Tammy Payne - In Deeper Life EP - 12" Re-Up - (1996)

Cup Of Tea Records COT 018

Re-Up: Originally posted 03/09/2008.

I do not own this EP but I did download from Mick back in the day.
Apologies it is not in 320! - Kym

In 1996 this EP, written by Tammy Payne & produced by Jim Barr*, was released on the obscure Bristol label, Cup Of Tea, serving Jazz oddities like Junkwaffel & Purple Penguin. I apologise for the sizzling bacon on some tracks but I'm not aware of this vinyl being available elsewhere.

It's not as accessible as Take Me Now and gives an idea how much of a difference the Loop Mix made to the original version. One for the Jazz Heads out there. I like it, left-field and out there but it's interesting and I'm feeling it.

*Jim Barr was bass player with Portishead (1993-1997) before becoming a producer and shortly after this EP, teaming up with Tammy Payne as Sissi on Cup Of Tea in the late 90's and more recently Jukes on Twisted Nerve.

• A1 Reason
• A2 Voices
• A3 In Deeper Life
• B1 This Is Where
• B2 Voices (Seamus 'C' Horse Mix)

Download: TP-IDL.7z | Size: 23.7 MB

Tammy Payne - Free - UK 12" - (1990)

WEA ‎– YZ510T, WEA ‎– 9301-71943-0

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, I do not own this 12" and I have no recollection of where I got these from!! I have thought long and hard about posting this for that reason and because I can't scan the artwork to our normal high standards and I can't attest to the quality. As such, all the images will be sourced from Discogs (although I have cleaned up the cover).

This track was mentioned in one of the comments a few days back and it has swung me over. If you are the original source of this rip, I am not intending to steal your work. Please get in touch so I can either remove it or credit you.

What can I say about this release? I ADORE the Deneice Williams original, it's one of my GOAT tracks, and a cover of a tune that I love HAS to be bloody good - or don't bother doing it in the first place.

Step forward Miss Tammy Payne. The Trilogy Mix is nice but not as good as the original, I feel, but oh my days! The Freedom version was the one for me back in the day and got some heavy rotation as well. 

Whilst getting the info for this write up from Discogs, I found a very interesting comment from Shylok back in 2009:

"Massive UK Street Soul gem, the Freedom Version that uses "Headhunters "God Make Me Funky" drum break is the mix that got a lot of play on the inner city black music pirate radio stations in the early 90s, its worth noting of a rumour that a picture of some flowers was used on the sleeve in place of a picture of Tammy Payne due to the singer being white with the record labels A&R thinking it would make her a less credible singer & thus not appealing to a majority of black musics fan base, RnB at this time was mainly an underground genre that had yet to become mainstream"

Thanks for the info, Shylok!

Tracklist

1. Free
2. Free (The Trilogy Mix)
3. Push 'Em
4. Free (Freedom Version)

Discogs page

Download: TP-F.7z | Filesize: 31.8MB

Tammy Payne - Do You Feel It (Like I Do) - (1992)

Talkin' Loud ‎– TLKCD 19, Talkin' Loud ‎– TLKCD19, Talkin' Loud ‎– 866 827-2

While not as immediate and awesome as the slice of perfection that is Take Me Now, Do You Feel It (Like I Do) is a nice piece of early 90s socially conscious jazzy funk, A sound that really typified not just Talkin' Loud records but the UK underground music scene of this era.

Initially, when she first sings the line about "I had a dream" my gut feeling is to cringe, but as soon as that tried and tested jazz funk Talkin' Loud sound kicks in, you know this is gonna be wicked.

The Jazzy Feelin' mix comes courtesy of Roger Sanchez, and sounded pretty good to me at the time, but on revisiting it with my modern ears, sounds a little by the numbers? Maybe you'll feel differently.

The other version on here (in three separate varieties) comes from Mr Ceri Evans of the Brand New Heavies (and later Sunship), and is the definitive version, for my money.

Jump straight into the 12" mix (track 3) in my opinion.

Tracklist

1. Do You Feel It (Like I Do) (Jazzy Feelin' 7")
2. Do You Feel It (Like I Do) (12")
3. Do You Feel It (Like I Do) (7")
4. Do You Feel It (Like I Do) (Ceri Evans / Tammy Payne Dub)

Download: TP-DYFILID.7z | Filesize: 42.8 MB

Tammy Payne - Take me Now - (1991)

Talkin' Loud ‎– TLKCD 12

Wow, what a song this one is. 

You can find this in a couple of places on the Soul vendor; Mick's already posted the 12" and I recently put up a Talkin' Loud compilation CD with it on, but here is the CDS in all its glory.

Take Me Now is such a great track. The jazzy vibes, that breakbeat underpinning it, the little "Uh!" vocal stab, and Tammy's flawless and sexy vocal performance - she really sings her ass off here - all add up to making a perfect song.

The Loop Mix is the version you'll want, being the definitive version. Forgot the edit. Who needs a shortened version of something so great? The Dub Me Now Mix is kinda nice (more on that in a moment) despite the name being misleading, but as stated, track two all the way for me.

In Heart And Mind is a nice, cool, jazzy number and well worth investigating, too.

Sadly, I don't have much trivia to share on Tammy Payne or this particular track, but looking at the sleeve there are some some things of note. Although Billy Osbourne is listed as the producer, also credited on additional production and remix are the Young Disciples as well as some of their regular crew (Brendan Lynch, Max Beesley and Demus), which is a real treat to know. I'm pretty sure that they're only involved with the Dub Me Now Mix, which isn't particularly dubby, but I wonder if they had anything to do with the Loop Mix?

According to Discogs, Tammy seemed to stop recording after 2004. Such a shame.

tracklist

1. Take Me Now (Loop Edit)
2. Take Me Now (Loop Mix) 
3. In Heart And Mind
4. Take Me Now (Dub Me Edit)

The Download Link is here: TP-TMN.7z | Filesize: 43.1MB

Various - Talkin Loud Two (1993)

Talkin' Loud ‎– 516 061-2

This one's going out to JayBilla, and to the rest of the MIA Soul Vendor crew who have yet to return.

I used to love the trend that we enjoyed in the 90s of labels releasing "sampler" compilation albums. It was a great way to get hold of some phatt tunes at a reasonable price. In my other life as a hiphop and Drum & Bass fan, Rawkus Records and Moving Shadow used to do a wicked line in the things.

I digress though. Talkin Loud's second compilation album is a belter with highlights including Galliano's Prince Of Peace, All I have In Me and Move On from the seminal Young Disciples, MC Solaar dropping some dope French hiphop in Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo, Omar's two joints, Incognito's fab Stevie Wonder Cover Don't You Worry Bout A Thing (as posted elsewhere on here) and the always brilliant Take Me Now by Tammy Payne. And that's just my faves. The others ain't exactly filler.

What this all adds up to is a strong release from a fantastic label highlighting their trademark blend of bohemian/urban/hippy/soul/acid jazz.

I'd actually forgotten what a great album this was. What are YOUR highlights?

Tracklist

1. Urban Species - Hide And Seek (4:35) 
2. Galliano - Hungry Like A Baby (5:12) 
3. Incognito - Colibri (5:39) 
4. Omar - You've Got To Move (5:14) 
5. The K-Creative - Back To The Real World (7:18) 
6. Young Disciples - All I Have In Me (6:06) 
7. Marxman - Theme From Marxman (4:24) 
8. MC Solaar - Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo (4:00) 
9. Perception - Serious Love (5:36) 
10. Bryan Powell - I Commit (3:22) 
11. Tammy Payne - Take Me Now (5:35) 
12. Young Disciples - Move On (3:27) 
13. Omar - Music (5:37) 
14. Galliano - Prince Of Peace (3:59) 
15. Incognito - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (5:12) 

PS - I have an alternative version of this CD with a slightly tweaked tracklisting. 3 songs are different. Track 12 is 'Apparently Nothin'' rather than 'Move On', Track 13 is 'There's Nothing Like This' instead of 'Music', and 15 is 'Always There' and not 'Don't You Worry Bout A Thing'. If there's any interest I can always put that up as well. Let me know.

Download: TL2.7z | Filesize: 177MB