Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now (1989)

Cold Chillin' ‎– W 2635T

Here's a quick and dirty post of an utterly brilliant 12".

Apologies upfront as this is a vinyl rip, and while my rip is great, I no longer have access to to the large scanner I used to use, so I've had to borrow an image from Discogs.

The audio rip itself is particularly good. It's a 320kbp rip of a treasured slice of wax. Being a bit OCD I used to tape record my 12" records as soon as I bought them, and then leave the 12" alone, meaning there are very few pops and crackles. It sounds almost like a CD rip.

Anyway, about this tune. The original is okay, but far from Kane's greatest track. However, the two Brixton Bass remixes here (track 1 'Brixton Bass Mix; and track 3 'UPSO Mix' are phenomenal and really elevate it. 

The pick of the bunch is the titular Brixton Bass mix, with it's sweet and slick production. This mix transformed it into a smooth summer jam you can bump in your whip to this day and it sounds pretty damn fresh still, and, aside from Kane mentioning the year on a couple of occasions, has aged like a fine wine. I absolutely adore this track!

In addition to the quality of the main remix, the UPSO Mix is really good, too. Yeah, it may not be quite as amazing, but the tougher sounding UPSO Mix is still way better than the original and flexes its muscles with a lovely reverse JBs/The Grunt loop, and will satisfy the street crowd.

All in all, this is a pretty essential release, especially if, like me, you adore Big Daddy Kane.

Tracklist

1. Ain't No stoppng Us Now (Brixton Bass Mix)
2. Ain't No stoppng Us Now (LP Version)
3. Ain't No stoppng Us Now (UPSO Mix)

Download: BDK-ANSUN.7z | Filesize: 31.3MB

Omar - Keep Steppin' (1994)

RCA Records 74321233672

So, the 12" of this was posted previously by Mick, but this is a new 320kbp rip of the two CD singles, with freshly scanned artwork, so I figured I'd put up a new post.

I love the positive lyrics in this track. Check them out:

Keep Steppin’
O. Lye-Fook/D. Frank

When you’re walking talking steady you're ready,
To be dealing with your own inhibitions,
If I told you so you’d never believe me,
That you yourself must make those crucial decisions

It’s never too late, To do what you want,
Things can go right, You’ve got to be strong

Don’t be bullied in your own little corner,
Weigh up your principles with dignity and honour,
We all have our own ways of moving,
Sometimes the other people can’t see that we’re grooving

Repeat chorus

Keep on steppin' heads up up don’t worry,
You get yours i get mine to the next story,
Pick up the pace blackness in your face,
So much flava with my very own taste,
Giving it all ’cause it’s all that i'm giving,
Now who can stop me from my choice of living,
Politics hurts in a life that costs,
Concrete is down and my advice is step off

Give me something that makes it worth me living,
Want some mountain air ’cause i don’t care, For this pollution I am breathing,
Gonna let go of this excess baggage i am carrying,
I'm gonna reach so high it feels like i am truly truly flying

Repeat chorus

I ain’t so old to learn something new,
Too blind to see, Too deaf to hear,
Too dumb to understand the truth,
When will we all learn,
So we can all use, The wisdom for a greater meaning

Co-produced by Omar and David Frank for Muso Music Inc.

Omar .. vocals, keyboards
Dave Frank .. Keyboards, programming
Concrete .. rap

Mick said: "A collection of mixes on this '94 CD Single from RCA. The original release is backed up by the Uptight Remix by Rodney Hunter (Moreaus) & Demon Flowers (Werner Geier of Kruder & Dorfmeister). It features additional vocals from Leena Conquest (Boundaries).

Next up comes from Gang Starr's DJ Premier and features Uptown (Dope On Plastic). Last but not least, we have two mixes from London's Ghetto Lab featuring Darkman with his own inimitable rap style. The last mix is an Acapella featuring Darkman. No unreleased tracks though, which is a shame but then what do you want for £3."

Kymba says: CD1 is a suite of mixes. As a big fan of Gang Starr and DJ Premier, it's no secret that I love his mix. The main melody is sampled and cut up from Bob James' Touchdown, sample spotters.  The Ghetto Lab Mix is a typical Darkman affair and pretty dope. The Ghettapella will be of use to you mixologists, too.

However, for me, it is the Uptight Remix (featuring Leena Conquest blessing us with some sultry backing vocals) that towers above the other versions. It's funkier, punchier and really brings that funk out of Omar's original vocal recording. The fact that there's a Skull Snaps/New Day breakbeat in there helps. Man, I love that break! This is the mix I bought the CD for back in the day.

CD2 has the LP version of Keep Steppin', backed up with Omar's biggest cut, There's Nothing Like this and topped off with a beautiful duet with Carleen Anderson of The Young Disciples.

This 2 disc set is a great release, so get it while it's fresh!

Tracklist CD1

1. Keep Steppin' 
2. Keep Steppin' (Uptight Remix featuring Leena Conquest) 
3. Keep Steppin' (DJ Premier Mix featuring Uptown) 
4. Keep Steppin' (Ghetto Lab Mix featuring Darkman) 
5. Keep Steppin' (Ghettapella featuring Darkman) 

Tracklist CD2

1. Keep Steppin' 
2. There's Nothing Like This 
3. Who Chooses The Seasons (Duet featuring Carleen Anderson) 

Download here: O-KS.7z | Filesize: 78.3 MB

Omar - For Pleasure (1994)

BMG ‎– 74321208532, RCA ‎– 74321208532

Listen, before I start the review proper I feel the need to preface it with the following: we're not in the business of posting up entire albums on the Soul Vendor. We're all about venerating certain artists and primarily posting dope CD Singles containing mixes that, criminally, would be otherwise lost to time.

However, this album is special and deserving of veneration. It's out of print and only available on the secondary market, often for silly money (I'm looking at you Amazon third party sellers). Please do all you can to support the artist if you dig his work. Omar is the very definition of "legendary" and is one of the rare UK soul artists who had a very palpable influence on the US artists, essentially creating "neo soul" before it was even a thing.

Omar released For Pleasure back in July 1994 to widespread acclaim. Known mainly for the super-smooth joint There's Nothing Like This and the fabulous Your Loss My Gain, this time around Omar dropped an absolute BOMB of an album in For Pleasure which had a lot more swagger about it. The production had a touch more of the hiphop about it, and the tracks, for my tastes, were of a higher standard.

The first track proper, I'm Still Standing, is as infectious as the flu, and a great way to kick things off. I love how Omar plays those keys - it really makes me regret dropping my piano lessons! Next up is Saturday, probably my favourite cut off the album. That Monstrous bassline had me at first listen. Keep Steppin' is dope with its positive lyrics, but I preferred the Uptight Remix on the CD Single. Other choice cuts would be Need You Bad, Confection, Making Sense Of It with its square synth bass lead and the title track For Pleasure, in which Omar sounds like he's channelling Stevie Wonder on those keys!

For Pleasure remains a gem in the crown of UK soul and, for me at least, a true seminal moment. I hope it brings you as many eargasms as it did me.

Tracklist

1. My Baby Says
2. I'm Still Standing
3. Saturday
4. Keep Steppin'
5. Magical Mystery Interlude
6. Outside
7. Little Boy
8. Need You Bad
9. Can't Get Nowhere
10. Confection
11. Magical Mystical Way
12. Making Sense Of It
13. For Pleasure

Download here: O-FP.7z | Filesize: 118MB

Aaron Hall - Don't Be Afraid (1992)

SOUL Records, MCA Records - MCSTD 1632

I originally posted this in April '09, but as this is a brand new, 320kbps rip with some extra tracks,  so I've made a new post.

Don't Be Afraid, alongside Teddy Riley & Tammy Lucas' 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 Juice OST track (which is still the best mix for me) which removes the female singer's parts, a track called Vocal Files (which is an alternative acapella take on the chorus), a nice downtempo, quiet storm type 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, more melodic pop take on 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 in 320kbps, and I've added the full length Juice OST album version, not listed on the CD single (as it's still the best version of the track) along with the versions from The Truth album

1. Don't Be Afraid (7" Edit)
2. Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove)
3. Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Version)
4. Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Instrumental)
5. Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove Instrumental)
6. Don't Be Afraid (The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix)
7. Don't Be Afraid (Piano Jam)
8. Don't Be Afraid (Vocal Files)

• Bonus:  Don't Be Afraid (Introduction - taken from The Truth)
• Bonus:  Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Some Mo' Version - taken from The Truth)
• Bonus:  Don't Be Afraid (Jazz You Up Version - taken from The Truth)
• Bonus:  Don't Be Afraid (Original - taken from the Juice OST)

Download here: Don't Be Afraid (Single).zip | File size: 83.450MB

Mickey P's Original "The Soul Vendor" Site?

Mickey P's original site.

Archivists may be interested to know that Mickey's original "Soul Vendor" blog has now resurfaced from the "Blogosphere" just as mysteriously as when it first disappeared and is now available to visit again for nostalgic and informative purposes, as the posts were initially published in a slightly different order.
However, no new content will be posted over there.
For all intents and purposes, Kymba's site here is the official home of "The Soul Vendor" and all new posts will only appear on this blog address. Plus every single post from the first Soul Vendor blog has been reproduced on here, albeit in a slightly different running order.

But, if anybody is interested in revisiting Mickey's  original site, they can now do so, by clicking on the following link here.

The Chimes - The Chimes 1990

CBS Records 466481-1

When The Chimes released 1-2-3, I feared the worst. I suspected another Pop/Soul band to lower the tone of British Dance music. Heaven was a good quality, stronger song but it wasn't until I heard an album track that I realised there was something special here.

It was Stronger Together that convinced me that I needed to buy this album and what a great decision that was. Every track on the album is strong with 1-2-3 being (IMHO) the weakest of the collection. The Chimes managed to do for I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, what Mica Paris would later do for One. U2 ballads seem to translate well to soul arrangements. This is an album that would be well worth having on CD if it's been released?

Worth mentioning here that Pauline Henry was the voice of The Chimes but the main man was Michael Peden, who also produced YoYo Honey.

• Love So Tender
• Heaven
• True Love
• 1-2-3
• Underestimate
• Love Comes To Mind
• Don't Make Me Wait
• Stronger Together
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
• Stay

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: 1990 The Chimes.rar Filesize: 66.44 MB

Mica Paris - If I Love U 2 Nite 1991

4th & Broadway 12 BRW 207

This was a superb release from the Parisienne, the best collection of songs on a Mica 12" since last year! Three different styles, all perfectly executed, great production and all on one twelve. I've bought albums with less content. A lot of albums, actually?

For those with not-so-good eyesight, I've enlarged the minute credits cos they are very important and also... interesting. Yes, I said interesting! I'm also summarising here cos they're bloody confusing?

Basically, If I Love U 2 Nite is the commercial tune, remixed by Nellee Hooper (Soul II Soul & Wild Bunch), produced by Camus Mare Celi, Andres Levin & Mica Paris and engineered by Howie Bernstein with beats by Dobi (both SIIS). It's interesting because no mention is made of the fact that it's written by TAFKAP himself, Prince..... but, the cover is respectfully purple!

I Wish I'd Never Met You is the real soul tune, produced by Patrick Moten and Joseph A. Greene for Golden Empire, mixed by Elliott Peters & Chris Fuhrman at Ground Control, Santa Monica. Engineered by Craig Burbidge & Anthony Jeffries at Aire, LA, strings arranged by Patrick Moten and Gene Page, sax by Gerald Albright courtesy of Atlantic. Mica duets with The Poet himself, Bobby Womack courtesy of CBS. Does she sound like his second violin... does she heck! The little lass holds her own and the pair sing up a storm. This track is heavenly, Mica was born to write and sing this track!

Stand Up (Extended Mix) is the serious dance floor tune, produced by Ultimatum for Gee Street and engineered by Tyrell.

The record label credits Prince inside of course, and it's interesting to note that Mica wrote the Bobby duet with Patrick Moten. My limited understanding of credits leads me to assume that she wrote the lyrics and Moten composed the music. She also wrote Stand Up with Rhallia Birch & Nick Hallam (Stereo MC's). Pretty cool for a South London lass, don't you think?

I wonder if you can still contact:

The Parisienne
P.O. Box 237,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey,
CR7 8SX,
UK

My old stompin' grounds back in the 80's ;-)

• If I Love U 2 Nite (Nellee's Club U 2 Nite Mix)
• If I Love U 2 Nite (Nellee's Club U 2 Nite Edit)
• I Wish I'd Never Met You (Duet with Bobby Womack)
• Stand Up

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Mica 1991.rar Filesize: 37.23 MB

File hosting

Looking for a decent quality (free) file hosting site, one with no adware/malware as I want our listeners to have the best possible experience.

ZippyShare? Mega? Another?

Does anyone have any recommendations?

The Brand New Heavies - Sometimes 1997

FFRR Records BNHCD 8

That sticker alone would have made this CD single essential to me. Anything sporting a Masters At Work remix was a 'must have' in my book but, let's step back a little and look at the list of accolades on this release.

The Brand New Heavies hit the scene via the UK's Acid Jazz movement. In the late 80's they were an instrumental funk outfit playing new retro music to Soul music's 'Rare Groove' crowd. For their first album the group featured the incredible vocals of Jay Ella Ruth on a few tracks. For various reasons, the group then hired the services of the very competent N'Dea Davenport who became a member and brought much polish to the bands veneer. The down side of this was the decision to re-record the debut album which resulted in the Jay Ella Ruth recordings being virtually forgotten. For their third album Shelter, from which this single was taken (fifth if you include the re-recording of the debut and sideline rap release Heavy Rhyme Experience) N'Dea Davenport had split for a solo career and the band brought in Siedah Garrett, a much lauded vocalist who had sung with Dennis Edwards, Michael Jackson & Maysa Leak (Incognito).

As an album track, Sometimes was one of the stronger tracks and it was therefore a logical choice for single release. The remix treatment by 'Little' Louie Vega & Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez on the MAW Smooth Mix created a nice vocal dancefloor track. Much of the House music fodder was void of vocals and this is why Masters At Work have always been considered a cut (or six) above the rest. I don't consider this mix to be one of their better examples but in 1997 I thought it was great. There were quite a few MAW remixes of this track on vinyl.

Finally, the unique feature on this release for me is Q Tip. The acclaimed rapper/producer from A Tribe Called Quest, who came to the attention of the public via De La Soul and the Native Tongues Posse. Q Tip has since appeared on many releases and remixes but this was a new thing at the time. The Ummah (Arabic for "brotherhood") was a production team consisting of members of A Tribe Called Quest and Jay Dee. Their work on this release is what keeps it fresh. Enjoy!

• Radio Edit
• MAW Smooth Mix
• Ummah Remix
• Nuyoricans Meet The Heavies

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Sometimes (BNHCD 8).zip Filesize: 36.27 MB

Brand New Heavies - The Ticket E.P. 1994

The Ticket Cassette 1

So, what can I tell you? The Ticket was a magazine that appeared on the bookshelves in London for a very brief spell before disappearing into magazine oblivion. It was quite a classy mag but amidst the glut of club lifestyle mags on the shelves at the time, it found no interest. I was lucky enough to spot the Brand New Heavies cassette stuck to the front and that was it.

To my knowledge these tracks, all written and produced by BNH, have not turned up anywhere else since BUT... I'm no expert on The Heavies. Touch Of Your Love and Keep Together were recorded at RAK in London, while Country Funkin' and Acid One were recorded in Hollywood Sounds, LA in August & September 1993. Enjoy!

• Touch Of Your Love
• Country Funkin'
• Keep Together
• Acid One

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: The Ticket.zip
Filesize: 27.44 MB

Sorry about the cover scan, it's in good condition but the scan is nasty?
I have included CD sized cover art in the rar.

Mary J. Blige - Real Love (YD Remixes) 1992

MCA Records MCSTD 1721

Todays post comes courtesy of my main man Sasha:

"I have the 12" back home in Australia but have just found it on CD Single. It was released in the UK in 1992 and the mixes are definitely as good as I remembered. Check out Track 3 and Track 4 for some really special and soulful mixes.

p.s. I have also included some of the other Blacksmith remixes that were on a 1993 UK 12" of Real Love, that someone sent me - vinyl rip. Cheers, Sasha"

A quick summary then, Real Love came out on 25th August 1992, the second release lifted from her excellent début album, What's the 411? It boasts executive production by Sean 'Puffy' Combs and is written and produced by Mark C. Rooney and Mark Morales (again). The track is built on a drum sample from Audio Two's 1988 classic, Top Billin'. The Hip Hop Mix by Bad Boy Ent. features a sample of Betty Wright's 1972 single, Clean-Up Woman and the first appearance of The Notorious B.I.G., then going by the name Big E. Smalls. The vinyl has the Hip Hop Club mix which much the same but without the acappella intro.

Then they brought out the UK Remix 12" which added '2 Special Mixes By The Young Disciples' and suddenly we have something to talk about. This is The Soul Vendor blog, we aren't interested in simply Classic Soul & R&B that everybody has in their collection. We try to target the long forgotten obscure and unusual mixes that you can't find. I think this fits the bill. Femi Fem of The Young Disciples on the controls and incorporating the services of Mad Marco, Phil Linton, Incognito's Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick on guitar and Omar Lye-Fook on keyboards. The Fresh 'N Funky Mix is my fav but The Talkin' Love Mix is just as good.

In the bonus collection you will find the 1993 MCA Records release on MCSX 1922. There were two 12"s with the same serial number (as with this 1992 12"). One featuredthe Phat Mix built on the Roy Ayers 'Love Will Bring Us Back Together' mentioned by Tosh. The other, absolute clincher here, featured the two Blacksmith mixes, the Brixton Flavour 12" and the Blacksmith's Summer Sound 12" both mixed by The Funk Mob with a rap by Sniper.

The Uptown 411 Remix featuring Biggie's rap and an introduction by Puffy, is the Hip Hop Mix with the intro changed. I'm not sure as to what release it is from?

• Album Version
• Hip Hop Mix
• The Fresh 'N Funky Mix
• The Talkin' Love Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Real Love (Mixes).zip  Filesize: 59.25 MB

Special request / New for 2012

This will probably be pointless, but here goes...

If you want to download any of this amazing music, please take a moment to post a comment on why you like that song, what it means to you, some trivia about it... whatever. And don't be anonymous either. If you haven't got a Google ID then use the Name/URL option and put in your facebook or just a dummy URL. Help us keep this music alive and don't just download and take without giving back.

Show the artists some love and get involved, good people! 

Oh, and d'ya like the new look?

Peace & Luvizm.

Mickey & Kymba

A big THANK YOU to all who do take the time to join in. It really does mean a lot to us. Shout outs to active members such as Nitro, Mark S, Sasha, Frank Black aka Windowlicker, Tosh, DJ Bounce, the one Jaybilla, Seth J, BadBoySoul, and our boys from Brasil José Manuel aka Alifunk & DJ Larry (are you two still out there? We miss you guys!) and others. Your contributions to the site make all our  time & effort ripping the CDs & vinyl, scanning all the artwork and writing the reviews worthwhile.

PS - Got LOTS of really nice releases coming on here over the next few weeks. I think you're gonna love it. I can also make lossless rips of any of my posts if you ask nicely.

PPS - Have you got CD Singles or 12"s that belong on here, and can you scan the artwork? Don't be shy of posting a link for us.