Curtis Hairston was a prolific singer/song writer and one of my favorite male vocalist from the 80's . I was first hooked when I heard his vocals on The BB&Q Band's LP "Genie" where he lent his voice on the smooth jam "Dreamer" as well as some other background vocals on that album. He caught his break with the 1983 jam "I Want You (All Tonight)" released on Pretty Pearl Records and he followed up that success with "I Want Your Lovin" in 1985. Both of his tracks are pretty slamming but I prefer the '85 single more so I thought it would be a great tune to share. In typical 80's fashion it is what I guess you would call a "cheesy" love song but it never fails to get people on the floor. I also highly recommend checking out the next level music video he did for this song, it is such a beast!

Curtis Hairston-I Want Your Lovin'
Curtis Hairston-I Want Your Lovin' (Dub)

And since I have been lagging on the posts, here is an excellent mix from the LA Funk Lord and Funkmosphere resident Eddy Funkster. This mix is all 45's and full of records you wish you had! I had the track list written down somewhere but I have since lost it but I will put in the comments once I get it together.

Eddy Funkster Rare 45 mix

Here is another one-off funk track from a producer who quit while he was ahead and moved on to the greener pastures of the hip hop industry. Michael McCray aka Mike Fresh released one track for New York based Top Flight Records in 1982. This tune is boogie perfection with great synthesizer arrangements and a certain flavor that only seems to come from Florida producers. There are a couple different versions of this 12", apparently the original black/silver version is even noisier than the also lo-fi but improved red label pressing.

To the best of my knowledge Mike Fresh McCray still lives in Miami where he runs Mike Fresh Productions. Based on a photo on his myspace page a more recent claim to fame may be some production credit on the New Jack City soundtrack. He continues to produce for local rappers, if you need some beats get at him!

Michael McCray - Bring Your Love Back

Two posts in one today, to make up for a week long absence of illegally distributed music via our ragged looking blogspot page, both with circa 1983 London theme, one from me and another from Tom Thump, perhaps the first rare groove DJ I ever heard after first moving to San Francisco a long time ago. I made contact with him whilst searching for a mixtape of his that I used to play on repeat during my train ride into work around the turn of the millennium, he graciously dug into his archive and hooked me up, as well as agreeing to to grace us with a guest mix.

 My contribution today is a one off dance cut by Antiguan expat Wendell 'Del' Richardson, better known as the guitarist in London based Afro Pop band Osibisa. Soul On Fire's hard instrumental is offset by Del's sugary soul vocal, there are two versions of the 12" out there, the Dutch released 'Disco Mix' which I have and am posting here, and a Larry Joseph mixed US release which I actually slightly prefer but unfortunately do not have (have it? get at me, or at least share a rip so I can add it to the post). I'm including the short DJ friendly 'Fire Beats' instrumental seeing as it got tacked onto the recording anyway:

Del Richardson - Soul On Fire (Disco Mix)
Del Richardson - Fire Beats (D.J Trix Mix) 

From DJ Tom Thump:

MAXIMUM JOY FROM A BUNCH OF JAZZ PUNKS.

I know this is a bit different than most of the great music posted on Beat
Electric, but, Rip, Rig & Panic hold a special place in my musical life,
there really was no one like them. The 3 LPs have yet to be reissued
(there has only been a CD Compilation, that is long out of print) and that
is just ridiculous.

Rip Rig + Panic were a post-punk band founded in 1981, who broke up in
1983. They were named after a 1965 jazz album by Roland Kirk. They were
formed by Sean Oliver (bass), Mark Springer (piano, sax, vocals), Gareth
Sager (guitar, sax, keyboards, vocals) and Bruce Smith (drums, percussion)
(the latter two formerly of The Pop Group) with singer Neneh Cherry. Their
other members included saxophonist Flash (David Wright), singer Andrea
Oliver, trumpeter David De Fries and viola-player Sarah Sarhandi.

The group strayed from more conventional post-punk, mixing avantgarde
elements with jazz and led by Cherry's innovative pop/soul singing style.
Their second album, I Am Cold, included a number of tracks featuring jazz
trumpeter Don Cherry, who was Neneh Cherry's stepfather. They also
appeared with Nico on a BBC radio session.

The band notably made a guest appearance in an episode of the British
sitcom The Young Ones performing their 1982 single "You're My Kind of
Climate". Rip Rig + Panic became Float Up CP in 1985, and produced the
album Kill Me in the Morning. The band dissolved shortly thereafter.

Mark Springer has continued to record as a solo artist and has a number of
CDs available. Sean Oliver died in 1990.

Tom's Rip, Rig & Panic Megamix