Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
LL Cool J Revisited
Nice slice of nostalgia here - a classic interview with LL Cool J from way back...
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
House Classics
House remake of the classic Ronnie Laws track from 1976(Side Effect also did their own version around the same time). Nice production as always from the Masters at Work camp.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Greg Nice & Smooth Bee-Dope On A Rope
Released in 1988, this single by Nice & Smooth was the beginning of a successful career for this talented golden era rap duo.
Guilty Pleasures
"Guilty Pleasures" returns with a slice of gooey Italian dance fromage. "Ride On Time", released in 1989, was a shameless sample heavy romp which creeped its way up the charts to number 1 in the UK and high dance chart status in North America as well. Much like Milli Vanilli, the group chose a model to be the face of the group, while the actual vocals were sampled bits of "Love Sensation" by Loleatta Holloway - a huge disco hit in 1980. While this Velveeta smooth dance trio made people groove in the late 80's, there longevity was short lived. Cheesy, yes, but a trip down dance nostalgia lane nontheless. Enjoy this extended version off the 12" single!
Monday, December 14, 2009
House Classics
This track holds so many memories for me. A classic house jam pioneered by everyone from Frankie Knuckles to Merlin Bobb. An infectious groove that refuses to end and that memorable piano line make this one a perennial favourite. House heads enjoy...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
80 Blocks To Tiffany's Documentary
I was reading about this documentary in the latest issue of Wax Poetics and was pleasantly surprised to see someone had posted it on youtube. I have one thing to say about this video - MUST SEE. It is a riveting look into gang culture and street life in New York in the late 70's. Very little video footage exists on this topic, especially of this calibre, so take an hour out of your day to check out one of the best low budget documentaries ever made...
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Dr.J Christmas Rap Mix
Dr.J Christmas Rap MixTracklisting:
Christmas In Hollis-Run DMC
Let The Jingle Bells Rock-Sweet Tee
Chillin' With Santa Claus-Derek B
Christmas Bells-Hard Call Xmas
2 Live Crew Christmas-2 Live Crew
Santa's Beat Box-Cutmaster DC
The Night Before Christmas-Cutmaster DC
Coldcut's Christmas Break-Coldcut
Santa's Rap-Treacherous Three
Christmas Rappin'-Kurtis Blow
Ghetto Santa-Spyder D
Charlie Brown Christmas Outro
Merry Christmas All!!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Harvey Scales-Rock Your Body
A little slice of disco heaven off the Casablanca label - 1979. Don't forget to zip up your nylon suit prior to lift off...
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Album Review-Grandmaster Flash "They Said It Couldn't Be Done"
I was browsing my inbox today and realized I had forgotten to post this record review done by a close friend of mine from elementary school. He mentioned he had done a review, but didn't tell me what album he would be reviewing. Much to my delight it turns out he covered the single most important album in my collection. The very first piece of wax I ever purchased as a young and naive teenager, hungry for new sounds and yearning for a piece of the relatively new rap sound. I can't begin to describe the impact this LP has had on my development as a DJ, and the numerous stories that accompany it. One of my fondest memories is having this LP signed by Grandmaster Flash himself back in 1999, when he made a rare Canadian appearance at a party. 2 years ago I ended up interviewing Flash for my radio program and picking his brain about the impact of digital deejaying in today's clubland. Needless to say, this album started the ball rolling for me as a young kid and the ball hasn't stopped yet! Thanks Shwinkle for the entertaining read and trip down memory lane...
It was the spring of 1986 and my good friend Dr. J (at the time 13 years old) returned from a trip to Calgary, Alberta with a new album under his arm. Up to this point in my relationship with Dr. J, he had largely been into new wave artists such as Tears For Fears and more established artists such as Gino Vannelli who had adopted a new wave style in the early 1980’s.
So, what was this bizarre album cover that he now presented me with? “Grandmaster Flash”? Never heard of them. One look at the cover – even in the mid-1980’s – had my juvenile mind giggling with delight. This album must be really bad; cheesy at best. Was this some kind of twisted Village People tribute?
At this point in my life, like many young teens in the 80’s, I was a closet metal head. Kiss, Van Halen, Motley Crue, ZZ Top, and numerous other rock gods were my heroes. Rap? Hip hop? The New York scene? What were these things? Dr. J was knowledgeable as he had been listening to taped radio broadcasts from New York for quite some time. I was a total neophyte and was biased beyond belief. Black music? Michael Jackson, maybe. Grandmaster Flash – again, I assumed that this album must be utter trash.
Dr. J insisted that I should have a listen. Nah, not interested. But, I certainly did enjoy laughing at the album cover. Again, who were these goofballs?
In early 1987, about a year later, I agreed to expand my horizons and give this record a spin. What was the worst that could happen? Useless, vile, rancid grease being released onto my turntable’s needle? Not likely. Besides, this album was released on Electra Records – the same label that Motley was on; how bad could it be? So, Dr. J lent me his precious album and I took it home and recorded it onto a cassette. I was blown away…
Wow! What a classic piece of material this album turned out to be. This was Grandmaster Flash’s first real “commercial” recording issued after the break up of the original “Furious Five” line up. Flash had added new members (Lavon, Shame, Larry Love, and Mr. Broadway) to replace the departed Melle Mel, Cowboy, and Scorpio who had formed their own group “Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five”. At the time I did not make the connection that this was the same Melle Mel who had a track called “Vice” on the Miami Vice soundtrack that was hot at the time.
I listened to that cassette recording of mine over and over again and continue to do so until this day. Numerous tracks have become a part of my personal history with Dr. J:
“Girls Love the Way He Spins” – What the hell was this about? I had never heard of New York urban DJ’s spinning records like this. My first exposure.
“Rock the House” – Okay, this sounded good. Some metal guitar. Cheesy but awesome.
“Jailbait” – ‘You’ve been sentenced to life in prison for corrupting the morals of a minor…’ Hmmm… that kind of gets one’s attention!
“Sign of the Times” – “He bought a coke and he forgot the glass!” No Dr. J – those lyrics are incorrect. “He bought the kind of coke that you don’t drink out of a glass!” Makes more sense, no?
“Larry’s Dance Theme” – This has got to get you jumpin…
“Paradise” – Mellow, mid-tempo 80’s new wave love song. Yeah, we laughed at it at the time but a great way to end this album.
This album is a bit hard to track down now but if you can find it and you’re into early rap from the mid-80’s you can’t go wrong with this. Flash may have made other albums that are more true to hardcore hip hop and that are more ‘classic’ in the true sense of the word but this is a consistently good romp through the sound of the mid-80’s.
Thanks Dr. J for making me aware of this masterpiece and opening up my world to a new form of music!
Bobby Kondors-The Poem
Deep house classic from Bobby Kondors circa 1990. One of those great house tracks that simply refuses to die...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
House Classics
Top shelf house classic off the Deconstruction label - 1993. First heard this one on a Frankie Knuckles mixtape back in the day...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sade-Sweetest Taboo(Extended Mix)
This certainly isn't a rare or hard to find record, but it is a quality record. Sade has the voice of an angel and to this day she remains one of my all time favourite female vocalists. I have presented here a 12" rip of one of her bests tracks, presented in its extended version. Those of you who want a real treat need to check out her live DVD from the "Lover's Rock" album. I still get goosebumps everytime I watch it.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Christmas Rap
I am in the midst of putting together a Christmas rap mix that will be ready by month's end. Here is a little teaser of things to come...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Last Poets-The Mean Machine
Later sampled by MARRS for "Pump Up The Volume", this track from the Last Poets was so ahead of its time when released in 1970...
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Guilty Pleasures
Bangs and full length leather coats are so last year.....The "Guilty Pleasures" series continues with this little gem from 1983. Stewart dons the cover wearing nothing but his Sunday worst and the plot thickens from there. The sad thing is, I would likely play this again if the right opportunity presented itself.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Luciano-World Rock 45"
It's been a minute since I have posted any reggae jams on the blog. Here's a nice 45" jam from Luciano, one of reggae's strongest voices today.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Guilty Pleasures
Some songs, no matter how terrible, refuse to leave my cousciousness. I am sure most of you have the same dilemna. A collection of horrible tracks that for some reason or another hold a special place in your musical past. Perhaps it was a song you did an airband to as a young, pimpled teenager. Maybe it was a bad 80's love ballad resonating in the background as you dove in for your first kiss in the back of your rusted Chevette. Some people call them "nostalgic tunes", personally I call them "rubbish". Nevertheless, I thought it would be entertaining to make a new weekly post called "Guilty Pleasures", an opportunity to post some of my favourites from the past that I wouldn't be caught dead playing today. I am starting off with this dance track by Daisy Dee called "Crazy". I had a fleeting love for Euro dance and freestyle music in the early 90's and for some reason this song stuck out as a great track. I was digging through some old vinyl this weekend and stumbled across this forgotten slab of wax. After a quick trip down memory lane something came over me - this song sucks! I can appreciate how it made me move almost 20 years ago, but I wouldn't dare play it now(nor would I want to). I must say the resulting laughter made the endeavor worthwhile nevertheless and I can't deny my musical past, as checkered as it may be. I am definitely looking forward to hitting you up with more "Guilty Pleasures" in the future. Feel free to leave comments/suggestions.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Paco Supermix(KTU New York)
Here is a classic mix segment by the legendary Paco. Paco, along with the Latin Rascals, was a fixture on New York City radio during the early/mid 80's on 92KTU - a station that pushed the boundaries of dance and freestyle sounds during this innovative era. These unique mixes and quick edits brought a fresh new sound to radio listeners and are still regarded today as some of the best edit mixes committed to tape.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
House Classics
Strong vocals by Mr. Downing on this soulful house classic. Frankie Knuckles on the remix tip here.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Save Your Pennies....
This rap rarity by Kool DJ AJ sold on ebay last week for a whopping $1,812.87! Why anyone doles out that kind of dough for a track is beyond me. No wonder the reissue market has become so lucrative...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth-Here I Come
A rap staple, this album is a classic through and through.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Intelligent Hoodlum-Grand Groove
Rap mastery by the mighty Intelligent Hoodlum. Classic 12" here - I was fortunate enough to snag a copy of the red vinyl. Every track on this single is tight - don't sleep!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Radiance-This Is A Party
You best bust out your feather duster for this one - serious rap rewind here from Radiance on Ware Records 1980.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Mtume-Juicy Fruit(12" Instrumental Mix)
No introduction needed here - a stone cold classic presented in its 12" instrumental version. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
RIP Mr. Magic
The man with the golden voice passed recently and that marks the end of a very significant era in hip hop history. Mr. Magic graced the airwaves in NYC on WBLS for his "Rap Attack" show, the first rap program in commercial radio history. Magic was responsible for bringing so much talent to the forefront and was definitely one of the most powerful "tastemakers" of his time. His charm, committment to the community and love of the music will be sorely missed. Growing up in Canada I was exposed to his program via radio show broadcasts my friend would bring back from NYC, thus I grew up listening to "Super Rockin' Mr. Magic". Here is an audio clip of Magic interviewing Stetsasonic in the early days....RIP Magic and thank you for many years of inspiration - you will be missed by many.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Ingram Kingdom-Put Your Troubles Behind
Nice soul funk circa 1976 on the Excello label. Lots of nice jams on this LP.
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