There was an early Electro group from the UK who were called the Willesden Dodgers and produced a lot of influential material in the early to mid-Eighties.
They first caught my eye with the single Gunsmoke Breakout (1984) which was a great uptempo track which you may have heard during Electro Rock. A while later they released the 12", Not This President (1986) which used political dialogue from Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and featured a memorable hook.
The group produced a lot of early Jive Records releases and are credited with helping push Whodini's career as well as Samantha Fox (before she became a fan of carpet-munching).
However, an album they produced designed for dj's with instrumental drum machine grooves entitled Jive Rhythm Trax (1982)subsequently became very sought-after. This was due to a particular cut on there being spun by dj's across the land because it was a nice, simple beat using the de rigeur electro drum groove. This track was simply titled, 122BPM.
You may have heard this (again) in Electro Rock and probably more popular with fellow label artists Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince for their song Rhythm Trax (House Party Style) off their second LP, He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper (1988) in which Jeff gets busy showing off his (still impressive) skills over the beat as well cutting it up. And Fresh Prince was still funny.
Who else used this beat?
Download Jive Rhythm Trax 122BPM
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9 comments:
Jive Rhythmn tracks was monster in Philly back in the day it was usually cut up by DJ's, B-Boys popped to it, and it was a part of about every mix routine!!Cats would often mix this with Arcade Funk/Tilt,Survival, etc. I was pissed when I first saved up my money to cop this jarn! I walked 25 blocks down to center city to cop 122Bpm on Jive records well I was pretty new to the Jive label so I copped a Jive label which had a bunch of BPMs but no 122Bpm in fact it had Pack jam on it which I got tired of!! Oh was I pissed!!!!
Haha, I feel that. I think we've all done something similar at some point. Did you have to walk 25 blocks back again as well?? Damn!
Nah!! I was stuck with it and was just happy with the one my boy had!!Getting records was a lunch money thing for me back then or the life long borrowing system!!!!
Most DJ's in Philly used this pretty much the same way that cats do now as a turntablism exhibition or intro they would usually tear up The Captain Rock joint with it "This Stuff is really fresh"
Jazzy Jeff made took it to another level back when Jazzy was rocking schoolyards, playgrounds all over the city he rolled with a cat named ICEE!! He would let 122bpm roll much like the one you speak of but they would first ask him who are you and he sould cut up I am the magnificent then they would ask him what was his name and he would cut It's Jazzy then they would say what you want the other Dj' to do and he would cut Suck My D***!! then he would go into his routines!!!He killed it so bad many tried to imulate it but couldn't!!!I can name folks but they are mainly Philly DJ's who were lesser known!!!
Are you speaking from first-hand experience? Cos I'm more than a little envious over here!
I was a local Philly artist known as M.C. Destroyer or Destroyer D Infinite 1 I have had several names since my hip hop beginnings back in 79 I DJ ed for a short period of time and I do mean short, I was nvolved in all elements of Hip Hop but m.c.ing was my forte 4 real!!! So yes I have seen the likes of Jazzy and Cash Money on theire come up which was more appealing than the studio stuff!!I hung with a variety of D.J's on all levels!! One thing about Philly is when a trend is set ieverybody kind of gobbles it up!!!
I bought this record in a flea market in the mid 90's not knowing what it was, but once I got home and got to the 122BPM joint I flipped because I haven't heard that in a LONG time. Radio djs would use it as a back track for doing anoucements or cut it up with other electro joints. Recently through the internet I learned that there another in the series along with a Scratch series. I only wish there were some modern day Willesden Dodgers who make interesting music that's worth checking out.
Guess i was too late lol, the link for this classic is dead :( If not too troublesome could a re-up be possible??? Thanx in advance.
No trouble at all, JB.
http://www.sonicity.co.uk/Resources/MP3/JiveRhythmTrax122BPM.mp3
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