Serious Intention - Serious Dub

This track is more house than disco, but I don't foresee any complaints. Serious Intention's best known song is You Don't Know and if you don't know it - run and go find it.

Serious Dub is the b-side of the 12" for a song called Serious. It's from 1986 on Pow Wow Records. Paul Simpson is the brains behind this operation and he's done some fantastic mixes for other groups. I'll post another of his mixes soon.

When these guys say dub, they mean it. The intro vocal is pretty unfortunate, but trust me - keep listening.

Serious Dubr

Gayle Adams - Your Love Is A Life Saver

This track has a lot of elements that are pretty brilliant. Released on the mighty Prelude Records in 1980, this is the "Special Disco Mix by Francois K." The moment after the break when the horns and strings come back in always makes me want to wet myself. And the synth bass is just about perfect.

Gayle Adams has a few great songs including Love Fever which features a bowel-rattling bass line. Francois Kervorkian has had a remarkable career and you're pretty safe buying any track that has his name on it. He was one of three DJ's at New York's Body & Soul party. If you were lucky enough to be at the recent reunion party, you know why I dig him.

A music nerd observation: I noticed that this track suffered a lot in the transfer to mp3. I ripped this from a 12" which sounds great and the AIFF file (which is CD quality) sounds pretty darn good. I just sounds a bit squooshed as an mp3. I guess that's why they call it "compression."

Your Love Is A Life Saver

Jean Wells - I Just Can't Stop Dancing

I don't know much about Jean Wells, except that she has quite a set of pipes.

This "Disco Version" is from 1979 on a Philadelphia-based label called TEC Records. I think I bought this for a dollar and the sound quality's a bit rustic as a result.

Minutes 3 through 5 are pretty much just drums and vocals and it's a hot effect. I cannot be held responsible for any prancing that may result from listening to the background vocals.

I Just Can't Stop Dancing

Roni Griffith - Spys

This track just about knocked my knickers off the first time I heard it. It's a little bit Kraftwerk, a little bit Moroder, and a lot bit poorly spelled.

This version is the B-side of (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up on Vanguard Records from 1982. Bobby Orlando, aka Bobby O, wrote and mixed it.

Get into the lyrics.

Spys

Tamiko Jones - Let It Flow

I only know one other Tamiko Jones track, Can't Live Without Your Love, which is included on The Loft, Vol.2 compilation (which is currently selling for $150 on amazon.com!). Let It Flow is completely different, but they're both really unique songs. Definitely late night jams.

Ms. Jones produced this track from 1976 for the T.K Disco label and it's "A Tom Moulton Mix." Tom Moulton, like Patrick Adams (discussed in previous post), is a giant in disco production. Many of his mixes were included on a recently-released compilation on Soul Jazz records entitled, aptly enough, A Tom Moulton Mix.

Oh, I know I said I really like the synth at the end of When You Wake Up Tomorrow - well, I REALLY like the synth part at the end of this one...

Let It Flow

Candi Staton - When You Wake Up Tomorrow

Candi Staton has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to a really good record produced by Will Oldham and re-issues of her soul music from the 60's and early 70's. This track is from 1979 and is produced and co-written by Patrick Adams. (The band is ingeniously credited as the PA Sound System.) Patrick Adams has also received his fair share of attention recently thanks to slew of reissues from his P&P Records label. The really cool kids have always liked him because he was the engineer on Eric B. and Rakim's Paid In Full.

This version of When You Wake Up Tomorrow is the "Disco Mix by Jimmy Simpson" (brother of Val) and it's really friggin' good. I especially like the synth part towards the end.

For those of you thinking: yeah, that's cute, but I know this track - I'm including a more obscure Staton track from 1982 on Sugarhill Records called Love And Be Free which (in addition to being great advice!) is a zippy little track with a wicked 80's guitar part.

When You Wake Up Tomorrow

Love And Be Free