NYE 1981

So I managed to catch flu, and without turning this into a medical or self pity blog, I have managed to spend my time in the UK on my back wishing death upon myself rather than record digging and carousing as I had intended. If you got on Virgin Atlantic flight 004 from JFK to Heathrow knowing you had the flu virus and would give it to everyone in the cabin please know that all I wanted for Christmas was the opportunity to cut your head off and play in your blood.

..Anyway, I'am in the south of the UK and in classic Disco terms that can only mean one thing, Jazz Funk. I'm posting three tracks that were big on rotation in this part of the world, where the real jazz funk reigned supreme:

Eddie Henderson - Say You Will

Francine McGee - Delirium

Kleeer - Keep Your Body Workin'

Starlight - The Break

Index were a British studio project produced by Kris Staines in 1980. Kris went on to do the UK remix of Touch Down's "Ease Your Mind" on Streetwise in 1982 amongst a few other things. The Index project yielded only one 12" release. According to Black Shag this song actually got radio play over the years in Great Britain and I suspect Escort were listening closely to this track when they wrote their own "Starlight" a few years back. The A side vocal version has a few too many cheesy bits for my taste, but the B side "Starlight - The Break" hits damn hard with an incredible keyboard hook and souped up horn lines. A shout out to DâM-FunK who dropped this at the Sweater Funk party some months back prompting a few of us to lose our shit and go on the hunt for this rare boogie workout.

Index - Starlight (The Break)

The Vocal Mix:

Index - Starlight (Edit)

Help Is On The Way

Help Is On The Way is a perfect, sultry boogie jam by The Whatnauts. It was mixed by Tee Scott and released by Harlem International Records in 1981.

This next track is from 1982 by the Philadelphia group Fat Larry's Band. The track seems to use the the exact same bassline to great effect. Act Like You Know is a great jazz funk tune with uplifting lyrics.

The Whatnauts - Help Is On The Way
Fat Larry's Band - Act Like You Know

Mr Morse

I'm on my travels right now. I spent a couple of days in New York on my way to the UK and picked up a few records I'll post later down the road. I got into London this morning and I feel terrible, the red eye flight was full of loud holiday shopping fashionistas, and am now all the more depressed after catching half an episode of 'Eastenders'. Yet tomorrow is a new day, I haven't been record digging in the UK in a couple of years, and its the season of giving so in that spirit I'm going to put up a deep and sought after European soulful disco 45 that you don't come accross often.

I can't tell you much about S.O.S by Mr. Morse And His New Alphaband, this was recorded from the Italian 7", although I heard there is also a Spanish released 7". The instrumental was even reused by EMI Italy for a local male crooners backing track, but not quite to the same effect. I do know it was an early effort of Franco Italian producer Albert Weyman, who has a pretty great myspace page, a look at his photos is a must. Its nice to hear middle aged pros from the deep funk scene are making credible euro trance: http://www.myspace.com/albertweyman

My copy came from a reclaimed jukebox out of a forgotten Americana themed coffee shop in northern Italy and cost me three shillings:

Mr. Morse And His New Alphaband - S.O.S. I'm In Love

Put Your Body In It Foo

Here it is: One of the best disco tunes ever written, period. You can find this ubiquitous release sandwiched in your dad's record collection between a Barry Manilow and a Barbara Striesand LP. It wasn't even released as an A Side for chrisakes! Had the world circa late 70's gone mad or was there so much quality music coming out that they could afford to toss this one on the flip side? Correction, it was an A Side in its UK pressing only. Ok Black Shag, you win this round mate.

Recorded and Released as the B side to the single "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin", "Put Your Body In It" is a heavy Disco cut with a proto-boogie feel thanks to the cracking synth bass that drives the track all the way through. Drawing the contrast to later Boogie tracks was the big disco strings that soar throughout and create a perfect juxtaposition with the aforementioned synth-bassline. I am so feeling 1979 right now!

"Put Your Body In It" was written and produced by the solid team of Reggie Lucas and James Mtume. The duo was responsible for many choice cuts released between the years 1977 - 1982.

Stephanie Mills - Put Your Body In It

Baby, This Ain't No Maybe

This great upbeat boogie track by Charlie Singleton & Stargasm was released by Dakar Records in 1981. It was the act's only release. Singleton sang some vocals for Cameo in the same period and played some fusion guitar in other groups. The mix of a repetitive falsetto vocal line, jangly guitar, funky slap bass, and cheesy synth stabs make this a great tune worthy of rocking a Beat Electric dancefloor.

Charlie Singleton & Stargasm - I Wanna Boogie With You
Charlie Singleton & Stargasm - I Wanna Boogie With You Instrumental

More Mastermixes

By popular demand, here are some more of Shep Pettibone's Mastermixes including the incredible Jeanette "Lady" Day mix. Enjoy!

Jeanette "Lady" Day - Come Let Me Love You (Shep's Mastermix)

Strikers - Body Music (Shep's Mastermix)

Empress - Dyin' To Be Dancin' (Shep's Mastermix)

France Joli - I Wanna Take a Chance on Love (Shep's Mastermix)

Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It (Shep's Mastermix)

Ugly Talented Mix

Beat Electric was asked to create a special mix for the Manchester UK blog Ugly Talented and here it is.
It is a collection of tunes that have a synthy disco sound and a post disco, boogie feel. Trademarks of this sound are live drums, analogue synthesizers and funky bass lines. The mix follows a continuum of influence and contrasting styles of the music that gets us excited at Beat Electric.

Demis Roussos - I Dig You (7") 1977
Stargard - Wear It Out (Instrumental) 1979
Alphonse Mouzon - I'm Glad That You're Here (Disconet Remix) 1981
One On One - Body Music (Long Version) 1981
Tempest Trio - Do You Like The Way That It Feels (12") 1979
Stephanie Mills - Put Your Body In It (12") 1979
Yvonne Gage - Garden Of Eve (Long Version) 1981
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face? (Female Vocal) 1980
Janice Christie - One Love (12") 1985
Funk Deluxe - This Time (Dub Version) 1984
Legacy - Word Up (Instrumental) 1982
Cashmere - Do It Anyway You Wanna (Instrumental)
First Love - It's A Mystery To Me (12") 1982

Dancing in the Clouds Mix

Let's Be Highway Lovers

I recently returned to my hometown of Milwaukee, WI on a brief weekender and the only redeeming moment I had in that wasteland of a city was digging for gold at the oasis known as Lotus Land Records. I purchased a couple pieces of local heat from an era in Milwaukee history that I only imagine may have been more livable than the scene out of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome that I saw last month.

From 1984 we bring you saxophonist James Dallas and his self released jazz fusion LP "Here and Now". James Dallas has been performing in Milwaukee for many, many years and still plays out with the Terry Sims band (Terry performs on this LP as well). But the real star of the show is the all but unknown guest, Adam Davis who wrote and performed vocals and synth's on the only boogie oriented cut entitled "Highway Lover".

"Highway Lover" is a stellar Boogie/Funk/Black Rock piece with a crazy fusion solo thrown in at the end to keep the track semi in line with the rest of the record. A crusty keyboard hook, raw as hell drums, dusted production and Prince influenced vocals make this one a total classic.

Totally uninteresting nerd fact: On just about all of the tracks on "Here and Now" they used two of my favorite synthesizers, the Juno 60 and Moog Liberation keytar. Both keyboards were discontinued from production in 1984 the same year the record was released. Is it a coincidence that everything started to go downhill after '84?

If you feel this joint like I do, grab a copy from Lotus Land as they have a very small grip of these left.

James Dallas - Highway Lover

Jaqui & The Rumor

This is a private label lazer soul jam from Florida. Larry Davis produced this record in 1986 along with some Miami booty bass hits in the mid to late 80's. It is in the vein of the acts Expose', The Jets, and Starpoint. It is a cute and crusty jam. This is definitely a tune that requires some skills on the dance floor. It is interesting to note that this is probably the loudest 12" I have ever heard and it is also the thinnest. The run out goove says "Hi Larry, I think you + Jaqui made it!" They sure did!

Jaqui & The Rumor - Just Don't Break-A-My Heart (Inst.)

Marbeya Sound

Today I’m posting not only perhaps my favorite new wave italo track of all time, but also a couple of exclusive tracks from my current favorite modern disco producers out of San Francisco, BeatElectric’s hometown. By posting new and old I was intending on showing some sort of lineage of influence, that sort of thing, whether I pulled it off I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter as I love everything I’m putting up.

There is some nepotism happening here, as Marbeya are my long time good friends and former studio mates, we have even worked together in the past and when I can get them out of the recording studio sometimes even socialize now and again, which is rare. I think Marbeya fall squarely within the new ‘San Francisco sound’, alongside peers such as Windsurf, Hatchback etc, all great acts and great guys. I would describe the genre as mellow, textured, electronic disco, with strong links to the big name Scandinavian producers (and labels). Marbeya uses long subtle arrangements, but with real melody and great sense of space. I chose my two favorites from their new promo album, my inspiration being that they were the most dance floor friendly and hypnotic, and being low brow these are the two qualities I look for most in music, be it for a wedding reception or funeral:

Marbeya - Sancho
Marbeya - Gansta Reedflex

www.myspace.com/marbeyasound

Ok, now for the classic, B. Blasé’s Shake It Now. This is an abstract, dark groover with what is unusual in my opinion within italo of the time, a killer male vocal. I don’t ever bother with the instrumental on this one and if you are a DJ..please..play this one at +4 or +5 or whatever your method of play considers ‘fast’. I was tempted just to pitch it up myself after I recorded it, but that goes against our ethos:

B. Blase - Shake It Now

Your Love Is Cyanide To Me Baby

My main man Black Shag has dropped several of his top ten boogie joints in the last couple of weeks so I feel motivated to throw a few entries into the fire as well. Whilst Mr. Shag has been focusing on his country of origin, the United Kingdom, my next few entries will feature heat from my hometown of Milwaukee, WI as well as my adopted home, the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hailing from across the bay in Oakland, CA Carol Shinnette cut her first 7" in 1984 on the private Zilko label. Backed up by the aptly named Concrete Band, "Cyanide Love" was recorded at Beggars Banquet Recording Studio in Santa Rosa, CA. Co-written with Shinnette and produced by the mysterious W.P. Guidry, "Cyanide Love" is a mammoth cut and an easy contender for my personal boogie top ten list.


Shinnette went on to release a rare modern soul LP (The Expressions of Carol Shinnette) and a handful of 45's on the obscure Optune label out of Oakland in 1985. Optune also went on to repress a very small run of "Cyanide Love" picture sleeve seven inches in 1986.



I tried calling the phone number on this picture sleeve and a serious thug answered the line. Sadly, he didn't seem too interested in discussing Carol Shinnette or Optune Records but he did manage to throw a few idle threats my way.

Cyanide love was Shinnette's first and finest recording.

Carol Shinnette with the Concrete Band - Cyanide Love

Fourteen Days is Not Enough

I don't know much about Lex. This release is one of two that came out on Flip Records, a UK subsidiary of Vanguard Records. This record, along with the other (Endgames) were both produced by New York DJ legend Ray 'Pinky' Velazquez. Ray Velazquez was born in Puerto Rico, but grew up in New York. He was a major force in the mid 70's as a DJ for WCCR, NYC's City College Radio and at the Court Street Discotheque. He later became the head of A&R at Vanguard Records and produced a lot of the label's best tracks. This track has a great leftfield meets italo sound. The dubby drums and minimal instrumentation meet smashing glass for a thought provoking juxtaposition.

Lex - Fourteen Days (Dub Version)
Fehlfarben - 14 Tage