Kicking Back With Taxman ‎– Devotion (1990)

10 Records ‎– TENCD 297

Kicking Back's debut single in 1989 was Keep On Trying, which was followed up with this track featuring Taxman doing his raggamuffin thing as per their third (and final) release, the classy Everything which you can check out here.

It's hard to find info about this band but it seems it was producer John Crossley and vocalist Patcee Francis, with both having writing credits. They only released three singles, and I really like all that I've heard from them.

Devotion, much like Everything, is a great reggae/soul hybrid tune. It's sung beautifully and I dig it as much today as I did back in '91. It might have been nice if they'd seen fit to have a version without the ragga vocals of Taxman as the singing really is that nice but it ain't a deal breaker for me.

Both mixes are cool but the 7" version is the classic take on it for me, and is the version I'd recommend. The third track All I Want (Club Mix) is terribly dated and not really to my tastes. It has some rave/old skool ardcore elements but doesn't commit to that fully enough to interest my ears. 

Still, the title track is wicked.

Tracklist

1. Devotion (7" Mix)
2. Devotion (The-Motive Mix)
3. All I Want (Club Mix)

Download : KB-D.7z | Filesize: 33.5MB

Soul II Soul ‎– Represent (1997)

Island Records, CID668/572087-2

Wow, this CD has an awful cover! No offence, skin-head man... you could be a lovely guy in real life I guess. Luckily the contents are all that and a fat bag o' chips!

So this is another great track from UK heavyweights Soul II Soul, this time featuring the excellent Paul Johnson, who had already made waves on the UK soul scene with the Dodge produced If We Lose Our Way, a track I never managed to get hold of outside of a compilation CD, but would dearly love. *hint hint*

Represent was a fine tune on a very good album. It's chilled and cool, typifying the sound of Soul II Soul, and this version gets two airings here with the Album and Radio Mix.

I actually err on the side of the remixes here though, preferring the more hiphop tinged Full Crew Mix  which turns it into a true banga which I love, and, for the dancefloors, the breakbeat-tastic and oh-so-funky Katt Mix which is in a UK Garage styley.

Having said that, the album/radio versions are really nice, plus there's a Soul Inside mix from our boy Dodge, and you know that man never disappoints.

This is a very rare instance though where I prefer another remix over a Dodge one. That might be the sign of the end times.

Big up Full Crew!

- Kym x

Tracklist

1. Represent (Album mix)
2. Represent (Radio Edit)
3. Represent (Katt Mix)
4. Represent (Soul Inside Reworked Rep Mix)
5. Represent (Full Crew Mix)

Download: SIIS-R.7z | Filesize: 58MB

Driza Bone - Real Love (1991)

4th & Broadway ‎– BRCD 223

Weirdly named after the waterproof clothing line (and I can't think of another artist I can say something similar about), Driza Bone was an alias for musician/producer/writer Vincent Garcia.

This is such a cool understated track and sounds absolutely great to this day. I had it blaring out my car last week and it sounded dope. Everything about this track is just plain nice.

This is the original release from 1991, featuring sultry vocals from Sophie Jones, and is  to date Driza's biggest hit, getting to number 16 in the UK pop charts. It was re-released  in 1995 with a different vocalist and got to number 24 but I don't think I have that version?

Regardless, this is another  under appreciated classic from an era with so many clasics to pick from, and it is chilled UK club-friendly soul of the finest variety.

I tend to go for the Original mix although the Real Jazzy Mix is a fine variation on the theme with extra saxy goodness.

Tracklist

1. Real Love (Radio Edit)
2. Real Love (Original)
3. Real Love (Real Jazzy Mix)
4. Real Love (Real Dub)

Download: DB-RL.7z | Filesize: 42.7MB

Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (1998)

Cooltempo Records CDCOOL 333

Kym says: This is another 320 re-up of a Mick original post from back in the day. New rips, fresh scans. Enjoy.

Lynden David Hall, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist: Born in Wandsworth, South London, 7 May 1974; married; died London 14 February 2006. He won the 'Best Newcomer' accolade at the 1998 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards. Hall appeared in the hit film Love Actually in 2003, where he sang at the wedding of the characters played by Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The 1997 debut album Medicine 4 My Pain made an unprecedented impact on the discerning tastes of the Brit-Soul fraternity being one of the earlier works to get tagged Neo Soul.

Lynden helped pioneer a domestic live arena for British R&B acts, his 1998 highly-publicised headlining shows in Johannesburg and Durban additionally broke interesting new international ground for a contemporary UK soul act. In 1999, he was the first U.K. performer ever voted "Best Male Artist" by the readers of Britain's Blues & Soul magazine. Medicine For My Pain, as well as the singles Do I Qualify and Sexy Cinderella, had an instant appeal to soul fans in the UK and elsewhere, but it was not until his work got the remix treatment that he got his major breakthrough. Hall was, without doubt, the undisputed King of contemporary UK soul. Crescent Moon was the third single from the album, remixed for 1998 by Dodge for Inside (UK) and Cutfather & Joe (US)

Kym's take: I dig the Album Version, St Anne's Jamdown and the 12" Extended Disco Mix. Ain't no disco about that one though!

Tracklist

1. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (Album Version)
2. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (C&J Stripped Mix)
3. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (St. Anne's Jamdown Mix)
4. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (12" Extended Disco Mix)
5. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (Raw Dawg Mix)
6. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (C&J Long Version)
7. Lynden David Hall - Crescent Moon (Radio Edit)

 Download: LDH-CM.7z | Filesize: 73.3MB

Kicking Back - Everything (1990)

Ten Records TENCD 307

Kym says: This is an old 2008 post by Mick. I have it on CDS so I'm re-upping in 320 with fresh artword scans. I adore both Everything and Devotion. Both tracks are wicked. I'll be uploading Kicking Back's two other CD Singles soon as well. Over to Mick x

Featuring Taxman, Kicking Back debuted in 1990 with the single Devotion. It was quickly followed up with this release, Everything, both of which failed to make much of an impact. The only other recording I'm aware of is All I Want, which features on the flipside of the Devotion single.

Everything is a jaunty little soulful tune built on a reggae foundation. Taxman raps in a reggae style (which doesn't appeal to me personally) but the song is soulful, the melody catchy and the female vocal is gorgeous. It's worth a listen guys, it's just a shame nobody done a tax-deductable mix?

Tracklist

1. Everything (Original 7")
2. Everything (Kickin' Mix)
3. Devotion

Download : KB-E.7z | Filesize: 32.3MB

Darkman - Yabba Dabba Doo Reloaded - (1994)

Wildcard Records, Polydor ‎– 851 131-2

For sake of completion here are the Yabba Dabba Doo remixes, big up the one like the DJ Pugwash for the shout on the original post.

My mix of choice is still to this day the Femi Fem (of the Young Disciples) produced Party Like That Mix, but the remixes are all pretty strong. Pugs was bigging up the Mutiny remix, which is probably the best out of these newer mixes, and my junglist leanings have me appreciating the M-Beat version.

- Kym :)

Tracklist

1. Yabba Dabba Doo (La Smoov 7")
2. Yabba Dabba Doo (Original 7")
3. Yabba Dabba Doo (Party Like That Mix)
4. Yabba Dabba Doo (Mutiny One Time For Your Mind Mix)
5. Yabba Dabba Doo (M-Beat Jungle Mix)

Download: D-YDD.7z | File size: 50.5MB

Darkman - Yabba Dabba Doo - (1994)

Wildcard Records, CARDD6 855781-2

320 reup! Looks like this is another of my old posts being attributed to Mickey. Really odd - Fix up, blogger! - Kym

Here's a total banger!

Wildcard were another label on a roll in the early nineties. They'd signed China Black after their massive indie success on the Reggae charts with the still brilliant Searching (available for download elsewhere on TSV - I'll also post up a rip of the original indie release which had different mixes), and helped propel it into the pop charts. They also had Nu Colours, another up and coming urban act, and then they signed Darkman, who would go on to score the biggest UK Hip Hop chart position to date with the infectious Yabba Dabba Doo.

This track absolutely dominated airplay in the UK in the summer of '94. It was massive both on radio and in the clubs. it would blow up again the following year as well when it was remixed and rereleased (I'll post the re-release at a later date for sake of completion). However, the finest version of it for me was always the Party Like That Mix, available on both releases.

The Ghetto Lab mix is interesting for the more gangsta take on the lyrics, the 7" Mix is thoroughly decent, as is the bonus track What's not Yours, but, as stated above, it's the anthemic Party Like That Mix all the way for this girl.

Some trivia - Yabba Dabba Doo was produced by Darkman AND a guy called Micky P (I'm pretty sure he was the same Micky P who used to be on KISS FM back in the day, when it was actually good) - no relation to our Soul Vending founder.  Also,  there was additional production by the Young Disciples' very own Femi Fem. Cool, huh?

- Kymba :)

Tracklist

1. Yabba Dabba Doo (7" Mix)
2. Yabba Dabba Doo (Party Like That Mix)
3. What's Not Yours (Power Lab Censored Mix)
4. Yabba Dabba Doo (Ghetto Lab Mix)

Download: D-YDD.7z | File size: 40.4MB

Mantronix (Featuring Wondress) - Got To Have Your Love - (1989)

EMI / Electrola Records CDP560-20 3654 2

320 reupness.

"Top hit in UK!!" LOL

I pestered poor Mickey to post a rip of his vinyl copy of this a couple of years back when I couldn't find my CD. I've since dug out my Mantronix records though, so this is a new post for the CD single. Mick has already done a wicked write up as usual, but I'll add my thoughts on this one.

To be perfectly honest with you, this is a massive song for me. The album version, not included on this single, was great but the extra Funky Drummer break (Kurtis Mantronik really liked his funky drummer breakbeats), funky raps and club breakdown on the Club With Bonus Beats took it to another level.

The Hard to Get Rap version is just the rap verses on their own, without Wondress doing her thang, and the Luv Dub strips out the melodic instrumentation to let the sista flow over the more hip-hop style club beats.

If you want my recommendation head straight to track 1 (Club with Bonus Beats) for eight and a half minutes of musical brilliance, and one of my all time favourite songs.

Tracklist

1. Got To Have Your Love (Club With Bonus Beats)
2. Got To Have Your Love (Hard To Get Rap)
3. Got To Have Your Love (Luv Dub)

Download:  M-GTHYL.7z | Filesize: 38.4MB

New York Undercover 4-Track EP (1996)

MCA Records ‎– MCSTD 48002

This is a great EP containing a selection of tracks, some R&B and some more Hip Hop in nature.

The thing kicks off with an at-the-time unforeseen Guy reunion in Tell Me What You Like, which predated their third LP. I was hyped to have the boys back as they had split acrimoniously a few years prior, with Teddy Riley forming BlackStreet in the wake of the fallout. Anyway, this is a seriously dope track and required listening for any Guy or New Jack Swing fan like me.

Next up is the Little Shawn track Dom Perignon and it is FIRE (no pun intended, sample spotters). Sampling Kool & The Gang's dope Too Hot track and Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious BIG from his break-out Party & Bullshit (I love that track) this one's a killer cut and was also great for the dancefloor. That Kool & The Gang loop always sounds so dope - so smooth and just begging for some nice flows, which Shawn capably provides. 

(Speaking of, our very own DJ Filthy Rich served up a phatt blend of Dom Perignon and Party & bullshit which you can (and should) check out here. Thanks, Rich.)

Monifah is up next with an almost classic joint that never quite hit the heights of some of her contemporaries. I Miss You is nice enough and made a big enough splash at the time but she faded into relative obscurity. Please correct me if I am wrong. Still, Easy Moe Bee provides a dope remix here and is well worth having.

The Lost Boyz track is kinda nice for my Hip Hop heads. Mr Cheeks is always dope! A real head nodder. Parental advisory though lol

All in all it is a wicked slice of mid nineties R&B/Hip Hop - in fact, I'd forgotten just how good this was. A nice snapshot of a time when music seemed so much better.

Tracklist

1. Guy - Tell Me What You Like
2. Little Shawn - Dom Perignon
3. Monifah - I Miss You (Da Street Mix)
4. The Lost Boyz - Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz And Benz (Sparks Meets Dawg Mix)

Download: NYUEP.7z | Filesize: 36.7MB

Maxwell - Til The Cops Come Knockin' The Opus - (1996)

Columbia ‎– COL 663179 2

Tracks do not come any more sexy and sizzling than this beautifully crafted piece from brother Maxwell.

I won't wax lyrical too much as Mick has already been there and done that regarding the other cd single.

And here is the Discogs entry.

Suffice to say I think it is a brilliant track off an equally brilliant album. Clock in with Part 3 Uncut for the best track, or, better still, play the entire CDS in a single sitting for maximum sensual overload.

Tracklist

1. Til The Cops Come Knockin' PT.01
2. Til The Cops Come Knockin' PT.02
3. Til The Cops Come Knockin' PT.03 Uncut
4. Lock You Up N' Love Fa Days PT.04
5. Lock You Up N' Love Fa Days Unsung PT.05 

Download: M-TTCCKTO.7z| Filesize: 66.6MB

Jodeci - Let's Go Through The Motions - (1993)

Uptown/MCA Records, UPTDM-54636

Jodeci were the heirs apparent to the New Jack throne vacated by the disbanding of Guy. A little tougher, perhaps. A little more street, definitely. A little more gospel tinged, too. They'd already enjoyed good success with their 1991 debut album, Forever My Lady, which more or less passed me by thanks to the awesomeness of Guy's The Future, released the same year, which stole all the limelight, as far as I was concerned... but that's another story (and another selection of posts).

However, forward on two years to '93 and Guy had gone their separate ways. Good timing then for Jodeci to drop their much harder, more "gangsta" 2nd album Diary Of A Mad Band, which (deservedly) blew up in a huge way. There were no filler tracks, save for Jodecidal Hotline, which was a skit anyway, and only three ballads, and then, a gradual slide into dirtier, and funkier territory with each track after that. It was a real tour de force.

Really though - this album was a straight banga.

The album served as a launching platform for such greats as Timbaland (who was an understudy of Devante), Missy Elliott (heard rapping on two of the tracks) and Ginuwine - they were all members of DeVante's Swing Mob team at this point.

It was a huge hit... and what do you know? Before the year was out, from H-Town to Kreuz, every R&B band and their dog were sounding like Jodeci.

That same year, Jodeci contributed an upbeat party jam to the excellent Who's The Man soundtrack album (I've still never seen that film, but I always loved Ed Lover and Dr Dre on "Yo! MTV Raps") called Let's Go Through the Motions. It wasn't one of their bigger hits, but remains a club smasher. It was a new track, not culled from Diary..., although later editions of that album would include Let's Go Through The Motions, and their cover of the Stevie Wonder classic Lately as extra tracks. The track itself features funky fresh hip hop production feels and just bangs. Utterly essential.

I love this track, hope you do too.

Enjoy!

- Kymba :)

Tracklist

1. Let's Go Through the Motions (radio)
2. Let's Go Through the Motions (instrumental)
3. Let's Go Through the Motions (intro radio)

1. Bonus - Let's Go Through the Motions (album version)

Download :  J-LGTTM.7z | File size: 40.7 MB

PS - I've also included the original full-length track from the Who's The Man album, in addition to the three tracks on this CD single.

Raw Stylus - Pushing Against The Flow (1996)

Wired Recordings WIRED 224

Kymba says: Re-upped this magnificent CDS in 320! Over to you, Micky...

Raw Stylus was 'Class-A Sound System Soul'. Ron Aslan and Jules Brookes, released white label vinyl records into the funky London club scene which bloomed post Soul II Soul in the early 90's. The best known Raw Stylus track this side of the pond, would be Pushing Against The Flow which was originally spread about on white label, as early as 1992. At that time Debbie Ffrench was on vocal duty. When the band travelled to the US, to record with Gary Katz, Donna Gardier had replaced her. I assume the 1995 versions have retained the Ffrench vocal.

Pushing... was a big underground tune and eventually became the title track of the album. Giles Petersen named it his track of the year and Paul Weller (Jam, Style Council) claimed it 'should have been a No.1 record' in The Face. Other early singles were: Bright Lights, Big cities (White Label), Many Ways (Mo' Wax) & Use Me (Acid Jazz).

A plethora of very healthy mixes to suit almost any occasion, bloody aggravating isn't it. Dave Lee, in his Joey Negro alter-ego. turns out another disco house happy clapper in a very Jamiroquai sort of style. Alvin Speight slows things down to a swagger for a soulful funk, gate that snare baby. Yes Tosh, the Frankie Foncett Funk 12" is a superb R'n'B grind with a gangsta lean, I love the dialogue on the intro. A funky groove but ruff with what sounds like a goose punctuating every line? Personally, I still favour the Raw Stylus mixes, the Original White Label just taking the prize. The Raw Stylus Dark Mix is, without doubt, a killa groove! Sliding in with an accapella intro, it drops with a noise that sounds like a jet about to take off just prior to the baddest bass line knocks the cobwebs outta your woofers. You know when you been tango'ed! ;-)

Kymba says: I'm just updating the DL link to a 320, and I couldn't resist adding my own two cents to the above considering how much I love this track. The Frankie Foncett mixes are hot, and Mickey's "Goose" is a distorted lo-fi horn stab - it's basically a sampling, or recreation, of Craig Mack's Flava In Your Ear. That's my third favourite mix. Second fave is the very badass indeed Raw Stylus Dark Mix, but nothing beats the Original White Label Version for both Micky me - and that includes every single track on the remixes CD of this which I will be posting on here very soon.

PS - The Joey Negro versions are pretty good if house is your thang. You've gotta love that cheeky recreation of Diana Ross's anthem Love Hangover bassline too!

Overall, this is a great CDS - the original is flawless and the remixes are on point. What a sublime release.

Tracklist

1. 7" Edit
2. Raw Stylus Dark Mix
3. Original White Label
4. Joey Negro Extended Mix
5. Alvin Speights Main 12" Mix
6. Fronkie Foncett Funk 12"

Download: RS-PATF.7z| Filesize: 80.2 MB

SWV - Anything (1994)

RCA/BMG, LC0316

Once upon a time, this wise lady (well, okay, not so wise, as it was me) said "we're all about the continuity here on The Soul Vendor", so, with that in mind, to follow on from Mickey's SWV Downtown post which mentions the excellent remix of Anything, I figured I'd post... the excellent remix of Anything.

The album mix of Anything on It's About Time never really did much for me; it was nice enough, just not as good as some of the other tracks, so I wasn't exactly that worried about it getting a single release... until I heard the remix, that is...

Draft in Allstar (Allen Gordon Jr) to provide a beefed up vibe for the track, with funky block-party style beats and a loop (and horns) sampled from disco-funk classic "Get Up and Dance" by Freedom, bring in Joe on backing vocals, and top it off with the biggest thing to happen to hiphop in the 90's (and, arguably, since), the Wu-Tang Clan (or at least members ODB, Meth & U-God) to drop a funky rhyme to round it out, and you have something seriously big on your hands.

This is a booty-shakin', hands in the air party jam of the highest order - and to think it was a slow-jam on the album.

The CD Single contains a slightly remixed album version (with a naughty sample of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing drums laced underneath), and an instrumental of the album version, but it really is all about the Old Skool Mix, as mentioned above. It's a killer! There's also an Old Skool Party Mix, which is similar, but has various vocals and beats dropping in and out - almost in a dub style - it's not bad, and might be handy for mixing, but stick with track one for the full flava is the advice from yours truly.

- Kymba :)

PS - Sorry about the CD scan - it didn't come out at all well

Tracklist

1. Anything (Old Skool Mix featuring Wu-Tang Clan)
2. Anything (Album Remix)
3. Anything (Old Skool Party Mix)
4. Anything (Album Instrumental)

Download: S-A.7z | Filesize: 50MB