Friday, May 29, 2009

Urban Soul - I Got This Feeling 12"

Urban Soul - I Got This Feeling
This one is for all the house heads that have been emailing me with requests/comments as of late. Deep and soulful classic from the vaults...

Thursday, May 28, 2009

King Tee-Act A Fool

My man Dom from The Essential Elements blog came to see me play at a show last weekend and walked in carrying a nice stack of wax. Included in the pile was this classic LP from King Tee. I have a large collection of hip hop classics, but for some reason I never picked this up when it came out. Thanks to Dom I am now a proud owner of a pristine copy - thanks Dom! Lots of great material on this LP, but I have decided to hit you up with the title track. Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Post #200!!

Today marks the 2ooth post here on the blog! After much tweaking(and a steep learning curve) things are finally in a nice groove. I was looking at some of my original posts the other day and remember how long it used to take me to post something(it was almost laughable!). Regardless, it has been great to share information and music with all of you and I look forward to continuing with lots of great stuff in store in the next couple of months. I have been promising some house classics for awhile now, so have decided to hit you up with this house nugget from 1991. Produced by the Basement Boys, "Tonite" is a tasty slice of deep house from the past. I will be posting up a few more house classics later this week, so stayed tuned!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

DJ Pump Live @ "Souled Out" - Lydia's


Come down to Lydia's "Souled Out" tomorrow night for the return of Canadian turntable icon DJ Pump. He tore the roof off the club last Fall when he played and I can't wait for him to grace the decks again! Also, my man Shyguy will be releasing his new mix CD as well. A great night of music not to be missed!

Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud-Super Casanova 12"

Here is a golden era hip hop classic. Still one of my favourite jams from back in the day.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Ballin'jack-Never Let 'Em Say

Originally formed by Luther Rabb and Ronnie Hammon in Seattle in 1969, this dynamic funk group has produced many tasty grooves over the years. Often sampled, their work is most easily recognized in the legendary lick in "Bust A Move" by Young MC. However, I much prefer "Never Let 'Em Say", which has been sampled by both the Beastie Boys and Gang Starr. Nerdy sample references aside, this is a great track from start to finish. Those interested in some background info on this great band can check here: Ballin'jack website. Enjoy!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Karma-Funk de Mamba

What a great way to start a Sunday morning...

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Jets-Crush On You 45"

Based out of Minneapolis, this group achieved huge R&B/Pop success in the mid 80's with a string of Billboard top 10 hits including "You Got It All", "Cross My Broken Heart", "Rocket 2U", "Make It Real" and of course "Crush...". In the late 80's two members of the group broke out to form the duo Boys Club - achieving top 10 success with their single "I Remember Holding You".

Friday, May 22, 2009

Club Nouveau-Why You Treat Me So Bad 45"

Club Nouveau-Why You Treat Me So Bad
Sampled by the Luniz for their 1995 track "I Got 5 On It", this track was featured on the Club Nouveau LP Life,Love & Pain; which was released on Warner Brothers in 1986. Although their version of "Lean On Me" and the song "Jealousy" were the big tracks off the LP, this is the choice cut of the batch in my opinion, albeit dark and haunting.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Keith Sweat - Something Just Ain't Right 45"

Keith Sweat-Something Just Ain't Right
I'll tell you what is right - the damn groove Mr. Sweat is throwin' down on this classic 80's R&B jam.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Timex Social Club - Rumors 45"

"Better stop spreadin' those rumors around, better stop spreadin' those lies..."

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

New Edition-Cool It Now 45"

This one is going out to my man Anthony Cameron. Bobby Brown,Michael Bivins,Ricky Bell,Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie Devoe(and later on Johnny Gill). The prototype boy band that spawned many offshoots including Bell, Biv Devoe. Classic 80's groove - what can I say.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Prince-Erotic City 45"

Long before Madonna made sexual innuendo records popular, Prince was getting all hot and bothered on wax. Prime example here in 1984's "Erotic City" featuring Sheila E.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

80's R&B Week On The Blog

Dennis Edwards-Don't Look Any Further
I was digging through my 45" collection the other day and was inspired to post some of my favourite 80's R&B classics on 45". Every day this week I will post a 45" nugget from the vaults. Hit me with your comments - curious to hear what you're feelin'....

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Booker T & The M.G'.s - Chicken Pox

Booker T & The M.G.'s have released so many great tracks over the years - "Hip Hug Her","Melting Pot","Green Onions",etc. Here is a track from their Melting Pot LP - "Chicken Pox", which was released on Stax Records in 1971. Booker T & The M.G.'s were hugely successful in the 60's and 70's, not only with their own original material, but also lending their talents as the Stax label "house band". In this capacity they provided backing instrumentation for many soul and blues legends including Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett and Eddie Floyd. True legends indeed!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Interview with Melle Mel tonight on "Expansions" Radio Show

Interview with legendary rap pioneer Melle Mel tonight on the "Expansions" radio show. Program airs 9:00PM CST on 90.5FM CFCR. Check it on the web @www.cfcr.ca. Mel will be talking about current trends in the music industry, the messages in today's lyrics and the pending release of his new material. From his legendary work with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, to his collaborations with other musical icons, it was an honour to talk to this lyrical genius. Don't miss this one!!
Here is a little goodie to commemorate the interview:

Chaka Khan feat. Melle Mel - I Feel For You(Original 45" Mix)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Pimp Pretty,Royal Ron & M.A.$ - Rock The B Boy Stance 12"

This is a classic Schooly D production from 1986. I forgot how good this track is!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Shelton D - Shelton D Is Outstanding 12"

Former member of legendary old school rap group Divine Sounds("What People Do For Money", "How Fast Money Goes",etc) Shelton D put together this track in 1988 utilizing elements of "Outstanding" by the Gap Band. Production by Fresh Gordon and scratches by none other than Clark Kent...

Sunday, May 10, 2009

William DeVaughn-Blood Is Thicker Than Water

"Be Thankful..." is the jam, but "Blood.." is another stone cold classic off the William DeVaughn LP. This is something to play on a Sunday afternoon while sipping lemonade and soaking in the sun. Pure soul greatness...

Friday, May 8, 2009

Farley "Jackmaster" Funk Radio Show Mix

From the days when DJ's were flexin' on commercial radio.Here is a nice radio mix rarity from one of the original members of the Hot Mix 5, Chicago's legendary DJ crew. Chicago DJs definitely had a different slant on house music, when compared to their NYC counterparts. The Chicago sound was predominantly based around not only classic Chicago track records, but also soul,disco and European dance music as well. Chicago DJs were also well known for their scratching,cutting and double copy techniques, which were quite innovative in the early to mid 80's. I have been anxious to post some Chicago stuff for awhile now, so I hope you enjoy this taste of early Chicago house by the legendary Farley "Jackmaster" Funk. For some additional history on the Hot Mix 5 check out this great site: Lost in the Mix:The Story of the Original Hot Mix 5

Thursday, May 7, 2009

MC Flex & The F.B.I Crew-Rockin' It

Here is some classic rap heat from 1984. This one is going out to my man Flipout from Vancouver. You might need a piece of cardboard for this one!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Traedonya-Jailbait 12"

"Jailbait" is a more obscure jam off the Tuff City label, produced by Aaron Fuchs in 1987. With a killer sub bass that will rattle your system and very entertaining lyrics, I couldn't help but unearth this little nugget.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fila Fresh Crew-3 The Hard Way 12"

This rap trio originally based out of Dallas consisted of Fresh K, Dr. Rock and Doc-T(who later became known to the rap world as The D.O.C.). They made their debut on the N.W.A and the Posse compilation album in 1987. Their lifespan as a group was short lived however, as they disbanded to do solo projects after the release of this EP in 1988. In any case, this remains a nice slice of nostalgic West Coast flavour, circa late 80's. Enjoy!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Light of the World-Swingin'

Light of the World have always been one of my favourite UK jazz funk bands. Over time the band slowly disbanded and branched out to form other legendary outfits including The Warriors, Incognito and Beggar & Co. Here I have presented the cut "Swingin" off of their self titled LP which was released in 1980 on Mercury records. Although the album as a whole is rather weak(not uncommon for funk albums during this period - artists always seem to include the obligatory 2 or 3 love ballads in the midst of great funk tracks which I never quite understood) there are a few standout tracks that make it worth purchasing including "Who Are You" and "Liv Together". You can usually cop this album for around $10-15 from used dealers or ebay. Enjoy!

Friday, May 1, 2009

People's Choice-Turn Me Loose

Interview with Hitman Howie Tee

From his work with the Real Roxanne & UTFO to his projects with Chubb Rock and Special Ed, Hitman Howie Tee is one of hip hop's unsung heroes. Tune into the "Expansions" radio show broacast this evening to check out an exclusive interview with this hip hop icon. Program airs 9:00-10:30PM CST on 90.5FM CFCR. Check it on the web @ http://www.cfcr.ca/