James Hamilton's Disco Page

BEATS AND PIECES

MECCA DJs will be compiling their own dance floor chart for use by Pete Waterman on his TV and radio shows, which promises to be an accurate reflection of their particular customers’ taste but — if the individual DJ’s charts featured by him on ‘The Hit Man And Her’ are any guide — is likely to be behind rather than ahead of even the pop chart . . . Partners In Kryme ‘Turtle Power (Single Edit)‘ (SBK 12 TURTLE 1), a gruffly rolling rap (105¼bpm) with an already ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ hyped up pre-teen market, wasn’t promoed to clubs but may cross over to them following its instant pop success . . . Prince contributes the song ‘If I Luv U Tonight‘ to Mica Paris’s next album, co-produced by Curtis Mantronik and featuring guest appearances by Rakim, Bobby Womack, Chaka Khan, and Nile Rodgers too . . . Nicky Holloway provided the groovy sounds for Madonna’s private disco party in London last week, where the champagne flowed without limit . . . Barry, South Wales, based Alan Coulthard has just completed a Janet Jackson megamix out of the tracks from her ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ album, for creatively marketed release shortly . . . Graham Gold, giving up the compilation of the continuously segued DiscEyes video tapes to take up his key role at London’s KISS-fm, is however being retained by Diamond Time to sequence in smooth running order a new monthly Club Clips service of the 20 best current club music videos (subscription details on 071-433 3355) . . . Mike ‘Hitman’ Wilson featuring Shawn Christopher’s excellent already previewed ‘Another Sleepless Night’ turns out to be due on Arista (613 506) . . . Model 500 ‘Ocean To Ocean (Juan’s Magic Mix)’ is promoed on a single sided pressing which perhaps jokingly labels the totally blank flip as containing two tracks called ‘Sublime Ambient’ and ‘Silence’! . . . Trinidadian David Rudder’s Margareth Menezes supported ‘Dark Secret’ (from the motion picture ‘Wild Orchid’) not surprisingly was promoed to DJs in the joyfully fluid X-Rated RnB Mix reviewed last week, really the remix, instead of its ponderously lurching and chanting original version (also 119½bpm), which however is differently flipped by two much better Charlies Roots supported soca tracks, ‘One More Officer’ (110½bpm) and ‘Basement Party’ (99bpm) . . . Ice Cube’s album ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’, recently reviewed in full on import, is now out here (4th + B’way BRLP 551) — while Public Enemy’s older ‘Fear Of A Black Planet’ album has been repressed in the US as a special promo-only and ultra collectable “Limited Edition Rapp Control DJ 3-Album Set”, giving extra oomph to its many tracks as they are now spread more spaciously across three “Terminator X DJ Performance Discs” . . . Mystic Knights, whose ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ is finally out commercially, are Sheffield based Greg ‘Starburst’ Robinson and Lee ‘Mr Sheen’ Ho-Shing . . . James ‘DJ’ Sammon, jocking at Bradford’s Capricorn Club Fri/Saturdays, has his own ‘Transformer Dream’ single due on Greedy Beat Records . . . Danny Rampling, Fabio, Groove Rider, Nicky Holloway, Terry Farley and Nancy Noise with The Beloved live on stage are all at The Black & White Summer Ball this Saturday (28) at Brixton’s Academy (£12.50 ticket hotline on 081-392 2922), where black or white must be worn . . . Jeff Thomas, back funkin’ Swansea’s Martha’s Vineyard on Mondays, is joined once again by Jeff Young next week (July 30) — when Lisa Loud, Nicky Holloway (yet another name check!) and Leary Lynn start a Loud ‘N’ Leary night at Soho’s Milk Bar (next to the Astoria) . . . Lee James Ramsden, dance music editor of local paper The Visitor, spins mainly soul and funk on Mondays at Morecambe’s Mermaid fun pub . . . DJ Madhatter and guest jock Justin Robertson break the musical rules on no dress restriction Blush Wednesdays at Standish’s Mirage near Wigan . . . DJ Jumpin’ Jim (no sillier a name than Guru Josh!) does techno/acid/house/rap Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sundays at Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Cats Disco Bar (pub hours) . . . Jason Bushby is not only jocking now at Stockton’s Bianco’s but also running JAZ Promotions, and looking (on 0542-473208) for dance acts to work in the Cleveland area . . . 3 Stripe Productions/ffrr is the latest logo to appear on a promotional slipmat . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Matt Black and Jonathan More of Coldcut, and James Hamilton

THINK TANK ‘A Knife And Fork’
PLEZ ‘Can’t Stop (Acid Rain Forest DMR Zone Mix)’/‘Miss Thing’
BDP ‘Love’s Gonna Get ‘Cha’
XPANSIONS ‘Elevation’
BOGUS ORDER ‘Zen Brakes (EP)’: ‘Granny Zen’/‘Zen In Africa’/‘Zen Bones’/‘One More Summer Of Zen’
BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND ‘Disciples Of Funk’/‘Jungle Bass’
SHADES OF RHYTHM ‘Frequency (LP)’: ‘The Exorcist’/‘Carry The Swing’/‘Sweet Sensation’/‘Jackin’ Jamboree’/‘One Black One White One Brown’
THE JAZ ‘The Originators’/‘Doped Up’
VELVET TOUCH ‘Sunday Morning (Sat Nite Bass Mix/Bells Mix)’
REVELATION ‘Synth It’
THE YOUNG AND RECKLESS ‘If You Gave Me A Chance’

ELAINE HUDSON featuring Sydney Youngblood ‘No More The Fool (12″ Mix)’ (93bpm) (RCA PT 43440)
Not in fact due commercially until August 13, this Love Unlimited Orchestra ‘Love’s Theme’-like strings introed then Soul II Soul-ishly jiggled superb soaringly wailed jogging swayer is also in different teasingly introed Timmy Thomas-ishly underpinned Ambient Mix and fractionally slower funky drummered abrupt 7″ Mix (92¾bpm) versions, while on promo it has been twin-packed with — for eventual separate release — the ELAINE HUDSON with B.S.O.G. credited vigorously churning Betty Boo-type rapped/sung and samples studded ‘Bow Wow Wow‘ (119¾bpm) plus the similarly breezy hip house ‘Wam Bam‘ (116¾bpm), and B.S.O.G. alone’s Vivaldi meets Beats International-type funky drummer and rococo strings combining ‘Cooler Moments Of Vivaldi‘ (101bpm).

LOOSE ENDS ‘Don’t Be A Fool (Extended Version)’ (98½bpm) (10 Records TENX 312)
Produced by the group’s Carl McIntosh, this eagerly awaited (due fully on August 13) return to vinyl sidesteps neatly from their old SOS Band influence to the now inevitably appropriate Soul II Soul style of drily rumbling wriggly groove for a Jane cooed repetitive chunky jiggler, which may not be the strongest actual song ever but should fill funkier dance floors, flipped by its more jazzily flavoured Instrumental (98¾bpm) plus the little smurfs punctuated snappily chugging sparse instrumental ‘Let’s Wax A Fatty‘ (120½bpm), whatever that means!

G.T.O. ‘Pure’ (125bpm) (Cooltempo COOLX 218)
Finally out here after already hitting hard on the same Dutch label that gave us D-Shake, and obviously now a crossover smash of similar stature, this possibly more Bizz Nizz like bounding instrumental galloper has whistles and other enthusiastic rave effects increasing the simple excitement of its Pure Energy main treatment, or a gentler Arabic flavoured Journey Mix and short slow ambient Beautiful Mix (47/94bpm). Continue reading “July 28, 1990: Elaine Hudson/Sydney Youngblood, Loose Ends, G.T.O., Ben Liebrand/Nasty Chat, S*Express”

BEATS AND PIECES

IN CASE you’re wondering why nobody in the UK dance music business has been answering their telephone lately, just about everyone is in New York at the New Music Seminar! (I however have taken the more sensible option, and been to Devon!) . . . A&M’s pressing of the ‘Oh Susanna’ version of ‘Tom’s Diner’ is revealingly credited to D.N.A. featuring Suzanne Vega — yes, it seems that its remixers were the same team responsible for the Rondo Venezziano adapting supposedly Italian ‘La Serenissima’, which thus obviously also came from no further afield than Bristol! . . . Stepz meanwhile has really been out in Italy supplying a guest rap for the next Black Box single — do you bet it comes two-thirds of the way through? . . . ‘Easy Life’ is being lifted from the Cabaret Voltaire EP as their next single . . . Glen Goldsmith’s current A-side will soon be relegated to the flip of a brand new duet by him with MC Hammer . . . Gary Mayo, Paul Lyons and Maxi Million are split between two rooms with apparently slammin’ sound systems at Cardiff’s Tom-Tom Club and urgently need guest PAs on 0222-342234 . . . Cheltenham’s The Prom Club now has Upfront ’90 Tuesday nights (10pm-2am) with Paul Anthony playing nothing but hot newies . . . Doyado is every other Saturday (including this week’s, July 21) at Woodys in Westbourne Green’s Woodfield Road, off the Harrow Road, with DJs Femi, Shake & Fingerpop, Lacelles, Eddie Piller and Mannaseh spinning funk, rap, jazz and reggae . . . Digger Elias’s swingbeat, purple and hip hop Bounced night has indeed bounced successfully from Wednesdays at Mayfair’s Legends to Fridays at Soho’s W1 Club, and now also as of this week to Saturdays in Moscow at 62 Frith Street (where board games seem to be played too) . . . Coventry’s Dog & Trumpet having closed as a leading dance venue, Robin ‘Lof’ Moorcroft has retired from its DJ team leaving Toby Davis and Paul T now playing their upfront eclectic toons at Browns . . . Paul French at last has a telephone in his new home on which to receive offers of another upfront gig to follow his six years at Gillingham’s The Avenue, the number being 0634-50894 . . . Herb Alpert’s ‘Rise’, not ‘Rotation’, is the beat I meant in last week’s Lalah Hathaway review (I got my R’s mixed up!) . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Graeme Park and James Hamilton

DEEE-LITE ‘Groove Is In The Heart’/’What Is Love?’
BOCCA JUNIORS ‘Raise (63 Steps To Heaven) (Redskin Rock/Philly House Mixes)’
SUBSONIC TWO ‘We Go Subsonic’
BODY ‘Touch Me Up’
CISCO FERREIRA ‘Why Don’t You Answer?’/‘The Feel’/‘Cisco’s Groove’
DEE HOLLOWAY ‘I Won’t Surrender’
SEX AND PASSION ‘One More Time’
TOO KOOL CHRIS ‘Gotta Make Some Noise (Bad Boy Mix)’

THE PASADENAS ‘Reeling’ (96bpm) (CBS PASA T5)
Apparently combining the three mixes that were split between two promos, the commercial pressing of this pleasantly plaintive jogging soul swayer therefore presumably has David Morales’ lushly harmonised (with an exciting guttural outburst) Daytime Dance Mix, Joe Dworniak’s sparsely rumbling and tapping DW Mix, and the previously separate juddering jittery Bruce Forest Mix.

JOY SALINAS ‘Stay Tonight’

MAUREEN WALSH ‘Thinking Of You (Rough & Ragged Mix)’ (96-96¼bpm) (Urban URBXR 55)
The Sister Sledge revival given a sax introed mushily pleasant more reggae-ish Steve Travell remix, still with rapping Kev Won’s raggamuffin outburst, which is also in the flip’s jolting tougher JB grunt and repetitive smurf punctuated different Ren Swan mixed Rough & Ragged Dub (96¼bpm) but not the A-side echoing attractive Dubwise Without Rap (96-96¼bpm).

BBG ‘Some Kind Of Heaven’
NAYOBE ‘I Love The Way You Love Me’
THE DOC ‘Portrait Of A Masterpiece (CJ’s Ed-did-it Mix)’
BANG THE PARTY ‘Release It ‘90’
RYDIMS ‘Rydim #1 (Mello Mix/Deep And Nice Mix)’/‘Rydim #2’/‘18 & Under’
JULIAN JONAH ‘It’s A Jungle Out There’
BIG HARD EXCELLENT FISH ‘Imperfect List’
MODEL 500 ‘Ocean To Ocean (Juan’s Magic Mix)’
KAOS ‘Gonna Get Over U (Komix Smooth Club Mix)’
ART SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ‘A.S.T.’/‘Esus Flow’
SCRAM ‘I Believe’
THE IT ‘On Top Of The World’ LP Sampler: ‘Brazilian Love Dance’/‘Rain Forest Serenade’/‘When Will We Learn’/‘Never Let You Down’/‘State Of The World’
FIERCE RULING DIVA ‘Whipped Kream (Aural Excitement Mix)’
STEPPFORD WIVES ‘2,000 Light Years From Home’
MOODSWINGS ‘Spiritual High’

ORIGINAL CLIQUE ‘Ten To Midnight E.P.’ (Chill TUV 1, via 0582 493380)
Not from Sheffield, not from Leeds, but from Luton — and it out bleeps the lot of ’em! — this electro instrumental four tracker has the bubbly bounding ‘Come To Papa’ (123½bpm) which apart from some muttered title line repetition consists of nothing but bleeps, the effects and samples washed sturdily cantering ‘Mayhem‘ (120bpm), the hustling and blipping electronically percussive ‘U = Underground‘ (121 bpm), plus the percolating ‘Xamax‘ (119¾bpm) which briefly loses the beat near the start in a confusion of cross rhythms, but it’s not bad considering they were apparently recorded in something akin to a coal hole!

JAM ON THE MUTHA ‘Hotel California’ (91¾bpm) (W.A.U! Mr. Modo Recordings MWS 027T)
Taking a while to surface since my original warning and in fact still not out fully until August 6, this revived Eagles’ FM rock oldie gets a ponderously jiggling Promised Land type rhythm backing on a 33⅓rpm 12 inch in its vocal Ibiza 90 Mix, but which perhaps more interestingly in its similar though vocal-less Instru-Mental Mix when played at 45rpm (as I did at first by mistake!) comes out in a perfectly credible and undistorted percussively scrubbing Italo house style (123½bpm) that to my mind is a lot brighter, there being an unrelated short basic thumping instrumental ‘Jam’ (110¾bpm) too. Continue reading “July 21, 1990: The Pasadenas, Maureen Walsh, Original Clique, Jam On The Mutha, Wildski”

BEATS AND PIECES

‘SILENT VOICE’ by Innocence, now that it’s due commercially (Cooltempo COOLX 212), is flipped not only by its chunkier short Senza Voce instrumental but also by a brand new atmospheric Doors ‘Riders On The Storm’ introed No-one Here Gets Out Alive remix of the earlier ‘Natural Thing’ (103bpm), without any Pink Floyd this time . . . Cooltempo are following up their success with Bizz Nizz and D-Shake by releasing the similar G.T.O. here . . . Squire Sound & Light has moved in Manchester from Salford to a purpose built unit (claimed to be now the largest disco equipment store in Europe) on Mercury Way, off Barton Dock Road in Trafford Park . . . Sunset Radio sales executive Peter (The Pilot) Lewyckyj is looking for increased record and video advertising on 061-953 5353 to help the Manchester black music station stay flourishing . . . Manchester’s new Eastern Bloc Records associated dance label, FRO is building a DJ mailing list at PO Box 265, Manchester M1 . . . Tom Henry is creating a brand new data base for the DJ mailing list at Club Preview UK, 6/9 Salisbury Promenade, Green Lanes, London N8 0RX (081-809 1460) . . . KISS-fm, gearing up for its September 1 launch date, has another of its rare groove collectors aimed Record Fairs this Sunday (July 15), 9am-4pm, in Highgate at Archway Road’s Jacksons Lane Community Centre . . . August Bank Holiday’s traditional Bournemouth weekender after eight years is moving right along the coast to Brighton, at the Metropole Hotel August 25-27, with Norman Jay, Bob Masters, Simon Dunmore, Nicky Holloway, Chris Brown, Jay Strongman, Bob Jones, Gilles Peterson, Gary Dennis, Paul Clark, Leo Ryan, Karl Brown, Dave Lyn, Def Dorris spinning soul, rap, garage, rare groove and some jazz but no house (the message being, “This is not a rave”) — only 850 strictly limited £25 tickets are available on 081-546 2754 and full accommodation details on 0273-607891 . . . Kent Soul Festival’s DJs, however, do have a Summer Rave at the Lido in Margate that Bank Holiday Monday, 4pm-midnight August 27 — free membership and £8 tickets on 0233-633652 . . . Wayout at Pentney Abbey near King’s Lynn on Friday, August 3, will feature Mark Purdy, Steve Jason, Chris James, Freaky D and Richard of Richard’s Parties playing big beats in a marquee plus Jamie Trundle, Steve Jackson and Ian Mortimer spinning laid back and alternative sounds in the actual abbey — advance tickets on 0945-63166 . . . Edinburgh’s Dream on Fridays at The Mission has severed all links with Glasgow’s Slam and gone its own very separate way, DJ Bootsy digging out classic pre-house dance tracks in a retrospective return to the US black tradition (which seems a roundabout way of saying soul oldies!) . . . Kym Daniels fires up Swanley’s Hickory’s on Fridays and Saturdays, the former strictly for house freaks . . . Thursdays’ Sub Club at Notting Hill’s Subterrania has come to an abrupt early end . . . Joy Barling Loyla (Theo’s missus), previously known as an artist but now an award winning long distance equestrian, is, with her horse Hero, representing Great Britain in a 100 mile endurance race in Stockholm on August 1, to meet some of the cost of which she is selling the original artwork of her most famous illustration, the well remembered cover for Level 42’s first album (it became their logo in the early Eighties) — realistic offers needed, urgently, on 0227 86 604 (office hours) . . . Janet Jackson’s current video might just revive the 50 years old fashion for zoot suits . . . I have been collecting records in a seriously big way since the early Sixties, which includes every UK single promoed between 1969-1984, all UK and most US chart hits from 1955 to 1988, as well as all the soul/disco releases from 1962 to date, plus imports, and yet still I estimate my collection (LP, 12, seven inch) at very roughly around only 360,000, so how 24 year old Chad Jackson could feasibly have amassed 750,000 already is a mystery — unless, of course, he inherited some! . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL

LALAH HATHAWAY ‘Heaven Knows (12″ Edit)’ (96¼bpm) (US Virgin 0-96467)
Causing an instant stir, this superb Derek Bramble created traditionally soulful girl self-harmonised jiggly rolling steady swayer has a Soul II Soul-ish flavour with swirling and stabbing strings (Instrumental too), although in general style it could be from any time in the last 15 years — a shame it ends so abruptly, and seemingly so soon (after just over five minutes) — coupled by the Craig T. Cooper created nervier burbling but basically Herb Alpert ‘Rotation’ tempoed ‘U-Godit Gowin On‘ (102bpm).

MIKE ‘HITMAN’ WILSON featuring Shawn Christopher ‘Another Sleepless Night’ (121¾bpm) (HITMAN 1)
Only promoed on some uncredited BMG label but far too hot to hold, this soulfully wailing Shawn — a girl — multi-tracked terrific chunkily trotting attractive breezy canterer has a nagging piano and other slick ingredients that’ll hook you on first hearing, with an alternative slow starting then more bassily bashing so-called Jackswing Mix (121½bpm) as flip. Can you bear to wait?

TOGETHER ‘Hardcore Uproar’ (121½bpm) (ffrr FX 143)
Originally white labelled in Manchester as a limited edition of only 300 but chart-topping already for many of the jocks who obviously managed to get one, especially in the North (including Scotland), this dramatic synth chords then party effects started Bizz Nizz meets Adamski-type bleeping and jangling instrumental raver is punctuated by ‘human sampler’ Suddy’s vocal utterances in its Original Version, Radio Edit and Dub Mix, due fully in a fortnight. Continue reading “July 14, 1990: Lalah Hathaway, Mike ‘Hitman’ Wilson featuring Shawn Christopher, Together, Tammy Payne, DNA”

BEATS AND PIECES

‘HARDCORE UPROAR‘ by Together, massive mainly up north for those few who so far have found it, has been snapped up for wider release by ffrr . . . CBS apparently will soon be known worldwide as Columbia, the name of its US label which previously always clashed with a once famous UK logo owned by EMI . . . Yazz ‘Treat Me Good’ (118¼bpm) on commercial pressings is flipped by the jerkily shuffling ‘I Want Your Love‘ (109½bpm) and its instrumental, while Monie Love’s commercial 12-inch adds the appropriately titled ‘Roots’ (95/47½bpm), a jerkily booming real heavy reggae rap . . . Queen Latifah’s already twice reviewed though still only promoed ‘Come Into My House’ is confusingly labelled, in six mixes on 33⅓rpm pre-release since April but to little initial reaction, having a UK remixed Side 1 with Richie Rich’s Mix A (119½bpm), Orbital’s Mix B and a Richie Rich Dub Mix C (119¼bpm), plus a US remixed Side 2 with Julian Peres’ Mix D, Fast Eddie’s Mix E, and producer DJ Mark The 45 King’s Mix F (all 119¾bpm) . . . LFO ‘LFO’ on its fully labelled pressing turns out to be in The Leeds Warehouse Mix . . . Danny Madden’s previously white labelled seven inch, now that it too is out commercially, proves to be in Dancin’ Danny D’s Radio Edit and Carl McIntosh’s 7 inch Mix . . . LPs previously reviewed in full on import and now out here include The Chimes’ ‘The Chimes’ (CBS 466481-1) and Eric B & Rakim ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ (MCA Records MCG 6097) . . . Tim Raidl has just started his own UK underground house label, Chill Records, and is updating his strictly underground-only DJ mailing list at Soundz Wicked, 163 Marsh Road, Leagrave, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 2QQ (0582 493380) . . . Chris Johns is similarly specific about the jocks he wants, just indie/alternative, for the mailing list at Secret Promotions, Unit 132, Canalot Production Studios, 222 Kensal Road, London W10 . . . DJ Big H’s fortnightly Friday Harry’s House night at Windsor’s The Old Trout in Barry Avenue, after two and a half successful years, this Friday (July 6) changes name to The Strongroom and features The Brand New Heavies live . . . Ben & Andy the Boilerhouse boys start Reasons To Be Cheerful at Brixton’s Fridge this Saturday (7), replacing the Boom night . . . Monday (9) finds the monthly Muthaland female rap night at Wardour Street’s Brain (opposite the Swiss Centre) in Soho, starring the Cookie Crew and She Rockers along with DJs Miss Bliss, Wendy K, Vie Marshall and more . . . Sybil, a college qualified broadcaster who worked in radio for three years, has a cousin Maxine Jones who is a member of En Vogue, while her mother Willi Lynch (née Brown) was in Sixties girl group the Debutantes and her aunt Shelly Brown has just been singing at the Montreux Jazz Festival — shades of the Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick relationships? . . . Lance Ellington is the son of Fifties band leader/vocalist Ray Ellington, famous for supplying funny voices and, more importantly, the featured musical interludes (along with those of harmonica player Max Geldray) to radio’s legendary ‘Goon Show’ . . . Sharon Redd’s sister Pennye Ford, featured on Snap’s ‘Ooops Up’, is also to be heard on a currently promoed and pop aimed Mirage-like Soul II Soul medley, Rave ‘Soul On Soul‘ (Jive) . . . DJ/Massivo bassist Jon Jules was merely dropping off some records at an Our Price shop when he was recognised and mobbed by a crowd of female fans, only just escaping with his clothes intact! . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL

TRICKY DISCO ‘Tricky Disco’ (123¼bpm) (W.A.R.P./Outer Rhythm WAP 7, via Rhythm King)
Huge already on white label and in such great demand that it’ll really explode when released fully in a fortnight, this apparently Berlin originated ultra silly Newcleus-like smurfs punctuated, and indeed Tyrone Brunson ‘The Smurf’ era reviving, old fashioned bubbly electro bleeper (flipped on promo by a chanting monks washed Past Tricky’s Bedtime Mix) is so madly jaunty it might even cross over to the kids market and be massive… and then, if cleverly marketed as a cuddly cartoon character, say, Tricky could end up as another Jive Bunny. Wikki Wikki!

COLDJAM featuring GRACE ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ (Big Wave BWR T39)
Rush release here for the Rome recorded excellent less rigidly structured remake of lndeep’s 1982 disco classic, still as recently reviewed on import in its loosely shuffling The Groove Mix (110¼bpm), trotting House Mix (112bpm), and funky drummed ‘The Last Night‘ (112¼bpm) variation, but the BPMs now differ slightly for some reason.

COURTNEY PINE featuring Carroll Thompson ‘I’m Still Waiting’ (86½bpm) (Mango 12MNG 749)
Hard on the heels of the remixed Diana Ross original comes this timely Aswad co-produced chunkily jogging reggae-ish treatment sweetly wailed by Carroll around some weaving squeaky sax lines, flipped by the also reggae-ish Augustus ‘Gussie’ Clarke produced undulating attractive instrumental ‘Be Mine Tonight‘ (93bpm) and its jerkier dubwise Version. Continue reading “July 7, 1990: Tricky Disco, Coldjam featuring Grace, Courtney Pine featuring Carroll Thompson, Think Tank, Jungle Brothers”

BEATS AND PIECES

LAST MONDAY’S Creative Images/DJ Association of Ireland DJ Convention ’90, the first ever held on the Emerald Isle, attracted a huge number of jocks from both Southern and Northern Ireland (all of whom wanted record company mailing list recognition, unsurprisingly, during a long seminar debate that really was much better than most), and can only be considered a success despite many delays which pushed the night’s entertainment — local mixing champ DJ Mek, Cutmaster Swift, E-ZEE Possee, Tongue ‘n’ Cheek, Edwin Starr, Jaki Graham, Darryl Pandy, Hazell Dean, and bill topping Sybil — into such progressively late time slots that the midsummer dawn had broken spectacularly over the sea before it was over! . . . Danny Madden’s ‘Facts Of Life’, contrary to information given out with its seven inch promo, was only remixed by Dancin’ Danny D and in fact was produced by Carl McIntosh — who has alone also totally produced the upcoming new Loose Ends album, due on 10 Records in September with a single first in August . . . Everything But The Girl ‘Take Me (Remix)’, reviewed as a promo last week, is due commercially now (blanco y negro NEG44T), while Innocence ‘Silent Voice’ is not due until mid July . . . ‘Dream Come True’, hottest track on The Brand New Heavies’ album, is being 12-inched . . . Warren Cooper is starting up First Cut Promotions at 30 Florence Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8EL (mobile ‘phone 0860-773227), his DJ mailing list being serviced initially with the new Orange Hill label’s black dance music releases . . . Alix Edwards has set up a DJ mailing list at President Records, Broadmead House, 21 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DR (071-839 4672), where she’s hoping soon to have signed some rather ‘harder’ hip hop and house releases, including a deal with a well known New York label . . . DJs, judging from last week’s Club Chart, seem to agree in preferring the Long Mix of Kicking Back with Taxman’s ‘Everything’ . . . London’s Brain club is organising another trip to Iceland from July 19-22 taking with them Beats International, Orbital, Mr Monday, If and Graeme Park amongst others. As well as the three club nights the Sugarcubes will be playing (071 437 7301 for details) . . . Liverpool goes to Brighton for Club Underground at the Zap on July 2 with DJs Harvey, Rev, Andy Carroll and guest PAs . . . The Shamen present Synergy this Friday June 29 at ULU in Malet St, London with special guests Coldcut.

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Jon Dasilva and James Hamilton

SOUL REBELLION ‘Simple Rhythm’
K-KLASS ‘Into The Night’
DOUBLE DEE Featuring Dany ‘Found Love’
RHYTHIM IS RHYTHIM ‘The Beginning’/’Drama’/’Salsa Life’
MASSONIX ‘Just A Little Bit More’
JOY ‘I’m Leaving (Anxious Mix)’
SLOW BONGO FLOYD ‘Open Up Your Heart’
AMOEBA ‘This Island Earth (Axel’s Assault Mix)’

KENNY THOMAS ‘Outstanding’ (101 bpm) (Cooltempo COOLX 215)
Yet another oldie revived in more than one current remake (Rich Nice & Jeff Redd’s having been recently reviewed), this 1983 Gap Band classic was a long enduring Fatback ‘I Found Lovin”-like club ‘sleeper’ which filled floors for years without crossing over into the pop chart, so that now it’s being greeted by today’s generation as a brand new song in this mournful tapping and thumping treatment, still remorselessly rumbling and pushing but to my mind only approaching the power of the original in the flip’s percussively jiggling sparse Macattack Mix (101¼bpm), which builds a really infectious nagging syncopation (Acappella too). Incidentally, the promo’s label introduces a redesigned Cooltempo logo.

LETA DAVIS ‘You’ll Never Get To Heaven (Club Mix)’ (95¼bpm) (Bass Records BSS 12-10, via Champion)
Another revived oldie in more than one current remake, sadly now stomping 54-46’s version into the subsoil, this also Soul II Soul-ishly tempoed though more winsomely cooed gentle rolling Smith & Mighty-type treatment of Dionne Warwick’s 1964 Bacharach & David penned ‘You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)’ is in a birds chirruped more sparsely sweet Jamaican Mix too, and a related stark ‘Joey’s Groove‘.

CLUBLAND feat QUARTZ ‘Let’s Get Busy (Pump It Up)’ (121¾bpm) (Supreme Records SUPET 171)
Produced originally for Swedish release by East London’s ‘Meltdown’ makers Quartz, this “move your body” moaning guy chanted sturdy bass driven Marshall Jefferson penned episodic pounder has been on an only single sided promo here for ages as the import flip’s Art Of Noise adapting ‘Beat’n The Art Summer Of Love’ was, unavailable for UK release, but now it’s out fully at last and selling fast, newly flipped instead by the Liberace quote introed and punctuated jiggly trotting ‘The World Of Music (Liberation Mix)‘ (119¾bpm). Continue reading “June 30, 1990: Kenny Thomas, Leta Davis, Clubland feat Quartz, Keith Sweat, Prince”

BEATS & PIECES

GRAHAM MEACHAM and his best friend, 19 years old Paul Brookman were the DJs on the ill fated Thames riverboat ‘Marchioness’ last August 20, when Paul was among the many who so sadly lost their lives: this year on that date, Graham is holding a memorial show at London’s Hippodrome, all money raised going to the Childline charity, and needs offers of PAs and auction items on 081-669 4633 . . . Digital Underground being currently big in the US, ‘Doowutchyalike’ has been newly remixed by DJ Mark The 45 King — he rather revealingly calls his effort the Just Throw A Breakbeat Up Under There Mix! — although the initially promoed BCM Records white label of this remix is mistakenly credited to Clark Kent, while a CJ Mackintosh remix of ‘Packet Man’ will follow . . . Pianonegro ‘Pianonegro’ has been rushed out here on Epic (656081 6), only the original import being promoed . . . Richard Rogers’ Can’t Stop Loving You’ is being remixed by Frankie Knuckles & David Morales, apparently the first time that Knuckles has been let loose on a Marshall Jefferson production . . . Patti Day’s upcoming ‘No-one‘ has been remixed for US Starway Records Inc by Alan Coulthard, working out of his home studio in Barry, South Glamorgan (0446 736600), where he needs South Wales based talent — singers, rappers, DJs, instrumentalists — for some productions designed to put South Wales on the dance music map now that there is so much regional activity elsewhere (he’s also after local mixing gigs to keep his DJing hand in) . . . Rome’s Max & Frank Minoia and Corrado Rizza — responsible already for producing such as Jam Machine ‘Everyday’, Strings Of Love ‘Nothing Has Been Proved’, Paradise Orchestra ‘Satisfy Your Dream’, and currently the sizzling Coldjam featuring Grace ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ — now call themselves Livexpress Productions and are branching out internationally . . . Pete Haigh hosts Bassix! Tuesdays at Blackpool’s Just Ji’s by the bus depot (sounds romantic!), with half price drinks and upfront noises . . . ‘Snap’ The Event next Monday (June 25) at Poole’s Tower Park features DJs Chad Jackson, Paul Anderson, Jon Jules, Carl Cox, Paul Gotel, Steve Aspey, DJ Warren plus PAs by Massivo featuring Tracy, Olimax & DJ Shapps, TDP, Boneshakers (ticket details on 0860 386473).

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by Norman Cook and James Hamilton

JOCELYN BROWN ‘Freedom’
QUEEN LATIFAH ‘Come Into My House’
LIL LOUIS & THE WORLD ‘Nyce & Slo’ (Lovebug/R-Rated/Blow Horn mixes)
HORSES WITHOUT HEADS ‘What’s Your Name’
INNOCENCE ‘Silent Voice’
TIMMY THOMAS ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’ (Remix)
DEPTH CHARGE ‘Goal’
SUGAR BULLET ‘World Peace’

G.T.O. ‘Pure’ (125¼bpm) (Dutch Go Bang! Records BANG 004)
From the label that gave us D-Shake, an actually more Bizz Nizz like bounding simple instrumental galloper with whistle blasts and other enthusiastic weekender-type crowd noises in its Pure Energy main treatment, causing instant excitement, or a gentler Arabic flavoured Journey Mix and shorter slow ambient Beautiful Mix (47/94bpm).

DANNY MADDEN ‘Facts Of Life’ (98¼bpm) (Eternal YZ473T)
Initially promoed only as a seven inch white label but spun regardless by all jocks lucky enough to have a copy, this Dancin’ Danny D produced tenderly anguished soulful jogging roller was in gentle drum and bass jiggled A-side (98¼bpm) or bassier and smoother mellow B-side (98½bpm) mixes, although now it has been 12-inched too (still on promo at this stage) elaborating on just the A-side in Dancin’ Danny D’s Mix With Acappella and confusingly differentiated but actually much longer Dancin’ Danny D’s Mix, plus Instrumental and Acappella versions, 12 inch variations on the seven inch B-side presumably being yet to come.

LFO ‘LFO’ (124½bpm) (W.A.R.P. Records WAP 5)
With initials standing for Low Frequency Oscillation, the latest and possibly hottest act on the Sheffield electro label has exploded thanks to this simple fluttering and bleeping instrumental, something like Guru Josh without the spacey saxophone but interspersed instead by bass bin rattling bursts of very low frequency oscillation indeed, flipped by the unlabelled throbbing ‘Track 4‘ (123¾bpm) and washing machine-type ‘Probe‘ (124bpm), all great if bleeps is what you like! Continue reading “June 23, 1990: G.T.O., Danny Madden, LFO, Darryl Pandy, Boneshakers”

BEATS & PIECES

SHARON REDD’s sister Pennye Ford, remembered for 1984’s ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Change Your Wicked Ways’ on Total Experience Records, is featured guest on Snap’s new ‘Ooops Up’ . . . Rumour Records have snapped up Dream In Goa ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, the remade Pink Floyd tune also recently used by Innocence . . . Ice Cube’s ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ import album is being rushed out here by 4th + B’way, who have further fuelled the current carefully stoked controversy about N.W.A. by adding ‘**** Tha Police’ to their reissued 12-inch of ‘Express Yourself’ . . . Mark Summers’ better B-side ‘Wicked In Mombassa‘ has been remixed by No Smoke . . . Promised Land’s repetitively “revolution” chanting instrumental flip, nothing to do with ‘Something In The Air’, is called ‘No It U Lover (Mantra For A Revolution)’ (98bpm) . . . Wee Papa Girl Rappers’ Get In The Groove’ is flipped by the Teddy Riley produced, ‘Del’ Geoff Hunt remixed, ‘Faith (Contrabanned Mix)‘ (105bpm), plus the jerky raggamuffin ‘Step Up‘ (79½bpm) . . . Swansea’s Jeff Thomas has finally got onto radio after many attempts, presenting a Saturday morning 9am-noon dance show across the water on Bristol’s For The People 97.2FM, a 170 mile round trip but well worth it, he says . . . Southend-on-Sea’s Robbie Dee, still at the Zero Thurs/Fridays and Hollywood Wed/Saturdays, is even luckier being on his hometown’s Essex Radio 102.6/96.3FM weekdays 4-7pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm — nice work if you can get it . . . Ollie Dowling, resident jock at Dublin’s Pink Elephant, has organised a Dublin Funk Collective of DJs, rappers, dancers and others both interested in and keen to promote specialist black dance music, with all sorts of activities planned and two funky rap/rare groove club nights already running, Transmitting Live From Mars the first Wednesday of every month at Trinity College’s Buttery Bar (free admission), and DefCon every Saturday (plus Friday soon for Philly, northern and rare soul) in the basement of the Pembroke Bar off Baggot Street (£1.50), the DFC also contributing to two radio shows, Elaine Keogh’s on Horizon 94.9FM Saturday 8-10pm and David Hales’s on Radio Dublin 101FM/253AM Sunday 8-11am . . . Irish DJs, don’t forget the previously detailed first ever Irish DJ Convention is next Monday (June 18) at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock, County Dublin, with an equipment exhibition and record fair during the day (£2 admission), followed in the evening by the seminar session, presentation of awards voted for by DJs during Simon Young’s weekend dance mix shows on 2FM (which will be broadcasting live), plus scratch mix demonstrations and PAs (£10 admission for whole event) — I’ll see you there, so make mine a Murphy’s, slainte! . . . Futureshock Promotions are following up their previous disco jaunts to Spain with a visit next Friday, June 22, to Barcelona’s 4,000 capacity club Zeleste, starring for the night London DJs Judge Jules and Steve Bicknell plus PAs by Boy George, MC Kinky of the E-ZEE Possee, and local Spanish acts — for full details of a Thursday to Sunday inclusive round trip, call Bud Nijjar on 081-533 3840 . . . DJ Morse and Nikky K start a hardbeat/techno/freestyle Go Bang! Wednesday rave this week (13) at Woodhall Country Club near Woodbridge (off the B 1083) . . . The Pure Organisation kick off a country touring Dance ’90 legal rave this Friday (15) at Tonbridge’s Angel Centre, with megawatts of sound, lighting and effects plus DJs Fabio, Trevor Fung, Colin Faver, Andy Nichols, G-Force, Grant Harper (over 18s only) — Trevor incidentally is now a consultant at Champion, assuming the mantle once worn there by his long time colleague Paul Oakenfold . . . DJs Bri. G, Rocky & Soul Pete’s latest Sweat Box night with “attitude” is at York’s Keatons in Fishergate also this Friday, when details of a Sweat Boat trip will be announced . . . Robbie Collins warns any prospective PAs (welcome on 081-506 1970) that they’d better know how to swim if they gig with him on Sunday nights around the open air swimming pool at Chigwell’s Epping Forest Country Club! . . . Old Gold in their 12 inch Gold label series have reissued back to back the bossa nova classics Astrud Gilberto ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ and Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd ‘Desafinado’ (OG 4177), nice for summer nights . . . Mike Carr has released only as an export a compilation CD of all the more mellow material by his jazz-funk group Cargo, ‘Cargo For Export Only‘ (Cargogold Productions CGCD 190), well worth finding on import for easy listening . . . Mike Stevens, now he’s no longer so closely involved with L.A. Mix, is the multi-instrumentalist behind the Cooltempo Unlimited Orchestra . . .

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Judge Jules

LL COOL J ‘To Da Break Of Dawn (Remix Version)’ (105bpm) (US Motown MOT-4729)
Remixed by producer Marley Marl and LL from the ‘House Party’ soundtrack album, which explains the temporary change of label, this funkily chugging and scratching sassy rap is rather better than much of his recent Def Jam material, flipped just by a good more sparsely syncopated Bug Out Mix (104¾bpm).

E-ZEE POSSEE ‘The Sun Machine (Master Mix)’ (116¼bpm) (More Protein PROT 412, via Virgin)
Breathily soulful MC Kinky (a girl) cooed and “na na na-na no” guys chanted (apparently borrowing from David Bowie’s ‘Memories Of A Free Festival’) breezily jiggling chugger with plenty of pop appeal, flipped by Tommy D’s more smoothly subdued Charlie Brown In-The-House and jittery Face-The-Bass Mixes.

MASSIVO featuring TRACY ‘Loving You (Summer Breeze Mix)’ (99¾bpm) (Debut DEBTXR 3097)
Not only remixed but also totally re-instrumentated by Steve Anderson, the Minnie Riperton revival now builds from piano and strings to a bassily jiggling new groove that seems pretty hot in its own right, flipped by a sweetly episodic Cascade Dub plus still the jazzily jogging instrumental ‘Half Will Do’ (95bpm). Continue reading “June 16, 1990: LL Cool J, E-ZEE Possee, Massivo featuring Tracy, Janet Jackson, Voice Of Africa”

BEATS & PIECES

IRELAND’S FIRST ever DJ Convention is on June 18 at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock, County Dublin (full details from Jim Kenny there on 403635), with a disco equipment exhibition and record fair, a seminar featuring a dozen representatives of major radio stations, record companies, UK and Irish DJs, including our very own James Hamilton – after there’s awards, scratch mix demonstrations by Cutmaster Swift and local champ DJ Mek, and PAs by Sybil, Tongue ‘N’ Cheek, Hazell Dean, Darryl Pandy, Edwin Starr, Odyssey . . . CBS have snapped up the hot Pianonegro ‘Pianonegro’ for the UK . . . MXM ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, on its UK pressing is in a shorter Dove Edit (93bpm) and a chunkier new Remix (96¼bpm) — likewise, Calloway ‘I Wanna Be Rich’ on UK Epic proves to be only in its Dance Mix and Dance Dub, unfortunately not the catchiest of its treatments . . . ‘Child Of Love (Rock The House Mix)’ by New York’s Sweet Sensation, is out as flip to their US Hi-NRG revival of Diana Ross & The Supremes’ ‘Love Child’ (118½bpm) . . Cool Down Zone’s ‘Heaven Knows’ is 100¾bpm flipped by ‘Come Be My Lover‘ (104bpm) and ‘I Always Seem To Cry‘ (84bpm) . . . New Order’s four dance mixes, promoed across two separate 12-inchers, are only ever due commercially in fade shortened form all together on a single EP, no doubt making the full length promos of value for collectors . . . Bristol’s Fresh Connection have a different apparently “harder” remake due on Reachin’ Records of Rose Royce’s ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore‘, to rival the also current Double Trouble treatment . . . £2,000 donated by the Dance Aid Trust has kicked off the Disc Jockeys Kidney Machine Trust Fund to finance purchase of a kidney machine, for use by Barnard Castle’s previously mentioned Mark Watson while needed, and thereafter by South Cleveland Hospital . . . Jim Thompson spins upfront and import soul and house right through the day Monday to Saturday on Manchester’s in-store Radio Top Shop, then joins DJ Fatman Ritson on hardcore acid/indie Fridays at Liverpool’s The Queens, Waterloo, and MC Egghead on Saturdays upstairs at Bootle’s Quadrant Park . . . “Brum is biting back!”, shouts DJ Steve, who with DJ Mark does Dislocation techno/rap/indie/house Thursdays at Edgbaston’s XL’S (no dress restrictions) . . . Steve Hills, hosting ‘It’s Happening’ Fridays at Leytonstone’s The Cube, is pleased to see his old partner in crime Mark Summers doing so well since leaving the gig! . . . Mister ‘M’ (real name Maurice) has hot house/funk/rap/reggae Sunday evenings 8-10.30pm at Melksham’s Bear disco pub, the only venue in West Wiltshire to do so, he claims . . . ‘Big’ John Rodgers has returned to Great Yarmouth’s refurbished Monroes and is apparently packing the place with an upfront dance music policy, four nights a week . . . Swansea’s Plastic Sam is now “takin’ care of biz” at Central Park/Ritzy . . . Paul French, after six years’ residency at Gillingham’s recently sold The Avenue, despite being asked to stay, is looking for a change of upfront venue (on 0634-376834) . . . Bloomsbury brothers Richard & Sean Stewart, just back from a year’s jocking in Tenerife, tip that the hotspots for holidaymakers to check there are the Roxy Bar with DJ Ket Shah, the newly refurbished Paradise Lost with Simon Doward, and Bobbies Bar . . . KICKIN’!

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and DJ Streets Ahead

PAUL JACKSON, JR. ‘Out Of The Shadows’ (US Atlantic 82065-1)
Tucked away on this early George Benson-ish jazz guitarist’s pleasant instrumental album and just crying out for a 12 inch remix is the Hank Shocklee & Eric ‘Vietnam’ Sadler co-produced/mixed brilliant jiggly ‘The New Jazz Swing’ (111bpm), fusing swingbeat hip hop rhythms with bursts of lovely gentle jazz guitar to make possibly a ‘Rockit’ for the Nineties — c’mon, Atlantic, do yo’ stuff! — other tracks being the Kirk Whalum saxed jazz-funkily wriggling ‘Encino Shuffle‘ (100bpm), Luther Vandross chorused delicately picked ‘Make It Last Forever‘ (85¼bpm), Tim Owens crooned romantically rolling ‘This Love’s On Me‘ (88bpm), jogging ‘Days Gone By‘ (92bpm), swaying ‘I Want Jesus To Walk With Me‘ (98½bpm), too self consciously “funky” ‘My Thang‘ (112bpm), doodling ‘Road To Everlasting‘ (98/49bpm), slushy ‘All For You’ (69/34½bpm).

DIANA ROSS ‘I’m Still Waiting’ (remixes)
THE GRID ‘Floatation (Subsonic Grid Mix)’
FREESTYLE ORCHESTRA featuring D’BORAH ‘Keep On Pumpin’ It Up’
EVERYDAY PEOPLE ‘Inside Your Love’
MARK SUMMERS ‘Party Children’/‘Wicked In Mombassa’
SNAP ‘Ooops Up’
COCO ‘Saturday Night/Sunday Morning’
GARY CLAIL ON-U SOUND SYSTEM ‘Beef’
COOL BREEZE ‘A Cool Breeze’
TOGETHER ‘Hardcore Uproar’
MC HAMMER ‘U Can’t Touch This’
A CERTAIN RATIO ‘Won’t Stop Loving You (Norman Cook Remix)’

CRITICAL RHYTHM featuring Jango Thriller & Vandal ‘It Could Not Happen’ (85bpm) (Network NWKT 9)
Brooklyn Funk Essentials created EP, previously a short lived chart climber on Nugroove import (which suggests fashionability rather than actual substance), with this breathily sinuous reggae tinged slowie in its Essential Trance Hall Mix and Version, plus the not very danceable emptily pulsing Indian flavoured ‘Eastern Breeze (Authentic Mix)‘ (119bpm), flipped by the Angelique featuring perhaps more useable girl and guy muttered jiggly trotting ‘Fall Into A Trance (Brooklyn Funk Essential Mix)‘ (122bpm), and its virtually rhythmless Alternative Ambient Mix (61bpm). Meanwhile, a Q & Review created new more beefily rumbling and reggae boosted ‘It Could Not Happen (Dance Hall Daze Remix)‘ (96bpm) (NWKTR9) is flipped by its Dance Hall Daze Instrumental Mix and the above ‘Fall Into A Trance (Brooklyn Funk Essential Mix)’.

ICE CUBE ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ (US Priority Records SL57 120)
Largely created with Public Enemy’s Eric Sadler and Keith Shocklee, the relentlessly foul mouthed N.W.A. rapper’s tracks and interludes crammed album has the exciting P’funkily chugging ‘The Nigga Ya Love To Hate’ (109¾bpm), similar more jerkily jolting already 12-inched ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted‘ (107¾bpm), funkily rolling ‘Rollin’ Wit The Lench Mob‘ (103¼bpm), amusing jauntily jiggling ‘A Gangsta’s Fairytale‘ (110¼bpm), Chuck D co-shouted churning ‘Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)‘ (112bpm), plaintive female Yo-Yo duetted scratching introed (and James Brown cutting) bumpily jogging ‘It’s A Man’s World‘ (95½bpm), race riot report introed word spitting ‘The Bomb‘ (115½bpm), bland radio DJs sandwiched angry ‘Turn Off The Radio‘ (109bpm), JB’s based sombre ‘Who’s The Mack?‘ (91bpm), Stevie Wonder based Flavor Flav duetted rolling slow ‘I’m Only Out For One Thang‘ (92½bpm), stark wordy ‘You Can’t Fade Me‘ (87bpm) and ‘Once Upon A Time In The Projects‘ (77bpm), Average White Band based murky aggressive short ‘What They Hittin’ Foe?‘ (100bpm) and even shorter ‘Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here‘ (94bpm). That about says it all. Continue reading “June 9, 1990: Paul Jackson Jr., Critical Rhythm, Ice Cube, Frazier Chorus, Sharon Dee Clarke”

BEATS & PIECES

SEDA 90, the South Eastern Discotheque Association’s latest annual disco equipment exhibition, is this Sunday (June 3) at Gravesend’s Woodville Halls between noon and 6pm, with the opening ceremony conducted by Stevie V — so don’t be late, if that’s who you want to see! . . . Eternal Records, just to be different, have reverted to the fast disappearing seven inch format for their initially very limited white label promos of the bass and drum jogged extremely soulful Danny Madden ‘Facts Of Life‘ (98bpm), produced and mixed by Dancin’ Danny D, one to look out for . . . Mahesh Bajaj is relaunching the ‘Upfront’ series of dance compilation albums that he started on Serious Records back in 1986, now through his Sarni Lange partnered new label Solid (Sound Of London’s Independent Dance), ‘Upfront One‘ being due on its subsidiary Upfront logo next week with 15 tracks including current UK and Continental releases by such as Don Pablo’s Animals, Pianonegro, Rhythmatic, Musto & Bones, and Critical Rhythm — future singles include a remake of Melba Moore’s ‘This Is It’ by Ruth, and the Italian Jackie Moore’s version of Phil Collins’ ‘I Wish It Would Rain Down’ (club and radio DJ mailing list applications to Solid Records Limited, Unit 30, Sheraton Business Centre, Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7JB, telephone 081-566 7117) . . . Paul Gotel is updating the specialist hip hop/rap and alternative/indie dance DJ mailing lists at Power Promotions (081-746 1210), where the brand new press office is run by Cheryl Flynn . . . Logic’s currently hot ‘The Warning’ will soon be out here on Pacific’s new label Planet Pacific, specialising in the more underground type of dance material, while Vandal’s ‘Laws Of Chance’ EP, warm on import back in February/March mainly for ‘Amazing Grace’, has been picked up here by de/Construction Records . . . Fatman & Stella Mae ‘Release Me’ — whose mixes on the now fully labelled Cue Records pressing turn out to be called Gospel, Techno, and Beatstumental (sic) — has in fact been picked up for further release by ffrr . . . ‘K-Jee’ was promoed and reviewed as being by The Unlimited Orchestra, but finished commercial pressings credit the Cooltempo Unlimited Orchestra . . . Calloway ‘I Wanna Be Rich’, reviewed last week as a Solar import, is out here now on Epic (655515 6) . . . Mr Lee’s ‘Get Busy’ hip house album, reviewed on import three weeks ago, is also out here (Jive HIP 98) . . . Dutch remix wizard Ben Liebrand has a debut album released under his own name within the next month, on Epic . . . ‘La Passionara’, the track that’s really selling The Blow Monkeys’ EP, could well be more beefily remixed with added vocals — but not necessarily for release until incorporated into the follow-up . . . Electribe 101’s next single looks like being a revival of Odyssey’s ‘Inside Out’ . . . Digger presents this Wednesday (30), at his weekly specialist swingbeat and rap Bounced night in Mayfair’s Legends, PAs by Johnny Gill, Glen Goldsmith, Emma Haywoode, and the Licensed To Dance (LTD) dance troupe . . . Balearic DJs like Danny Rampling, Paul Oakenfold, Andy Weatherall, Terry Farley, Rocky & Diesel and Ben & Andy (amongst many) will be jocking on Ibiza at the Ku Club, Summum, Es Paradis, Pacha and Amnesia during the specially organised Ibiza 90 holiday package that runs for your choice of either one or two weeks from this Sunday (June 3), all inclusive (flights/accommodation/club passes) at £226 or £260 (club passes alone at £40 or £50), tickets and full details on 081-845 1695 . . . Rimini’s luxurious El Paradiso club, inspired by Italy’s hosting of the World Cup, is promoting a so-called Euro Club Tour ’90, inviting certain DJs from the competing nations to bring their own club crowds to party (separately, you may be relieved to hear!) on consecutive Thursdays through July, kicking off with Kid Batchelor and cohorts from London’s Confusion, Solaris, Stringfellows (?), and the Café De Paris as the representatives of Great Britain on July 5, followed on subsequent Thursdays by France, Spain and Germany — details of an inclusive £140 four day package for the above named clubs’ members and friends from Musika Inc, 7-8 Gosfield Street, London W I . . . Last week’s bubblers just outside the Club Chart Top 100 included Musto & Bones LP, Rubberman, Fluke, Man Machine featuring Zen, Klymaxx, The Blapps Posse, Frazier Chorus, The Wee Papa Girl Rappers, Tony! Toni! Toné! and Touch Of Soul.

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HOT VINYL

REBEL MC ‘Rebel Music’ (118bpm) (Desire WANTX 31)
Co-produced by the Rebel and Simon Law, this slow starting then cowbell and drums clonked hip house tempo nervily jiggling raggamuffin rap is counterpointed by smoothly moaning Jenni Evans, with jazzy piano and flute doodling through the beats, in Rebel-ism and looser sounding The Article Mixes, sure to be big.

D-SHAKE ‘Yaaaaaaaaaah (Freestyle Club Mix)’ (123bpm) (Cooltempo COOLX 213)
Here in fact abbreviated down to ‘Yaaah’, which isn’t such fun, this instantly kicking more loosely flurrying variation of the shouts prodded frantic Dutch double-sider’s excitingly galloping basic instrumental is now getting increased attention and probably is more ‘commercial’, but just as on import it’s still much less hot than the flip’s fiercer industrially driving ‘Techno Trance’ (123¼bpm), tempolessly starting and pausing in its original Paradise Is Now mix but also here in a useful new Revisited re-edit minus the midway pause.

PIANONEGRO ‘Pianonegro’ (93bpm) (Italian Dance-World Attack DWA 00.13)
In short supply at first although instantly hot for all who have managed to find it, this Robyx created gradually building afro chanted and piano plonked ‘Jingo’/’Going Back To My Roots’-ishly tinged slinkily grooving purposeful jogger (in Long Mix, Radio Edit and piano-less percussive Negro Groove versions) should be huge once it’s more readily available. Incidentally, ‘negro’ in this Italian context is the translation of ‘black’. Continue reading “June 2, 1990: Rebel MC, D-Shake, Pianonegro, Richard Rogers, Milira”

BEATS & PIECES

EASTWEST, better late than never, this week have finally got around to releasing Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box ‘Enjoy’, still in its Paul Oakenfold Future Mix and Golden Lay Original versions as reviewed nine weeks ago when first promoed! . . . Cooltempo, using original Dutch pressings as promos, have released D-Shake ‘Yaaaaaaaaaah’/’Techno Trance’ (COOLX 213) . . . Paula David is the now fully credited singer on Volume Ten’s ‘Pride’, commercial pressings reversing the order of its mixes, making More Than Special the A-side . . . ‘Missing You’, from their new album, is apparently scheduled as a future Soul II Soul single — its guest vocalist, Kym Mazelle will be touring the USA and Japan with them this summer and has been working with Jazzie B on tracks for her own next album . . . Greg Fenton, also DJ at Manchester’s Spice, is building a mailing list with a difference for the carefully targeted new club promotion company, Soft (1st Floor, St. Margaret’s Chambers, S Newton Street, Manchester M1 1HL, telephone 061-236 4138), only promoting self confessed “soul-less dance” — any form of dance music that does not come from a soul background, like new beat, hard beat, electronic body music, euro dance, electro rap — and needs convincing by DJs that their club music policy is appropriate before they qualify for inclusion . . . MC Rubber Ronski’s steadily chugging strange rap adaptation of its composer Jon Moss’s original version of Jesus Loves You’s ‘After The Love’, now about in a tidier remix by Terry Farley as Rubberman ‘Rubberman (Boys Own Mix)‘ (118bpm), is flipped by the busier original ‘Rubberman Rock Da House‘ (117½bpm) that was white labelled last winter on Crew-Cuts . . . Adam & Eve remixed the breathily crooned Ross & Demelza (84½bpm) A-side of The Beloved ‘Time After Time’, while the flip’s Leslie Lyrics toasted reggae dubwise Muffin Mix (87bpm) and lazily swirling instrumental Through The Round Window (86½bpm) were by The Little Sisters . . . Johnny Gill ‘Rub You The Right Way’ in its LP Version should be 111¾bpm (and Short Version 111½bpm) . . . Dream Frequency ‘Live The Dream‘ (123¾bpm) is also in an emptier more sinewy Dream The Dream Mix (124bpm) and a virtually tempoless ambient ‘Dreamscape 1‘ (31½bpm) version, with the girls chanted jauntily jumping hip house tempo ‘Feel It‘ (125bpm) too . . . Beats Per Minute that may be useful for pop jocks include Kylie Minogue ‘Better The Devil You Know (The Mad March Hare Mix)‘ (120bpm), New Kids On The Block ‘Cover Girl (12″ Remix)‘ (122bpm), Paula Abdul ‘Opposites Attract (Street Mix)‘ (117bpm), Depeche Mode ‘Policy Of Truth (Capitol Mix/Pavlov’s Dub)’ (114bpm), Natalie Cole ‘Wild Women Do (Power/Underground Wacko Mixes)’ (120½bpm), Talk Talk ‘It’s My Life (Tropical Love Forest Mix)‘ (127¼bpm), B52’s ‘Roam (12″ Remix)‘ (133bpm), Marc Almond ‘The Desperate Hours (Extended Flamenco Mix)‘ (121bpm), Propaganda ‘Heaven Give Me Words (Honey In Heaven)‘ (97bpm) . . . Jon Williams brings his upfront Euro sounds this Friday (25), and then the last Friday of every month, to the oddly named (but 1,800 capacity) Stroud Subscription Rooms in Stroud centre . . . DJ Kid ‘DFM’ Smurf plus guests jock at the new Meltdown Fridays in Leicester’s Reflections, St James Street off Humberstone Gate (wear what you like) . . . ‘Weight For The Bass’ hit makers Unique 3 and DJ Herbe-EE (The Rave DJ) host the fortnightly “Energy” starting this Saturday (26), 10pm-2am, in Bradford’s new look Palm Cove Club, Hollings Road . . . Yeovil has a soul, funk and jazz ‘Summer Fling’ this weekend with Chris Dinnis, Bob Smith and Jim Hedges jocking at Dukes Nightclub on Saturday night, before joining John C at The King’s Arms for Sunday lunchtime . . . BBG PA this Saturday at Brixton’s The Fridge, where the following evening (Sunday 6pm-midnight) Powerjam 90 features DJs Norman Jay, Johnny Walker, Dave Pearce, Madhatter Trevor, Chris Forbes, George K, DJ Digger, Alan Russell, and various personal appearances — however, the really hot night there is likely to be Bank Holiday Monday (28), when, following their Brixton Academy gig, Eazy-E and N.W.A. paartay with Tim Westwood, DJ Biznizz, Mark Anderson, Soul II Soul’s DJ Crazy, and “a number of extraordinarily special guests” (500 public tickets available on the door that night only at 10.30pm) . . . Eazy-E, N.W.A. and guests London Posse, Demon Boyz, MC Mell’o’ then head for Birmingham’s Hummingbird on Tuesday (29) . . . The Club Chart still having a high entry threshold (although the real log jam has moved to the Top 201), last week’s Bubblers that previously might have been expected to make the 100 included 4105, Rubberman, Fluke, Cool Down Zone, (New York’s) Sweet Sensation, Royal Orchestra, BBG featuring Dina Taylor, Frankie ‘Bones’ presents Bonesbreaks Volume 5, Jesus Loves You (Land Of Oz Mix), Moccasoul, My Bloody Valentine, Gaggia & Visona, Last Tango.

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HOT VINYL
Reviewed by James Hamilton and Eddie Richards

JOVONN ‘Turn And Run Away (Colonnade Mix)’
THE WIZARD AND THE PRINCE ‘The Wiz Is A Genius’
PULSE 8 ‘Radio Morocco (Adrian Sherwood Mix)’
THE CURE ‘Pictures Of You’
BROTHER BEYOND ‘The Girl I Used To Know (Red Zone)’
HYPER ‘The Asylum’

SOUL II SOUL ‘Vol II-1990 A New Decade’ (10 Records DIX 90)
Much better and more consistent than ‘Club Classics’, this imminently massive album relies largely for its vocals on several featured female singers yet ironically its hottest tracks look like being the terrific compulsively clopping and lurching instrumental ‘Time (Untitled)’ (102bpm), and Fab 5 Freddy and Jamie B chatted lazily tapping drum rumbled ‘Our Time Has Now Come‘ (95¾bpm), the ladies contributing Lamya’s lovely piano plonked sweetly wriggling ‘In The Heat Of The Night‘ (101¾bpm) and birdsong washed steadily swaying ‘Love Come Through‘ (92bpm), Kym Mazelle’s soulfully jogging and ultimately mesmeric ‘Missing You‘ (93bpm), the girl group chorused percussively jiggling ‘1990 A New Decade‘ (105¼bpm), Marcia Lewis’s traffic effects introed snappily strutting ‘People‘ (115bpm) and kiddies chorused Christmas hit ‘Get A Life’ (101¼bpm), Victoria Wilson James’s current hit ‘A Dreams A Dream’ (103¼bpm), plus the Courtney Pine soprano saxed instrumental ‘Courtney Blows’ (92½bpm).

ERIC B. & RAKIM ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ (110bpm) (US MCA Records MCA-24026)
So eagerly (and long) awaited that it has instantly exploded, their DJ Mark The 45 King remixed typically fast talking, swirling and churning gruff jiggler jolts bumpily through its 12″ Vocal Version Remix and perhaps more funkily rolling 45 King Club Mix (with an A Cappella too), the hottest hip hopper for quite a while!

GEORGIA JONES ‘Let The Music Play (Club Mix)’ (119¾bpm) (Mercury MERX 323)
Out fully in three weeks, Freddy Bastone’s brilliantly breezy house remake of Shannon’s influential (in the States) electro oldie is not ‘electro’ at all, more Electribe 101-ish, with skipping bass, synthetic strings and other bubbly elements all darting and dancing around the central lightly wailing and scatting Georgia, flipped by her scatted though otherwise basically lyricless Dub and Jazz Mixes. Continue reading “May 26, 1990: Soul II Soul, Eric B & Rakim, Georgia Jones, Yazz, The Chimes”