Gotted some nice bits of vinyl recently. A couple of nice moody soundtracks from two of the masters. Everyone needs the UN Resolution on Racism on vinyl right? Bottom right is a UK HMV copy of an Impulse comp that has a bunch of tracks unreleased elsewhere on vinyl. Gooduns.
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Cloud 9 (aka Nookie) – Gonna Be Alright 1992

As a kid of 11 or 12, I used to have a radio just above my head where I slept. It seems funny now as I’ve barely listened to the radio for more than ten years but back then I used to be lulled to sleep by the relaxing sounds of HARDCORE PIRATES.

I used to put a tape in the box, turn the dial to 92.3 FM and listen to The Weekend Rush, broadcasting from Hackney’s Nightingale Estate. When I was getting tired, and assuming the signal was decent that night, I’d press play and record and fall asleep. On a monday morning I’d have three or four sides of C90 to keep my walkman warm for the week. At the end of the week, I’d probably tape over them again, unless they were particularly good, in which case they’d get a numbered label in my best 12 year old’s handwriting.

The above tune is the original white label version of the Nookie track “Gonna Be Alright” which is often known as “Sound Of Music”. In my great love for cheesy chords, no keyboard line means as much to me as this one. Utterly sentimental. Simplistic. Played on a cheap piano synth. It couldn’t be tackier but it hit me as a kid and has stayed with me. I still have the tape that recorded the first time I heard it. I sellotaped it back together a couple of times but it still plays.
Years later, I now own this original mix, the famous mix, the Foul Play remix (very good) and maybe a couple more mixes, and find it doesn’t really matter what goes on around the keys, as long as they’re there in all their simple glory. You could probably sell me a Robbie Williams song with that piano line.

Thelonius Monk it is not but it is as important to me as anything else put to wax and I’m very grateful that those pirates weighed anchor in my neck of the woods when I was growing up. They could have been at sea, hijacking oil tankers but they chose to share the music with London. Ta.

Arena Pirate Radio Documentary Part 1 & Part 2.

Poet – All Hell Breakin’ Loose 1987

Feeling my raps at the moment. Today.
Actually I’m always listening to Hiphop, just sometimes it feels like I’m not. I get into more music of more kinds all the time, but Hiphop is skin on me and all that other music is clothes. Like right now, for instance, “Put Ya Filas On” by Schoolly D just came on random and my volume control wasn’t quite ready for it. I’m sat right between my speakers and I’d wager Mr. Weaver just took a couple of years off my earlife, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the best thing I’ve heard all day. Listening to music at a reasonable volume is the cousin of death anyway.

I don’t normally put raps up here. Kind of because there are a million Hiphop blogs out there and I don’t have particularly rare shit that no one else is posting. I’m gonna put a few lesser known favourites up this week regardless because, you know, it’s what I’m feeling.

This record came out a couple of years after the aforementioned Schoolly D had kicked the (then) polite world of recorded Hiphop in it’s stomach and paved the way for uncompromising hardcore rap.

Poet went on to work extensively with production legend Molly Moll and form the groups PHd and Screwball but in 1987 he was on the rocks. Rocks and programmed drums, and not that crossover shit that Darryl and Joe had taken up the charts with Steve Tyler. No this is about as threattening and uncommercial as Hiphop got in 87, and all the better for it.

One day I’ll convince my favourite Rock-Only pub to let me play a couple of hours of strictly Rap-that-samples-Rock. It’d be great. I’d go. This would be amongst the prime cuts and all hell would break loose.

Missing – Flex & Relax 1994

If you’re programming drums then you might as well program something that no one is gonna play on a drum kit. I’d love to hear someone sit down at the traps and knock this out but I think the robots have got us beat for now.

Absolutely M&M P-nuts.

As we rumble in the Jungle I want to point out my boy DJ Bazia who is about the same age as most of the tracks he’s spinning here. Maybe a little younger. The force is strong in him.

All this music needs is an intermission with adverts for Club Telepathy and Jungle Mania: The Lion Returns. Possibly with a short statement on how the station is “not a drug-run organisation”, otherwise it’s perfect.

Hold tight all pirates!

Times Square – You’re Hot (European Version) 1981

“So young ladies, and gentlemen, once you try it once, you gonna do it again”

Back in 1981 when Hiphop tracks hedged their bets by being disco tracks. Back in 1981 when disco tracks hedged their bets by being Hiphop tracks. Back in 1981 before Hiphop was responsible for our childrens upbringing. Back in 1981 when Hiphop exploited a whole side of vinyl for its tracks. Back in 1981 before Hiphop was drum machines and before-before it was loops of James Brown and before-before-before it was people with keyboards again. Back in 1981 when it was people with keyboards.

The bit with the key and horn swells hits all my favourite chords. That’s hot.

“You’re gonna do it again”