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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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.