Sunday 4:07 PM EST. Sitting in a Miami roach motel with a killer hangover. Brutal trance remixes creeping in from the mega hotel next store. DJ Fucknuts 5000 on the decks 24 hours a day. Must cleanse the soul with some quality boogie. AM-FM to the rescue.


AM-FM - You Are The One

So everybody knows Gino Soccio's 'Dancer', part of the standard cannon, and for good reason. It has been covered several times, most recently I heard Escort do it live and no doubt over the years there have been versions I have yet to hear, but of those I do know (including the original) Starflight's is my favorite.

Most people sweat this record because the other side Contains 'Dance To The Beat', a track that appears on mixes all over the place and got an Automan bootleg re-release, but few mention the Gino Soccio cover version. It keeps the original's driving disco edge but with an 808 breakdown and subtle turbtable scratch bridge that indicates that it is now 1983 and things have moved on four years since Gino first penned the track.

Starflight - Dancer

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

Infatuation came out on New York's small Silver Cloud Records in 1983. Look out for anything on Silver Cloud, its all boogie gold, and although the label and their number of releases were small they seemed to have enough distribution that their output will now run you between $7 and $70 for the rarer cuts.

This is perhaps their best known release, alongside the highly sought after Heavy Hitter by Barbara Norris that came out on parent label United Performers, which has been turning up on trendy italo/electro disco bootleg comps over the past couple of years. Both tracks share production by Edward Colon, who I believe still had house music credits dating up until the late nineties.

Up Front - Infatuation

Not much to say other than that I am glad this exists. This is a very campy and very driving disco tune that was produced by cheesemeister Michael Lloyd. Lifted from the internet:
"*(Mitsuyo "Mie" Nemoto, Keko "Kei" Masuda) Known as "Pink Lady", these two female Japanese rock singers were introduced to American television via this comedy variety hour [Pink Lady and Jeff]. Mie & Kei may have been popular in Japan, but their U.S. debut quickly fizzled out. One reason the series disappeared: the stars spoke very little English and had to be guided through the program sketches by American comedian Jeff Altman."

mp3: Pink lady - Kiss In The Dark

Barry White really needs no introduction.
This track is a sultry, slow disco tune that kicks back behind his vocals quite nicely.
Released in 1977 as a single on 20th Century Records from the album "Barry White Sings For Someone You Love".

mp3: Barry White - It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me

I feel like just about every post I write these days is about a one-off artist and Elite are no exception to that rule. Released in 1980, "Rock The House" fell into that nice roller-disco sound that Vaughan Mason and Crew helped pioneer just a year earlier on Dakar's parent label, Brunswick Records. By no means a rare gem, "Rock The House" is a fine party jam with a sort of heavy, yet minimal groove.

I would love to brag that this track lights up the dancefloor whenever it gets dropped at one of our epic Beat Electric DJ sets. It is probably safer to say that almost every time without fail someone dressed straight out of an Old Navy catalog circa 1997 comes up and requests that I play something from the '80's instead. In fact, one time a babe sporting a tube top and true religion jeans once asked our guy LeBaron to "play some Michael Jackson" while he was in the middle of spinning "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough". I can definitely respect that.

Elite - Rock The House (Part 1)
Elite - Rock The House (Part 2)

Powerline is a collaborative effort between Andy Sojka and Jerry Pike. This track, "Double Journey", is a 13+ minute musical endeavor released on both Elite and Prelude Records in 1981, then again by Françios K.'s label Wave Music in 1998. The bassline in this track is perfectly laid back yet driving. The track was mastered by famed Herb Powers Jr. and it is a true pleasure to listen to. There is a rather hard to find promo release of "Double Journey" on Prelude which is what is posted here.

My apologies for such a poor photo, I am clearly not a strong swimmer when it comes to the photographic arts.

mp3: Powerline - Double Journey

Jeanette "Lady" Day burst onto the scene in 1981 with this killer entry on the excellent Prelude label. The track is laced with raw sexed-up vocals, a super tight arrangement and some stellar percussion breaks as well as a fine mix by the one and only Francois Kevorkian. Once again we have another one hit wonder soul diva here. She dropped this gem of a cut and disappeared quickly into the disco nether, never to be heard from again. Damn.

Jeanette "Lady" Day- Come Let Me Love You

Driving drums with a lot of reverb, check; electronic toms, check; simple well executed melody, check; incredible vocoded vocals, check. This is an italo electro track that does everything that Chris Menace and Fred Falke want to do, but did it in 1985. Produced by Italian dudes A. Zanni (who was also in Faxe) and S. Cundari (who produced Hipnosis, Koto, and a Ken Laszlo track which was previously posted here.) This must have blown people's minds when it came out.

mp3: Cyber People - Void Vision (Slow Version)
Get a sped up version at The Red Room here

Aurra was a modern soul group from Ohio that got together in 1979. The project was a spin off of Slave and it allowed the talented songwriter/producer/arranger Steve Washington to bring twice the heat (and make twice as much scrilla) to two separate labels. The singers, Starleana Young and Curt Jones have a playful and conversational way of singing the songs which really make the songs special. It is almost like you are listening to an argument between a married couple sometimes. Aurra disbanded 1986 due to a legal dispute, after which Young and Jones went on as Déjà.

mp3: Aurra - Nasty Disposition
mp3: Aurra - Checking You Out
mp3: Aurra - Such A Feeling (LeBaron Edit)

Dazzle is the collaboration of Leroy Burgess and Stan Lucas. There wasn't too much in terms of releases from these guys, one LP, one promo 12" and a 7", but what they did release is pretty fantastic. "You Dazzle Me" is the B side to "Walk Before You Run" on the 12" promo release on De-Lite Records in 1979, and is far and away the hit. This is a very upbeat track and the production is spot on.

mp3: Dazzle - You Dazzle Me

Five Special formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1978 and disbanded circa 1981. Their only hit "Why Leave Us Alone" reached #9 on the Billboard R & B charts in 1979. This very soulful, epic disco number was a favorite of Larry Levan's and is featured on 2006's Journey Into Paradise compilation (NOT the Levan mix) on Rhino Records. The only 12 inch version listed on discogs is a mix by Rick Gianatos. I happen to have an Elektra red label copy with a 10:17 Larry Levan and Billy Kessler mix. I couln't seem to find any information online about this particular pressing or mix. I would have put a photo of the label up here but my digital camera is on its last leg and I couldn't get a proper shot. My guess is that this pressing is a complete rarity. Nonetheless, "Why Leave Us Alone" takes it to the next level.

mp3: Five Special - Why Leave Us Alone (Larry Levan + Billy Kessler Mix)

The beginning of this record is simply perfection.
Patti LaBelle released this powerhouse track, "The Spirit's In It", in 1981 on Philadelphia International Records as part of the same named LP. Philadelphia International also released an extended version of the track as a reasonably elusive white label promo 12". The backing band delivers an epic performance with guitars, sax and a horn section that further lifts her vocals.
From start to finish this track is full force.

mp3: Patti LaBelle - The Spirit's In It

This is a really heavy italo boogie track that is a powerhouse of soul. The positively iconic horns and Chic like guitar make this a track a secret weapon. This tune is loaded with charm while having none of the cheesiness that is rampant in much of the italo tunes from this era. I am 90% sure the singer doesn't speak a word of English.

mp3: Ose' Jang - Shake Me (Extended Version)

Rather ironic due to their moniker, very little is known about Legacy. The band released two private label 12"s and the "Word Up" single on the more ubiquitous Brunswick label in 1982. "Word Up" is a tight Boogie track featuring killer synth-bass, an awesome staccato guitar line and driving cowbell. This heavily sampled cut is probably best known as the blueprint for "Peter Piper" by Run DMC. The track also probably has one of the best lyrical/vocal arrangements of the era. Just listen for the "Raawwwr" and "Say What??" lines. Classic!

Legacy- "Word Up"

Easily the most satisfying moment in my years as a music promoter came in the fall of 2006 when I had the opportunity to bring legendary band ESG to perform in San Francisco for the very first time. It is still unbelievable to me that it took this extremely influential band almost 30 years to make it out to SF. It was quite inspiring to see three ladies well into their 50's deliver a completely stellar performance.

One of the things that amazes me about this band is that they never tinkered with their sound. They survived through so many different trends and musical shifts over the years and never pulled away from the punk/funk/disco sound that they so well helped to define. Just listen to the bands recent release "Keep on Moving" on the fantastic UK label Soul Jazz Records. You cannot tell if those tracks were produced in the year 1980 or 2006.

Released on the Popular Records imprint in 1988, the 12 inch single "Party Music" seemingly came out of nowhere during a fairly inactive period for the band. "Party Music" is my favorite ESG track and showcased a band throwing down super hard 10 years into their career and deep in the mist of strange and different musical climates. This cut is a disco tour de force years after the genres decline. This is my kind of party!

mp3: E.S.G. - Party Music (Party Mix)

Lamont Dozier is likely best known as 1/3 of the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland. "Goin' Back To My Roots" is among his finest solo records. Originally released on the "Peddlin' Music On The Side" (Warner, 1977) album, the track was also released by Warner that same year as a promo 12". Elektra also released the track with audiophile remastering and backed with David Williams "Come On Down Boogie People" as part of their Dance Classics series, while not as rare as the Warner 12", it is still a pricey little gem.

mp3: Lamont Dozier - Goin' Back To My Roots

Slick was a spin off project of the funk outfit Fat Larry's band, consisting of elements of the the rhythm section from said group and managed by 'Fat' Larry James himself as well as also being signed to Fantasy records. Slick was an opportunity for the Philadelphia collective to experiment with a purer instrumental disco sound, carrying the same jazz tinged edge that the Fat Larry Band were instrumental in bringing to seventies funk.

Space Bass is a known classic and is nothing if not appropriately named. This was major underground hit on the UK club scene '79, laden with trippy hooks and the sparse, authoritative production that keep disco tracks popular on the contemporary dance floor even with the uninformed. It has pop cred to spare. I'm pleased with how this recording came out, the vinyl was virgin with a 1983 release with a Patrick Cowley mix of Two Tons Of Fun on the other side, although you can find it on bootleg and it frequently turns up on famous name DJ's comps and cd mixes.

mp3: Slick - Space Bass

This is a quick lazer soul mix for you to listen to while you jump start you weekend. It is only a half an hour long, so you can listen to it while you are picking out which cowboy hat you want to wear tonight. The Colonel is more proto house than lazer soul, but it is one of my all time favorite tracks and fits with all the machismo in this mix.

1. Simplicious - Let Her Feel It
2. "D" Train - You're The One For Me (Instrumental)
3. The Gap Band - Early In The Morning (long Version)
4. Dazz Band - Let It All Blow (Long Version)
5. Colonel Abrams - How Soon We Forget (Extended Version)
6. Lakeside - Make My Day

mp3: Lazer Soul Mix

Atmosfear were a British collective that had widespread success in 1979 with their first single "Dancing in Outer Space" The track was a sort of jazzy disco fusion number which has been heavily sampled over the years. The 8 piece band was fronted by mastermind Guitarist/Producer Andy Sojka. By the early 80's they had switched gears towards a more boogie oriented sound and released the 12 inch single "Xtra Special" (featuring guest vocalist Beverly Skeete) on their own Elite label. As is the case with so many of these artists, the band hit their high water mark with this release in 1982 (the peak year for modern soul music) and the results interest me way more than their earlier jazz leaning noodlings. Atmosfear continued on with varying levels of success until Sojka's untimely death in 2000.


mp3: Atmosfear - "Xtra Special"

Imagination, a pop disco group from the UK came on the scene with their mind blowing outfits (Romo-erotic stease) in 1981. The concept that Leee John and multi instrumentalist Ashley Ingrams came up with was to create a "slinky, sexy and erotic" group; they succeeded! This group is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Their arrangements are so smooth an solid and the vocals are so well layered. The first track sounds like a primitive version of trance music. The second track it my favorite by the group. It rides a smooth wave that locks the listener into a groove. Then the hand claps come and then, without warning, Leee John's trademark falsetto comes on and take us all to a happier place. I once played this in a club as a sound check (and to raise the eyebrows of the other Beat Electric hosts) and got into a 15 minute conversation with a French dude (the only person in the bar) who had seen them live four times. Good Times.

Imagination - State of Love (Extended Dance Remix)
Imagination - So Good, So Right

These funky Nothern Soul tracks are full of interesting organic sounds that show a lot elements prevalent in American soul from the late 60's mish-mashing with funk and classic disco. Contact features Edwin Starr's unique vocal delivery that kind of reminds me of rockabilly singers from two decades earlier. Edwin Starr is most well known for his Motown hit War. The flipside features a slammin' disco track that would probably be better as a dub version, but the vocals are very unique.

Edwin Starr - Contact
Edwin Starr - Working Song

This mix is a collection of songs that might have been played on this Bozak mixer when it was installed by Richard Long Associates (RLA) in the legendary NYC club Inferno. This club was in Midtown and was the stomping grounds of house music legends David Morales and Roman Ricardo. I really hope some of their talent rubs off! Bozak mixers are unique because the circuit is discrete which allows way more headroom than mixers with IC chips. Also, the nature of the design puts the tape outs before the tone control, so the signal that is recorded is flat.

Tracklist:
Clifton Dyson - Body In Motion
Front Page - Love Insurance (Sharon Redd and Eric Matthew)
Voyage - Souvenirs (Translucent Red Vinyl)
Bombers - (Everybody) Get Dancin'
Evelyn "Champagne" King - Shame
El Coco - Medley: Afrodesia / Coco Kane
Erotic Drum Band - Pop Pop Shoo Wah (Long Version)
Stephanie Mills - You Can Get Over

mp3: Souvenirs from 1979

Chocolate Milk is kind of a wimpy name for these tough looking dudes. This track is part of our ongoing collection of tunes that reference video game culture. The track, from 1981 is pretty interesting because has a very modern lazer soul sound mixed with rock guitar and vocals that are similar to hip hop records from the time with a little Rick James for spice. There are a lot of fun spacey sounds that reflect the video games of the era.

mp3: Chocolate Milk - Video Queen

We all know and love GQ for the seminal classic "Disco Nights". The band originally hailed from the Bronx and formed in 1968 as "Sabu and the Soul Survivors". As their sound evolved so did the bands suave image. Eventually they changed their name to GQ just in time to release the "Disco Nights" single which was a huge hit in 1979. The band survived to make a few more minor hits until they disbanded in the early 80's. Their second proper LP was released in 1980 and simply entitled "Two". GQ Two was by no means a masterpiece, but it certainly had some fine moments.

As part of the Ugly Edits bootleg series, Detroit producer Theo Parrish dusted off several tracks from the album and re-invented them with a whole new feel. Parrish's edits showcase Lead singer Emanuel Rahiem Leblanc's incredible emotive vocal quality as it melds nicely with bassist Keith "Sabu" Crier's mesmerizing basslines. Parrish deletes the choruses out of "Lies" altogether and turns the cut into a powerful, linear dancefloor banger. On "Is It Cool" he accentuates the powerful horn breakdowns and extends the track to a full ten plus minute groove. With his ugly edits, Theo Parrish took the two songs that no one talked about on the album and transformed them into total classics.

GQ- Lies (Theo Parrish Edit)

GQ- Is It Cool (Theo Parrish Edit)

Kabbala was a London based Afro Beat outfit headed by Michael Osapanin, they have a celebrated and much licensed track named Ashewo Ara that as appeared on many Afro Disco compilations and re releases over the years since it's release in the early eighties. Its a nice tune but the real dance floor smasher, and I feel the pinnacle of the Afro Disco sub genre, is the B side to their 1983 12" Yen Nbo Ose, a track named Yo Yo Dance.

Taken from the back of the record:

"Kabbala was formed four years ago by two Ghanain brothers, Michael and Isaac Osapanin. Kabbala's music has a unique flavour, blending music derived from African ceremonial and the occult with western jazz and modern dance music. This synthesis of traditional African drums and percussion, modern instruments from the West with the varied influences and experiences of the musicians gives Kabbala its unique sound."

Kabbala - Yo Yo Dance

Change was a remarkable band that cranked out a vast array of interesting and diverse music. From the CBS top 100 italo banger The End, the boogie masterpiece Paradise, to the smooth as can be Your Move, Change showed that you don't have to be a one trick pony. Change was the brainchild of Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi. The first and second LP broke the late smooth soul legend Luther Vandross whom can be heard on the track Searching. Your Move features another dude that sounds almost exactly like Luther. They brought the heat from 1980 till 1985 and played Studio 54's closing party in 1986.

mp3: Change - Paradise
mp3: Change - The End
mp3: Change - Your Move
mp3: Change - Searching

mp3: Shalamar- "Right in the Socket"

This is a somewhat obscure genre. As an introduction, these two tracks give a terrific taste of the German aesthetic having been applied to disco. The first track by Ganymed is essentially a cover of Cerrone's Supernature (even including a weak version of Sweet Drums in the breakdown), but filled with amazing cosmic sounds and a story about aliens coming to Earth and changing the human race to be like themselves. There is a demonic voice juxtaposed with a sultry insincere female voice it makes for a rather unconvincing argument for them to come and do whatever they are going to do. They do say though that we won't have to work and that they are going to take us to Mars, which sounds like fun.



This other track by Goblin from Italy (the best name for a band ever) has a definite krautrock derived influence. The sound is very hard to describe. It has a little Deep Purple, mixed with Tangerine Dream, mixed with a bit of high school orchestra. Front and center is an amazing bass player and great organ sound. The track is from a 1982 horror flick by Dario Argento.


Please key me in to other artists in the same vein.

mp3: Ganymed - We Like You (The Way You Like Us)
mp3: Goblin - Tenebre

Being that I grew up in the midwestern region of the United States, I always like to seek out some of the jams from my former neck of the woods. Hailing from Chicago, Mid Air brought us one of the most slamming tracks to ever come out of the 80's Boogie era. As far as I know, "Ease Out" was the only release on the Full Scope imprint, which most likely means the label was formed by the band itself. It's a shame that this is the only release from Mid Air as the track is a synth-boogie tour de force. The band obviously knew they were onto something with this cut as there were three different Full Scope versions pressed at the time of the release. Nonetheless, any one of them is hard as hell to come by. Posted here is the original vocal mix and a dub mix by Joey Negro as featured on the Destination Boogie compilation.

mp3: Mid Air- "Ease Out" Original Vocal Mix

mp3: Mid Air- "Ease Out" Joey Negro Dub Edit

I know that "lazer" is actually spelled "laser," but I think whomever made the decision eons ago had it dead wrong. A "laser" can't possibly inflict as much harm as a "lazer." I'm sure this band had discussed the Z versus S controversy, but their douche bag manager convinced them to go for the S spelling to appeal to the ladies and men with lisps. This is one of the weirdest most amazing tracks ever. I have no idea what the sub genre is (cosmic proto HI NRG?); it is definitely not lazer soul. Whatever it is, at 136 BBP it is highly unlikely that it can be a secret weapon, so I had better make it blog fodder. Right on!

mp3: Laser - His Name Is Charlie

There is no song more fitting on a rainy MLK day than this tune by Chaka Khan. Clouds was written by the R&B and soul team Ashford & Simpson. Chaka Khan's vocal power intense delivery mated with the slick production work of Arif Mardin this track is a flood of pure soul emotion. Turn it up!

mp3: Chaka Khan - Clouds

In 1983 the coastal English breakdancing scene was at it's now legendary peek. In the 5 year old and under dance category there were only three real heavy weight exponents of the 'body popping' sub genre of this particular form of physical expression, Scott, Robert and then myself. At the time I considered my style more abstract than that of the other two, fluid interpretations of the rhythm that could captivate a spectator yet at the same time challenge them, forcing them to rethink everything they once knew as gospel about 5 year olds moving like robots. I was rewriting rules. but Robert had an older sibling, and therefor access to a boombox, he also had high tops, I had sandals and so at Scott's 5th birthday when we finally battled I took a harsh and humiliating beating with only my mum, who was helping out Scott's mum with the food, there to offer half hearted crowd support. I was later scolded for eating cake without using a plate.

Most of the break dancing songs that I knew came from the movie 'Breakin which was shown on the BBC at some point during hours in which I was allowed to be awake and watching TV. I heard the Glimmers play 'Reckless' from the sound track in a mix recently, a tune that featured a very young Ice-T, but someone recently emailed in and requested the opening boogie number from the same album Body Work by Hot Streak, hear is the full vocal mix:

Hot Streak - Body Work

Live mix. All vinyl.
--K
Mix Nº. 1
1. Maze "Twighlight" 12" Capitol Records 1985
2. I Level "The River" 12" Epic Records 1984
3. The Earons "Land of Hunger" 12" Island Records 1984
4. Osmonds "I,I,I" 12" Special Promo Mercury Records 1979
5. Geraldine Hunt "Can't Fake The Feeling" 12" Prism Records 1980
6. Queen Samantha "Take A Chance" 12" T.K. Disco Records 1979
7. T-Connection "At Midnight" 12" T.K. Disco Records 1978
8. Instank Funk "I Got My Mind Made Up" 12"Salsoul Records 1978
9. Melody Stewart "Get down, Get Down" 12" Roy B. Records 1980
10. Tracey Webb "Sure Shot(Instrumental)" 12" Quality Records 1983

mp3: Kelley B - Beat Electric Mix Nº. 1

China Burton was a British songwriter that had success in the 80's penning tracks for Julian Lennon and Taylor Dayne amongst others. His own recording output was sparse but he did manage to release the single "You Don't Care About Our Love" in 1979 on the Logo Records label. This ultra rare cut has one of the hottest breakdowns of any disco number period. The soaring strings, flanged out guitar riffs and keyboard effects blow this track through the roof. No wonder the single fetches for over $300.00 when it randomly pops up. This mp3 is a little bit cut off at the end and the quality not quite up to par with the usual Beat Electric standards, but I simply had to share it as is. Thanks to our good friend Tom Noble for this one.

mp3: China Burton "You Don't Care About Our Love"

This German pop sensation got together in 1984 and produced immensely popular albums in the euro pop and italo disco vein for 3 years. They have a very unique sound, with vocals similar to Erasure and music that is classic italo. The goup's producer Dieter Bohlen (you can call him Steve Benson for short) quoted "Precious Little Diamond" by Fox the Fox as his inspiration for the use of falsetto in the choruses. Hopefully Black Shag will add that track to this post. They are very campy tunes for sure!

mp3: Modern Talking - You're My Heart, You're My Soul

Wish was one of the genius offerings from Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams. They also worked together producing tracks as Bumblebee Unlimited, Clair Hicks and Love Exchange, and The Universal Robot Band. With incredible vocals by La-Rita Gaskin, a ridiculous bassline that is too loud and drums that beat anything but nice and soft, this track very unique. I hadn't realized this before till my iTunes already had a listing as Wish, but an edited version is featured on Chicken Lip's fantastic DJ Kicks Album. I dug this record brand new and unopened out of a pile of 50 cent records, quite a score indeed!

mp3: Wish - Nice & Soft (Instrumental)

If you had a funk band in the 70's you were "Bunch" and if you had a kick ass disco band in the 80's you were a "Gang." Gary's Gang, with the production whiz and trademark vocals of Eric Matthew, (he also produced Sharon Redd, Toney Lee, Sinnamon and many others), produced a string of hits throughout the late 70's through the late 80's. Their first major hit was 1978's Keep on Dancin' on Sam Records. As many disco acts met their demise after the year disco died, Gary's Gang continued to bring it! This track from 1984 is one of the band's last, but it is so strong and has such a solid disco pop presence it is amazing that the band took a three year hiatus after its release.

This recording features some new hardware, I hope you enjoy it. To see any recording details, check the info section on the ID3 tag.

mp3: Gary's Gang - Runaway

The Voice of "Q" was a one-off project from the relatively obscure disco production team of Michael Forte and Bruce Weeden. Released in 1982 on the burgeoning Philly World International label, the track had a strong influence on the leftfield disco/electro genre. With its ultra funky bassline and vocoder bits laid over a haunting synth melody, it made for something pretty original sounding. From what I have gathered, this cut appealed to the new wave fashionistas and B-Boys alike. Good luck finding the 12 inch, and if you do track it down, expect to pay some coin for it.

mp3: "Q"- The Voice of "Q"

Dance music covers of prior classic dance music are rare when compared to other genres I feel. Rock and jazz albums are rife with versions of classics and standards from their respective genres, but modern dance music artists are more inclined to pay homage to a tune by remixing it rather than completely reinterpreting the piece from scratch.

One exception to this though is Italian musician Lucio Battisti's 'Il Veliero', the haunting melody of which has been covered by at least one artist from each subsequent generation of dance music producer.

Here I have posted Battisti's 1976 original, the DJ Harvey favorite and much sought after cover by dutch disco funk outfit The Chaplin Band, the italo english translated electronic rework by Lama entitled 'Love Is On The Rocks' and finally Lindstrom's contemporary 'nu disco' take on the tune called 'The Contemporary Fix'..


Lucio Battisti - Il Veliero
Chaplin Band - Il Veliero
Lama - Love Is On The Rocks
Lindstrom - The Contemporary Fix

Komiko's Feel Alright has become a minor bone of contention in the Beat Electric camp, of which much like any family we have many. It is another instance of one B.E. DJ lifting a long term favorite jam from another (namely myself) and then flagrently playing it out during one of our joint sets before I have even had the chance to open my bag and get a drink from the bar. Is it just me or isn't that considered bad DJ etiquette?

Well, its not as if the track is rare by any means, its almost a standard of the boogie cannon, but thats as it should be as it is in my opinion the SAM label's best release..and without further adeu..

Komiko - Feel Alright

Lakeside originally hailed from Dayton, Ohio and were considered one of the best live disco/funk acts of the era. The 9 piece band formed as The Young Underground in 1969 and while living in Chicago were for a time signed to Curtom Records. The band changed their name to Lakeside, relocated to LA in the late 70's and signed to The Sound of Los Angeles Records. They scored their biggest hit in 1981 with the ubiquitous "Fantastic Voyage". Sometimes they even went to the trouble of playing their live shows in a pirate ship:



Enough about "Fantastic Voyage" My favorite Jam was "We Want You on The Floor". The track didn't go very far as a single, but was a wonderful addition to a sound our man LeBaron coined as "Lazer Soul" For another reference to this genre see the Beat Electric entry for BT Express "Taking Off". The land of funk:

mp3: Lakeside- "We Want You On The Floor"

The very recent passing of West End Records founder and Paradise Garage backer Mel Cheren causes me slightly less to reflect upon Mel's legacy and more so upon genius DJ/Producer Larry Levan's. Larry was the resident DJ at Mel's infamous nightclub and handled a good amount of the 12" mixes for the West End label. In the 80's Larry went on to work the mixing boards for a plethora of artists on a wide range of Disco labels including Salsoul and his own Garage Records imprint. Larry had an incredible knack for making a good track brilliant or taking an already stellar track and sending it completely over the top. His sensibilities ran heavily on the more black end of the disco spectrum as he would always eliminate any cheesy elements in a given arrangement and make sure the track was a sure fire dance floor banger. Much has been documented about Larry Levan's life and legacy, so I will pretty much let the music speak for itself. Larry passed away in 1992, but undoubtedly his legacy and contribution to dance music will live on throughout the ages.


mp3: David Joseph- "You Can't Hide Your Love" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Tracy Weber- "Sure Shot" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Plunky & Oneness of Juju- "Every Way But Loose" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Syreeta - "Can't Shake Your Love" (Larry levan Mix)

mp3: Loose Joints- "Is It All Over My Face" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Strikers- "Body Music" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Grace Jones- "Pull Up To The Bumper" (Larry Levan Mix)

mp3: Gwen Guthrie: Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent (Larry Levan Club Mix)