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A-T-5 075 Lucky Rosenbloom Just Give It All to Christ

B-side of Keep Your Faith In God, the sole release of Small Minnesota label Christian Encouragement Crusade. Originally put out as by Lucky in 1985 and reissued under Lucky's full name by Numero in 2023

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A-T-5 074 Sugar Minott I Remember Mama

reissued by Emotional Rescue in 2021

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A-T-5 073 Take Three/Sahara

Peter Hinds had been the keyboardist in britfunk bands Light Of The World, Beggar & Co, Atmosphere, Incognito, and The Warriors. He'd played for Imagination and Loose Ends. He would form the writing partnership SHE with Steve Sinclair and Kevin Ellis who put out recordings as Sahara, Take Three, Team 3-B, Veneice. SHE moved from street soul to house in the later 1980s

Take Three were fronted by lovers rock vocal harmony trio Marlène Richardson and sisters Jackie & Jean Heron, who had put out records as Alpha in the early 1980s. 'Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love)' was their final single as Take Three. All four singles were compiled as Music & Times, 1983-1985 by Freestyle Records in 2024. Take Three like Sahara were on Andy Sojka's Elite Records, Peter Hinds had been in Sojka's band Atmosphere so I'm assuming they were mates. 'Love So Fine' was the only Sahara's track to come out, other SHE tracks from various decades were collected together under the Sahara name and put out on SHE Records in 2017

Take Three - Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love) 

Sahara - Dub So Fine

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A-T-5 072 Wayne Smith Under Me Sleng Teng

Seen as the first digidub recording. By now the story about the rhythm is pretty well known

Sleng Teng was produced by Prince Jammy. It proved so popular he was able to put out two albums of vocalists over the Sleng Teng riddim 1985 Master Mega Hits - Sleng Teng Extravaganza Volumes 1 + 2 which were collected together and reissued by VP Records in 2005 as Sleng Teng Extravaganza: 1985 Master Mega Hits. Has a sound changed pop music so quickly and dramatically before or since? In Jamaican pop there is pre and post digital, pre and post Sleng Teng It's an odd rhythm, the story is here, unlike the King Tubby produced 'Tempo' it didn't sound one bit like chat over Gary Numan

Wayne Smith's original is a song about a guy who really likes getting high smoking rather than cocaine. The track still is massive especially with those who like getting high smoking weed. Dancehall DJs seemed to have been inspired by the electric rhythm Sleng Teng Extravaganza contains many versions, some that were hits in their own right

Johnny Osbourne - Buddy Bye

Tenor Saw - Pumpkin Belly

Sugar Minott - Jam In The Street

Echo Minott - Hand Pon The Key

Tappa Zukie - Big Things

Cocoa Tea - Hey Bobby

John Wayne - Call Di Police

Super Cat - Trash And Ready

Tonto Irie - Every Posse Come In

Nicodemus - Eagle Feathers

I've just noticed a Sleng Teng mix was put together for Test Pressing, here

The original

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A-T-5 071 Cocoa Tea I Lost My Sonia

George Scott better known by his stage name Cocoa Tea has passed away. He was a legend of Jamaican music

He'd sang with various sound systems before being picked up by one of Jamaica's hottest producers, arguably the biggest of the pre-digital dancehall era, Henry "Junjo" Lawes

His first hit with Junjo was 'Rocking Dolly' in 1984. He followed this up with 'I Lost My Sonia' in 1985. But Junjo wasn't the only producer he worked with. He was prolific, in 1985 he made over four albums and put out over half-dozen singles. 'Highest Mountain' would be included on The Marshall album produced by Prince Jammy (renamed 'Sugar Your Coffee), the album also included 'Children Of The Ghetto' which was a hit for Cocoa Tea in 1986

Early on his name was spelled "Coco Tea" on Jamaican releases and "Cocoa Tea" in the US

I Lost My Sonia

Highest Mountain

I Wanna Love You Girl produced by Ossie Hibbert

Come Back Shirley on the delicious Get a Lick/Billie Jean riddim. Produced by Papa Lee

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A-T-5 070 Sonny Okosun Highlife (Dub Version)

Nigerian electronic dub compiled by Soundway on Nigeria Special Volume 3: Electronic Innovation Meets Culture And Tradition 1978-93 in 2024

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A-T-5 068 A Cage Went In Search Of A Bird

From bandcamp

Acclaimed compilation of original specially commissioned material covering the unique range of music from the 80s experimental underground. Originally issued [by Dark Star/Auricle] as a 2 cassette set (A: melodic synth and cosmic music, B: experimental synths and electronics, C: rock and new-wave underground, D: avant-garde and industrial). [Two and a half hours of music]. Originally planned as a numbered edition of 500 copies, only 200 or so were actually issued as such. Some were also sold as single cassettes in regular cases (approx. 20 of each)

From the selections available on Bandcamp

Rollkomanndo - Nude Picture

Conrad Schnitzler - 1·11·84

Input - Heavy Street

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A-T-5 068 Kazino Binary

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A-T-5 067 Tony Allen Road Close (Dance Dub)

Another great track from Fela Kuti's Africa '70 musical director and drummer. From the album N.E.P.A. (Never Expect Power Always) - a dig at the Nigerian Electric Power Authority. Recorded after he'd moved to France

I shared tracks from N.E.P.A. last year, there's a bit on confusion over when it was released 84/85

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A-T-5 066 Roy Ayers

Roy Ayers is no longer with us. It's been a terrible two weeks for losing legends. I remember in the 1990s putting on a tape in my parents car (recorded off a CD Andy had brought up when he visited me in Hull. When I first heard Andy's Roy Ayers CD I had a 'where have you been all my life' moment. I subsequently bought the album and many many more Roy Ayers records) and my mom turned to my dad and exclaimed "he's listening to xylophone music!" like it was something you heard in a school orchestra. I corrected her by stating "mommmm, It's the vibes." Roy Ayers wasn't child's play. And anyway mom loves Simon & Garfunkel and 'El Condor Pasa' is based around the group Los Incas playing the recorder (I know it's flutes, sorry the Quechua massive)

The Roy Ayers compilation Andy had brought up was A Shining Symbol - The Ultimate Collection on Polydor. Ayers productions had been a go to choice for hip-hop DJ/producers right from beginning of the boom-bap era (he continues to be a staple sample source today.) 'Sally' (Stetsasonic), 'Description Of A Fool' (ATCQ), 'Bonita Applebum' (ATCQ), 'Hands Of Fate' (Lakim Shabazz), 'Hip Hop Hooray' (NbN), 'Passin' Me By (Fly As A Pie Remix)' (The Pharcyde), 'Wake Up (Reprise In The Sunshine)' (Brand Nubian), 'Down 2 Earth' (Monie Love), 'Be A Father To Your Child' (ED O.G.), 'World Renown (Pete Rock Remix)' (Slick Rick), 'Raise The Flag' (X-Clan), 'Don't Sleep On Me' (J Rock), 'The Therapist' (KMD), 'Rain On Me' (Atban Klan), 'Pain' (Bumble B.H.E), 'Sunshine' (Blunted Dummies), 'Get Funky' (The Beatnuts), 'Stop The Negativity' (Outlaw Posse), 'Never Leave You Lonely' (ATC) - just a few tracks that sample Mr Ayers, all pre 1993

Roy Ayers' 'Brother Green (The Disco King)' had became a staple since the early days of sampling (in hip hop). The hook appears on 'Breaking Bells' (T La Rock) in 1986 and is used by everyone up to the end of the eighties. Deee-Lite sample 'Love' by Roy Ayers on 'Groove Is In The Heart' and their mate Pal Joey is sampling Ayers on his house records. Roy Ayers was just as popular source material for house producers, especially those in New York. In the UK Ayers would be equally as popular with Jungle/DnB producers but I'm getting ahead of myself

S'Express sampled Roy Ayers' 'Hey Uh-What You Say Come On' on their summer of '88 top 5 hit "Superfly Guy'. Mark Moore (of S'Express) had been a house evangelist in London when hip-hop and rare groove ruled the London clubs. The samples he used for S'Express are a cross section of what was going on in London clubs at the time. In 1986 fellow DJs Steve Proctor and Dave Pearce set up a subsidiary of Polydor called Urban. They took Polydor's back catalogue and put out reissues of tracks popular with hip-hop and rare groove DJs and dancers. After a few James Brown and Manu Dibango compilations, Roy Ayers was next on the list, in 1987 they reissued a lot of previously hard to find Roy Ayers and Roy Ayers Ubiquity albums. I had heard Roy Ayers before he came to visit me in Hull with his CD treasure. I'd put 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' on a mixtape for him. This had come off the first Urban Classics compilation which I had been given to me by my neighbour (it's possible Angus lent it to me to record and I still have it.)

Right now we're all about 1985 though. Roy Ayers had left Polydor and after putting out a few albums on his own Uno Melodic label he signed to Columbia Records. After the moderate success of 1984's In the Dark, which contains the perennial favourite 'Poo Poo La La', 1985s follow up You Might Be Surprised and its singles do surprisingly well. Half the album is produced by James Mtume who updates his sound with mid-80s Prince/Zapp/Mtume snythy funk-pop style production

Reissues of Roy Ayers' archive recordings first began appearing for club kids around this time. Those clubbers buy records and DJs can create surprise hits out of back catalogues (as a tv show like Stranger Things can do today.) It had been common to put previously released tracks on the b-sides of singles since the 1960s. Columbia made a deal to put 'Running Away' on the flip of 'Poo Poo La La' in 1984. The following year James Brown/Hank Williams compiler Tim Rogers puts together an EP for clubbers called Polydor Dance Classics in the US, one of a small series of releases that are a template for Urban Records and Polydor UK. Polydor Dance Classics also includes 'Running Away', suggesting the track was popular with kids in America - I've heard stepping’ music was a scene in Chicago in the early 80s and 'Running Away' maps to that

Lastly, before I share some music, after hearing Roy Ayers had passed away I reflected on how much he had influenced the music we had been listening to that night - it was everything, all of it

1985, concentrate! Roy Ayers was working with violinist John Blair. He co-produces an single for him 'Momma Said Shut-Up' and a disco rap track

The World Of Mazehe - Everybody What's The Word there's an instrumental on the b-side

Roy Ayers - Programmed For Love (Instrumental) file under Sex Bot. Slow jam produced by James Mtume. 'Hot' was the big hit

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A-T-5 065 Mr Fingers Mystery Of Love

First release from Larry Heard who up until this point had been drummer in local cover bands. He bought a Jupiter-8 synth for his role in the last of these bands and then bought a drum machine because it's not that easy to play a synth and a drum kit at the same time. With his new kit Heard began making his own original music. He must have been tuned in to local productions that were beginning to be played by DJs in club on the Southside of Chicago and on the radio by the likes of Hot Mix 5. 'Mystery Of Love' and 'Washine Machine' were recorded at the same time. They were put on cassette and distributed to DJs. The tracks were popular with DJs but nobody was coming forth to press the tracks up onto vinyl. In the end Larry Heard put 'Mystery Of Love' out himself. It's considered the first deep house record

This was when house musicians like Larry Heard were in there heroic period. Creating a new sound and forming the legends that surrounds them. Their careers have been more like avant-guard composers than regular pop musicians. They opened a way for avant-guard composers to introduce elements that come straight out of night clubs. The only-slightly younger Carl Craig (from Detroit) has just performed at an immersive light show in London. And like electronic, ambient, and new age musicians they sometimes released their music on their own labels, small imprints, as well as licensing it to independent and major labels

After the success of the 1985 version Heard rerecorded the track with a faster tempo and lyrics. He recruited vocalists Ron Wilson and Robert Owens, together the trio became Fingers Inc. The 1986 Fingers Inc. version of 'Mystery Of Love' was put out by pioneering house music label DJ International Records. At the time DJ International was in its second year and had already put out tracks by legends Chip E., Jessie Saunders, Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk, and Kenny 'Jamming' Jason. Since 2019 DJ International's catalogue has been owned by Universal Music

Mr. Fingers - Mystery Of Love the chords are straight up 'Your Love'

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A-T-5 064 Juan Atkins

Juan Atkins was one half of Cybotron who had had an electro hit with 'Clear'. The first solo releases under the names Model 500 are stripped back electro influenced John Carpenter soundtracks, European synth-pop imports (especially Kraftwerk), and futuristic science fiction. The sound was macho the vocals hard, like Mr T reading a space opera, which appealed to rock fans in the UK. Atkins solo singles are released on his own Metroplex label

Cybotron (Juan Atkins, Richard "3070" Davis, and John "Jon-5" Housely) release the 12" 'R-9' two years after 'Clear'. 'R-9' continues on the dark path set out by 1984's 'Techno City. but it's a lot more stripped back and the bassline more melodic and angular. The track is little more than a bassline, a drum machine, with moody sound effects, it's brilliant

Next year the electrofunk will fade into the background, Chicago house's pounding beat will spill in, and a new sound will be birthed... Let's go

Model 500 - Night Drive

Cybotron - R-9 (Instrumental)

Model 500 - No Ufo's (Instrumental) 'No Ufo's' first appears the b-side of Juan Atkins debut solo single 'Night Drive'. If it's a mix of this version of the 'D-Mix' is a mix of this only Juan Atkins knows - and if I wasn't feeling so lazy now the internet could tell me in an instant

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A-T-5 063 Rap Rock Funk Metal

Funk rock had emerged in the late 1960s and flourished throughout the 1970s. It was played by musicians of every colour and provided hits for many acts including the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sly & The Family Stone, Chicago Transit Authority, Average White Band, Wild Cherry, and of course Parliament-Funkadelic

Rock breaks had been part of the DJs arsenal since the early days of hip-hop. Babe Ruth's 'The Mexican', Edgar Winters' 'Frankenstein', Billy Squires' Big Beat, AC/DC's 'Back In Black', and Led Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks'

Rock breaks were popular in the drum machine era, mostly because they were sparse and heavy. Sampling drum breaks hadn't arrived in hip-hop yet, Marley Marl claims that title. The Art Of Noise's 'Beat Box' - in all its versions - was a major influence on electrofunk and drum machine era hip-hop. As AON had a Fairlight 'Beat Box' was built around sampling a performance by Yes drummer Alan White for the album 90125, which the AON team produced

It's not controversial to say Rick Rubin had a vision for mixing hip-hop and rock. Rick Ruben's new business partner Russell Simmons saw dollar signs. Luckily for Simmons he managed his brothers group Run-DMC and they were the biggest rap act on the planet. Run-DMC's second studio album King Of Rock mixed rap with machine rock drums and guitar riffs. Darryl "DMC" McDaniels was a rock fan. The album's title track and lead single featured guest guitarist Eddie Martinez, and the track has more cowbell than BOC. The video for the single 'King Of Rock' is all about Run-DMC taking their place in the halls of rock history (which is made out to look, not unfairly, very white)

Run-DMC - Your Blind features guitars performed by Rick Rubin (formerly of the punk rock band HOSE), Jam Master Jay, and their producer Larry Smith. Smith's group Orange Kush are the backing band on Run-DMC's self-titled debut album and King Of Rock. They were Kurtis Blows live band, another act Russell Simmons handled, Joseph "Run" Simmons had been Blows' DJ

Run-DMC - Rock The House using an appropriation of the percussion from Bob James' 'Take Me To The Mardi Gras'. It's essentially a remix of 'King Of Rock' mixed by The Latin Rascals

Faith No More - We Care A Lot

At the same time on the other side of America the San Franciscan group Faith No More were coming to the same conclusion, mixing rap with rock, but they were punk metallers and they had a singer who could rap. Their style was also stripped back and funky, they would have been listening to AC/DC's 'Back In Black' and Billy Squire's "Big Beat.' In 1985 Faith No More release the album We Care A Lot. The album features the original recording of the title track and helped put 'alternative metal' on the map. In 1987 with the backing of major label Slash/Warner Bros. they rerecord 'We Care A Lot' and it was released to promote their second studio album Introduce Yourself

Also in California the Red Hot Chilli Peppers record their second studio album Freaky Styley under the influence of their hero George Clinton. The following year more funk metal bands release albums El Grupo Sexo, Beefeater, the year after that Royal Crescent Mob

Run-DMC have a huge hit with rock group Aerosmith in 1986. Later Public Enemy have a minor one with Anthrax. Rap and rock peaks with soundtrack made for the movie Judgment Night

After the demise of grunge Red Hot Chilli Peppers would become one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. At the turn of the millennium there was a new wave of funk metal with singer rappers. It's awful! despite these bands outselling most earlier efforts to combine rap and rock I can't name one of these stadium filling bands

Public Enemy are touring with G’n’R this summer

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A-T-5 062 György Ligeti Études For Piano

While writing my post about NY Noise Rock I was reading about connections fans were making between Swans and the classical composer György Ligeti. There seems to be a crossover from fans of bands like ambient drone rockers Sunn O))) and avant-garde classical composers whose music has a similar 'vibe'

György Ligeti is best known for 'Kyrie' an extract from his piece Requiem, composed in the mid-1960s, which is used to great effect in the film 2001. In 1985 Ligeti is beginning the compositions for his Études, technically complicated studies for solo piano. In classical music études are instrumental pieces designed to practice your musical skill. Ligeti composes three books of études between 1985 and 2001

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A-T-5 061 O-Ryley (No More) Sobie Dobie Girl

I don't know anything about this other than it was written by A. E. Hamilton and it was put out on a small Californian label. Sounding a lot like it was made in the 1970s soul but released in the mid-1980s

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A-T-5 060 Dr Mary Sullivan Bain Do You Know Black History

As Black History Month is coming to an end in the US. I like how 'Do You Know Black History' is a statement rather than a question. It was reissued by Backatcha in 2017 https://www.backatcharecords.com/product/dr-mary-sullivan-bain

Dr Mary Sullivan Bain - Do You Know Black History

Dr Mary Sullivan Bain - Do You Know Black History (Instrumental)

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A-T-5 059 NY Noise Rock

Three acts coming out of NY's No Wave that build on Glenn Branca's 1981 track The Ascension and define NY Noise Rock. Sonic Youth, Swans, and Live Skull were detuning there guitars to make some of their most morbidly curious records in the middle of the eighties

These bands are the forerunners to many post-musics of the late 1990s and early 2000s Sunn O))), Godspeed You Black Emperor!  Lingua Ignota, etc. Swans have recently announce a new 19 minute single and an album to come

Sonic Youth, Swans, and Live Skull all used Homestead Records and its parent company Dutch East India Trading to release and distribute their albums in the US. As with many Homestead records they were cut by Porky and pressed in the UK. Live Skull's 1985 debut Bringing Home The Bait didn't have a UK release but the test pressing was made here. Swans' Young God was out on Some Bizzarre's K.422 sublabel in the UK the year before it came out at home, it got to #9 on the UK's Indie Chart. Sonic Youths' Bad Moon Rising was released simultaneously in the US and UK by Blast First/Homestead, it's their worst selling album

Swans - This Is Mine

Live Skull - Sparky

Sonic Youth - Death Valley 69 with fellow no waver Lydia Lunch