Our 20th mix is by Jed and features:
1. Feel – “I’d Like To” (Sutra Records, 1982)
2. Tramaine – “The Rock” (Instrumental Dub) (A&M Records, 1987)
3. Shawn Christopher – “Welcome Home” (Hidden Mix) (We-Ze Records, 2006)
4. Geraldine Hunt – “Can’t Fake The Feeling” (Prism Records, 1980)
5. Lenny Williams – “You Got Me Running” (Reconstructed Mix) (original ABC Records, 1978)
6. The Jammers – “Be Mine Tonight” (Instrumental) (Salsoul, 1982)
7. Midnight Star – “I’ve Been Watching You” (Sound of Los Angeles Records, 1981)
8. Benny Rose – “It’s Only You” (Tropical Budda Records, 1984)
9. Ebonee Webb – “Gonna Get Cha” (Capitol Records, 1981)
10. René and Angela – “Wall To Wall” (Capitol Records, 1981)
- Feel – “I’d Like To” (Sutra Records, 1982)
A steady-skipping boogie beat and interplay between synths, guitars and vocals on this opener from Feel. Produced by Chris Hills, who also wrote the Players Association’s disco classic “Turn the Music Up”, and with superb vocals from Gail Freeman.
- Tramaine – “The Rock” (Instrumental Dub) (A&M Records, 1987)
Mixed by Larry Levan, this instrumental version was played at the legendary Paradise Garage nightclub in NYC just before it closed its doors for good. This instrumental version brings out the late-80s instrumentation, with the drum machine and DX7 synth prominent in the mix.
- Shawn Christopher – “Welcome Home” (Hidden Mix) (We-Ze Records, 2006)
“Welcome Home” was played just once at the Paradise Garage by Larry Levan. Just once! Can you believe it?
This track is taken from a 2006 release that makes the claim that this version is a Larry Levan mix. Maybe it is, but since it’s taken from a tape, and has been on the bootleg circuit for a number of years, no-one knows for sure. Maybe someone will reissue it and give it a nice 180gsm vinyl repress sometime soon.
- Geraldine Hunt – “Can’t Fake The Feeling” (Prism Records, 1980)
A bit of everything here – strings, guitar, Fender Rhodes electric piano with a bit of phaser, and of course, Geraldine Hunt. Known on the Northern Soul circuit for a number of late 60s/early 70s releases that exchange for hundreds of pounds a piece, this 1980 release on Prism is a disco classic that you can get for a couple of quid if you know where to look! Check out Kathleen Dyson’s guitar solo at the end of the track, too.
- Lenny Williams – “You Got Me Running” (Reconstructed Mix) (original ABC Records, 1978)
An unknown producer has done a sterling job of subtly extending this 1978 disco classic from Lenny Williams. Allegedly, Larry Levan had a version not too dissimilar from this on ¼” reel-to-reel tape that he would play at The Paradise Garage in the late 70s. Maybe this is as close as we’ll get to that.
- The Jammers – “Be Mine Tonight” (Instrumental) (Salsoul, 1982)
Mixed by Shep Pettibone, who’s a big fan of repetition and extending things out, and arranged by Richie Weeks from Weeks & Co, which also featured Jocelyn Brown (check out “Knock, Knock” for a similar groove). Shep would later go on to work with Madonna, the Pet Shop Boys, Lionel Ritchie and many more, helping to sell the idea of a ‘remix’ to the wider public.
- Midnight Star – “I’ve Been Watching You” (Sound of Los Angeles Records, 1981)
Produced by Leon Silvers, who has worked on some of the most classic tracks in R&B since the late 70s, including co-writing “The Beat Goes On” by The Whispers (later sampled by Will Smith for “Miami”), as well as writing for Gladys Knight, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King and Shalamar, to name but a few. So you know this will be just GREAT.
- Benny Rose – “It’s Only You” (Tropical Budda Records, 1984)
A copy of this will set you back about £200, and it’s not hard to see why. Everything about it screams “RARE”, from the scarcely-got-it-but-it-still-works electric tom intro, to Benny’s slightly weird vocals, and not forgetting that banging bassline. Plus of course, the delightfully bonkers label name, ‘Tropical Budda Records’. Praise the Lord for the internet for letting us experience this disco obscurity. (It was reissued in 2007 on Boogie Times Records, but that’s long sold out. It might be cheaper trying to get a copy of one of those, though).
- Ebonee Webb – “Gonna Get Cha” (Capitol Records, 1981)
This is the last track of Ebonee Webb’s 1981 self-titled album and it’s great. The last track! Wonder what the rest of the album is like? Well, it’s got THE FONK, that’s what, so go and buy the whole thing and put it on right now.
- René and Angela – “Wall To Wall” (Capitol Records, 1981)
And from the last track to the first, and also from another self-titled album. The first track! Wonder what the rest of the album is like? Well, it’s got THE FONK, that’s what, so go and buy the whole thing and put it on right now…
ENJOY THE MIX!