Miami dance records always seem to have a certain unique sound, and Noel Williams' Konduko label's output is no exception. Williams was born in Jamaica and cut his teeth working at the legendary Studio One. In the 70s he moved to Miami and started producing disco records on his own label Konduko and others like T.K. Disco.
"Haven't Been Funked Enough" is a hype track that always gets my blood going. There is a definite proto-house feel to the arpeggiated bass line. The janky dubbed out mixing and arrangement style is great as well, I am a big fan of raw productions.  Noel Williams is also the producer behind "Get Down" by Connie Case, a classic Beat Electric spin.

Extra - Haven't Been Funked Enough

I finally got my recording rig sorted; hopefully these are loud enough for you. Now, if I could just keep my computer from crashing! Here are some early 80's gems. This 1982 D Train cut is a no brainer. No group can put me in a good mood like them. They are so filled with positive energy and they make me want to get up and dance. This dub version is on the flip of the Walk On By 12". This 1983 track by Bobby Nunn is a jam, a warm up or a cool down for sure. Has a lot of garage flavor in a modern soul dish.

D Train - Tryin' To Get Over (Dub)
Bobby Nunn - Do You Look That Good In The Morning?

Here is a funky jam off a 1983 Strut Records 12" by Charles Earland. The drum programming reminds me of proto garage tunes from the same era. The vocal versions on this 12" are pretty weak, but I like this one up until the guitar and sax solos make it whack.

Also, I have a funky modern soul number from 1982 by Fredi Grace and Rhinestone I picked up in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago.

Charles Earland - (It's A) Doggie Boogie Baby (Instrumental)
Fredi Grace and Rhinestone - Help

This groovy track has a lot going on. It is pure synth boogie mixed with proto garage flavor. It came out on Salsoul records in 1984 and it was produced by Randy Muller from Brass Construction and Skyy. I like that this vocal version has starts out giving you the woman's perspective in a deva-esque delivery and then the man gives his rebuttal in a well executed rap.

Funk Deluxe - This Time

This is a great 1983 track that came out on Mango records in 1983. It has a proto garage sound with a dark synth bass and cosmic synth sounds. It also has a really long janky keyboard solo up front that I love. Sorry my copy(s) are so jacked, I tried my best to remove the pops.

Affinity - Don't Go Away (Runaway Dub)

Do you like classic eighties house? I do. Here is most of it:

http://www.discogs.com/release/43501

http://www.discogs.com/Various-The-History-Of-The-House-Sound-Of-Chicago/release/57624


Total bummer but we were asked to take this post down by the copyright holders.

Nancy Martin, also known as Nancy Martinez, released this sultry jam in 1982. This track is one of a handful she released using her more Anglo sounding moniker in the early eighties. Her first releases came out on her Canadian home label Neige. This one was produced by Dominic Sciullo and Rick Annett.

This track, like many produced in Canada, shows a lot of italo influence. It seems to have equal parts Robotnick and Sharon Redd with a bassline could easily be warped into a modern minimal techno track. This cut was a crowd pleaser at the Garage, which is easy to imagine. It is hard to see how this track would fly in a club nowadays, I would bet that it would require a good crowd with a particularly high serotonin level.

I have the Atlantic promo release, but the original looks way cooler. The Neige release is also a minute longer.

Nancy Martin - Can't Believe (Vocal)

This was Fresh Band's only release. It came out on Are N Be Records out of New York in 1984. Are N Be Records only put out three releases between 1982 and 1984 and they are all pretty sought after. This track has a lot of elements that do it for me. It has an early garage house sound with a slammin' bassline, and well executed vocals. This track was mixed by legendary Zanzibar DJ Tony Humphries who was a pioneer in the garage house sound. This tracks was produced by The Strikers' producer and Crown Heights Affair member Darryl Gibbs.

Fresh Band - Come Back Lover (Remix)

Kleeer was a lazer soul group from 1979 through the early 80's. They went through a couple of different names and styles in the early 70's. They were first known as Pipleine, then The Jam Band, then Universal Robot Band (produced by Greg Charmichael and Patrick Adams), and finally, Kleeer. The new name came with a southern rock looking logo and self produced tracks. With their funky synth laden boogie sound, the band penned a bunch or minor hits for Atlantic in the early 80's. Here we have the slammin' boogie tune Tonight, and an edit I did of an obscure proto-house tune from 1982.

Kleeer - Taste The Music (LeBaron Edit)
Kleeer - Tonight

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

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

My brain is numb from a 2 year obsession with this particular US presidential race (and the ensuing party that took place last nite) so I am not capable of writing very much today. A good majority of our readers are from overseas, so I must tell all of you we are making amends and I hope we can be friends again.

This synth-boogie track from Twin Image was released in 1984 on Capitol records. It's got a nice sort of black new wave vibe to it. Dig it.

Twin Image - My Baby Loves Me (Do Do)

Here is a mix of some of my favorite jams. They are plenty good for shaking down the house, but just as good for making the commute a little easier. It seems that I live in my car these days and I can only handle so much NPR.

Tracklist:

David Joseph - You Can't Hide (12" Version)
Thelma Houston - You Used To Hold Me So Tight (12" Version)
Unlimited Touch - Searching To Find The One
Lenny White - My Turn To Love You (Special Mix)
Sharon Redd - Beat The Street (Special 12" Instrumental)
Kano - She's A Star (LP Version)
Chocolate (Chocolette) - It's That East Street Beat (Club Mix)
Touch - Love Fixation (Dub)
Patrick Cowley - Thank God For Music (Disconet Extended Remix)
Connie Case - Get Down

Download Mix Here

Touch was an act that released a few records in 1987 for the Brooklyn label Supertronics. This garage house track has the bassline and handclaps of Chicago house but has layers and layers of melodic horns and synthesizers on top. The record was mixed by Shelter DJ Timmy Regisford. Timmy Regisford also worked with Boyd Jarvis to create the previously covered The Music Got Me by Visual.

mp3: Touch - Love Fixation

Here is another bump along the journey between the boogie and the house eras. This track from 1983 by Adele Bertei was produced by Thomas Dolby for Geffen Records. Adele Bertei played keyboards for the legendary New York no wave bands The Bloods and The Contortions. This track has a lot of interesting elements melding together in a cohesive way that must have been shocking at the time. The clean pop production is very apparent, along with melodies that are both dark and uplifting. The italo synths juxtaposed with the choir like chorus works quite well, strangely enough. Thomas Dolby is well known for his 80's synth pop, but he produced a lot of tracks in the decade, including Whodini's first release.

mp3: Adele Bertei - Build Me A Bridge

I love tracks that have a party going on in them. I love to try to listen really closely to hear what is going on. This funky soulful disco jam was produced by Jerry Weaver for Parachute Records in 1978. Parachute was a subsidiary of Casablanca. Weaver went on to produce some tracks for Janet Jackson. The Most Requested Rhythm Band centered around pianist Nat Dove. They produced the 12" featured here in 1977. The flip has Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up in much the same style. We Got The Funk is a masterpiece of a party anthem.

7th Wonder - My Love Ain't Never Been This Strong
The Most Requested Rhythm Band - Brick House
Positive Force - We Got The Funk
Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine

I have always enjoyed both carrots and beets, especially when they are pureed together into a tasty beverage. It makes for a fine elixir the morning after a long evening out on the town drinking and drugging oneself. Blended into this excellent track by one-off studio project Electra, somehow it all seems to make a fine lyrical cohesion. Tara Butler's sultry vocals elicit one to not only eat their fruits and vegetables, she also manages to encourage you to jog, bend, stretch and do a few push ups. "Feels Good" in my opinion is the italo-boogie workout anthem of 1982. If Richard Simmons were a touch more savvy, he most certainly would have had this cut be the theme song to a "Sweating To The Oldies" workout tape. Silly lyrics written by nerdy Italian producers aside, this sought after gem was a groundbreaking track much in the vein of Chemise's "She Can't Love You".

Electra (Featuring Tara Butler) - Feels Good (Carrots and Beets)

First Choice, from Philadelphia, were one of the great disco acts. They had many solid hits including Hold Your Horses, Double Cross, Gotta Get Away, From You Baby, and Let No Man Put Asunder. This track is pretty ubiquitous. It is perhaps the most sampled track in dance music actually (next to the Amen Break.) It was produced in 1977 and pressed to a rare 12." In 1983 it was re-released as a 12" with both Shep Pettibone and Frankie Knuckles remixes. This fine sounding rip is from the rare 12" bootleg EP pictured which features the Shep Pettibone mix. As a bonus, I have added a mighty fine Ron Hardy remix.

mp3: First Choice - Let No Man Put Asunder
mp3: First Choice - Let No Man Put Asunder (Ron Hardy Mix)

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)

mp3: Spice - You' re So Nice (Latin Spice) Extended Version