Mint Condition - Let Me Be The One - UK CDS - (1997)

Polydor ‎– 571713-2

Mint Condition hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time of writing this they are 8 albums deep and can list things like supporting the man, the legend Prince among their many accomplishments. The have also been nominated for four Grammy and Soul Train Awards.

These boys ain't playin'!!

Let Me Be The One is arguably my favourite cut of theirs. It's an on the DL joint heavy on the groove with a bubbling undercurrent of sensuality and exactly the kinda neo soul vibes that I like. However, it was when it got the remix treatment that it truly elevated for me.

So, the Album versions are fabulous, but it's the Ummah versions you should check for. Track two is much my favourite of them. It's the Ummah Mix featuring Q-Tip. Sublime production from who I assume is J Dilla, lends a blunted, low key sexy vibe to things and the track is all the better for it.

My only critique is that it's an edit and not a full ength version

Tracklist

1. Let Me Be The One (Album Edit)
2. Let Me Be The One (Ummah Radio Remix featuring Q-Tip)
3. Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix Instrumental Q-Tip Version)
4. Let Me Be The One (Ummah Radio Remix featuring Phife)
5. Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix Instrumental Phife Version)
6. Let Me Be The One (Silk's Radio Remix)
7. Let Me Be The One (Album Version)

Discogs page

Download: MC-LMBTO.7z | Filesize: 71.2MB

Janet Jackson - Got 'Til It's Gone (UK CDS & UK Promo) - (1997)

Virgin ‎– 7243 8 94600 2 5, Virgin ‎– VSCDT 1666

Sometimes credited as simply Janet, and other times by her full name, I'm opting for the latter here.

The ninth and youngest child of the Jackson family, Janet became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of R&B, funk, disco, rap and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.

Janet's 1997 album The Velvet Rope was quite an introspective affair, where she grappled with her depression and demons. Pain makes for great music, however, and this saw some of her best material to date. This single being a great example of that.

Got 'Til It's Gone is really a showcase of beautiful sublime neo-soul style production from Mssrs Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and my man Q-Tip (from A Tribe Called Quest, as if you didn't know) dropping some kinda nice bars, giving us a monster of a cut and arguably my favourite from Miss Jackson.

Featuring samples from the Joni Mitchell recording Big Yellow Taxi. Brit singer Desree would later sue Janet for use of her song Feel So High, later editions would credit Desree.

So on this release you'll be wanting Got 'Til It's Gone (Album Version) for the full experience. Mad props to the Mellow Mix as well, which drops the beats and let's the beauty of the track come to the fore. Really nice with an almost quiet storm vibe.

UK CDS Tracklist 

1. Got 'Til It's Gone (Radio Edit)
2. Got 'Til It's Gone (Mellow Mix)
3. Got 'Til It's Gone (Nellee Hooper Master Mix)
4. Got 'Til It's Gone (Mellow Mix Edit)
5. Got 'Til It's Gone (Album Version)

========

Onto the promo, we have five versions of the regular mix, including an Instrumental for mixologists. Again, Got 'Til It's Gone (Album Version) remains the best version, but you have the option of a No Rap version, minus Tip's bars, or a no Q-Tip version, which is minus his bars and his other background vocals. It's interesting to hear it without him, but it doesn't feel right to me! 

Choose your weapon. As Mickey P would say "Your mileage may vary"...

UK cardboard Sleeve Promo Tracklist

1. Got 'Til It's Gone (Radio Edit)
2. Got 'Til It's Gone (No Q-Tip)
3. Got 'Til It's Gone (No Rap)
4. Got 'Til It's Gone (Instrumental)
5. Got 'Til It's Gone (Album Version)

Download: JJ-GTIG.7z | Filesize: 90.0MB

Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart - (1990)

Elektra ‎– EKR 114CD, Elektra ‎– 7559-66613-2, Elektra ‎– EKR114CD

What an absolutely legendary cut this is from Deee-Lite.

We've talked about classics on here before and this one certainly fits that tag.

This song is built from samples which include a big ol' chunk of the drums from Vernon Burch's 'Get Up' (1979), a much smaller piece of Billy Preston's Stevie Wonder cover 'Uptight' (1966), that dope bassline from mister Herbie Hancock's 'Bring Down the Birds' (1966), multiple elements from Bel-Sha-Zaar, Tommy Genapopoluis and The Grecian Knights 'Introduction' (1969) (what a weird excersize track that one is) ...and I know I must have missed some.

Have a look at the credits on this bad-boy - 'Tip, Bootsy, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and engineer Bob Power. That's about as heavyweight a team as you're ever going to get.

Credits
Composer: Deee-Lite
Vocals: Q-Tip
Background Vocals: Bootsy Collins
Saxophone: Maceo Parker
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Arranger: Deee-Lite
Additional Arrangement, Engineering & Mixing: Mike Rogers
Assistant Engineers: Eddie Sancho, Derek Lategan
Additional Engineer: Bob Power

It's the Meeting Of The Minds Mix you'll be wanting. That's the full length version with additional vocals to provide extra flavour courtesy of Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip, and remains to this day the definitive version of this song.

It's an essential party jam and never fails to move people with its feelgood happy-happy-joy-joy vibes. I've always loved it!

Dig

The chills that you spill up my back 

Keep me filled with satisfaction when we're done

Satisfaction of what's to come

I couldn't ask for another

No, I couldn't ask for another

Your groove, I do deeply dig

No walls, only the bridge, my supper dish

My succotash wish

I couldn't ask for another

No, I couldn't ask for another

Groove is in the heart, Groove is in the heart

Groove is in the heart, Groove is in the heart

Watch out!

The depth of hula groove

Move us to the nth hoop

We're going through to, Horten hears a who

I couldn't ask for another

No, I couldn't ask for another

DJ Soul was on a roll

I been told he can't be sold

Not vicious or malicious

Just de-lovely and delicious

I couldn't ask for another

Someone's in this torso (yeah)

Hot! Gotta deal you wanna know (wanna know)

Dee-Liteful truly Dee-Liteful (liteful)

Makin' it doin' it 'specially at show (show)

Feeling kinda high like a Hendrix haze (haze)

Music makes motion moves like a maze (maze)

All inside of me (side)

Heart especially (yeah)

Help of the rhythm where I wanna be (c'mon)

Flowin' glowin' with electric eyes (ha)

You dip to the dive baby you'll realize (yeah)

Baby you'll see the funky side of me

Baby you'll see that rhythm is the key (hmm!)

Get get ready with it (with it)

Can't can't quit it (quit it)

Stomp on the street when I hear a funk beat (beat)

Playing Pied Piper

Follow what's true

Baby just sing about the groove (sing it)

Groove is in the heart

Tracklist

1. Deee-Lite With Bootsy & Q-Tip - Groove Is In The Heart (Meeting Of The Minds Mix)
2. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (Peanut Butter Mix)
3. Deee-Lite - What Is Love? (Holographic Goatee Mix)
4. Deee-Lite - What Is Love? (Rainbow Beard Mix)

Download: DL-GIITH.7z | Filesize: 37.2MB

Raphael Saadiq & Q-Tip ‎– Get Involved - (1999)

Hollywood Records ‎– 0101185HWR

Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer/songwriter, musician, and record producer. In his early days in the New Jack Swing era he was a member of the multiplatinum selling group Tony! Toni! Toné!

Like similar-minded musician D'Angelo, Raph would go on to have a really interesting career putting out the highest quaility neo soul and R&B, always seeming to be a cut above the majority of his contemporaries. Check out albums such as Instant Vintage or Stone Rollin' to get what I mean. Also much like D he isn't overly prolific, but is slightly more so than the Voodoo man.

Q-Tip (born Jonathan William Davis; April 10, 1970), who would later change his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, is an American rapper, record producer, actor and DJ. Nicknamed The Abstract, and a founding member of legendary Hip Hop crew A Tribe Called Quest (arguably my favourite band along with The Roots and the Wu), 'Tip is noted for both his laidback mic skills as well as his production prowess.

You know this track is gonna be a killer right from the start when those strings (sampled from the Gamble & Huff produced 1973 track I'll Always Love My Mama by The Intruders) kick in. Q-Tip informs us of how "the S-A-double-D-I-Q" wants to get involved leading us into the typically flawless vocal stylings of Raph.

DJ Thomilla's Benztown Remix (or RMX) is actually really good and I like it a lot. It's incredibly difficult to see past the brilliance of the original though. Makes a pleasant change over the original for sure.

Bottom line: I LOVE this song! Jump straight into the pitch-perfect Original Version but do check out DJ Thomilla's version.

Tracklist

1. Get Involved (Album Version)
2. Get Involved (DJ Thomilla's Benztown RMX) (Edit)
3. Get Involved (DJ Thomilla's Benztown RMX) (Extended)
4. Get Involved (Instrumental)

Download: RS&QT-GI.7z | Filesize: 31MB