The Chimes - Heaven - (1989)

CBS ‎– 655432 2

There can be few breakbeats as wicked as Bobby Byrd's awesome Hot Pants (Bonus Beats) break. It's up there with the all-time great breaks that have transcended genre such as the Winston's Amen Brother, James Brown's Funky Drummer and Skull Snaps' It's A New Day to name a few.

You can find it as the rhythmic backbone to widely varied tracks like Fresh 4's Wishing On A Star, Congress' 40 Miles, True Faith/Pin-up Girls' Take Me Away, The Prodigy's Warriors Dance, Stone Roses' Fools Gold, Run DMC's What's It All About, Blurr's There's No Other Way, Big Daddy Kane's Raw and soooo many others.

And then there's this little beauty. Released in 1989 producer Mike Peden (later one half of The Lighthouse Family) put together a solid groove of a bassline, laced it with the Hot Pants break, and employed the killer diva-like voice of Miss Pauline Henry to absolutely murk up the track.

This is a fantastic slice of classic UK soul & dance, as HMV like to categorise it and remains a total banger thirty years on (seriously, can you believe it's really thirty damn years??).

Frankie Foncett is on the remix for the Attack Vocal Club Mix and provides an interesting take but it not really my thing. Go straight in with the original version (track one) or maybe even the Heavy Club.

Incidentally, apologies for the state of the CD sleeve - that faux gold colour doesn't take ageing very well!

Tracklist

1. Heaven
2. Heaven (Heavy Club)
3. Heaven (Attack Vocal Club Mix)
4. So Much In Love (Extended Demo Version)

Download: TC-H.7z | Filesize: 42.8MB

Incognito - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - (1992)

Talkin Loud, TALKCD 21

Kym - 320 re-up of another of my older posts that has somehow been attributed to Mickey (again). Very weird. Original posted 08/04/2009 - where does that time go??

The sun is shining here in North London, so I thought I'd post something with a Summery vibe to match the weather outside.

What better, then, than a Talkin' Loud track? One that's a remake of a Stevie Wonder classic?

I'm a huge Stevie Wonder fan, I know most of his songs backwards, and can't get enough of his 70's period. That brother had the funk down to a T. 

Now, I would normally consider anyone daring to cover one of his songs as utter blasphemy, but Incognito did a brilliant job with this tune, and, dare I say it, improved it by making it a little more dance-friendly, with a more pronounced groove.

Just listening to it now takes me back to summers gone by where I had it on a playlist, along with various other acid jazz type tracks, playing loud during barbecue's with family and friends, the rosé wine flowing, the smell of cooking burgers and J* being passed round...

I better stop now, as I'll be boring you.

There's a Frankie Foncett mix, as well as another track, a remix of Colibri, which sounds, for all the world, like a latin-tinged Roy Ayers/George Benson collaboration. Really good stuff!

However, what you'll really want are the Edit and LP Versions (the LP Version being my personal pick). Essential summertime listening.

Enjoy the sun, y'all!

- Kymba :)

Tracklist

1. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (Edit)
2. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (LP Version)
3. Colibri (Remix)
4. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (Frankie Foncett Mix)

Download: I-DYWBAT.7z | File size: 46.7MB

* I don't nowdays, honest! My boyfriend at the time of writing this was a cop! lol