Kenix Music featuring Bobby Youngblood

This is one of my favorite West End joints, I closed out my Insane 2 Boogie Mix with it. Here is the extended version.
Kenix music was Kenton Nix, the producer behind such anthems as Funky Sensation and Heartbeat.

Kenix Music featuring Bobby Youngblood - "There's Never Been (No One Like You)" (1980)

For another amazing Bobby Youngblood track, check out Josh Dunn's excellent "I Can Feel It" mix.

Genius (of Love)

Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love (1981)
Genius of Love is an all-time classic. Talk about genre-spanning. Only early 80's downtown NYC could have birthed it.

At first I thought Yella was a bootleg of Genius, but it turns out Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz were behind it. Not sure who the "MC" was, a quick google search suggested it was Steven Stanley, but thats not confirmed. It's also not clear which tune actually came first. Was Yella Tom Tom Club's own response to all the Rap records that referenced them, or was it an earlier song which Genius of Love was based on?

The third song is an X-Clan track that samples Genius, (its off a high-school tape so don't stress the hiss). This track sounds really good to me right now. Amazing production.



Yella - Yella!! (1981)


X-Clan - In The Ways of the Scales (1990)

Best Hip-House Remix

In the early 90's Hip-House remixes were ubiquitous, and most of them were entirely superfluous. This one really works, and gives new life to what was a pretty kitschy S-n-P track.

Salt-N-Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex (Power Mix)
produced by Hurby & The Invincibles, 1991

Love Committee - Just As Long As I Got You

Love Committee - Just As Long As I Got You (Law & Order, 1978)

Johnnie Taylor - You're The Best In The World

Johnnie Taylor - You're the Best In The World (Eargasm, 1976)

Belated Valentine's Post

Sorry, no mix this year, instead I'm simply posting a few of my favorite love songs. Most are kinda melancholy, but the best love songs usually are.

Curtis Mayfield - The Makings of You
This was my wedding song. A love song that embraces love for women, mothers, and dare I say, humanity.

Roberta & Donny - Be Real Black For Me
This was not my wedding song. Love it anyway.

Bill Withers - Let Me In Your Life
Of all Withers' amazing songs, this one really gets to me the most. The vulnerability of it, the frustration of a man dealing with a woman who won't "let him in" due to hurt from a previous relationship. Heavy stuff, and you can pretty much assume he never gets the girl.

Rotary Connection - Want You To Know
I always wanted to close out a mix with this joint. Now you can instead. The great Minnie Ripperton RIP.

Quincy Jones - If I Ever Lose This Heaven
Minnie again, also with Al Jarreau kickin a fleau.

Randy Newman - Marie
A truly beautiful song. From Newman's "redneck" concept album "Good Ole Boys".

Leon Russell - This Masquerade,
Leon Russell - A Song For You
Both of these songs are better known, and probably better sung, by George Benson and Donny Hathaway, respectively.
However, Leon wrote both of them, and for that he gets mucho props.

A good Flick

I recently watched "The Visitor". Its a great flick, well directed and understated, despite it's heavy subject matter. Plus it's written and directed by Scott Templeton? Who knew!

RIP British Union Square Carrot Peeler Guy

R.I.P. Joe Ades NYTimes.com

Red Alert tape - Spring 1985

Side A
Side B
Shout to my homie John D'Aponte for hooking me up with this tape.
Check his site for dope Brooklyn Button Downs, and the new Baracklyn Dodgers Tee! etc.

tracklist:
Side A
01. LL Cool J - I Need a Beat
02. The B Boys - Stick Up Kid
03. Jazzy Jay - Def Jam
04. Mantronix with M.C. Tee - Fresh Is The Word
05. Run DMC - Live at The Funhouse
06. Roxanne Shante - Roxanne's Revenge
07. GrandMaster Flash - Larry's Dance Theme
08. Bobby Jimmy & The Critters - Big Butt
09. Whodini - Big Mouth

Side B
09. Whodini - Big Mouth
10. Run DMC - Daryll And Joe
11. Kurtis Blow - Basketball
12. Sparky D vs. The Playgirls - The Battle
13. Word of Mouth feat DJ Cheese - King Kut
PAUSE
14. Run DMC - You're Blind
PAUSE
15. Bad Boys feat K-Love - Inspector Gadget
16. Master O.C. & Krazy Eddie - Private Lessons
17. Fat Boys - Can You Feel It

and here's some videos from the Tape:
the Inspector Gadget video:


and the Roxanne's Revenge video:


and Whodini's Big Mouth


and finally, Fat Boys - Can You Feel It

Things I learned about Human League's "Human"

1. It was produced by Jam & Lewis. Is that news to anyone else?
Duh! No wonder it always sounded like "Tender Love"

2. Apparently, Luke Wilson was in the band.

3. They pressed an acapella and an instrumental, and here they be:

Human (Aca + Inst)

Release The Tension in '09

Proto-house track along the lines of Level 3 and Serious Intention, etc.
Boyd Jarvis + Timmy Regisford = dope.

Circuit - Release the Tension (1984)
Circuit - Release the Dub (1984)
Circuit - Release the a Capella (1984)

Bloglines

I'm maad late to the whole blog-reader/blog-aggregator thing, but just in case I'm not the only one...
Subscribe to bloglines.com (free), you can organize all your blogs, and it automatically updates when they have new posts.

This is super helpful when checking on inconsistent blogs like yours truly.
Thanks to those readers that are still checkin me.

Cash Cab?

We're in a recession, a subway ride is going up to $3, and he rolls around in a yellow cab, with thousands in cash.
Someone please rob this man.

Christmas with Dolemite (1971)

Black Cat
Merry Christmas Baby
St Peter
Tennis Shoes
The Night Before Christmas

early Christmas treat

I remember recording this off a Dahved Levy show back in high school. For some reason it was always hard to find, even in the napster days. Not a big fan of xmas songs but this one is dope...

Gregory Isaacs - Christmas Behind the Bars (1992)

Literal A-Ha Video

This is some nerdery, but it's a clever idea and works well.
Found by way of Drawn

Blue Note LP covers

An incredible collection of Blue Note Album covers over here:

Tom's DIner Article

Suzanne Vega has an interesting piece in the Times on "The curious legend of “Tom's Diner”— how an a capella ditty became a hit single and, eventually, a key component in the development of the MP3.
Suzanne Vega - Tom's Essay

El Hijo de Obatala

Ray Barretto - El Hijo De Obatala (1973)

The Rebirth of Bondy's???

On a mission to J&R last weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this new record shop, Malachi Records.
Literally in the shadows of Park Row, my first thoughts were of Bondy's. I spoke briefly with one of the owners, who told me they actually tried to get the lease on Bondy's space, but it didn't work out. Malachi is located on the second floor of an office building, so it wasn't easy to find the entrance, but well worth it.

They've only been open a few months, but so far it looks promising.
Malachi Records
139 Fulton St # 135
New York, NY 10038
212 964-1600