Brian McKnight - One Last Cry 1993

Mercury Records Promo MRXDJ 394

Brian McKnight grew up on gospel as a member of a Seventh-day Adventist Church choir and a band leader in high school. His older brother was a member of Take 6 and their success gave him a little motivation. McKnight signed with Mercury Records at the age of 19 and released his first album, Brian McKnight, in 1992.

Brian McKnight produced and featured in BMU (Black Men United), a collaboration between a large number of black male RnB acts including Aaron Hall, Boyz II Men, El DeBarge, Gerald Levert, H-Town, Tevin Campbell, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Usher. The sole song "U Will Know", written by a young D'Angelo, was released in 1994. It was featured in the movie Jason's Lyric and on the movie's soundtrack.

McKnight’s vocal style is his own. He does however draw heavily from Stevie Wonder and also has an uncanny ability to mimic the timbre and style of other singers .

• One Last Cry (Single Edit)
• Goodbye My Love (A Real Goodbye Mix)
• Goodbye My Love (Radio 7")
• Goodbye My Love (N.O. Joe Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Brian McKnight.rar Filesize: 30.76 MB

Higher Ground - Sugar Free (Don't Want Your Love) 1991

Cooltempo Records COOLCD246

This cover of the superb 80's Groove killa by Juicy (Jerry & Katreese Barnes, who also wrote the song) was the follow up to Somebody. Personally, I thought Somebody was better and Juicy's 1985 version of Sugar Free (Super Deo Dance Mix) remixed by legendary Deodato, was much better... but this seems to be very popular, then and now so, by request, here it is.

A Mike Percy & Tim Lever production for One World. My apologies for the diabolical CD scan but its reflective and after about six attempts I settled for this one cos you can just about read the credits?

• 7" Edit
• One World Mix
• One Touch Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Higher Ground.rar Filesize: 22.94 MB

Bootsy's Rubber Band - Jungle Bass 1990

4th & Broadway Records BRECD 550

One for the Funky People out there, I know there are a few. William Bootsy Collins was one of James Brown's regular band, The JB's, in the late 1960s before joining forces with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic cartel in the '70s, Collins' driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk. His signature instrument is a custom-built star-shaped bass guitar he calls the Space Bass. Collins was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Check the names on this list of credits, a veritable 'Who's Who' in the Funk business.

In 1990 Bootsy collaborated with Deee-Lite on their massive hit Groove Is In The Heart where he contributed additional vocals along with Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a Herbie Hancock song called Bring Out The Birds, Bootsy's Rubber Band did become the backing musicians for Deee-Lite during their world tour though. Despite being thoroughly busy they still had time to produce this wonderful bit of experimental music. 30 minutes of cyberfunk!

• Jungle Bass (Jungle One/Long Form)
• Disciples Of Funk (Return Of The Funkateers)
• Jungle Bass (House Of Bass Mix)
• Interzone (Silent Hush-Hush Mix/Cyberfunk)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Jungle Bass CDS.rar Filesize: 46.5 MB

Everis - Back To Basics 1990

Soul Town Records SOUL 009

In 1989 Everis joined up with Soul Town Records, where he released several singles including a cover of Closer I Get To You with the cult underground artiste Maxeen. In 1990, he released his debut album Back To Basics. During his time at Soul Town he had some success with hits such as Summer Time, Stay and Better Love.

In 1992 Everis supported The Jones Girls comeback and first ever London gigs at the Dominion Theatre and has appeared on the same bill as Kym Mazelle, Don-E, Kenny Thomas, The Escoffereys, Omar, Mica Paris, Gabrielle and many more.

My apologies for the quality of this post but I was only able to find a second hand copy of this album with no cover (homemade art above). There is a bit of 'vinyl grind' at the beginning of each side and some 'pop and crackle' throughout but not too much that it spoils the listening experience. I would, however, welcome a clean copy and proper artwork?

• Get Your Love
• Say
• Hooked On You
• Don't Stop The Love
• Sweetest Love
• Looking For A Lover
• Staying Awake All Night
• My Latin Experience
• Better Love
• Girl

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Everis.rar Filesize: 57.97 MB

Maxeen - Never Been In Love 1990

Soultown Records SOUL 007

In 1990 Maxeen released Never Been In Love (Like This Before) on the highly credible Soultown Records label. She released several singles including a duet cover of Closer I Get To You with the cult underground artiste Everis. Everis released his own Back To Basics album in 1990 and Maxeen was supposed to have her album Emotions released soon. I've never seen any evidence that it was released, let alone available to buy?

Never Been In Love is written by Maxeen herself and produced by Maxeen & E. Pellins. I would gamble a fair sum on a spelling mistake there. Everis now goes under the name of Everis Pellius. The track is engineered by Wayne 'Bustin' Brown who has worked with many British artists such as D Influence. It's extremely frustrating how little information there is about these people, it's about time the likes of Blues & Soul Magazine started a Brit Soul database. They certainly have the information and so would I if I hadn't lost all my B&S mags half a decade back. :-(

• Never Been In Love (Like This Before) Queen Bee Mix
• In Love (Killer B 18 Cert) Bass Line Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: 1990 Never Been.rar Filesize: 20.89 MB

Capitol Classics Volume 1 1988

Capitol Records EMS 1316

Massive respect to my man Boo for supplying the artwork for this gem! As we are unable to record the vinyl at its (French?) source, I have collected together the tracklist. Can you please confirm that I have used all the correct versions Boo?

The first two Capitol Classics releases were essential at the time, I never managed to get this release and had to wait to find the tracks I wanted on other compilations. The later releases were 'less essential' back in the day although they are all interesting for different reasons now.

In the case of this album, the tracks that were of interest at the time were likely to be A Taste Of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie, The BB&Q Band - On The Beat, The McCrary's - Love On A Summer Night (a Jazz Funk classic), Dayton - Sound Of Music and Mystic Merlin - Just Can't Give You Up.

Most of these are now easily found and no surprise but what about L.J. Reynolds - Key To The World (a Nortern Soul anthem?), Eddie Henderson - Prance On (a forgotten Jazz Funker) and the wonderful O'Bryan - Doin' Alright. These are great songs that have been left on the back shelf for too long, good to be reminded of them again. Gary Bartz - Music Is My Sanctuary is a fine tune that slipped through the cracks into obscurity, sounding much younger than it's 31 years of age. The pearl in the shell making this album essential for me though, Sheree Brown - It's A Pleasure, and it certainly is!

A great list of record shops on the rear makes good reading. It's like a list of my favourite lunch time visits throughout the 80's & 90's. Tooting, Balham, Brixton, Holborn, Chingford, Hackney, East Ham, Bow, Putney & Croydon. Good to see Mi Price listed as there were LWR (92.5) DJ's working there. Every one of them helped relieve me of large portions of my hard earnt wages. Several shops in the heart of London's Soho helped, some were record shops too! Steve's in Leicester Square deserves a mention, as does Reckless in Soho, Solar in Brixton underground and Beano's in Croydon Market.

Thanks Boo, a great post! ;-)

• L.J. Reynolds
• A Taste Of Honey
• BB&Q Band
• Eddie Henderson
• McCrarys
• Sheree Brown
• Dayton
• O'Bryan
• Mystic Merlin
• Gary Bartz

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Capitol Classics.rar Filesize: 92.43 MB

Street Sounds Edition 15 1985

Street Sounds STSND 15

The most memorable Street Sounds Edition for me. Not because of the choice of tracks but because of the climate at the time it was released. Aleem's awesome Get Loose was so overplayed by this time that I always skipped the track when playing this album. Packed full of goodies, as usual and the longevity on this selection is as good as the day it was released. Caprice, 100% still sounds fresh to my ears, as does Evelyn 'Champagne' King's, Your Personal Touch in it's short but efficient Dance Mix format. The beautiful ballad, Mated by David Grant & Jaki Graham is here in it's Extended Version but my favourite tracks are Mr DJ by The Concept, simple but effective, and the track I bought the album for, Princess, After The Love Has Gone the Chief Inspector Remix, which is based on the Wally Badarou classic, Chief Inspector, which was huge at the time.

• The Concept - Mr DJ
• Aleem - Get Loose
• Colonel Abrams - Music Is The Answer
• Brass Construction - Give & Take
• David Grant & Jaki Graham - Mated
• Princess - After The Love Has Gone
• Evelyn King - Personal Touch
• B.T. Express - Uptown Express
• Caprice - 100%
• Masquerade - One Nation

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Street Sounds Edition 15.rar Filesize: 110.98 MB

Walter Beasley - I'm So Happy 1987

Urban Records URBX 14 DJ

Another wonderful piece of jazz based Soul from the heart of the UK Rare Groove scene. Jump On It is a Lionel Job produced instrumental by saxophonist Walter Beasley. It sits nicely alongside 3 mixes of I'm So Happy, produced by Job & Beasley. Walter Beasley’s musical journey began in the early 1970s in his hometown of el Centro, California. When his aunt gave him his first Grover Washington, Jr. record at age nine. By his early teens, Beasley was playing saxophone in various bands around Southern California. One of the top five best-selling African-American saxophonists in the world since the late 90’s, Beasley has performed with contemporary jazz and R&B icons Brian McKnight, Gerald Albright, Ronnie Laws, Kirk Whalum, Bob James, Norman Brown, George Howard, Art Porter, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams and Rachelle Ferrell.

Considered by most as “the heir to Grover Washington Jr.’s throne,” the Boston-based musician has been one of the ten highest selling saxmen in the world since 1998 while working as a full professor of music at The Berklee School of Music, where he began teaching in the mid-80s.

• I'm So Happy (12" Remix)
• I'm So Happy (Dub)
• I'm So Happy (7" Version)
• Jump On It

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Walter Beasley.rar Filesize: 30.64 MB

Pennye Ford - Dangerous 1985

Total Experience Records FT 49976

Penny (with or without an 'e') Ford's musical roots run deep, daughter of record exec. Gene Redd Sr. (King Records) and singer Carolyn Ford and sister of Sharon Redd ('Beat the Street'), She was exposed to a lot of music as a result of Dad's work with James Brown and Kool & the Gang. She got into music at five years old, when she started piano lessons and she eventually became an in-demand session vocalist. Ford can rightfully make claim to being "Ms. New Jill" before there was New Jack Swing. She signed with Total Experience Records, home of the Gap Band and can be heard on their hit single I Found My Baby. The New Jack sound owes a lot to the artists of Total Experience.

Ford debuted as a recording artist in her own right on the 1984 album Pennye, which yielded two R&B charters, Change Your Wicked Ways and the slammin' Dangerous (this 12" is a must for dance fans). With production by Jonah Ellis, Oliver Scott, Jimmy Hamilton and Maurice Hayes (Have Myself a Good Time), and Yarborough & Peoples (Don't Stop the Music) Pennye was loaded with sassy soulfulness and is a good precursor of the new jack sound. Remix duty is carried out by Lonnie Simmons, the legendary Total Experience producer that made the Gap Band a success.

Ed Hogan, All Music Guide

• Dangerous (Remix)
• Change Your Wicked Ways (Remix No. 1)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Pennye Ford.rar Filesize: 40.86 MB

The Brand New Heavies - Back To Love 1994

FFRR Records BNHCD4

BNH developed a sophisticated sound that screamed classic soul in an era dominated by Hip Hop. Formed in 1985 by London school friends, Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy the instrumental group were inspired by James Brown, The Meters and other records its members heard while clubbing the rare groove scene in vogue at the moment.

From the 1994 album Brother, Sister, this is The Brand New Heavies with N'Dea Davenport, who then left to complete her solo album (which she had put on hold to join the group). This great track is turned into an absolute monster by Mr. Ray Hayden on the Opaz Club Version. A stunning remix from the master himself. Baby Don't Use Me is an original track, only available on this release (to my knowledge) and certainly worth having if you like the Heavies.

• Back To Love
• Back To Love (Opaz Radio Version)
• Back To Love (Opaz Club Version)
• Baby Don't Use Me

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: BNH - Back To Love CDS.rar Filesize: 28.99 MB

"It seem to me that we don't always get along
If we are trying now dont seem to try too long
Watching your neighbour seems to fill you with alarm
Just coz hes different now
Dont mean he means you harm
City living has got us all pent up inside
When we have problems it seems we all just run and hide
Time to discover why we are feeling this way
Lets let love have its say

Chorus:
I know you need it, brother said he needs it, sister said she needs it,
were all gonna need it someday
We seem to loose our way, somehow got led astray
Thats why Im here to say, gotta get back get back to love
I know you need it, brother said he needs it, sister said she needs it,
were all gonna need it someday
We seem to loose our way, somehow got led astray
Thats why Im here to say, gotta get back get back to it now

Trouble started when we dont communicate
Well build our future now or we can seal our fate
Wasted energy on promises we break
Weve wasted chance now, but still it aint too late
There is a common goal we must all realize
Its time to make a change, in how we live our lives
Time to discover why, we are feeling this way
Lets let love save the day"

Incognito - Out Of The Storm 1996

Talkin' Loud Records TLCD 14

A good song by incognito with some great Def Mix remixes by David Morales who uses the full potential of the song on the Sleaze Mix with trademark piano & drums and some nice string arrangements. The Instrumental Mix is a great addition too. Carl Craig's 10 minute epic Planet E Mix however has left no trace of the song whatsoever but it has a great vibe about it with freestyle drums and a cool synth and heavy bassline, this is certainly more than just a remix. Turn on, tune in and chill out. Bluey's Club Mix is another fine jazzy dancer, as expected, that ties this selection up neatly.

• Morales Radio Edit
• Morales Sleaze Mix
• Morales Instrumental Mix
• C's Planet E Special Mix
• Bluey's Club Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Out Of The Storm CDS.rar Filesize: 56.61 MB

Frankie Knuckles - It's Hard Sometimes 1991

Virgin Records VUSCD 52

Produced by Frankie Knuckles & John Poppo. Written and performed by Frankie along with Danny Madden & Satoshi Tomiie and featuring the wonderful vocal talent of Shelton Becton. It's Hard Sometimes, if I remember correctly, was the introduction to Frankie Knuckles forthcoming album, Beyond The Mix, and boy, did it get a fond welcome. I personally thought it was his best for awhile, until he released Rain Falls.

The beauty of the David Morales Classic Club Mix is in the speed. Slow and soulful with a painfully slow but irresistible House groove. It also features the most gorgeous piano solo, probably played bt Satoshi Tomiie although Eric Kupper, Terry Burrus & Peter 'Ski' Schwartz are also credited but not 'who done what'? The Alternate 12" Mix is more what you would expect, riding on a mid tempo groove but leaving out the piano. I have no idea why it fades with only a minute left. It seems totally pointless but doesn't spoil the listening experience much. If you like to mix with long overlaps then you'll want the 8:02, no fade, version.

• D.M. Classic Radio
• D.M. Classic Club Mix
• Alternate 12" Mix (Fade)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Hard Sometimes CDS.rar Filesize: 26.56 MB