Cameo - Skin I'm In 1988

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

Roshelle Fleming - Love Itch 1986

Crossover SLN 1

• Love Itch
• Love Itch (Instrumental)
• Love Itch (Radio Version)

Listen to that opening vocal, how many times have you heard that voice sampled? Roshelle Fleming, was once part of First Choice, of 'Let No Man Put Asunder' fame. The '70s Philly disco vocal group consisted of Roshelle Fleming, Annette Guest and Ursula Herring. Philadelphia native Fleming is one of the most distinctive lead vocalists in Soul & Dance music. Fleming's vocals are also one of the most sampled, heard on countless dance records from around the world.

This dancefloor cracker is like an extension of Fonda Rae's Electro anthem, Tuch Me (Touch Me). Hardly surprising as it's produced and arranged by Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams, the guys who wrote and produced Tuch Me and were also behind Universal Robot Band, Inner Life, Phreek, & Bumblebee Unlimited. Love Itch was mixed by Elai Turbo, who has worked on Run DMC & Alyson Williams among others.




The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Roshelle Fleming.rar Filesize: 25.5 MB

Universal Robot Band - Barely Breaking Even 1984

Streetwave Records MKHAN 48

My apologies if this one jumps but it's impossible to play this tune without dancing. Totally infectious slice of mature dance, not far removed from the early 90's Vocal House of groups like Blaze. Listen to that cowbell and try standing still?

A Greg Carmichael project with Patrick Adams, that dates back to the late seventies and included 'would-be-members' of the group Kleer. This was a completely different line-up, half a decade later. Co-written by Leroy Burgess this midtempo stomper with lots of percussion and moog, in its 1982 Original form (Rare Groove Mastercuts Vol. 2) is almost 12 mins long but this 1984 85 Club Remix clocks in at 7:55. Believe me when I tell you, you don't miss the extra minutes. E-sensual!

• 85 Club Remix
• Edit
• Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Universal Robot Band - Barely Br..rar Filesize: 28.61 MB