James Hamilton's Disco Page

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JAMES BROWN and George Clinton’s collaboration, predating the Afrika Bambaataa duet, is rumoured finally to be due (possibly also on Tommy Boy) … Britain’s most compulsively exciting radio DJ, Peter Young is going out with a bang on Capital 95.8FM, sitting in 6-8pm weeknights with a sizzling Pete’s Party prior to leaving for Redhill/Reigate/Crawley’s new ILR Radio Mercury, on air in about a month … Capital afternoon star Roger Scott didn’t bother catching the Jacksons after all as Bruce Springsteen did an extra show on the night he was meant to have off — and Roger’s flying back to the States this weekend just to see him again! (Arthur Baker has remixed Brucie’s ‘Cover Me’ with a new dubwise bassline) … Evelyn Thomas ‘High Energy’ is holding at 2 in the US Dance/Disco chart, but the big Brit success is Billy Ocean whose ‘Caribbean Queen‘ single and new album are storming up all the charts, Black, Pop & Dance! … Ray Parker Jr topped Black 45s (‘Ghostbusters’ on 12in is 113⅓bpm, 7in 114½bpm), while 6 out of Billboard’s Top 10 US pop LPs last week were by black acts, Prince, Tina Turner, Ray Parker Jr (plus others), Jacksons, Lionel Richie, Pointer Sisters, — something of a landmark … New York’s previously urban contemporary radio WKTU is going “Top 40” in format, though KISS-fm (according to visitors Julian Palmer & Adrian Sykes of Island) still keeps the hip hop faith with Chuck Chill-Out, Jazzy Jay, Whiz Kid, Red Alert and Davy DMX all doing regular marathon live on-air mixing sessions … Cosmic sunny Chicago caught Maze in concert, supported by the O’Jays … Jon Williams, jocking nightly at Corfu’s La Plaza in Ipsos, reports the biggest holiday hit is Baobab ‘Let’s Break‘ (German Polydor), while Graham Hunter (Basingstoke’s Firefly Roadshow) says the Benidorm biggies were RAF ‘Self Control‘, Fox To Fox ‘Precious Little Diamond‘, Roberto Jacketti & The Scooters ‘I Save The Day‘, K-Ram ‘Menage A Trois‘ … BADEM, now rechristened PLASA, the Professional Lighting And Sound Association have their annual Light And Sound Show at London’s Bloomsbury Crest Hotel Sept 16-19, but it’s strictly “trade only” … Tricky Dicky Scanes’ record shop Record Cellar at Newport Court (next to London’s Leicester Square tube station) has bought up the old Bond Street Embassy Club’s record collection, full of collector’s items in mint condition as the DJs had kept two copies of everything, for sale in rolling stages from just 99p with the real rarities on offer from Thursday 13th — rush rush! … Bruce Lundvall plans a January revival of his celebrated jazz label Blue Note, combining new releases with vintage material … Terri Wells’ excitingly soulful newie, rapidly being re-evaluated by London for UK release after all, sounds fantastic out of radio speakers and to my mind far preferable to her past overly formularised hits … The Staple Singers ‘Slippery People‘ I didn’t realise is a Talking Heads song! … Jean Knight’s ‘71 classic ‘Mr Big Stuff‘ is getting big in London again, but will Terry Davis & Ian Clark play it at their latest vintage soul Function At The Junction this Friday (31) in the Wessex Suite opposite Clapham Junction railway station? … Joe Field joins Chris Brown at Benson-on-Thames Rivers Fri (31), and steps into Martin Collins’ shoes with Brother Louie co-hosting the Radio Chiltern 97.6FM Sunday 3-6pm soul show for the next two weeks (and at Luton Pink Elephant’s Dumbos the next two Saturdays) … Chris Dinnis souls Exeter Boxes Sat (1) … Hazell Dean plays Brighton Bolts Sun (2) … Toddy starts hip hopping Forest Gate’s Uppercut Club Tuesdays (4), his Wednesdays at Chadwell Heath High Road’s Regency Suite also turning hip hop now … Steve Walsh comperes Kleeer’s Hammersmith Odeon gig next Thursday (6), when Arrow play Rayleigh Pink Toothbrush … Andy Richards, jocking Sat/Sun/Mon at the brand new Chaplins gay club opposite Streatham station, infos that a remix of Dan Hartman ‘Relight My Fire‘ was on a recent Hot Tracks “Classics” re-issue … Jimmy Ruffin’s new ‘Young Heart‘ will be flipped by a remix of his 1980 ‘Hold On To My Love‘, never on 12in at the time … Percy Mayfield died aged 63 of a heart attack on Aug 11 — best known for his ‘Please Send Me Someone To Love‘ and ‘River’s Invitation‘, the veteran “soft blues”-er also wrote ‘Hit The Road Jack’ for Ray Charles … Richard Jon Smith & Katie Kissoon came within an inch of being wiped out while touring North Wales clubs when a massive truck roared down a narrow country road and took off their wing mirror … Theo Loyla as a plugger, representing the careers of the artists he plugs, ought to be appalled at DJs using the sluggish Nightclub chart as a shopping list, only buying the records in it long after they actually need promoting to sell in the main Top 75 (which should surely be pop jocks’ main influence?) — my comment “Well, at least it isn’t predictable” didn’t mean I was “pleased” with the chart, merely amazed that the week after it dropped nationally Shakatak went to number one!… BE CAREFUL.

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HOT VINYL

SISTER SLEDGE: ‘Lost In Music’ (Atlantic B9718T)
Remixed by Nile Rodgers with for some obscure but ultimately commercial reason Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon & Andy Taylor on intrusively overdubbed chants, the familiar 115-116bpm jiggly thrusting trotter was 1979’s A-side to ‘Thinking Of You’, though now is nowhere near as soulful . . . which won’t hurt its pop chances. The sensible new flip is their recent George Duke-produced gentle chime-introed attractive 54½-109bpm ‘Smile‘.

LEVEL 42: ‘Hot Water’ (Polydor POSPX 697)
Never before so exciting, this thumbs thundered and brass blazed noisily over-the-top exhilarating leaping 112-109-110-112-110-111(halfway break)-112-113bpm lurcher (they still can’t keep tempo!) has almost punkish vocals jumping out of the remorselessly stabbing jitter ‘n jiggle. Phew!

STEPHANIE MILLS: ‘The Medicine Song’ (Club JABX 8)
Rufus’s hot hit writing David ‘Hawk’ Wolinski expands his ‘Plane Love’ approach with a slippery rumbling and wriggling 112½bpm intense rhythm build up before Stephanie wails through the then chuggingly spurtive drive (dub flip), now happening here almost as fast as in New York. Continue reading “September 1, 1984: Sister Sledge, Level 42, Stephanie Mills, Rick James, B-biz-R”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

Stevie Wonder delivered a 6½ minute 12in remix, due here next week . . . Curtis Mayfield’s own label CRC is being activated here through IDS by Nigel Bagley, who’s scheduled a total remake of ‘Move On Up’ and — yup, you guessed! — Linda Clifford ‘Runaway Love’ within a month . . . Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 ‘Mas Que Nada‘ (A&M) looks like the next Sivuca/Astrud Gilberto, to judge from the buzz . . . Nile Rodgers’ remix of Sister Sledge ‘Lost In Music’, out next week, features overdubs by Simon Le Bon & Andy Taylor of Duran Duran — how hip is that! . . . Yogi Lee is Ralph MacDonald’s featured lady . . . Pete Tong has moved sideways from Polydor to become the “London man” he was always meant to be, replaced by Paul Redman who will now consider more applicants for the mailing list at Polydor, 14 St George Street, London WIR 9DE (Mike Sefton continues to handle London club promotion) . . . Bluebird Records seem, like Streetwave, to be picking up some select CBS material including evidently that much-sought Willie Bobo ‘Always There’ remix (however rumour has it that CBS themselves may feature it on a “mid-’70s classix” LP) — Bluebird meanwhile have made a hip hop musical called ‘Zero-One’ for sale to TV, containing tracks by Paul Hardcastle and Whiz Kid . . . London’s airwaves are going mad again — I can only suggest pirate freaks twiddle around the clock to monitor the current situation for themselves — while belatedly The Standard evening newspaper last week did some investigative reports on pirate radio, quite a hoot and so investigative that they kept going on about a North Sea station called “Lazar”! . . . “Wonderful Radio London” should be joining Laser and Caroline broadcasting from off The Naze this weekend . . . Island’s plugger Julian Palmer reports back from New York’s New Music Seminar that all he seemed to hear in clubs and on KISS-fm were Aleem, Run-DMC, Disco 3 and Pure Energy . . . Billboard’s US pop Hot 100 last week saw Lionel Richie join Ray Parker Jr, Tina Turner, Jacksons and Prince to make an entirely black Top 5 (Peabo Bryson at 10, too!), if their skin colour counts for more than their music, while Sheila E’s great ‘The Glamorous Life‘ topped US Dance/Disco . . . Morris Day has said “time” to The Time and disbanded them, just as his own role in Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ film is stealing thunder from the Starr . . . ‘When Doves Cry’ has been done in three different ‘Rapp’ treatments by Captain Rapp, MC Fosty & Lovin’ C, and Arcade Gang Featuring Rich Cason all on the same 12in (US Rappers Rapp Disco Co RR-12″-2002) . . . Larry Levan has remixed Dan Hartman’s US smash ‘I Can Dream About You’ . . . Antena’s sleeve photo seems a mistake, putting off many potential buyers . . . Chris Dinnis, getting great reaction to the old Alessi ‘Oh Lori‘ (A&M), souls Yeovil Electric Studio Fri (24), Exeter Nosey Parkers Sun (26), while Friday also finds TP & Grandmaster ‘G’ piloting a new funk gig at Harlow’s Moat House Motel (ex-Saxon Inn), and Adrian Allen at South Shields Chelsea Cat holding a “Shorts” night, free if wearing shorts and all spirits (shorts) 50p . . . Sat (25) Darryl Hayden wows Winchester’s Gordon Road Recreation Centre with his newly enlarged 5 kilowatt video roadshow . . . Thursdays see Phil England temporarily at Salisbury’s Jams, Steve Cochrane souling Rayleigh Pink Toothbrush (with I Level live next week 30th) . . . Mike Allin has quit jocking, Joe Field souling alone at Hemel Hempstead’s Whip & Collar Sundays and fortnightly Thursdays (next week 30th with Chris Brown), plus Joe’s at Luton Cheers Tuesdays . . . Kev Hill at Harlow’s heaving soulful Whispers hosts a Tony Jackson PA Saturday (25), and with Gary Campbell a charity allniter Sunday (26) midnight-5am Monday — similar timing to Dartford Flicks annual charity ‘niter (their eleventh, in aid of Dartford Age Concern) this time starring Greg Edwards with Colin Hudd & John Rush (breakfast included) . . . Bank Holiday Monday’s major events are a marathon 10am-1am Soul On Sound alldayer at Epping Forest Country Club with Tony Jenkins, John Osborne, Dave Gregory, Robbins Collins, parascending, steel band, barbeque and footballing DJs vs First Division All Stars Trevor Brooking, Danny Thomas, Mo Johnston etc; Showstoppers noon-11pm Treasure Island alldayer with Chris Hill and the usual crew taking over Tiffany’s, The Quay & Boxes on Exeter’s Quay with market stalls and outdoor fun; Gary Kent and a Horizon team noon-past midnight at Forest Gate Uppercut Stadium with Kadenza live, lotsa PAs, £1000 breakdance contest; Dave Thomas & Richard Searling noon-midnight with jazz-funk and northern rooms at Oswestry’s Moreton Lodge; Preston Clouds 2pm-midnight with Colin Curtis, Mike Shaft and the usual crew; Paul Clark, John Osborne, Nicky Holloway, Simon Grant etc 3pm-midnight at Sayers Common’s Hickstead Dance Factory on the A23; Kev Ashman, The Dude and other Kentish Men just 6pm-1am at West Malling The Greenway’s Hawaiian beach party with lotsa PAs and live music . . . Hazell Dean plays Haringey Bolts Sat (25), Norma Lewis Edinburgh Fire Island Sun (26) . . . Ian Levine’s “gay northern soul” Sunday (26) at London’s Charing Cross Heaven will feature Jimmy Ruffin live . . . ERC are releasing the ‘Prime Cuts’ medley commercially next week . . . Andy Greg (Loughton Tempo Rico) has written an hilarious “Hi-NRG” lyric, unprintable but it’s called ‘Three Men In A Bed’! . . . Mad Mike says dancers at Redcar Leo’s have switched from hip hop to Hi-NRG . . . Ken ‘B’ Brudenell (Poole Mariners Wharf) rejoices “A week when Frankie wasn’t even requested, let alone played — thankfully they really are getting peed off with the noise and nonsense!” . . . Steve Ogley (Lowestoft Oulton Broad Park Avenue) is amazed the James Brown revival has even reached “Carrot Crunch Country”, where you’re never more than three months away from a hit! . . . John Keenan (Barrow-in-Furness Champers) says pop biggies with holidaymakers returning from Spain are Alphaville ‘Big In Japan‘, Baby’s Gang ‘Happy Song‘, Xalan ‘I Only Move For Money‘ . . . I revisited misty Shropshire, Mid-Wales and the sunny Gower last week, spotting in The Mumbles a girl sporting our Record Mirror T-Shirt! . . . Mark Ryman, who used to write regularly from around Swansea, after travelling the world for Bacchus has been resident DJ-PR at London Piccadilly’s swank Tokyo Joe since 1981 . . . James Lewis B.Sc. (Hons), with the only soul show in South-West Wales on University Radio Abertawe Sat 10am-noon, suggests jocks needing radio experience could do worse than approaching their local pro soccer club (yes, James, I revisited the Worms only on Saturday!) . . . Aug 14 saw mail arrive posted July 19 and 24 — maybe more record companies could consider biking me their stuff? . . . America’s Labor Day record releases have flooded import shops with so much new vinyl that this week only a few can fit! . . . BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

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HOT VINYL

DAVID LASLEY: ‘Saved By Love’ (EMI America 12EA 179)
Strange but true — this falsetto-singing session man sang lead on Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’ and Chic’s ‘Everybody Dance’! Officially A-side of his self-penned-Don Was (Not Was)-produced 3-track 12in, the 122bpm ‘Where Does That Boy Hang Out‘ sounds like Sylvester singing ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ while the 186/93bpm ‘Next Time’ is a finger snappin’ Frankie Lymon-type ’50s doo-wop jumper (all kinda Billy Joel so far, huh?), but the big noise in soul circles is this excellent squeaky swaying lush 98bpm jogger with soaring sax and again an affectionate nod towards established styles. Hot on the grapevine for months, it’ll sell the record.

MTUME: ‘Prime Time’ (LP ‘You, Me And He’ US Epic FE 39473)
Infinitely better than their last LP and sure to reward repeated home listening, the truly mature set’s immediate dance hit is this superb rolling 109bpm ticker like ‘Juicy Fruit’ brought up to the hot tempo, while ‘C.O.D. (I’ll Deliver)‘ is another teetering suspenseful slow 93½bpm jolter modelled on that earlier classic, ‘You Are My Sunshine‘ an even more strung out 80bpm entwining smoocher, the title track single a terrific stripped down crawling 72bpm examination of a romantic triangle with a separate “I love another” conversation started and sweetly saxed 71½bpm ‘Sweet For You And Me (Monogamy Mix)‘ variation, leaving three funkier cuts in the starkly lurching choppy 99½bpm ‘I Simply Like‘, sax ‘n guitar jiggled instrumental (0-)121bpm ‘To Be Or Not To Bop That Is The Question‘, and loose 103bpm party burbler ‘Tie Me Up‘ which starts and ends with chatter and footsteps as they stroll over to Spooner’s Place to hear Mtume play!

THE STAPLE SINGERS: ‘Slippery People’ (US Private I Records 4Z9 05078)
The suddenly super-hot label’s latest smash is a superb brightly wriggling and whomping 107bpm rattling electro drums-driven trotter with slippery synth squiggles and Mavis leading the family in her usual vocal style like an infectious ‘Do The Do’ combining the modern with the old (inst flip). Continue reading “August 25, 1984: David Lasley, Mtume, The Staple Singers, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, LaToya Jackson”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

TONY PRINCE rang me hot on his return from New York’s New Music Seminar (having flown the “excellent” Virgin Airline in preparation for the Disco Mix Club’s own NY jaunt next March) bubbling with info about this Tommy Boy/Rockpool organised annual $150 forum which seems to have replaced the old Bilboard Disco Forums — for instance, best event was a demonstration of scratch mixing moderated by Whiz Kid with Duke Bootee’s Mix Master Cheese, Wanda D, Davy DMX, Jam Master J, Run-D.M.C., Farley (Funkin’) Keith, Chicago Hot Mix 5 and possibly Kool DJ Herc all cuttin’ with giant videos of their hands at the decks . . . American DJs evidently make friends with their audiences and end build up a mailing list so that when they move clubs they can inform their punters, which should be useful as there’s friction between jocks and some club owners’ newly restrictive music policies — best club to Tony’s mind was the Area on Hudson Street, which amazingly completely changes its entire decor theme every four weeks (a logical development to keep curiosity boiling?) . . . Pete Tong, likewise back from the seminar, says Paradise Garage is “still the joint” while New York’s hottest sounds are Aleem ‘Release Yourself (Dub)‘ (NIA), Stephanie Mills ‘The Medicine Song (Dub)‘ (Casablanca), GL & Band ‘Equador‘ (Taxi Music), Scritti Politti ‘Wood Beez (Inst)‘, the emphasis there being on instrumentals rather than vocals . . . Ian Levine, just back from Florida, found a Ft. Lauderdale record shop celled Spec’s Music which imports 15 copies of Record Mirror every week so local DJs can stay ahead with our Hi-NRG and Disco charts! Tony Blackburn has started a guest club DJ “floor-filler” spot on his BBC Radio London 94.9FM weekday morning soul show at about 11.20am, the rota being Steve Walsh Mon/Colin Hudd Tues/Chris Hill Wed/Graham Gold Thur/Ian Reading Fri . . . I thought yet another pirate was on London’s soulful Saturday evening airwaves until realising I’d picked up Ralph Tee guesting with Dave Gregory on Essex Radio 95.3FM! . . . Dread Broadcasting Corp 39.9FM Wednesday afternoons (up to 4pm) has a fabulous fresh sounding black rock ‘n’ roll/fast blues oldies show hosted by The Duke, evidently sitting in for Smiley . . . Pirate Watcher ‘Crow’s Nest 7’ (like it!) reports the horrendous fact that London has no fewer than four simultaneous Greek stations on FM — British Greek Community Radio 104.5, Radio Maria 104.3, LGR London 104, Greek Cypriot Broadcasting To London 92.8 — while those Arabs are still blaring out down among the low numbers . . . Edwin King, who as the (now graduated) Warwick University winner of Radio One’s student programme competition presented a ‘History Of Rap’ in April, is currently Radio Caroline’s newest recruit sitting in for a while nightly 10pm-2am, playing much more black music than usual on the station and featuring every Saturday an individual artist medley (Donna Summer this week) . . . I don’t know why radio DJs can’t listen to Manu Dibango’s own pronunciation of ‘Abele’ which should be “ahbaylay” . . . Phonogram have retained Kool & The Gang for the UK, and just first refusal rights to other De-Lite label material . . . Disco Mix Club’s August mixes by brainy Alan Coulthard are excellent Hi-NRG and Prince, an oddly draggy Phil Fearon (just three tunes which need speeding up to sound brighter), and a Double Dee & Steinski-inspired though less accomplished exploration of ‘Good Times’ co-mixed with Simon Harris . . . Adrian Dunbar (Southampton Raffles/Bolts) has compiled from our charts (using inverse points) a Jan-June 1984 master chart, Top 5 Disco being (1) Rufus ‘Ain’t Nobody’, (2) Kenny G ‘Hi, How Ya Doin’, (3) Change ‘Change Of Heart’, (4) Madonna ‘Holiday’, (5) Jocelyn Brown ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’, and Hi-NRG (1) Evelyn Thomas ‘High Energy’, (2) Lisa ‘Rocket To Your Heart’, (3) Kofi & The Lovetones ‘Countdown’, (4) Pamala Stanley ‘Coming Out Of Hiding’, (5) Earlene Bentley ‘Living My Own Life’ (a pity Carrere couldn’t capitalise on Lisa while she was so hot on import) . . . Evelyn Thomas is currently touring Thursday (16) Leeds Rockshots 2, Fri Newcastle-upon-Tyne Rockshots, Sat Montrose Toffs, Sun Edinburgh Fire Island, Mon Glasgow Panama Jax, Wed (22) Liverpool Coconut Grove . . . Bill Grainger at Edinburgh’s Fire Island appears to have got his club immortalised in song by Secession, who play there Sat (18) . . . I must point out my review of Hazell Dean’s current hit was based on the elsewhere also much criticised 12in mix, not on the subsequent smoother 7in version! . . . Andy Greg (Loughton Tempo Rico wine bar) reckons a modernised remix of Dan Hartman ‘Relight My Fire‘ could be hot Hi-NRG now . . . Ian Levine, whose 12 minute Vikki Benson remix is due, tries the first ever “gay northern soul night” at London’s Heaven Bank Holiday Sunday (25), reviving all the original roots of Hi-NRG . . . Mary Love, whose mid-’60s records became northern soul classics, is back with ‘Save Me‘ (US Mirage), described as “Gloria Gaynor-ish” — if it’s a Hi-NRG hit it’ll make up for Linda Lewis reviving her old ‘You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet‘! . . . Esther Phillips died aged 47 of a liver ailment last week: she started scoring R&B hits as a kid 35 years ago (hence “Little Esther”), produced by Johnny Otis who was also involved with Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton, the 1953 originator of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller’s ‘Hound Dog’, who has also died aged 57 of a heart attack — both were founding mothers of our music . . . America’s top four Pop hits last week were all black (in fact the same but in different order as the top four Black hits) — however, all have a rock bias, being Ray Parker Jr, Prince, Jacksons, Tina Turner — while Ollie & Jerry topped US Dance/Disco with Sheila E at 2 . . . Michael Jackson has produced sister Rebbie Jackson’s ‘Centipede‘ . . . Jellybean is collaborating on a song for Quincy Jones’s next solo LP, co-prod/arr/penning with Q . . . Bobby Womack will tour here late Sept/early Oct possibly with Sly Stone, and The Crusaders are due then too, Joe, Wilton & Ndugu being augmented by David T Walker’s guitar, Byron Millers bass, Mary Williams White’s vocals . . . Disco 3 of ‘Human Beat Box‘ fame are now officially calling themselves after the A-side title of their US single, the Fat Boys . . . Whiz Kid’s “secret weapon” is Visage’s old ‘Pleasure Boys‘, played and cut . . . Mastermind want it known they weren’t responsible for the edits on their Loose Ends ‘Mastermind Turntable Mix‘ — maybe it’s time they practised cutting with a razor blade, too? . . . Steve Jason & Darren Collins hope to get ’em breakin’ on the diving board at Peterborough open air swimming pool’s charity beach party this Saturday (18) . . . Gary Oldis, soon starting Sunday soul at Dalton Piercy Slix, was amazed by a recent breakdance contestant, a white guy in black make-up with a biscuit on his head, calling himself Lionel Rich Tea! . . . Nicky A, the guvners Fred & Joyce and more at beer-brewing Romford’s Tudor Lodge wine bar really sent me a “drink”, a 3 litre box of Liebfraumilch — ta very much! (Nicky’s soulful there Wed/Sat, and this Friday is his fortnightly spot at Romford Jaffas too) . . . Matt Johnson (St Albans Adelaide), playing Byron Lee’s equally good ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’ instead of Arrow, is another jock annoyed by audiences not wanting new material . . . US Elektra have started a ‘Dance Classics’ 12in series coupling old disco hits, first releases being Lamont Dozier ‘Going Back To My Roots’/David Williams ‘Come On Down Boogie People’ and Tamiko Jones ‘Can’t Live Without Your Love’/Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ . . . Atlantic here are evidently reviving Beginning Of The End ‘Funky Nassau‘ on 12in . . . Danny Smith (Gt Yarmouth One Five One Club) is after Gazebo ‘I Like Chopin‘ (Baby 12in) on 0493-857303 . . . Vicious Pink’s new split-channel mix is selling well to DJs: the only other such exaggerated channel separation I can think of was Malcolm McLaren ‘Buffalo Girls’ . . . Miami Sound Machine turn out to be well established salsa stars — pity about their current LP, and its sleeve photo, though . . . The Cool Notes are keen to PA and play — contact manager Mr McIntosh on 01-733 1817 . . . Total Control Records boss Steve Walsh corrects, “Not Barclays, Frankie Goes To The Nat West”! . . . Tony Roma’s A Place For Ribs in London’s St Martin’s Lane is my current fave gorging eaterie, totally American — and when the piano bar singer isn’t there they relay Skyline 90.15FM! . . . Kent’s new ILR Invicta Sound, starting October from studios in Canterbury on 497m/603kHz MW and Maidstone on 242/1242, intends programming more “jazz-funk” throughout the day than other commercial stations and head of music Andy Grahamme is anxious for record companies to supply him with suitable product c/o Invicta at 15 Station Road East, Canterbury, Kent . . . Roydon’s tiny village youth club raised £1649 for the Ben Hardwick Appeal through a 12 hour darts marathon, market and Rob Harknett-run disco, TV’s Bonnie Langford & Charlie Smithers chucking the first arrers . . . BBC-TV kept the nation’s insomniacs waiting all night long for Lionel Richie, only to stop transmitting the Olympics finale at 6.05am before he came on — to add insult to injury CEEFAX then read “the star of the show, however, was Lionel Richie who concluded the ceremony with a special version of his ‘All Night Long’ — and in Monday evening’s recap there was only the briefest clip of him, with one tantalizing shot of the “hundred” breakdancers — boo! . . . Nick Cravat in 1952’s marvellous ‘The Crimson Pirate’ (on telly last Sunday) has to have been the model for Hill Street Blues’ Belker . . . YO HO HO!

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HOT VINYL

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & The Godfather Of Soul JAMES BROWN: ‘Unity’ (US Tommy Boy TB 847)
Two funk generations clash, and either Bam was overawed or Mr B can’t do anything else but this remains in essence a James Brown record of the old school, brass, bass and guitar mashing beefily with the 111bpm electronic drumbeat. On 12in in six sub-titled variations, with scraps of chatter between tracks, Pt. 4 is the longest groove with both stars evenly matched, Pt. 5 is funkily instrumental, Pt. 3 is Afrika’s stark hip hop attack, Pts. 1 & 2 are funky hip hop with Brown’s rap ahead on 1, Bam’s on 2, and Pt. 6 is acappella. Not quite the third coming, but the Zulu Nation will get down on the good foot!

CHERYL LYNN: ‘Encore’ (Streetwave MKHAN 23)
Hot in hip soul circles ever since initial release on LP last Christmas, this topped the US Black chart back in the spring and has been a permanent fixture in our own Disco chart for the entire year so far — in short, it’s another slow burner like ‘Ain’t Nobody’, yet CBS passed and let someone else put it out here! Why’s it so hot? Well, one of the tracks that defined the “hot tempo”, its only a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis penned/co-produced 108½bpm wriggle ‘n tap mind-nagger with Cheryl squirming, worming, wailing and yodelling all over the tense rhythm in ultra soulful style, with applause intro and outro — nothing special, Y’know! The 12in mix here is flipped by her original 108bpm LP version and, a useful bonus, older trotting 114-113bpm ‘Got To Be Real’. Vital vinyl.

ALICIA MYERS: ‘You Get The Best From Me (Say, Say, Say) (MCA MCAT 914)
Rush released here, yet evidently recorded four years ago by the girl from One Way’s stable, this dangerously infectious (0-)111bpm loose limbed loping swinger is all set to be a crossover smash (nice smoothly wailed 109bpm ‘I Want To Thank You‘ flip). Watch this go! Continue reading “August 18, 1984: Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown, Cheryl Lynn, Alicia Myers, Rick James, Stephanie Mills”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LONDON’S AIRWAVES are buzzing again with Horizon, Skyline, DBC being rejoined by JFM but on 103.4FM (not to clash with BBC Radio Kent who have claimed 102.8 with a Radio 2 relay, which is also keeping 103.1 clear — and in fact there seems to be increased activity further on up to 105.9, including that Greek Cypriot pirate) . . . JFM’s new no chat/continuous mellow soul format is tagged “Where we gag the DJs to give you more music” — it’s certainly easy listening! . . . US radio stations seem to have construed Carol Lynn Townes’ ‘99½‘ as a plug for rivals broadcasting on 99.5, so she’s evidently re-recorded alternative versions for 99.5, 95.5, 97.5, 98.5! . . . Capital’s Roger Scott is currently catching 10 consecutive shows by Bruce Springsteen all at New Jersey’s Meadowlands stadium, with a side trip the one night Brucie isn’t playing, to see and interview the Jacksons in Knoxville, Tennessee! . . . Stockport/South Manchester’s 24hr KFM 94.2FM have made a properly prepared application for an experimental licence to operate a local radio service, and are still on air (though of course unlicensed) . . . London club attendances especially have been boosted by regular pirate radio advertising, all those punters being likely to rush out and buy Cheryl Lynn’s ‘Encore‘ when clever Morgan Khan releases it here next week on Streetwave — bubbling away since Christmas, it’s the next ‘Ain’t Nobody’ . . . Atlantic must regret not making ‘Love Is In Season‘ the first release from the Detroit Spinners album back in the spring — but if quality “will out”, what the hell happened? . . . Master Mix picked up Chuck Brown, Island got Simplicious, PRT are issuing Cerrone and Klinte Jones . . . Bryan Loren’s LP is on Virgin next week, followed by a remixed 12in ‘Easier Said Than Done’/’Lollipop Luv’/’Do You Really Love Me’ coupling . . . Chad ‘Funky Sister’ Jackson has remixed Hi Tension ‘Hi Tension’ it better be good! — while unfortunately the new Cherrelle US remix is only ‘Fragile . . . Handle With Care‘ . . . Special Request ‘Take It To The Max’ reviewed last week, is already out here (Tommy Boy 12IS 194) . . . ‘Breaker Beat‘, a jittery 111bpm electro instrumental, is the only hard cut from a pretty predictable Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson US Columbia LP . . . Lionel Richie plus a hundred body poppers don’t forget are due to perform ‘All Night Long’ at the Olympics closing ceremony —meanwhile, Colin Hudd & John Rush host fancy dress Olympic fun & games at Dartford Flicks Friday (10) . . . Saturday (11) sees Robbie Vincent at Harlow Whispers, fire-eating video DJ Darryl Hayden at Dorchester Buzz Inn . . . Sunday (12) London’s Heaven under Charing Cross arches becomes ‘Soul City’ for a 3pm-1am alldayer with a cast of at least 17 DJs from around Great Britain, etc etc . . . “Black Monday” (13) Pete Girtley & Steel City Gary Senior start weekly free sophisticated funk at Sheffield Exchange Street precinct’s The Garden wine bar . . . Darren Fogel adds soulful Fridays (free) at Bethnal Green/Mile End The Beehive in Roman Road, and also lurks during Sunday trading hours down Petticoat Lane (playing music?) . . . Martin T insists Saturdays at Hackney’s Pickle House are his alone, Robbie Collins souling Fri, Larry Foster Wed/Sun, Steve Goddard sometimes . . . Mike Hall’s Saturday soul sessions at the new T’s in Erith (Pier Rd) give away one new import LP and one new UK LP weekly in a competition, answers to which are usually found in these pages . . . Mad Marx soul/funk/Latin/jazzes Leigh-On-Sea’s Whispers wine bar/restaurant Sunday evenings . . . Pete Haigh has moved from Sundays to the better Tuesdays mixing urban funk ‘n soul at Caton’s Scarthwaite Hotel near Lancaster (A683 from exit 34 off the M6), and guests Wednesdays at Morecambe Harvey’s Clubranger night — he suggests trying Mtume with Fatback ‘Please Stay’ . . . Steve Jason solved a segue problem by following Arrow with Booker T & The MG’s instantly recognised TV cricket theme ‘Soul Limbo’ on hot-hot-hot sweaty Sundays at Peterborough Cantors . . . Nick Epps (any relation of Preston?!) and partner Trev Pearce are long established on Wednesdays with their Sophisticated Sounds mobile at Fair Oak’s Old George near Southampton, where during hot weather the punters boogie in the street . . . Norman Scott is back at Bang’s on Monday . . . Terry Deal has just started compiling a gay disco chart for the monthly Him, and immediately like me wonders why some record companies spend more time and effort in whingeing on about the positions they reach than in ensuring their releases are really strong to start with! . . . Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ LP review should have read that even soul fans should enjoy the sexily “grinding” 77-79-81-0bpm ‘Darling Nikki‘, which’ll never get airplay! . . . Uncle James the DJ’s buddy? . . . YO!

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HIP HOP takes off! Manchester’s break dance crew Broken Glass have finally hit vinyl via ex-DJ Greg Wilson’s pet project ‘Style Of The Street‘, and following TV appearances on such as The Tube are currently breakin’ up suitably roomy clubs and under-18 venues. Book ’em off S. Taylor, 73 Carlton Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester 16.

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HOT VINYL

HUGH MASEKELA: ‘Don’t Go Lose It Baby’ (Jive Afrika JIVE T 64)
This better brand new faster 122bpm Hot African Mix re-emphasises the lurching polyrhythms, bringing in Hugh’s sharply stabbing trumpet and the afro chants with more immediacy, but still seems unlikely to repeat its huge US disco success here (very freaky dub/acappella flip).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNinDGMi13s

PAUL HARDCASTLE: ‘Guilty — The Retrial’ (Total Control Records TOCO 2)
With a freakily distorted spacey vocal intro, this perhaps slightly more skitteringly jolting 116bpm remix is the now mandatory marketing ploy to make people with more money than sense buy it again and help it even higher up the chart (inst flip). Frankie Goes To Barclays.

JERMAINE JACKSON: ‘Dynamite’ (Arista JJK 122)
Jellybean remix notwithstanding, who do Arista think will want this ludicrously fast 190bpm rock-disco leaper? Once again, flip it for Jermaine’s outstanding rhythmically adventurous jittering and jumping 115bpm ‘Come To Me (One Way Or Another)‘, evidently remixed, and a new instrumental of the now Michael-less slower but similar 108½bpm ‘Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good To Be True)’. Continue reading “August 11, 1984: Hugh Masekela, Paul Hardcastle, Jermaine Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Bobby Glover”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LENNY HENRY’s long threatened ‘Katanga‘ is finally due next month on Chrysalis, coinciding with his new TV series . . . Horizon and Skyline are still broadcasting to London and Dread Broadcasting Corp 93.9FM even re-emerged on Friday, while some West London wallys called Radio Duck keep over-modulating on 94.4FM . . . Paul Burnett is sitting in (without any outrageous chat about nipples and 12 inchers though!) for Tony Blackburn on BBC Radio London . . . Simon Harris (Walthamstow Charlie Chans Tues) makes a monthly megamix for Gary Crowley’s Magic Box show on Capital 95.8FM, last Saturday’s “electro” blinder being worthy of Double Dee & Steinski — and he promises something “very special” on this month’s Disco Mix Club too! . . . Art Of Noise’s US LP/7in hit ‘Close (To The Edit)’ is the same as the UK issued ‘Beat Box (Diversion Two)‘ remix . . . Vicious Pink Phenomena ‘CCCan’t You See’ is due again in a speeded up harder Tony Mansfield remix with English vocals/new dub/mastermix with drums on one channel, vocal & keyboards the other (for panned mono separation)/effect/original B-side coupling — all on the one 12in (look for Parlophone 12RA 6074) . . . Chart File’s Alan ‘Sherlock’ Jones reckons the straight jazz instrumental ‘Comfort And Joy‘ mysteriously promoed as by Mark One is really Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits! . . . The Cool Notes, held back by still only being on promo, have an evidently “blinding” remix due commercially . . . Morgan Khan has a remix of Rose Royce ‘Magic Touch’ due on Streetwave, while ‘Street Sounds 10‘ will include Change ‘Change Of Heart’, Fatback ‘I Found Lovin’ Arrow ‘Hot-Hot-Hot (Remix)’, Funk Deluxe ‘Tender Lovin’, Kashif ‘I’ve Been Missin’ You’ . . . Froggy’s remix of Kenny G (now also on shaped picture disc 7in) is evidently intended to play at ultra high and soft volume without distortion . . . Rayners Lane Record & Disco Centre already have the Jacksons ‘State Of Shock‘ as one end of a shrink-wrapped 12in “lucky dip” ten-pack at £2.99, the only way they can shift it! . . . Kelly Marie objects to becoming just “Kelly” and has reverted to her old name, while Marsha Raven is sucking her teeth over a cash-in ‘US Remix’ of her old ‘I Like Plastic’ . . . ERC’s promo-only medley 12in of ‘Prime Cuts’ from their ‘Greatest Hi-NRG Hits’ LP is cheekily linked by the ‘High Energy’ rhythm riff — mind you, if he released the 12in commercially Marvin Howell might even have a hit, for once! . . . Mark Clark (Wokingham Mark One Records) has the hots for the new Arnold Schwarzenegger “work out” LP sleeve — he guesses gay clubs’ll love the cover as a poster . . . Prince is now top of the US Black LP, Black 45, Dance/Disco and Pop 45 charts (and could have dethroned Brucie as Pop LP by now) — this kid is hot! . . . Jocelyn Brown’s UK released ‘Too Through’ is indeed an oldie, originally credited to the Bad Girls on Began Cekic’s BC label . . . Phillipa Wynne, who died July 14, as well as lead vocalist on the Detroit Spinners classic ’70s hits was of course latterly a P-Funk All Star . . . Roger Dynamite should now be back (but sitting down) at Gt Yarmouth Tiffany’s after some particularly hairy surgery . . . Friday (3) Colin Hudd hosts a “1980 tribal reunion” at Dartford Flicks, Robbie Vincent waves banners across the water from Southend Zero 6 . . . Saturday (4) the Broken Glass Street Crew break dance around Liverpool with a lunchtime kids show at the Coconut Grove, then evening gigs at Gatsby’s, Litherland Clouds and the Grove again . . . Saturday also sees Chris Hill and big Tom Holland kick off a month-long celebration at Canvey Goldmine with “12 Years Of Soul & Jazz” before reaching the official 12th birthday party on Saturday 25th . . . Chris Hill & Froggy head the Caister Roadshow ’84 at Great Yarmouth Tiffany’s next Thursday (9) . . . Harp Lager Rock Week at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts in The Mall (by the steps from Lower Regent Street) kicks off Tuesday (7) with Mastermind, Maurice, Greg Wilson, break dancers and more at a Streetsounds/Streetwave night, Paul Murphy presenting Onward International and Kalmia live on Wed (8), while Record Mirror’s own Gary Crowley, Jon Reid & Graham Smith play DJ on the Sat (11) pop night . . . Chris Stewart, who late the other Friday night sounded despondent about sluggish reaction to great new records at his regular gig, finally got away with “no reggae at all” at Hackney Dougie’s for his “best night ever” — good on ya! . . . Steve Glover (Bournemouth Zig Zag) just got married, sold his flat, bought a much more expensive house — and the mortgage rate went up! . . . Paul ‘Frenchie’ French (Dunfermline Night Magic), thanks for the “drink” — but you know, staples make holes in a tea bag! . . . James B Sikking repeats his Howard Hunter role as an admiral in ‘Star Trek III’ . . . YO!

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HOT VINYL

CHANGE: ‘You Are My Melody’ (WEA YZ 14T)
Smoothly souled by Rick Brennan and much more placid than the nervy intense ‘Change Of Heart’, this Jimmy Jam Harris & Terry Lewis-prod/penned slickly ticking 110bpm wriggler nevertheless slips in under the skin to become just as compulsive in a more traditional way. Commercial copies will be flipped by the old ‘Glow Of Love’ (Luther sung) and ‘Hold Tight’.

RUFUS & CHAKA: ‘Do You Love What You Feel’ (MCA MCAT 892)
Sensible reissue in a ‘Special US Disco Mix’ — (whatever significance that has) of the Quincy Jones-prod/Hawk Wolinski-penned steadily jolting 120bpm jittery side-to-side kicker that was the last, early 1980, US hit of the group’s classic period (jumbled brassy c.114bpm ‘Dancin’ Mood‘ flip),

PHIL FEARON & GALAXY: ‘Everybody’s Laughing (Sangria Mix)’ (Ensign XENY 534)
So hot off the press that Phil himself was touting only an acetate around the radio stations last weekend, this overdubbed and re-edited 116-115-116-115-116bpm remix has many extra breaks and added “bup doo bup” repetitions — and not to be too cynical is mainly a marketing ploy to boost its chart placing. You can almost hear the tape edits whir by! Continue reading “August 4, 1984: Change, Rufus & Chaka, Phil Fearon & Galaxy, Bonnie Pointer, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

LAST WEEK my exploration of sunny Somerset/North Wilts, where Salisbury Plain eases into the South Cotswolds (Castle Combe etc), apart from a bookie in Bath called Chris Hill Racing yielded the sight of two white boys strolling along a remote country road playing playing Break Machine on a ghetto blaster — this electro stuff, hated by club managers who want “smart” older booze-buyers, has been driven into youth club-type teenage discos where it’s now treated just as pop music and is HUGE (so how come we still don’t get many electro charts?) . . . Trevor Thorne wonders why I didn’t listen to Dublin’s pirate stations while in Pembrokeshire, citing Radio Nova 102.8FM (which he can get in Burton-on-Trent on 819MW) and Sunshine Radio 539MW — well if they’d been there to pick up, my Blaupunkt would surely have locked in, but it didn’t . . . London’s Horizon 102.55FM reaches out past Slough, while coming back I just caught one of Peter Young’s jingles in Marlborough before Capital’s 96.8FM became listenable from nearer Hungerford . . . Capital’s assistant librarian ‘Disco’ John Leech made his DJ debut last Saturday dawn, sounding surprisingly posh! . . . Paul Entwistle & Barry Clifford, with a team of jocks from the Costa Brava’s top discos (where Raf ‘Self Control‘ is huge), broadcast 11 hours daily in English with tourist info and music on Radio Holiday 102.3FM from Lloret De Mar . . . Carl Kingston (BBC Radio Humberside) did a package of voice-overs for Texas radio station KYMX-FM 97 in Eastland, and is now off there to present some programmes in his hols! . . . US DJ Bob Atkins, better known as ‘The Dude’ on his regular phone-ins to Steve Wright on Radio One, does Bournemouth’s Showbar Thur/Fri, Southend’s Westcliff Leisure Centre Pimpernells Sat (just send a chart, Bob) . . . Jimmy Cliff ‘Reggae Night‘ according to my neighbours has been huge in Spain and is now remixed by Francois Kevorkian on Columbia, other import remixes being Patti Austin ‘Shoot The Moon‘ (Qwest), Planet Patrol ‘Danger Zone‘ (Tommy Boy), Rick James ’17’ now being on Motown 12in . . . New World Philharmonic Orchestra’s instrumental ‘Body Talk’ is also on 12in — Forrest rather surprisingly is a member of Band Of Gold, while the Funky Sisters who remixed Windjammer turn out to be Chad Jackson & Pete Waterman (mmm, nice!) . . . Tina Turner nipped in as top US Black LP, and Lionel Richie ‘Stuck On You’ sure enough has hit the US Country chart . . . Paulinho Da Costa is currently exciting jazz and radio jocks with a specialist set costing from £8.50 to £10 on import . . . Peter Lee left Bolton’s Dance Factory for a promotions post with Firehurst Leisure, who run nine Merseyside venues including Litherland Clouds and Liverpool New Coconut Grove in which he also still regularly jocks and where this Thursday (26) the Cool Notes PA, followed by Jaki Graham on Saturday (Coconut Grove only) — Chris Hill & Foggy head a mafia team when the Caister Soul Weekend Roadshow 84 hits Taunton Kingston’s Thurs (26), Hastings Downtown Saturday’s Wed (1) . . . Big Phil Etgart, Paul M & “the real” Gray Steele soul-funk-soca Gerrards Cross Smarties behind WH Smiths on Thursdays, when Nick Davies has a ‘Naughty Night’ at Chesham Whispers with sexy barmaids, cheap booze, lurid videos — Gary Oldis finally established his break dance competition every Friday until Aug 10 at Dalton Piercy’s Slix on the A19, further sponsors welcome . . . Pete Tong souls Hemel Hempstead’s The Railway Sat (28), and deputizes for “our man Gal” at South Harrow Bogarts Tues (31) . . . Hammersmith Palais Sunday (29) 3-12pm alldayer has Steve Walsh, Froggy, Mastermind, Frenchie T, Jonathan, and a cast of radio DJs plus a £500 break dance contest . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn meets Sunday (29) lunchtime at Hayes The Adam & Eve, with a preview of Citronic’s new 400w stereo console and a Manhattan light show . . . Friday (27) Bournemouth’s Cabaret Cub has Earlene Bentley & Sylvester (after his Boscombe Academy show), Sly’s other dates being London’s Hippodrome Thur (26)/Mon (30), Rayleigh’s Pink Toothbrush Tues (31) . . . Divine’s remix is now his commercial B-side, Kelly Marie oddly is now called just ‘Kelly’, Roni Griffith’s next revival is of the Jackson 5’s ‘Dancing Machine’, “Miss Piggy” asks “where’s the beef?” — Disco Mix Club megamixer Alan Coulthard took a first in law at University College London and is now going up to Oxford to read for a BCL (he can spell, too!), while Jon Guy celebrated his own BA (Hons) in Geography with some fellow Manchester University graduates in a silly sounding session on KFM — but is the station still on the air? — Adrian Allan (Sunderland) reports that Phil Esterhaus is replaced by newly qualified Sgt Lucy Bates — HEY HEY HEY!

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HORIZON RADIO pirates climbed the marquee’s mast at their Wandsworth alldayer to hoist not the jolly Roger but a UHF aerial — however, the proximity of some very interested Home Office observers stopped any live link-up! As of Monday, Horizon and Skyline were still going strong, with JFM and DBC significantly just transmitting a carrier signal (will their bait be taken?).

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HOT VINYL

M+M: ‘Black Stations/White Stations (Remix)’ (RCA RCAT 426)
Oddly never imported despite huge US club success, the modern Martha & The Muffins pop-sung afro-funk flavoured infectiously jiggling 118bpm bounder has literally exploded now it’s out here — true “Urban contemporary” with lyrics to match (and an instrumental flip) — a monster in the making.

PRECINCT: ‘Shining Star’ (Passion PASH 1232)
Manchester’s Steve Menzies & Leroy Grant somehow previously linked with Dundee’s Rokotto, cleverly cross elements of the Phil Fearon and EWF sounds for an instantly familiar lazy (0-)111bpm summery swayer which lets lovely lyrical sax take over during the dreamy long break (less vocal Astral Mix flip). A bit of a biggie, methinks!

CHUCK BROWN & THE SOUL SEARCHERS: ‘We Need Some Money’ (US T.T.E.D. TDE-3004)
From Washington DC-a-go-go where the percussion based R&B bands still play their jittery soulful party music with real instruments to a distinctive beat borrowed and epitomised by Kurtis Blow on ‘Party Time‘, this gruffly chanted and brassily blown tradition-rooted 104-105-104½bpm infectious ballsy jiggler is hip hop music for and by real live breathing people — and it’s great (two Radio Versions too). Dollar bill, y’all? Continue reading “July 28, 1984: M+M, Precinct, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, Flying Lizards, Janet Kay”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

HORIZON RADIO combined with Showstopper Promotions last Saturday for a hastily arranged alldayer using the latter’s ‘Knebworth’ marquee in a well hidden Wandsworth park (where Sho Pro plan a month of events next year!), with the excellent Change and Ingram playing live, lots of star PAs and all the station’s DJs . . . Capital’s Peter Young and I by some freak of the marquee’s acoustics were feeding lines to the unwitting Chris Stewart from the exact opposite side of the tent — yup, that was us that made him follow the rallying cries of “North London”, “South London” with an incredulous “Croydon?”! Home Office men were actually at Wandsworth to prevent live transmission of the show, but although Tony Monson was pessimistic on air Monday morning (the day that anti-pirate legislation came into force), others at Horizon 102.55FM seem quietly confident about their quite extraordinary security measures to get around yet another legal loophole, if not in fact stay broadcasting . . . Abi Grant (praised last week) turns out to be a girl — oops! — but she’s lost her gig on LWR as the station closed down on Sunday with a special two hour documentary narrated by founder Jonny Haywood: they chose to bow out with dignity rather than face the fines if and when a bust was to come . . . JFM came off air Sunday too but have a plan up their sleeve, while as of Monday night the only other London pirate still to be heard centrally was Skyline 90.2FM . . . Monday’s TV-am had JFM’s Brian Anthony and BBC Radio London’s Tony Blackburn defending the need for soul and other ethnic types of local city-wide radio, rather than pirate or small-scale community radio . . . Capital’s suave John Sachs was then plugged on Blackburn’s show by a girl friend (which one?) as slim-hipped, six foot two, dark and balding! . . . Saturday’s TV-am had featured fun-filled five black/one white girl acappella group the Mint Juleps doing great versions of ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ and ‘Shout’ (Toni Arthur: “Lulu? Nah, the Isley Brothers” — right on!) . . . Phonogram no longer have the De-Lite label, who with Kool & The Gang as a lever are after mucho increased megabucks for a UK deal . . . Sharon Redd still has one last album to do for Prelude, and will be touring here in the winter when her next single’s out . . . Polydor make the logical move next month of reviving on Verve 12in the original just Astrud Gilberto-credited ‘The Girl From Ipanema‘, the gentle subdued samba duet (her first recording) with husband Joao Gilberto from his Antonio Carlos Jobim-penned classic 1963-recorded bossa nova set with Stan Getz, ‘Getz/Gilberto’ — enduringly influential (Tracey Thorn et al), it seemed to encapsulate a world of jet set sophistication when a US hit exactly 20 years ago . . . Steve Harvey’s remix of Arrow ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’ on commercial 12in is a 3-tracker including a brighter mix of the original version . . . Jermaine Jackson’s newie will be a remixed ‘Dynamite’ with just an instrumental ‘Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ as flip (the vocal duet with Michael was licensed for LP use only) . . . Disco Mix Club are planning a special charter trip to New York’s clubs on Monday March 11 immediately after their next DJ convention — I’ve already signed on to go! — while their first vinyl rather than cassette mixes are a usefully extended Wham! ‘Wake Me’ by Les Adams, whose floorfiller has odd contents, Alan Coulthard weighing in with a rather forced Frankie/Evelyn/Bronski and Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards ‘MegaChics’ medley . . . DJ JJ and JFM’s Ricky Rankin start spinning new soul/lovers rock weekly this Thursday (19) at Clapton Pond’s White Hart Hotel . . . Friday (20) finds Tony Blackburn with Steve Walsh at Rayleigh’s Pink Toothbrush, Froggy with Ian Reading at Southend’s Zero 6, Sandy Martin’s beach party (free in beachwear) with wet fun ‘n games at Swindon’s Brunel Rooms (where reclusive Rowdy Yeats was recently spotted guiding Greg Brown to a PA), while Fridays throughout July Chris Hill joins Nicky Holloway at Tottenham’s Valentino’s . . . Sunday (22) Bristol’s Freeze Club in Fairfax Street has a 3pm alldayer with Colin Curtis, Tim Westwood, DJ Munch, Paul Lewis, Kenny Macleod, Nic Wakefield, Baz Maleady and more, plus busy Frenchie T of Birmingham Maximillians “sophisticated Sundays” who reveals his real name is Anthony Quailey — and somehow is meant also this Sunday to be part of the 3pm–3am alldayer at Paisley’s Paris Complex in Scotland, along with London’s Cleveland Anderson, North Wales’ Adrian Thomas, Bristol’s John C, Liverpool’s Brian Davies, Newcastle’s Alex Lowes, Glasgow’s Alan David, Stirling’s Phil Leckie and Radio Clyde’s Shagan . . . Sylvester starts a UK tour at Colchester Tartan House Fri (20), Brighton Coasters Sat, Arbroath Smokees Sun, Glasgow Night Moves Mon, Manchester Heroes Wed (25) . . . Adrian Parkin’s next gay Cahoots night is Wednesday (25) at Doncaster Romeo’s & Juliet’s . . . Ian Levine is not remixing Simone after all, so buy now! . . . New York hip hop producer Mark Berry, back here working with Psycon and Animotion down in the depths of Farnham, has been doing the soundtrack music for the movie ‘Cry Of The Street’ (“a 1984 West Side Story”) . . . ‘Breakin’ (‘Breakdance’) cleaned up but ‘Beat Street’ has already folded in cinemas Stateside and should be available on Home Box Office cable TV there soon — however, both films records are doing well . . . I’m surprised Frankie Goes To Hollywood haven’t topped the Nightclub chart despite all the national hoopla — obviously dancers know a lot of loud noise and nonsense when they hear it! . . . Mark Clarke (Wokingham Mark One Records), red faced says “Whoops, what happened to Michael’s ‘Buffalo Bill’ on the Jacksons album then?” . . . Lakeside’s ‘Restrictions‘ ends with a little smurf protesting to an unbudgeable bouncer “But I’m 21, really!” — love it, love it . . . I explored last week the only sometimes sunny (luckily when it mattered) Welsh border along the Wye Valley, where the Kymin, Symond’s Yat and Skirrid Fawr were pretty spectacular but for sheer jaw-dropping wonder the unbeatable view was from the Gospel Pass above Hay-on-Wye — in the market square of which antiquarian bookshops-stuffed little country town was the incongruous sight of two black hip hoppers breakin’ to Ollie & Jerry on a ghetto blaster! . . . Jocelyn Brown obviously has to eat but by recording so many one-offs she’s now in the position of most reggae hit makers, with all her past labels resurrecting her material to cash in on her current success . . . David Grant has been concentrating on writing strong songs since January and is just about to start recording again, with confidence . . . Junior has been produced again by Arif Mardin (of Scritti Politti fame, and just a few more besides!) . . . Larry Foster, now Mon/Tues/Thur/Fri at Gants Hill Villa, has returned to pub work at Hackney Road’s The Pickle House with cheap booze/’60s soul Wed, upfront Sat/Sun, as is Robbie Collins Fri, Segue Steve Goddard there sometimes too . . . Mike Baker reports Tottenham’s Mayfair is being revamped for a September opening as The Ritzy . . . TVS are so far ahead with ‘Hill Street Blues’ that Frank Furillo has hit the bottle and been sacked (oh yeah, for how long?) while in London we’ve only just lost Sgt Phil Esterhaus, “in for a check up” . . . them lost R.I.P.

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HOT VINYL

MANU DIBANGO: ‘Abele Dance’ (CellulOid CART 339)
The Cameroonian saxist whose ‘Soul Makossa’ was Afro-funk’s breakthrough 11 years ago now goes hip hop by setting his usual big blow honks and weaving chants to a mesmerically jiggling 106bpm electro beat that’s more powerful the louder it’s played (inst dub flip with extra sax). Hot-Hot-Hot!

THE S.O.S. BAND: ‘Just The Way You Like It’ (US Tabu 4Z9 05031)
And talking of hot, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis now not surprisingly combine all their predictable but currently so powerful “hot tempo” tricks in an immediately floor-filling 106bpm Change-sing ‘Just Be Good To Me’/The SOS Band-sing ‘Change Of Heart’ (inst flip) . . . but have the happy dancers realised yet that it’s a new record?!

SCREAMIN’ TONY BAXTER: ‘Get Up Offa That Thing (James Who?)’ (Fourth & Broadway 12BRW 9)
Often mentioned over the last two years by DJs on the Continent, where mislabelled it was known as ‘Screamin’ by Tony Baxter, this Bobby “O”-produced now thoroughly topical funkily chugging 112bpm James Brown remake-cum-medley — NOT a soundalike — is great out of ‘Mr Groove’ and should have very wide appeal (inst flip). Continue reading “July 21, 1984: Manu Dibango, The S.O.S. Band, Screamin’ Tony Baxter, Animal Nightlife, Mtume”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

MARGIE JOSEPH’s single here will be ‘Midnight Lover‘ next month, while Sister Sledge’s is a ‘Lost In Music’ remix . . . Madonna’s upcoming new LP is produced by Nile Rodgers . . . Kashif’s ‘Send Me Your Love’ album is out here now (Arista 206 350) . . . I re-explored sunny South Wales again last week, and was amazed to discover within distant sight of the Preseli Hills, also spelt Presely — from which came the blue stones of Stonehenge and, at least as often suggested, the surname of Presley — an ancient parish just east of St David’s actually called St Elvis! (I’ve never seen mention of such an obvious link in all my reading about Elvis Presley, let alone such an authenticated source for his frankly odd first name) . . . Pembrokeshire is so remote the only radio you can get is Ireland’s Galway-based commercial Radio Two 94.9FM, on which without exception every DJ sounded exactly like Terry Wogan, Henry Kelly or (especially) Gloria Hunniford — we in England don’t realise it, but this is obviously the standard “Irish broadcaster” voice . . . BBC veteran broadcaster Wynford Vaughan-Thomas’s book ‘Wales’ helped me find bits I hadn’t done before, and in checking out the photographed views for myself I found myself standing in the street where he lives when not so surprisingly along he came with his shopping — and seeing a true believer immediately spent twenty minutes poring over my map pointing out places for me to visit! . . . Radio One banned Grandmaster Melle Mel ‘Beat Street‘ evidently because they think the word “truck” sounds like something else . . . Tony Blackburn wants Laser 558’s American girl DJ Jessie Brandon to fill in for him on Radio London while he’s off with the Radio One Roadshow — whatever will the Beeb think of that? . . . Horizon 102.5FM has been off the air through nothing more sinister than a mechanical breakdown, although now indeed is nail-biting time for all the pirate stations, with the uncertainty of never knowing when and if there’s going to be a knock on the studio door . . . Abi Grant on LWR 92.6FM’s Sunday night/Monday 1-4am dawn shift may not have a great radio voice but boy does he put together a good programme, mixing up all sorts of stuff with wit and imagination . . . Jon Guy gives more details of Manchester’s KFM 94.2FM, on which his own Friday & Saturday 2-7am dawn patrol is divided up musically with soul for the first and third (4-5am) hours, “alternative” or general stuff in between . . . Paul Dodd, who does JFM 102.85’s Saturday 9-11pm Electro-Funk chart show, is after a SW London/Surrey/Middlesex area residency on 01-897 9111 (days) . . . James Ingram is obviously from a family of the same name but is no relation of the group Ingram — yet certain DJs persist in saying he is . . . One Way replaced Jermaine Jackson atop the US Black LP chart, but for how long with Prince currently overshadowing everyone including the Jacksons? . . . Janet Jackson duets on her new album with Cliff Richard! . . . Michael’s nose job is now so unlike the way his brothers look that if you notice on all current Jacksons photos everyone else’s noses have been touched-up to match! . . . Eartha Kitt’s sleeve photo has people asking “are the legs hers?” (maybe our resident beatnik Gary Crowley could find out how long ago it was taken!) . . . The Heroes ‘Russia And America’ should be 110bpm . . . Pete Wingfield turns out to be behind Band Of Gold’s ‘Love Songs Are Back Again’ (white labels are so informative, aren’t they?) . . . James Brown is suddenly getting much reactivated interest and coincidentally the also revived Linda Clifford ‘Runaway Love‘ just happens to be a perfect if unlikely synch out of ‘Sex Machine’! . . . I was in poor form Friday at Mayfair Gullivers but Saturday’s set fitted together nicely like this: Sizzle/David Joseph ‘You Can’t Hide’ (inst remix)/Miami Sound Machine/Colonel Abrams (dub)/Temper (dub)/The Horne Section (inst)/Rick James/Prince/Jacksons 12in/chop Womack & Womack ‘Scared’/segue Maze ‘Before I Let Go (Live)’/synch through outro Jeffrey Osborne ‘Plane Love’/Steps Ahead ‘Radio-Active’ (middle bit)/Jermaine Jackson ‘Come To Me’/Klinte Jones (dub)/Ollie & Jerry/West Street Mob ‘I Can’t Stop’/chop Rufus ‘Ain’t Nobody’/Emotions . . . Gullivers got visited by a gaggle of girls who work at Dolcis in Oxford Street — and most of them kept taking their shoes off because they hurt! . . . Sunday seemed like the weather to visit Hemel Hempstead for the Whip & Collar’s alfresco alldayer, where sadly broken glass in the river at the bottom of the pub’s garden prevented the planned log rolling competition, and it was too hot for most people to do anything much more than lie around listening . . . Boring Bob plays a funk record, shock horror sensation (naturally it was four years old though), followed by a newie too! . . . Big Phil Etgart (Hackney Follies) recommends a Midlands discovery, Oddity Records in Leicester’s Indoor Market (Unit 2A, ground floor), “not a collectors shop that stocks soul but a soul specialist shop that also caters for collectors” (Leicester 56017): Phil adds cryptically, “‘judging by the final mix on both T. Ski Valley and Orlando Johnson, the Dutch must be listening to a lot of Froggy mixes” . . . Friday the 13th finds Cleveland Anderson chancing his luck with a funky boat trip from Westminster Pier at 8pm (£6 including buffet), Brian Mason at new residency London NW2’s Ashtons joined by Capital’s Roger Scott (will he do his great ‘Two Tribes’/ZZ Top ‘Legs’ mix?), Gary Campbell with a “Summer Soul Beach Party” at Harlow Whispers, York’s hopefully not smoke-damaged The Windmill in Blossom Street reopening with Bry (Godson) & Pete’s weekly soul/funk/60s night . . . Tricky Dicky, the original boy on the boys town disco scene, celebrates his 13th anniversary on the 14th (Saturday) at Stratford’s The Pigeons in Romford Road . . . Nicky A now adds Sunday lunchtime jazz at the Tudor Lodge wine bar in unfunky beer-brewing Romford, where he’s doing his best to keep the soul flag flying . . . Adrian Allen (Sunderland) warns that holidaymakers returning from Benidorm and Torremolinos are heavily into Laid Back ‘White Horse‘ . . . ITV has been showing barefoot water skiing, which looks like breakdancing on water at 40mph! . . . Ian Reading enjoys good dirty fun at Southend’s Zero 6 I hear, his recent “perversion” night resulting in four girls stripping starkers to be touched up all over (so where’s the perversion in that?) . . . Kev Hill (Harlow Whispers) reveals that LaRue himself will evidently be leaving ‘Hill Street Blues’ due to his real life alcoholism problems, while Alan Costa (Brighton Tootsies) says “wait until you see what happens to Sgt Esterhaus’s ashes” . . . Item Last: hey, hey, LET’S HAVE WHIPPED CREAM AND HOT FUDGE OUT THERE!

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HOT VINYL

HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES: ‘Today’s Your Lucky Day’ (US Philly World Records PWR 2019)
(Selling fast on import although already promoed here ahead of UK release in a fortnight (London LONX 52), this “roulette”-introed electronically backed purposeful 114bpm chugger has a girl called Nikko contributing greatly to what’s really a soulful duet, with nice piano breaking briefly through the skittering busy beats or dominating the usefully clean instrumental dub flip. However will soul “purists” reconcile themselves to the backing?!

WINDJAMMER: ‘Tossing And Turning’ (MCA MCAT 897)
Look out now and accept no substitute for the 12in sleeve newly stickered “Hot Re-Mix by the Funky Sisters”, because — whoever they are — they’ve transformed what was always a lovely soul song into a really dynamite much tougher dancer, faster at 112bpm, with “eye-cued” beefy new long intro and breaks just made for mixing (unlike the original — ‘Automatic’ works well). A remix what is a remix?!

THE COOL NOTES: ‘You’re Never Too Young’ (Abstract Dance Records AD 001)
In the groove of last year’s summer tempo hits, this attractively rolling (0-)100bpm purposeful semi-slow weaver has gurgling chix wailing sweetly then grittily over the jerky electro beats and some lovely guitar and synth twiddles — yeah, these girls can sing! Frantic instrumental samba 0-128bpm ‘Sound Of Summer‘ flip. Continue reading “July 14, 1984: Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Windjammer, The Cool Notes, Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields, T.H.S. (The Horne Section)”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JAMES BROWN is suddenly hip to hop recording a “duet” with Afrika Bambaataa (whose ‘A Hip Hop History‘ will be on BBC2 July 12!) and the subject of the latest mastermix ‘Lesson Two‘ by cut ’em up DJs Double Dee & Steinski (on Disconet but circulating as a cassette), which brilliantly mixes up Brown classics with snippets of Junior ‘Mama’, Tweety Pie, Clint Eastwood’s “do you feel lucky, punk?”, Sly Stone ‘Dance To The Music’ — Double Dee & Steinski meanwhile have also redone their original much-sought GLOBE & Whiz Kid ‘Play That Beat Mr DJ’ mastermix using now just Tommy Boy label material, for release here via Island (who picked up everything on the label bar Afrika Bam) . . . Steve Harvey has remixed Arrow with a new dub flip too, due imminently . . . Shannon Green knows how to make friends and influence people by not turning up for PAs (if she’d sent her producers’ beat box instead it would have been more interesting anyway!), but we weren’t too worried at Mayfair Gullivers last week what with Stevie Wonder, Fela Kuti and Ingram all hitting the floor there as punters — incidentally, Stevie’s photo last week leads one to hope he isn’t going deaf as well . . . Hugh Masekela ‘Don’t Go Lose It Baby‘ is huge US Disco/Dance (which, along with US Black 45s & Pop, Prince has indeed topped), while coming up fast is Klinte Jones — others big there but not here include Cherrelle ‘I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On‘ 12in mix, Loleatta Holloway ‘Crash Goes Love‘, Nuance ‘Take A Chance‘ . . . Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ LP is totally pop, which is far from a criticism as it’s brilliant(-ish), merely a warning . . . Jane Eugene of Loose Ends almost didn’t get a visa for the States — she told the truth, that she was going there to make an album! . . . Eleanor Grant’s dad Richard Mack happens to own her label Catawba! . . . Eartha Kitt’s sleeve photo has people asking “are the legs hers?” (maybe Gary Crowley could find out) . . . Greg Edwards starts a new additional soul show on Capital this Friday 9pm-midnight . . . Redhill/Reigate’s future ILR station Mercury Radio has already poached London’s most exciting and individual DJ, which can’t be bad . . . Gary Oldis (Dalton Piercy Slix) guests with Dave Brown on Radio Tees ‘Nightlife’ this Saturday (7) . . . Denise LaSalle & Latimore finally made it on to Radio 2 . . . Chaka Khan’s upcoming LP has either/and/or prod/pen/acc contributions from not only John Robie but also Stevie Wonder, Prince, Melle Mel, Hawk Wolinski, Reggie Griffin, Burt Bacharach, Russ Titleman, Robbie Buchanan, David Foster, Michael Sembello and operations overlord Arif Mardin . . . Malaco snapped up Jocelyn Brown’s evidently brand new ‘Too Through‘ for rush release . . . Graham Gold has cut down to just one afternoon a week on JFM as he’s feeling his age — 30 today (happy birthday)! . . . Eddy James, now on Skyline 90.2FM Sunday 8-10pm, joins Nicky Holloway Thursdays at London Bridge Tooley Street Royal Oak with upfront soul, free B4 10 . . . Nicky A now souls alternate Fridays (like this week, 6) at Romford’s Jaffas, ex-Reservation Club — ta for the drink! . . . Mike’s brother Brian Gardner funks Fridays at The Korker Club in South Bermondsey’s Apples & Pears (free admission) . . . Friday (6) Cleveland Anderson funks Uxbridge University, Dave Smith hosts a “superheroes” 50p drinks night at Mayfair Samantha’s (next to Rockafella’s eaterie), Pete Haigh & Richard Searling have monthly “Mecca soul” at Blackpool Baskerville’s, Colin Hudd starts the weekly non-acrobatic club dancer heats at Dartford Flicks, Chris Kaye crosses the Thames to Canvey Goldmine, Southgate Pink Elephant start weekly “Miss String Vest” heats . . . Sunday (8) Stockwell Academy’s 1pm, electro hip hop alldayer has America’s Whiz Kid with Mastermind, Steve Devonne, Jonathan and more all cutting for the crews, Hemel Hempstead Whip & Collar’s noon-10.30pm “Olympics” alldayer (in a marquee with barbeque) has Martin Collins, Jeff Young, Pete Tong, Bob Jones, Joe Field, Ralph Tee & Mike Allin supervising silly sports, Leeds Tiffany’s 3pm alldayer has the Academy Bodypoppers, US DJ Munch, Colin Curtis, Tim Westwood, Simon Walsh, Baz Maleady, Kenny Macleod ‘n more . . . Frenchie T (could his name be Tony French?) and DJ Everton soul Birmingham Maximillians every Sunday for sophisticated dressers (and ladies who like them) . . . Charing Cross Heaven’s “Hi-NRG” theme party Saturday (7) could have the most boys town acts ever assembled in one place at one time, rumoured to include Evelyn Thomas, Divine, Marsha Raven, Hot Gossip, Kelly Marie, Paul Parker, Simone, Nicci Gable, Life Force, Astaire, Betty Valentine (of American Fade) and more — not forgetting Ian ‘Dimples’ Levine! . . . Divine is live at Rayleigh Pink Toothbrush Tuesday (10) on Steve Cochrane’s Hi-NRG night . . . Change next Wednesday (11) play Luton Pink Elephant, where Matt Johnson slips in some pretty heavy hip hop (or is that at St Albans Adelaide?) . . . I’d consider doing a separate Electro chart if only we had more hip hop contributors — c’mon guys, you know this is one BOF who’d rather hear next month’s hit today than some dredged up oldie from 1979, so send ’em in! . . . I did say, way back last autumn, that Grandmaster Melle Mel was a Top 20 hit — and at the time many thought I was crazy . . . Odyssey ‘Don’t Tell Me Tell Her‘ is apparently being dredged up again around London, while in the States John Luongo has just remixed A Taste Of Honey ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ . . . Sugarhill have reissued the late Linda Jones’ ‘Greatest Hits’ LP on US Chess . . . James Brown’s son Daryl Brown is percussionist of new “pop-funk” trio Realeyes . . . Fatman Graham Canter is back at Piccadilly Xenon Mon/Sat helping resident ace mixer French Fernand from Guadeloupe . . . I did a smooth long “upfront” mix at Gullivers last Saturday: Beau Williams ‘Vie’/Patrice Rushen (dub)/Cerrone (dub)/Grand Groove Bunch ‘Groove’/Orlando Johnson/Fatback ‘Found’/Cheryl Lynn/ Lillo Thomas/Kashif ‘Ooh Love’/Jermaine Jackson ‘Come’/Klinte Jones (dub)/Miami Sound Machine/Colonel Abrams (dub)/Brass Construction ‘International’ — let’s just say, they fit! . . . Roger Dynamite must be having difficulties at his Gt Yarmouth Tiffany’s ’60s Fridays as his entire ’60s/Northern Soul collection was stolen in his car — he got the vehicle back (in a few pieces) but offers substantial rewards for info about the records (0502-60340) . . . Rob Harknett (027-979 2329) after 12 years of Thursdays at Gilbey Vintners Social Club is now after other pop gigs on that night . . . Remaxium 24-track recording studio and rehearsal room is about to open in South London’s Clapham Park Road with real cheapo-cheapo introductory rates (01-627 3507) . . . I finally got mail posted to me on June 8 three weeks later on the 27th, but if you think we got it bad Mark Clark of Wokingham’s Mark One Records reports a Polish DJ customer of theirs had to queue for a week just to use the phone to call and place an order! . . . LET’S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE . . .

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HOT VINYL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJwkIpDw4ec

MAIN LINE: ‘One And Only (Jackson Medley)’ (Malaco MAL 12-25)
No, not you know who, it’s his vocal impersonator Jessie Daniels further confusing the issue as he does on the here restructured 120-119½-120-119½bpm medley, the one which producer Began Cekic originally made as a copy of Alan Coulthard’s Disco Mix Club megamix. Of most interest to Michael maniacs but neat enough for dancers — although it’s a pity they couldn’t have found a Vincent Price impersonator too!

LEON BRYANT: ‘Finders Keepers’ LP (US De-Lite DSR 8507)
This huskily masculine soul singer’s set just gets better the more I hear it: already mentioned are the great rolling 94bpm title track and gentler also 94bpm ‘Never‘, but now the Clyde McPhatter-ish drifting 72½bpm ‘You’re My Everything‘ and Jackie Wilson/Sam Cooke-ish 50-52/104-106bpm ‘I Can See Me Loving You‘ have really snuck up on me, while others are into the grittily pumping 0-108bpm ‘I’m Gonna Put A Spell On You‘ and snappy 0-106bpm ‘Are You Ready (Until Tonight)‘ — which isn’t to forget the 77bpm ‘Your Kind Of Lovin‘ and jerkily speeding 125bpm ‘Honey‘. So satisfying it should be the next Womack & Womack, thoroughly recommended.

COLONEL ABRAMS: ‘Music Is The Answer’ (US Streetwise SWRL 2235)
Gruffly sung snickety-spit 121bpm jittery fast leaper, far stronger and more infectious in its fabulous largely instrumental dub version with tootling flute and echoing scat building a hefty D Train-ish drive that just refuses to quit and looks like being huge (synch it out of ‘Dr Beat’ — what !), flipped also for exceptional value by his recent minor US hit deep soul 0-63-64½-0bpm ‘Leave The Message Behind The Door‘ smoocher — a big attraction in itself. Continue reading “July 7, 1984: Main Line, Leon Bryant, Colonel Abrams, Lillo Thomas, Donald D”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS

JULY’S ISSUE sees the DJ’s only (currently 1,300 Subscribers) Disco Mix Club graduate from cassette to vinyl, the mixes on one album and preview excerpts on another — which will make the mixes really easy to use at last . . . Kenny G ‘Hi How Ya Doin’?’ is evidently due again in yet another new remix, flipped by a live version . . . Lionel Richie’s next LP will finally be preceded in August by the 12in coupling of ‘Love Will Find A Way’/’Penny Lover’ — nothing like leaving the best till last, huh?! . . . ‘Beat Street’, volume one of the movie’s soundtrack LPs, is now out here (Atlantic 780 154-1), as belatedly is the Fatback ‘Phoenix’ LP (Cotillion 790 168-1) — this latter totally overshadowed here by their older ‘I Found Lovin’ hit, the remix of which was by Master Mix label co-owner Lewis Hayes, who happens to be son of the late jazz saxist Tubby Hayes . . . Marsha Raven’s Dutch remix is now on her UK flip, while Evelyn Thomas has been remixed (with a remixed instrumental flip) on US TSR 12in . . . Ian Levine is back in the studio with Barbara Pennington, who’s been kicking her heels in Chicago since he recorded her last in ’78 . . . Laser’s aerial was hit by lightning even as I typed last week’s copy, but is back in action again pumping out exciting all-hit radio on 558MW, where you’re truly “never more than a minute away from music” — unlike on Horizon, for instance, which these days seems to be wall to wall advertisements and tedious telephone numbers . . . DBC (Dread Broadcasting Corp) has moved to 94FM — actually they say it’s 93.9 — and although not full time they were certainly pumping out reggae, soul and intelligent jazz oldies from Thursday onwards last week in “North-West Central” London, to become my favoured listening at the time (as maybe you can guess, recent theft means I now listen to new Blaupunkt Toronto with auto-search electronic tuning, which can be — and is — removed whenever I park!) . . . Worthing And Brighton Commercial Radio WABC 102.7FM has a soul show Sundays 11am-5pm with the likes of Paul Bentley, Andy King, Paul Clark, Mick Fuller . . . Jon Guy plays “quality daytime musics” during his Saturday 2-7am dawn shift on Stockport/South Manchester pirate KFM (what wavelength?) . . . Gary Mathews on Dublin Community Radio DCR Stereo 105FM does a Friday 9-11pm soul and dance music show — only weekly though, unlike rival Tony Turner’s daily slot on Radio Dublin . . . Paul DeKane (Hull Romeo’s & Juliet’s) mixes a special weekly ‘Tasty Mixer’ for the Friday edition of Carl Kingston’s 6-7pm Electric Wireless Show on BBC Radio Humberside 96.9FM/1485MW . . . Dartford Flicks are managing another protege of Colin Hudd to rival his earlier legendary discovery the appalling Ian Moore, who thought he could dance: this new guy thinks he can sing, under the name of Hughie Chunder! . . . O’Bryan ‘Lovelite‘ topped US ‘Black’ 45s with Prince ‘When Doves Cry’ looking almost certain to have replaced it by the time you read this . . . ‘Electric Breakdance‘, a K-tel compiled US LP (Dominion NU 2320) could be useful even at import prices as it has Newcleus ‘Jam On It’, Melle Mel ‘White Lines’, D Train ‘You’re The One For Me’, Twilight 22 ‘Electric Kingdom’, GLOBE & Whiz Kid ‘Play That Beat Mr DJ’, Whodini ‘Magic’s Wand’, Run-DMC ‘It’s Like That’, Double Vision ‘Clock On The Wall‘, BT & The City Slickers ‘Rockit‘ — the trouble is, as this package exemplifies, the USA is so late in latching onto electro hip hop — now largely due to the Breakdance-type films and Shannon hits — that there will be no stimulus for producers there to develop the sound they’ve been making for ages, while here this lack of freshness has already made hip hop sound predictable to ears that tuned into it from the outset . . . Adrian Dunbar (Southampton Raffles) sees something similar happening to Hi-NRG with a glut of UK product swamping the chart as small labels board the bandwagon in the (misguided?) hope it’ll make them money: he thinks “fast disco” could be a passing fad with the general public and hopes Hi-NRG will soon return underground, and mainly on import . . . Norman Scott (Harringey Bolts) got criticised by some first (and last) time visitors from Heaven for playing “too much Hi-NRG music”: Norman in turn predicts now Hi-NRG has crossed over that the gays will be searching for something new to identify with — he also says that his Wednesday oldies night at Charing Cross Road Busby’s is attracting 800 weekly, ironically more than double the number at the Monday Bang gay night there . . . Rick Robinson (Lee Danielle’s Fri/Sat, Penge McCormack’s Sun) has added a Thursday oldies night at Bermondsey Dockhead’s Swan & Sugarloaf, where he’ll be keeping to “credible” ’66-’80 shades of soul . . . Trevor ‘Redeye’ Hughes, back in action around Telford, reports Shropshire’s current biggies are the 18 month old Tin Tin ‘Kiss Me (US Remix)‘ (WEA Curve), 3 year old Animal Magnet ‘Welcome To The Monkey House‘ (EMI) and of course 5 year old Sister Sledge — the first two of course have a reputation in the Midlands already, but are also now huge for Nick Davies on his Sunday “alternative” nights at Watford’s New Penny (where with an enlarged stage Mr Harris is after guest PAs on Watford 22003) . . . Adrian Allen at South Shields ancient Chelsea Cat scores with oldies of a funkier hue, Freeez ‘Southern Freeez’ and Bobby Rush ‘Wanna Do The Do‘ (he’d welcome offers of the latter in better nick than his on Boldon 364895) . . . New Hill (Harlow Whispers) is one of those reviving Linda Clifford ‘Runaway Love‘ (Curtom/US promo remix), but John Dane (Bishopsgate BB’s Mon-Fri, Portsmouth Ritzy Sat) reckons Johnny Bristol ‘Love No Longer Has A Hold On Me‘ (Ariola Hansa) could be the next ‘Thinking Of You’ . . . John DeSade goes right against the grain this Sunday (1) reviving nothing but Beatles at Leysdown King Henry’s Club — mummy, what’s a Beatle? . . . Ian Reading, an oldie of a different ilk, celebrates his birthday Thursday (28) at Southend Zero 6 International . . . Friday (29) Chris Hill souls Tottenham Valentino’s, Robbie Vincent souls Dartford Flicks with Jaki Graham, Chris Dinnis souls Taunton Kingston’s, JFM’s Graham Gold funks Southgate Pink Elephant early before returning to Mayfair Gullivers (with yours truly) to host a Shannon PA and hand over a hi-fi in our “arrive before midnight” lucky draw . . . Chris Kaye does Southborough Royal Victoria Hall Fri (29), Tonbridge Angel Centre Sat (30) — cor, ‘Angel’, we know about her, don’t we boys?! . . . Divine plays Edinburgh Fire Island Sunday (1), when Shannon starts touring at Nottingham Rock City’s 3pm alldayer (with Jonathan, Shaun Williams, Colin Curtis, Baz Fe Jazz, the usual crew) before visiting London’s Venue Mon (2), Luton Pink Elephant Wed (4) . . . Pete Haigh hopes his Monday Funk & Soul Club at “funk starved” Blackpool’s Secrets will get the support he has in Wigan and Lancaster . . . Steel City Gary Senior is now slipping in some electro and lovers rock on Tuesdays at Chesterfield Fascination . . . Gary Hallwood souls Wednesdays at Watford’s Levi pub in St Albans Road (free admission) . . . Big Phil Etgart is also free at Hackney Follies (Victoria Park) on Saturdays, and re-starts his “history of soul” on Sundays at Greenford Barbarella’s following its grand re-opening next Thursday (5) — where the rest of the team is Chris ‘Tequila’ Paul Wed/Fri, Darryl Le Moody Thur/Sat . . . Steve Bryant runs a fax ‘n info crammed fanzine Souled Out, similar to New Blackbeat but published only every 4-5 months so less current in its news, good for trivia freaks at 65p or £1.95 for three issues (UK rates) from 141 Pembroke Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG3 8PF . . . Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields has produced for his new label RCA a Boston girlie group called Ouch! doing a revival of the late great Linda Jones’ classic ‘Hypnotized‘ . . . Manhattan Transfer’s next LP will be all straight jazz with much new material created by scat pioneer Jon Hendricks, of the ’50s Lambert, Hendricks & Ross group who remain so influential (the Ross was our own Annie Ross) . . . Chuck Jackson, the ex-Independents singer and producing partner of Marvin Yancy rather than the veteran solo soul star, turns out to be the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s brother! . . . Gary Glitter’s new hit was helped by possibly the best picture-disc yet, a die-cut upright figure (with the very small 33 1/3rpm disc bit forming just the centre part) . . . Chris Britton (0442-41700) after four years finally left Watford Baileys to freelance again and would love sensible offers of a “party nite”-type gig within the Home Counties . . . Colchester sounds a dangerous place to visit if you’re black — ask Second Image, and be warned, and LET’S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE, HUH?

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HOT VINYL

PHIL FEARON & GALAXY: ‘Everybody’s Laughing’ (Ensign 12ENY 514)
Starting with chix and percussion before the now typical beat beefs up, this latest frothy 115bpm shuffle ‘n kick swinger has steel drums and some sizzling trumpet — by none other than Tom Browne, who’s featured on one of the flip’s more immediate instrumental versions, the other featuring Brass Construction keyboardist Randy Muller, although a flute seems most dominant on his. Megamixers will have a field day combining all three treatments!

T. SKI VALLEY: ‘Catch The Beat (Scratch The Beat)’ (Belgian BMC 3597)
So, a new “scratch” version does exist of this approximately four years old weaving funky summer tempo rap classic, which never went out of date and now thanks to pirate plays and dancefloor reaction in London at least looks all set to be the next Fatback-type “sleeper” smash! Remixed by Pascal B with some effective scratching and a bit of phasing near the end, it’s now a faster 106½-108-109-106½bpm while the instrumental flip is 103-104½-105bpm — however, still just as powerful remains the original ‘!Catch The Beat!‘ (US Grand Groove 7701) at 105(intro)-103-104-105-103bpm and especially the Grand Groove Bunch credited 102½-104-105bpm ‘!Catch The Groove!‘ instrumental flip, which latter is terrific out of Mary Jane Girls ‘All Night Long’ or with such hot tempo hits as indeed ‘I Found Lovin’. Catch the beat, indeed!

DETROIT SPINNERS: ‘Love Is In Season’ (Atlantic A9649T)
This is the hit, finally on 12in here, a gorgeous mellow gentle 101bpm swayer in traditional soul vocal group style with bass voice playing a key role to melt summer holidaymakers hearts, flipped by their classic old swaying 100-105bpm ‘Could It Be I’m Falling In Love’ and episodic slow ‘Living A Little Laughing A Little’. Continue reading “June 30, 1984: Phil Fearon & Galaxy, T. Ski Valley, Detroit Spinners, Brass Construction, Prince”