Compiled from his record lists of the time.
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester), The Exit (Manchester) & The Stars Bar (Huddersfield).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Whodini ‘Magic’s Wand’ (Special Extended Mix)
Written by Thomas Dolby / J. Hutchins / J. Rivas
Produced by Thomas Dolby
Mixed by Tee Scott
US Jive 12”
2.(-) Willie Hutch ‘In And Out’
Written by Willie Hutch
Produced by Willie Hutch
US Motown 12”
3.(4) Extra T’s ‘E.T. Boogie’ (Instrumental)
Written by H. Stone & F. Stonewall
Produced by F.H.L. Productions
US Sunnyview 12”
4.(-) S.O.S. Band ‘High Hopes’
Written by J. Harris / T. Lewis
Produced by Ricky Sylvers & Gene Dozier
US Tabu Records
5.(-) The Jammers ‘And You Know That’ (Dub Version)
Written by Richie Weeks / Augustus Temple
Produced by Richie Weeks
Mixed by Shep Pettibone
US Salsoul 12”
6.(-) Stone ‘Girl I Like The Way You Move’ (Dub Mix)
Written by A. Gilchrist / D. Terry / D.Howard / R. Nembward
Produced by Auvil Gilchrist
Addition Production & Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US West End 12”
7.(-) Marvin Gaye ‘Sexual Healing’
Written by M. Gaye / O. Brown
Produced by Marvin Gaye
US Columbia 12”
8.(9) Warp 9 ‘Nunk’ (Instrumental)
Written by Lotti Golden & Richard Scher
Produced by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez, Lotti Golden & Richard Scher
Mixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez
US Prism 12”
9.(10) Tyrone Brunson ‘The Smurf’
Writen by O. Redding III
Produced by A Redlock Production
Mixed by Tony Humphrey
US Believe In A Dream 12”
10.(-) Orbit ‘The Beat Goes On’ (Lunar Mix)
Written by Bono
Produced by Don Was, John Lewis & Jack Tann
Mixed by Don Was & Ken Collier
Canadian Quality 12”
Other big tunes this month:
George Clinton ‘Loopzilla’ 12” – Montana Sextet ‘Heavy Vibes’ 12” – Planet Patrol ‘Rock At Your Own Risk’ 12” – Gwen McCrae ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ 12” – Skyy ‘Won’t You Be Mine’ 12” – Yvonne Brown ‘I’m Goin’ Down’ 12” – Q ‘The Voice Of Q’ (Instrumental) 12” – Bootsy Collins ‘Body Slam’ 12” – Billy Griffin ‘Hold Me Tighter In The Rain’ 12” – Melba Moore ‘Underlove’ LP – Klein & MBO ‘Dirty Talk’ (USA Connection Instrumental) 12” – Riuichi Sakamoto ‘Riot In Lagos’ 12” – Bobby Nunn ‘She’s Just A Groupie’ LP – Malcolm McLaren & The World’s Famous Supreme Team ‘Buffalo Gals’ 12”
GREG WILSON’S EARLY 80S FLOORFILLERS:
A fascinating insight on how the fading Jazz-Funk scene gave way to the emerging Electro-Funk movement in the early 80s, ‘Greg Wilson’s Early 80s Floorfillers’, marks the 30th anniversary of when these tracks first appeared. Compiled from his record lists of the time, and unfolding month by month, Greg Wilson counts down the Top 10 Floorfillers played at his venues during the key years of ’82 and ’83. Featured, most notably, on his Tuesday sessions at Wigan Pier and Wednesday gatherings at Legend in Manchester, the most cutting-edge weekly black music nights of the era, these were the clubs most associated with the evolving Electro-Funk sound.
The majority of music played on the black scene in the UK was initially only available on import, mainly out of New York during this period, with the club nights described as ‘upfront’, meaning that the DJ’s were way ahead of the curve – what they played now, others played later, or not at all. Without these DJ’s, many now classic dance tracks would never have become UK hits (many without enjoying similar crossover success in the US) – the reason they were released here in the first place was because these specialist DJ’s were breaking them via the underground.
Things would change in a big way during those 2 years; we were entering the hybrid age for dance music, and the oncoming House and Techno and Hip Hop directions would all owe a huge debt to this era of dance alchemy and groove experimentation.
© Greg Wilson, November 2012
