Secret Weapon - Must Be The Music (mastermix)

Released in 1981 on Francois K legendary Prelude label, this is hip-funk-disco-electro and still the only track to this day that I have ever heard the words "dance, everywody" repeated over and over again. Mastered by Herb Powers (as he did most of the Prelude and West End cuts of the time) I cant find out much about Secret Weapon themselves which is a shame. It seems that this and a handful of other tracks were all that ever came out. An album was released ten or so years later but its mostly just remixes of the same.

The track here is the Shep Pettibone mastermix released on the Prelude Mastermixes album a year after the tracks initial release. As ever with Shep Pettibone, the beats are extended out infinately and the vocals played down for a dancefloor friendly extended dub.

Dance, everywody, everywody, everywody...

Download: Secret Weapon - Must Be The Music (mastermix)
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/229611, http://www.discogs.com/release/84692

Bill Laswell - Upright Man

Bassist, producer and label owner; Bill Laswell, ranks as one of the worlds most prolific musicians, involved in literally hundreds of recordings, having worked with artists from all over the globe drawing on many different genres albeit more noticably Funk, Dub, Jazz and World Music.

After moving into Girogio Gomelsky's New York loft apartment in the 1970's Laswell became part of a group of musicians that would become the initial incarnation of the group 'Material' where he emersed himself in the East Village scene and became friends with Brian Eno. So much so, that after much persistance Laswell convinced Eno to let him contribute to Eno & Byrne's seminal 1981 release - 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts'.

After setting up a recording studio it didnt take Laswell long to become the in house producer for then fledgling label - Celluloid, where he was to record some of his 'Material' releases until his major breakthough in 1983 when he played bass and co-wrote all the tracks on Herbie Hancock's 'Future Shock' which is widely regarded as being a catalsyt for the Hip Hop movement, especially the track 'Rockit', which was the first hit song to feature turntable scratching.

Taken from his first solo LP 'Baselines', 'Upright Man' has to be one of the most infectious grooves Laswell has ever concieved. Featuring some mindblowing bass playing with sampled recordings of a sermon as it's lead vocal joined with a combination of Michael Beinhorn's acid drentched synths, the undescribable contribution of Fred Frith and irate percussion of Martin Bisi making 'Upright Man' one of my favourite Laswell masterpeices.

Download: http://www.zshare.net/audio/19091450fdfb4338/

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/552609 

Tears for Fears - Johnny Panic and the Bible of dreams

"Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears, originally appearing as the B-side to their 1990 single "Advice for the Young at Heart". The song was later remixed by producer/DJ Fluke and released as a single 1991.

Although still a Tears for Fears track, the Fluke remix single was credited only as "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams".

The title of the song is taken from a short story by the American writer Sylvia Plath, which was the title story in a collection of her short stories posthumously published in 1977.

I dream of heaven, its a heavenly place
Why fall in love? when you can fall from grace
With johnny panic
Johnny Panic and the Bible of dreams

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/1427203
Download: http://www.zshare.net/audio/19068703d0f7fc1b/

Orchestra JB - Free Spirit

Orchestra JB was the alias of Jimmy Brown, a multi-instrumentalist and DJ who, after releasing a few underground dance hits for indie labels, signed to major EastWest Records and in 1991 released Tambourine Fever, an album of trippy, Ecstasy-fueled comedown tracks with nothing too groundbreaking or noteworthy, save the album’s single, “Come Alive.”

"Free Spirit" was one of those underground dance hits sampling Supertramp - "School" though this time on the Rumour Label. Records like this were part and parcel of Saturday evening out. Join the que. Consume the doves you just scored in the car park. Walk up the steps and through the door. Stop. Searched. Free to go. Walk on to the dance floor with the speakers emanating a record like "Free Spirit" and you got that first 'hit' You look at your watch and it's only 10 past 9. Smile knowing you've got another 4 hours plus left.

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/133134
Download: http://www.zshare.net/audio/19068001a1ce86d2/

Baricentro - Tittle Tattle

Rising from the ashes of Italian group Festa Mobile, Baricentro comprises three of the five original members of the 1970's symphonic prog group.

Coming from Bari (Where they took their name) and based in Rome, Baricentro took a different musical route to Festa, concentrating on instrumental Jazz-Rock which was very popular in Italy during the late 70's.

Their two albums released on EMI in 1976 and '78 nods to Weather Report and Mahavishu Orchestra but after a split in the 80's they reformed as a trio with a disco influenced sound and self produced single 'Tittle Tattle', released on Superdance Music back in 1984.

Featuring every element of what we love about Italo Disco this track includes straight forward drum patterns with dramatic synth stabs and those fantastic italo-english vocals and of course a stunningly catchy chorus making this a track that still sounds great today, demanding heavy rotation at any opportunity. Apparently 'Tittle Tattle' was a big track at Zanzibar and Paradise Garage, just wait until you hear the break...

Here's the Vocal. Absolutle killer!

Download: http://www.zshare.net/audio/190633103f26defb 

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/36234 

Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt

1984 Electro proper - Egyptian Lover's "Egypt Egypt" taken from the album "On The Nile" is heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, Soul Sonic Force and Man Parrish. The main difference from most of the other Electro at the time is that this comes straight from the West Coast. Dark driving synth, obligatory vocodered vocals, filtered scratch samples and a middle eastern tinge - think Hashim on steroids. Ace.

Download: Egyptian Lover: Egypt Egypt
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/43329

Hot Chocolate - Night Ride

Errol Brown and his band were a bit more than just "You Sexy Thing" and "You Win Again". This track, taken from the 1979 album "Going Through The Motions" is just one of many great ones from an album that still stands tall. Ask Mindless Boogie, and I am sure they would agree.

Never released as a single, this is a deep electronic disco cut with psychadelic undertones - and bags of energy. Find the album, its all good.

Download: Hot Chocolate: Night Train
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/1464580

Rosebud - Main Theme 'More'

The Discoballs album is a slightly bizarre tribute to Pink Floyd by French group Rosebud and is very well known to the older Floyd collector. Released in 1979 on labels Warner/Epic & Flarenasch, it featured disco versions of Floyd songs performed by Claude Engel and bass player/composer - Jannick Top, members of the legendary French prog rock group Magma. Engel was also a member of the hugely popular Marseilles based electronic music band – Space.

Main theme "More" is taken from the Barbet Schroeder film ‘More’, the soundtrack to which was scored by Pink Floyd. This was not only Floyd’s first full length soundtrack but was also their first body of work without founding member - Syd Barrett . The band were given £600 and ownership to all of the material in return for their work on the project with a number of tracks from this album being featured in their live shows throughout the 1970’s.

Download: Rosebud – Main Theme ‘More’
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/1071164

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