Disco | Boogie 279 Items

produced and arranged by Bootsy Collins & Fred Wesley

A 12" that has been bubbling under the radar for a while is the ridiculously catchy "Beach Boy" by Vertical Lines. The vocal side is almost Stevie Wonder-like in its delivery with some great vocals by Barry Michael Cooper who carries the groove perfectly. Works well with both Disco and 'Yacht Rock' audiences alike.

The instrumental track is a prime slice of vintage 1982 drum-programming and a very early executive production from Tuff City owner, Aaron Fuchs. Recently featured in Dam-Funks sets, "Beach Boy" has been growing in popularity over the last couple of years and will fit into creative sets like a dream. Needs to be played Loud over a great system!

After releasing some unreleased material by Christopher last year (go buy this now if you dont have it), we now also present you with a reissue of a rare little boogiefunk 45 recorded at Music America Studio, Rochester, New York circa 1987. Recorded, Produced and Performed by Christopher Jay, wonky and charming is the order of the day, I rate this 45 a lot. For this 45 we decided to gift you a picture sleeve of the very cool OG artwork.

Philly Groove and Brookside are back at it! This time with a remix edit of Finishing Touch - 'Second Best (Is Never Enough)'. Side A gets a Mike Maurro Remix, edited down to a DJ friendly 7'' version and the B Side contains the original single version. Pressed on limited edition blue vinyl 7'' for the collectors.

Limited to 500 numbered copies. Originally released in 1982.

Recorded in 1980, four years after the seminal ‘Open Your Heart’, Ishola Muhammad recorded what he describes as “The funkiest, most exciting session I had done, and the drummer, a white guy whose name I don’t recall either, was “the best””.
The idea that, "responsibility is what freedom means", came from a speech given by, the late, Imam W.D. Mohammed, leader of the, then, American Muslim Mission. “Subsequently, I chose to use the pseudonym, A.M. Muhammad, which was a play on the American Muslim Mission acronym, AMM. Since the speech was heralded and echoed throughout the community and around the country, I hoped the song would catch on, but it didn't.
40 years later, and “What Freedom Means” is now hot in demand with spins by top DJs across the globe.
Support from Tone B. Nimble.

/ bad girls

/ odyssey

Larry and Bell are two musos from the east and west of the Atlantic, who met on a scuba trip in Belize in '99. Larry plays Bongos, Bell is on the organic sampler and echo pedal, and a local cast of musicians backed them up on Guitar, Double Bass, and Kick Drum. After a few Rum Daiquiris and many spliff, these are the sessions whittled down to strictly the best of hits.

On 'Boogie Down' Bubbha Thomas and The Lightmen lean away from the jazzier moods that they were best known for, towards a mid-tempo boogie/funk workout featuring wide open drum breaks, analog synths, fat claps and vibey backing vocals.

The original 45, released in 1980, now goes for silly money if you can find one, so we thought it would be nice to make it available again. Dedicated to the extensive musical and educational work of Bubbha, who passed away at the end of 2020.
Remastered from original master tapes, officially licensed from Now Again.

We're back with our 5th release! This time it's the certified dancefloor weapon by Alonzo Turner ‘Whoever Said It?’ Released on a 7 inch with a part 1 & 2, this record has been played on dancefloors worldwide by such players as Rahaan, Sadar Bahar and more, with those selectors favouring the part 2 in the most euphoric moments with that incredible vocal half way through. The record has remained hard to come by for most so we are thrilled to have this one out there as an affordable and great sounding reissue. Remastered as always by Frank at The Carvery and this time released with a vibrant company sleeve and a baby yellow label on the 7 to match the original. "Alonzo Turner was born in Northern California in 1955 and was introduced to music by his church, of which his father was pastor. As a young adult, Turner moves to West Hollywood and at 23, he starts to manage a local rock band while working day and night to write what will turn out to be his first and only release, ‘Whoever Said It’. The song catches the attention of Dave Crawford, A former producer at Atlantic. Like most stuff on Crawford’s label, LA Records, the single never makes it to the charts but helps Turner make a name for himself in L.A. and Orange County where he performs often. There is only speculation about what happened to ‘You’ve Got Something’, the LP on which the song was meant to appear, but five years later Alonzo ends up writing an eponymous piece for Norma Lewis (Shakatak, Charade) on her debut album ‘It’s Gonna Happen’. In 1984, struggling to make ends meet from his music career, Turner takes a part time job at a record store, while also pushing garments to an elite clientele in Beverly Hills, even selling clothes to one of Michael Jackson’s designers. In 1991, aged 38, Alonzo Turner will pass away from illness. Written by a loner who lived in a modest flat filled with antiques and expensive art pieces, ‘Whoever Said It’ is a testament to the idea that love does exist beyond our imagination. While asking who is to blame for spreading the opposite theory, Turner makes this simple yet compelling argument to debunk it: emotions are a motor of action, they literally set us in motion and therefore reality derives its very momentum from them." Alonzo Turner biopic originally written by Omar Krivit via musicismysanctuary.com

Remastered & Re-Edited & Remixed versions of the ‘Quare Groove’ classic first released on the group's own Feral Records imprint in Ireland in 1985. Originally inspired by Con O Laoghaire,s trip to Carnival in Trinidad ‘where a woman told me she would see me later at a fete when she was looking ‘Hot and Sexable’’. This is the full vocal version sung by Denise Keogh. As well as an extended club mix of the original, the set feature three other versions, all are reimagined by Morgan Buckley (Wah Wah Wino / No 'Label') using source stems from the original 1985 master lacquer and multitrack tapes courtesy of Windmill Lane Studios.

This 2020 re-issue sees all tracks cut again from the official studio files, ensuring both audio quality and originality. Soweto Soul Orchestra is produced and composed by Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, whose importance to South-Africa's music scene can hardly be underestimated. Being a formative member of The Beaters, which was later renamed Harari, he toured Africa extensively and even hit the American charts with their "Party" single. After Harari split in 1982, Sipho went solo and scored another hit with "Burn Out", which could be heard in every township, and produced and recorded for Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba among others. The Soweto Soul Orchestra project boasts a variety of funky tracks, all marked with that jazzy South-African sound. The stand-out tune on this one, for us, is the epic 8 minute long cosmic disco cover of "Hang em High", the original soundtrack for the eponymous classic Western movie.

Premonition or Premonitions (they were known as both) is a new york disco / Soul / Funk group you probably have never heard of, we have an LP coming soon but while we wait in our flats and houses here is a reissue of their rarest (it's all rare) Disco 45 flipped with an Excellent mid-tempo floater which is 100% my bag. Let's face it, you are going to like one of these sides so get it done.

Reissue on black vinyl limited to 200 copies.

Soundway Records presents the official vinyl release of George & Glen Miller’s 1979 hit “Easing” - encapsulating late 70s New York in its blend of disco, soul and Caribbean soca.
Restored, remastered and cut loud for the dancefloor, the 12” single features the original vocal on the A-side and the essential instrumental on the flip.
The Miller brothers’ musical journey began in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 70s. During their teenage years they formed The Groovy Millers - a five piece band made up of George, Glen and their three siblings. After a chance meeting with Lord Shorty, they went on to collaborate with one of the Soca stars of the time and firmly plant their feet in the Soca scene of the musically rich Caribbean island.
Of the five siblings it was George and Glen that pursued a career in music, and in the late 70s the two brothers made the move to North America to develop their music style. Disco dominated the airwaves at the time and a studio session with the prolific Frankie McIntosh resulted in the masterpiece that is Easing. Drawing influence from the blossoming disco and soul scene, George and Glen added Caribbean flavour to the New York sound to startling effect. Soft, subtle keys and guitars are punctuated with layered trumpet and violin riffs, complimenting George’s silken, restrained vocal. Frankie McIntosh’s arrangement shines through with what might be his finest work, placing this track on the mantle with other New York classics of the time.

Rain&Shine present in 45 format ‘Pray Again’ and ‘Give Your Best To The Master’ two certified dancefloor cuts from Shirley Finney’s 1979 LP. Officially licensed and re-mastered from Savoy reel-to-reel tapes. Shirley Finney is personally involved in this project, and is overjoyed to see her music hot in demand almost 40 years after the original recording. Limited.

/ get up and dance

Favorite Recordings proudly presents its new series of 7" reissues with the following concept: each side dedicated to one Funky French track coming with its original artwork. You just have to flip it! On the first side comes "Givin’ It Up" by Belgian funk band Charms. Compiled by Charles Maurice on French Disco Boogie Sounds Vol. 2, the original vinyl 7inch was released in 1982 on famous Biram label and is now a very hard to find gem for reasonable prices. Not really surprising considering the immediate power of this Disco track, filled catchy synths lines, sweet vocals and fateful chorus. On the other side comes another French Disco underground hit with “Pour moi ça va” by France-Lise. It takes only a few seconds to get driven on the dancefloor by the heavily funky guitar and bassline and the immediate energy of this song. Also compiled by Charles Maurice on French Disco Boogie Sounds Vol. 1, this is also a quite hard to find OG. With its charming French vocals and bouncing percussions, it should delight any Disco player.

Get ready to warp drive on the Disco Segreta spaceship ! This time we pay tribute to the overlooked work of italian musician Luciano Zanetti. Still relatively unknown to most, he was born in Lecco, where he graduated in violin and piano at the local Conservatorio, but then focused on acoustic and electric guitar, spending most of his life as a musician and teacher. The only recorded evidences ever published by Zanetti are incidentally just two disco-related 45s. The one presented here, “Volo Delta”, was a synth driven space disco track released in 1976 on Zanetti’s own private label Rot, before such niche subgenre found its way into disco productions. But we discovered that “Volo Delta” was just a part of a sort of “space suite” Zanetti had been working on: a wonderfully cinematic blend of downbeat electronica, chiptune, library music and mellow synth-work recorded in 1975, sounding way ahead of its time, perfectly rendering what was the concept of “future” and “space” back in the 1970s. The EP “Space” presents for the first time the original slightly extended version of “Volo Delta”, and three *previously unreleased* tracks: “Esplorazione”, “Incontri Ravvicinati” and “Verso Base Terra”. As usual with our extreme quality standards, all tracks are taken from the actual analog multitrack masters and respectfully remastered. Strictly limited edition on 180gr. audiophile vinyl.

Swiss label Proxima is very pleased to present the reissue of italo disco classic "Love Me Too / The Dream" by Italian circus performer, singer and tv presenter Ambra Orfei. Originally released in 1986 on a 7inch, those two tracks are brought back to life for the first time on a 12inch record. No full description

Insanely rare full length 12 inch versions of an already eye poppingly sought-after 1980’s disco bomb, 'Rockin – Poppin Full Tilting'. A classic in it's own right, Midland brought it back to the forefront of people's minds, expertly sampling it in the 2016 summer anthem ‘Final Credits’, leaving many scrambling to find an original copy. The 12 inch original has never been sold on Discogs before, with prices of the 7 inch topping £125.

Paint A Picture are incredibly pleased to announce news of their first release: a fully remastered, licensed reissue of rediscovered British 7” Funny Situation recorded by Reflex - a band put together by drummer David Humphrey (Public Image Ltd., Sparks, Mike Oldfield) and privately released on his Star Records back in 1981. With the original record now changing hands for in excess of £200 and just in time for a 40th anniversary release the reissue - remastered and cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery - will include updated original artwork whilst also containing an insert providing further details and context on the release. Recorded a few months after seminal Britfunk tune "Southern Freeez" at the very same Vine Yard Studios and with the same engineer Simon Sullivan - the release unfortunately suffered from a lack of marketing and proper distribution but almost forty years later the record is now receiving the attention it deserves and with a price tag to match. The A side presents a beautiful mesh of funk and soul styles with influence from other Britfunk bands of the time but with a more overt jazz and rock feel fusing a tight rhythm section with smooth vocals and climaxing in a guitar and saxophone duel. The instrumental Version Two provides a fresh approach with the addition of dub FX and Indian percussion with the use of a tabla added to the mix.

Record Store Day 2021 Release. Insanely catchy 1980's Disco jam from Young & Company on Brunswick. 40 years down the line it sounds as good as it did on day dot. Killer funk guitars, sensuous vocals and luscious harmonies complete with that classic Brunswick touch. Original reissue as in original Brunswick sleeves as if roller-discos never left us.

Record Store Day 2021 Release. First official reissue of this much bootlegged and sort after 12" release from Arnie Love & The Loveletts. Having disappeared into obscurity shortly after it's release in 1981, original copies now fetching over £200 in part due to regular plays in DJ sets from Four Tet, Caribou, Palms Trax & Charlie Bones.

2021 repress. Candido Cameron was a Cuban percussion maestro who had played with luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich and Count Basie throughout his illustrious musical career which started in 1952. Fast forward to 1979 and Candido finds himself caught up in the Disco boom that had engulfed his adopted New York City. Feeling he could add his trademark quick-fire Conga and Bongo playing to Disco's straight 4 x 4 syncopated rhythm he cut some records with legendary NYC label Salsoul. The fruits of this partnership were 2 full length LP's and a handful of 12" singles that changed the face of underground Disco."Jingo" is an all-time classic dance record, sampled, edited, re-configured and coveted by too many names to mention! It's a killer funky Disco version of master Nigerian drummer Olatunji's 1969 percussion suite of the same name, Salsoul style, while over on the flip we have one of the deepest Disco records of all time; "Thousand Finger Man" a testament to Candido's percussion prowess and a spacey, beautiful voyage that has left more than an indelible mark on modern House music, often being cited as a huge influence by artists such as Masters At Work and more. Essential stuff basically, every collection should have a copy!

Full colour picture sleeve - officially licensed and remastered 12 inch reissue. Seen as one of the sparks that ignited the bridge between the Brit-Funk and UK Disco styles, Touchdown's 'Ease Your Mind' is a British classic from back in '81. Released on the iconic, influential and original UK dance music label Record Shack from the minds of Jeff Weston and Northern Soul, Blackpool Mecca and Wigan casino DJ/Promoter/icon, Ian Levine.

/ he's the greatest dancer

Pure unadulterated boogie fire from the Gold Mink vaults, which combined the power of James Bedford with the production genius of Roy Ayers back in ’81. With original copies trading hands for £150+ it’s high time a remastered and officially licensed reissue came around. A firm favourite of the likes of Mr Scruff and Sadar Bahar, ‘Just Keep My Boogie’ is that uplifting slice of boogie that is a tried and tested dancefloor bomb. The brightest of funk keys dance around delicious little guitar licks as those infectious vocals burrow their way into your brain.

must have classic!

Another rare gem from Record Shack gets its first officially licensed 12” release – the absolutely killer early ‘80s jazz funk tinged, boogie bomb from The Oceans – ‘Bad Guy, Good Guy’, fully remastered for maximum audio pleasure.
With the release only ever being a whitelabel there was much confusion over the correct titling due to the stamp simply stating ‘Pacific Dream’, however the actual track titles are those housed on this release - ‘Bad Guy, Good Guy’ and the instrumental ‘Synth Good Guy’. Those original whitelabels command prices of up to £120 and it’s no surprise when you hear those infectious guitar riffs blended with buoyant synth flurries and sensuous vocal harmonies. For those that would rather leave the vocals at bay, the B side houses the instrumental mix in all its glory. A radiant release that still sparkles as bright as it did back in 1980 – an essential buy!

Brit Funk at it's best! The 1981 classic Index - 'Starlight', that commands prices of up to £85, gets a much deserved and long-awaited, remastered reissue.
A melding of genres, that incorporated elements of funk, disco, soul and jazz, Brit Funk harnessed a raw energy bubbling up in the UK scene through the late ‘70s & ‘80s. Index 'Starlight' is a prime example of this spirit. Timeless in its makeup, glistening keys, full-frontal basslines and bold funk guitars give the foundation for those divine male and female vocals to sweep over.
Take to the B side for 'The Break' version leaving the vocals at bay and letting the exquisitely arranged instrumentation work the dancers into a frenzy. Favoured by everyone from Four Tet and Motor City Drum Ensemble to Gilles Peterson and DaM-FunK for its extended grooves and uninterrupted breaks, it's a Brit Funk bomb if there ever was one. A must for any discerning digger out there, this deserves a place in every collection!

Daughter of the mighty George Kerr, Sandy set the scene alight in ’82 with the explosive classic, ‘Thug Rock’. Badass slap basslines, zapping synths, ethereal pads and Sandy’s iconic rap were a timeless recipe of pure ‘80s, boogie-infused power that’s blasted from many a boombox, sung on all manner of club systems and sound tracked endless open road cruises over the years.
Released on the South Carolina label Catawba Records, two prolific duos blessed ‘Thug Rock’ alongside Sandy and co. Her father, who produced for the likes of Alice Clark and The O’Jays and Sugarhill wizard, Reggie Griffin, headed up the production and arrangement, with ever-dependable M&M aka John Morales & Sergio Munzibai taking the reins on the mix. Their combined talents can be heard in the tangible weight of the track, each element getting the space it deserves to facilitate that crystal-clear clout - from the huge bass riffs and sublime keys, to the punchy drums and Kerr’s infectious rap. An earworm if ever there was one!
Take to the flip to find the much in-demand dub version, echoing out choice snippets of Sandy’s rap to focus in more on that killer boogie-funk groove. Original copies are tough to come by in the UK, so an official reissue will be music to many an ear.

Soundway Records re-issue the massively in-demand Soca cover-version of Sade’s classic cut “Sweetest Taboo” by Caribbean band Rebles from 1986.
In the late 80s, as electronic music permeated popular culture, Rebles helped define the soca genre outside of the Caribbean. Also known as D’ Rebel’s Band and led by St Vincentian band-leader and trombonist Denniston Young, the group were the 1980s house band for probably the largest Caribbean label, Strakers Records, based in Brooklyn, New York. Strakers released hundreds of Calypso and Soca releases over a thirty year period from 1970 to 2000.
Finally available again after becoming a big record with a number of open-minded contemporary DJs who play Soca, Zouk, Highlife and Soukous alongside Disco and House, the 12” has been officially licensed and re-mastered ready to hit the summer party season head-on.
This 12” paves the way for a big compilation album of Soca crossover sounds coming later this year on Soundway.

Matasuna Records presents another treat with its latest release: an official reissue with two songs of the US funk band "Calender". Both tracks are available on a 12" Maxi-Single for the first time. In addition to the mastered original versions, this EP features great reworks by two of our favorite producers: Mexican disco edit king "Hotmood" and the highly acclaimed Matasuna artist "Voodoocuts".
The band "Calender" from New Jersey was founded in the 70s by Paul Kyser. Besides his activities as songwriter, arranger and producer he set up his label Pi Kappa Records. The band's only album "It's a Monster" was released on this label in 1976 and has grown into a legendary status over the years and is appreciated by fans and collectors alike.
The opener "Hypertension" is a disco banger par excellence. Kyser's sophisticated arrangements merge thrilling grooves, elegant strings, varied funk elements and soulful vocals to a great and unique joint for every dancefloor. It's very pleasing that the song doesn't get overloaded or cheesy, as it's often the case in disco music.
Hotmood transfers the track, which was created more than 3 decades ago, into the present time. His great disco edit focuses on the instrumental parts of the original. Thanks to his clever arrangement, a tension curve is constantly built up without seeming repetitive.
On the flipside, "Ritmo Latino" takes a different musical direction. As the name suggests, there are all kinds of Latin American influences to be heard: the brass section, rhythm parts, piano sounds and the grooving bass line, which goes straight into the veins. Nevertheless, the song is also strongly rooted in funk & jazz and inspires its listeners with its unique character.
Voodoocuts rework comes up with a monster broken beat and gives the song a dancefloor friendly structure with its new arrangement. Especially the killer break part in the middle of the song will not only make B-Boy hearts beat faster! Additional instruments, samples and effects give the rework an individual and autark touch and prove once again impressively that Voodoocuts is setting the bar higher and higher with his productions.

33 years after it’s first release Rick Clarke’s street soul simmerdown on Local Records, ‘Love With A Stranger’, gets a much welcomed official reissue, lovingly remastered from the original tapes.

Just peep that OG artwork to get a taste of how this one’s about to go down. Written and produced by John Collins, known for producing The Specials - ‘Ghost Town’, ‘Love With A Stranger’ perfectly encapsulates that '80s street soul sound. Distinctly soulful, synthy slow jams, heavy on the bass with a touch of the low-slung, lovers rock vibrations about them. Rick Clarke’s sultry sweet nothings weave their way irresistibly through this five minute gem, but for those that want to provide their own rendition over the top, the dub has been affectionately cut to the flip.

Top tier tackle – reissued to serenade red dressed souls the world over once more.