3 x Funk 45

I was never a big 45 dude, but over the years I built a little stash nonethless. I hate taking them out, so I've been ripping as many as I could. Here are a few faves from the funk section. Earl Lett's intro cracks me up every time, it's absurd and mindblowingly good at the same time. Billy Garner's braggadocio is also very entertaining and Message From The Soul Sisters is just great in it's sincerity.
Earl Lett: Green Power Part 1
Billy "Sugar Billy" Garner: I Got Some
Myra Barnes: Message From The Soul Sisters Part 1

House! This Saturday...

In anticipation of this Saturday's house special (@ Kuudes Linja), here are three classics that will be heard for sure.
Earth People: Reach Up To Mars (Martian Mix)(1990)
Chris Cuevas: Hip Hop (MAW Dub)(1991)
Jestofunk: Special Love (Silk's House Mix)(1998)

Lauantaista tulee erikoisilta, voi suositella vaik ei oiskaan mikään housepro. Liput 8€, friidut ilmaiseksi kahteentoista. Tervetuloa!

J.P. Rodgers

J.P. Rodgers: I Enjoy Making Love (Just Like You Do)

As far as I'm concerned this here jam is one of the absolute best 80's R&B joints. The production is just slick enough and the vocals are top notch. This was a 12" release on tiny Bay Area label Inculcation back in 1982, but the song also appears on Rodgers' Good Taste In Love album. The label was so low budget that even the album comes in a plain white stock sleeve.


Btw, Quannum / Solesides heads will remember the groove no doubt.

Once again big up to my man Pablo who was the first to play this in HKI. Many people here will remember the song from his well-liked Summer Soul mix from 2002.

Selects 001

I'm not joking when I say Selects 001 by Chairman Mao and Citizen Kane is one of my all time favorite mixes. On this mix the two DJ's more or less perfected the kind of sophisticated yet accessible blend of soul, disco and funk I myself had been working on at the time and that is what made it so special for me.

Chairman Mao & Citizen Kane: Selects 001 (2001)

Intro
Number One
Subway Baby
Baby Come On
Your Mind
Soul Man
Gold Coast
Nite People
Mongoose
Music (I Like It)
Sing A Simple Song
Stepping Out (Stepping Up)
Marvin's Groove
Step Out
Sweet Maryline
Brother On The Run
Wasted
Ain't No Love Lost
Ain't It Good Feeling Good
Love The Feeling
Dancer
Soul On Your Side
Get No Loving Tonight
Feeling Good
London Town
I'm Out Of Your Life
Looking Up To You
Rude Movements
When I'm With You
Make It Last Forever

The tracklisting above is as it's printed on the sleeve. When the mix came out me and my man Pablo spent hours and hours trying to figure out the full listing, in true record nerd fashion. This was all before I knew Mao. We finally got them all except for one or two that the Chairman himself gave up years later. You too are going to have to work for the full listing, if you get frustrated drop me a line and maybe I'll hook you up. Trust me, the mystery is half the fun.


Btw, while I definitely think mixes like this should be listened to in their entirety I happened to note that the Poisonous Paragraphs blog just recently posted a lower bitrate zip of Selects. If that's what you prefer then check this link.

Shout outs to Mao, Kane, Pablo & DJ's Delight supporter, fellow Selects fan and a dope DJ in his own right, my man Stefski in STHLM.

L.A. Nights / London Town

L.A. Nights and London Town are both certified jazz-funk classics, super mellow and just right for your Sunday afternoon. What's curious is that they are essentially the same song, recorded twice with different lyrics. Both were produced by Augie Johnson of Side Effect fame.

Yasuko Agawa: L.A. Nights (1986)

Light Of The World: London Town (Full Length Version)(1981)

A special shout out to my man DJ Day for reminding me to post these two gems.

Ring The Alarm! - Friday night @ 6 Linja

Tenor Saw & Buju: Ring The Alarm Quick

This is more or less where dancehall music started for me. Back in the 90's Ring The Alarm and Sister Nancy's Bam Bam were the two tunes every hip hop dj here would play, time and time again.

Real Talk Juke Remix

Here's the long-awaited juke version of everyone's favorite Kells ballad Real Talk, courtesy of another Chicago legend DJ Slugo.

Real Talk (DJ Slugo Remix)

Btw, Slugo's and Deeon's brand new Dance Mania Ghetto Classics Volume 1 is out now and comes highly recommended.
For a brief juke 101 check out the very educational Slugo interview on UIC radio:

Wreck

I've been a Romanthony fan since I found about dude in the late 90's. Even if you never realized it you've been singing along to him as well. I wrote briefly about one of his finest releases last year and another big personal fave is this track called Wreck from his R. Hide In Plain Site album. I always hoped they would've put it on a 12" but as far as I know that never happened.
Romanthony: Wreck (2000)

BONUS: Here's the "hit" single from the album in it's long single version. I think I actually like this even better today than back when it came out...
Romanthony: Bring U Up (Floating Groove Vocal)

South Rakkas' Africa

People seem to bug out whenever I play this and some clearly disapprove because they can't stand the song. I don't really mess with the original either, but this... what's not to like???
Mr Easy: Africa (produced by South Rakkas Crew)

BONUS:
This was already posted way back when, but here's the full quality version finally.
Bounty Killer: Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (produced by South Rakkas Crew)

New Jack Swing #1

So this is my new jack mix from last spring, finally available for ya'll to download. Most of the essential hits are there, mixed with personal faves that didn't quite reach that level of mainstream success. Yesterday I listened to this for the first time in a while and god damn I still love all these songs so much.
Enjoy...

DJ Anonymous: New Jack Swing #1

N.E. Intro
After 7: I Can't Stop
After 7: I Can't Stop Remix
Samuelle: So You Like What You See
Ralph Tresvant: Sensitivity
Jody Watley featuring Eric B & Rakim: Friends
Christopher Williams: Every Little Thing Remix
Intro: Love Thang
Today: Him Or Me
Guy: Groove Me
Teddy Riley featuring Tammy Lucas: Is It Good To You?
TLC: Get It Up
Johnny Gill: Rub You The Right Way
Bobby Brown: Humpin Around
Mint Condition: Are You Free?
Keisha Jackson: Hot Little Love Affair
Al B Sure featuring Slick Rick: If I'm Not Your Lover
Basic Black: What Ever It Takes
Colin England: I Got What You Need
Teddy Riley featuring Guy: My Fantasy
Bel Biv Devoe: Poison
4-Fun: You Can't Play Me
Johnny Kemp: Just Got Paid
Boyz II Men: Motownphilly
Today: I Got The Feeling

Preview and download here
Alternative dl link

This Saturday in Helsinki...

UPDATE: Thanks to everybody who showed up, I don't think I ever saw the venue as packed...

Classic Time #30: Skip To My Lou

Sorry for my absence, I've been busy getting my act together after a severe HD crash. Anyway... here's a real 80's classic you might or might not remember, but will very likely recognize when you hear it. The top notch production is by former EW&F guitarist Al McKay.
Finis Henderson: Skip To My Lou (12" Mix)(1983)

Brooklyn Tour Guide

Just picked up the bangin new Tony Matterhorn tune on Massive B's Go Go riddim. Amazing.
Tony Matterhorn: Tour Guide (256)

Classic Time #29: Balek

After all these years this still sends chills down my spine.
Placebo: Balek (1973)

Tonite / Tonight

A classic ode to the weekend from the Compton vet, I don't think I'll ever get tired of this. Kleeer's little electronic jam is a masterpiece in it's own right.

DJ Quik: Tonite (1991)
Kleeer: Tonight (1984)

Some more obscure 90's 12"s

Kovalevy @ Redrum is the number one hip hop night in the city and this Friday it's once again time for the yearly throwback special. Nuff classics will be played for sure, but I'm thinking I need to get me an early night slot to play some legendary underground shit most people are definitely not up on... something like:
Shades Of Brooklyn: Change (1996)
Kaotic Style: Represent (1994)
Black Reign: Dirty (1995)

From this month on I'll also be serving as one of the resident DJ's so you will be seeing more on the night here as well.

And back to the classics for a brief second: If you haven't yet checked the latest edition of The Rub's History Of Hip Hop over at Brooklyn Radio you should do so whenever you get the chance. This time it's all about the year 1990, when I first saw the tracklisting I damn near started crying.

Some Japan photos...

...as promised.

Never Too Much aka I Love Youtube

What a song...

Call Me Goodie

Yeah I know I know, what a ridiculous cover... You And I from the album is my jam though, with great vocals by Goodie and extra classy production by Lonnie Simmons of the Gap Band fame.
Goodie: You And I (1982)

BONUS:
For more slow jams check out this little mix compiled by my peoples over at the LS message board (sorry, in Finnish only). 71 minutes and three decades worth of stone cold classics with a few lesser known tunes thrown in....

If You Were Here Tonite
You And I
Cherish The Day
Love Ballad
Love TKO
Stay A Little While
Rock Me Tonight (For Old Time's Sake)
In The Mood
Freek'N You
Love You Down
Bump 'N Grind (Old School Mix)
Knocking Da Boots
Nice And Slow
Caught Up In A Rapture
So Into You
One Hundred Ways
Let's Get It On

Dr Dre: 86 In The Mix

Courtesy of DJ Soul's Mic Check. So Necessary.

Disco Breaks

Here are three breaks I used to carry doubles of for years and years and still enjoy cutting in these days of instant doubles. The first two are obvious old school staples, the third is similar in style but not as universally known. Even cue points included lol...
Sing Sing
Mt Airy Groove
Don's Place

Spread Love 1999

2 late-90's house gems making good use of Al Hudson's disco classic (see here). Black Sun's straight cover was more of a hit back then, but Russell definitely sounds fresher today.
Lenny Fontana presents Black Sun: Spread Love

Russell: Fool For Love

Classic Time #28

Donna McGhee: It Ain't No Big Thing (1978)

Honestly, this is one of my all time favorite songs. Donna delivers in a sad but still sultry way and production by the Greg Carmichael-Patrick Adams dream team compliments her perfectly. If your relationship seems to be falling apart the only advice I can ever give is to play this on repeat.

Hello Brooklyn Remix

The best of the bunch that is...
Jay-Z feat Lil Wayne: Hello Brooklyn 2.0 (Mick Boogie Remix)

Sega's Soulja Girl

Philly's DJ Sega, affiliate of Tameil and one of the best young club producers around has a killer version of Soulja Boy's follow-up hit Soulja Girl. Free downloads courtesy of Philly's Ol' Head Records:

Soulja Boy: Soulja Girl (DJ Sega Philly Club Remix)

BONUS:
Preview Sega's massive remix of M.I.A.'s Paper Planes, trust me this will be HUGE. Keep an eye on Mad Decent for more on this in the near future.

Moodymann in HKI

Detroit legend Moodymann back in HKI this Saturday - I'll be there no doubt. Scroll down for one of my favorite Moodymann productions The Day We Lost The Soul.

Soul jams for happy 2008

3 incredible little jams from back in the day that helped me through a "tired" New Year's Day:

Natural High: I Think I'm Falling In Love (1979)
Weldon Irvine: I Love You (1976)
Shalamar: Sweeter As The Days Go By (1981)
Happy 2008 to you and your loved ones!

Update: I just noticed my man Josh D has a new mix with a similar theme up on his 100 Limousines blog. What a killer tracklisting!