Breaks, Beats and Bleeps: 2009

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Jazz Funk Sikhs

I recently went to a wedding near Torquay and while i was there for the weekend managed to pop into Exeter at the weekend. I was obviously on the hunt for charity shops and even some record shops. The last time i was in Exeter was when i was 16 or 17 on a Geography field trip and remembered finding a few record shops then (i even bought a jungle record which i still have). But this was 13 years later and after walking around for a bit i couldnt even spot any charity shops. Eventually getting desperate i headed off down one of the alleys either side of the main drag which looked more promising. My spider sense must have been working as at the end of the alley i stumbled on a second hand shop. It was more of a rock shop but i managed to pick up a few pieces including a US 7" of Kraftwerk - Numbers and a original US Atco pressing of Jack Bruce - Songs For A Tailor. As i was leaving i enquired if there were any record shops in the city centre and was given directions to another but was told to hurry as the owner closed early on Friday. I got there in double quick time and emabarked on a bit of speed digging doing all the £1 boxes and then concentrated on the Soul and Funk racks. They mainly held reissues but dotted amongst them were a few original. I purchased a Julius Brockington LP and then the record i want to talk about here: Lonnie Smith - Keep On Lovin'.

I remember vividly that my mum and dad had a copy of this amongst their small stash of LP's and i also remember before i seriously got into records i absolutely trashed it. This was when i was about 12 or 13 and i remember then thinking what a load or rubbish the music was. So when i saw a copy in the shop in Exeter i knew i had to buy it. When i got it home i was mightly impressed and also realised there was a difference between the artist here and Lonnie Liston Smith who i had naively thought were the same person.

Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he was also known is a jazz organist and pianist who came to prominence with collaborations with George Benson and Lou Donaldson in the 60's before forging a solo career which is still going strong (he was voted Organist Keyboard of the year 5 times in the last 7 years). In the mid 70's his output can be considered Jazz Funk and it was at this time he converted to Sikhism (did you wonder why he was wearing a turban on the sleeve above?). The Keep On Lovin' LP was released on the Groove Merchant label in 1976 and contains 6 superb tracks. I could only find a few on Youtube so here is one for your listening pleasure.

Lonnie Smith - Lean Meat

Friday 2 October 2009

Black Rascals - So In Love

I'd never heard this before a few years ago but the pure soul of this piece of soulful vocal garage has elevated it right into my top 10 all time garage records. Released on Polar Records in 1993 the Black Rascals were 2/3 of New Jersey garage pioneers Blaze using vocalist Cassio James Vincent Ware II (yes apparantly this is his real name!) from Backroom Productions. The vocals are superb and heartfelt but it is the deep bassline and piano that really marks this track out as something special.

This the original press is as like most Blaze related releases not cheap and a mint copy will set you back in the region of £30-40. It was remixed (poorly i must add) and released on the italian D:vision Records label including the classic Shelter Mix and this copy shouldnt set you back more than £10 for a minter.

Black Rascals - So In Love (Shelter Mix)

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Jungle Jammin' For A Holy Grail

Holy grail is a term bandied round a bit too often if for example you peruse the pages of eBay on a regular basis but last month i acheived my first mythical status find in over 15 years of record collecting. An unassuming trip to Londons Music & Video Exchanges was going averagely (Notting Hill just isnt what it used to be) but i soldiered on and amongst the 50p section of Camden's bargain dance 12"s i spotted a record that looked out of place. I immediately pulled it out and onto my small pile and racked my brains to where i had seen or heard of it before. A quick check on Discogs via my mobile and i took a sharp intake of breath. Was it possible that one the rarest records of the early 90's was now in my grasp and what was the reception i would get if the guy at the counter had any kind of knowledge and spotted it. I carried on and finished flicking through all of the racks even pulling out a mint copy of Soma 1 and headed to pay. The Soma record was looked at inquisitively but the Jungle Jam record barely got a glance.

I knew i was onto a rare record but on checking at home that night after the irritatingly long journey home i found it had sold previously on eBay (albeit in slighty better condition than my copy which by the way was at least Very Good+) for £440 and 2 copies currently languished on Discogs for just under £300.

I doubt i will ever see this record again which makes keeping it slightly annoying as unfortunately to me the rareness doesnt equal greatness in this case. It is a very adequate warehouse tune sampling Derrick May's Wiggin' bassline but nothing to make me excited musically. Maybe i had to be there in 1990 or had listened to it on an nth generation Grooverider tape. And maybe im being too harsh but for now this beauty is going nowhere.

Robins Wants Revenge - Well (Franklie) My Son

Soul and Jazz (Funk) Heaven

It's been a while again but im now vowing to get back and do a post a week. I've still been digging like mad and have had some crazy finds in recent months (one of them probably the best find ive ever had but more about that later) but today its time for one of my most recent purchases.

Ive had the great fortune to meet a colleague of my housemate who has a great Soul and Jazz collection which he wants to dispose of. Literally 2 minutes walk from my house around 1000 LP's spanning the late 50's to early 90's. I knew this guy had great knowledge from meeting him a few times before but i was quietly suprised to see it backed up with an impressive record collection. I have been round to see him twice so far and so far bought 21 LP's for a very reasonable price (neither he or i know the exact prices for these records so i made offers and he seemed very happy to accept - hopefully knowing they would be going to a good home). I also have the bonus of taking home a handfull of LP's each week to listen to them which is invaluable as my knowledge on this type of music is some what limited.

So heres the list of what i have garned so far:

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Lifeline
Grover Washington, Jr. - Soul Box Vol.1
Ramon Morris - Sweet Sister Funk
Lonnie Smith - Gotcha'
Lonnie Smith & George Benson - Europa Jazz
New Birth - Birth Day
Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes - Visions Of A New World
Various - The Great March On Washington
James Brown - Sex Machine Today
James Brown - Everybody's Doin' The Hustle & Dead On The Double Bump
Creative Source - Creative Source
Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band, The* - In The Jungle, Babe
Larry Willis - Inner Crisis
Temptations, The - Cloud Nine
The Impressions - Three The Hard Way (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Lonnie Liston Smith - Live !
John Handy - Hard Work
Herbie Hancock - Flood
Jimmy Owens - Jimmy Owens
Booker T & The MG's - The Booker T. Set
Harold Vick - Don't Look Back

So the track i wanna showcase to you today is from an artist i'd not heard of before - Larry Willis. Full name Lawrence Elliot Willis born in 1940 he played piano and composed on a number of jazz , afro-beat and afro-cuban records in the middle to late 60's and early 70's during which time he was also a member of the blues and jazz rock group Blood, Sweat And Tears. I managed to purchase his first solo LP from 1974 on the classic New York label Groove Merchant. The track i want you to hear is "Out On The Coast" which starts the album off with some funky as hell drums, keyboard flourishes and some grooving horn action.

Larry Willis - Out On The Coast

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Its been a while

Wednesday 1 April 2009

Manu Dibango - New Bell

I scored some really interesting records at the weekend all thanks to South Eastern trains. Circumstances meant i was in the right place at the right time as the train to my initial destination of Herne Bay was replaced by a bus service so i hopped on the train to Canterbury instead. After id gone through the stock that was already in the racks in my local shop including some World music LP's and better than average collection of 60's singles a couple walked in from the street carrying 4 bags of LP's. This "collection" had belonged to a relative from Switzerland and these records had travelled around a bit. They must have been a dance teacher as the majority were ballet records but there was a very healthy smattering of blues, soul, reggae and jazz along with a few disco 12"'s. I didn't recognise too much but took all the interesting records that were in good nick.

One i did recognise was Manu Dibango's - Soul Makossa LP from 1972 from the title track. Credited as being one of the first "disco" tracks after being picked up by David Mancuso for play at his legendary Loft club, this mid tempo jazzy breaks led number has influenced many artists in the preceding years including Michael Jackson and more recently Rihanna. A stone cold classic basically.

The track i want you to hear though is the first track on the B side of the LP - New Bell. Starting off with a wicked funky guitar riff and simple but funky as hell bassline the drummer and congo player let loose after a series of African chants. Its then time for Manu Dibango's saxophone underpinned by some nice jazz keyboards. And that's it. A pure groove from a tight as hell band. This is the definition of Afro-funk.

Manu Dibango - New Bell

Thursday 19 March 2009

Family Of Eve - Please Be Truthful

First appearing into collectors wants list after appearing on Keb Darges's first Legendary Deep Funk compilation the Family Of Eve originated from Pittsburgh, USA and released their debut 7" single on Jeree Records circa 1979/80 and a limited 50 copy blue vinyl repress on Full Sail Records shortly after. They also released a follow up single on Full Sail called Having It So Bad/I Don't Want To Pay and that is all the extent of the information i can find online about them.

Incredibly rare and collectable the songs have also the bonus of being superb tight pieces of soul which is realised in the prices the rare copies that have entered the market have sold for. The Jeree 7" has gone for $825 online and the Full Sail $565. Even the 2006 repress on Lotus Land Records regularly goes for $40+ but the cheapest way to pick it up is on the BBE release from 1998 which shouldn't set you back more than £10.

A repress on the Full Sail label (I'm not sure if this is genuine or a bootleg) appeared in 2007 but this contains a different extended version of the track and I haven't been able to track down a sound file to compare.

A final note is that it is a true crime against music that a track this good with a singer and musicians at the top of their game made no indent into the scene at the time when it is clearly obvious that this would have kicked the shit out of 99% of any other chart release. It has taken over 20 years for this to find its market and still 99% of the listening public probably couldn't give a damn.

Family Of Eve - Please Be Truthful

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Fast Floor - 7th Heaven

I first heard this on an old Top Buzz studio tape i purchased in 1994 and had the fortune to buy the first 3 Smooth Recordings (the ones with blue labels before the later label redesign) from a local DJ who was selling up. I remember thinking that £3.00 a record was expensive but on hearing what was on them i quickly changed my mind. The work of bonafide studio genius Ron Wells (aka Jack Smooth of the Basement Records label) and Paul Frazer Clarke the 6 tunes on the first 3 Smooth Recordings releases carry the torch on for its parent label albeit with a slightly less dark undertone.

This the second release follows the great formula the majority of Ron Wells engineered tracks with opening beats, main melody, bassline, string breakdown, more beats leading to the final string breakdown before the outro beats finish the track. Both sides are great but my pick is 7th Heaven just edging Mind Sweeper out. These were some of the final "Basement" sounding tracks produced before the jungle and d&b sound took over which is a shame in one way but I look on it as a good thing that this sound was never over exposed and still stays fresh to this day.

I wore out the already worn copies of my 3 Smooth Recordings and sold them in a great purge i had a few years back of records that i wanted to get better condition replacement copies of. I have since managed to replace Smooth 001 and 002 but am still waiting for 003 to pop its ugly head out. My initial £3.00 investment has produced dividends as all 3 releases are extremely sought after. This one goes for £30.00 + in mint condition but it is hard to find nice copies because of the thin markable vinyl that was used on this and Basements 12"s from 1993 and onwards.

Fast Floor - 7th Heaven

Friday 30 January 2009

14 Long Years

I had just turned 16 and was starting the 6th Form of my Secondary School. 1994 was the year and i was just starting my love affair with dance music and hardcore/drum and bass in particular. Back in them days money was tight and i couldn't afford to buy records so like many teenager of the time i bought tape packs from the big raves of the day. Id already bought in the summer the Dreamscape 11 pack from July?? and the World Dance pack from the same month so it was in September?? that i travelled to Richard Records in Canterbury and purchased the brand new Helter Skelter tape pack. At this point in my life i was into both the happy hardcore and jungle sounds which this tape pack perfectly catered for. I remember playing each tape one after each other and soaking up the new exclusive tunes that each DJ was playing. For the next few months until the next tape pack came out these tapes got a constant battering. While happy hardcore was starting to evolve into the 4/4 stompy beat sound and jungle was splintering into intelligent and jump up styles i started to make it my mission to track these records i was hearing down. Back then with having no real contacts that were DJ's and barely having stepped into an independent record shop things were tough. I started by Mixmag magazine but its jungle reviews section was poor so moved onto Eternity magazine which really followed the underground sounds. I pieced together information on the main records i wanted and a few months in 1995 i started buying records at a rate of 1 every couple of weeks.

Fast forward 5 years. My knowledge had grown exponentially and i was making regular visits to London snapping up cheap tunes by the bagful. I was in contact with other people with similar love for the classic days of hardcore and jungle and the list of unknown records on the tapes that i knew and loved was diminishing rapidly. However there was one tune on the Dr S Gachet tape from the Helter Skelter tape pack that was eluding me. A simple amen tearer with a lush string break and the classic "I love the way you hold me" sample. Surely someone must know this i thought as i ripped a small clip directly from the tape and uploaded it to some web space a friend had let me use.

Fast forward on another 8 years to the end of January 2009. I was trawling YouTube to look for clips of records that might make me part with my (not so) hard earned. A record on the Strictly Underground label from 1995 caught my eye. This label had been massive in 1991 and 1992 but had lost its way in 1993 and 1994 and its later releases were quite hard to get hold of especially in South East Kent. The clip started and the amen beat reared its head (yawn) for the 2 millionth time for this era of drum and bass. I was about to click onto another record but i moved the track on a bit and straight into the string break id been searching for 14 years for. I literally couldn't believe my ears but i gathered my composure and within 2 minutes had found the record on discogs and ordered a mint copy for £8.50 (leaving 4 other cheaper copies that weren't in as good condition).

Well whats all the fuss about? Its a great solid example of 1994 drum and bass. Nothing truly groundbreaking or amazing but the 14 year gap had built it up to near mythical status with me. Now the initial joy is over and i have the record in my hand i am calm and eagerly awaiting solving the next long standing unknown. I can draw parallels to completing a difficult puzzle like a Rubiks cube for example. When the initial buzz is over you need that next challenge. Bring it on!!

Drum + Bass - FB1 (Sub Kick Mix)

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Vile Charity Shop Harridans - Pt 5

Here's a quick update on the local digging i've been doing in my local charity spots which have been bountiful if not in quality but in quantity in recent weeks.

Ive been back to both shops where i had the opportunity to look through all their records with a view to getting rid of the crap they will never be able to sell. In Ramsgate i've spent about 4 hours over 2 separate days and approximately 95% of what i saw needed to be chucked. Unfortunately the area manager of the shop got involved and instead of skipping the records they are now going to be taken to other branches. Note to self - avoid these branches at all cost!! I pulled a couple of things out for myself but they were very run of the mill so nothing to get excited about. I'm still waiting to see what he has in storage so i have my fingers crossed.

In Cliftonville i went through the other shop and again 95% are due to be skipped. Unfortunately they don't have anymore records contrary to what i was told in December so that avenue is exhausted for the time being.

Other shops have been kinder and last weekend i bought approximately 40 records back from my days trip. Nothing amazing but 21 mint records of various styles from a shop in Margate for £7.00 and 14 unplayed dance promo double packs from a shop in Broadstairs for a pound each.

I even had a chance to venture to the mean streets of Herne Bay which has a serious amount of charity shops. Unfortunately this time the pickings were very slim but i have it marked for a future journey in a few months time.

Fancy Robots - Robo-Friend

Finnish electro i hear you demand! Well ok then since you asked so nicely here is a quite obscure Finnish release from Jori Hulkkonen and Tuomas Salmela on the excellent Keys Of Life label based in Helsinki.

Released in 2001 to date this is their only release under the Fancy Robot alias of the duo's normal Step Time Orchestra partnership. I first heard this when my friend brought back a white label promo from a trip to London and all we had to go by was the Step Time Orchestra name written on one side. Every time he played it i would always ask him what it was but it wasn't until discogs had really started expanding i could use the search function to track down the actual record. I remember (and this is a good trick for all you record diggers out there) finding no copies for sale but there was a website address for the Keys Of Life label so after a bit of searching managed to order an unplayed copy direct from them for a minimal price.

There are a couple of uptempo fast electro tracks on the B side but the track i want you to hear is Robo-Friend, a slow electro synth driven number telling the story of a human and his robot friend in the year 2020 via vocoded and tweeked speech. Its unlike any track i've ever heard to this day and is stunningly simple.

Fancy Robots - Robo-Friend

Monday 19 January 2009

Davina - Dont' You Want It

One of my favourite vocal house records of all time and the vocals don't start until halfway through the track. But the wait is worth it as Davina Bussey sweeps in from behind some piano work with a voice that oozes sexual desire. When she sings "Don't You Want It, Don't You Want It, Don't You Want It" i think any man or woman on the planet would be hard pushed to say no.

Behind the vocals Mad Mike from Underground Resistance builds the backing track up gradually hi-hat by hi-hat using 2 great riffs before easing the piano and strings in to proceedings which lead up to the midway point when Davina can take over. Veering between breathless whispering and the more insistent nature of asking if we want her love she masterfully manages not to overpower the music and become too diva like.

Released in 1992 on Underground Resistance sub label Happy Records i first heard this in 1996/7 when my friend managed to track down a copy of the reissue on Soul City which he had bought after hearing Laurent Garniers classic Mixmag DJ mix from 1994. The reissue now goes for £20.00+ in mint condition and the original £25.00+ but luckily is was repressed in 2002 and even bootlegged in 2007 so it is not hard to track down these days.

Davina - Don't You Want It

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Drexciya - Aqua Worm Hole

cult [kuhlt]

–noun .

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers.

Today i'm here to expose you to two things that are considered cult in the world of electronic music:

1) Drexciya - The artist

2) Underground Resistance - The label

Conceived in 1989 but not having a release on vinyl until 1992, Drexciya are revered as one of Detroit techno and electro's shining lights. I was going to say were but changed my mind. Unfortunately due to the death of former member James Stinson in 2002 and Gerald Donald's decision to concentrate on his other pseudonyms Drexciya are defunct. Nonetheless Drexciya's legacy continues on and people still avidly search out their music meaning prices are high for the majority of their releases.

Their first release Deep Sea Dweller appeared on Detroit label Shockwave Records in 1992 and immediately the concept of a personal mythology behind their music began to take shape. The story was that "Drexciya" were a race of underwater dwellers descended from pregnant slave women thrown overboard during trans-Atlantic deportation and the track titles and E.P's names all followed this aquatic based theme. James and Gerald perpetuated this belief by not stepping out into the media for the majority of the groups existence giving Drexciya maximum appeal to the already cult like followers of their main label Underground Resistance. More about UR in a later entry as they have much more to offer with releases from Suburban Knight, Galaxy To Galaxy and DJ Rolando.

The release i want you to hear today is Drexciya's debut on UR - Drexciya 2 - Bubble Metropolis. Released in 1993 this is probably my favourite of their releases containing a varied selection of electro at different tempos. I've plumped for the A1 track which is a mid paced melancholic journey through the ocean depths. I picked it up for a pound a few years back from a collection i have been buying from an guy who worked in a local record shop but it has been out of print for many years and now you'll struggle to get a good condition copy for less than about £25.00. This is the same with the limited edition coloured represses that were released after James Stinson's death which immediately sold out.

Drexciya - Aqua Worm Hole

Friday 9 January 2009

St. Cal - Losing Ground

Marcus Kaye's (aka Marcus Intalex) Soul:r record label has since its inception in 2001 been unleashing classic after classic onto the world of drum and bass. Following on from his classic releases as Da Intalex in the mid 90's with Soul:r and its sister label Revolve:r he in my eyes captured the soul of those early years and updated it to the 170bpm of the current drum and bass scene.

Drum and bass was my first love and it was a sad day that in the late 90's i stopped buying it as i couldn't find anything i really liked anymore. Its was either jump up rubbish or dark 2 step styles which did nothing for me. I thank it now as it allowed me to concentrate on other styles of music and broaden my horizons but at the time i was pissed off. But around 2004 after being played some of the new drum and bass records my friend was currently buying i started to get back into the scene. Labels like Bassbin and Exit Recordings were sidestepping all the cheese and faux darkness and releasing classic beats with soulful music. Id bought a couple of the early Soul:r releases at the time when i saw them cheap on my travels but hadn't been buying new releases. When i started back up it was a joy to go into a record shop and snap up such releases as Marcus Intalex - Zumbar / Temperance, Calibre - Hypnotise / The Water Carrier and D.Bridge - Without Answers / Love's Ugly Child. It made me feel like it was 1995 again and id got my pocket money and was headed to Primal Vinyl in Canterbury (upstairs of Third Eye) to buy the newest Metalheadz release. I was buying regularly from shops and the Internet and each week there was something new that demanded that it be in my collection. It also got me back into mixing after a few years of being slack and i knocked about a good dozen mixes of all my new records as soon as i had enough for a new set.

St. Cal is the collaboration between Lee Davenport (ST Files) and Dominick Martin (Calibre) and has to date produced 2 12" singles and double 12" pack and 2 appearances on Calibres Signature Records label via an E.P and an LP. The track i want you to hear - Losing Ground was the second of the 12" singles and is a classic double A side. The B side Henshaw Dub is a nice dubby roller of a tune but the A side is my pick.

The beats starts softly in the mix before the main riff makes an early appearance and the male vocal begins its mantra throughout the track. The bassline mirrors the main riff before everything drops out leaving just the riff and vocals before the groove starts again. Its a real 4 am kind of tune very deep and the epitome of what is termed liquid drum and bass.

St. Cal - Losing Ground

Friday 2 January 2009

Mad Professor & Pato Banton - My Opinion

One of the classic reggae LP's of the 80's was not produced in its spiritual home of Jamaica but crafted by one of the UK's most prolific dub producers - Neil Frazer aka Mad Professor in the suburb of Peckham in London. Featuring the almighty vocal talents of a young Pato Banton well before he released dross like Baby Come Back with UB40 this 6 track mini LP was released in 1985 on the Ariwa imprint.

There really isn't a duff track and Pato's fast and slow lyrical style coupled with social insights into life in the mid 80's and his vocals often changing between a Jamaican style and a distinctive London accent was a revelation to me when i first discovered this LP in the late 90's in the collection of one of my friends. The Mad Professor tweaks out the second half of most songs with breathtaking electronic trickery but takes nothing away from Pato's delivery.

It took me over 8 years to track down a copy in really nice condition but i believe the album has been repressed recently so isn't that hard to find now. Get hunting!

Mad Professor & Pato Banton - My Opinion

Breaks, Beats and Bleeps

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Jazz Funk Sikhs

Friday 2 October 2009

Black Rascals - So In Love

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Jungle Jammin' For A Holy Grail

Soul and Jazz (Funk) Heaven

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Its been a while

Wednesday 1 April 2009

Manu Dibango - New Bell

Thursday 19 March 2009

Family Of Eve - Please Be Truthful

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Fast Floor - 7th Heaven

Friday 30 January 2009

14 Long Years

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Vile Charity Shop Harridans - Pt 5

Fancy Robots - Robo-Friend

Monday 19 January 2009

Davina - Dont' You Want It

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Drexciya - Aqua Worm Hole

Friday 9 January 2009

St. Cal - Losing Ground

Friday 2 January 2009

Mad Professor & Pato Banton - My Opinion

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