MCA Records, MCSTD 1632
Don't Be Afraid, alongside Teddy Riley & Tammy Lucas's brilliant Is It Good To You, were the lead singles from the Juice OST, one of the very best Original Motion Picture Soundtracks I've ever heard.
Instead of working with his former colleague Riley, Hall made this track with heavyweight Hiphop producer Hank Shocklee (of The Bomb Squad fame), whose 'wall of sound' production style blew so many of us away on the first three Public Enemy albums.
As far as CD singles go, this is a fine, FINE release, and fantastic value for money.
There are eight(!) tracks, two of them instrumentals; there's a 7" Edit of the original album track (which is still the best mix for me), a track called Vocal Files (which is an alternative acapella take on the chorus), a nice downtempo extra-naughty mix in the form of the Sex You Down Version, and a funkier-than-James-Brown's-socks version in The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix, in which Mr Hall struts his stuff in a jazzy, semi-scat manner, and proves nobody can shout "oooh-wee" quite like he does. I aint even joking! Oh, there's also the tweaked Nasty Man's Groove mix, which is a slightly less street, slightly more melodic version of the original, without straying too far from it (for the record, 'Nasty Man' was Aaron's nickname in Guy).
Don't Be Afraid is something of a classic, and certainly one of my favourite R&B tracks of the nineties.
- Kymba :)
PS - I've re-ripped this and it's now in 192kbps, and I've added the full length album version, not listed on the CD single, as it's still the best version of the track.
- Don't Be Afraid (7" Edit)
- Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove)
- Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Version)
- Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Instrumental)
- Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove Instrumental)
- Don't Be Afraid (The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix)
- Don't Be Afraid (Piano Jam)
- Don't Be Afraid (Vocal Files)
Oddly enough the album (the truth) does not have a version like the 7" edit. Maybe they did not want to clear a sample.
ReplyDeleteIt has the very boring Jazz You Up version.
And the awesome Sex You Down Some Mo' Version which had has spectacular 53 second string intro
Yeah, it's a completely different version on The Truth - for the full length original mix, you have to go back to the Juice OST.
ReplyDeleteActually, it's been a hell of a long time since I listened to The Truth - I can't even remember the strings intro to the Sex You Down Some Mo' version. I'll have to dig it out and have a listen!
Thanks for this!!!
ReplyDeleteBrings back memories, this track was one of the reason for my purchase of the Juice soundtrack.
Thanks Kymba.
Peace & love
Chu
Cool. Got the 12" myself, but didn't know there was a CD single!
ReplyDeleteOh hell yeah!!
ReplyDeleteBig up to Larry for sharing - I'm lovin' the Pressure Point remix. This is completely new to me.
Thanks, Larry. :)
Thank you Kymba for this post and Larry for the Pressure Point Remix, i never hear it before, absolutly great!!!
ReplyDeleteKind regards
Yep, there must be at least 2 other cd singles from this track. Funny...is that Damion Hall on the cover instead of Aaron Hall???
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I think it is Damon. It certainly looks more like him than it does Aaron.
DeleteOOOOOH My God!!! Thanks for the download! I thought it was a scam cuz i looked all over the internet for months to find the real sex you down version its been years since 1992 since i heard it and i was truly fiending for it. Thanx Y'all!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's our pleasure! :)
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