INXS – “Need You Tonight” (Mendelsohn 12″ Mix)…

Artist: INXS
Title: Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn 12″ Mix)
Year: 1987
Label: Warner-Pioneer Corporation

INXS – “Need You Tonight” (Mendelsohn 12″ Mix) (mp3)

INXS – “Need You Tonight” (Ben Lienbrand Mix)

Posted on November 15, 2010.

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Tommy Musto :: C. T. Satin – “I Found A Friend”…

Artist: C. T. Satin [Tommy Musto]
Title: I Found A Friend
Year: 1987
Label: Underworld
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

C. T. Satin [Tommy Musto] – “I Found A Friend” (mp3)

Like the name of the label suggests, ColdCut were ahead of their time. In Summer of 1987 when I moved back to England to start grade-11 highschool at ACS Hillingdon, on the very day my plane touched down at Heathrow airport, the first thing I did was go down to Our Price record store in Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire, and looked for hiphop records. Going through all the singles in the 12-inch section, I came across ColdCut’s Beats + Pieces …. there was something magical about this record when I touched it, even though I had no clue who ColdCut were and what they sounded like. I took the risk to invest and bought the record among others. Once I played the Beats + Pieces at home, I was BLOWN AWAY.  Just what I was looking for.  Something cutting-edge with samples and loops pieced and scratched together on top of a tight main beat/loop sampled from Led_Zeppelin‘s track Kashmir. Ever since that day, I’ve been a religious follower and fan of ColdCut.

Coldcut – “Beats + Pieces” (Mo’ Bass Remix)…

Artist: Coldcut
Title: Beats + Pieces
Year: 1987
Label: Ahead Of Our Time
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

ColdCut – “Beats + Pieces” (Mo’ Bass Remix) (mp3)

Coldcut vs. Eric B. Rakim — Not Paid Enough…

In 1987, Eric B. & Rakim were on a standstill and not going anywhere in the charts until ColdCut remixed their track Paid In Full which was absolutely incredible, filled with chopped samples that were pieced/scratched together ColdCut style. The most famous vocal used in that remix was from Ofra Haza‘s Yemenite Im Nin Alu track (the original LP version from her Fifty Gates Of Wisdom album, released in 1984), which then catapulted Ofra Haza back to the top-10 music charts followed by her smash-hit remix of Im Nin Alu in Summer 1988.

All in all, it was the doing and the genius of ColdCut to come up with such beautiful and timeless remix of Paid In Full …. bringing Eric B. Rakim to the top of the music charts and also making Ofra Haza one of the most internationally famous/successful singers in the world (she even did most of the vocal soundtracks for Steven Spielberg’s The Prince Of Egypt animated movie). At the end of the day, ColdCut never received as much credit as they deserved. In 1989, ColdCut released an album with an instrumental version Not Paid Enough.

I tip my hat for ColdCut.
They deserve a standing ovation.

Coldcut – “Not Paid Enough”…

Artist: Coldcut
Title: Not Paid Enough
Year: 1987
Label: Tommy Boy
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

ColdCut – “Not Paid Nough” (mp3)

Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid In Full”…

Artist: Eric B. & Rakim
Title: Paid In Full
Year: 1987
Label: 4th & Broadway
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid In Full” (mp3)

Ofra Haza – “Im Nin Alu” (1988 Remix) music video…

Ofra Haza – “Im Nin Alu” (Original version, 1984) music video..

Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid In Full” (The ColdCut Remix) music video…

Summer 1987, I had moved back to England to start grade-11 highschool. I went to Tower Records London which was a huge multi-level building by itself at the heart of Piccadilly Circus, London. Down in the huge basement was nothing else but 12-inch records of all genres — a heavenly section for disc-jockeys and music collectors. And that was where I’d finally found a copy of this limited edition release by The 2 Live Crew. I had been looking for this record since January 1987. As a matter of fact, I’d been looking for any 12-inch release of We Want Some Pussy since 1986. Sometime in early 1987, I  heard a remix of We Want Some Pussy at  the legendary Twilight Zone nightclub (located in the attic/roof above a coffee shop) on Bloor Street,  Toronto, Ontario; and since then I was unsuccessful in finding the 12-inch record …… until ….. of course … when I moved back to England more than six months later where I found the last remaining copy of the limited edition. I took the bus home to Rutland Court, Knightbrigde, opened the door to the flat, rushed to the stereo and put the needle to the record …. anxiously wanting to hear the track’s (Liberty City Long Hard) remix. And it sure did blow me away ………… so much better than the original or Classic Dance versions. Harder drum beats from Roland TR-909 (also more 909 wikipedia info here) drum-machine, killer bassline with nice dance/club melody, sampled rock-guitar stab-hits in various pitches/notes and other sweet elements floating on top.

The 2 Live Crew – “We Want Some Pussy” (Liberty City Long Hard Mix)…

Artist: The 2 Live Crew
Title: We Want Some Pussy (Liberty City Long Hard Mix)
Year: 1987
Label: Luke Skywalker Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

The 2 Live Crew – “We Want Some Pussy” (Liberty City Long Hard Mix) (mp3)

The 2 Live Crew – “We Want Some Pussy” (The Original Classic)…

Artist: The 2 Live Crew
Title: We Want Some Pussy (The Original Classic)
Year: 1987
Label: Luke Skywalker Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

The 2 Live Crew – “We Want Some Pussy” (The Original Classic) (mp3)

Virgin record store, where Tower Records used to be in the same building in Piccadilly Circus, London.

The original version of this track was released in 1986, which sounded musically OK, even though its production quality was lo-fi, but overall it lacked oomph and excitement. When 1987 came around, MARRS released it’s internationally mega smash-hit Pump Up The Volume which used the vocal sample/snippet “Pump up the volume” from Eric B. & Rakim‘s original version of I Know You Got Soul. Millions of people wondered who and from where did that sample come from, and, thus giving unprecedented exposure, attention and credit to Eric B. & Rakim. Because of MARRS, a new remix of I Know You Got Soul was just around the corner …. and here it is! This remix was in the top-10 British and European music charts and in the top-70 North American charts.

It should also be noted that it was ColdCut‘s smash-hit remix of Paid In Full (in late 1987) which brought really catapulted Eric B. & Rakim‘s to the top of the mainstream British and North American music charts. Read full article here.

Eric B & Rakim – “I Know You Got Soul” (The Double Trouble Remix)…

Artist: Eric B & Rakim
Title: I Know You Got Soul (The Double Trouble Remix)
Year: 1987
Label: 4th & Broadway
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Eric B & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul (The Double Trouble Remix) (mp3)

DJ Eric Barrier (left) and MC Rakim Allah (Right).

I remember this track being different from all the rest. Tommy Musto raised the bar when it came to hard, punchy, rolling melodic bassline in this track which blends 4/4 House-beat and Freestyle elements. Although the date printed on the 12-inch says 1987, this track was originally released in 1986. The record you see in the picture above is a 1987 re-issue.

Tommy Musto :: Wired – “To The Beat Of The Drum” (Crash Version)…

Artist: Wired [Tommy Musto]
Title: To The Beat Of The Drum
Year: 1987 (really 1986)
Label: Underworld; Creole
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Wired [Tommy Musto] – “To The Beat Of The Drum” (Crash Version) (mp3)

I got this 12-inch record in 1987 for the A-side track The Coolest by King Tee. When I got the chance at home to play what was on the B-side, I was blown away by Ya Better Bring A Gun and loved it a lot more than side-A’s track. The Coolest (A-side) was available on King Tee’s debut album Act Like A Fool, whereas the Ya Better Bring A Gun was not on the album but served only as a B-side exclusive to the 12-inch release. Music and sound-wise, Ya Better Bring a Gun makes reference to an even older style of rap’s funky origins — pay special attention to the style of rapping and the bassline riff. However, the lyrics are about modern violence/crime; only few hiphop artists at that time were rapping about stuff like that, such as Public Enemy and The Ghetto Boys.

King Tee & Mixmaster Spade- “Ya Better Bring A Gun” (B-side)…

Artist: King Tee & Mixmaster Spade
Title: Ya Better Bring A Gun
Year: 1987
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

King Tee & Mixmaster Spade – “Ya Better Bring A Gun” (mp3)

Lyrics…

[ VERSE 1: King Tee ]
They live on the street and they hustle for fame
Some kill for a livin, some sling cocaine
Because it’s now a lifestyle and a full-time job
And if you live in Compton, it’s like at McCobb
From block to block everybody’s bad
And if you don’t know where you’re at, then your life’s been had
Cause they walk in the street with intentions to meet
Some sappy lookin punk with Fila on his feet
And if you try to act tough, well Mr. Tough, you’re through
Cause everybody’s a family, if not, they’re a crew
I’m here to give some advice advice (Run!)
Cause if you’re ever in Compton, you better bring a gun

Yo, here come my homeboy Mixmaster Spade
Man, what’s up, man?
Hey man, ain’t you from Compton, man?
(Ah yeah)
Alright man, tell em what’s up, man
What you used to do

[ VERSE 2: Mixmaster Spade ]
I used to cut up the beat on the two turntables
Now I’m rappin on the mic, cause I’m willin and able
When I’m on the mic I take no slack
And everytime that you see me I’m tearin a gat
I got .380s and .22s
You messs with me, I’m gonna bust on you
I got a .357 and a M-16
They call me Master Spade, and Tee’s the King
Now Compton is the city where the homeboys stay
Rollin in a different car everyday
Can’t roll too hard, gotta watch my back
Cause if I don’t, I just might get jacked
Now Compton is a city of a lotta fun
(Can’t walk down the street
(Can’t walk down the street
Can’t walk down the stree without my gun)

[ female voice ]
Now you know this just don’t make no kinda sense

[ VERSE 3: King Tee ]
Now the next place is kinda risky if you’re walkin with your mother
Y’all can get shot if she wears the wrong color
They’re all from the old school, nobody’s modern
The place I’m talkin ’bout is the Nickerson Gardens
You can get away with murder, cause they murdered the cops
Cause they said they tried to run a bumrush on Watts
But they took control, slingers walk real tall
While real down gangbangers write their set on the wall
If I was you I wouldn’t visit here, it’s like hell
And if you get robbed, who you gonna tell?
I’m only here for advice advice (run!)
And if you’re ever in Watts, you better bring a gun

[ VERSE 4: King Tee ]
Now you got a nice car with a brand-new paintin
Rag top convertable with all-gold Daytons
You decide to take a ride down the Crenshaw strip
You stop at the Fat Burgers to feed your lip
You got your sounds bumpin, playin Zapp and Vibe
A skeezer comes your way, you say, “Let’s take a ride”
So you’re cruisin Crenshaw with her, you’re goin to bail
A brown Cutlass pulls up, they put a gauge to your head
They say, “(Get our your car) if you value your life
(And leave your money) if you love your wife”
Now you’re standin in the street lookin like you’re on crack
And you say to yourself: I can’t believe I got jacked
You call the police because your car they stole
But when you get in touch with them, they put you on hold
Your car is gone, nothin could be done
So next time you cruise Crenshaw, YOU BETTER BRING A GUN!

Alright, I wanna thank Mixmaster Spade for comin out to rock with me
(And Greg Mack) the Mack Attack
And I also wanna thank J-Ro and Sweet Tooth for comin out rockin
(And DJ [Name])
And I wanna thank Scotty D, Cold-Crush Chris
And DJ Pooh, the Hip-Hop Gangster
(When he say beat em up he don’t be bluffin)
Word
And oh yeah, I forgot somebody
Unknown!
(Yo man, who blew up that McDonald’s on Central and Rosecrans, dude?)

Play Man Parrish Tracks…

Man Parrish Tracks…

The Information…

When I first started buying record albums and 12-inch singles in 1977, I was collecting all kinds of pop music such as Gary Numan, Blondie, Boney M, Bee Gees, Grace Jones, Grandmaster Flash, etc., throughout the following decade.

There were only few handful of electronic musicians and music groups who’ve pioneered electronic music decades prior to the 1980s, such as Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Jean Jacques Perrey, ELP, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk and others.

However, the 1980s decade began with a backlash against disco music, and a movement away from the orchestral arrangements that had characterized much of the electronic music of the 1970s. Music in the 80s was characterized by unheard of electronic sounds accomplished through the use of synthesizers and keyboards, along with drum machines. This made a dramatic change in music. 80s pop music experienced a revolution driven more by technology and consumerism than any resounding political message. It was that new electronic sound from synthesizers, samplers and drum machines, enhanced with unprecedented leap forward towards advanced and new production techniques of the time, where both analog and new digital domains fused together as one.

Fairlight III CMi sampler, music workstation.

Roland MC-202, the ultimate analog bass machine ... blows away TR-303!

Linn 9000 digital sampling drum machine and 64-midi channel sequencer.

By 1982, I was already tired of the old disco sound but hip to the new “rap” genre (which were heavily produced by drum machines and synths) and in love with all kinds of electronic-pop and electric-funk styles. However I was still hungry for something more but wasn’t quite sure what it was. Something was in the air … or ON THE AIR for sure.

After Malcolm McLaren’s release of Buffalo Gals in late-1982, I knew something bigger was coming along. 1983 saw the big shift in electronic dance music taking place. In Europe (especially Germany, England and Italy), electronic dance music was essentially electric-disco — 4/4 drum beats + 1/8th note basslines — such as New Order’s Blue Monday.

However, in New York, electric-disco became known as “high energy” with a twist: a new sub-genre was emerging as “electro” which was a blend of hiphop beats with electronic dance arrangements.

Examples of electro music releases were:

• Freeez – “I.O.U.”
• Man Parrish – “Hip Hop be Bop” (listen to track in flash music player above)
• Man Parrish – “Heatstroke” (listen to track in flash music player above)
• Man Parrish – “Boogie Down Bronx” (listen to track in flash music player above)
• Mantornix – “Needle To The Groove”

I was enrolled in a boarding-school back then in England and was still listening to New Order and Grandmaster Flash on the Walkman. There was this fuckin’ Jamaican kid in my dormitory — David Yakabu. One day, David ran up to me and said, “Hey mon! Chek dis Mon Pah-rish wikkidest sound!” I put on the heaphones, he pressed play, and my socks were blown off my feet.

I was listening to Man Parrish for the first time ……… “Hip Hop Be Bop” and “Heatstroke.”
HOLY CRAP – THIS SHIT IS FIERCE !! — was my impression.
I followed and bought every release by Man Parrish.

Man Parrish links…

• ManParrish.com
• MySpace
• Wiki

Read  below, Sean Cooper’s Review of Man Parrish…

Link to original source.

MAN PARRISH REVIEW by – Sean Cooper, All Music Guide

This ground breaking 1983 Dance-Urban Synthesizer album is considered by many, to be a DANCE CLASSIC and a MUST HAVE in any serious collection. Man Parrish is said to have coined the phrase “Hip Hop” from this classic, electronic dance record.

Although he produced only a handful of tracks of renown and disappeared into obscurity almost as quickly as he had emerged from it, Manny ( Man ) Parrish is nonetheless one of the most important and influential figures in American electronic dance music. Helping to lay the foundation of electro, hip-hop, freestyle, and techno, as well as the dozens of subgenres to splinter off from those, Parrish introduced the aesthetic of European electronic pop to the American club scene by combining the plugged-in disco-funk of Giorgio Moroder and the man-machine music of Kraftwerk with the beefed-up rhythms and cut’n'mix approach of nascent hip-hop. As a result, tracks like “Hip-Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)” and “Boogie Down Bronx” were period-defining works that provided the basic genetic material for everyone from Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to Autechre and Andrea Parker — and they remain undisputed classics of early hip-hop and electro to this day. A native New Yorker, Parrish was a member of the extended family of glam-chasers and freakazoids that converged nightly on Andy Warhol’s Studio 54 club. His nickname, Man, first appeared in Warhol’s Interview magazine, and his early live shows at Bronx hip-hop clubs were spectacles of lights, glitter, and pyrotechnics that drew as much from the Warhol mystique as from the Cold Crush Brothers.

Influenced by the electronic experiments of his good friend and co – writer Klaus Nomi and Brian Eno as well as by Kraftwerk, Parrish together with “Cool” Raul Rodriguez recorded their best-known work in a tiny studio sometimes shared with Afrika Baambaata, whose own sessions with Arthur Baker and John Robie produced a number of classics equal to Parrish’s own, including “Wildstyle, ” “Looking for the Perfect Beat, ” and the infamous “Planet Rock.” What distinguished “Hip-Hop Be Bop, ” however, was its lack of vocals and the extremely wide spectrum of popularity it gained in the club scene, from ghetto breakdance halls to uptown clubs like Danceteria and the Funhouse. After he discovered a pirated copy of his music being played by a local DJ at theinfamous “Anvil” club ( NYC ), Parrish found his way to the offices of the Importe label (a subsidiary of popular dance imprint Sugarscoop and Disconet DJ mixing service), which whom he inked his first deal. He released his self-titled LP shortly after, and the album went on to sell over 3 million copies worldwide. He was signed to Electra Records and managed by David Bowie’s notorious manager Tony De Fries and the infamous Main Man Ltd management team. Tony De Fries had managed careers of David Bowie, New York Dolls, Mott the Hoople, Mick Ronson and Dana Gillespie to name a few.

Following a period of burn-out that followed, Parrish recorded and remixed tracks for Michael Jackson, Boy George, Gloria Gaynor, and Hi-NRG group Man2Man, among others, and served as manager for the Village People and Crystal Water to name a few. While Parrish’s subsequent material has achieved nowhere near the success or creative pitch of his earlier work, he continues to record from his brooklyn studio and is a frequent DJ at New York’s eclectic night spots and SM clubs. His Sunday Underground Party “Sperm” at the “Cock Bar” on New Yorks lower east side, is notorious, to say the least ! He is main DJ and co founder for a circut party called “Hustlerball” which has parties in many cities worldwide. He also has several adult websites and online businesses which keep him busy as a webmaster, and “jack of all trades”. His second LP, DreamTime, appeared on Strictly Rhythm in 1997.

- Sean Cooper, All Music Guide