Some old bits of hip hop history

I've just come back after a stay at my folks' place and came away with a car full of crap as always. Some gems were found after going through my various files as you can see.

I was always a bit geeky/obsessive in my youth about collecting various pieces of information be it from newspaper or magazine cuttings or recording a quick piece of hip hop-related features off the tv.

I'm currently converting some old hip hop documentaries to dvd which I recorded in the early 1990s such as Bombin', Beat This!-A Hip Hop History, Looking For The Perfect Beat (a South Bank Show special), The Hip Hop Years (a Channel 4 three-parter) as well as little bits and doodads.

I haven't the means to upload video via my pc so they'll stay on dvd for the time being. I will however be putting them on ebay when I'm done - probably £5/$10 for a 4-hour dvd.

Tell you what I would love to see again and that's Bad Meaning Good, the Westwood-produced documentary which was shown on BBC around 1987. I used to have it until some skank never returned it. Blood wars baby, blood wars!

As regards to the images above; the first one is an official Westwood N-Sign Radio beatbox sticker (see previous Westwood post); the second is a cutting from Radio Times magazine about Roger Johnson, inaugural winner of DMC 1985 and -ex dj to ex-hip hop dj, Dave Pearce; the third is a cutting from Echoes (I think?) for a Sindecut event; and the last one is a treat. It's a typical scaremongering feature from the never-unpredictable UK tabloid The Daily Mail about the scourge of graffiti writers in England (who are all black, apparently). The reporting here is worthy of a Nobel Prize. Just click on the pics to view them in lovely large-o-vision.

Ultimate Breaks & Beats 26??

Up until 2 years ago, Ultimate Breaks and Beats vol 25 was the last ever in it's series of breakbeat compilation albums.

For those of you who know, the story of volume 26 is a tragedy - Volume 26 was scheduled for release in 1991 but the untimely death of Lenny 'Breakbeat' Roberts, the founder of Street Beat Records and a tireless collector of original breaks meant that the UB&B series came to an untimely end and the next volume in the series was shelved, until, in 2006. The master tapes of Luis Flores edits were found and as a tribute to the late Lenny and Luis, the 26th release in the series came out as a very limted edition.

Unfortunately I haven't got the mp3 to put up. But being the avid/ anorak UBB collector that I am I will no doubt be purchasing this on vinyl just to add to my collection.

If anyone's got it digitally and they wouldn't mind sharing then please send a copy to me.

Tracklisting

A1. Joe Tex - You Said A Bad Word

2. Johnny Taylor - Ever Ready

3. Coalkitchen - Keep On Pushing

4. Graham Central Station - The Jam (Remixed)

B.1. Trouble Funk - Lets Get Small

2. Tony Alvon - Sexy Coffee Pot

3. Hank Carbo - Hot Pants (part 2) (Remixed)

Westwood - N Sign Radio

Did anyone used to stay up til 2-3am on a Friday night to watch Tim Westwood's amateurish but essential hip hop video show back in 1988 on ITV? It was shown in the South East of England as part of a night time show called Night Network and within that was Westwood's half-hour show called N-Sign Radio (if you know of why it was named that please spread the knowledge). This was when rap videos were scarcely shown on the box so this show was heaven for the younger b-boy.
I can remember live performances from Biz Markie, Demon Boyz, Cash Money & Marvelous and Derek B.

The first video below is a full show, actually it's the very first one so Tim is a little flustered (see how he fluffs his lines - not very gangsta) at times but there's some great videos shown from Eric B and Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Heavy D, Salt n Pepa, Mantronix and Bomb the Bass (if you're quick you'll spot Groove Records as well as Fulham's Hall Of Fame).

Much props go out to Rich over at mastermix.org from whom this video comes from. You should check his site here for more early Westwood-related mp3's as well as other old school treasures with a slant on the London scene.












This one below is a live set from Cash Money & MC Marvelous in the middle of one of the N Sign Radio shows. If you want to hear more then check out this linkage which is an mp3 of the full set.









This next one below is just for the intro by Westwood and his co-host only. Watch beyond that at your peril.








Lastly we have a video for UK artist Merlin with Born Free. Unfortunately it runs out before we see KRS-ONE.

Hmmm, Do You Like This?

I want you to have a listen to this remix of the classic break, The Champ by some people called Bladerunners. I'm not sure if I like it or not. I mean it's not as if the record was dying for a remix, was it?

You might love it. Me? I'm still reserving judgment.

Listen to Bladerunners Champ

Steinski meets Coldcut

As promised, here is the Kiss 100FM interview with Steinski on Coldcut's Solid Steel Show. This dates back to 29th March 1992 and features all Steinski's tracks plus some extra goodies.

Enjoy.

Download here

Steinski's Party Invite

I've always been a big Steinski fan. In fact the first time I ever heard a Double Dee & Steinski record would have been back in 1985 with the track, 'Lesson 3' (the Led Zep intro). This was my first taste of cut-n-paste and I was immediately hooked.

I bought what I then thought was the proper record but was actually a bootleg - red label, The History Of Hip Hop, RPM Records - from the legendary Groove Records a couple of years later and then another copy from Bluebird Records. Also included here were Lessons 1 and 2 - Lesson 1 being the Payoff Mix which was at the very least a remix of GLOBE and Whiz Kid's Play That Beat Mr DJ.

More tunes would follow in a similar vein. The elusive The Motorcade Sped On, which was a cut-up track about the assassination of President John F Kennedy using the news report from US news presenter, Walter Cronkite. I managed to get this on wax on a record from the US dj pool service DISCONET and subsequently later as a 7" on a special edition from the British NME magazine.

We'll Be Right Back came along in 1986 which used a succession of old 1950's US commercials all cut-up and scratched. In actual fact Steinski (Steve Stein), being in Marketing himself, used his network of tv voiceover artist friends to record a load of phrases, thus not having to pay for any copyrighted ads. This time he released the song as Steinski And Mass Media as Double Dee (Douglas Difranco) was not available.

1988 saw another release, the more clubby Let's Play It Cool which used bongos to help it achieve a nice groove. There were still a good amount of samples employed here, albeit very obscure but possibly to avoid any clearence issues. As with the previous release the accapella was included on the flip - a treasure chest to me!

The was a break for a while until 1992 when I first heard Steinski in interview on Coldcut's Solid Steel show - I will post this once I've converted it for the digital age. He gave us a new track entitled, It's Up To You' which was about the Gulf War. I personally preferred the B-side Television mix which was much more Steinski of old.

There's a pretty rare cd going around called Nothing To Fear - A Rough Mix which is just superb. Hold tight people, this is coming soon I promise.

In the meantime here is something which is pretty rare. In fact I've never heard it anywhere else. It's a cassette tape invite entitled: The Reckless Spenders Social & Pleasure Club in association with Mass Media USA proudly present The 1991 Autumnal Harvest Festival & The World's Greatest Soul Dance, Friday October 18th, 9pm. It's a specially-made short piece using obscure and not so obscure (Bugs Bunny) samples for a club night back in 1991.

I ripped it from a cassette and the reason I got this tape was because I won a competition on the Coldcut Solid Steel Show. Obviously Steinski had sent them the cassette and they were now giving it away. Lucky me. Now, lucky you. This is something I've always and will always treasure so grab yourself a listen. It's only 2m.40s.

Download Steinski's Party Invite Tape

Schoolly D

NWA, Compton's Most Wanted, Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik can all be blamed on one bloke - Schoolly D (or Jesse to his mum). Well actually it can be put down to many others (Last Poets' offshoot Hustlers Convention album, Ice T...) but for the purposes of this article we're focussing in on the Park Side Killer.

The track P.S.K. would've been my first introduction into the world of Schoolly D. Lyrically I thought of it as tongue-in-cheek as I didn't believe anyone would make a song about actually behaving in a violent manner then writing a song about it (yes, I was that young and naive).

I was much more into the music - the foreboding intro that was once used by the man Flash, the killer, pounding drums and DJ Code Money's 'fresh!' scratching - this was what I wanted. More and more I got into Schoolly and subsequently buying his lurid, self-drawn albums gave me a chance to hear such classics as Gucci Time, Parkside 5-2 and the classic Saturday Night.

One time I got to see what he looked like in an early video for the song I Don't Like Rock And Roll and he looked bigger and meaner than I had even imagined. A statuesque, towering giant with a tight turquoise vest boasting his rippling physique and looming down at you with shades and high-top fade - this was a dude you would walk the opposite side of the street of if you ever encountered him.

None of Schoolly's early songs seemed that complex and most of the lyrics were probably written in the studio. Code Money rarely brought any other record with him except his well-used copy of Fab 5 Freddy's Change The Beat when it was time to record a new track. However he complements Schoolly's lyrics perfectly with his scratches.

Download The Best Of Schoolly D

password: djkoolherc

Streetsounds Electro 2

This volume was the first one I heard of the whole series. I remember seeing it in my local library and seeing the name Grandmaster Flash on the back and quickly taking it to the librarian's desk.

Herbie is on the mix again quickly cutting up The B-Boys' 'Two, Three, Break'. I seem to remember this particular track getting a separate release on the Street sounds label too. He blends seamlessly into the next B-Boys track 'Cuttin' Herbie' which as the title suggests cuts up Herbie Hancock's Rockit.

The dancefloor classic On The Upside sounds really good if a little dated - I can imagine it on the soundtrack to a cheesy 80's teen movie - and could easily have been produced by John Robie. Xena soon disappeared after blessing us with her one-hit wonder and then sprung up again on our televisions as a warrior princess years later. Ahem.

Herbie seagues niceley into Al-Naafiysh (The Soul) which is a b-boy classic as you must surely agree. The ending of Xena's squiggley little noises go perfectly with Hashim's intro. I still love the synth sounds on this track, the almost acid-dy, squelching bassline, floating melody and sharp drum machine. The b-side of this 12" was made for dj's and I've cut up the intro many times ("It's tiiiiiime!"). Hashim also gets a call back later on in the series on Volume 11 with 'Primrose Path'.

Side 2 begins with The Greatest Hip Hop Song In The World™ in my opinion. And that is the duo of K-Rob and the mad, rap version of Lee 'Scratch' Perry, old school legend Rammellzee and the ultra expensive if you can find it 12", 'Beat Bop'. Sampled numerous times by artists such as the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill this is a laid-back plodding, head-nodder of a track with nonsensical lyrics but just so great to listen to. It was produced by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat who also designed the cover. Personally I don't get his art style and think it's just a bit too abstract for my tastes.

B-Boys Beware warn Two Sisters as they come crashing in after the previous mellow track. This seems to be a mixture of I.O.U.'s 'Freez' and Cavern 'Liquid, Liquid' which isn't a bad thing. Produced by Raul A. Rodriguez, there are certain signs of his other efforts such as Man Parrish here, and a bite from Bambaataa's 'Looking For The Perfect Beat'. Well G.L.O.B.E. is on board so I suppose that's acceptable.

Winding up the set is Melle Mel's White Lines. And if you don't know the story behind the whole Grandmaster Flash name kerfuffle I'll kindly let Mr Discogs explain:

Name of the artist here should actually be "Grandmaster & Melle Mel". This unique wording was the result of an ugly legal suit between Melle Mel (Melvin Glover) and Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler). When Flash was essentially pushed out of his own group - especially in the fact that he was a non-player on the breakthrough Grandmaster Flash & Furious 5 track "The Message" - Melle Mel (with the encouragement of Sugarhill Records label head Sylvia Robinson) decided that he would take Flash's place in the band - and essentially take his name as well. During this time, the definitive singles "The Message II" and "New York, New York" were released under the name of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, even though Flash had nothing to do with these releases. The net result of the lawsuit forced Sugar Hill and Melle Mel to cease the theft of Flash's name - which resulted in the White Lines singles all being pressed with the name "Grandmaster & Melle Mel", with Melle Mel's name in larger type than "Grandmaster". White Lines eventually proved to be Sugar Hill's downfall, as the famous bassline and much of other components of the song were stolen from the sub-underground (but now much more justifiably well known) track "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, which resulted in another lawsuit - of which Sugarhill would never recover from. Subsequent releases from Mel were released as Grandmaster Melle Mel. Mel later dropped the "Grandmaster" & reunited with Flash in the late 80's - and toured with the reunited Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 in the early 90's.

Another great album with some massively groundbreaking music and its only the second volume.

Volume 3 soon come.

Download Streetsounds Electro 2

Mike Allen Capital Radio Shows

This post is a list of all the links which have previously been posted here on oldschoolhiphop.com
I have collated all the 'live' links to shows and have listed them in one place. This is intended to be a resting place for Mike's shows and as such will be kept up-to-date. Therefore if any of the links are dead let me know and I will re-up them unless you already have done yourself in which case send me the new link and I'll update the list.

Thanks to Ramses (for starting the thread in the first place!), Simmo, Fiasko1, Dutch Old School Fan, Richiek and Mister G.




Feb 1985 (Ramses)
Side One:http://www.sendspace.com/file/fljgnx
Side Two: http://www.sendspace.com/file/qanirm

Mike Allen @LBC (Public Enemy & LL Cool J 1988) (Repo136)http://rapidshare.com/files/114433269/Mike_Allen_PE_LL.mp3.html

Mike_Allen_Groove_Electro_Sales_Chart_from_1985.mp3 (Repo136)http://rapidshare.com/files/113557774/Mike_Allen_Groove_Electro_Sales_Chart_from_1985.mp3.html

Mike Allen End Of 1985 Show.mp3 (Repo136)http://rapidshare.com/files/113552621/Mike_Allen_End_Of_1985_Show.mp3.html

Mike Allen Saturday 10th May 1986 8.00-9.00pm (Simmo)
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=7C10AF8327248F6A

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E4E0AF1F13F50D07


Allen's Army best of year show from 28th Dec 1985 (Ramses)
Part 1 http://www.sendspace.com/file/l2ywi9

Part 2 http://www.sendspace.com/file/fq5xiu

mike allen august frontline chart 1985 show.mp3 - 39.46MB (Repo136)http://www.zshare.net/audio/1123412868a46e96/

Mike Allen National Fresh 1987 (Ramses)http://www.sendspace.com/file/859lo3

Mike Allen Capital Radio 28-02-86 (Ramses)http://www.sendspace.com/file/5h4yxq

Mike interviewing Doug E Fresh. (Fiasko1)http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MQ7J28FL

Capitol Radio_Mike Allen_1986_Tape_1 (Mister G)http://www.sendspace.com/file/ov15kt

National Fresh - last one before Christmas '87 (Ramses)http://www.sendspace.com/file/y1xd9i

Mike Allen Saturday 18th April 1987 8.00-9.00pm: (Simmo)
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=9D4C6CEC61D0130D

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=F57BCD944CC3F08B

Mike_Allen_Xmas_1985_Show.mp3 (Repo136)
http://rapidshare.com/files/114698562/Mike_Allen_Xmas_1985_Show.mp3.html

Mike Allen Friday 21st February 1986 10.00-11.00pm (Simmo) (added 17 May 08)

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=4FA08E6644928CD0

Capitol Radio a.mp3 - possibly April/May 1987 (Dutch Old School Fan) (added 18 May 08)

http://www.mediafire.com/?eedjgmmzm1m

Mike Allen interviewing New York graffiti artist T-Kid probably 1986 or 1987. 12mins (Fiasko1) (added 18 May 08)

http://www.rockingthecity.com/Mike%20Allen%20interviewing%20T-Kid.mp3

(These next 5 courtesy of Dutch Old School Fan) (added 02 June 08)

tape 1 http://www.filefactory.com/file/6cb407 22nd March 1986

tape 2a http://www.filefactory.com/file/04a265 14th March 1986

tape 2b http://www.filefactory.com/file/eef02d

tape 3a http://www.filefactory.com/file/2cc9bf April 19th 1986
tape 3b http://www.filefactory.com/file/587c4e April 19th 1986

First part of the 28th feb. 1986 "wind chill factor -15" show (22.00-23.00) (Dutch Old School Fan) (added 07 June 08)

http://www.megaupload.com/nl/?d=IVGTPHGU

20th December 1985 (Ramses) (added 07 June 08)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3xytlt

(Unknown) (Dutch Old School Fan)
http://www.megaupload.com/nl/?d=5C5UFNRI

http://www.zshare.net/audio/136208768e59e3a0

http://www.zshare.net/audio/136212504c800408/

27th June 1987 (Dutch Old School Fan) (added 20 June 08)

http://www.zshare.net/audio/13930584a954df0b/

20th June 1987

http://www.zshare.net/audio/13931394051b6bc0/

Mike Allen National Fresh - Christmas 1987 Show

http://www.zshare.net/audio/13939379edd019ed/

31st January 1986 (Ramses) (added 21 June 08)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9cou2f

Friday show from June 27th 1986 (Simmo) (added 21 June 08)

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=DB74F5D648F5
D8F6

4th Oct 1985 (Ramses) (added 26 June 08)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/uon4b2

Saturday 26th July 1986 (Simmo) (added 28 June 08)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/s87egi

National Fresh from 1986 (Richiek) (added 30 June 08)

http://download.yousendit.com/EE0C5A36270DA25C

National Fresh Mid 87 (Richiek) (added 01 July 08)

http://www.yousendit.com/download/TTdGd0VOQ1I1UjdIRGc9PQ

July 27th 1987 & some Jan '87 (Ramses) (added 03 July 08)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/lr6lzk

Friday 23rd January 1987(Simmo) (added 04 July 08)
https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=TTdGcHBIQzNwcFhIRGc9PQ





August 3 or 10th 1985 (Simmo)  (added 28 June 08)
https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=TTdIUWVvWlRYSHp2Wmc9PQ



18 October 1986 (Dutch) (added 26 March 2010)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2STQO8VF

25th October 1986 (Dutch) (added 26 March 2010)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XKLPU15L


Various 1984 (Ramses) (added 26 March 2010)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/yftdu9

Style Wars promo pack

I can't get enough of Style Wars, me. And Wild Style. Those two are my own personal favourite hip hop flicks.

Some may mention Beat Street. I wouldn't. There's some nice elements in there but it is very watered down; just check out the wiggedy-wack train piece ("Hip hop ya don't stop") which was purportedly sprayed by the late DONDI - for shame!

And did someone say Breakin'....? Let's see, some good b-boying but as it was the west coast there was more popping than floor work. Points added for the early ICE T performance (and was that Chris 'The Glove' Taylor or David Storrs in the background, I forget). Points taken away for the Jean-Claude Van Damme performance.

Points definately snatched away for the overtly typical Hollywood treatment throughout. T.K. or whatever the girl's name was did not fit in. I repeat, she DID NOT FIT IN. If this was real life she would've been pimped out quicker than you could say 'where's my money bi-yatch'.

How about Krush Groove? This is a slept-on hip hop film that features some okay acting but great musical performances. First of all you've got Run DMC as themselves which they do unsurprisingly well. Blair Underwood plays Run's big bro, Russell - although why they didn't get the man himself in I don't know - and Rick Rubin plays himself. You've got the legendary LL Cool J doing an audition as Jam Master Jay yells, "No more auditions, man!!", while LL coolly says to Cut Creator, "BOX!" and proceeds into 'I Can't Live Without My Radio'. The Fat Boys make their celluloid debut as well. Unfortunately after Krush Groove their heads swelled to the size of their bellies and took on the steaming pile of turd that was Disorderlies. Remember that? No, neither do I.

If you managed to sit through Run DMC's other cinematic masterpiece, Tougher Than Leather then I'd like to shake your hand. Disjointed? Was it a comedy? Drama? It hurts to think. And then there's the album of the same name...Mary, Mary, that bizarre Ragtime joint, Miss Elaine? But there was some redemption in Run's House and They Call Us Run DMC. Just.

What about Juice? I like this and should watch it again. Some credible dj performances especially in the dj battle. And Tupac (whose acting skills were better than his rapping skills, oooo, controversial) comes into his own as a real nut-bag. The soundtrack to this is 85% good with an absolute killer main title tune by Eric B & Rakim in their last hip hop classic.

I should mention Boyz N the Hood, New Jack City and Menace II Society as well as these were all released in the early Nineties along with Juice. These no longer displayed the raw elements of hip hop but rather focussed on the inner city struggles, so we don't get to see Icecube bust a windmill or Wesley Snipes throwing down on the 1's and 2's.

Anyhoo, here is a nice accompaniment to the film Style Wars in the form of an 18-page press release which gives a good insight into the making of the film.

Download Style Wars Presskit

Grand Theft Auto 4

So it's finally out. And if the press is anything to go by it's the worst/greatest/most offensive/highly-detailed video game in history.

It'll be a while before I purchase this game, not for moral reasons but purely a financial one. Y'see I don't yet own a PS3 but I bought a Wii at Christmas so I can't really justify/afford buying yet another console only 5 months later. Also I want to get the new Mario Kart for my Wii. I used to play the SNES version something like 15 years ago and that was the most fun I ever had with my clothes on.

GTA4 though, I'm trying not to watch any footage on Youtube.

Well its not working. I've already seen some and I'm just blown away.

I remember when I first saw GTA3 and I couldn't believe it. The graphics, storyline, radio stations, speech, pedestrian and cops A.I. were mindblowing. Then Vice City was the absolute BOMB! Being a fan of Scarface meant that this was a whole lot more than just a video game. And of course when San Andreas dropped my life was gone for 3 months.

I'm revisiting San Andreas at the moment after finishing the abomination which was GTA Vice City Stories. I'm a GTA completist so had to get the 'add-on' games (GTA Liberty City Stories being the other). These were pretty rubbish and although they came out after SA, didn't use the same engine so they were pretty poor graphics-wise, although everything else was okay - and the 'stories' were crap, too.

So have you played GTA4 yet? Do you love it or hate it? Maybe someone can add such a mesmerizing comment that I'll just have to drop everything and rush out and buy a PS3 today!

Oh, and have a look at this. It's not a journo from the Daily Mail although it should be. Just makes me want to buy it even more.

Mr T's B-Boy Steps

If, like me, you regard Mr T as something of a role model - I also pity the fool that doesn't drink his milk - then you may have a chuckle at this little gem.
In the mid-Eighties Mr T was everywhere due to his popularity in The A Team. He released videos, songs, books, the whole shizzle. So who knows what the story behind this is.
I like the passer-by's first reaction to the little kid.

Streetsounds Electro 1

The first instalment of the mighty Streetsounds Electro album series started wayyy back in 1983. Mixed by Herbie Laidley, a name to become synonymous with the series ("mixed by Mastermind on the GLI"), these albums immediately intended to hit the floor running - a new style of music AND each track segued into the next?

Beginning the album is I'm The Packman (Eat Everything I Can) by The Packman. Who remembers the video game PAC-MAN? Well if you're a regular reader of this Blog then that must mean you. Over time video games and Electro would collide regularly (check pages 94 and 29 of David Toop, 'THE RAP ATTACK, AFRICAN JIVE TO NEW YORK HIP HOP' Pluto Press 1984). This was actually a great intro for bringing this new robotic music to the masses as it contained all the stereotypical elements of Electro Funk - drum machine beats, lots of claps, dark synth basslines and looming vocoder.

Next is the chipmunk sound of Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song) by Newcleus which uses a simple combination of claps, kicks and snares for the rhythm and a repetitive hookline. I like the Grandmaster Flash spoof just before Herbie busts an inventive scratch. West Street Mob's Break Dancin' - Electric Boogie is the flip of what we've heard so far with the live cutting and scratching of Apache which was more in relation to what was being done in the small Bronx clubs.

If you think the next song is similar to early Bambaataa stuff then a quick shufty at the producer's name might be a clue. Get Wet by C-Bank is more than a little close to sounding like Looking For The Perfect Beat which John Robie also produced.

Yet another sub genre in Electro is displayed on K-9 Corp's Dog Talk which uses a big chunk of George Clinton's P-Funky Atomic Dog (later to be used by Icecube).
Some more vocoder action on G. Force's Feel The Force follows which is a nice, unassuming track which although not great still does the job.

A sign of the times is shown by the title of Project Future's Ray - Gun - Omics. Don't be misled by the song's chirpy rhythm and melody, the vocoder'd vocals state, "High inflation, Reaganomics / And taxation, more atomics / Reaganomics, high inflation, / More atomics, and taxation" in the age of President Ronald Reagan.

A basic scratch heralds the Return Of Captain Rock by, erm, Captain Rock. This is my pick of the album with some great beats, production and clear vocals. The Prodigy famously used this on their debut lp for the track Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2).

So there we have it. Streetsounds has unleashed this strange new music called Hip Hop on us. What did we make of it? It brought to the nation's teenagers a new revolution in music, that's what. And started me breaking my parents' hi-fi system, too.

Download Electro 1

Coming up this week!

Just to let you know that sometime this week I shall begin to post the entire Streetsounds Electro series (including the specials).

However, the key word here is 'gradually'. Or even, 'sporadically'. I don't want to be tied down with deadlines thanks so they will appear as and when. Maybe I'll get crazy and post loads up at once. Ha,ha let's not get carried away, shall we?

They'll be going up via Rapidshare as I have an account with them so the files will still stay active for EVER! (you have to say the word 'for ever!' as CAP would say it to get the full effect ;-) ).

I'm looking forward to this venture as I'll have the opportunity to listen to them all again in full and add a short critique. The rose-tinted specs will unfortunately not be present so as to give a non-biased review.

Watch the riiiiiiiiide!!! as Westwood says. Or used to say. I wouldn't know, I don't listen to that bloke any more.

Jive Rhythm Trax

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

Suggested Listening?

I don't listen to hip hop these days, or rather modern-day hip hop as, a) I don't seem to have the time, I'm too busy catching up on the vast back catalogue of 40 years of funk and 30 years of older hip hop; and b) I don't like a lot of what is considered 'hot' (Soulja Boy, L'il Jon..etc..).

But if you could suggest something you've heard that has impressed you then put a note in the Comments. An mp3 or link would be even better.
Share that love!