The Soul Vendor

Closer Than Close - You Got A Hold On Me 1992

2011-02-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Slam Jam Records SLAM 3T

Closer Than Close featured the voice of Beverley Skeete, before she became the voice behind Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. Closer Than Close had some success with You Got A Hold On Me and A New Life, but it was only moderate success. They got involved in the production of other artists for a short time before disbanding the group.

Beverley Skeete is one of the UK's hardest working vocalists with commitment, enthusiasm and real passion. She is also one of the UK's most renowned background singers and has an awesome voice which will stir a touch of deja-vu in most people, since it has featured on more records than the average household has in its collection. One of my favourite performances is on Atmosfear's Xtra Special which can be found elsewhere on here and she is also Guilty by Perception which came as a surprise.

You Got A Hold On Me is written by Beverley Skeete, Hamilton, Coello & Allabaster but I know nothing of the other names and my lame research has turned up now't. I seem to recall Steve Hobbs writing about the group in Blues & Soul magazine but my collection bit the dust in my last move (downsizing). Although the Blacksmith Remixes make this release interesting, I thought The Original Jam was strong enough to stand up under it's own power. The Brixton Club and Dub mixes have some dodgy breaks that had me checking the vinyl but I guess the Brixton Bass Mix is the main joint. Enjoy!

The Original Jam
Brixton Bass Mix
Brixton Club Mix
Brixton Dub Mix

The Download Link is here:Download

Filename: Closer Than Close.rar Filesize: 42.54 MB

Sly & Robbie - The Rhythm Killers E.P. 1987

2011-02-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

4th & Broadway Promo BOOPS 1

This was a 'handout' at the annual DMC Convention in London 1987. To promote the Rhythm Killers album which was soon to be released. The notes on the 12" sleeve are rather misleading, suggesting that Fire is edited. Not so, Boops (Here To Go) would be the lead off single from the album. On the album, it's preceded by Fire, a cover of the Ohio Players 70's classic and followed by Let's Rock forming the 'so-called' 18 minute opus. Side A of this release is basically straight of the album.

C.J. (Christopher John) Mackintosh was born in Paris and raised in London. In 1987, he made a name for himself by winning the UK title in the DMC Mix Championship. Later that year he hooked up with Dave Dorrell and created the monster that was Pump Up The Volume but for now, Fourth & Broadway supplied him with the Sly & Robbie instrumentals and "C.J." Scratch was born. This is what it's all about, CJ doing what he does best.

The Boops part of "CJ" Scratch was remade and used as the official B-Side of the Boops (Here To Go) 12" release. This particular recording was never officially released though. Enjoy!

Fire
Boops (Here To Go)
Fire (Instrumental)
Boops (Instrumental)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sly & Robbie.rar Filesize: 41.04 MB

The System - The Pleasure Seekers 1985

2009-08-03T00:42:00.000-07:00

Boiling Point Records POSPA 753

Vocalist/guitarist Mic Murphy and keyboardist David Frank got together in New York during 1982. As The System, they performed the energetic title track of their 1985 album The Pleasure Seekers on an episode of the hit series Miami Vice. Murphy's soulful vocals & Frank's expertise in recording studio technology gave their material a robotic, synthesizer-driven sound that many felt was ahead of its time. Their music was used in films such as Beat Street, Beverly Hills Cop & Coming to America, while their talents were commisioned for Scritti Politti, Phil Collins, Chaka Khan and Mtume among others.

That said, The Pleasure Seekers is puerile 80's drivel (in my humble opinion of course) and should be listened to once only, just to confirm my opinion. It's a shame there isn't a Radio Edit to make the job a little less painful?

This release is all about the B-Side. The Extended Version of their 1982 dance floor hit, You Are In My System from their début album Sweat, it was their first success. Nearly eight blissful minutes of top notch 80's Groove. Smooth as a baby's bum with a wonderful bubbling bass line. Listen to that opening cymbal rattling away like a angry rattlesnake and the eerie keyboard chords. I love this song, don't know how I missed the original release but I'm very pleased that I got tipped off and managed to pick up this 12". Essential!

The Pleasure Seekers (Long Version)
The Pleasure Seekers (Dub Mix)
You Are In My System (Extended Version)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: The System.rar Filesize: 35.12 MB

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Posted By Mickey P. to The Soul Vendor on 7/30/2009 12:00:00 PM

Samuelle - Living In Black Paradise 1990

2009-07-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Atlantic Records 7567-82130-4

My apologies for this post, it is ripped from a cassette album. I have no idea why I chose to buy a cassette but then I do not post albums as a rule and the only reason I'm posting this is because it's cassette quality. I'm not sure if it's available on CD but I don't have the vinyl. Having apologised, I must say it's better quality than I expected?

OK, I bought this album for Circle Of Love which is my favourite track on the album. The second single, Black Paradise, is also worth mentioning but the album is not what I would call essential. On the other hand, it isn't lame either and a quick run through the credits reveals the En Vogue girls on backing vocals. It is therefore, worth checking out and has its place in your collection.

Black Paradise (5:29)
So You Like What You See (4:41)
Greedy Man (5:59)
I'm So In Love (4:41)
Take My Heart (5:54)
Stay (4:34)
Struck By Your Love (4:51)
When Love Calls (4:47)
Circle Of Love (4:33)
Wanna Make You Feel Real Good (4:52)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Samuelle - Living In Black Parad..rar Filesize: 56.07 MB

Samuelle - So You Like What You See 1990

2009-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Atlantic Records A 7864 (T)

Club Nouveau were formed by record producer/performer Jay King in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the break up of the Timex Social Club. The group included Jay King, Grady Samuelle Prater, Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy & Valerie Watson. They turned out a 'Go-Go' style (who remembers Go-Go) cover of the Bill Withers classic, Lean On Me in 1986 which was quite successful. It was catchy (and very mainstream) but they didn't manage to repeat that success again. Foster & McElroy soon left to form their own projects and focus on producing other acts. They would, of course, soon score big with The Tonies and En Vogue. Prater also left for a solo attempt.

So the 80's ground to a halt and in the UK we had half the dancefloors shouting "Acieeeed!" while the other half done the bump & grind to SIIS beats or New Jack Swing. Prater released his debut album, Living In Black Paradise as Samuelle in 1990, co-written, produced and arranged by his old friends Foster & McElroy under the umbrella of 2 Tuff-E-Nuff Productions (nothing to do with the UK's Tuff Jam's Matt & Karl).

So You Like What You See was the lead off single from the album. The Extended LP Mix is mixed by Ken Kessie who was on the recent Sinclair post. Teddy Riley got involved in the remixes adding his New Jack Swing Production to the mix and Wrecks N Effect added a rap to the 12" Remix. It slammed the dancefloors and made an impact on the specialist charts in the summer of 1990.

The follow up single, title track Black Paradise, was criminally ignored and no more was heard of Samuelle. In 1996 he released All That Matters To Me which didn't make the charts at all. He resurfaced in 2005 and recorded with his brother as Samuelle & D'Lynn. The release, Don't Worry, There's Love In the Ghetto, is inspired by classic 60's and 70's soul and was released on an independent label.

Extended LP Mix
12" Remix
Club Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Samuelle.rar Filesize: 39.95 MB

Mica Paris - Stay 1998

2009-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Cooltempo Records 12COOLDJ 334

I have written much of Mica Paris elsewhere on this blog. Seek & ye shall find? Basically, I love her voice and believe her to be one of the worlds finest vocalists. For me, she was the standard by which all others were measured during the early 90's. With regard to her material, she lost her cutting edge during the mid 90's but her voice was still in fine fettle.

Written by Sylvester Stewart, Stay was a Sly & The Family Stone classic from their 1973 album Fresh. Originally entitled If You Want Me To Stay, I recall hearing it opening an episode of ER (sorry, I love it) a few years back and being surprised at how good it still sounds.

Mica covered the song on her 1998 Black Angel album, the Radio Edit of that version is on here. She works the vocals into her own groove, staying with the original song but making it her own and doing a fine job as expected. Of course, The Soul Vendor requires a little more to make the shelves look impressive and on this promo release we have Blacksmith back in the house again. The Brooklyn Funk Mix puts some bounce into the song giving it a whole new lease of life while the Blacksmith Club Rub takes us into head nodding territory but letting Mica's vocal smoulder. Summer Funk for the Bar-B-Que, you just know this is bad!

Brooklyn Funk R'n'B Mix
Radio Edit
Blacksmith Club Rub

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mica Paris.rar Filesize: 37.65 MB

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Posted By Mickey P. to The Soul Vendor on Cooltempo Records 12COOLDJ 334

Brooklyn Funk R'n'B Mix
Radio Edit
Blacksmith Club Rub

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mica Paris.rar Filesize: 37.65 MB

The Family Stand - Ghetto Heaven 1990

2009-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Atlantic Records A7997T

Formed by Peter Lord, Vernon Jeffrey Smith and Sandra St. Victor in the early 90s, the band released their debut album, Chain, from which the huge club hit, Ghetto Heaven, was taken. Built around the songwriting and production talents of Smith and Lord and the excellent vocals of St. Victor,

The Family Stand combined elements of rock, folk, soul, free jazz, hip hop, funk and hardcore gospel. More than the sum of their influences though, the group took on social issues with leftfield classics such as Plantation Radio and The Education Of Jamie.

I think it's fair to say that the production talents of Beresford Romeo and Nellee Hooper on The Remix, definitely made this an essential tune and gave The Family Stand the break they needed. The difference between this and The Original is rather dramatic, losing the rough edges that delivered the message but gaining a smooth dance floor edge. I think it showed admirable restraint by the marketing team, choosing not to use the extremely fashionable Soul II Soul name on the front cover. Jazzie B's name was just as well known, of course. The follow up, In Summer I Fall barely made an impact.

They then made the legendary Moon In Scorpio album and became the production team of the moment, working with Paula Abdul, Daryl Hall, Des'ree and Aftershock to name but a few, before going on hiatus in 1999.

The Remix
The Original
The Dub

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: The Family Stand.rar Filesize: 31.9 MB

Princess - Say I'm Your Number 1 1985

2009-07-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Supreme Records SUPE T 101

When Desiree Heslop decided to take a tilt at the music industry windmill she had the good sense to change her name. She joined Osibisa in the late 1970s before touring as a background vocalist with several artists, among them Evelyn Thomas and Precious Wilson. In the early 80's with her brother Donovan Heslop as her manager, she took a shot at a solo career. Releasing Another World in 1984 she made barely a ripple but the following year she found herself with a new production team.

Adopting the stage name Princess, she was signed as a solo act to PWL, where the production team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman took a vested interest in her. Say I'm Your Number One was written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman and released on the new Supreme Records label. It was a UK Top 10 hit in 1985 selling over a million copies worldwide. They produced her first solo album Princess which was released in 1986. The album included three further Top 40 singles.

Say I'm Your Number 1
Short Version
Senza Voce

Supreme Records SUPET D 103

Despite being under the same umbrella as Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan, the launch of Princess was handled well by S.A.W. PWL were using all the latest technology and were heavily involved in the use of the promotional remix. In the capable hands of 'The Mixmaster' Phil Harding, she was digitally mastered (in 1985 people!) and released on Supreme Records who sported the by-line "A Statement In Soul". I'm not sure what the statement was but with Mel & Kim and Lonnie Gordon as her stable mates, 'Popular' springs to mind but 'Soulful' doesn't. Princess rose above this for a while though, keeping it slow and low with a walking bass line she retained a modicum of credibility despite the odds.

Say I'm Your Number 1 came in a variety of mixes. This 12" came free with (I think?) After The Love Has Gone but I can't find the 12". I always played the Chief Inspector Mix from Street Sounds 15 so I guess my 12" was lost back in the 80's.

The remixes are the work of The Funky Sisters who were responsible for a rework of Windjammer's Tossing & Turning the year before. Pulling heavily from Michael Jackson's Billy Jean, the bass line is worked to the max and the song ends up around the nine minute mark.

Princess recorded her second 1987 album, All For Love in the United States but it didn't match up to the success of her debut. From 1991 to 2003 she lived in U.S. before returning to England and appearing in ITV's Hit Me Baby One More Time. For an in depth read click here.

REMIX Number 2
H.R.H. Mix No. 3

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Princess.rar Filesize: 71.29 MB

Sold Out - Shine On 1991

2009-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Columbia Records 656863 6

1991 introduced those of us fortunate enough to be in the right place, to the wonderful vocals of Sarah Warwick singing Shine On for Sold Out. The collective, a.k.a. Souled Out, comprised of Alessandro Sommella, Domenico "GG" Canu, Ricky Rinaldi and Sergio Della Monica.

The Andalucian Mix on this 12" is remixed by Mark Brydon (Cloud 9). This is soulful music on very classy dance vibe. Brydon's Andalucian Saxola Mix is also a nice bit of work, weaving a jazzy sax through the instrumental and stroking it with some of Warwick's backing vocals. Sold Out also released an album 'Souled - The Magic Of The Language Of Music In Effect' in 1991 which I have never been able to find.

They went on to produce club classics such as Hondy (No Access) and Planetfunk (Chase The Sun) but for a short spell they tried to educate the masses with their wonderful soul based sounds. Shine On was followed by In My Life, also featuring Sarah Warwick (confirmed by the album credits) and remixed by Joey 'Dave Lee' Negro in an attempt to break the song. There's a Joey Negro Dub and an Almerian Remix by John Waddell (Nasty Rox Inc.) that may be interesting but I doubt it?

Andalucian 12" Remix
Andalucian Saxola Mix
LP Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Souled Out.rar Filesize: 32.64 MB

JT Taylor - Long Hot Summer Night 1991

2009-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

MCA Records MCST 1567

James Warren Taylor was born August 16, 1953, in South Carolina. He got involved in music when he was 13 years old. Before his rise to fame, he was a schoolteacher. He joined Kool & The Gang in 1978 during the rise of disco when they were starting to slump. He became the band's lead singer in 1979 and alongside the bands other new boy, Eumir Deodato, the group re-entered the Top Ten with Ladies Night and topped the charts. The following year, Kool & the Gang had their first number one hit, Celebration.

Taylor's creamy voice helped the singles Too Hot and Ladies' Night reach gold and platinum status before leaving the band for a solo career in 1988. Kool & the Gang recruited three people to replace him, such was his worth. Signing with MCA Records in 1988, Taylor found himself with a hit in the shape of All I Want Is Forever, a duet with Regina Belle but was unable to cross over to the pop charts. He released his debut album Master of the Game in 1989.

Taylor recorded three albums for MCA during the early '90s, failing to trump that success. He completed his second solo album, Feel the Need, in 1991, and two songs from that album, Long Hot Summer Night and his duet with Stephanie Mills, Heart to Heart, were minor hits. This release bears the production stamp of The Funky Ginger himself, the awesome Simon Law, brother of Joanna Law. The title track is also a Funky Ginger production.

Taylor returned to Kool & The Gang in 1995 but is not to be found on Kool and the Gang's latest release, Still Kool (2007). Taylor released his fourth solo album, A Brand New Me, in 2000.

Long Hot Extended Club
Single Version
Flintstrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: JT Taylor.rar Filesize: 35.47 MB

Zushii - There Ain't Enough Love 1989

2009-07-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Red Fly Records FB 3005

Back in the mid 80's, Jason Halliday & Carol McLeod wanted to do 'something different'. Together they began to create tracks with a mix of soul, funk and jazz and Zushii came into being. They were spotted by producer Nigel Wright of Shakatak fame who signed them to his label and released their first single Surprise Surprise in 1987.

Shortly after, a difference in opinion between Zushii and Wright resulted in them parting company. The group decided to start their own label with long term friend Ricky McKenzie, which gave them another two releases, There Ain't Enough Love & A little Sunshine.

There Ain't Enough Love took the South London dance floors by storm. Its bad bassline and jangly melody instantly recognisable, it was a firm favourite with Soul fans. Both mixes are equally good but the flip side The Like A Child Mix (labelled Sweet Mix on the cover?) has a minute plus lead in before the vocal drops which is good for radio chatter or DJ mixing of course.

Original Version
The Like A Child Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Zushii.rar Filesize: 31.81 MB

Cashflow - Can't Let Love Pass Us By 1986

2009-07-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Club Records JABX 33

Their debut LP, Ca$hflow, yielded the hit, Mine All Mine, in 1986, which did well internationally and in clubs, but oddly they put their other certified dance floor killer tune on the flip. The follow up release contained a handful of good tunes from the album.

Can't Let Love Pass Us By is a good song, a great album track, but it lacked that special something to make it a hit. I Need Your Love is more of the same but the essential tune on this 12" release was (as Frank said) Spending Money. Not as essential as Mine All Mine and Party Freak but it's certainly a keeper. They issued a follow-up LP, Big Money, in 1988 which to my knowledge never made so much as a dent in the UK Soul scene.

Can't Let Love Pass Us By
I Need Your Love
Spending Money

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Cashflow.rar Filesize: 35.92 MB

Lowrell - Mellow Mellow Right On 1979

2009-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

AVI Records AVISL 108

This one goes back a few years and I must apologise for the cover coz it's a bit grubby.

Chicago's Lowrell Simon started out in The LaVondells in the 1960's. When the Vondells broke up, he formed The Lost Generation between 1969 and 1974. He went on to write many successful songs including All About the Paper for Loleatta Holloway in 1979.

In the late 1970's, Simon began recording under his first name. He signed to Liberace's label, AVI Records, and released an album in late 1979 entitled Lowrell. The album's second single, Mellow Mellow Right On was a #32 U.S. R&B hit and reached #37 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1979.

There's no great difference for the casual listener but I always played the Alternative Version. Although they are listed as Vocal and Instrumental tracks, the song is continuous on both sides. For this reason I have ripped in both formats, 4 songs and 2 songs, both of which have been added to the rar file. You can choose which to save and delete the other. The song has long since become an anthem and has been sampled by many, including by Massive Attack, Imagination and Common.

Vocal
Instrumental
Alternative Vocal
Alternative Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Lowrell.rar Filesize: 94.97MB

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Posted By Mickey P. to The Soul Vendor on 7/07/2009 12:00:00 PM

Cashflow - Mine All Mine 1986

2009-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Club Records JABX 30

Larry Blackmon of Cameo relocated to Atlanta in the ’80s and got involved in music production. One of the groups he signed to his Atlanta Artists label was Ca$hflow.

They featured lead vocalist Kary Hubbert, backed by drummer Gaylord Parson, keyboardists James Duffie, and Regis Ferguson, and blended funk, rap, and urban contemporary music in a style very similar to Cameo.

Their debut LP, Ca$hflow, yielded one moderate hit, Mine All Mine, in 1986, which did fairly well internationally, especially in the clubs. It borrowed heavily from the Fatback Band classic, I Found Lovin' but was also a good enough song in it's own right to rise above the criticism.

The flip side featured another great song which became a funk floor favourite. Party Freak is another song that is heavily influenced by various songs. The rap section owes much to the Cameo classic, She's Strange, but then, since it's Larry Blackmon producing and it's his rap I guess it's OK. Party Freak is given the remix treatment by The Latin Rascals who are an 80's favourite of mine. Always lots of extra, added percussion.

It's Just A Dream should have been called It's A Nightmare. Really not my cup of tea, even if I were dieing of thirst?

Mine All Mine
Party Freak (Latin Rascals Edit)
It's Just A Dream

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Cashflow.rar Filesize: 42.11 MB

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Posted By Mickey P. to The Soul Vendor on 7/05/2009 08:00:00 PM

Janet Jackson - Let's Wait Awhile 1987

2009-07-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Breakout Records USAT 601

Maintaining the Jackson connection, hey.... why not make the best of it? Miss Janet's Control album blew up big time and best part of the album went out on single releases with all the usual mixes on-board, Extended, Instrumental, Bonus Beats and the occasional Accappella. Let's Wait Awhile was rather twee in comparison (despite the remix) to all the dance floor killers that preceded it. The solution was to load the 12" with some 'in demand' Re-mixes of Nasty which had been a big hit on the floor in '86.

Janet Jackson sang the vocal on Herb Alpert's Diamonds and in return he laid down a bit of brass on the Cool Summer Mix of Nasty. Steve Hodge handled all the remixes for the Jam & Lewis production at Flyte Tyme studios. Enjoy!

Let's Wait Awhile (Remix)
Nasty (Cool Summer Mix Pt. 1)
Nasty (Cool Summer Mix Pt. 2)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Janet Jackson.rar Filesize: 48.99 MB

Dread Flimstone - From The Ghetto (Remixes) 1991

2009-07-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Urban Records URBXR 87

Kymba has told you all about Dread Flimstone and his sidekick, David Rubble, here so I'm not going to dwell on the text. This is the Remix 12" that followed shortly after. I agree with Kymba, there are lots of mixes and not much between them and with the Album Mix you hear the samples making sense but this is a good mix and for those that are open to a smooth 4x4 beat, it should be heard.

This version is remixed by Danny Tenaglia before he blew up. Tenaglia grew up with Motown/Philly in early '70s New York and spent time at Paradise Garage. He begun producing in the mid-'80s during his stay in Miami and hit the mainstream in 1993. This is not a lot different (again) from most of the Bastone mixes but I think it's smoother. Outside of the Album Mix all the mixes seem to be searching for something. This one doesn't, on a smooth 4x4 tip this is comfortable and complimetary. Try it, you'll like it.

Dreadzone Mix
Dreadzone Dub

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Dread Flimstone & The Modern Ton.rar Filesize: 28.34 MB

Fierce II Bonus 12" 1988

2009-06-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Cooltempo Records FCTLP-5

I got some more great 12"'s coming very soon but today, here's a quickie. This promo 12" came with the compilation, Fierce II, (the sequel to Fierce, of course) which contained all the hottest dance tracks. It sports a nice, unnecessary remix of I Know You Got Soul.

The Derek On Eric Remix, is created by South London's Derek B, who was a DJ on LWR 92.5 (my favourite local pirate) and also became a rap artist, releasing a reasonably credible album. Derek Boland produced a few remixes a couple of which you'll find on this blog.

This remix uses an interpolation of Stevie Wonder - Superstition but it's not a straight sample. Lots of classic 'Battlewax' samples thrown in (I think he used the same vinyl as Coldcut on Paid In Full) and it works.

Personally, I thought Tyka Nelson sucked. The chorus ain't too bad but by the time you've reached it.... you don't really give a damn?

Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul (The Derek On Eric Remix)
Tyka Nelson - This Girl's Gonna Fall In Love

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Fierce II.rar Filesize: 21.16 MB

SWV - Right Here 1993

2009-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

RCA Records 74321-16048-2

Following on from the Michael Jackson memoriam post, I thought it was a good connection. The breakthrough hit for SWV was the smooth 1992 release, Right Here, this was soon to be followed up with I'm So Into You, establishing the trio as a commercial force early in 1993.

Then came two number one R&B singles in a row: Weak (which I can't find) and Right Here: The Human Nature Mixes. Stating the obvious I know but it's a remix of their first single that features samples of Human Nature from Michael Jackson's 1982 epic album Thriller. It's a simple remix, SIIS style beats with MJ harmonising on the chorus, but it turned the track into an absolute monster and it became an international success.

With eight mixes to choose from and no turkeys to speak of, this is a healthy release! On the downside, the commercial success of the Human Nature Radio Mix was so effective that you probably don't need to hear it again, ever. That of course, is not an option because it will be played on national radio everyday. You're bound to hear it somewhere.

That said, I ask you to listen, at least once, to the Funkyman 12" and dig the ruffness. Great scratching and boombox beats, you know it's good. Other enjoyable mixes for me are the UK Back To Black Mix and my ultimate Quiet Storm Mix.

Human Nature Radio Mix
Back To Nature Mix
UK Back To Black Mix
Quiet Storm Mix
Funkyman 12"
G-Man 12"
Smooth Bam Jam Mix
Original LP Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: SWV.rar Filesize: 92.44 MB

Darkman - Who's The Darkman 1994

2009-06-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wildcard Records, CARDD8 853489-2

Well, it's heatwave time again, and I've now completed my course (I'm now a fully certified practitioner of hypnotherapy), so it's high time I started contributing to the best damn blog on the net again - I'm reminded of a certain Rakim lyric "it's been a long time, I shouldn't've left you, without a dope rhyme to step to"...

...Aaaanyway...

Today's prime cut I'm serving up is Darkman's follow-on single to Yabba Dabba Doo, which you can find elsewhere on this site - "earth gyrl" had posted in the comments section she'd like to see this one posted, so, this one's for you, gyrl!

Who's The Darkman was a nice follow-up single, but didn't make as big a splash as Yabba Dabba did. However, it's still a great sounding funky track (despite the overly loose rapping style at times), and will sound dope played at volume from your car speakers - please tell me I'm not the only one who's been burning Soul Vendor posts to CD to play in my car??

I like both mixes of this track, and find it hard to pick between them. I think the Shine Mix just edges it, but it kinda depends on my mood. Wicked isn't a bad song, but you'll really be wanting the title track.

Anyway, I don't think there were any more releases from Worldwide, the album that accompanied this and Yabba Dabba, but, regardless, the two that were released are HEAVY!

Take care, lovely people!

- Kymba :)

Who's The Darkman? (Power Lab 7")
Who's The Darkman? (Shine Mix)
Wicked (Ghetto Lab Mix)
Wicked (Power Lab Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Who's The Darkman.zip File size: 21.3 MB

Soul Family Sensation - I Don't Even Know... 1990

2009-06-25T12:00:00.003-07:00

One Little Indian Records 42 TP 12

In 1989 Johnny Male teamed up with Guy Batson and Jhelisa Anderson to begin the project Soul Family Sensation. Their debut album 'New Wave' was praised by the UK media as was the single, I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby. Despite interest from the style press and radio play for '...Baby', SFS bombed. Too white for the dance kids, too black for the indie kids, SFS were stuck in a sort of no-mans land in-between.

Their second LP, Burger Habit, recorded without Jhelisa under the band name of Sensation, disappeared without a trace and the band split. Male - after reputedly writing songs for Jimmy Nail - turned up next in Republica.

Jhelisa Anderson has become an accomplished solo artist singing, writing & producing under her first name Jhelisa. She has made two albums and struck gold with Friendly Pressure. Her sister is P.Y. or Pamela Anderson (No, not that one.) who sang with D*Note and Incognito and of course, her cousin is Carleen Anderson, daughter of Vicki Anderson & Bobby Byrd.

I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby failed to gain it's deserved acclaim, probably because the artist and title are far too long. It was re-released in 1991 and spent 4 weeks, reaching the dizzy heights of #49 in the UK Charts. I love this song, both versions here are absolutely sublime. Don't be misled by the alternate title, it's another version of ...Baby but the other track, Beat Author, it's probably a good indication of what the album is about?

I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby
Beat Author (Howl Mix)
I Could Read All The Letters (The Karen Carpenter Late Night Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Soul Family Sensation.rar Filesize: 26.23 MB

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

2009-06-25T12:00:00.002-07:00

Epic Records 662695 2

The Soul Vendor site was not considering Michael Jackson releases for inclusion. I'm not a particularly great fan of his work although I do recognise his worth and fully condone his place at the pinnacle of Black Music history. He was at the cutting edge of Soul & Dance music in 1979 and given the events of June 25th, I thought recognition was needed.

There have been moments in Jackson's career, mostly with Quincy Jones, that are unequalled and unparalleled. He took his cue from the Godfather of Soul but I personally believe he equalled James Brown's contribution without plagiarising. The Michael Jackson DMC Megamix on the first release here is a good summation of his work put together by Alan Coulthard of the Disco Mix Club.

Earth Song was Jackson's first song that dealt with the environment and animal welfare. Reviews were generally favourable, but some charged that the song sounded pompous, accompanied by a lavish music video shot on four geographical regions. The song was a top five hit in most European countries. In the UK, it remains Jackson's best-selling single. Earth Song was not released as a single in the United States?

Jackson performed the song at the 1996 BRIT Awards, but was interrupted when Jarvis Cocker stormed the stage, apparently offended with the imagery presented. Jackson went on to receive recognition from various animal and environmental organizations. It went on to receive a Grammy nomination in 1997.

The song was written and composed by Jackson; the task of production was split between Jackson, David Foster and Bill Bottrell.

Earth Song
Earth Song (Hani's Club Experience)
Michael Jackson DMC Megamix

Billie Jean
Rock With You
Bad
Thriller
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Black Or White
Scream
Wanna Be Startin' Something

Epic Records 657774 2

Remember the Time was released in March 1992 as the second single off of Dangerous. The song was a successful attempt by Jackson to create a New Jack Swing-flavored R&B jam with producer Teddy Riley, which received the US Soul Train Award for Best Male R&B Single.

Written and composed by Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson and Bernard Belle, the Silky Soul 7" Mix is a house mix by Steve 'Silk' Hurley who was prominent on the dance scene at the time. The New Jack Main Mix is, as the title suggests, the one to go for. Mixed by Riley and Jean-Marie Harvet under the pseudonym of the NJS Future Team, it is clearly how Riley wanted it to be.

Come Together is a cover of The Beatles classic which was performed by Jackson and used as the music for the closing credits of his 1987 Moonwalker movie.

Remember The Time
Remember The Time (Silky Soul 7")
Remember The Time (New Jack Main Mix)
Come Together

Epic Records 658018 2

In The Closet: Mixes Behind Door #1

In the Closet was originally conceived as a duet between Jackson and Madonna. According to a 1992 interview with British journalist Jonathan Ross, Madonna claimed she worked on some lyrical ideas for the song but when she presented them to Michael, he decided they were too provocative and she decided not to continue with the project. Despite the song's suggestive title its lyrics do not allude to hidden sexual orientation but rather a concealed relationship.

The song, written and produced by Teddy Riley and Michael Jackson, is typical of Riley's New Jack Swing style. The original song is a duet and the female vocal is credited to Mystery Girl but was later revealed to be Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. Naomi Campbell mimes the lyrics in the music video.

The first three remixes are dance mixes by Tommy Musto and the last is a Def Mix, down tempo house style, by Frankie Knuckles himself entitled The Promise. They are all good quality mixes for various dancefloors but KI's 12" Mix is my personal favourite, mixed by Kiyamma Griffin & Vincent Herbert for 3 Boyz From Newark productions, as it stays true to the original R&B format.

7" Edit
Club Mix
The Underground Mix
Touch Me Dub
KI's 12"
The Promise

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Michael Jackson.rar Filesize: 180.12 MB

Sly & Robbie - The Rhythm Killers E.P. 1987

2009-06-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

4th & Broadway Promo BOOPS 1

Fire
Boops (Here To Go)
Fire (Instrumental)
Boops (Instrumental)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sly & Robbie.rar Filesize: 41.04 MB

Alyson Williams - I Need Your Lovin' 1989

2009-06-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Def Jam Records 655143 6

Alyson Williams, daughter of the jazz bandleader and trumpet player Bobby Booker, had sung background vocals for various artists including, Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore, B. B. & Q. Band, Cashflow, Unlimited Touch, Bobby Brown and Barbara Mitchell. She joined High Fashion with Meli'sa Morgan in 1980. The group, which also included Eric McClinton, was put together by Jacques Fred Petrus in New York. They had a couple of albums with some success until Morgan left the band in 1983.

After they disbanded, Williams sang on Please Don't Break My Heart by The Affair in 1985 before moving onto a solo career. Her first single, Yes We Can Can, was first released on Profile Records in 1986 but it was when she joined the Def Jam label in 1987 that she found prominence.

She established herself as an in demand vocalist, duetting with many of her label mates including Chuck Stanley, Make You Mine Tonight (included on this release) and Oran "Juice" Jones on How To Love Again.

She was the first R&B female singer signed to Def Jam, where she released her debut Raw in 1989. The album produced the singles My Love is So Raw, featuring female rapper Nikki D, and Sleep Talk. I Need Your Lovin' was remixed by Soul II Soul's Jazzie B and reached #8 in the UK Top 40.

My Love is So Raw, is remixed here by Dave Dorrell & CJ Mackintosh who were popular at the time as MARRS with their hit Pump Up The Volume. The Baby Love Mix which I expected to be dance fodder is actually well handled and definitely worth a listen.

I Need Your Lovin' (Extended Remix)
Make You Mine Tonight
My Love Is So Raw (Baby Love Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Alyson Williams.rar Filesize: 39.07 MB

Kool & The Gang - Raindrops 1989

2009-06-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Mercury Records MERCD 293

Formed by Robert "Kool" Bell, his brother Ronald Bell in New Jersey, Kool & the Gang played jazz before discovering funk alongside the likes of Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown. They were signed by the De-Lite label in the early 70s and exploded in 1974 with Jungle Boogie. However, as quickly as they rode to fame, Kool & the Gang faded.

In 1979 they brought in J.T. Taylor and pop/jazz producer Eumir Deodato for another try, an album called Ladies Night. The title track and the midtempo Too Hot were the beginning of a string of top 10 pop and soul hits for the group that would make Kool & the Gang the top selling soul group of the 80s. Ladies Night was followed by the even bigger Celebration, the joyous title cut of which became the lynch pin of every wedding and birthday party ever since. The infectiousness of their music often went to the extreme but for every Get Down On It there is a Summer Madness.

Deodato left as producer in 1983 and J.T.Taylor left the group in 1987 to pursue a brief but modestly successful solo career (he had one major hit with All I Want Is Forever, a duet with Regina Belle, and a couple of dancefloor grooves, Long Hot Summer and Feel The Need in 1991).

This single release, Raindrops, came out in 1989. It's written and produced by Chuckii Booker with a 12" Remix created by the mighty Blaze. The extra track is an instrumental mix of Amore, Amore, penned by Denise Rich & Randy Edelman and produced by Bell under his pseudonym of Khalis Bayyan. I've not come across a vocal mix but suspect it would be pretty good.

Along with the uncertainty of the group, who had lost two original members after Taylor left, their finances went into meltdown. If this release had become a hit there would probably have been an album in this style but there are many other talents from this era with K&TG connections.

The group kept going but never had another chart hit. They spent the next decade on the oldies circuit, Taylor rejoined for a 1996 reunion tour and the album State of Affairs, which was ignored by both Pop and Soul radio.

Raindrops
Raindrops (12" Remix)
Amore, Amore (Instrumental)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Kool & The Gang.rar Filesize: 32.51 MB

En Vogue - Giving Him Something He Can Feel 1992

2009-05-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

East West Records A8524CD

After recovering from some serious computer problems I find myself with very little time to post music. In addition, the stats are virtually zero which is a real kick in the... teeth. No worries, I have a little time today and a request for En Vogue, Heavy D and Ce Ce Rogers. Hmmm, dissapointing again coz I do not have Thick Girlz or the 12" release of You Don't Have To Worry, only the Frankie Knuckles Mix on this Remix CDS. On a positive note (thank gawd for that) this is a great collection of mixes.

OK, so Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson were rounded up by producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy when they decided to put a girl group together. In 1990 En Vogue hit the UK with Hold On and it was a slam dunk. Clearly, the girls image was classy eye candy but damn, these girls could sing too. Their debut album Born To Sing was a reasonable effort but the single releases that followed in 1991 were even more impressive. Leading up to the excellent 1992 Funky Divas album, this single collected a handful of remixes together.

The main track is a Curtis Mayfield classic. En Vogue pulled off a great coup made Giving Him Something He Can Feel their own. It is a somewhat slinky but stunning rendition and should be on every genuine soul lovers ipod. Hold On is here with a great remix from Marley Marl. The Hyperradio Remix of My Lovin' is THE mix for me, bringing out the best in this track. More fizz that a can of Dr Pepper. Last but not least, Frankie Knuckles provides a Def Mix of You Don't Have To Worry. All in all, I fine collection but I have added Kevin's Jazz Mix of Give It Up, Turn It Loose because it's a cracking mix by Kevin Dean and I haven't got the rest of the 12" to post. Enjoy!

Giving Him Something He Can Feel
Hold On (Marley Marl Hip Hop Remix)
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) (Hyperadio Remix)
You Don't Have To Worry (Frankie Knuckles Club Remix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: En Vogue.rar Filesize: 54.3 MB

Steinski & Mass Media - We'll Be Right Back 1986

2009-05-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

4th & Broadway Records 12 BRWX 59

"We'll be right back after this word from our sponsor."

Only the mind of Steve Stein could come up with this gem. OK, it's not soul but it is an important sidebar in the colourful tomes of Soul & Dance history. After the legend that was Double Dee & Steinski, this could only be an anti-climax but in true Steinski style, it disappointed with pure genius.

Mr. 'Mastercuts' himself, the one and only, Ian Dewhirst tried hard with the remix but there is little that can be done with this piece of cut 'n' paste tomfoolery. Find it on YouTube, enjoy it for what it is, a tip of the hat to a true Americanism.

Why is it in demand, well check out the Acappella Bonus Voices.

Hard Sell Mix
Acappella Bonus Voices
Hard Sell Dub
Re-Edit

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Steinski.rar Filesize: 35.77 MB

Sly & Robbie - Make 'em Move 1985

2009-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Island Records 12 ISX 251

Sly & Robbie are one of reggae's most prolific production teams. The rhythm section of drummer Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar and bass guitarist Robert Shakespeare started working together in the mid 1970s but both made their name independently on the Jamaican music scene.

They changed the face of reggae several times: in 1976, they introduced the harder style called Rockers, which quickly replaced the then prevalent One Drop style, then introduced the Rub a Dub" sound in the early 1980s. Sly and Robbie were important in developing the trend towards computer assisted music and programming in the mid 1980s.

Chris Blackwell made them the core of the Compass Point All Stars at the Nassau (Bahamas) recording studios where they recorded their 1985 Language Barrier album from which these tracks are taken. Every one's a winner, Bass & Trouble taken straight from the album. The Riot Zone Mixes are Paul 'Groucho' Smykle remixes #2 being the instrumental.

Riot Zone #1
Riot Zone #2
Bass & Trouble

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sly & Robbie.rar Filesize: 41.96 MB

SWV - I'm So Into You 1993

2009-04-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

RCA Records SWV 2

OK, I lost the cover to this so I've managed to find the front but not the back. However, this is a must have. SWV, another 'BAM Jam' Brian Alexander Morgan production, Teddy Riley on the Remix with Wreck-N-Effect along for the ride but, for Mikey, it's all about track 4.

Allstar's Drop Check Dance Mix is all you need. Allen 'Allstar' Gordon Jr. cuttin' it up for Blackstar and boy, does he know how to rinse it out. It's a mutha, if you don't know, you better get to know!

Allstar's Drop Radio Mix
Teddy's Radio feat. Wrecks-N-Effect
Teddy's Radio Mix
Allstar's Drop Check Dance Mix
Teddy's Extended Mix feat. Wrecks-N-Effect

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: SWV.rar Filesize: 36.85 MB

Omar - Golden Brown 1997

2009-04-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

RCA Records 74321 52542 2

In 1997 Omar released his new album, This Is Not A Love Song. Before it's release, he released a single from the album which surprised many. A cover of a Punk Rock ballad, an Ode to Heroin, a Heart FM classic?

In retrospect, it was a move of pure genius. Golden Brown, by The Stranglers, is a song that millions of normal everyday people feel comfortable with (many don't even realise it's about drugs) and therefore it might get the multi talented, under appreciated, genius that is Omar some kudos. It didn't of course, but it did give us this CD single release.

This release is all about Wherever, which is also from the album but on the album it is not remixed by the Blacksmith team though. The Blacksmith Full R&B Rub is eight minutes of pure class, leaving the, otherwise good, Blacksmith Hip Hop Mix in the shade.

The Brass Tooth "Well Constructed" Mix is a fine example of just how good a 4x4 remix can be. It plays a little fast for Omar but Croydon's Neville Smith who would put out the excellent Celebrate Life on Well Built Records the following year, has done a great job. This mix puts the song on the dance floor whilst retaining the soulful body of the song and giving it an uplifting gospel element.

Golden Brown
Wherever (Blacksmith Full R&B Rub)
Wherever (Blacksmith Hip Hop Mix)
Wherever (Brass Tooth "Well Constructed" Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Omar.rar Filesize: 35.89 MB

Cameo - Skin I'm In 1988

2009-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Club Records JABCD 77

Last week, Larry Blackmon strutted his stuff at the O2 Indigo. I had the opportunity to go but couldn't make it. Absolutely gutted. As a tribute to a fine group who have contributed far more than most to dancefloor history, The Soul Vendor proudly presents Cameo.

By 1980, Cameo already had a history as a 13 piece, funk and soul phenomenon. Albums such as Cameosis and Knights of the Sound Table were laid on a foundation of legend.

In the mid-80's Larry Blackmon and his crew were ready to move on. With Alligator Woman in 1982, the band stripped down to five main members. Blackmon moved the band in a new direction, giving them a cutting edge sound dominated by a drum machine and prominent bass line. He donned 'a red codpiece', added his trademark "Ooow!" into the mix and totally reinvented the group.

Cameo's 1983 release Style was one of the first to come from this new label and was the first disc to capitalize on Cameo's new sound. She's Strange came out in 1984 and its '12-inch mix' was a major smash in the clubs. 1985's Single Life was also a major club hit that saw some crossover success, especially in the UK.

Word Up! hit the airwaves in mid-1986, the resulting album turned Cameo into superstars. The follow-up tracks, Candy and Back and Forth, were also huge hits for the funk trio. By this time, the band were included in every mix or album compilation going. Les Adams remixed Word Up! to great effect and soon after the original Cameo Megamix made it's presence felt. The Cameo Megamix Two is an epic 10 mins of blistering anthems that doesn't sell you short.

Two years later, Cameo released Machismo to lukewarm response despite favourable review. It's a good song with a positive message and yet Skin I'm In sunk without a trace in the UK. It would appear Cameo's reign was over. Almost in reflection of this, Honey is a short reprise of Candy without a song as such. It simply echoes a song that once was.

Skin I'm In
Honey
The Cameo Megamix Two

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Cameo.rar Filesize: 33.75 MB

Jomanda - I Like It 1993

2009-04-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Big Beat Records A8377CD

Jomanda are from New Jersey and comprised of Joanne Thomas, Cheri Williams and Renee Washington. Their 1990 album was a house music affair that delivered several US dance chart hits, including Got a Love for You, which made US #1 in 1991. It also crossed over to the mainstream, peaking at number 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

I first encounted Jomanda during the 'Summer Of Love', courtesy of a blinding House classic entitled Make My Body Rock. It certainly did and when I came across this release, I hoped for another belter. I was in for a bit of a shock. To my surprise, I Like It turned out to be an R&B track. In 1993, they released their second album, Nubia Soul, which was an R&B/Hip Hop joint from which this single was released.

The track play list is perfect though. The Radio Edit introduces you to a great R&B joint. It's followed by the Smoove Edit. Eric 'E Smoove' Miller was the third part of the Chicago Trax team, along with Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Maurice Joshua. His mixes are of the 4x4 variety, walking that thin line between Dance and House. It's good ground in the right hands but the Extended Smoove Club Mix is to cheesey for my liking and the Smoove Edit has nothing to offer at all. What can I say, I'm honest and it's only my opinion?

The Original Mix puts you back in an R&B mood and then up steps Kenny 'Rah-Rah Smoove' Kornegay with his Nubia Soul Remix for an Untouchables Production that gives us that last minute slam dunk. Bam!

Radio Edit
Smoove Edit
Extended Smoove Club Mix
Original Mix
Nubia Soul Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Jomanda.rar Filesize: 35.62MB

Joanne Thomas also went under the name of Yavahn and in 1998 she released a track called Baby You which is one of my (many) all time favourite songs. Sadly, she died in October 2003 after a three year battle with cancer.

Mary J. Blige - Real Love (YD Remixes) 1992

2009-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

MCA Records MCSTD 1721

Todays post comes courtesy of my main man Sasha:

"I have the 12" back home in Australia but have just found it on CD Single. It was released in the UK in 1992 and the mixes are definitely as good as I remembered. Check out Track 3 and Track 4 for some really special and soulful mixes.

p.s. I have also included some of the other Blacksmith remixes that were on a 1993 UK 12" of Real Love, that someone sent me - vinyl rip. Cheers, Sasha"

A quick summary then, Real Love came out on 25th August 1992, the second release lifted from her excellent début album, What's the 411? It boasts executive production by Sean 'Puffy' Combs and is written and produced by Mark C. Rooney and Mark Morales (again). The track is built on a drum sample from Audio Two's 1988 classic, Top Billin'. The Hip Hop Mix by Bad Boy Ent. features a sample of Betty Wright's 1972 single, Clean-Up Woman and the first appearance of The Notorious B.I.G., then going by the name Big E. Smalls. The vinyl has the Hip Hop Club mix which much the same but without the acappella intro.

Then they brought out the UK Remix 12" which added '2 Special Mixes By The Young Disciples' and suddenly we have something to talk about. This is The Soul Vendor blog, we aren't interested in simply Classic Soul & R&B that everybody has in their collection. We try to target the long forgotten obscure and unusual mixes that you can't find. I think this fits the bill. Femi Fem of The Young Disciples on the controls and incorporating the services of Mad Marco, Phil Linton, Incognito's Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick on guitar and Omar Lye-Fook on keyboards. The Fresh 'N Funky Mix is my fav but The Talkin' Love Mix is just as good.

In the bonus collection you will find the 1993 MCA Records release on MCSX 1922. There were two 12"s with the same serial number (as with this 1992 12"). One featuredthe Phat Mix built on the Roy Ayers 'Love Will Bring Us Back Together' mentioned by Tosh. The other, absolute clincher here, featured the two Blacksmith mixes, the Brixton Flavour 12" and the Blacksmith's Summer Sound 12" both mixed by The Funk Mob with a rap by Sniper.

The Uptown 411 Remix featuring Biggie's rap and an introduction by Puffy, is the Hip Hop Mix with the intro changed. I'm not sure as to what release it is from?

Album Version
Hip Hop Mix
The Fresh 'N Funky Mix
The Talkin' Love Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mary J Blige.rar Filesize: 59.25 MB

Sinclair - Ain't No Cassanova 1995

2009-04-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dome Records CD DOME 103

OK, Kymba is taking care of I Want You Back so I thought I'd throw up the 1995 remix of Ain't No Casanova. It's not a great release, the Groove '95 Remix trying to use the Jackson 5 bass line as it's hook and the Ken Kessie US Mix being the US Encore Mix renamed.

It is of interest however, for it's inclusion of the 2B3 Back To Basics Remix which opens it up with a light and airy production. Unfortunately, I find it distorted and uncontrolled. It's certainly not up to 2B3 standards which is a shame.

All is not lost though because we still have the beautiful Stay With Me Tonight which is not Street Soul but is a classy stepper worth having, especially as it wasn't on the 1994 I Want You Back album.

Groove '95 Remix
Ken Kessie US Mix
2B3 Back To Basics Remix
Stay With Me Tonight

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sinclair.rar Filesize: 27.99 MB

Sinclair - Ain't No Cassanova 1993

2009-04-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Dome Records CDDOME 1004

Mike Sinclair sprung onto the UK Soul scene in 1992, thanks to some great support from specialist radio. I Want You Back was the tune that launched him but it was this tune in 1993 that nailed his colours to the mast. Championed by the likes of Choice FM and Echoes, Ain't No Casanova was played by everyone everywhere. It was a great example of Brit Street Soul during that time and came very close to crossing over, denting the UK Top Twenty at #28 in September of '93.

Ain't No Casanova was written and produced by Dwayne Burke & William Flowers at Groove And A Quarter and the Groove Mix is also theirs. Groove And A Quarter released I Want You Back on their own label, G&Q Records. The third mix is the US Encore Remix by Ken 'Dr. Shaft' Kessie who worked on some Tony! Toni! Toné! releases. Back in the day it was all about the Groove mix but listening now, I'm liking Ken's mix which features a rap by Pepperhead.

For the real soul lovers out there (QS), check out It's Over. Penned by Mike himself and produced by Ashley Ingram who clearly has the silky touch required for the Quiet Storm genre. This is Sinclair at his best, a little slice of soul heaven, pure class!

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sinclair.rar Filesize: 32.5 MB

Darkman - Yabba Dabba Doo - (1994)

2009-04-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

Wildcard Records, CARDD6 855781-2

Here's an oldie but goodie!

Wildcard were another label on a roll in the early nineties. They'd signed China Black after their massive indie success on the Reggae charts with the still brilliant Searching, and helped propel it into the pop charts. They had Nu Colours, another up and coming urban act, and then they signed Darkman, who would go on to score the biggest UK Hiphop chart position to date with the infectious Yabba Dabba Doo.

I remember this track absolutely dominating airplay in the UK in the summer of '94. It was massive both on radio and in the clubs. it would blow up again the following year as well, when it was remixed and rereleased (I'll post the re-release at a later date for sake of completion). However, the finest version of it for me was always the Party Like That Mix, available on both releases.

The Ghetto Lab mix is interesting for the more gangsta take on the lyrics, the 7" Mix is thoroughly decent, as is the bonus track What's not Yours, but, as stated above, it's the anthemic Party Like That Mix all the way for this girl.

Some trivia - Yabba Dabba Doo was produced by Darkman AND a guy called Micky P (I'm pretty sure he was the Micky P who used to be on KISS FM back in the day, when it was actually good) - no relation to our bossman, I take it? Also, and I never realised this back in the day, but there was additional production by the Young Disciples' very own Femi Fem. Cool, huh?

- Kymba :)

Yabba Dabba Doo (7" Mix)
Yabba Dabba Doo (Party Like That Mix)
What's Not Yours (Power Lab Censored Mix)
Yabba Dabba Doo (Ghetto Lab Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Yabba Dabba Doo.zip File size: 22 MB

Brigette McWilliams - I Get The Job Done 1994

2009-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Virgin Records VUSCD18

Brigette McWilliams was born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles and New York. She grew up immersed in an environment full of musical greats. Her mother, Paulette McWilliams had a 60s hit, ‘Bend Me Shape Me’ with the group Rufus and regularly toured and recorded with Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross. She claims that she is influenced by Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Chaka Khan, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. The music, energy and spirit of the scene at the time captivated her and set the scene for what she would later become.

Brigette studied law and thought this may be her eventual career before joining a girl group Flavor and signing with Universal Records. However her distinctively rich alto tones soon landed her a solo deal with Virgin Records for two highly acclaimed albums.

McWilliams made her début for Virgin in 1994 with the album Take Advantage Of Me. Produced by Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal for So So Def productions, she was surrounded by a wealth of musical talent and was only required to sing what was written for her. It received favourable reviews in the soul / R & B papers but she later complained that she enjoyed 'zero creative control' in its conception.

The fact that she went on to write and produce alongside Steve Harvey on her 2005 release, Starlight Lounge, on Expansion Records , venturing into Jazz and Brazilian rhythms, tells you how frustrating it must have been for her. She shortened her artist name to Brigette, branched out into fashion accessories and married Mark Romanek, (the film director responsible for films like ‘One Hour Photo’ and the music video to Michael and Janet Jackson’s ‘Scream’).

OK, that's the story, here's the music. A plethora of mixes from Jermaine Dupri himself using EW&F and James Brown samples, an interesting offering from Shannon Houchins but the only mix I need is the Quiet Storm Mix by Wicked T incorporating the guitar work of Verve artis, Evan Marks. Pure unadulterated soul. Enjoy!

Natural Radio Mix With Clean Intro
Hard Funk Mix
Quiet Storm Mix
The Extended
Hard Funk Mix Instrumental
On Top Of The Job Mix
On Top Of The Job Mix Instrumental
LP Version
Quiet Storm Mix Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Brigette McWilliams.rar Filesize: 68.61 MB

Beverley Knight - Made It Back 1999

2009-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Parlophone Records CDRHYTHS 18

Finally, the second of Alifunk's Beverley Knight's Made It Back CD singles. Released in April 1999, this was the first single taken from her re-packaged album. Made It Back '99 features a more commercial production provided by TNT and Mike Spencer, who introduce a sample of 's Good Times by Chic into the song. The Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards groove with its bitchin' bassline, has been used more times than a 2 Bit hooker but Boy, does it feel at home on this number. Not much left of the Soul Inside production of course, but what the hey, it still includes Redman & Specialist. I guess you can't make an omlette without breaking eggs?

The single became Knight's first top 20 single in the UK when it peaked at #19 upon its release. It was supported by a re-released version of Prodigal Sista, which contained this and two other remixed tracks. A new video was also created, but was not included on the CDS but I've included it here. As with the original, it uses the TNT 7" Mix which does not feature Redman. The Booker T Night Time Dub is typical 4x4 Garage fodder although it does retain much of the vocal.

TNT Good Times 12" Mix
TNT Good Times 7" Mix
Booker T Night Time Dub
Original Album Version

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Beverley Knight.rar Filesize: 58.6 MB

Pauline Henry - Too Many People 1993

2009-04-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sony S² Records 659594 6

Pauline Henry started her career as the lead-singer of the Scottish band The Chimes. She then went solo and released two albums: Pauline and Do Over. The singles include a cover of the Juicy classic Sugarfree, Watch The Miracle Start and Too Many People.

After parting with The Chimes, Henry needed to reassess her career:

"After The Chimes, I took a while to think about what I really wanted to do with my career. I got my head down writing and had 25 songs. I learned my craft live, as opposed to being 'created' in the studio. I didn't know much about studios until I joined the Chimes."

As she idolizes Tina Turner, it was doubtless no accident that her debut album included Can't Take Your Love, co-written with Terry Britten, who had penned many of Turner's biggest hits. There was also a cover version of Bad Company's Feel Like Makin' Love, revealing her R&B roots.

Too Many People has the catchiest chorus ever and this 12" release features an all-star cast of remix talent. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, nothing can raise the song higher than a very well performed, fairly good song with an extremely catchy chorus. Don't get me wrong, it isn't I Should Be So Lucky but Pauline is capable of great work so why give her any less than great songs. Blacksmith do a fine job as usual, as do Absolute and the less obvious Ten City. Hard to choose but the Blacksmith Extended Mix is probably the pick of the bunch. Enjoy, it is a good song and were it by an unknown I would probably think even more highly of it?

Extended Version
Blacksmith Dancehall Mix
Blacksmith Extended Mix
Absolute 12" Mix
Ten City 12" Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Too Many People 12@.rar Filesize: 54.48 MB

Beverley Knight - Made It Back 1998

2009-04-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

EMI Records 7243 885636 0 4

Another one of Alifunk's gems. Beverley Knight in fine form, striking out for girl power, well it was the late Nineties. This is the original release of Made It Back, featuring Redman. Ali has also supplied the video to which I have added a stereo soundtrack. It's not the best quality available but I have increased the frame size and contrast and I believe it is meant to feel a bit ruff.

Made It Back was the first single released from her second album, Prodigal Sista. It was also the first single on EMI after she signed with them in 1997 after disagreements with Dome Records. The release instantly proved that Knight had made the right decision after it entered the UK Top 40 at #21 - her highest charting single up to that point. Featuring US rap star Redman, the song was nominated for Best Single at the 1998 MOBO Awards in London, which Knight lost out to Freak Me by Another Level and she had to settle for Best R&B Act of 1998, a very reasonable accolade, I think?

Made It Back (feat. Redman)
Made It Back (C-Swing Mix)
Made It Back (Brooklyn Funk Club Mix)
Made It Back
Made It Back (Video)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Made It Back 97.rar Filesize: 66.25 MB

Intelligent Hoodlum - Back To Reality (CJ Mackintosh Mixes) - (1990)

2009-04-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

A&M Records, AMCD 598

Not so sunny here in North London today, but I thought I'd post another BBQ classic regardless.

I'm not sure really how well you'll receive this one, as it's not soul as such, but a nice, chilled out slice of Hip-hop, reminiscing about simpler times.

Intelligent Hoodlum (born Percy Chapman, although he would later switch to the monicker "Tragedy Khadafi") is an extremely eloquent rapper from Queens, New York. His first, self-titled album was a politically charged affair featuring the excellent Arrest the President, and a whirl of other contentious tracks.

However, amongst the anger and social commentary on his debut there lurked a rather good party jam, the Soul II Soul sampling Back To Reality - no surprises for guessing what sample was used there, huh? ;)

On its release in the UK, Back To Reality was given a suite of remixes by one CJ Mackintosh. The pick of which for me is CJ's Drum And Bass Mix (nah, not THAT kind of Drum & Bass), which cranked up the Soul II Soul elements, added nice piano chords and strings stabs, and made a great summer vibe kinda tune out of it. The Ragamuffin Version is also pretty dope (love the strings), but for me, it's all about the Drum And Bass Mix.

Hope you dig this as much as I do. If you don't know it, give it a try and tell us whatcha think.

- Kymba :)

Back To Reality (Drum And Bass Mix)
Back To Reality (Back To Basics)
Back To Reality (Ragamuffin Version)
Back To Reality (Ragadub)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Back To Reality (Maxi-Single).zip File size: 28 MB

Incognito - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - (1992)

2009-04-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

Talkin Loud, TALKCD 21

The sun is shining here in North London, so I thought I'd post something with a Summery vibe to match the weather outside.

What better, then, than a Talkin Loud track? One that's a remake of a Stevie Wonder classic?

I'm a huge Stevie Wonder fan, I know most of his songs backwards, and can't get enough of his 70's period albums. That boy had the funk down to a T. I would normally consider anyone covering one of his songs as utter blasphemy, but Incognito did a brilliant job with this tune, and, dare I say it, made it a little more dance-friendly, with a more pronounced groove.

Just listening to it now takes me back to summers gone by where I had it on a playlist, along with various other acid jazz type tracks, playing loud during barbeque's with family and friends, the rosé wine flowing, the smell of cooking burgers and spliffs* being passed round...

I better stop now, as I'll be boring you.

There's a Frankie Foncett mix, as well as another track, a remix of Colibri, which sounds, for all the world, like a latin-tinged Roy Ayers/George Benson collaboration.

However, what you'll really want are the Edit and LP Versions (the LP Version being my personal pick). Essential summertime listening.

Enjoy the sun, y'all!

- Kymba :)

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (Edit)
Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (LP Version)
Colibri (Remix)
Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (Frankie Foncett Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing.zip File size: 27.8 MB

* can't do that now, my boyfriend's a cop and doesn't approve!

Aaron Hall - Don't Be Afraid - (1992)

2009-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

MCA Records, MCSTD 1632

It's the 7th of April, and that can only mean ONE thing.... it's Aaron Hall Day today on Soul Vendor, and here's our second offering:

Don't Be Afraid, alongside Teddy Riley & Tammy Lucas's brilliant Is It Good To You, were the lead singles from the Juice OST, one of the very best Original Motion Picture Soundtracks I've ever heard.

Instead of working with his former colleague Riley, Hall made this track with heavyweight Hiphop producer Hank Shocklee (of The Bomb Squad fame), whose 'wall of sound' production style blew so many of us away on the first three Public Enemy albums.

As far as CD singles go, this is a fine, FINE release, and fantastic value for money.

There are eight(!) tracks, two of them instrumentals; there's a 7" Edit of the original album track (which is still the best mix for me), a track called Vocal Files (which is an alternative acapella take on the chorus), a nice downtempo extra-naughty mix in the form of the Sex You Down Version, and a funkier-than-James-Brown's-socks version in The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix, in which Mr Hall struts his stuff in a jazzy, semi-scat manner, and proves nobody can shout "oooh-wee" quite like he does. I aint even joking! Oh, there's also the tweaked Nasty Man's Groove mix, which is a slightly less street, slightly more melodic version of the original, without straying too far from it (for the record, 'Nasty Man' was Aaron's nickname in Guy).

Don't Be Afraid is something of a classic, and certainly one of my favourite R&B tracks of the nineties.

- Kymba :)

Don't Be Afraid (7" Edit)
Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove)
Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Version)
Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Instrumental)
Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove Instrumental)
Don't Be Afraid (The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix)
Don't Be Afraid (Piano Jam)
Don't Be Afraid (Vocal Files)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Don't Be Afraid (Single).zip File size: 31.5 MB

Aaron Hall featuring Redman - Curiosity - (1995)

2009-04-07T02:23:00.000-07:00

MCA Records, MCADM-55143

It's the 7th of April, and that can only mean ONE thing.... it's Aaron Hall Day today on Soul Vendor, and here's my first offering:

Aaron Hall was the silky-voiced lead singer of uber-producer Teddy Riley's New Jack Swing trailblazers Guy. He also sounded more than a little like Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band - no bad thing at all.

Anyway, post-Guy, Aaron had a few solo hits like the superb Don't Be Afraid (which I'll be posting on here later today - I told you it was Aaron Hall Day today!) from the excellent Juice OST, and this track, Curiosity, taken from the Dangerous Minds OST - yes, that's the film that *THAT* Coolio song came from.

It's a nice, funky slice of street-soul, produced and writted by Mr. Dalvin of Jodeci and Missy Elliott, but the Marley Marl Remix is the one you'll want. It's much, MUCH funkier, and features Redman, one of my favourite rappers, doing a couple of verses that again help lift it above the original.

There's also a nice instrumental for you mixologists out there - something I always look for in a release, although no acapella.

- Kymba :)

Curiosity (Marley Marl Remix - Radio Version)
Curiosity (Misdemeanor)
Curiosity (LP Version)
Curiosity (Marley Marl Remix - Instrumental)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Curiosity.zip File size: 24.7 MB

Nu Colours - Desire - (1996)

2009-04-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Polydor/Wildcard, LC0309

Well, Nu Colours have been well and truly covered on The Soul Vendor more than once. Mick's already put up Power, and only the other day I put up What In The World/Greater Love; Greater Love being one of my all-time favourite songs.

So that gets me out of having to write anything about the UK's premier gospel outfit.

Onto this track, then.

It's a decent track, second only to Greater Love in their repertoire (in my humble opinion)... but there was only one reason why I bought this CD single, and that was the excellent Linslee's Extended Mix - re-listening now it still stands out as much the best version.

The Ethnic Boyz version isn't bad, but it lacks the power-funk of Linslee's mix. The house mixes are... not my cup of tea. The Gospel Truth According to Mindspell mix is pretty nice, and takes the tune back to a live, stripped-down, purely gospel vibe - it's probably the best mix after Linslee's.

Peace and luvizm,

- Kymba :)

Desire (7")
Desire (Ethnic Boyz Main Mix)
Desire (Linslee Extended Mix)
Desire (Full Chorus London)
Desire (Mindspell Classic Club Experience)
Desire (The Gospel Truth According To Mindspell)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Desire.zip File size: 46.2 MB

10 x 12 - A Bad Album 1986

2009-04-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Portrait Records PRT 26920

This is for those of you that are not old enough to remember the 80's club scene. This is a sampler album that hit the spot in early 1986. Black Music has not always been mainstream. It used to be 'underground' or 'specialist' and became overly popular in certain eras. I guess Tamla Motown was probably the first Black Music become Pop Music. Disco also had a good go before the mainstream 'White' market stole it and milked it relentlessly causing, in the process, 'the death of Disco'.

Interestingly, that cull enabled the wonderful process that led to the advent of House & Garage. Allow me to digress a little more here. When I say House & Garage, I ain't talking about the shite we in the UK now refer to as House & Garage in the Noughties. That's actually Bassline & 90's 2 Step.

In the meantime, incredible things were happening on the underground Black Music scene. Rapping, Hip Hop, Electro, Breakdancing, Graffitti, Jazz Funk, Cherry (Jerry?) Curls, Extensions, Combats and Batty Riders? Behind it all though, was a slow heavy bass line that became known as 80's Groove. By 1986, Black Music was ready to take over the charts again.

Most of the tracks on this album are US releases from 1985 and most went on to become anthems. There was something for everybody on this and the only track I personally, didn't rate highly at the time is Lovebug Starski. My opinion hasn't changed much.

Portrait Records was a reasonably good Pop label, releasing some fair 12"s, Say Yeah by The Limit being a perfect example, but I have many of those featured on here and they didn't come out on Portrait except New York Eyes as I recall. I guess it was a CBS showcase then?

Living In America was a huge tune marking the return of 'The hardest working man in show business...' James Brown. He hadn't really been away as such cos every record company with his name in their catalogue was re-releasing it. In 1984 he teamed up with Afrika Bambaataa for Unity and his name was legend. His product was being cut up by every DJ in the world at this time. Even I used to try using the Sex Machine intro as a sample, especially the "1, 2, 3... " It was a phenomenon and hard to describe now without it sounding like an exaggeration. James Brown became an institution and Living In America was his way of saying...

I'm more than a legend, I'm alive!

'The Boss' was making his presence felt on the Top Twenty again.

Full Force were, for a short time, the name on everybody's lips. B-Fine, Shy Shy, Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, 'Curt-T-T'& Baby Gerry came together in Brooklyn during 1984. By autumn of 1985 Alice (I Want You Just For Me) had been played to death everywhere whilst I Wonder (If I Take You Home) was last seasons 'most played'. Unfortunately, 1986 was the crest of the wave, Full Force overkill, they would never have another hit with their name on it.

Roy Ayers Hot was the reason I bought this album. Infectious rhythm, excellent vibraphone solo and James Mtume production. What more can you ask for.... Oh, I know, a showcase in a Michael Jackson video, thanks!

James 'Jimmy Jam' Harris III and Terry Lewis comprised the production team known as Flyte Tyme and they ruled in the 80's. Cherrelle was launched on Tabu Records and although her voice wasn't the best on the scene, she had something. Jam & Lewis was part of the something she had and just in case there was any doubt, they teamed her up with their new male talent, Alexander O'Neal. Saturday Love was a club hit of epic proportion. The inclusion of an accapella on the 12" ensured that it got mixed with all sorts on pirate radio. The version included here is the album cut which is cool because it's not on the 12". O'Neal's own offering is also included here, If You Were Here Tonight has gone on to become a slow jam stalwart, featuring on more Quiet Storm collections than you could shake a stick at. There's one more Jam & Lewis contribution in the shape of The Finest by The S.O.S. Band. I believe this is the 12" Long Version and is also an anthem.

Juicy contribute their finest moment on the dancefloor with Sugar Free (The Super Deo Dance Mix) although it does fade early. They were an Eumir Deodato project, hence the Super Deo title. Deodato was a 70's legend and moved into production in the 80's. There's nearly six minutes here and you don't feel like you are missing anything. A little knowledge can be bad for you?

Last on the list, but certainly not least, we have New York Eyes by Nicole featuring Timmy Thomas. Nicole had a succesion of releases mostly US, some with Clivilles & Cole but this is the only one she is truly memorable for. Timmy Thomas is something of a legend himself, he is also world reknowned for one song. In 1972 he released Why Can't We Live Together and it blew up worldwide. Here, he produces and duets superbly with Nicole and you can't but help wonder why they never had more product of this calibre?

James Brown - Living In America
Full Force - Alice
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - I Wonder
Lovebug Starski - House Rocker
Roy Ayers - Hot
Cherrelle - Saturday Love
Juicy - Sugar Free
Nicole - New York Eyes
Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight
The S.O.S. Band - The Finest

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: A Bad Album.rar Filesize: 114.53 MB

Nine Yards - Always Find A Way 1999

2009-04-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Virgin Records VSCDT1746

Once again, supplied by Alifunk.

This time it's Nine Yards with their pre millennium joint, Always Find A Way. I must confess, Nine Yards never really did it for me but I know there was a lot of love for them. Like other UK R&B outfits, Nine Yards adopted the smooooth US-style. What made them a little more interesting than most was the involvement of some genuine talent, both in the playing and songwriting departments. Along with vocalist Clevedon Buntyn and rapper Ian Thomas, the South London born singer Wayne Beckford signed a major deal with Virgin records for his trio Nine Yards in 1997.

The accomplished artist, musician, songwriter and producer, has since gone on to a production career that now has nearly a decade of history. This Jamaican from Peckham has his new found family of KONVICT music which boasts platinum artists like Akon and T-Pain.

The Jay Dee Remix is the one for the R&B crew, stealing from Minnie Ripperton's 1975 recording Inside My Love. The Radio Edit makes for comfortable 'easy listening' while Todd Terry's Extended Club Mix needs to be pitched waaaay down, assuming you want it to sound anything like a half decent rendition of the song but hey, what the hell, if the beats fit, synch it!

Radio Edit
Todd Terry's Extended Club Mix
Jay Dee Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Nine Yards.rar Filesize: 35.15 MB

Respect to José Manuel.

Trivia: The group name means 'everything' and the phrase refers to the length of an ammunition belt, i.e. 'Use it all, the whole nine yards.'

Lynden David Hall - Sexy Cinderella 1999

2009-04-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

EMI Records 7243 886588 2 9

This is another addition provided by Alifunk, the 1999 re-release of Sexy Cinderella. The C&J Remix supplied by Cutfather and Joe for XL Talent. There is also the very competent Live Acoustic Version of Medicine 4 My Pain recorded at Café De Paris by BBC2 for their 'Soul Night' programme. It's hard to work out where the label were coming from with this release cos there are three random tracks with no particular purpose other than to gain some extra mileage off the back of Lynden's '98 Mobo award.

Whatever the reason, it's a good release because it features Perfect Love Song by Black Twang featuring Eldee. Tony Olabode a.k.a Tony Rotten a.k.a. Blak Twang is an award winning hip hop heavyweight, who has released two albums and has worked with artists such as Beverley Knight. In this instance he has built his own song around the chorus and groove of Sexy Cinderella. Eldee, sorry, LD is obviously Lynden who supplies the vocals for the chorus. Don't go thinking that The Twang has simply stolen Lynden's groove though because the video clearly shows them working together. The last few seconds show them fooling about together so it's legit.

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Lynden David Hall.rar Filesize: 34.19 MB

Big shout out to José Manuel. Respect!

Blacksmith - Get Back To Love 1989

2009-04-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

ffrr Records FX 111

Karl Alexis Atkins & Hugh Atkins together with Peter Carlyle Trotman formed the foundation of Blacksmith. They are essentially a production team from South London. Blacksmith mixes were in demand and invariably came in pairs, Brixton Bass and Upso mixes. They had an edge in the late 80's, early 90's, in the fact that their production style covered both downbeat R&B headnodders, and uptempo dancefloor mixes without entering into house music territory.

Trotman can be found on quite a few things outside the Blacksmith field. He plays bass on, among others, Zero 7's 'Simple Things' album and has even sung vocals for East West Connection. Karl 'Blacksmith' Atkins is the main man though, I suspect? For a short time only, they tried their hand in the 'Artist' category, releasing (to my knowledge at the time) two singles, for which they went all 4x4 deciding to move Blacksmith into the 'Dance' arena.

Get Back To Love done quite well because it featured on ffrr's Silver On Black sampler album. The album contained a Radio Edit which clocked in at around four minutes. It sounded good, uplifting house with lots of vocals, but the fade left you wanting more and so I went seeking the twelve inch.

The exciting thing about this 12" was the Blaze Remixes. Blaze, to me, were the MAW of the late 80's. I had flipped over If You Should Need A Friend and went through the roof to Can't Win For Losing. Then they provided the remixes of Mica's Great Impersonation. I had great expectations for this 12" but I was blandly disappointed. The Blaze Club Mix has the vocals and keyboards higher in the mix and some fluttering percussion has been added with a bucketful of flange. The Blaze Dub doubles up, nay, triples the amount of flange and leaves the vocals in which is effective but then it adds further insult by fading out at five and a half minutes.

All in all, the Blaze mixes are no better than the original. Had this not been Blaze I would not have been so critical but Kevin Hedge & Josh Milan are producers of high calibre and I came to the conclusion that they were short of time or couldn't be bothered. For that reason my vote goes on the Blacksmith Mix every time.

They followed it up with Hold You Back in 1990 which I have a horrible feeling has gone missing but I will have a look later.

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Blacksmith.rar Filesize: 40.47 MB

Nu Colours - What In The World / Greater Love - (1993)

2009-04-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

Polydor/Wildcard, CARDD 4

I'm going to start this off with a complaint:

WHAT THE HELL WERE POLYDOR THINKING MAKING GREATER LOVE A B-SIDE????!?!?!?

It's got classic stamped all over it, and, if only it had been supported and marketed it could well have made a decent splash on the pop charts, and seen the band get a bit more recognition than they did. It's an incredibly strong song, it's got beautifully sung vocals, and a nice, slinky, urban groove to it courtesy of producers par excellence Ethnic Boyz.

I honestly believe it is one of the UK's finest soul moments.

Not that there's anything wrong with the main track, What In the World. It's a really good guitar driven piece of soul, produced by a certain Robert Howard. I'm guessing it's the same Robert Howard (or "Dr. Robert") from The Blow Monkeys fame. Can anyone confirm? (edit: it IS Dr Robert - thanks, Frank!!)

There's a third track (fourth, if you count the Greater Love Remix - more on that in a moment) called Want Your Love 2 B Mine, which is a perfectly decent backup track, but with such a good main track in What In The World, and an even better one as the "B-Side", if you will, in the shape of Greater Love, it's easily forgotten.

As mentioned, there's also an Ethnic Boyz remix of Greater Love, which is odd really, as they produced the original version, and it's fairly similar, just a touch more dubby. I much prefer the original, but it's nice to have for completions sake.

So there you have it, one of my all-time favourite tracks, as a bloody B-Side! Amazing.

- Kymba :)

What In the World
Greater Love
Greater Love (Ethnic Boyz Remix)
Want Your Love 2 B Mine

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: What In The World.zip File size: 25.1 MB

Royalle Delite - (I'll Be A) Freak For You 1984

2009-03-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Streetwave Records MKHAN 51

Something of a boogie rare groove on Lonnie Johnson’s tiny Skyview label in 1984, over in the good ol' US of A, before, Morgan Khan, the man behind the UK’s seminal Streetsounds compilation series picked it up for wider release on his Streetwave label. A good thing too – this is a fantastic piece of lo-tech freakery that has had soulboys in a lather ever since.

Doe's anybody have any info on Royalle Delite, group members, etc. I know they followed this up with Spend A Little Time With Me buy I can't seem to find any information on them?

Lonnie Johnson also wrote and produced (I'll Be A) Freak For You but check The Good Groove Mix for a great echo of 80's London Pirate Radio. Remixed by Derek Boland for Froggy Productions, better known as Derek B, on the, LWR 92.5, airwaves and on the microphone as a rap artist. Boland's show's on LWR invariably feautured one of his 'Good Groove' mixes and they were always interesting at the least. He created remixes of a couple of Eric B & Rakim's releases, one of which I've posted. I'll find the, Stevie Wonder-based, Urban Respray of I Know You Got Soul later. Enjoy!

(I’ll Be A) Freak For You
Radio Edit
The Good Groove Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Royalle Delite.rar Filesize: 46.1 MB

Paris - I Choose You 1987

2009-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Bluebird Records BRT 38

For my next post, I'd like to return to the classics!

Truly, they don't come much better than this. I Choose You is the ultimate in mellow, silky soul this one stands the test of time with its head held high. I don't know much about this release, it was big around the Rare Groove scene but I don't think it's particularly rare. It came out on Chicago's Kelli Arts Records and got a UK release on the Bluebird Records label in 1984 and I bought it from the Bluebird Records shop in Paddington, London in 1987. I considered it, at the time, to be a Bluebird re-issue of an old rarity?

Written by Paris L. Holley, whom I assume is the vocalist, and produced by Otis Leavill & Carl Davis. Yes, that's the legendary producer Carl Davis of Windy City fame. Leavill & Davis are included as writers on the original release.

The flip side is a funky thing, very reminiscent of Prince and should not be ignored, nor compared with the A side. I never listened to Punkin' Funkin' after the first play, because it was a world away from I Choose You. I mentally filed it as 'lame' only to discover at a much later date that it ain't a bad Funk tune?

I Choose You
Punkin' Funkin'

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Paris.rar Filesize: 23.4 MB

Lynden David Hall - Do I Qualify? CD2 1998

2009-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Cooltempo Records CDCOOLS 331

Another piece from the 'LDH collection', this is CD2 (EMI Records 7243 8 85245 2) from the UK release of Do I Qualify? supplied once again by Alifunk. Top Man!

The prize on this particular release is the exclusive Untouchables Remix of Sexy Cinderella featuring Rha Goddess. We also get the DARC Extended Remix of Do I Qualify? in glorious digital and, as if that wasn't enough, this includes The Jimmy Lee Story which includes girl-on-girl action. OK, sorry, I'm a sad bugger?

Do I Qualify? (Album Mix)
Do I Qualify? (DARC Extended Mix)
Sexy Cinderella (Untouchables Remix)
The Jimmy Lee Story

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Lynden David Hall.rar Filesize: 50.56 MB

Blacksmith - Fight For The Right 1998

2009-03-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Records

Blacksmith are a very important part of the UK 90's Soul scene. As a prominent production team they also created quality product as an artist. I shall get around to posting, probably, their most well known release, Get Back To Love in the very near future but in the meantime, Alifunk has provided this excellent promo 12", of a track that I have never heard of until now. José Manuel, I leave a space for some words from you, where did you find this release?

Thank you Mickey for posting this 12". I'm not really sure where I bought this one, I think it was in London, but maybe 2nd hand here in Spain. I was very into US New Jack Swing in the late 80's but my taste changed to UK Soul when the 90's started. I discovered the infectious and elegant beats and smooth voices. For me personally, it was the incredible work of remixers like Ruffland, 2B3, Dodge, Full Crew, C&J, Ignorants, Lynsley and of course Blacksmith.

Thanks José for sharing this great tune, it makes me wonder what the full release may have included. At five and a half minutes, that is one hell of a Radio Edit?

Radio Edit
Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Blacksmith.rar Filesize: 26.81 MB

Chantay Savage - I Will Survive 1996

2009-03-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

RCA Records 74321 37768 2

In 1996 Chantay Savage released her version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, which was a #12 in the UK Top 20, #5 hit on the US Billboard R&B chart and was also a radio hit in Japan, reaching #6 on the Tokio Hot 100.

Savage grew up in Chicago raised on the sounds of jazz and Soul legends like Sarah Vaughn, Chaka Khan, and Marvin Gaye. Before she signed a record deal, she worked as a session musician, singer, and songwriter with artists such as CeCe Peniston and Tanya Blount.

Chicago of course, is world reknown as the birthplace of House Music and one of it's pioneers was Steve 'Silk' Hurley. In January 1987 Hurley was one of the earliest artists to have a successful house music hit with Jack Your Body. He then moved into production scoring success as a prominent remixer and record producer. Hurley was nominated for a Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year in 1998 and 1999 but I digress.

Chantay Savage first appeared on Maurice Joshua's I Gotta Hold On U in 1992. I was unaware of her prior to that release but Maurice Joshua was part of the Trax team, along with Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Eric 'E Smoove' Miller. In January of that same year CeCe Peniston's We Got A Love Thang spent 8 weeks in the UK chart reaching #6. Co-written by Chantay Savage and produced by Steve 'Silk' Hurley. Quite an incestuous circle going on then.

In 1993 she released her first single If You Believe from her debut album ...Here We Go, following it with Betcha'll Never Find which scored #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart. In 1995 she teamed up with Aaliyah, En Vogue, BlackGirl, Mary J. Blige, Vanessa Williams, SWV, and others for the single "Freedom" from the movie Panther. The single hit #18 on Billboard.

She returned in 1996 with I Will Survive from her second album I Will Survive (Doin' It My Way). It reached #5 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, #6 in Japan and #12 in the UK. The single was also certified Gold by the RIAA for US single sales of over 500,000 units. RCA records didn't release a follow up single

Executive production by Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Chantay Savage with the track being produced, arranged and remixed by Hurley on four of the seven mixes, one of which features a rap by Common.

Puff Daddy gets to work a Bad Boy Mix, while Nate Tinsley & Michael Stewart turn in the Liquid Soul Remix and Marvin Thompson handles the Marvellous Light Remix.

Original LP Edit
Silk's Old Skool Extended Remix
Puff Daddy Bad Boy Mix
Liquid Soul Remix
Marvellous Light Remix
Silk's Classic House Mix
Original Acappella

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Chantay Savage.rar Filesize: 57.92 MB

Arthur Miles - Helping Hand 1990

2009-03-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

ffrr Records FX 148

Produced by Pippo Landro and coming out of New Music, Milan, Helping Hand was a breath of fresh air at a time of experimental music. This is a good, old fashioned, soul belter. A fat, walking bass line and a vocal that's 'ruffer than the arse end of a pineapple'. Tracks like this don't come along often enough.

The interesting thing about this release was the flip side, Trippin' On Your Love. Holy Moly, it's that track again. I'm unable to tell you which came first because I don't have the release dates. I do know that I heard this version first because John Leech played it on the Essex FM Soul Show and mentioned A Way Of Life at the time.

Born in Indianapolis, Arthur Miles started his musical career in Los Angeles where the influence of his uncle, Wes Montgomery, and the most important jazz, soul and blues musicians of the time appearing at his father’s club 'Arthur’s', inspired him let music become his art.

Edwin Starr, Josè Feliciano, Big Joe Turner and Johnny Otis are but a few of the artists he has worked with. After touring USA, Canada, Japan and Europe he settled in Italy where his special voice quickly becomes one of the most requested in both recording studios and live shows. He worked with Zucchero and he appears on tv often. His hit single Helping Hand is still a favorite on radio playlists and Arthur Miles himself can be considered one of Italy's great pioneers of Gospel music.

Helping Hand (Incisive Remix)
Trippin' On Your Love (Club Remix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Arthur Miles.rar Filesize: 20.08 MB

Trivia:
There is some confusion over the writing credits of this tune. It was originally presented to The Staple Singers back in 1974 by Philip Mitchell. Smith & Rice were said to be Carl Smith & Mack Rice. The track was shelved when the Staples left Stax in 1975 but got a release in 1980 after the company had folded.

The Staple Singers 1980 album This Time Around on which the track was issued, was made up of various cancelled singles and un-issued or unfinished masters that were recorded between 1972 and 1974, and issued by Fantasy, who had bought the 'yellow' Stax catalogue in 1976 after the company went bankrupt.

To further confound the mystery both this release and the previous by A Way Of Life, credit Smith & Rice, as does I believe, the Kenny Thomas recording, but in all these instances, the writers were said to be Mike Smith & Linda Rice.

It turns out that the track is in fact written by Philip Mitchell himself and it was an unreleased 70's Muscle Shoals Sound recording and can be found on his own album Just The Beginning. Mitchell, of course, has been responsible for writing some outstanding songs for some equally outstanding artists over the years. He claims he wrote it specifically with Mavis in mind although she apparently hates it?
Tony Rounce & Garry Cape, Soul Source

A Way Of Life - Trippin' On Your Love 1990

2009-03-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Eternal Records YZ464T

OK, moving on with Kenny Thomas in mind, this platter turns up out of nowhere. When the whole country had moved from 808's and Smiley Faces to Breaks and Bleeps, somebody decided that acoustic guitars were cool. I think Italy done it first but I digress.

From a plethora of excellent grooves came this excellent number. It stood out from the crowd for several reasons. First it was a proper song with a melody and lyrics, etc. Secondly, it had a great vocalist on it and I do mean great. This voice, soaked in emotion, absolutely soars.

So there's a buzz around the track but no information. The track, credited to Smith & Rice is Trippin' On Your Love, and it's produced by Chris Brown (No, he was still in nappies) and A Way Of Life and it's an up-tempo version of an obscure Staple Singers number.

Now the bonus track Distant Thunder is written by Brown, Beckett & Best which I suspect is Chris Brown and A Way Of Life but this track has no vocals. Neither does the Subliminal Club Mix (which is basically an instrumental of Trippin') so... who is the voice on this track. Anybody?

Full Length Version
Subliminal Club Mix
Distant Thunder

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: A Way Of Life.rar Filesize: 38.78 MB

Kenny Thomas - Best Of You 1991

2009-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cooltempo Records COOLCD 243

Kenny Thomas, born in Islington, North London, declares himself a Londoner through and through, although he is actually half Spanish. Word of mouth on the UK soul underground brought Kenny to prominence in the first half of the 1990s. He made a huge impact with 2 Top 10 albums, the Top 10 smash Thinking About Your Love, 3 Top 20 singles, Outstanding, Best of You and Trippin On Your Love. Another four Top 40 UK singles include the superb Tender Love and Piece By Piece.

Best Of You was written by Booker T. Jones, the renowned organist and leader of the unparalleled Stax house band Booker T. & the MG's, who became a solo artist after the breakup of the legendary quartet.

Jones was the first to leave the group in 1968, relocating to Los Angeles and producing Bill Withers 1971 gold record Ain't No Sunshine. This was the title track from his Best Of You album released in 1980.

An inspired choice by an unamed person led to Kenny Thomas recording the track with producer-extraodinaire Ian Green and releasing it as his third single in 1991 and in a masterstroke of unparalelled genius, Simon Dunmore got called in to provide a remix.

Simon Dunmore started as a DJ in 1982 and got involved with A&R in 1989. His soul-boy background in West London led inevitably to his working in a record shop (Soul & Disco Centre, Rayners Lane), promoting his gigs and also getting involved in journalism with Blues & Soul, magazine.

His views were very fresh and modern for the day and his suggestion that Ce Ce Rogers - Someday was a soul record that should get played on the Northern Soul scene earned him a death threat! He laughs about it now,

"Whenever I dip into the modern soul scene these days those guys are still playing exactly the same records. I couldnt ever imagine not being interested in new music."

His first A&R job came at Cooltempo, where he signed Juliet Roberts, working with a varied roster that included the likes of Arrested Development, Gangstarr, Adeva and Shara Nelson. During that time he also remixed tracks for the label, some under the pseudonym of Touchdown.

For Simon, house music was a natural progression from jazz, soul and funk and he embraced the new era with open arms. Its an attitude he retains, looking forward, not back, taking Defected Records from strength to stregth though never forgetting his musical roots.

A good song is a good song and with Booker T writing it, you can't really go wrong. Kenny Thomas is a fair vocalist and his work is of a good standard, even if it is very Pop flavoured. The Touchdown Mix fixes that and more, Dunmore has served up a slice of highly refined, top quality soul. For me personally, Kenny Thomas does not get any better than this!

7" A
12" A
Touchdown Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Kenny Thomas.rar Filesize: 22.79 MB

Extra Trivia:

Kenny's first album Voices went double platinum in 1991 and led to Brit Award Nominations as Best British Male Vocalist and Best British Newcomer. His second 1993 set entitled Wait for Me hit the Top 10 and gave us 4 chart singles.

Kenny still performs, by public demand, in venues, theatres, clubs and soul weekenders throughout the UK and Europe.

Kenny Thomas - Thinking About Your Love 1991

2009-03-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cooltempo Records COOLX 235

A bit of Blue Eyed Soul for the 'Boys From Brazil'. Poor old Kenny Thomas never got taken seriously in the UK. A North London lad with a good pair of tonsils and pretty good taste in music, He hooked up with Cooltempo Records. They had him singing a whole heap of cover songs and shipped him out to the clubs for PA's at every opportunity. He became an adopted 'Son of Essex' in 1990 because he appeared so regularly in the Essex Clubs we thought he was one of ours.

Despite his cracking voice he was always seen as a 'White boy' singing 'Black music'. He was further hampered by the fact that his marketing tried to cash in on his 'pretty boy' looks. As has generally been the case with that scenario, Kenny ended up too Pop for Soul and yet too good for Pop.

"I wrote Thinking About Your Love when I was an in-house writer for Cooltempo Records. The song was about my then girlfriend who was American. I had a great feeling about it when I wrote it and I think Kenny made the song his own."
Mike Ward

OK, when all's said and done, he was quite successful. This, his second release, was written for him and was also his most successful, recording reaching #4 in the summer of 1991.

Fair enough, at the time I, personally, was not overly impressed with Thinking About Your Love. I done my 'soul apprenticeship' in South London and we gave no quarter to anything less than original quality product. Tim Percy & Mike Lever with their One World production still hadn't proved themselves worthy. I still have trouble getting my head around the Dead Or Alive connection. How can anything connected to Pete Burns be considered soulful. They provided all the mixes on this 12" unlike Best Of You, which came equipped with a Simon Dunmore 'Touchdown Mix' to die for.

Having said that, many of you guys out there love this track and hey, it ain't a bad track at all. In fact, its really catchy and has a nice groove to it. OK, I admit it, I'm just a music snob? Enjoy!

One World Mix
Lonsdale Mix
7" Edit

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Kenny Thomas.rar Filesize: 27.06 MB

JT and the Big Family - Moments In Soul 1990

2009-03-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Champion Records CHAMP12 237

As I recall, they were an Italian studio production team, Christian Hornbostel & Paul Bisiach, who put together this smooth little number. They were better known as Don Pablos Animals but not to me. That stuff was cheesey Pop house in 88-89, I think?

The beats are from Back To Life by Soul II Soul with the break from Funky President by James Brown. The refrain samples Moments In Love (hence, the title) by Art of Noise and For The Love Of Money by The O'Jays supplying that big bass line leader. Also in there you have the obligatory 1990 "Ah Yeah!" and a bit of dialogue which, it has been claimed, comes from a Milli Vanilli song but hey, they didn't perform anything themselves so its probably from somewhere else anyway?

Moments In Soul
Moments In Soul ('AA' Mix)
Eden 90

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Moments In Soul 12.rar Filesize: 31.24 MB

Jodeci - Let's Go Through The Motions - (1993)

2009-03-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Uptown/MCA Records, UPTDM-54636

Jodeci were the heirs apparent to the New Jack throne vacated by the disbanding of Guy. A little tougher, perhaps. A little more street, definitely. A little more gospel tinged, too. They'd already enjoyed good success with their 1991 debut album, Forever My Lady, which more or less passed me by thanks to the awesomeness of Guy's The Future, released the same year, which stole all the limelight, as far as I was concerned... but that's another story (and another selection of posts).

However, forward on two years to '93 and Guy had gone their separate ways. Good timing then for Jodeci to drop their much harder, more "gangsta" 2nd album Diary Of A Mad Band, which (deservedly) blew up in a huge way. There were no filler tracks, save for Jodecidal Hotline, which was a skit anyway, and only three ballads, and then, a gradual slide into dirtier, and funkier territory with each track after that. It was a real tour de force.

The album served as a launching platform for such greats as Timbaland (who was an understudy of Devante), Missy Elliott (heard rapping on two of the tracks) and Ginuwine - they were all members of DeVante's Swing Mob team at this point.

And what do you know? Before the year was out, from H-Town to Kreuz, every R&B band and their dog were sounding like Jodeci.

That same year, Jodeci contributed an upbeat party jam to the excellent Who's The Man soundtrack album (I've still never seen that film, but I always loved Ed Lover and Dr Dre on "Yo! MTV Raps") called Let's Go Through the Motions. It wasn't one of their bigger hits, but remains a club smasher. It was a new track, not culled from Diary..., although later editions of that album would include Let's Go Through The Motions, and their cover of the Stevie Wonder classic Lately as extra tracks.

I love this track, hope you do too.

Enjoy!

- Kymba :)

Let's Go Through the Motions (radio)
Let's Go Through the Motions (instrumental)
Let's Go Through the Motions (intro radio)

Bonus - Let's Go Through the Motions (album version)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Let's Go Through The Motions.zip File size: 22.5 MB

PS - I've also included the original full-length track from the Who's The Man album, in addition to the three tracks on this CD single.

Maxwell - Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) - (1996)

2009-03-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Columbia Records, LCD162

Another track taken from the excellent Urban Hang Suite LP, Ascension was one of my fave tracks on that particular album, however, the Tribute remix (presumably in "tribute" to the SOS Band's brilliant "No One's Gonna Love You", which was plundered to provide a brand new backing track for Ascension) really pushed it up a notch, and is much one of my favourite remixes.

(Mickey - we don't have any SOS Band on here, do we?)

There's also an extended "Uncut" take of the album version of Ascension, as well as a track called Reunion, which is a sexy ballad as only Maxwell can do them, but it is just the album version, so nothing special or new there.

Really though, you'll be wanting the Tribute mix. It's brilliant. There's also a nice instrumental version included as well in the form of the Tribute Unsung mix.

- Kymba :)

Ascension (Uncut)
Ascension (No One's Gonna Love You, So Don't Ever Wonder
The Tribute Uncut)
Ascension (No One's Gonna Love You, So Don't Ever Wonder
The Tribute Unsung)
Reunion

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Ascension.zip File size: 22 MB

Ava Cherry - Gimme, Gimme 1993

2009-03-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Pulse 8 Records CDLOSE 46

Ava Cherry grew up in Chicago, loving Motown, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight, but a four-year stint with rock star David Bowie would forever confuse her musical direction. From 1974 to 1978, as part of a backing trio comprising Robin Clark and Luther Vandross, ex model Ava was Bowie’s lover in the early to mid ’70s, as well as one of his backup singers in The Astronettes during the Diamond Dogs/Young Americans Tour. Bowie had plans for Ava Cherry and The Astronettes, producing an album for the trio that was New Wave before the term existed. It also ended up being shelved for twenty years when things with their mutual management Main Man went sour.

That setback didn’t stop Cherry from pursuing a music career, though it was tough for her to break away from being 'David Bowie’s lover'. Cherry returned home to Chicago where a friend introduced her to Curtis Mayfield. Curtom/RSO Records released her first album, Spend The Night?, but didn't use any of the rock songs she'd written. A 1980 album for RSO, Ripe!!!, caused a minor ripple on the Billboard Black Albums Chart, but when RSO bit the dust, Ava found herself with a new deal on Capitol Records. The resulting album, Streetcar Named Desire followed in 1983 on Capitol Records. It was a bit of a throwback, a funk/disco affair, just when New Wave and the music industry had finally caught up to Cherry.

When Vandross started blowing up, she joined him in 1986 and was heard on the Any Love album onward. In 1987, her second Capitol LP, Picture Me, dropped with little sales. However, along with Lisa Fischer and Kevin Owens, Cherry contributed to making Luther Vandross a top draw in urban music. The group didn't just sing behind Vandross; they executed some classy stepping and dance routines that always wowed the punters.

In 1993 Pulse 8 Records picked this track up from Radikal Records. Produced and arranged by Mauro Malavasi, the man behind Change (another Luther connection) and The B.B.& Q. Band, this snappy R'n'B number gets the remix treatment and works well for it. Written by Cherry & Malavasi, the Original Mix does a fine job in a nice 'n schmoove shuffling manner. The No Face Remix by Mark Sexx at My Place, has a great loping bass line punctuated by stabs and works wonders on the feet but my personal favourite is the Radio Boot Mix by Jay 'Mixin' Dixon at Studio J. No, me neither but it's good, a shame then that there's no 12" Boot Mix on the CD?

In 1997, J-Bird (behind the current Sherrick releases) made her Spend the Night album available on CD.

No Face Edit
Radio Boot Mix
Original Mix
West End Remix
West End House Dub
No Face Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Ava Cherry.rar Filesize: 46.24 MB

Dread Flimstone- From The Ghetto 1991

2009-03-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Urban Records URBX 87

"Y'know, I think we should play a lil' music for the nice people listening... FROM THE GHETTO!"

"Dread Flimstone" was a monicker adopted by white California resident Rex Morgan, formerly a punk, who gave it up to become a Rastafarian(!) and then started making hiphop/funk tinged reggae based dance music. He toured with such luminaries as Burning Spear, Yellowman, Ziggy Marley, Third World, and Big Audio Dynamite.

The "Modern Tone Age Family" consisted of Dread Flimstone, vocalist Jah T and Papa Yaie, alongside producer Freddy Bastone.

This little gem burst onto the music scene back in 1991, and was really massive. Although never followed up with another hit single, Dread Flimstone still recorded three albums and had modest success with them. I haven't got any of his albums, so can't really vouch for quality, but I'm willing to bet calling yourself something like Dread Flimstone instantly pigeonholes you as a novelty act.

So, "From The Ghetto", then. It's a great, catchy song, and this 12" comes with no less than six(!) mixes. In honesty, there's not THAT much variation between them. My pick is the Modern Tone Family Album Mix, which is nice and funky - the others all veer a bit too close to four-to-the-floor house music for my liking, and get a bit samey, but are all worth a listen.

Enjoy!

- Kymba :)

From The Ghetto (Radio Mix)
From The Ghetto (Modern Tone Family Album Mix)
From The Ghetto (Freddy's Bronx Mix)
From The Ghetto (Fully Radical Mix)
From The Ghetto (Bastone's Mix)
From The Ghetto (Carpeteria Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: From The Ghetto (Mixes).zip File size: 35.6 MB

PS - I've placed both the resized artwork for the Soul Vendor site, as well as the full-size scans, in the .ZIP file.

Also, as this is a vinyl rip, there may be a few crackles and a bit of "hum" - as usual, I've kept the original .WAV files of the vinyl rip, so if anyone wants them to remove the vinyl noises, just holler and I can arrange to send them.

"Not wishing to rain on Kymba's impressive parade...."

For the CD download, click here
Filename: Dread Flimstone.rar File size: 28.6 MB
Be aware that the CD has only four mixes and does not include the Album Version.

Lynden David Hall - Forgive Me (UK 12") - (2000)

2009-03-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

EMI Records/Cooltempo, 12COOL346

"This one's fresh, this one's a brand new (brand new) check the mic a one-two..."

To continue from the post yesterday, kindly supplied by our very own José Manuel aka Alifunk, of the Promo CD for "Forgive Me", here's a rip of the "Forgive Me" 12" - complete with extended mixes.

I'll keep this short, as Mick posted all about it on the previous post.

The first mix is Artful Dodger's excellent Dark Dub - I know it's probably blasphemy, but I prefer this to their full vocal mix, I remember shaking my booty in the clubs to this when it came out, and it would absolutely destroy dance-floors. An absolute killer dance track.

Secondly, we have the excellent Ignorants Club Mix, which is an extended version of their mix on the promo CD - I really like this mix, like the Artful Dodger Dark Dub, which caters for the dancefloor massive, this one is for the Hiphop/R&B heads, and really hits the spot.

Finally, catering for the soul lovers, there is the album mix, and the full majesty of the D-Influence remix - check out that gorgeous intro.

Before I go, and I think I speak for Mickey as well here, I would like to big up José and DJ Larry for getting involved and helping to share the music - this post is dedicated to you boys, as well as to the memory of Lynden, who we all miss terribly.

- Kymba :)

Forgive Me (Artful Dodger Dark Dub)
Forgive Me (Ignorants Club)
Forgive Me (Album version)
Forgive Me (D-Influence 12" Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Ascension.zip File size: 26 MB

PS - I've placed both the resized artwork for the Soul Vendor site, as well as the full-size scans, in the .ZIP file. Also, as this is a vinyl rip, there may be a few crackles and a bit of "hum" - as usual, I've kept the original .WAV files of the vinyl rip, so if anyone wants them to remove the vinyl noises, just holler and I can arrange to send them

Bass Attitude - Treated Me Cruel 1992

2009-03-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Go Beat Records DOD CD 85

Bass Attitude featuring Shay Jones on vocals. Treated Me Cruel came out on Go Beat Records (which I believe was something to do with Norman 'Beats International' Cook?) when they were still quite new.

I know nothing about the group but they appear to consist of Ronnie Herel, who was the man behind Quartz (Meltdown and Naked Love) and is now a DJ for the BBC. Danny Lerman is a well respected saxophonist from Boston and Shay Jones voice has been heard on many club tunes, especially early Chicago House.

Bad Mutha 7"
Deep Freeze 7"
Bad Mutha 12"
Deep Freeze Club Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Bass Attitude.rar Filesize: 31.78 MB

Lynden David Hall - Forgive Me 1999

2009-03-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cooltempo Records CDCOLDJY346

This very healthy digipack DJ Promo CD comes courtesy of Alifunk (José Manuel to his Mum) who was kind enough to upload and share the wealth. José, I'm sure I'm not the only one here that appreciates getting hold of this release. Respect!

1999 was a great year for the UK Dance scene. The UK Garage scene had opened up the flood gates and amongst the detritus there were a few serious contenders. Mark Hill, better known as Artful Dodger, was one such person, putting Southampton on the production team map.

D-Influence started out in 1991, forging a name for themselves with their unique brand of Soulful, Jazz orientated Electronica. They soon became an 'in demand' production team on the remix wishlist. I believe Kwame Kwaten & Ed Baden-Powell were responsible for the remixes but don't quote me.

Trevor Henry and Anthony Marshall crashed onto the scene in 1993 with a little ditty called Phat Girls. Trell & Marshall, as they like to refer to themselves, were soon too be found providing Ignorants remixes for all the best UK R&B artists and their own music was shelved.

D-Influence Radio Mix
Ignorants Radio Edit
Artful Dodger Vocal

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Lynden David Hall.rar Filesize: 33.45 MB

I have added the 12" vinyl version of Artful Dodger's Vocal mix.

Mary J. Blige - You Remind Me 1993

2009-03-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

MCA Records MCSTD 1770

"Mary, Mary, Mary! You Remind Me..."

This is a freekin' gem, I absolutely love this tune. Mary J. Blige dropped the bomb in '92. Know about Mary, then skip the next three paragraphs.

In 1988, Mary J. Blige recorded an impromptu cover of Anita Baker's Caught Up In the Rapture at a recording booth in a local mall (Damn, anybody remember them, they were cool!). Her mother's boyfriend at the time later played the recording to Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. In 1989, she was signed to the label; becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.

After signing to Uptown, Blige did session work as a background singer for her label mates. In 1990, she was introduced as a background singer for Redd, during a performance at the Apollo Theatre. The same year she also sang the hook on I'll Do 4 U by Father MC, also appearing in the video. In 1991, she was spotted on the syndicated show, Showtime at the Apollo, singing back up for Jeff Redd. Mary's first national debut appearance was in the summer of 1992 when she appeared on Yo! MTV Raps performing What's the 411? with Grand Puba.

Production for Blige's debut album began in 1991, with Sean "Puffy" Combs (at the time a fledgling A&R executive at Uptown) largely overseeing the project. Also enlisted were some of the top R&B and hip hop producers of the time, among them Tony Dofat, Mark Morales and Cory Rooney, Dave "Jam" Hall, and DeVante Swing. On July 28, 1992, Uptown Records released What's the 411? her debut album. You Remind Me was the album's lead-off single, peaked at 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the R&B singles chart that summer.

In the UK, the track was presented to Ray Hayden who gave it the Opaz treatment. It was a fair track to begin with, the Album Version has a long, drawn out, Diva-ish intro before the street beats drop. Mark Morales gave it some serious beats on the Ad's Mix, making the best of that hooky chorus. Quite what Opaz were expected to do I don't know. I guess it was just a case of getting the UK's hottest, up and coming name on the release.

However, Hayden successfully takes the whole deal up another couple of notched to the left. In the Straight From The Heart Mix, we still have all the major hooks but they sound so much classier. It's still Street but... It's Schmoov! Listen to that bass roll, that scream sample, oh my, yes sir, this is where it's at.

The Straight From The Heart Radio Mix is not simply an edit of the Straight From The Heart Mix, it seems to have more going on but sounds even less cluttered. I would probably favour this mix if it didn't have an early fade, Mr. Black? Mr. V? Any other afficiando's out there that can shed some light here. Maybe I'm hearing an illusion or is there an ultimate mix that I'm missing?

Straight From The Heart Radio Mix
Straight From The Heart Mix
Album Version
Ad's Radio Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mary J Blige.rar File size: 27.11 MB

SWV - Downtown EP 1994

2009-03-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

RCA Records 74321 18901-2

Love this tune, especially for Kymba cos she doesn't have it.

SWV, (Sisters With Voices) are from New York. All three girls began getting their singing experience in church at a young age. Teddy Riley was one of the main producers responsible for making them one of the most successful and popular urban groups of the 1990s.

Their first single, "Right Here", was released in the autumn of 1992. It peaked at #13 on the R&B chart, but the hit follow-up single, "I'm So Into You", is what caused them to become a commercial force among urban fans. The two singles were followed by the biggest hits of their career, "Weak" and "Right Here/Human Nature" (a remix of their first single featuring samples of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature"). "Weak" became their only single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it stayed for 2 weeks while "Right Here (Human Nature)" peaked at #2. The fifth single, "You're Always on My Mind" was another top ten R&B hit.

In the spring of 1994, SWV contributed the old school radio version of Anything, featuring Wu-Tang Clan to the soundtrack of the movie Above the Rim; it became another hit single.

Downtown (Street Radio Mix)
Downtown (Wet Extended Mix)
Always On My Mind (Extended Street Mix)
Always On My Mind (Radio Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: SWV.rar Filesize: 31.27 MB

Downtown
(G. Parker, G. Gomez & K. Ortiz)

[Coko]
Boy, I want you to listen closely to what I have to say
'Cause this is the way to my heart

You've been wondering how you can make it better
Baby, it's easy to turn my world inside out
Your discovery will take us to another place
Baby, on that, there is no doubt
I've been waiting for the special moment
Anticipating all the things you'll do to me
Make the first step to release my emotions
To take the road to ecstacy

You gotta go downtown
That's the way to my love
Take it round and round
Oooh, you can't stop 'til you find my love
Go downtown, To taste the sweetness
Will be enough
That's the love that you've been dreaming of

Keep on doing, doing what you're doing
'Til you feel the passion burning up inside of me
If you do me right
We'll be making love all through the night
Until you uncover the mystery
Take it nice and slow
Baby, don't rush the feeling
Now you know how you can make it happen, yeah
My desire is begging for the healing
Let me guide you down to the place to be

You gotta go downtown
That's the way to my love
Take it round and round
Oooh, you can't stop 'til you find my love
Go downtown, To taste the sweetness
Will be enough
That's the love that you've been dreaming of

That's where I keep the key to my love.
(To my love)
It opens up the door to so, so much more.
(So, so, so much more)
Baby, move on down, get closer
To my sensitivity.
Ooh, yeah
Baby, send me.

Downtown

(Ooh you can't stop till you find my love)
Baby don't you dare stop
(That's the love that you been dreamin' of)
That's the love you're dreamin of
(Ooh you can't stop till you find my love)
Don't you stop
(That's the love that you've been dreamin' of)
That's the love you're dreamin of

Always On My Mind
(B.A. Morgan, R. Wison & O. Scott)

You're always on my mind
You're always on my mind
You're always on my mind
On my mind

Boy, I can't seem to get you outta my head
But theres something about you that makes me smile
Dont change, I like the way you make me feel
Can we take our time and do this for awhile

Girl, I never thought Id find someone to love me
Now youre the only one I want in my life
And the special touch you give comes from you only
I guess thats why youre always on my mind

You're always on my mind {Ooh, baby}
You're always on my mind {All...all the time}
You're always on my mind {I'm thinkin' of you}
You're always on my mind
On my mind

Sometimes I find it hard to concentrate
Because thoughts of us together fill my head
When you're away, its hard to sleep at night
So my pillow, like my thoughts of you, I hold tight

Girl, I never thought I'd find someone to love me
Now you're the only one I want in my life
And the special touch you give comes from you only
I guess thats why you're always on my mind

You're always on my mind (You're always on my mind)
You're always on my mind {All the time} (All the time)
You're always on my mind (Thinkin' bout you, baby)
You're always on my mind {And you are}
On my mind

(On my mind) Thinkin bout ya, thinkin bout ya
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya {I just cant stop thinkin'}
(On my mind) Thinking bout ya, thinking bout ya
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya (You're always on my mind)

(On my mind) Thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya {All the time}
(On my mind) Thinkin; bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
Mind

You're always on my mind {Baby}
You're always on my mind (Day and night) {You got me thinkin', thinkin' of you}
You're always on my mind {You} (You're always) {Always}
You're always on my mind (Nobody but, nobody but you)

You're always on my mind {I got you} (Thinkin' of you)

Thinkin' bout ya {Baby}, thinkin' bout ya {Baby} (Baby, baby, baby)
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya
Thinkin bout ya, thinkin bout ya {All I do} (All I do is think of you)
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya

(You're always on my mind) Thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
I cant stop thinkin bout ya
(You're always on my mind) Thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya

(You're always on my mind) Thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
I cant stop thinkin' bout ya
(You're always on my mind)

Nuyorican Soul featuring Jocelyn Brown - It's Alright, I Feel It! (1997)

2009-03-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Talkin' Loud/PolygramRecords, TLCD 22

This is a killer track from the M.A.W. boys I had to add to The Soul Vendor. It's brilliant in every aspect, and I know Mickey is also a huge fan of the Masters At Work duo, "Lil" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez.

Here we find them with the lead single off their Nuyorican Soul album, featuring R&B power-vocalist Jocelyn Brown on lead vocals, live drums recorded and then sampled & chopped, a great piano riff, and enough energy contained within the song to surely move even the most adamant of non dancers.

There are not enough superlatives for this song. It's pretty much perfect - which, of course, is a cross to bear for those who had to remix it. Lucky, then, we have two heavyweights in the shape of Armand Van Helden, who gives us a darkly dubtastic House-cum-Garage remix in theshape of his Live from Da Darkside of the Moon remix, and Roni Size, at the height of his powers back then in '97, and right on the back of his New Forms success, giving us a brilliantly reconstructed Drum & Bass version, which contains all the character of the original, but re-encodes it in a Drum & Bass styley. Yum! He must've worked his socks off to reconcile the extreme BPM difference between the original and his version, but it pays dividends.

For me, the pick of the tracks is the M.A.W. Remix, which is essentially just an extended version. I also really love what Roni Size has done on his Drum & Bass version.

- Kymba :)

It's Alright, I Feel It! (Edit)
It's Alright, I Feel It! (M.A.W. Remix)
It's Alright, I Feel It! (Live from Da Darkside of the Moon)
It's Alright, I Feel It! (Roni Size Remix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: It's Alright, I Feel It!.zip File size: 46.4 MB

M-Beat featuring Jamiroquai - Do U Know Where You're Coming From (1996)

2009-03-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Renk Records, CDRENK63

I dug this one out especially for Mickey, whom I know is something of a Jamiroquai fan.

Back in 1996, seemingly from out of nowhere, a weird collaboration happened. M-Beat (a guy best known for the jungle track Incredible with General Levy) made a funky slice of Drum & Bass with perennial Acid jazz faves Jamiroquai.

Like I said, weird.

However, the results were most definitely not weird. Anything but, in fact. The combination of D&B tempo drums and 70’s funk permeating this track (you’ve got to love those wah-wah guitars) work very well indeed alongside Jay Kay's always catchy vocals, giving Jamiroquai one of their punchier, funkier moments. This is proper future funk.

There are several versions, with not a LOT to pick from between them, but I always err on the side of the Extended Mix, which kicks some serious bootie (and has more wah-wah's and vibes).

Essential stuff!

An edit of this track made its way onto certain editions of the Travelling Without Moving CD as an unheralded bonus track.

Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Original Mix)
Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Touch Of Horn Mix)
Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Extended Mix)
Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Full Horns Mix)
Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Intelligent Groove Mix)
Do U Know Where You're Coming From (Dextrous Remix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Do U Know Where You're Coming From.zip File size: 33.1 MB

Triviality: The tracklisting differs slightly between the back of the inlay card (displayed above, and which I've included in the .ZIP file), and the folded "lip" part of the inlay card. Have a look and see what I mean. I've gone with the ones listed above, but you might want to amend the track names if you feel I should have gone for the others.

Mica Paris - One (1995)

2009-03-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

Cooltempo Records, CDCOOL304

Following on from Mickey's ace The Chimes post, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which is a U2 cover version par excellence, I thought I'd do the same. We're all about the continuity here!

Take one pretentious rock/pop star's (probable) finest moment. Get someone hugely talented, vocally, in to re-sing it and voila - instant magic! (Ah... but it was 'a good song' and Mica is probably the only singer who could've truly improved it? Ed )

Yup, you're right, Mick. I'll take my gentle slap on the wrists there - as it IS a classic song, truly beautiful lyrics, and I'm letting my dislike for Bono & Co colour my words, but listening to Mica Paris sing it is like hearing it the way it should be rather than just a mere cover.

Mica sings with effortless grace, and real passion. Her smokey vocals - I almost melt when she ups the emotion with the line "...did I disappoint you..." - over the slick, non intrusive beats, really are a match made in heaven. Having said that, Mica could ride over a Gun N Roses beat and make it sound dope.

There's a suite of mixes, and I'll hazard a semi-educated guess and say that our Mickey would go for the lovely Perfecto mixes, but, for me, the Ethnic Boyz mix is the one (points awarded if you can tell me what song is sampled for the main loop), closely followed by the excellent Original. That's not to say the others are bad at all, though!

One (Perfecto 7" Edit)
One (Original Mix)
One (Perfecto Mix)
One (Ethnic Boyz Mix)
One (Perfecto Dub)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: One (single).zip Filesize: 33MB

L.V. - Throw Your Hands Up 1995

2009-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Tommy Boy Records TBCD 699

Larry Sanders, better know by his stage name L.V. is best known for his collaboration with rapper Coolio on the hit single, Gangsta's Paradise. His contribution to the song is the vocal bit that is not rap.

L.V. grew up with a father who sang gospel music along with the radio every morning, won a high school talent contest, joined the Los Angeles City College choir, and contributed R&B vocals to a neighbourhood rap group, the South Central Cartel. L.V. is said to have been shot nine times at close range. He spent eight months in the hospital and a year and a half in a wheelchair before he eventually recovered completely.

Following his success with Gangsta's Paradise, L.V. landed a contract with Tommy Boy Records, and released his debut album I Am L.V. in 1996. This album didn't spawn many singles, except for the title track. The album does feature his solo recording of Gangsta's Paradise. That version is 'sans Coolio' and all the better for it, in my humble opinion of course. That's not to say I don't love the original tune mind.

Throw Your Hands Up is a pretty good sing-along song (Heyyyy, Yoooo) with a lazy head-nodding bottom line. Kinda reminds me of Zhane's It's A Party but certainly nothing to get excited about. It's available with or without rap from Treach and once again my preference is without. The KAM Version is not a lot different from the No Rap Version but I seem to prefer it?

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: LV.rar File size: 27.98 MB

Soul II Soul - Get A Life (1989)

2009-03-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

Ten Records, TEN CD 284

“So there it is, work it out for yourself. Be subjective, be objective… be an asset to the collective…”

Wise words there, our Jazzie!

So, after dominating UK airplay, as well as a very impressive showing worldwide, most notably the States, with tracks such as Back To Life and the sublime Keep On Movin’, Soul II Soul found themselves in “difficult second album” territory. However, from the lead single, you wouldn’t know it.

Jazzie B really got his flow on and gave us a more hiphop Soul II Soul song than we’d previously seen. Okay, so he isn’t the most gifted rapper, but the dude has a great voice, rich in bass tones, and sounds fab on this track.

Get A Life isn’t their finest moment, but it’s still a tidy little number espousing the values of positivity, a real cornerstone of the Soul II Soul ethic, and, while I was typing this and re-listening to it, I was surprised how fresh it still sounds. In fact, I caught myself singing along to it a couple of times (got an odd look from a work colleague just now) which really shouldn't be allowed, as I can't sing! Still, it's a mark of how catchy the hook is.

However, the real gem on this mini CD Single (remember them? Whatever happened to them?) is the Teddy Riley remix of Keep On Movin’ – which is worth the admission price alone. I mean, c’mon, he’s put that wicked JB’s “The Grunt” screeching horns sample in there, as popularised by the mighty Public Enemy the year before. Beefed up drums and that “Riddim a full a culture y’aaaal” sample (that I can’t place right at this minute) also play their part in giving us a much more “street” version of Keep On Movin’, without detracting from it’s classy flava.

The mini CD Single is rounded off by a remixed version of Jazzie’s Groove, which is probably the best version I’ve heard of that particular track. Nice extra sax added to it, and cheeky use of a sample from Bob James’ brilliant “Nautilus”.

Anyway, enjoy!

-Kymba :)

Get A Life 7" Version
Get A Life (Club mix)
Keep On movin' (Teddy Riley Remix)
Jazzie's Groove (New Version)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Get A Life (Single).zip File size: 21.6 MB

Michael Patto - So Much For The Lovin' 1991

2009-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Imagine Records ZD 44782

Michael Patto is a song writer, producer and artist. Born of Mike Patto snr. who was a highly respected rock musician (Spooky Tooth, Patto, Timebox, Boxer), Michael started out on bass but switched to piano in his late teens and started writing songs. He was signed as an artist to BMG aged 20. He saw people take his good ideas and turn them into rubbish and decided to move on and started working with Kenny Lynch.

At 26 he started his own label Exploding Plastic which introduced him to a lot of new music. Being the in-house producer he was working on all kinds of music from Soulful House to Indie. It was there we he had the opportunity to work a lot with British soul genius Don-E. Mike has worked on so many different recordings and has been involved with some of the finest talents on the UK music scene.

As an artist he is probably best known for (I've Got) Love Enough For Two which, somewhat criminally, failed to chart in 1991. Personally, I thought that was far to Pop which was why a) I didn't buy it and b) it should have charted. So Much For The Lovin' came out that same year and is a great piece of soulful dance music. I seriously suspect that the Charme crowd will like the Radical Mix more. A lovely lazy bassline, almost dub style but retaining the song in full. What Can I Do is another good song, writing with Wayne Brown was obviously a good combination. I cannot understand why these singles didn't chart in the UK and the only answer I can come up with is a lack of good taste in the music industry at that time. If it isn't what the industry believes in then it doesn't get the exposure.

So Much For The Lovin'
What Can I Do
So Much For The Lovin' (Radical Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Michael Patto.rar File size: 25.25 MB

Michael Patto is a legend that nobody has heard of. He will be involved in something in your music collection. Visit his MySpace and hear some of his work.