Friday, 18 May 2012

The Beatmasters - Boulevard of Broken Dreams (1990)

Rhythm King/Epic Records 657361 2


Stop.

I know what you're thinking; "Beatmasters. Betty Boo. Is this what a quality site like The Soul Vendor has descended to?"

Hold on, though. This track is a perfect candidate for TSV. Okay, it's not so much soul as it is hip-hop, really, but this classy little number samples the hell out of Marlena Shaw, one of my soul icons, and her brilliant Woman of the Ghetto track (I think it was actually the live version of Woman Of The Ghetto), alongside 24-Carat Black's Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth. Oh, there are also a slew of other samples in there. Try and spot them all.

It features Brit rapper JC 001, who, at one time I seem to recall, held a record for being the fastest rapper around. Fortunately, he exhibits restraint on this and offers up some contemplative rhymes and paints an interesting picture with his lyrics. Check it and hear for yourself.

It's the 7" you'll want, which is wicked, but the jazz-tastic Freebop mix is also really nice if you fancy a switch.  The Chips Mix is another nice variation on the track, but not quite as good as the other two in my opinion. Night in Action is a really good secondary track. Heavy on the reggae samples, and good for it. Give it a breakbeat and it would almost be old skool hardcore. Very much in the spirit of their previous release Ska Train.

All in all, this package goes to show what an underrated bunch of producers the Beatmasters were if you look past their novelty misadventures with Betty Boo.


  • Boulevard of Broken Dreams (7")
  • Night In Action
  • Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Freebop Mix)
  • Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Chips Mix)
The Download Link is here: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.zip | Filesize: 38.18MB

5 comments:

  1. Another fav from Mr Cook. Another sample in there is Jackie Wilson version of ' Light my Fire '.

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    Replies
    1. Only the main sample running behind the whole tune. Can't believe I skipped mentioning it!!

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  2. THANK U THANK U THANK U BOO!!!!
    OMG, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS EVERYWHERE AND COULD NOT FIND IT OR HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE DOWNLOAD -
    CLASSIC RARE AND FOR SURE A HARD-TO-FIND GEM....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Original lyrics by Jonathan Pandy:

    Boulevard of broken dreams

    Cobblestones cut my karma
    Rhythmic raindrops fall a little harder
    Step by step I’m a collect my thoughts
    The emptiness inside implies all sorts
    Of causes, the opposing forces
    Rip me to shreds in my head the source is
    All around the region of sound I’m in
    Stop, look, listen, breath in the breeze
    Of trepidation, inside no hesitation
    To give a name, to the pain of the random scheme
    On the boulevard of broken dreams

    Stars are bright on a steamy steamy night
    The price I pay is high alright
    Here’s a speck of spurious hope
    I get a rope to a drowning man, and yet
    Echo of every memory, the melody
    The mayhem makes them comprehend the terribly
    Cruel duel that fuels the fools in love
    When one sided had enough
    And the other wasn't ready
    To lonely with a microphone to hold him up steady
    Like crutches pushes me as we lean
    Hard into the boulevard of broken dreams
    This a lonely tread that I’m said to be walking
    So it is, solo I’m stalking
    The cobblestones bust my feet the factor
    I have to
    Escape from the bay of banality
    Look beyond, further, apparently
    You wanna go over the cliff of cliches
    Lyrical lemmings running in relays
    No wealth of love L.O.V.E
    Totally absent from me
    And I’m taking a look at the masses
    Do they really know what love is?
    No! I reply so.
    Inside of men’s a great big hole
    And within it is nish.
    I'm on the boulevard rolling with a death wish
    Looking for the rainbow, Looking for the rainbow
    For a pot of gold to put hard times on hold
    On the boulevard of broken dreams

    Years pass, I got class at last
    My sports car drive fast
    Through the boulevard on this a brief remanis
    Bittersweet recollection insist
    I take a beer in a local bar see how far we come
    Lift the cup remember unrepented passion
    Action unfinished
    The sort of thoughts we thought would never diminish
    The hole in my soul but the fires gone cold
    The fury abates and the hates on hold
    My exulted name engulfs me
    Catapults into the bank vaults on the memory
    Fades clean, the scars are forever extreme
    Embittered by the boulevard of broken dreams.

    Copyright JC Pandy

    ReplyDelete

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