in December, will cover the full range of disco activity with all the extra categories of charts for which there just hasn’t been room in rm – so, if you’re a DJ who, through our current neglect of wider categories of dance music, has been discouraged from sending in regular charts, now is the time for you to start submitting your floor-filler top 20s (or more if you can manage it), the aim being to compile as many different national disco charts as there are types of venue, from broad-based commercial pop, the already well covered funk and Eurobeat, through alternative, oldies, hip hop and any other nit-picking though relevant subdivisions that surface (send charts as usual to James Hamilton/Alan Jones, RM, Spotlight Publications, Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1 7QZ, and please make sure to include your own address) … JACK THE HOUSE!

BEN LIEBRAND is the Dutch whizkid responsible for nearly 150 remixes, most famous here being his recent hit Tavares’ revivals, but currently he is charted as the arranger and producer of M. C. Miker ‘G’ & Deejay Sven’s ‘Holiday Rap’. Despite this, he still jocks as he has done since 1980 at Nijmegen’s The Kaiser Karl and creates regular minimixes for Radio Veronica, in Holland.

DANCIN’ DANNY D (left) and Radio London’s JEFF YOUNG are attempting to turn the next few Wednesdays into “Urban Dance” nights at Camden Town’s Dingwalls, not a venue immediately identified with hot funk, maybe. Their debut last week had Loose Ends as live guests — except, thanks to a cock-up in the sound system, they were unable to sing in truly live style to backing tracks, as they’d planned. This disappointment apart, the gig showed signs of settling into a friendly groove once teething problems are over.

HOT VINYL

CAMEO ‘Word Up!’ LP (US Atlanta Artists 830 265-1 M-1)
A particularly solid set steering clear of any threatened rock, apart maybe from the guitar solo on what is actually emerging as its killer, the jauntily looping 112bpm ‘Back And Forth’ all having floor potential though, the ‘She’s Strange’-style 95½bpm ‘She’s Mine’, mellow jogging 91/45½bpm ‘Don’t Be Lonely’, weaving 101⅔bpm ‘Fast, Fierce & Funny’, jolting 110½bpm ‘Candy’, staccato 113bpm ‘You Can Have The World’, 115¼bpm title track hit (and what a grower that turned out to be!).

PHYLLIS HYMAN ‘Living All Alone’ LP (Philadelphia International PHIL 4001)
Rushed out here, this gem of a sultry set is superb from start to finish. Not surprisingly the most sleazy floorfilling tempos are British in origin, the Junior co-penned swaying 98bpm ‘If You Want Me’ and Loose Ends-penned, Julie Roberts originated 95⅓bpm ‘Ain’t You Had Enough Love’ (produced now as then by Nick Martinelli), while her recently seven inched 118¾bpm ‘Screaming At The Moon’ is sorta ‘Thriller’-meets-Manhattan Transfer. Smoochier are the 0-63¾-0bpm title track, 40/80bpm ‘First Time Together’, 88bpm ‘Slow Dancin’’, 36½bpm ‘You Just Don’t Know’, 82 ½/83bpm ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’, tempoless ‘Old Friend’. Not to be missed!

HOWARD HEWETT ‘I’m For Real’ (Elektra EKR47T)
Finally on 12 inch, the Stanley Clarke co-prod/penned successor to their earlier ‘Heaven Sent You’ collaboration is a soul satisfying subtly swaying (0-)94⅔bpm delight with a little Wilton Felder sax to round it off (edit and rocky 127bpm ‘Eye On You’ flip). Continue reading “September 13, 1986: Disco Aid, Cameo, Phyllis Hyman, Howard Hewett, Paul Hardcastle”

September 6, 1986: Timex Social Club, Club Nouveau, The Vicious Rumor Club, Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, Midnight Star

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

AS VISITORS to the PLASA Light & Sound Show will have discovered, our parent Spotlight Publications is soon launching a new monthly, Jocks magazine, to compliment and expand on these BPM pages (which will remain weekly in rm) – full details later! … Timex Watches have, as it turns out, had to relent and those ‘Rumors’-mongers can continue as Timex Social Club after all – incidentally, Cooltempo’s press officer Clare Smith (01-408 2355) is desperately seeking Susan, or rather some idea of who, if anyone in particular, the “Susan” is that’s mentioned along with the more obvious “Tina” and “Michael” in the lyrics … Chaz Jankel’s featured soloist appears not to be one of the Jones Girls, instead this Brenda Jones is the New York session singer who’s had disco hits of her own in the past … Ralph Tee himself re-edited the new seven inch of Phyllis Hyman ‘You Know How To Love Me’, getting in more of the full length original’s highlights than did the 1979 edit: future reissues in his Arista Masters series will include Chapter 8 featuring Anita Baker, Niteflyte, Bobby Womack, and indeed most of the label’s past black acts … Radio London jazz jock Gilles Peterson is now being retained as Jazz/Latin A&R Consultant by StreetSounds, amongst other projects his upcoming ‘Jazz Juice 3‘ compilation LP includes Eydie Gormé ‘The Coffee Song‘ and Lou Rawls ‘The Girl From Ipanema‘ (just to undermine a few DJs’ collections!) … London’s inevitable reissue of Little Eva ‘The Locomotion’ (LOCOX 1) has been turned into an 130-129¾-130¼bpm remix with the awkward addition of digital delay hiccups – at least the long fade reaches its previously unheard final finish now, though for most the original 1962 seven inch will remain definitive … Gladys Knight & The Pips have moved to MCA Records … Georgie Fame this time really does seem likely to appear, along with Fatback, at Live Wire’s “Bognor Sequel” October 10-12 Barry Island soul weekender (details on 01-364 1212) … Disco Mix Club are promoting a couple of late season Discotheque Holidays at £169 for a week, with full holiday facilities plus nightly disco entertainment hosted by Steve Walsh on Ibiza in San Antonio Sept 28-Oct 5, and by Chad Jackson on Majorca in Magaluf Oct 5-12 … The Hippodrome’s Star Bar has been converted into a members-only music biz club within a club, appropriately called The Biz Bar … Jonathon Moore joins residents Baz fe Jazz and Sylvester as first guest jock this Thursday (4) at the new weekly funk-jazz-latin-R&B Bang Bang in London Euston Road’s Portlands, and then with KJ on Saturday (6) at Clapham Common’s The Alexandria he adds ancient Tamla and Northern to the mixture … Phil Fearon next Thursday (11) PAs at Rhyl Downtown … Fridays are serious funk ‘n’ soul nights at Purley Cinderellas Rockefellas, with Chris Hill regularly joining residents John ‘Nick’ Osbourne and John Mayoh – the latter, incidentally, is booking DJs and PAs for various clubs at the Mecca Agency, despite the closure of Kev ‘Guvnor’ Hill’s actual club division there … Tilly Rutherford and Karen Ashley in addition to Lisson Records are running The London Promotion Company, aiming to plug major labels’ dance product specifically in the disco orientated London market (at retail and radio level, so it’s not DJs they want on 01-724 5826, not yet anyway) … ‘Showing Out’, as in Mel & Kim’s title, is the fresh way to say ‘showing off’, as in attracting the opposite sex … Billy Ocean ‘Love Zone’ topped US Black 45s in Billboard … New York City has a brand new urban-cum-pop station, WQHT (“Hot 103”), which by playing lots of fresh street music is shaking up the other increasingly dull urban stations’ complacency … Freakie Dee funks Sundays 2-5pm on Birmingham’s Radio WM 95.6FM, filling what he calls “a big hole with no soul”! … Iain Bruce has taken over Cardiff’s Red Dragon Radio Saturday 6-8pm disco show, and welcomes relevant information (plus product!) at the station, West Canal Wharf, Cardiff CF1 5XJ … Tony Glass of Rochford’s Disco Mix Roadshow is creating special remixes for broadcast on Disco John Leach’s weekday evening Essex Radio soul show … Millie Scott’s producer Bruce Nazarian played in 8th Day, Brownsville Station and Was (Not Was), his partner Duane Bradley DJed at Detroit’s Studio 54, Todds, and is currently at the Warehouse and on WJLB … JACK THE HOUSE!

ROCKY JONES has graduated from running the Chicago DJs’ record pool to owning the labels DJ International Records, Underground, plus (for rock) Fierce, (pop) Power House, (metal) Metallica, and he distributes Farley Keith’s House Records. In point of fact the reason why, until now, “house” productions have been kept in purposefully limited underground supply is that the strictly local Chicago-based business just couldn’t cope with wider distribution! Now however he is planning to set up a movie about Chicago and its music, based on the true tragic story of a young singer/producer called Jesse Velez, who got caught up with the street gangs and died last year in mysterious circumstances. How’s this for a title, ‘Good To House’?

London’s cuddly DJ Steve Walsh muscled his way into this snap of lovely Porscha from the new somewhat reorganised group ROYALLE DELITE, whose latest UK release is ‘I’ll Come When You Call‘ (Streetwave MKHAN 71), a pleasant if not particularly memorable jiggly 109¼bpm repetitive swayer.

HOT VINYL

TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB ‘Rumors’ (Cooltempo COOLX 133)
This smash-bound hypnotically lurching nagger with intriguing tittle tattle lyrics, a tabloid reader’s delight (and the next Nu Shooz) is here as new more rounded Shep Pettibone 106⅓bpm remix and 106⅚bpm dub versions plus the US hit 105⅚bpm original and 106bpm ‘Vicious Rumors‘. However, read on . . .

CLUB NOUVEAU ‘Jealousy’ (US Tommy Boy/King Jay Records TB 884)
Undaunted by most Timex Social Club members leaving his control, their producer Jay King has rapidly formed his own group and a new label affiliation to make an “official” follow-up answer version to ‘Rumors’, similar even down to the artwork, with a now bassier (0-) 110bpm beat (inst too) and “vicious vocal” longer 110¼bpm ‘Malicious Jealousy‘ flip. And . . .

THE VICIOUS RUMOR CLUB ‘Rumor Rap (Yeah, Yeah That’s It)’ (US Musicworks Records SUN 444)
Actually naming celebrities’ names, rather than leaving you to guess if they mean who you think they mean, this straightforward 108bpm answer version adds scratching too (inst flip). And . . . Continue reading “September 6, 1986: Timex Social Club, Club Nouveau, The Vicious Rumor Club, Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, Midnight Star”

August 30, 1986: Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk, George Benson, Carlton, BB & Q, Gil Silverbird

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

STEVE WALSH is organising an all-star single to benefit the November 1 national Disco Aid charity night, and as it’s being recorded this weekend he needs to hear immediately on 01-580 0083/4 from any so far uncontacted dance acts who’d like to join in … PLASA, the equipment exhibition, is evidently open to the public at Hammersmith’s Novotel this Sunday (31) until Wednesday (3), 11am-6pm … Tony Blackburn keeps claiming his weekday morning Radio London show is “the most listened to” in the South-East, and now he’s got official BBC audience survey figures to prove it! … Krystol ‘Passion From A Woman‘ has been shrink-wrapped with a bonus 12 inch that couples the underground classic 106bpm ‘After The Dance Is Through‘ and 110⅔bpm ‘The Things That Men Do‘ (DTA 7203) – but mightn’t Epic have been surprised if they’d merely released that coupling in its own right, all along? … Boiling Point are reissuing a couple of 1983 hits in new Timmy Regisford remixes, the bassier 0-98⅚-99½-99-0bpm Monyaka ‘Go De Yaka’ (POSPX 820) and messily unimproved 121½-121¾bpm Hot Streak ‘Body Work’ (POSPX 821) … Supreme Records’ first birthday party, with Graham Gold jocking, saw Mel & Kim twirling like twin poppets, Princess sneaking in despite leaving the label, Nicky Holloway wearing a bog brush in his barnet, and Chris Hill dancing at Stringfellows – a social night that brought many a DJ and his lady “Up West”, most ending up in Chinatown for an early hours chop suey … RCA in the States are starting a new dance label, AFT Records … Gwen Guthrie finally topped US Club Play, Madonna 12 Inch Sales in Billboard … Young & Co ‘Such A Feeling’ is getting a Timmy Regisford remix now it’s been picked up by US Atlantic … Georgie Fame is recording for Ensign … Island’s go go movie ‘Good To Go’ appears finally to have opened in the States, where go go fans are reportedly disappointed it only features brief snatches of the soundtrack song … Darryl Pandy (who spent a considerable fortune in London at Gucci buying luggage, shoes and presents) has also cut a great soul slowie dedicated to his kid sister, ‘Krystale’ … Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk’s new ‘Houseapella‘ instrumental sloppily includes some stray conversation if you listen closely – incidentally, Radio One DJs are already saying what a great singer Farley is! … DJ International Records’ hustling vice-president Lewis Pitzele, ever looking for a deal, intends setting up his own Jackin’ Records, Doo’ Rock and Wicked Pulse labels here … Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley ‘Jack Your Body’ owes a melodic debt to Yazoo ‘Situation‘ … psst! – why does Damon Rochefort call himself Nellie ‘Mixmaster’ Rush, and sing like the Village People? … Marshall Jefferson also records as Virgo … The Incredible Mr Freeze’s rappers are Daddy O and Delight from the group Stetasonic … The Boogie Boys of course are from Harlem, not LA, it was the label that confused me … London’s hipper clubs look like turning The Naturals’ tapping and burbling 106⅙bpm ‘Funky Rasta‘ (Jamaican Sunshine) into the latest big boom revival — always an underground threat since 1981, it’s now being prodded by DJ Tim Westwood (who unearthed supplies in New York), and by Dancin’ Danny Poku (who wishes he hadn’t!) … London’s Metropolitan Police evidently now have a “Warehouse Squad” to close down illegal public parties, but two warehouse style parties that are perfectly legal this Saturday (30) are Wicked Pulse at Camberwell Green’s Dickie Dirts (in the old cinema), and a North meets South allniter at Hackney Central station’s Club Oo! Mankind, where Colin Curtis (if fit), Chris Reid, Edgar & Calvin clash with Jonathan Moore, Andy McConnell and Baz fe Jaz for a soul-funk-jazz throwdown … Wicked Pulse with Soul To Soul is also on Sundays in Covent Garden’s Africa Centre, sweaty, smoky, funky and friendly … Monday (1) Ralph Tee presents “the sisters of soul”, live and on vinyl, at London’s Limelight … Jerry Green got mugged while actually supplying the sound at an LWR gig in New Cross, losing a gold chain from around his neck … Gilles Peterson on Tuesday (2) starts a weekly 10pm-midnight ‘Mad On Jazz’ Radio London show — nice one! … Colin Hudd’s hot mix is Adonis into the old Voyage ‘East To West‘, the “house” tempo bringing other fast oldies back into play … Five Star (I’ve yet to receive their LP) are being sponsored by Cadbury’s Crunchie bar on their upcoming UK tour – not quite in the Pepsi league maybe, but just as sweet for young fans’ teeth! … SORRY, WRONG BEAT!

LE PLAZA in Peckham used to be called Kisses and was one of South London’s funkiest spots until its name change, which coincided with a desire for respectability and an older class of club-goer. The trouble is, older folks don’t go to clubs, so it’s back to funk and plenty of “house” every Saturday there now with the return of KISS-fm’s Gordon Mac (admiring his twin in the mirror) and Steve Jackson. Jack the house!

HOT VINYL

FARLEY ‘JACKMASTER’ FUNK & JESSIE SAUNDERS/VOCALS BY DARRYL PANDY ‘Love Can’t Turn Around (Remix)’ (US House Records FU-11)

Obviously due soon here on London too, as promised this is the storming 122-122⅓-0bpm revamped “house” smash with re-recorded tighter vocals by the this time fully credited Darryl ‘Diva’ Pandy (above), plus excitingly stripped down vocal and instrumental ‘Houseapella’ dub versions. The mighty mouthed opera singer’s voice is apparently proving too rich and meaty for some people’s taste, but that’s probably just the shock of the new.

GEORGE BENSON ‘While The City Sleeps. ..’ LP (Warner Bros WX 55)
Producer Narada Michael Walden thankfully has sensitivity enough to drop his heavy handed pop approach for a potential hits-filled vocal set that’ll keep floors heaving way into 1987. Hottest are probably the familiarly styled 105bpm ‘Shiver’, Maze-ish 111½bpm ‘Teaser‘, Kenny G-saxed 114bpm ‘Did You Hear Thunder‘, but there really ain’t a dud among the 51½/103bpm ‘Love Is Here Tonight‘, 69bpm ‘Too Many Times’, 122bpm ‘Secrets In The Night’, (0-)102⅓bpm title track, 88bpm ‘Kisses In The Moonlight’.

CARLTON ‘Excite Me’ (US Infuture IN-0001)
The biggest import two weekends back, this melodically juddering and tinkling wriggly (0-)109⅚bpm electro nagger surrounds Carlton Smith’s rather effectively UN-excited though pent-up vocal with much Nu Shooz-ish nervy tension (dubby Super Ride Side flip). Continue reading “August 30, 1986: Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk, George Benson, Carlton, BB & Q, Gil Silverbird”

August 23, 1986: Chaz Jankel featuring Brenda Jones, Cameo, Bobbi Humphrey, Colonel Abrams, Raww

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

TIMEX WATCHES apparently are cutting up rough over the use of their name so from here on it seems those ‘Rumors’-mongers will be just plain the Social Club … Princess has split from Supreme Records who made her a star and signed instead with Polydor … Phil Fearon has indeed beaten the original Tony Etoria version’s national chart peak of number 21 … Atlantic have reissued Chic’s classic 120-121-120½bpm ‘Le Freak’ (K11209T) from 1978… Mel & Kim, despite as reported being written, recorded, and rushed out to radio on fully printed promo all within a week back in July, ludicrously won’t be out until September 1 – what’s the hold-up? … Meli’sa Morgan’s 12 inch remix starts so abruptly that many jocks still prefer using the original LP version, so can’t something be done? … Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk has amongst others remixed the Dazz Band’s US single ‘L.O.V.E./M.I.A.‘ … Shirley Jones topped US Black 45s, Run-DMC Black LPs in Billboard … Cleveland Area DJ Association meets Sunday (24) in Thornaby’s Odd Fellows Arms at 7.30pm … Graham Gold’s DJ partner at Mayfair Gullivers, jocking alone there Mon/Fri, the hot ‘Demon’ Damon is looking for a black girl who can rap and sing to make a duo with him — catch him at the club on 01-499 0760 after 9pm … Radio Thamesmead’s breakfast DJ Jamie Wisdom is after a weeknight disco residency within reach of SE London, on 0322-72208 (afternoons) … DJ Fressh FM claims his Dartford-based scratch/mixing lessons undercut all others in price (details 04747 6381) … Alan Taylor suggests a reissued remix of the Funk Masters ‘It’s Over‘ might be timely – I’ve noticed the original is still filling floors in London, and it’s massive for him in Rhyl, where however at the Downtown the big oldie for Andy Baker is Hi-Gloss ‘You’ll Never Know‘ … Phil Burton has particularly hot oldies at Rhyl’s Mirrors Mon/Tues but now funks St Asaph’s Spooks Fri/Sat too … James Lewis has found that supposedly “commercial” Mondays have ended up as the actual funk nights at Swansea’s free admission Harry’s Dance Bar, well appointed, not large, but steaming until 2am when I visited last week, the only place where you’ll hear hot soul newies … Thursday (21) Andy Bianchi and Adrian Dunbar dare you to wear as little as possible at Poole’s Wharf nightspot … Sunday (24) Millie Scott PA’s with Steve Allen, Jonathon and Nick Graham at Peterborough Rinaldos’ 6pm all-eveninger, then as Bank Holiday Monday dawns at midnight Chris Hill joins Colin Hudd and John Rush hosting Dartford Flicks’ traditional charity allniter … Monday itself sees Pieces Of A Dream playing live at Blackpool Empress Ballroom’s 2pm alldayer, while Loose Ends and the Cool Notes PA at Northampton Cinderellas Rockerfellas’ 4pm alldayer, both with starry DJ rosters … Radio Merseyside soul presenter Kenni James captains another river cruise next Thursday (28), tickets from Hott Waxx and Cheverton Records … Paul French’s upfront weekends at Gillingham’s The Avenue have been attracting as punters Frankie Goes To Hollywood members Ped and Mark O’Toole, who also recently looked in at his Sunday skating rink gig at the Ice Bowl – where Paul got cold feet after kindly lending his socks so Mark’s rented skate boots would fit! … John Mayoh, now at Purley Cinderellas Rockerfellas, is delighted to find a hot new import-stocking shop in Croydon’s Station Road, Mi Price Records … Big Al has taken over mixing the funk (and “house”) on Fridays at Swindon’s Level 3 .. Candido ‘Jingo’ is a perfect mix out of ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ … Technics’ vari-speed CD player apparently, so Chad Jackson tells me, already includes a gnurled knob which the DJ can manipulate manually to “scratch” the disc – with a laser? … SORRY, WRONG BEAT!

IAN LEVINE (left), the toast of New York’s DJs (who all pronounced his name “Iron”!) at the New Music Seminar, thanks to his forceful personality and impressive list of credits, has rapidly cottoned onto the relationship of Chicago’s “house” music to Hi-NRG. As previously mentioned, he’s produced an ultimate 121½bpm pastiche of all the most obvious house clichés, Midnight Sunrise’s ‘On The House‘ (Crossover CROSS 1), on white label now … but already remixed by the increasingly busy Farley ‘Jackmaster Funk’ Keith, seen with him of the Limelight looking friendlier than they did during a sparring match as seminar panelists! What’s more, Ian is now recording Louise Thomas in the “house” style, too. Who next, Shakin’ Stevens or Rosemary Clooney?

DARRYL PANDY — and that is the right spelling, after all — has his re-recorded vocal version of ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ released imminently, and has just cut his first starring solo vocal record in London too! Amidst a hectic week of TV and club appearances, including his revivalist meeting-like show at the Limelight (with Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk mixing at the decks for hours), he went into the studios with the Light Of The World/Beggar And Co bunch backing him to remake Trussel’s old ‘Love Injection’. Singing in opera and in church for the last 20 years, he keeps his six-and-a-half octave vocal range in shape by only ever drinking water, as anything else coats his vocal cords.

HOT VINYL

CHAZ JANKEL featuring BRENDA JONES ‘You’re My Occupation’ (A&M AMY 344)
Back in a soulful bag, the ‘Ai No Corrida’ writer lets Shirley’s sister Brenda Jones of Girls fame wail and worry a sizzling little 109⅔bpm swaying tripper (dub flip) set to the sort of London tempo these days often dismissed as “Tony Blackburn fodder”. This one’s different!

CAMEO ‘Word Up’ (Club JABX 38)
Recognisably continuing Cameo’s sound but at a starkly whipping 115¾-0bpm fast tempo (in three versions), this’ll probably win most people over in the end although so far its more popular with poppier crowds. Their older slinky 94bpm ‘Urban Warrior‘ is included too.

BOBBI HUMPHREY ‘No Way’ (US Mercury 884-897-1)
The singing flautist’s overdue return on this Leroy Burgess-penned Inner Life oldie has been impatiently awaited, especially as her all-star accompanists include Stevie Wonder on harmonica and producer Ralph MacDonald on percussion (of course), the slightly Patrice Rushen-ish result being an old fashioned jiggly shuffling 0-111½bpm swayer in four versions, the flute tootled instrumental and tougher dub possibly being preferable. Continue reading “August 23, 1986: Chaz Jankel featuring Brenda Jones, Cameo, Bobbi Humphrey, Colonel Abrams, Raww”

August 16, 1986: Human League, Maze, DJ Hollywood, Michael Jonzun, Chip E

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

Daryl Pandy and Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk will be in person at a London Records “house” party night this Thursday (14) at the Limelight – where the smart thing to say to one’s companion is, “It isn’t as good as the New York club”, which indeed it isn’t, being a domed square shape instead of new York’s prettily illuminated proper church with floodlit trees showing through the windows (and as for the music, Dr And The Medics???) … Gwen Guthrie is now in a Dancin’ Danny Poku UK remix with Mark Berry’s mixes as flip … Froggy & Simon Harris’s label Music Of Life is finally rushing the original Eighties Ladies ‘Turned On To You’ with a remixed A-side, and Cooltempo is readying Timex Social Club … Cameo is out here next week commercially, UK pressings being 115¾bpm, while George Benson’s 12-inch turns out to be 88½bpm … Michael McDonald ‘Sweet Freedom’, although pressed already, amazingly isn’t out here until September 8 (in two and a half instead of four full mixes, with A and B sides swapped) … Shep Pettibone has given Five Star two much harder 0-118¼ and 118½bpm remixes, without the rocky guitar – and, Madonna fans note, he’s also been remixing ‘True Blue’ … Modern Talking’s slinkily chugging (0-)109bpm ‘Brother Louie’ (RCA PT 40876) is the Eurodisco hit returning holidaymakers are asking for, but it may be rapidly eclipsed by M.C. Miker ‘G’ & DeeJay Sven’s gimmicky 115¼bpm ‘Holiday Rap’ (Debut DEBTX 3008), which sets Dutch-accented raps and pop-hip hoppery to a perfect recreation of Madonna’s ‘Holiday’ backing track, with some amusingly adapted bursts of ‘Summer Holiday’ too … Tina Charles’ original producer Biddu has returned to a much changed disco scene here after several years with his family back home in India writing music for the movies there … (You Cannot Be) Serious Records’ ‘Upfront 2’ compilation double album is moving in for the kill with Princess, Willie Colon, Mondo Kané, Main Ingredient, Willie Collins, Nova Casper, Debby Blackwell, Fatback, Pieces Of A Dream, Cultural Vibe, Real Roxanne, Eric B, MC Boob/Steady B, and Salt-n-Pepa – talk about hot! – while their soul Crossover and hiphop Murder Beat labels (under Ian Dewhirst’s guidance) are releasing as singles Cultural Vibe, Midnight Sunrise ‘On The House’, R T & The Rockmen Unlimited, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Boob/Steady B, DJ Hollywood, and more … Morgan, look out! … Millie Scott visits Bedford Sweetings Friday (15), when Graeme Park of Nottingham’s Garage brings coach parties to support him in London at Projects in Streatham Ziggy’s … Red Nose is much funnier, but Preston’s radio station is of course Red Rose! … Billy Crystal appears to be filming at the same time as the Barry weekender, so no South Wales visit for him! … Billy Ocean topped US Black LPs, Bananarama Club Play too now, in Billboard … Little Richard’s 1957 classic ‘Lucille’ is being 12-inched on US Specialty … Ricky Nelson, killed last Christmas, appears among the backing voices on Lionel Richie’s album … Arthur Baker, ironically considering the Criminal Records name of his label, recently spent the night in jail following a misunderstanding over a traffic violation – over which all charges were subsequently dropped … Colin Hudd at Dartford Flicks synchs Pieces Of A Dream ‘Say La La’ perfectly with the new Alexander O’Neal (who, incidentally, plays Hammersmith Odeon November 20/21) … US copyright experts seem agreed that digital “sampling” of elements from other peoples’ records is as illegal as other older types of copyright theft …  SORRY, WRONG BEAT!

LES ADAMS, the ‘Mix Doctor’ who teaches other DJs how to do it, did it himself in ultra slick style along with fellow guest mixers Chad Jackson and Paul Dakeyne at London’s Limelight last week, when the Disco Mix Club launched their new commercial DMC Records label. With PAs too by the likes of Lulu, Sinitta and the Cool Notes, there was hardly a dull moment in an action-packed and intensely social night. The thinking behind DMC Records is that it should be devoted to productions by disco DJs, each release being simultaneously not one but two separately available 12 inchers (at 33⅓rpm), the second one containing additional different mixes to help DJs create their own versions if they want to. Distributed via Arista, the label has kicked off with Sanny X’s surprisingly good total revamp of TINA CHARLES ‘I Love To Love (12” Teenage Mix)’ (DMC Records DECK 121 and DECKS 121), the decade-old chart-topper still getting middle-aged groovers onto the floor but now with a completely re-produced sleek new backing track (at about 100bpm).

HOT VINYL

HUMAN LEAGUE ‘Human’ (Virgin VS 880-12)
This’ll cause problems for purists, and be a smash! Sounding just like an 101⅙-0bpm Alexander O’Neal track, it’s prod/penned in their own typical style by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, with no concessions to the Sheffield group – of three versions there is an instrumental, but go for the vocal!

MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly ‘I Wanna Be With You’ (Capitol 12CL 421)
Now much extended (with LP and instrumental versions as flip), this joyfully wriggling 113⅔bpm shuffler should leap into the charts in the current soulful climate, even if it still isn’t exactly a real crossover hit.

D.J. HOLLYWOOD ‘To Whoever It May Concern’ (US Spring SPR12-422)
Extremely jolly 101⅙bpm rap, using something like the Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’ bass line, with ultra-catchy singalong chants to such gibberish as “um tang um tang” and “yummy yum yum” (inst/edit flip), great fun! Continue reading “August 16, 1986: Human League, Maze, DJ Hollywood, Michael Jonzun, Chip E”