Mica Paris - South Of The River 1990

4th & Broadway BRCD 199

This incredible release is one of my all time favourites from Mica. South Of The River from the Contribution album, remixed by the Blacksmith crew.

Pretty good stuff but then we have Where Are The Children, an absolute gem, soul music the way it's meant to be. The track is one of two tracks recorded at Ground Control, Santa Monica, written and produced by Patrick Moten & J.A. Greene for Golden Empire, the cherry on top comes courtesy of Gerald Albright supplying sax. This track has everything except Bobby Womack!

In contrast we have I Should've Known Better, written and produced by Mica & Omar. Omar plays all the instruments and it's kept sparse and simple but that does not detract from it's effectiveness in any way. Mica has room to breathe, space to perform and Omar's beats behind that dangerous bass line, this is a killer track. Enjoy!

• South Of The River (Upso Mix)
• South Of The River (Brixton Bass Mix)
• Where Are The Children
• I Should've Known Better

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mica Paris BRCD 199.rar Filesize: 23.81 MB

Mica Paris - I Wanna Hold On To You 1993

4th & Broadway Records BRCD 275

Michelle Wallen is one of UK soul's finest talents ever since she burst onto the scene with her international hit My One Temptation. She started singing in church when she was seven years old. Paris changed her name from Michelle to Micha at age 16 and later dropped the h and has been known as Mica Paris ever since.

I Wanna Hold On To You is a wonderful piece of soul written by Mica, Narada Michael Walden and Sally Jo Dakota. Walden also produced and arranged the song for her Whisper A Prayer album. On this release, Absolute takes it to the floor on the Radio Mix (gotta be a longer Absolute Mix out there?) while the Old School Mix by Steve and Paul Jervier (a.k.a. The Outfit) takes the song into contemporary territory. For me though, as with many of Mica releases, this is all about the bonus track. Say You Will is a slow burning, solid soul shuffler that utilises her deep rich sensuous voice to the max. Now that's what I'm talking about!

• I Wanna Hold On To You (Absolute Radio Mix)
  
• I Wanna Hold On To You (Album Version Edit)
  
• I Wanna Hold On To You (Old School Mix)
  
• Say You Will

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: BRCD 275.rar Filesize: 23.85 MB

SWV - Anything 1994

RCA Records 74321-21221-2

With their 1992 debut, It's About Time, SWV scored a string of Top Ten R&B hits that established them as one of the most popular urban R&B groups of the '90s. SWV (Sisters With Voices) is comprised of three school friends:

Cheryl "Coko" Gamble-Clemons
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George
Leanne "Lelee" Lyons

All three learnt their skills through singing in church as children. A demo tape caught the attention of Teddy Riley (Guy), who had already helped establish the careers of Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. SWV's album went double platinum within its first year of release.

Anything was their contribution to the OST for the movie Above the Rim and became a Top Ten R&B hit in the spring of 1994. The Old Skool Mix features members of Wu Tang Clan.

• Old Skool Mix
• Album Mix
• Old Skool Party Mix
• Album Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: SWV Anything.rar Filesize: 31.38 MB

Gang Starr - Jazz Thing 1990

CBS Records 656377 6

Gang Starr were strong contenders on the rap scene in the late 80's. After a few years kicking up dust Guru found DJ Premier and they released the album Step Into The Arena onto an unsuspecting public. As luck would have it, Spike Lee was, at the time, in the process of making the jazz based movie 'Mo' Better Blues' which required a soundtrack. The rest is, as they say, history. The reason I've posted this 12" though, is hidden away on the B-side. The Instrumental version of 'Jazz Thing' is a DJ Premier scratch-fest, a 'jazz concerto' which sounds just as awesome now as it did on the first listen.

Featuring Kenny Kirkland on Piano and Robert Hurst on Bass, this superb slice of turntabalism contains (in the vocal mixes) a four minute history of Jazz. Produced by the legendary Branford Marsalis, Premier loops the most authentic samples into a funky-ass soundtrack, over which he cuts up some great sound bytes. What makes this track so important though is the education that comes with with it. Guru (Keith Edward Elam to his mum) lays down some of the finest, most eloquent and intuitive lyrics heard in rap history.

It's roots are in the sounds of the African
Or should I say the Mother, bringin' us back again
From the drummin' on the Congo
It came with a strong flow and continued to grow

Feet move, to the beat of the t'balo*
Now dig the story and follow
For then it landed, on American soil
Through the sweat, the blood and the toil

Hear "Praise the Lord", shouted on chain gangs
Pain they felt, but it helped them maintain
Scott Joplin's rags, Bessie Smith's blues

St Louis blues, they were all the news
Ringin' smooth on all the listeners ears
Fulfillin' the need and planting the seeds of a Jazz thing

King Oliver's group was a train comin' through
To Chicago, bringin' the New Orleans groove
And when Satchmo blew, the audience knew

Basin Street blues was the raw house tune
It was great to dance to
Great to romance to, with a lot to say to you
Relaying a message, revealing an essence of a Jazz thing

Jazz music, Jazz Music
Jazz music, Jazz Music
Jazz music, Jazz Music, Jazz music

In the Forties came Be-Bop, the first Be-Bop
The Real Be-Bop, so let me talk about
Diz & Byrd, givin' the word
Definin' how a beat could be so complete

Playin' with ferocity, thinkin' with velocity
About ornithology or anthropology
And even 'Epistrophy', and this is real history

Theolonious Monk, a 'Melodious Thunk'
No mistakes were made with the notes he played
His conception, was recondite

A star glowing bright among dim lights
The critics decided that he sounded alright
Charlie Mingus, such nimble fingers
Droppin' the bass, all over the place

And Max Roach, cymbals socking
Bass drum talking, snare drum rocking
Restructuring the metaphysics of a Jazz thing

John Coltrane, a man supreme
He was the cream, he was the wise one
The impression of Afro Blue and of the promise
That was not kept, he was a giant step

And there was Ornette Coleman
He was another soul man
The original invisible, playing great music
I wonder why the bankers couldn't use it

Now listen see, the real mystery is how music history
Created by white men or any other white man
That pretended he originated

And contended that he innovated, a Jazz thing
"Of course, we know who can really blow"
Schemin' on the meanin' of a Jazz thing

And this music ain't dead so don't be misled
By those who said that Jazz was on it's deathbed
'cause when Betty Carter sings a song
Ain't nothin' goin' on but simply good music
And you won't refuse it

She's takin' her time, making the nuances rhyme
Sonny Rollins, tenor saxaphone
With a big ol' tone, reciting poems
With notes as words, and haven't you heard
Next stop butter, right past Oleo**

Now there's young cats blowin'
And more and more people, yes they will be knowin'
Jazz ain't the past, this music's gonna last
And as the facts unfold, remember who foretold

The Nineties, will be the decade of a Jazz thing
I Love Jazz music
A Jazz thing
I Love Jazz music
A Jazz thing
I Love Jazz music
A Jazz thing
I Love Jazz music
A Jazz thing

"Not everyone is fortunate to have a jazz musician for a father and grow up in a household listening to the music. It is my hope that maybe, just maybe, some young folks will know from this film "Mo Better Blues" and the single "Jazz Thing" is as much about Duke, Coltrane, Monk, Diz, Mingus, Billie Holiday, Bird, etc...etc...etc..., as Public Enemy, Biz Markie, L.L. Cool J, Hammer, Queen Latifah, etc...etc...etc...etc..." Spike Lee July 13,1990

• Video Mix
• Movie Mix
• Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Gang Starr.rar Filesize: 39.09 MB



* Balo, better known as the Balenjeh, is a African piano. Sounds credible?
** Oleo is the shortened word for oleomargarine or margarine.

Danny Madden - Facts Of Life 1990

WEA Records YZ473T

Danny Madden has worked with the Basement Boys on Ultra Naté's early work, and he was the background singer and vocal arranger on many of the Def Mix productions.




This track was produced by Danny and Carl McIntosh (Loose Ends) with some Dancin' Danny D remix activity. Is it soulful I hear you ask. Look at the cover, see how it pays homage to Marvin, with this kind of pedigree you don't need to ask, just check the acappella and stop worrying.

There was also an album 'These Are The Facts Of Life' but I never got to hear it. This track was featured in the Mario Van Peebles' movie "New Jack City". It's a beautiful thing people!

• Dancin' Danny D's Accapella Intro Edit
• Instrumental
• Dancin' Danny D's 12" Mix
• Accapella

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Danny Madden.rar Filesize: 34.05 MB

Mica Paris - Young Soul Rebels 1991

Big Life BLR D 57

A great song from Mica that was the theme from a UK movie of the same name. Not the best movie in the world but hey, thanks for the soundtrack? Along with Mica's B-sides, this was another gem that didn't make it onto an album?

• Edit
• Original Version
• Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mica Paris - Young Soul Rebels (CDS).rar Filesize: 18.22 MB