We Got To Hit It Off

Millie Jackson was the original disco queen of raunch. She was a very controversial figure in the day and that hampered big mainstream success. She got her start in 1964 after winning a talent show in a Harlem nightclub. She went on to get signed by Polydor and put out her first single in 1970 followed by an LP in 1972. She continued to put out records throughout the 70's and 80's. In the 80's put out two records that grace many worst album cover ever lists, find them here: E.S.P. (Extra Sexual Persuasion) and the official album of Colonix: Back To The Shit. This track is from 1979 and has a wonderful stomp and smooth modern soul feel with soulful vocal delivery.

mp3: Millie Jackson - We Got To Hit It Off

Toney Lee, the classic instrumentals

I spent ages looking for a picture of Toney Lee, I found the cover image of his latest gospel album from a couple of years back, I found a bunch of pictures of a chinese physics professor, and so on, so I ended up opting for a picture of Man City setting up to score on Norwich FC in 1977. None of these instrumental versions were recorded in 1977, Toney Lee has no doubt never even visited the fine city of Norwich, but I was just looking at the picture earlier so decided to use it. I'm in the market for a 1977/78 season Norwich shirt, size medium, do please hit me up.

Toney Lee - Love So Deep (instrumental)

Toney Lee - Reach Up (instrumental)

I Must Be Dreamin'

As did so many of his contemporaries, jazz musician Narada Michael Walden (Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra) got lost in the music and shifted gears towards disco in the late 70's. Highly influenced by the work of Chic, he handled production for Sister Sledge on their "All American Girls" LP as well as his sister in law, Wanda's album "Searchin' For Love" both released in 1981. The standout track and 12" was "Don't You Want My Lovin". I do not have this one so instead you can check it out accompanied by an exciting static image on youtube:



"I Must Be Dreamin" was released as a 12" single in 1982 but did not include Narada's production and was also missing from the full length album. Replacing Narada, American Idol's Randy Jackson provides brilliant songwriting and production way deeper in the boogie vein. "I Must Be Dreamin" is an unstoppable synth driven banger not dissimilar to Vicky D's "This Beat is Mine". I have always sort of hated American Idol, but I must say this brings Randy Jackson's cred up about 10 notches so maybe I should give it another try. On second thought, naw I will still have to pass on that show.

Wanda - I Must Be Dreamin'

You can also find "I Must Be Dreamin" on my new mix with Black Shag entitled "Ride My Spaceship" for Manchester's excellent Cosmic Disco Blog right here:

BT Magnum and Black Shag - Ride My Spaceship

cosmicdisco.co.uk guest mix

www.cosmicdisco.co.uk kindly asked us to do a guest mix for them some time before Christmas, so typically going on BeatElectric time that means us handing something over around mid summer.

Myself and BT Magnum got together one afternoon and put this together, the predominant period of which was spent viciously arguing over the program material, each of us were granted a single veto, followed by a series of 'best of three' rock paper scissors challenges. I wasted mine early when BT tried to slip the B side medley of Mylo's debut album by me whilst I was having a cigarette in the garden. I tried to sell him on a bootleg I have of Miles Davis talking on the telephone to his mum, but got shot down. Easy come easy go, we worked it out in the end.

As always its live and all vinyl, all the time. Here is the final tracklist:

1. STARVUE -Body Fusion
2. MASTER JAY & MICHAEL DEE - T.S.O.B (Instrumental)
3. JIVE RHYTHM TRAX - 102bpm
4. EURO FUNK - Dynomite
5. ARMENTA & MAJIK - I Wanna Be With You
6. YOUNG & CO.- I’m Too Cool
7. HEAVEN 17 - Let Me Go
8. SINNAMON - Thanks To You
9. WANDA - I Must Be Dreaming
10. HI TENSION - Hi Tension
11. Q - The Voice of Q (Instrumental)
12. NITRO DELUXE - Let’s Get Brutal
13. SATELLITE - U Can Drive My Spaceship
14. FEVER - The Fever Rock
15. RENE & ANGELA - Wall To Wall
16. 202 MACHINE - Do Your Thing
17. FUNKAPOLITAN - Run Run Run
18. OMNI - Body Groove
19. HARLEQUIN 4’s - Set It Off
20. KAJAGOOGOO - Hang on Now (Extended Version)

http://www.cosmicdisco.co.uk/

Shake

Shake, Shake, Shake. The disco group "Bombers" are a Canadian band which had that perfect blend of italo and boogie. This track is completely special, from the fretless bass intro to the staccato synth and soothing Turkish folk sounds, this easily has to be my favorite release by the group. This West End 12" from 1979 was one of their last.

mp3: Bombers - Shake

All I Need Is You

A one off project on the NYC Prelude label, "All I Need is You" is a very soulful, spaced out boogie track. Sad that this was the only release by Starshine as it is such a deep and timeless record. A shout out to P. Skillz and his fine blog, Give The DJ a Break as he posted the vocal version back in April. Featured here is the instrumental which I think I dig just a little bit more as it has a sparser lead vocal as well as a fine female backing vocal that is missing entirely from the mix on the A side. As with so many Prelude releases, the mighty Francois Kevorkian gives his final touch on the mixing boards. This is one of the labels rarer 12"s, so unfortunately you have to listen to a rip off of a very worn copy, but I think the scratches give it a little extra depth.

Starshine - All I Need Is You (Instrumental)

Heaven Sent & Ecstacy

This impossibly rare record from 1980 by Heaven Sent & Ecstasy is perhaps the only album released on Oakland's Jameiko's Records and Publishing. It was conceived as a soundtrack to the religious film Scrolls, The Book Of Life. The tracks were written and the album was produced by Barbara J. Trotter. This is a highly sought out modern soul record and can be considered a digger's holy grail. There are five upbeat boogie tunes mixed in with four ballads and a rock song. All the tracks have a raw sound with a lot of energy. It is really amazing that this is the only record that the group produced.

mp3: Heaven Sent & Ecstasy - I'm A Lady
mp3: Heaven Sent & Ecstasy - Satisfaction to the Bone Nitty Gritty Naked Bone

Midnight Express Danger Zone!

Fresh from the Quad Cities (Rock Island, IL to be precise) circa 1983 comes The Midnight Express Show Band fronted by the one and only Robbie M. This track is the buzz amongst the network of heavy hitter 80's rare groove collectors at the moment and word has it that the boogie master out of D.C. is in the process of reissuing it via 12" single. For the time being you can purchase the ultra rare original 7" release. This is easily the most insane boogie track I have stumbled upon since Mid Air's East Out. More Boogie love from the Midwest! This recently unearthed video is like thriller on heavy doses of PCP.



Midnight Express - Danger Zone

Cunga

Roller Boogie was a 1979 movie that capitalised on the roller skating craze, I'm not going to comment on it much because I haven't seen it. Look it up on youtube if you are really interested, you will catch the drift.

I do own the soundtrack album though..

Roller Boogie's sound track was compiled and produced by Bob Esty, a key figure in mainstream disco, and the obvious link between the roller skating and disco phenomena led to a disco heavy score featuring tracks from the likes of Cher and Earth Wind & Fire. Yet amongst those are two of Bob Esty's own instrumental studio productions, the vocoder laden 'Elektronix' and the CBS charting abstract tropicalia instrumental Cunga. These two tracks flow into one another on the record and make a nice segway, but nobody sweats Elektronix (except me) so I'm posting Cunga.

Bob Esty - Cunga

Like An Eagle

Dennis Parker AKA Wade Nichols was a porn star whom starred in many flicks including My Sex-Rated Wife. He only put out one album, Like An Eagle, which was produced by Jacques Morali. The title track was also featured on a Cassablanca 12". This track made it to number 11 on the CBS top 100 in 2006, much to the dismay of the announcer; he banned the track. The track can also be heard on one of James Murphy's radio series mixes. Dennis committed suicide in 1985 after being diagnosed with A.I.D.S.

mp3: Dennis Parker - Like In An Eagle

Number One

Katie Kissoon is a powerful vocalist born who was born in Trinidad and raised in the UK. Katie got her start in a soul duo with her brother Mac in the 70's. Since then, she has had a long run as a back up singer for Roger Waters of Pink Floyd as well as stints with Eric Crapton and Van Morrison. Obviously, I prefer her brief solo run on Jive Records in the early 80's. "You're The One (You're My Number One)" is a spot-on mid tempo boogie track released in 1983, produced by Darryl Payne who is notable for his work with Sharon Redd as well as his collaborations with Gary Turnier and Eric Matthew of Gary's Gang. I was too lazy to take a photo of the 12 inch, so instead you not only get a picture of Katie, but a pic of the Jive Logo as well. Bonus!

Katie Kissoon - You're The One (You're My Number One)

The Music Got Me

Visual was a project by Boyd Jarvis and Timmy Regisford. This record was mixed by Loft regular Tony Humphries and was released by Prelude Records. Boyd Jarvis, who still makes music, conceived this tune as part of a WBLS New York audition for vocalist Timmy Regisford. The track had such a profound effect (for good reason) that they played it live in a couple of times before bringing it to Prelude.

This mind blowing proto house (or proto garage track) came to us in 1983. The bassline sounds like a TB303, but I don't think that it is. The synth lines are so soothing and sound similar to synth sounds from yacht rock of the era. The track builds and builds till it comes to a head and the vocal break instructs the hard working dancefloor to move their bodies.

mp3: Visual - The Music Got Me (Instrumental)