The Soul Vendor: Mike Sinclair

Showing posts with label Mike Sinclair. Show all posts

Thursday, 6 May 2021

Sinclair - (I Wanna Know) Why - UK CDS - (1994)

Dome Records ‎– CDDOME 1009

What's this? Do I spy a funky, soulful re-working of the chorus of Annie Lennox's dreary old hit?? Well no actually, it's more like Louisa Mark - Six Sixth Street!

Welcome back one Mr Sinclair to the Soul Vendor archives.

Mickey's already written about Mike Sinclair elsewhere here, sadly as seemed common for UK artists in the 80's and 90's, he wasn't well supported by his home nation and despite making a moderate splash, especially on urban radio, eventually faded into obscurity. What a damn shame.

Anyway, like Ain't No Cassanova before it, (I wanna Know) Why is a great, catchy little slice of quality UK R&B. I don't much like the Masters At Play house mix but the original vibes are the best. Jump straight into track one.

I do really like the Ska Mix as well, which flips the vibe and has echoes of Message To You, Rudi by The Specials in this mix.

Wicked stuff once again, Mr Sincair!

I'm not sure if Mike is still performing but, as ever, I urge you all to support the artist and go see a show or something, when we are once again allowed.

Tracklist

(I Wanna Know) Why

(I Wanna Know) Why (Ska Mix)

(I Wanna Know) Why (Masters At Play Dub)

Music Is The Key Of Life

Discogs page

Download: S-IWKW.7z | Filesize: 43.2MB

Saturday, 1 May 2021

Sinclair - Ain't No Cassanova '95 - UK CDS - (1995)

Dome Records ‎– CD DOME 103

So Mickey P had already posted the original 1993 version, re-upped in 320 by yours truly.

I've got a lot of love for that release. I remember it being big on UK street soul radio in the early 90's (KISS FM (when it was good), Choice FM & others) and I always loved that bassline. So good! I was also taken with the naughty reworking of the Sammuel So You Like What You See sample, which is a monster of a cut in its own right.

The Groove 95 remix features a cheekily little interpolation of the Jackson 5 I Want You back bassline, which will forever be associated with Eric B & Rakim in my mind.

The Ken Kessie U.S. Mix has a rap by Pepperhead aka Jeffrey Wiltshire, who I've seen named on a couple of cuts but I'm not too knowledgeable about. The drums are mad crisp and the bassline nods back to the original, which is nice, but it lacks the Sammuel sample. Probably my pick of the bunch on this CD.

2B3 are Neville Thomas and Pule Pheto and they were all over any urban act worth their salt in the 90s including D'Angelo, Jodeci, Silent Eclipse, Beverley Knight, Evelyyn Champagne King and many, many more. You can find many of their productions on this blog. Here 2B3 sample Levert's superb classic Casanova (see what they did there?) to build something new but familiar with. I'll be posting that Levert track in the coming few weeks.

Ultimately however, despite liking these newer three versions, I keep coming back to the regular and/or US Encore Mix from the original 1993. There's something in the originals bassline that speaks to me.

Tracklist

Ain't No Casanova (Groove '95 Remix)
Ain't No Casanova (Ken Kessie U.S. Mix)
Ain't No Casanova (2B3 Back To Basics Remix)
Stay With Me Tonight

Discogs page

Download: S-C-95.7z | Filesize: 40.7MB

Sinclair - Ain't No Cassanova - UK CDS - (1993)

Dome Records CDDOME 1004

320 re-up! originally posted by Mick back in 16/04/09 - can you believe it was over ten years ago?
That makes it even more funny reading the comments below of us folks moaning about getting old lol
I love this track which cheekily borrows heavily from Sammuel's dope So U Like What U See but puts an entirely new spin on it. Wicked UK summertime jam tingz!

- Kymba

Mike Sinclair sprung onto the UK Soul scene in 1992, thanks to some great support from specialist radio. I Want You Back was the tune that launched him but it was this tune in 1993 that nailed his colours to the mast. Championed by the likes of Choice FM and Echoes, Ain't No Casanova was played by everyone everywhere. It was a great example of Brit Street Soul during that time and came very close to crossing over, denting the UK Top Twenty at #28 in September of '93.

Ain't No Casanova was written and produced by Dwayne Burke & William Flowers at Groove And A Quarter and the Groove Mix is also theirs. Groove And A Quarter released I Want You Back on their own label, G&Q Records. The third mix is the US Encore Remix by Ken 'Dr. Shaft' Kessie who worked on some Tony! Toni! Toné! releases. Back in the day it was all about the Groove mix but listening now, I'm liking Ken's mix which features a rap by Pepperhead.

For the real soul lovers out there (QS), check out It's Over. Penned by Mike himself and produced by Ashley Ingram who clearly has the silky touch required for the Quiet Storm genre. This is Sinclair at his best, a little slice of soul heaven, pure class!