March 22, 1986: Alexander O’Neal, The S.O.S. Band, Art Of Noise featuring Duane Eddy, Russ Brown, Tippa Irie

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

NEW YORK’S brand new Stringfellows opened last Wednesday with a live two-way satellite TV link that joined it to the original London club both visually and musically, Tigrr spinning the sounds in the big Apple and Marie Thompson here – forget International DJ Mixing, how about Intercontinental?! … 4th + B’way are rushing Circuit’s 1984 version of ‘Release The Tension‘ for the first time on 12in here, to counteract J-A Groove’s new treatment and cash in on its Colonel Abrams connection … London had already circulated white labels of Serious Intention ‘Serious‘ (LONX 93) before last week’s import review was printed … Cherry Red’s associated labels are getting really involved with go go, Baad Records releasing not only Macattack but also the equally hard to find Osiris ‘War On the Bullshit‘ (plus a ‘Roots Of Hip Hop’ EP), and Dance the brand new Ayre Rayde ‘Sock It To Me‘ plus oldies and newies by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – drop the bomb! … Cooltempo, after the track was first circulated privately on cassette a year ago, is the label that finally picked up the exciting instrumental ‘Go Go Gadget‘ by Louie Oxley (keyboadist on Tyrone Branson’s ‘The Smurf’) … Island’s go go movie ‘Good To Go’ is now scheduled for a summer release, with a UK visit from Trouble Funk and/or EU to coincide … L.L. Cool J’s labels were wrongly printed, the slower long B-side version of ‘Rock The Bells’ being the new one, so no wonder everyone still prefers the shorter scratching A-side LP version — now it’s out here (Def Jam/CBS TA 7003) the 12in also includes the foul mouthed new exciting unaccompanied rap interplay ‘El Shabazz‘ … Arista actually added the US 0-119bpm Dub Mix to their 12in of Aretha Franklin ‘Another Night’ (ARIST 22-657) before rapidly eclipsing it with the current Les Adams megamix … 12in copies of the 10in promoed tempoless Force MD’s ‘Tender Love‘ will be flipped for the first 10,000 by the hip hop ‘Force MD’s Meet The Fat Boys‘ (owned jointly by WEA, hence the limited edition) … Theresa Davis featuring Jerry Butler is now also on US 12in, as for a while evidently has been Andrew Barrax … Sam Cooke’s rippling 128-129-0bpm ‘Wonderful World’ classic from 1960, used in the Levi’s 501 commercial, has been reissued on 7in with the 130bpm ‘Chain Gang’ (RCA PB 49871), and on 4-track 12in, all also being on a new double album ‘The Man And His Music’ (PL 87127) … William Bell when last heard was still up for grabs, a deal with Virgin having fallen through … Steve Collins has returned to Capital Radio’s Sunday 1-5am pre-dawn shift, the great thing about his record selection being that nearly all are from what Robbie Vincent calls “the little label collection”, largely unfamiliar (though new), and very soulful indeed – there’s always something worth jotting down to try and buy — however, the bad news is that Froggy seems to be alternating with him and will be back this weekend … Adrian Allen (South Shields Chelsea Cat) has so impressed ’em at Radio Tees he sits in hosting the next two Saturday’s 6pm ‘Nightlife’ soul shows … Alan James Jewell actually came back just for the 3rd International DJ Convention all the way from Hong Kong, where he’s still Bacchus’s star DJ at Hollywood East, a video jock on live TV, and starts a radio show in May on British Forces Broadcasting Service (not surprisingly maybe the colony’s hottest station!) … Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal’s ‘Saturday Love’ remix was actually by an uncredited John Morales, who’s also just remixed the Shalamar oldies ‘Take That To The Bank’, ‘There It Is’ and ‘A Night To Remember’ for a bonus 12in that’ll be twin-packed with a TV merchandised hits LP, only the latter title’s remix being due on regular commercial 12in too, slightly in advance … Disco Mix Club could soon have a rival, modelled more on the US Hot Tracks and Disconet concept … Jermaine Jackson is getting back together with his brothers in the Jacksons for their next LP, and with Michael Jackson for his too – it seems his label move away from Motown and Berry Gordy Jr’s grasp has helped heal those family recording rifts … Michael Jackson and Prince are both oddly getting to look ever more like mid-Fifties black rock ‘n’ roll superstar Little Richard, one of whose apt sayings is “make-up can’t fix up!” … America’s record labels are running scared of news reports that several independent pluggers have mafia connections, this new payola scandal causing them to stop using even innocent pluggers — meanwhile, Billboard continues incorporating easily manipulated radio playlists along with sales in its charts, the root cause of the problem (at least Whitney Houston ‘How Will I Know’ and Rene & Angela ‘Your Smile‘ have each just successively topped the US Black 45s chart while number one in sales too) … Keith Sweat as long suspected is really Keith Crier of the group GQ … Bronx dancers have a new move called “the helicopter”, one guy standing and twirling another by the waist over his head in spreadeagled rotor style … CJ Carlos still funks like a good ‘un, but he’s also discovered there’s money to be made out of both Spanish and Jewish teenage nights (he’s Portuguese himself)! … I can’t understand why the terrific Alyson Williams ‘Yes We Can Can‘, much played on radio, is so slow to go in discos … DJs, early Easter deadlines mean we need your charts by Monday morning, so break with habit and please post ’em NOW .. GET LOOSE!

52nd STREET’S ‘I Can’t Let You Go’ now has a less languid 102⅓bpm New York Remix shoving the original Extended A-side onto the 12in flip with the Jazz Version (10 Records TEN 11413), while in other vinyl revamps America’s Mildred does indeed here become MILLIE SCOTT for the 0-110⅓bpm UK re-edit of her gloriously whomping brassy ‘Prisoner Of Love‘ (4th + 4 B’way 12BRW 45) with the dub version’s intro and rap break spliced into it, and CHERRELLE has a belated clumsy (0-)100⅓bpm Remix of ‘Will You Satisfy?’ (Tabu QTA 6927) with a more interesting 100⅔bpm Dub-Dance Remix flip.

STOP PRESS

New York’s Cheese won Sunday’s International Mixing Championships, seriously scratching even when handcuffed! Closely second was Chad Jackson, and third Holland’s Orlando Voorn — who grumbled “Was this a mixing or a scratching competition?” It was state of the art, 1986 stylee.

(NOTE: There will be a full report in the following week’s column.)

HOT VINYL

ALEXANDER O’NEAL ‘What’s Missing (Remix)’ (US Tabu 4Z9 05361)
Once past a superfluous cheap intro this 111bpm Louil Silas Jr remix of his current UK hit’s hottest 12in dance side strides more strongly than before with beefier beat and rolling repetition building infectious intensity around a fresh break (inst flip). Essential!

THE S.O.S. BAND ‘The Finest’ (Tabu TA 6997)
Comfortingly familiar 109⅔bpm steadily driving Jam & Lewis roller with Alexander O’Neal’s eagerly anticipated contribution amounting to some mumbling, and a few echoing phrases (acappella interrupted instrumental, and old 67⅘bpm ‘I Don’t Want Nobody Else’ flip).

THE ART OF NOISE featuring DUANE EDDY ‘Peter Gunn’ (China WOKX 6)
Duane’s twangy guitar recreates his 1959 instrumental classic while the Noise’s typical 120bpm beat thrashes on through varied breaks to create floor-pounding power. Talk about hot! Continue reading “March 22, 1986: Alexander O’Neal, The S.O.S. Band, Art Of Noise featuring Duane Eddy, Russ Brown, Tippa Irie”

March 15, 1986: Atmosfear, Tease, Dino Terrell, Junior C. Reaction, Cut Master D.C.

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JERMAINE JACKSON follows in Whitney Houston’s footsteps as main live star attraction at this Sunday’s 3rd International DJ Convention at London’s Hippodrome — an essential meeting place for DJs even if you aren’t interested in a career on Radio One! — where Kurtis Blow, Davy DMX and AJ Scratch are also expected to look for a rap ‘n’ scratch demonstration, which is not to forget the International DJ Mixing Championships featuring from the USA DJ Cheeze and from the UK Chad Jackson, amongst other contestants … Thorn EMI’s purpose designed VJC instant cue three “deck” video mixing console will be the first prize and has attracted so much interest at the UK heats that clubs interested in buying or leasing it had better call Ted Edgerton on 021-502 5152 fairly sharpish to be sure … Les Adams has megamixed an excellent smooth 110-123bpm ‘Zoomin’ To The Freeway Mix‘ (using ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who/Another Night/Integrity/Freeway Of Love’) to be Aretha Franklin’s new 12in A-side (Arista ARIST 32657), flipped by just the ‘Another Night’ 7in tracks … Timmy Regisford’s good (0-)117¼bpm US Remix and 117bpm Dub of Colonel Abrams’ ‘I’m Not Gonna Let’ (MCA MCAX 1031) is now out here too, with his 114¾bpm Extended Version of ‘Trapped’ added to the flip … Mildred Scott seems likely to be called Millie Scott on re-edited UK release, as evidently everyone falls about laughing when they hear the name Mildred! … I don’t … London are releasing Joyce Sims … Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess’s single is nice enough but reputedly pales into insignificance alongside their upcoming LP … PRT as a record label has been abruptly scaled right down to a holding operation that’ll repackage back catalogue, their distributed labels remaining unaffected although licensed labels (relying on other in-house services) have all had to find new homes – Record Shack for instance rapidly relocated to RCA … London’s latest fast-rising dance label signs itself off as Lovebeat International, New York — Paris — Harlesden! … Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre could be the next record shop to start a label — owner Andy Phippen has certainly got some hot product in the can … Frankie Johnson Jnr — who of course was that muscular Disco Dancing winner a few years back — now has a more starkly rhythmic 110bpm remix of his soulfully sung ‘Whenever You Call Me’ (Debut DEBTXR 3003) … Paul McCartney has been asking around to establish who is the currently hottest remixer, so what’s he got planned? … Julie Roberts ‘More Than One Night‘ (Bluebird/10) might be worth reissuing, as A-side this time … Sonet have reissued their less than classic racing (0-)120⅔bpm James Brown ‘Bring It On … Bring It On‘ (SONL 2258) … Fat Larry’s Band ‘Zoom’ has belatedly been remixed on US Omni with different instrumentation, sounding kinda like ‘Theme From A Summer Place’ without the pizzicato strings, while the Winans ‘Very Real Way (Remix)’ on US Qwest is flipped by the M&M Remix of ‘Let My People Go’ … UK release of the LP ‘A House Full Of Love — Music From The Bill Cosby Show‘ (CBS 26824) makes Grover Washington Jr’s 126bpm ‘Poppin’‘ cheaper for jazz fans … Alexander O’Neal seems to have outpointed Cherrelle at their live concerts … Whistle, back in Britain next week, may be just buggin’ but they do like the ladeez – and seem to be trying to revive the ancient craze for Davy Crockett coonskin caps … DJ Cheeze amidst a busy schedule cuts ’em up at Harlow Whispers Saturday (15), and somehow is meant to Join Mix Wizzard Paul Dixon & Kenny B at Edgbaston Faces Sunday (16) … Mayfair Gullivers’ lease runs out in August, when it’ll have to close, and not earlier as was wrongly reported elsewhere to trade damaging effect — Graham Gold is now there only Mon/Wed/Thur, instead funking Peckham La Plaza (ex-Kisses) Fridays, and South Norwood Limelight with CJ Carlos Saturdays … CJ himself still funks like a good ‘un – meanwhile, onetime Horizon Radio mailman Chris Stewart is running his Porsche with help from the Mecca circuit (and why not?) … Tony Monson & Jez Nelson start cerebral soul-jazz-bop-latin-fusion Thursday (13) at Beckenham Harrietts in the Clockhouse Tavern … Jerry Green & Brother To Brother soul-funk-jazz-latin Watford Stix in St Albans Road Thursdays too … Friday (14) the Scottish Soul Society’s northern soul allniters return to Dundee Marryat Hall … ‘Harlem Shuffle’ as revived by the Rolling Stones (with Bobby Womack) is remarkably uninspired, Bob & Earl’s 1963 original remaining far more exciting … Full Force, Mantronix, Whistle, Kurtis Blow and the other “go go hip hop” hits are prompting even pop jocks to pull out their Little Benny-type go go oldies again – so maybe Island should think about scheduling their ‘Good To Go’ movie soon? … Seventh Avenue for the last several weeks have been top of the Eurobeat chart by a remarkable margin of two to one over the record below it … rm’s BPMs although still done the hard way, by hand, tally with those done independently by computer — unlike others we could mention! … GET LOOSE!

ATLANTIC STARR are making their UK stage debut at rate payers’ expense when in a final flourish the Greater London Council brings them in for a single concert at the Hammersmith Odeon next Saturday (22). Doubtless they’ll do promotional gigs too, as their slushy sweet 40/80-79¾-0bpm duet ‘Secret Lovers‘ (A&M AMY 307) has taken off like a rocket, possibly thanks to its 12in flip (labelled wrongly in reverse order) having the insistently pushing fluid 108⅔bpm ‘One Love (Dance Mix)‘ and pleasant mellow swaying 106bpm ‘When Love Calls‘ for added value.

HOT VINYL

ATMOSFEAR ‘Personal Column’ (Elite DAZZ47)
With oddly familiar clever lyrics, quavering chicks create nagging tension over a jiggly jaunty half-stepping 95bpm beat and brass on one of Britain’s most original productions in a while, flipped for the first 5,000 copies by the original old ‘Dancing In Outer Space‘ and if you think I’m about to BPM its wildly wandering beats again, you’ve another think coming!

TEASE ‘Firestarter’ (US Epic 49-05339)
Very soulful, this husky vocal group’s haunting excellent piano accented steadily wriggling 95⅓bpm swayer is flipped by the snappily jiggling 117¼bpm ‘Baby Be Mine‘, which makes a change from “(inst/edit)” – even if it ain’t so essential.

DINO TERRELL ‘You Can Do It (It’s So Easy)’ (Lovebeat International LOVT 3)
Something of a grower, this Leroy Burgess-prod/penned soulfully moaned here 106¾ 0bpm rambling tugger is phrased like a sharper gospel accented Luther V (inst/acappella flip). Continue reading “March 15, 1986: Atmosfear, Tease, Dino Terrell, Junior C. Reaction, Cut Master D.C.”

March 8, 1986: Slave, Mildred Scott, Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess, James Cobbin & Prime Cut, Ruth Dawes

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

WHITNEY HOUSTON, denied as reported a newcomer nomination due to some niggling technicality, went ahead and beat ’em all anyway to win the Grammy for best female vocal, period! … Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal ‘Saturday Love’ belatedly topped US 12in Sales, Val Young Club Play in Billboard — Val (who seems unlikely for a re-edit now) marred Michael ‘Smoothie’ Gibson from Process And The Doo Rags on Valentine’s Day … Alexander O’Neal contributes a song, ‘The Finest‘, to The SOS Band’s next album (produced of course as he is by Jam & Lewis) … The Chicago Bears’ shufflin’ and tappin’ William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry is to replace Mr T in ‘The A-Team’ … Effectron, despite earlier assumptions they were British, turn out be a genuine Washington DC go go group, their similarity to Micki Jessup being less than coincidence — he sings the lead! … North Sea pirates are due to be joined by the solid soul WSOL 801, manned by four black DJs, and the pop Stereo Hits 576 (the old Caroline wavelength on MW but in stereo), the 10 strong DJ team being primarily American … Froggy’s seemingly endless six week stay on Capital Radio thankfully did end — a nice guy, he’s just irritatingly inept as a programme presenter … New York remixer Bert Bevins is the latest to tout for work in lucrative London … The Three Degrees (with Miquel Brown filling in for pregnant Helen) have as predicted the first of several remixes already in the can, but amazingly it doesn’t copy anything! … Paul Hardcastle (whose Lenny Henry Crucial Remix is 102⅓bpm) also has a mix with male vocal by Kevin Henry, not necessarily for release … Cameo’s rock radio-aimed 47½/95bpm slowie ‘A Goodbye‘ is being bolstered on 12in twin-pack for funk fans by some vintage oldies, promoed now but due next week … Jive have reissued Sinnamon ‘I Need You Now‘ (JIVE T36), a building 113-114-114½bpm soul burbler that always was a black underground “sleeper” three years ago … Total Contrast’s LP is finally out here (London LONLP 15), as is Juicy’s (Epic EPC 26886), while the continuously mixed ‘The Very Best of “D” Train — 47 Minutes Of Nonstop Dancing‘ (German Prelude 260.07.083) could interest some … Quincy Jones, Isley Brothers (including ‘Shout’) and Isley Jasper Isley (just ‘Caravan Of Love’) are on StreetSounds’ ‘Artists 4‘, a single LP this time … Streetwave are starting another label, Brilliant … A version of ‘(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’’ in a note perfect 102-0bpm cover briefly appeared here with no artist mentioned on a supposedly French label Hip Hop Juice, the same version but credited to Tin Tin (no relation of Stephen Duffy) also being withdrawn from StreetSounds’ upcoming ‘Electro/Hip Hop 11‘ — at least this silly stunt finally forced Whistle into the shops on UK pressings (incidentally, their TV theme quote, now almost mandatory on hip hop records, is apparently from ‘Green Acres’) … Britain’s Danté, his name nicked in America, will be called Steven Danté when his Colonel Abrams-ish 113½bpm ‘Give It Up For Love‘ comes out at the end of March … EMI lost Roshelle Fleming despite already making some re-edit improvements of their own … Eastbound Expressway’s anthemic ‘You’re A Beat’ will be on Passion —which may be why Record Shack are trying desperately to sway opinion away from the term Eurobeat and back to Hi-NRG! … Seventh Avenue’s horridly jolly Baltimora-sings-Ottowan style 120⅓bpm ‘Love’s Gone Mad‘ (Record Shack SOHOT56) is finally out fully here, other current UK-released Hi-NRG hits including the rattling 132½bpm Divine-ish Lana Pellay ‘Pistol In My Pocket‘ (Sublime WMET 101) and 0-132¼bpm People Like Us ‘Midnight Lover‘ (Passion PASH 12-51), galloping 0-130¾bpm Street Angels ‘One Bite (John Morales Remix)’ (Calibre CABLS 207), 125½bpm Angel Chorus ‘Devil On My Shoulder‘ (10 Records TEN 90-12) and 135bpm Astaire ‘Fire Me Up‘ (Passion PASH 12-52), chugging dated Eurodisco 121¾bpm Eartha Kitt ‘This Is My Life‘ (Record Shack SOHOT61), clumsy crashing 118¾bpm Nicole ‘Don’t You Want My Love?‘ (Portrait TA6933), while — a Sylvester-ish 115bpm bounding throbber with Colonel Abrams touches too — L.I.F.E. ‘All Played Out‘ (US Dance-Sing DS 802) is due here soon on Lovebeat International (LOVT 4) … Grace Jones’ emptily racing (0-)143-145bpm ‘Love Is The Drug (Remix)‘ sounds unnecessary for most jocks … Pal, twin sisters Rhett & Sinden Cellier and chum Rebekha Sweet, were all former secretaries at Motown in the Martha Reeves and Rita (Syreeta) Wright tradition, so it’s a shame their debut 159bpm ‘Talk We Don’t‘ (Motown ZT40562) is so awful … Colonel Abrams’ title now it’s a single in the States is indeed called ‘I’m Not Gonna Let’, without the ‘You’ … Viola Wills although now living in Minneapolis makes a twice weekly 2,000 mile journey to Los Angeles so she can continue studying studio technology at UCLA – crazy! … Frankie Johnson Jnr moves on stage as if a descendant of descriptively nicknamed dancer Snakehips Johnson, except the latter didn’t do a strip (which was then hilariously sent up at Radio London’s Soul Night Out by Tony Blackburn) … Steve Walsh was not at The Hippodrome this Wednesday after all, but Thursday (6) finds Chris Hill kicking off the first weekly “Bognor” DJ-hosted jazz-soul night at Reading Majestic, plus Paul Major & Micky T celebrating Birmingham Pagoda Park’s award for its rocky waterfall decor … Mick James, not Jones (the name given the judges), was the Stourbridge mixing DJ in Birmingham … Midas Media are updating their DJ mailing list on 01-379 0776 … I may no longer be able to review the weekend’s latest newies but the Disco chart remains as up to date as ever and, as you may have noticed, now includes at least the accurate BPM of anything not previously covered … GET LOOSE!

CHAD JACKSON as anticipated won the Technics UK DJ Mixing Championships, with an athletic 10 minute set in which he managed to scratch behind his back, with his elbow, chin and bare foot! Scratch is all he did though, his antics (reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis’) obscuring for most judges the more musical worth of runners-up Jon Davis and John Robinson, who were visually exciting too. Jon, a black DJ from Bude in Cornwall, was the mixer whose brilliance I enjoyed and voted for most, while John, who globetrots for the Juliana’s disco chain, did an excellent Madonna medley that was just right for The Hippodrome. Interestingly the best mixers in all the preliminary heats had been from areas well away from London (Chad is from Manchester), which seems to confirm that while London jocks may be too blasé (or frightened!) to enter it’s the provincial DJs with possibly most to gain who try harder. And of the six finalists, four all used the Harleqiun Four’s ‘Set It Off’!

HOT VINYL

SLAVE ‘Thrill Me’ (Certain 12ACERT 6) is another characteristic murkily rolling 112bpm lurcher with exaggerated enunciation and chatter, flipped by a 116½bpm remix of the older ‘Jazzy Lady‘, both being on their LP ‘Unchained At Last’ (Certain LPACERT 1) with the better even more datedly typical 117¾bpm ‘I’d Like To Get You‘. Meanwhile, ex-member Mark Hicks has released as DRAC ‘I Want Your Love‘ (US Ichiban Records 12-104), a choppily chugging 113½bpm version of their type of groove with funky muttering and toy hooter blowing, rather brighter than the real thing but still really only for veteran Slave fans.

MILDRED SCOTT ‘Prisoner Of Love’ (US 4th + B’way BWAY-421)
Detroit recorded in exuberant old Jocelyn Brown style, this solidly strutting 110¼bpm happy jumper leaps along so infectiously it’s already exploding in both soul and gay clubs (two strong dubs too). A biggie!

ALEEM featuring Leroy Burgess ‘Love’s On Fire’ (US Atlantic 0-86825)
Huskily worrying Leroy tells the Fantastic Aleems when to “sing it for me, boys”, rather as Rick James did the Temptations, on a nervily jittering 116¾bpm wriggler full of soul in the fast skittery Colonel Abrams style (good vocal dub/edit flip). It’s a grower. Continue reading “March 8, 1986: Slave, Mildred Scott, Aleem featuring Leroy Burgess, James Cobbin & Prime Cut, Ruth Dawes”

March 1, 1986: Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Lonnie Hill, Alyson Williams, 52nd Street, Brilliant

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JON DAVIS, from David Henry’s in Bude, Cornwall, is another serious contender for the Technics 1986 UK Mixing Championships (the final tonight Wednesday 26 at London’s Hippodrome), having won the Bristol heat with a brilliant mix started by The Jungle Book’s ‘Bare Necessities’ synched through Full Force ‘Alice’ — during which two girls came up to ask for a dedication! … Avtar Singh and Cardiff’s Martin Rogers were runners-up at Bristol’s Papillon, so plushly decorated that even the Gents is carpeted, where Jon’s Bude buddy Tristan Bolitho and super-cool New Yorker Don Bell also deserved credit. (The latter, as Dr D & Magic Man, with Kurtis Blow, Davy DMX and AJ Scratch at Warwick University on Thursday fortnight, 13) … Durell Coleman was in crowd pleasing great voice as opening act at snowbound Wakefield’s Casanovas the night before, where Hull’s Paul Dakeyne was the convincing winner, Halifax’s Dave ‘Hutchy’ Hutchinson being the only other mixer with any idea of what it was about (er, heard about the jock who thought the Technics turntable’s vari-speed slider was the volume control?!) … ‘Trapped’ and ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who’ were latterly added to the judges’ hate list, and ‘Set It Off’ was still heard everywhere! … DJ Cheese is confirmed as competing for America at the International Mixing final on March 16 at the Disco Mix Club’s DJ Convention (he’ll be doing a short tour too), highlights of the convention and mixing to be broadcast on Robbie Vincent’s Radio One show the following Sunday (23) … Paul Hardcastle, showing off some fancy footwork on ‘Top Of The Pops’, has added lots of Lenny Henry in a remix, other remixes planned or due being Whistle and Colonel Abrams … Effectron ‘Don’t Stop That Go Go Beat’, now properly out on MDM Records (MDM 5-12), says on the label that it was recorded in Washington DC … Phil Black opens up Barry’s brand new Pebbles Night Spot this Friday (28), Mantronix play London’s Heaven Monday (3), Steve Walsh’s Soul Set returns to London’s Hippodrome Wednesday (5) … Johnny & The Roccos’ authentic Western Swing-style rockabilly 7in ‘I Hate The Disco‘ (Off Beat NS 113, via Ace), despite lyrics about “monkey music”, struck me as being so good that I checked the rock ‘n’ roll trio live last week, to find leader Bob Fish recreating all the old licks from Elvis Presley’s earliest recordings on the guitar they were first played on, Scotty Moore’s 1949 Gibson (which cost Bob only £2,000) – this may not mean much to most of you, apart maybe from jocks in Scandinavia where the group have had hits, but for me it was real goosebumps time! … Billy Ocean surely doesn’t sing “go and get stuffed”? … GET LOOSE!

HOT VINYL

EVELYN ‘CHAMPAGNE’ KING ‘High Horse (Remix)’ (RCA PT49892)
Not out here fully until March 10 but due earlier on white label and import, this friskily wriggling 118½bpm skittery jitterer (remixed by its producers Allen George and Fred McFarlane) is flipped by her classic racing 132½-133-132-133½-134-134½-135¼-134¾bpm ‘Shame’ from 1978, and the brand new speedily bubbling 122¼bpm ‘Take A Chance‘. They’re all kinda fast.

LONNIE HILL ‘Galveston Bay’ (10 Records TEN 111-12)
Extended by some controversial intro-lengthening edits, this gorgeous lush mellow 96⅔-97¼-97½bpm surging soul crooner has wide, even MoR, appeal. Popular for many months on import LP, the 96½-97-97⅓bpm untampered original is on the flip anyway, with the Tex-Mex/Sam Cooke-ish 126½-127bpm ‘My Sweet Love’.

ALYSON WILLIAMS ‘Yes We Can Can’ (US Profile PRO-7090)
Produced by Def Jam’s Russell Simmons, mixed by Shep Pettibone, this solidly smacking powerhouse jittery 102⅙bpm revival of the Lee Dorsey/Pointer Sisters’ classic should prove well nigh irresistible combining as it does catchy familiar lyrics and happy rhythms (inst flip). Stay still if you can can! Continue reading “March 1, 1986: Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Lonnie Hill, Alyson Williams, 52nd Street, Brilliant”

February 22, 1986: Russ Brown, Janet Jackson, Funk Masters, Viola Wills, Dino Terrell

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

DES MITCHELL won Newcastle Walkers’ DJ Mixing heat and could actually give Birmingham winner Chad Jackson a fright at the final — funnily enough he entered after watching Chad in Brum, where he lives himself (jocking at Kingswinford’s Christopher’s American 2 and the Powerhouse all dayers) — best runner-up being Wakefield’s Keith Peters, local hopeful Keith Pringle suffering from nerves on the night … Edinburgh Electric Circus’s heat winner was Paisley’s George Little, with Jeff Cree and John Scott as runners up … Harleqiun Four’s ‘Set It Off’ has to be the record most used by competing mixers, others the judges are getting sick of including Whistle ‘Just Buggin’’, Tears For Fears ‘Shout’, the James Brown ‘Sex Machine’ intro, and dialogue from ‘Thunderbirds’! … The Technics DJ Mixing Championships’ UK final at London’s Hippodrome next Wednesday (26) has as first. prize a Citronic Trent 2 console incorporating two SL 1200 decks, the World champion on March 16 winning the Thom EMI Video Jockey Console with a year’s supply of video disc software worth over £6,600 – a purpose designed club video system, this has been on impressive display at all the heats … Thorn EMI Business Communications will in fact lease their VJC video mixing console to clubs for about £50 a week, projection and/or monitor screen systems adding relatively little to the total (the instantly cued VHD video disc programmes are specially made for professional purposes only and in monthly updated production, not to be confused with the more limited commercial type of video discs): for further details Ted Edgerton on 021-502 5152 — and remember, this gives you continuous video sequenced track by track in any running order you want, just like mixing records! … 10 Records have picked up (and needlessly rejiggled) Lonnie Hill ‘Galveston Bay’, Lovebeat International got Dino Terrell, EMI are remixing Roshelle Fleming (and forming a new dance label), while Warner Bros are finally releasing Jocelyn Brown in a fortnight — a pity she dropped off our chart this week! … Frankie Johnson Jnr ‘Whenever You Call Me‘, white labelled before Xmas, is now on Debut (DEBTX 3003) … Frank Sinatra’s high kicking 56/112-109-107-74-96-0bpm crowd rousing party classic ‘The Theme From “New York New York”’ is now on a hit-bound 4-track 12in (Reprise K14502T) along with a quickstepping live ‘My Kind Of Town’ … John Rocca’s new 105⅓bpm Hot Mix of Evelyn Thomas ‘Cold Shoulder’ (Record Shack SOHORT 60) replaces its subtle soul drive with a more basic blatant bounce for the pop market, while Alan Coulthard’s 112⅔bpm remix of Sister Sledge ‘When The Boys Meet The Girls’ (Atlantic A9486T) is jerkily stripped down, delayed and echoed … Les Adams’ Musclemix is being added to the Grace Jones album … Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King’s remixed ‘High Horse’ 12in in three weeks will include her classic ‘Shame’ … Hardrock have remixed Projection … Froggy & Simon Harris’s total remix with new added rhythm of the Real Thing’s 10 years old ‘You To Me Are Everything’ is imminent … Hot Chocolate ‘Heartache No 9‘ (Rak 12RAK 386) has a pattering 130½bpm rhythm reminiscent of Steely Dan ‘Do It Again’ and lyrics like Wilson Pickett ‘Engine Number 9’ … The Boss ‘Dancing In The USA (Medley)‘ (WEA X8838T) although a purpose built 119…142½-134½bpm Bruce Springsteen soundalike medley merely segues the songs together about as competently as a mobile jock could do using the originals … The Cool Notes are currently recording with Philadelphia producer Bobby Eli, while Dexter Wansel’s upcoming LP will feature two numbers by the Jones Girls, who are otherwise now defunct as a group … Taka Boom shakes ass, and anything else that waggles, to crowd pleasing effect at her PAs! … London’s legendary Fatman Graham Canter is back at Soho’s refurbished Le Beat Route, as “greeter” rather than DJ, with Change playing live this Sunday (23) plus an interesting California-style “slave market” on Thursdays (the winning bidder gets to take her prize hunk for a free dinner at L’Escargot!) … ‘The Real’ Chris Hill & Eddie Gordon start Skindeep Saturdays (22) at Dagenham AJ’s in Green Lane (where, when it was the Royal Oak, Chris began jocking!) … Birmingham Hi-NRG mixer Tony de Vit opens Boos opposite Shifnal railway station on Monday (24) … Tuesday (25) Vaughan Toulouse starts the partying Poppers at London Charing Cross Road Buzby’s … Essex Radio’s Tony Monson revives soul-jazz oldies Tuesdays at Rye Park’s Rye House Tavern near Hoddesden … Flash Gordon Joins Richard Dean seriously funking Bristol’s Reeves on Thursday … BBC2 ‘Arena’’s go go documentary was very disappointing, restricted as it was to Island-pacted acts, whereas the Def Jam-signed young Junk Yard Band for instance could have really rocked the house … Effectron ‘Don’t Stop That Go Go Beat‘ should be listened to alongside 1982’s Micki Jessup ‘Take It Easy When You Get Down‘ (US Starplex), hint hint, while Kevin Ashton (Chichester Hospital Radio) suggests Billy Ocean’s hit is kinda like Queen ‘Body Language’, and Felix Prince Jr (San Diego, California) reckons Total Contrast ‘The River’ is like Starpoint ‘Restless’ … Colonel Abrams’ LP topped US Club Play, Meli’sa Morgan Black 45s in Billboard … GET LOOSE

‘Just Buggin’‘ while they wait for their exciting debut single to hit the chart here, hip hoppers WHISTLE are (left to right) 21 year old writer/rapper KD, 17 year old composer Jazz and 20 year old cutmaster Silver Spinner, all from Brooklyn … and the latter, like so many other hip hoppers from that New York borough, being of Jamaican origin.

DURELL COLEMAN, in ‘Do You Love Me‘, has one of the month’s hottest soul singles, and he’s currently over here PAing up and down the country. In Roanoke, Virginia, as a child he started out singing in the High Street Baptist Church Choir — surprise, surprise! — before eventually heading west to Los Angeles for fame and fortune, which he found on retiring as undefeated champion after 13 straight weeks of winning US TV’s ‘Star Search’ talent show. Catch him if you can.

HOT VINYL

RUSS BROWN ‘Gotta Find A Way’ (US Jump Street JS 1001)
The biggest blast since Whistle, although probably too subtle for mass acceptance, this mournfully sung monotonous nagging 112⅔bpm rambler builds mesmerically through rock guitar, plonking piano, and eventually — guess what — the ‘Set It Off’ cymbal beat, with a dynamite instrumental flip too. Jump to it!

JANET JACKSON ‘Control’ LP (US A&M SP-5106)
Michael’s kid sister is produced now by Jam & Lewis on an excellent set whose standouts are the jauntily jolting Vanity 6-ish sassy 103¾bpm ‘Nasty’, cooly attractive 0-116¼bpm ‘When I Think Of You‘, delightfully yelped 0-120½-0bpm ‘He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive‘, smoochy Jones Girls-ish 0-77¼-0bpm ‘Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)‘, which isn’t to forget the strutting 0-114⅕bpm ‘What Have You Done For Me Lately‘ (remixed on 12in), 116¾bpm ‘The Pleasure Principle‘, 0-120-120½-0bpm title track, 114bpm ‘You Can Be Mine‘, 21½/43-0bpm ‘Let’s Wait Awhile‘. Superb singing and tight production, pure class.

FUNK MASTERS ‘Love Money (Remix 86)’ (Tai Wan TWD 1950)
Originally on Master Funk in 1981 but now remade, rather than remixed, this cleanly striding compulsive sprightly 120bpm instrumental has enough catchy twiddles to be another (faster) ‘Twilight’, with a jazzier possibly even better ‘Fort Knox’ version as double-A side flip. Continue reading “February 22, 1986: Russ Brown, Janet Jackson, Funk Masters, Viola Wills, Dino Terrell”

February 15, 1986: Freddie Jackson, Meli’sa Morgan, Juicy, Durell Coleman, Total Contrast

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

CHAD JACKSON, who started out by synching ‘The James Bond Theme’ with ‘Set It Off’, is going to be a hard act to beat in the 1986 Technics DJ Mixing Championships, easily winning the Birmingham heat at Millionaires, where others worthy of mention were runners-up Tony De Vit and Mike T, plus Stourbridge’s Mick Jones (a faulty stylus foiled Chad in last year’s contest) … London’s heat at Croydon’s Easy Street saw a less high general standard of mixing although it was stylishly won by John Robinson (just back jetlagged from Dubai) in a close finish with his Julianas chum Alan Muir, Hastings-based runner-up Mark Ryder and currently gig-less Andrew Marriot also deserving credit … I’ve bad news for the winning national finalist – DJ Cheese seems likely to be representing America in the international final at the Disco Mix Club’s March 16 DJ Convention at the Hippodrome, where other star attractions will include Jermaine Jackson, Jaki Graham, Princess, LW5 and a singing Samantha Fox … Technics incidentally have a rival at last as Citronic have just launched their own competitively priced vari-speed disco decks (how about a pair for review, then?!) … CBS/Epic, flush with crossover hits by “unknown” black acts, have finally realised there’s more to their soul catalogue than Michael Jackson and have appointed Julian Palmer (recently of 4th & B’way) to the newly created post of UK A&R manager for black product, as of next Monday … Total Contrast’s import 12in of ‘The River’ will be on sale here at UK prices next week (London LONX 83), after which the actual UK pressing will substitute ‘Takes A Little Time (US Mix)’ instead of ‘Sunshine (Instrumental)’ on the flip – ah, the manipulations of creative marketing! … Aretha Franklin’s UK 12in only contains the main US Dance Mix, flipped by the dead slow ‘Kind Of Man’ … Mantronix actually comes in at 101⅚bpm and Whistle at 101⅔bpm on UK 12in: their beats remain the same! … Narada Michael Walden’s 1980 classic ‘I Shoulda Loved Ya’ has had a heavyhanded 112¾-113¼bpm revival by the old Cool Runners (Streetwave), due next week … The Walkers have had to add an opening ‘Hey’ to their upcoming 114¾bpm ‘Don’t Waste My Time‘ (Club) so it won’t clash with Paul Hardcastle’s current title! … The Three Degrees ‘This Is The House‘ (Supreme) has been promoed already in a fairly tedious 110½bpm mix three weeks ahead of release – after which who knows how many more Stock-Aitken-Waterman remixes there’ll be? – while Brilliant’s far better ‘Change Of Heart’-style 107⅚bpm ‘Love Is War‘ (WEA/Food) by that same production team is due a week earlier, by which time a Cool And Deadly Mix of O’chi Brown and John Rocca’s remix of Evelyn Thomas should also be about … LPs now out here include Yarbrough & Peoples’ ‘Guilty’ (Total Experience FL8S715) and Nicole ‘What About Me?’ (Portrait PRT 26844) … Sunday is a good night to be driving away from London with only a radio for company, Steve Walsh’s black music programme on Radio London stretching on FM as far as Watford Gap where if your tuning is right you then switch to Robbie Vincent’s soul show (note the distinction) on national Radio One – Steve’s interesting guests two Sundays ago were his MIDEM mates the mixers John Morales and Timmy Regisford, rapper (and Beauty and The Beat label owner) Duke Bootee and Reality Records owner David Lucchesi … London’s “independent soul stations” seem more off than on these days, latest name on the airwaves being Fame 94.4FM … Birmingham’s PCRL (People’s Community Radio Line) 103.7FM souls around the clock … Radio London’s Soul Night Out returns at Hammersmith Palais Thursday (13), visiting Windsor Blazers next week, the new season running until July … Ian Stewart this Thursday (13) launches a weekly soul night at Charlies in Wickford’s Dickens pub, with special guest “The Real” Chris Hill — as opposed to the impersonator who’s currently fooling club managers in Birmingham! … Kenny B, Paul ‘Mix Wizard’ Dixon and Frenchie solidly funk Edgbaston Faces every sweaty Sunday … Gordon Mac starts weekly funk at Luton’s Tropicana Beach next Tuesday (18) with Steve Walsh, Rapattack, George Power, CJ Carlos and dance troupes as regular guests … Peckham Kisses becomes the over-21s La Plaza next weekend … Dartford Flicks’ massive lighting rig is finally elevating up and down again … James Brown topped US 12in Sales, Jennifer Holliday Club Play in Billboard … ‘Gilligan’s Island’ was an old US TV series whose theme tune, like ‘Inspector Gadget’ and others, is now cropping up in many hip hop records such as 12:41 … The Bombers ‘Let’s Dance‘ (US West End LP) is becoming a revived big boom tune in London’s darker dives … Ian Levine suggests anyone seeking a good New York City source for deleted Hi-NRG material should contact Charlie Groppone at Vinyl Mania s 52 Carmine Street branch in Greenwich Village … Junior went along on the Red Wedge tour not to boost Labour but to get black kids interested in politics generally, but he only saw one black face in the audience at both Newcastle and Birmingham, and two girls down front at Cardiff! … Phyllis Hyman actually sang at a Duke Ellington tribute concert here, so May’s New York jazz Explosion will hardly be her first UK visit ever, regardless of what The Gutter Press says, but no matter … GET LOOSE!

FREDDIE JACKSON has become America’s hottest new soul heart-throb thanks to the huge success of his debut solo album, and especially to his wondrous now reissued single smash ‘Rock Me Tonight (For Old Time’s Sake)’ (Capitol 12CL 358). This romantic smoochy 71¾bpm knee-trembling return to ‘Sexual Healing’ territory (on 12in in three mixes) benefits now from only an included new poster so there’s little incentive for has established UK following to re-buy it, but with lots of TV lined up here there’s every chance it’ll finally get through to the country at large. And about time too!

HOT VINYL

MELI’SA MORGAN ‘Do Me Baby’ LP (US Capitol ST-12434)
From the same Paul Laurence-produced stable as — and indeed featuring support from — Freddie Jackson (although in this case largely collaborating with jazzy keyboardist Lesette Wilson), sweetly walling Miss Morgan’s debut set has the outstanding soulfully grinding smooth 100¼bpm ‘Fool’s Paradise’, and jittery 115¼bpm ‘Lies‘, juddery 111½bpm ‘Getting To Know You Better‘, skittery 0-123½bpm ‘I’ll Give It When I Want It‘, while joining her sultry 62⅔bpm title track hit as other smoochers are the 93¼bpm ‘Heart Breaking Decision’, 42⅔bpm ‘Do You Still Love Me’, 37½bpm ‘Now Or Never’. Not bad.

JUICY ‘Sugar Free’ (Epic TA 6917)
CBS continue putting all their eggs in one basket, or hot tracks on one 12in, this ‘Juicy Fruit’-ish sinuous (0-)92bpm groin-grinder’s two Deodato remixes and the previously released catchy 105bpm ‘Bad Boy‘ here being joined by the brother/sister duo’s next-best album cut, the sweetly jolting ‘Forever And Ever‘. Good value, huh?

DURELL COLEMAN ‘Do You Love Me’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 42)
A bit of a grower, although oddly it attracted little attention on import, this soulful wriggly (almost go go-hip hop compatible?) 97⅓bpm roller is by a strong voiced O’Neal-type guy who, like Motown’s Sam Harris before him, won US TV’s ‘Star Search’ talent contest. The flip’s edit is joined by the 116bpm ‘Take Me Back To My Love In China‘. Continue reading “February 15, 1986: Freddie Jackson, Meli’sa Morgan, Juicy, Durell Coleman, Total Contrast”

February 8, 1986: Aretha Franklin, Alexander O’Neal, Whistle, Mantronix, Stimulus featuring Milton Smith

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

GEORGIE FAME has been booked for a bluesy bar-room session at Live Wire’s April 11-13 Bognor Regis Trading Places Soul Weekender — yeh yeh! — where the star live attraction will be Kleeer, doing three concerts … Hammersmith Odeon’s next New York Jazz Explosion on May 3/4 features Oui centrefold Phyllis Hyman, pianist Ramsey Lewis, fiddler Noel Pointer, and once again trumpeter Tom Browne … B Boys really did jam Old Bond Street when CBS refused to admit a crowd of “real people” specially invited by Rick Rubin to the UK launch party of his Def Jam label at The Embassy, where instead such crucial hip hoppers as Boy George, Lemmy of Motorhead, and Janet Street-Porter were admitted to watch rapper LL Cool J (the conversation level rose again after his first number) and the pathetic foul mouthings of the Beastie Boys (like little kids saying “piss, bum, willy”) — the food was good, though! … Five Star turned down Walt Disney’s offer of a US TV cartoon series based on the family group — is their father/manager mad? … Regina, who pronounces her name “Regeena” even though the correct Latin is “Regyna”, has a more soulful 114¾bpm remix with extra David Sanborn sax due on heart shaped picture disc (promoed on regular 12in) … Billy Ocean’s UK 12in does indeed now include the Club Mix, making it the same four-track format as the import — so why wasn’t it from the start? … Juicy ‘Sugar Free‘ is being rushed out here … Grover Washington Jr’s fast stuttery circa 126bpm instrumental ‘Poppin’‘, almost electro in character if not sound, seems the main attraction on ‘A House Full Of Love: Music From The Bill Cosby Show’ (US Columbia LP) … Isabel Roberts’ smoothly bubbling 115½bpm ‘Rhythm Of Your Love‘ (Hot Vinyl) is creating interest on promo ahead of release in 10 days … Streetwave, with piles of unsold stock from 1984, are reissuing the 122⅓bpm rapping Divine Sounds ‘What People Do For Money‘ (MKHAN 11), while Viola Wills’ UK 12in now will include ‘Both Sides Now’ as a third track … DDR Records are compiling a DJ mailing list on 0782-331925 … Manchester Mix Studio (061-740 5419), purpose built by and for DJs, offers services like mixing tuition, customised jingles and full practice/dubbing facilities — the studio’s Dave Fawkner sent me some of his own inventive mixes, one unbelievably melding together ‘Mouldy Old Dough’/’They’re Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha’/’Oops Up Side Your Head’/ ‘Michael Row The Boat Ashore’, all at the same time! … DevonAir Radio’s blues presenter Dave Treharne hosts his monthly Hot Dance Night with upfront soul, oldies, all kinds of blues and the Big Town Playboys live at Willand’s Verbeer Manor this Friday (7), which might be something different for Devonians … Manchester’s first allniter of ’86 on Saturday — or rather Sunday (9) as it starts at 1am, confusingly in a club called Thursdays! — stars Chad Jackson, Pete Haig, Andrew Holmes, John Mortimer and London’s waggish Julian Palmer … Terry Davis is playing traditional and deep soul, ancient and modern, on Wednesdays at Bermondsey’s free admission Bugles in Grange Road — a similar set-up to Bob Jones and Ed Stokes’ longer established Mondays at London Bridge’s Royal Oak in Tooley Street … Essex jock Mad Marx, revealed as demon go-go-jazz-rap percussionist ‘Snowboy’ on his own recent single, is retiring temporarily from DJ work to play percussion for Polydor-pacted Chris Sutton … Deptford club Cheeks is now called Champs, having dropped its short-lived gay policy in favour of upfront funk, with Wild Magnum Geoff Watts back as main weekend jock … Bristol’s Nigel Halkes, a keen correspondent to these pages since he was 14, now studying in London and jocking, as ‘Nik’, at Deptford Winston (Tuesdays), has landed a regular spot on the pop panel in Peter Powell’s Sunday morning Radio One show … Prince returns to soul on his upcoming ‘Parade’ album, much of which, however, continues the Lennonesque flavour of his last one … The Mohawks’ 1968 underground club classic ‘The Champ‘ (Pama) later became an equal monster in New York as a break beat from about 1976, and had Tommy Boy managed to locate the rights (in fact Sparta-Florida publish it), it could have replaced the embargoed Herman Kelly ‘Dance To The Drummer’s Beat‘ for a commercial release of Double D & Steinski’s ‘Lesson Three — The History Of Hip Hop‘ megamix — is it too late now? … GET LOOSE!

Russell Simmons, his manager, claims LL Cool J’s ‘Radio’ LP (now out here, CBS/Def Jam 26745) in the USA is out-selling Barbra Streisand, who happens to have the top Pop LP in Billboard – where Sade topped Black LPs, Grace Jones ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ Club Play.

HOT VINYL

ARETHA FRANKLIN ‘Another Night (Dance Mix)’ (US Arista AD-I-9454)
Sounding much like Tina Turner doing ‘Jump To It’, Lady Soul’s soaring and surging 119¼-119⅓-0bpm chugger has been remixed by Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero so that amongst their other chattering rhythm implants her opening “you will remember my name” gets the ’19’ stutter treatment. A four-tracker with Dub/Radio Mix/Edit in America, the UK pressing next week (Arista ARIST 12657) may well be different.

ALEXANDER O’NEAL ‘What’s Missing’ (Tabu QTA 6391)
What a surprise! In a completely unannounced move, his much demanded calmly striding 111¼bpm soulfully pent-up massive album track — a logical follow-up stylistically to ‘Saturday Love’ — has been thrown away instead as an added B-side attraction on the reissued ‘If You Were Here Tonight‘. This latter, always an unrealised potential smash in its own right, is a tranquil 81¼bpm smoocher with interesting Indian tablas in its fadeout, and an alternative more delicate Soft Version mix. At least the 12 inch makes good value, but what a waste!

WHISTLE ‘(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’’ (Champion CHAMP 12-12)
Rushed out on white label to counteract Mantronix, this terrifically exciting extremely similar but much more widely appealing gimmicky 0-102-0bpm go go hip hop rap ‘n’ scratch, produced by UTFO’s Kangol Kid and Howie Tee, brilliantly makes a musical melody out of the word “bug” cut up by emulator (inst/edit flip). The next Full Force! Continue reading “February 8, 1986: Aretha Franklin, Alexander O’Neal, Whistle, Mantronix, Stimulus featuring Milton Smith”

February 1, 1986: Jellybean, Tavares, Billy Ocean, William Bell, Smokey Robinson

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MADONNA soundalike (and old running mate) Regina’s name, she admits on the sleeve of her ‘Baby Love‘, is derived from the Latin word for queen which also symbolises the Virgin Mary — or the Madonna! … 10 Records beat off Chrysalis and Island to win Mantronix ‘Ladies‘, hopefully not too late as although still hot it’s fast being overtaken by the more exciting similar (same BPM and rhythm) double def Whistle ‘Just Buggin’‘, which Champion are already rushing out here! … Streetwave snapped up Viola Wills ‘Dare To Dream‘ flipped here by a remix instead of ‘Both Sides Now‘ … Ian Levine encapsulated Hi-NRG with Evelyn Thomas’s ‘High Energy’ and seems set to do the same for Eurobeat with Eastbound Expressway’s upcoming ‘You’re A Beat‘ – clever, nest ce pas? … Afrika Bambaataa is reviving MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams‘ in blatant rock style but refuses to repeat its notorious ‘mother’ line, although he does add the shout, “This ain’t no go go this is rock ‘n roll”, in what can best be described as a Gary Glitter break — Bam’s also answered George Clinton’s ‘Atomic Dog’ with ‘Bionic Kats‘, and really lets rip on the infectious go go ‘Funk Jam Party‘ (all from his upcoming album) … Soulsonic Force meanwhile have teamed with Trouble Funk for the somewhat simplistic ‘Go Go Pop‘ … Daryl Hall is cutting a solo album in London, with drums programmed by Steve Harvey — who’s also busy producing his own material when not hanging about in studios waiting for Total Contrast! … M&M have more percussively (and slowly) remixed the now doom-laden 111½-111⅔-111¼-111½bpm The Winans ‘Let My People Go‘ (Qwest W8874TX, still with the Raw Instrumental flip), and the now less vocal 124½bpm Ready For The World ‘Oh Sheila‘ (MCA Records MCAX 1005) … The Isley Brothers ‘Colder Are My Nights‘ has been speeded up on a promo to 102bpm (short)/101¼bpm (long)/102⅙bpm (inst), other current promos including Shirley Murdock’s ‘Billie Jean’-ish semi-whispered 121bpm ‘Truth Or Dare‘ (Elektra), Funk Masters’ 120bpm re-make of ‘Love Money‘ with a jazzier ‘Fort Knox‘ version flip (Tai Wan) … Sheila E ‘A Love Bizarre’, as warned, is indeed now also the B-side of an unnecessary new 130-128⅔-113½bpm ‘medley’ of ‘The Glamorous Life/Sister Fate/A Love Bizarre’ (Warner Bros W8890TX) … DJs seem predictably to be using only the first slower half of the Grace Jones Musclemix … Les Adams himself made sure I heard his January Disco Mix Club funk megamix, his most brilliant yet incorporating perfectly timed dialogue from gangster movies — while Paris DJ Dimitri Yerasimos sent me some excellent mixes in the hope of getting a London gig, so any offers? … The 1986 Technics DJ Mixing Championships hold their regional heats at Birmingham Millionaire Tues (4), Croydon Easy Street Thur (6), Newcastle Walkers Tues (11), Edinburgh Electric Circus Thur (13), Wakefield Casanovas Wed (19), Bristol Papillon Thur (20) – I hope to be a judge at all but Edinburgh — DJs possibly still being able to enter if they call 06286-67276 TODAY! … Bootleggers nightclub owner and generous friend of the many stars who frequent it, Mark Raymond was killed last week when he rolled his Rolls Royce on the Hendon Way – London’s nightlifers will miss him … Dionne & Friends topped US Black 45s, Jocelyn Brown both 12 inch Sales and Club Play in Billboard … Melba Moore’s own sitcom ‘Melba’ is on US TV Tuesday nights … Essex Radio’s Easter soul cruise to Holland is so over-subscribed that extra spaces have had to be found, the superior boat having a three-tier purpose-built disco showcase complete with stage … Nicky Holloway’s soul week in Ibiza is set for May 17-24, with apartment accommodation and DJs Chris Brown, Martin Collins, Trevor Fung, Paul Clark, Gilles Peterson, Johnnie Walker, Chris Bangs and Nicky himself spread across at least five venues (£135, booking details on 01-853 1953) … Wolverhampton’s redecorated Eve’s opens again with Steve Dennis on Tuesday (4) … Orin Cozier is the newly created dance music development manager at RCA … Marie Birch is starting a Sound Promotions club mailing list at Spartan Records, London Road, Wembley HA9 7HQ … Tululah Moon’s label Beauty and The Beat belongs to ‘The Message’ writer Ed Fletcher … Nina Simone’s new US VPI Records LP includes the frisky ‘Jazz Freak’-like ‘Touching And Caring‘ … Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have started to be adopted by hit-hungry white popsters, producing Human League’s next LP – can Mick Jagger be far behind in the queue?! … Phil Spector’s classic lead singer Darlene Love is recording again for CBS … Paul Hardcastle’s current 12in on white label has stamped between the run-out grooves the message “Morgan who?” … GET LOOSE!

STEVE WALSH unveiled his Soul Set (very Sixties, that name) at London’s packed Hippodrome last week. This amounted to a dozen PAs by the likes of Masquerade featuring Morgan Khan, Sophia George, Aswad, Precious Wilson, Ladies Choice and of course the Cool Notes, all of whom one would have seen at Tony Jenkins’ similar Private Funktion nights when they used to be there, but this time held together by big Stevie baby from a mobile disco rig positioned stage centre. This may have been to spare us the sight of his backside, as the venue’s own console faces away from the audience! A celebration of the familiar (yes, he played Dennis Edwards, Fatback and Cheryl Lynn), the night was not for those hoping to hear upfront newies — although Manchester megamixer Chad Jackson later took over for a more serious selection — everyone encountered, however, confessing they’d enjoyed it. Another is set for March 5. Anything more regular could seriously undermine Radio London’s Soul Night Out.

HOT VINYL

JELLYBEAN ‘Sidewalk Talk’ (EMI America 12EA 210)
Catherine Buchanan sings lead, but the fact that this 115⅓bpm jittery pop disco leaper features Madonna on backups and composer credits seems to be attracting rather more attention! Funksters anyway will flip for the barking introed tense jiggly 0-98⅓bpm ‘Was Dog A Doughnut’ instrumental, originally by Cat Stevens and like a Wally Badarou-ish slowed down ‘Axel F’, burning up select floors since last summer.

TAVARES ‘Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel’ (Capitol 12TAV 1)
Ben Liebrand’s long awaited Dutch remixes add skittery surface rhythm to this 117-115¼-114bpm nominal A-side and the even zingier (0-)128-127½bpm ‘Don’t Take Away The Music‘, both aimed at pop play, although of the 12 inch single’s three revived ex-hits the one that meant least to soul jocks in 1977 is now hottest as it’s surprisingly similar to the Wally Badarou beat the 97-96-97bpm ‘Whodunit’.

BILLY OCEAN ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going’ (Jive JIVE T 114)
Here we get this tautly striding infectious crossover smash (0-)121¾bpm Change ‘Searching’-ish roller in only three mixes, the better value ‘banned’ four-track import’s Club Mix presumably being left off for creative marketing later. If Warner Bros can give us all four mixes on Rochelle’s UK 12 inch, why can’t Jive? Continue reading “February 1, 1986: Jellybean, Tavares, Billy Ocean, William Bell, Smokey Robinson”

January 25, 1986: Whistle, Juicy, Colonel Abrams, Betty Wright, Sheila E

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

ANOTHER VISIT for concerts in about six weeks will find Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal both doing solo sets and then combining for their hit duet: meanwhile ‘What’s Missing‘ must wait, as instead of that much demanded album track the new O’Neal single on Feb 10 will be a reissue of ‘If You Were Here Tonight‘ (the across-the-board smooch appeal of which was always obvious to everyone except the CBS sales team!) … Cherrelle’s US remix is now out here as well (Tabu QTA 6829), excluding the original UK 12in hit version even though its ‘I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On’ flip is on both, while other remixes include Nicole (Portrait QTA 6805) with an intelligently extended centre featuring sax and electronic “scat”, 52nd Street (10 Records TEND 8912) with a twin-packed bonus disc of the much slicker more punchily percussive 111⅓bpm ‘Reprieved Version‘ and excellent Dub remixed Stateside by Timmy Regisford, and reputedly the 98⅔bpm Precious Wilson ‘I’ll Be Your Friend’ (Jive JIVE T 105) … Princess in yet another (yawn) ‘After The Love Has Go-Go Gone‘ 98⅔bpm remix (Supreme SUPE TG103) has a dreadful unconvincing male rap and better 98½bpm instrumental Dub flip … Masquerade featuring Dina Carroll (their previously uncredited lead female) are about to have the original versions of ‘Set It Off’ and ‘One Nation’ back-to-back on 12in (Streetwave MKHAT 59), while Ladies Choice ‘Funky Sensation’ is now fully released on Sure Delight (SDT001, via Jet Star/EMI) … Thames Valley DJ Association’s expanded 2nd Disco Exhibition is at Sunbury on Thames’ Kempton Park racecourse this Sunday afternoon, followed in the evening at Windsor’s Blazers by the Shownite 86 awards dinner for which previously announced advance tickets are, I believe, necessary … Showstopper Promotions’ April 18-20 Caister Soul Weekend has snapped up headlining Martin Collins, backed up by a club-orientated DJ team of Graham Gold, Chris Bangs, Mark Webster, Jonathon More, Paul Clark, Kev Ashman, Tony Fernandez, Mervyn Anthony, Bob Masters, Joe Field & Paul Morrisey (details 01-886 8141) … Essex Radio host a Soul Cruise to Holland on Easter Sunday/Monday from Harwich (for £19.99) with the station’s Dave Gregory, John Leech, Tony Monson plus live and miming stars – their latest Soul Night Special is this Friday (24) at Westcliff s 1600 capacity Cliffs Pavilion … Radio London’s “Giant Haystacks”, Steve Walsh steps into previous private funktions’ shoes with his own night of star PAs at London’s Hippodrome this Wednesday (22) … Froggy is currently sitting in on Capital Radio for Steve Collins’s Sunday 1-5am soul slot – please don’t shout! … Def Jam’s invitation only UK launch party will be at The Embassy on Wednesday 29 – will hip hoppers Jam Old Bond Street? … US LPs by The Stylistics and William Bell show both returning in fine style, for review next week … GET LOOSE!

LUTHER VANDROSS has three broken ribs and facial lacerations following a car crash in which he lost control on a winding hill in Los Angeles. More seriously, his passenger Larry Salavimini was killed. Larry is the brother of Jimmy Salavimini, the ‘Junior Search For A Star’ TV talent show winner who Luther has been producing. Under Californian law the driver of a car in collision with oncoming traffic can evidently be charged with manslaughter when a death results, and at first it was believed that Luther had thus been charged, but now it seems no other vehicle was involved. Initial rumours of a drugs connection were rapidly denied, with no further explanation being given for the accident. Teddy Pendergrass, now Luther Vandross … Freddie Jackson had better start wearing a seat belt!

HOT VINYL

WHISTLE ‘(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’’ (US Select Records FMS 62267)
Brilliantly cutting the word “bug” so it becomes a continuous musical melody in itself, this Kangol Kid and Howie Tee-produced tightly knit 0-102-0bpm jiggly rap ‘n’ scratch really is the business and very exciting (percussive go go-ish ‘Buggin’ Much Hard‘ instrumental flip). New wave hip hop, for sure!

JUICY ‘Sugar Free’ (US Private I Records 4Z9 05337)
Playing on the resonance of their group name, Katreese and brother Jerry Barnes borrowed the slinky ‘Juicy Fruit’ style for their Eumir Deodato-produced album’s hottest cut, and now the sinuous (0-)92bpm groin grinder seems set to sizzle in two new Deo/Super Dance and Deo/Radio remixes (Deo as in Dato?). Their older catchy deliberate 105bpm ‘Bad Boy’ is included too.

COLONEL ABRAMS ‘I’m Not Gonna Let You’ (MCA Records MCAT 1031)
Teasingly introed, the newly extended 117bpm joyously bounding nervy skitterer is his album’s hottest dancer and rapidly replaces ‘The Truth’ as the true follow-up to ‘Trapped’ (Dub and percussive Percapella Mix flip). As he sings “l’m not gonna let, let you” throughout, I still favour his LP sleeve’s version of the title, minus the ‘You’ that the LP label and now this single maybe more grammatically add. Continue reading “January 25, 1986: Whistle, Juicy, Colonel Abrams, Betty Wright, Sheila E”

January 18, 1986: L.L. Cool J, Val Young, Quest For Life, Doug E. Fresh, Aleem

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

There’s no need for speculation about the name of America’s Danté, who turns out to be Dennis Sanders, Phoenix-bred gospel singer who split for Oakland when 17, branching out into singing backup sessions before moving to Philadelphia and a solo debut on ‘Freak In Me‘ … Fantasia Records lack the distribution needed and are keen to licence their excellent Frankie Johnson Jnr ‘Whenever You Call Me‘ – you call Ian Anthony Stephens on 01-235 7726 for a deal … Tom Silverman has copied Def Jam’s move to a major, and signed a half share of his Tommy Boy hip hop label to Warner Bros in the States: meanwhile, Def Jam’s launch here through CBS will include an invitation-only proper party (free booze even!) later in the month … Change’s megamix on WEA promo turns out to be not by Les Adams, as informed, but by Alan Coulthard (who had a merry pub crawl with Cardiff homebody Damon Cheesedip over Christmas!) … Kurtis Blow slipped out here to some shops by mistake ahead of schedule, which gave him an unfortunately ill co-ordinated low chart entry … WEA are now reissuing the Jellybean-mixed lethargic (0-)119bpm Madonna ‘Borderline (US Remix)‘ (Sire W9260T) … Regina ‘Baby Love‘ is now due here on the new Funkin’ Marvellous Records (12MARV01, via PRT) … The Gap Band ‘Gap Band VII’ LP (Total Experience FL85714) is also due here … PRT picked up the Doug E. Fresh answering Symbolic Three ‘No Show‘, and Chrysalis got Betty Wright … Freddie Jackson’s ‘Rock Me Tonight‘ US soul smash of 1985 is being re-released here and could actually cross over this time, with four TV appearances booked already … Royalle Delite despite another UK visit (by all the girls this time) have had their slow ‘Spend A Little Time With Me‘ postponed for a few weeks, if not for a rethink! … Billboard’s US chart toppers since last mentioned in December have included atop Club Play: Phyllis Nelson ‘I Like You‘ (also top 12in Sales throughout), Total Contrast ‘Takes A Little Time‘, Alisha ‘Baby Talk’, Stevie Wonder ‘Go Home (Remix)’, and atop Black Singles: Eugene Wilde ‘Don’t Say No Tonight‘, Lionel Richie ‘Say You, Say Me’ … Jack To Jack are a Birmingham trio along DSM lines about whom a whisper is circulating … rm’s new printing schedules mean, although the Disco chart remains unaffected and bang up to date, the rest of my column has to be finished by an early Friday deadline — record companies and scandal mongers please note! … GET LOOSE!

HOT VINYL

L.L. COOL J ‘I Can’t Live Without My Radio’ (Def Jam recordings/CBS TX 6684)
This very stark basic juddering 89⅓bpm rap is strictly for headspinners (unlike ‘The Show’, say), flipped by the more interestingly gentle 0-95bpm ‘I Can Give You More‘ plus its instrumental, which feature isolated piano plonks amidst the beat box thuds. The kid is certainly a master at his art, rapping alone to minimal hip hop backing, and if you were concentrating before Christmas you’d have seen my BPM listing for his complete ‘Radio’ LP (US Def Jam/Columbia BFC 40239), the excitingly scratched 98½bpm ‘Rock The Bells‘ being currently hottest cut.

VAL YOUNG ‘If You Should Ever Be Lonely’ (US Gordy 4557GG)
Starting (after a quiet click track for mixers) with a startling acappella-style intro that’s immediately striking, the superior Street Mix becomes an offbeat throbbing and clonking 118bpm canterer with pealing vocal lines and a ringing ‘phone bell, while the instrumentally started less surprising Club Mix is however more of a song (with an edit too). M&M mixed of course, but it was Levi Ruffin Jr and Fred Jenkins who produced, rather than Rick James. Truly, hot to trot!

QUEST FOR LIFE ‘Baby Don’t Stop Me’ (US SeaBright PAL-7094)
This Leon Ware co-penned chaps supported overwrought chick-led deliberately tempoed dense 102⅚ jitterer builds and builds unresolved tension in somewhat Lamont Dozier ‘Roots’ style, and has been exciting much interest since Christmas strictly in soul circles. A real napper that gets under the skin, it’s too specialist to cross over, but for those in the know it has an even longer dub (edit and acappella too). Continue reading “January 18, 1986: L.L. Cool J, Val Young, Quest For Life, Doug E. Fresh, Aleem”