Lina - It's Alright (Gang Starr Remix) (Promo Single) - (2001)

Atlantic ‎– PRCD 300669

I'm a big fan of Lina (born Shelina Wade of Denver Colorado), she's got a classy, classic jazz vocalist style, steeped in the traditions of Sarah Vaughn et al. She gets overlooked by many, I feel, which is a real shame.

If you've never investigated Lina before, I can't recommend her albums highly enough. Stranger On Earth, Morning Star (if you can get it for a reasonable price) and The Inner Beauty Movement in particular are amazing, but she's never put out anything less than great to my knowledge. 

This promo CD is a remix of a track allegedly from the Stranger On Earth album, although it's not on my copy of it! What's that about?

Anyway, the original is dope, and has a completely different, laid-back vibe. Sadly that versions not present here on this promo CD (you can find that here). What we have, though, is a simple stripped back, dirty, funky dance-floor friendly groove. Try listening without bobbing your head or even wanting to shake that ass. It's impossible.

My man DJ Premier (although I note Guru is listed as co-producer?) wisely doesn't overdo anything, and lets Lina's vocals shine through. It's essentially a drum track, with some reversed stabs and occasional rhodes style vibes. While the instrumentation is minimal, it helps propel the track by giving it some urgency and a real nice punchy feel.

The No Rap version is great and a really quick bullet of funky shit, weighing in at 2:20 and it's done. For my money though, track one is where it's at. It is still short, but has two verses from Guru who is admittedly going through the numbers here, but it's still wicked  (gotta have me some Guru, right?). The Instrumental is a welcome addition, but the call out Hook is a waste of time being just a small slice of the chorus, and not even in accapella! I'd have rather had an extended mix or the original version.

Still, it IS a promo (and seriously hot it is too).

Tracklist

1. It's Alright (Gang Starr Remix)
2. It's Alright (Gang Starr Remix - No Rap)
3. It's Alright (Gang Starr Remix - Instrumental)
4. It's Alright (Gang Starr Remix - Call Out Hook)

Download: L-IA-GSR.7z | Filesize: 20.3MB

Mona Lisa - Can't Be Wasting My Time (Promo) - (1996)

Island Records ‎– 422-854 538-2

Kimberly Leadbetter (born November 20, 1979), better known by her professional stage name Mona Lisa, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, model and record producer. She had a few singles, but this was by far her biggest joint and featured on the Don't Be A Menace... OST.

While I love this track I have always had a problem with it - specifically how it lists Butnaked Tim Dawg (and Mr Sex - great name) as the sole producers but it's basically an instrumental of KRS 1's MC's Act Like They Don't Know, produced by my boy DJ Premier. That's without even getting to the original sample used by Preemo (Clifford Brown's Yesterday's in case you're acting like you don't know (see what I did there?)).

Buttnaked Tim Dawg did a lot of that - borrowing heavily from whatever Hip Hop tune was big at the time and making an R&B track from it. See the Dawghouse Remix of Christopher Williams' dope Every Little Thing You Do on this site for further evidence where he once again stole from DJ Premier. I ain't aganst sampling, hell, the  music I love is built upon it, but credit where credit is due.

The production credits do not mention Premier or even Clifford Brown at all. Scandalous!

My production credit gripes aside, this is a great slice of forgotten mid 90s US R&B.

I only have the promo CD so don't have the extra mixes. This CD simply contains with and without rap versions, so take your pick as to what floats your boat. Having said that, the rap is by Mr Cheeks of the Lost Boyz so guess what I'm chosing? :D

Tracklist

1. Can't Be Wasting My Time (One Dread One Ball Head Version) (With Rap)
2. Can't Be Wasting My Time (One Dread One Ball Head Version) (Without Rap)

Download: ML-DBWMT.7z | Filesize: 19.9MB

D'Angelo - Lady CD1 & CD2 (1996)

Cooltempo Records 7243 8 82914 2

Kym's note: This was my first ever contribution to this site back in the day, although the boss man did the post. It's now in full 320 for your audio pleasure. My D'Angelo CDs are in storage right now so I can't redo the artwork. I'll re scan them and add to these D'Angelo posts as soon as I am able but for now we're stuck with the images rescued from our old file hosting platform. Back over to Mick...

OK Family, major props to the lovely Kymba who has provided not only both parts of this 2 CD release but also, all of the artwork, scanned full size so all the dodgy small print can be read. Great work Honey, looking forward to the YD 12".

The Brown Sugar album finally got some recognition when Lady made the charts a year later in 1996. Although Cruisin' and Brown Sugar were superb releases, Lady was always lauded as a great album track, way before it's single release.

The first CD features a superb Live rendition which proves that D'Angelo is no studio creation. The musicians and backing are all top notch (assuming the band is live too, of course). Track 3 is subtitled Just Tha Beat Mix and features a rap from AZ. It is a straight up street mix. For a short while in the early 90's, this sparse production style was referred to as Drum & Bass, anyone else remember that?

The last track on this CD is what the fuss is about really, Carl McIntosh, no relation to CJ, provides his own remix of Cruisin' and a great job he makes of it. This would have been an essential track had the Wet Mix wasn't already perfect. It doesn't matter though because, what the Wet Mix does in the bedroom, this will do on the dancefloor. Try not to get arrested guys.

Tracklist

1. Lady (CJ Mackintosh Radio Edit)
2. Lady (Live Version)
3. Lady (Just Tha Beat Mix)
4. Cruisin' (Carl McIntosh Mix) 

Cooltempo Records 7243 8 82913 2 3

The second part of the single release features the full length CJ Mackintosh Mix but also has the Radio Edit which always annoys me. Why put the edit on both releases? For those who are unaware of the UK's ridiculous guidelines, a single release was only allowed to have a certain amount of minutes on it otherwise it would not be counted for chart inclusion. To further complicate matters the release was only allowed to be made in three (I think?) formats. This was a serious problem for awhile (pre-CD ghettoblasters) because, the emergence of CD Single made the format choice awkward. The 7", the 12", the Cassette Single & the CDS were all important for a few years. The missing format could affect sales and kill a release. By the mid 90's though, it was all a marketing ploy to enable the record companies to bleed the record buying public dry.

The Clean Street Version is remixed by DJ Premier and features a rap from AZ. Premier is not credited on the Just Tha Beat Mix which is strange because that's what this is, with a bit of extra production. I think maybe he laid a bit of extra atmosphere over it and they added him to the credits, his name pulled in extra sales. The mix works though, so who cares.

Track 3 is remixed by 2B3 who had a quirky style that was popular for a couple of years. Anybody know what happened to them? The Shake Dat Ass Mix works for me but it takes a bit of getting used to.

CD2 Tracklist

1. Lady (CJ Mackintosh Radio Edit)
2. Lady (Clean Street Version)
3. Lady (2B3 Shake Dat Ass Mix)
4. Lady (Album Version)
5. Lady (CJ Mackintosh Mix)

Download: D-L.7z Filesize: 107.113MB

Lady

(Wiggins, Rapael, Archer & Michael)
You're my lady, You're my lady, You're my lady, You're my lady,
Don't think I don't see them looking at ya, All of them wishing they could have ya, And as a matter of fact, uh A bunch of them are itchin'for you to scratch'em, I'm tired of hiding what we feel, I'm trying to get with the real, And I'm-a gonna make it known', Cause I want them to know

[CHORUS]
You're my little baby, my darling baby, I swear you're the talk of the town, And everybody wants to know what's going down, Babe, I know they've seen us before, Maybe at the liquor store, or maybe at the health food stand, They don't know that I'm your man 

[CHORUS]
I can tell they're looking at us, I pick you up everyday from your job,
And every guy in the parking lot wants to rob me of my girl, And my heart and soul, and everybody wants to treat me so cold, But I know I love you and you love me, There's no other lover for you or me, You're my lady

[BRIDGE (AD LIB)]
You're my lady, My divine lady, You're my lady, Such a wonderful lady, I can tell they're looking at us.

A great post and maximum respect to Kymba for making it possible.

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