Guy - Do Me Right - UK CDS - (1991)

MCA Records ‎– MCSTD 1551, Uptown Records ‎– MCSTD 1551

A band that really needs no introduction around these parts, Guy are the combined talents of Teddy Riley alongside brothers Aaron and Damian Hall.

If you need to know anything about the boys then check out one of the other Guy posts.

The version on the album was great, drafting in MCA/Uptown Records mainstay Heavy D, cousin of Pete Rock, he was a nice counterpoint to Aaron's always on point vocals. Here Teddy & Co switch it up a little with a new hook "Been thru heartaches and pain..." and some interesting changes to the percussion. Heavy D returns to the track also with a fresh verse for the new mixes.

All good.

Predictably, my favourite here is The Extended Club Version.

Rest in peace, Heav xxx

Tracklist

1. Do Me Right (7" Edit)
2. Do Me Right (Extended Club Version)
3. Do Me Right (Piano Percapella)
4. Do Me Right (Remixed Radio Edit)

Download: G-DMR.7z | Filesize: 42.0MB

Guy - D-O-G Me Out (Remixes) - US CD Maxi - (1991)

MCA Records/Uptown Records MCADS 54151

Re-up - Orignally posted by me on 24/04/2012.

I make no secret of the fact I Love Teddy Riley and Guy.

Formed in Harlem back in 1988 By Riley and close friend Timmy Gatling, and joined shortly thereafter by Charlie Wilson sound-a-like lead vocalist Aaron "Nasty Man" Hall, Guy's first, self-titled album was a huge hit state-side and went triple platinum. The line-up would change shortly after when Gatling left and dancer Damian "Crazy Legs" Hall filled in the gap.

When they dropped their second album, The Future, in 1990 it flipped my head it was so good. There were a rash of killer singles released including "Her", "Do Me Right", "Teddy's Jam 2", "Wanna Get With You", "Let's Chill", "D.O.G. Me Out" and "Let's Stay Together" among others. (I'll be posting some of these over the next few weeks.)

Back in the day I had a VHS tape of some of Guy's videos which came out on the back of The Future's success. The video for D.O.G Me Out was a version of the track that wasn't on the album or even any of the the CD Singles that got released in the UK. It had the funk cranked way up to eleven, had a slammin' beat and featured Aqil "A+" Davidson from Wreckx-n-Effect dropping a dope verse - anyway, after a lot of searching in vain on my part (these were the days before the internet) I managed to track it down when it finally got released UK side on Mastercuts New Jack Swing Vol.3.

It's superior in every way to all the other mixes (even though I love the original), and was, of course, the Single Edit with Rap, which is a shortened version of the Wreckx-n-Effect Rap mix, contained here along with an Instrumental. Also on the single is a slightly different edit of the album track (Single Edit), an extended version of the album track in the Canine Club Mix, as well as the Dogapella, which might come in useful for your own mixes. There's also a "Dub" Mix by Mike Nice.

All in all, it's a really nice release, and a little reminder of just how dope Teddy & Guy were in their prime. Not that we should need it!

Note: I think the track should actually be named D.O.G Me Out rather than D-O-G Me Out, but I've gone with what's on the CD single. Plus using full stops/periods can mess up windows file extensions. 

Tracklist

1. D-O-G Me Out (Single Edit)
2. D-O-G Me Out (Single Edit With Rap)
3. D-O-G Me Out (Canine Club Version)
4. D-O-G Me Out (Wreckx-n-Effect Rap)
5. D-O-G Me Out (Dogapella)
6. D-O-G Me Out (Wrecks N Effectsrumental)
7. D-O-G Me Out (Mike Nice Dub Mix)

Download: G-DMO-R.7z | Filesize: 87.6MB

Guy - I Wanna Get With U - Europe CD Maxi - (1990)

MCA Records ‎– 9031-72997-2

Released the year before The Future album dropped, this gave an indication of how far Guy and Teddy Riley had come as a Producer in such a short space of time. These boys were hungry, and they were taking no prisoners.

Sadly, a dark sequence of events including former manager Gene Griffin allegedly embezzling much of the group's earnings, an ill fated tour supporting New Edition where Guy upstaged the headline act a few dates into the tour, with deadly consequences that saw one of New Edition's production managers shoot and kill Anthony Bee - a member of Guy's security detail; saw both Aaron Hall step back from main vocal duties as well as Guy disbanding well before their time.

All that grim stuff aside, Guy put out some of the best R&B of the era, not least of which was the uber funky I Wanna Get With U, with Teddy taking on most of the vocal duties (but Aaron supplying an amazing bridge section and other background duties like the call and response with TR), it stands today as a great example of a band who, at the time, were top of the world.

And that bassline! Oh my days! :)

I'm not sure which is the best mix for me. The 12" or Club Version will both see you in good hands. Either way, this was one of my favourite tracks on the album.

Enjoy!

Tracklist

1. I wanna Get With U (12" Version)
2. I wanna Get With U (7" Version)
3. I wanna Get With U (Club Version)

Download: G-IWGWU.7z | Filesize: 45.1MB

Guy - Her (Original Mixes) - UK CDS - (1991)

MCA Records ‎– MCSTD 1575

Guy (this line-up comprising Teddy Riley and brothers Aaron Hall and Damian Hall) dropped an absolute monster in the shape of 1990's The Future, their second album. It was such a seminal drop that a good half of the 16 album tracks got single releases.

Sadly, it also marked the beginning of the end of the band; Aaron Hall was already in the process of leaving, with Teddy Riley taking over vocal duties for many of the tracks.

It didn't change the fact that what we got was a straight 10/10 album that had a lasting impact on the music scene. 

Although Teddy would go on to score huge hits with the excellent Blackstreet, Guy will always have a special place in my heart.

There was a CD of House mixes of this track. I have this and can post it if anyone is interested (and probably will do for sake of completion at some stage), but I thought these original versions are more suitable for this place. Hit me up in the comments.

You'll be wanting the Original Mix taken from the album rather than the Edit, but there isn't anything amazing/new in relation to Her on this release. Also included is the Canine Club 12" Version of D.O.G. Me Out, which is brilliant, even though I do prefer the other remix.

Tracklist

1. Her (The Original Edit)
2. D.O.G. Me Out (12" Canine Club Version)
3. Her (The Original Mix)

Download: G-H.7z | Filesize: 29.2MB

Aaron Hall featuring Redman - Curiosity - (1995)

MCA Records, MCADM-55143

320 re-up! This is yet another in a long string of my old posts that have somehow become attributed to Mickey P. - Kymba

Aaron Hall (born August 10, 1964), is an American soul singer and songwriter. He was the silky-voiced lead singer of uber-producer Teddy Riley's New Jack Swing trailblazers Guy. He also sounded more than a little like Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band - no bad thing at all.

Anyway, post-Guy, Aaron had a few solo hits like the superb Don't Be Afraid from the excellent Juice OST, and this track, Curiosity, taken from the Dangerous Minds OST - yes, that's the film that *THAT* Coolio song came from.

It's a nice, funky slice of street-soul, produced and writted by Mr. Dalvin of Jodeci and one Missy Elliott, but the Marley Marl Remix is the one you'll want. It's much, MUCH funkier, and features Redman, probably my favourite rapper, doing a couple of verses that again help lift it above the original.

There's also a nice instrumental for you mixologists out there - something I always look for in a release, although no acapella.

As a point of interest, I've just seen some Youtube vids called Aaron Hall's Dog Rehab with our man working out of LA, training and rehabilitating doggies. As an animal lover that makes me love Aaron even more.

- Kymba :)

Tracklist

1. Curiosity (Marley Marl Remix - Radio Version)
2. Curiosity (Misdemeanor)
3. Curiosity (LP Version)
4. Curiosity (Marley Marl Remix - Instrumental)

Download: AH-C.7z | File size: 38.8MB

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

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

Aaron Hall - Don't Be Afraid - (1992)

MCA Records, MCSTD 1632

It's the 7th of April, and that can only mean ONE thing.... it's Aaron Hall Day today on Soul Vendor, and here's our second offering:

Don't Be Afraid, alongside Teddy Riley & Tammy Lucas's 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 album track (which is still the best mix for me), a track called Vocal Files (which is an alternative acapella take on the chorus), a nice downtempo extra-naughty 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, slightly more melodic version of 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 and it's now in 192kbps, and I've added the full length album version, not listed on the CD single, as it's still the best version of the track.

• Don't Be Afraid (7" Edit)
• Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove)
• Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Version)
• Don't Be Afraid (Sex You Down Instrumental)
• Don't Be Afraid (Nasty Man's Groove Instrumental)
• Don't Be Afraid (The 125th Gangster of the Posse Mix)
• Don't Be Afraid (Piano Jam)
• Don't Be Afraid (Vocal Files)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Don't Be Afraid (Single).zip File size: 31.5 MB