Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester) and The Exit (Manchester).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Visual ‘The Music Got Me’ (Instrumental)
Written by B. Jarvis & J. Smith
Produced by Boyd Jarvis
Co-Produced by Timmy Regisford
Mixed by Tony Humphries
US Prelude 12”
2.(6) C.O.D. ‘In The Bottle’ (Extended Edit)
Written by Gil Scott-Heron
Produced by Raul A. Rodriguez
Mixed by Raul A. Rodriguez & Mark Berry
US Disconet DJ Only 12” (original label Emergency)
3.(-) Fatback ‘Is This The Future?’
From LP ‘Is This The Future?’
Written by Gerry Thomas
Produced by Bill Curtis & Gerry Thomas
US Spring
4.(-) Chocolate Milk ‘Who’s Getting It Now’ (Instrumental)
Written by A. Jones / M. Toles / Chocolate Milk
Produced by Allen A. Jones
Mixed by Tee Scott
US RCA 12”
5.(-)Jonzun Crew ‘We Are The Jonzun Crew’ (Extended Edit)
Written by M. Jonzun & M. Starr
Produced by Michael Jonzun
Mixed by Michael Jonzun / Jose ‘Animal’ Diaz / T. Silverman
US Disconet DJ Only 12” (original label Tommy Boy)
6.(-) 52nd Street ‘Twice As Nice’
Written by 52nd Street
Produced by Donald Johnson
Mixed by Oz
Belgian Factory Benelux 12”
7.(-)Advance ‘Take Me To The Top’
Written by D. Raimondi / Abacab / I. Spagne / L. Wesley / W. Patterson
Produced & Mixed by D. Raimondi & A. Ugolini
Italian X-Energy 12”
8.(-) Bar-Kays ‘She Talks To Me With Her Body’
Written by Bar-Kays / A. Jones / M. Toles
Produced by Allen A. Jones
US Mercury 12”
9.(-)R.P. Band ‘You Are In My System’
Written by Mic Murphy & David Frank
Produced by Robert Palmer
UK Island 12” Promo
10.(-) Run-D.M.C. ‘It’s Like That’ (Instrumental)
Written by L. Smith / J.Simmons / D. McDaniels
Produced by Russell Simmons & Larry Smith
Mixed by Kurtis Blow & Elai Tubo
US Profile 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Warp 9 ‘Light Years Away’ (Dub Version) 12” –12”– The Salsoul Orchestra ‘Ooh, I Love It (Love Break)’ 12” – Vincent Montana Orchestra ‘Paul’s Happy’ 12” – D Train ‘Music’ (Instrumental) 12” – Class Action ‘Weekend’ 12” – Glenn Jones ‘I Am Somebody’ 12” – Whodini ‘The Haunted House Of Rock’ (Instrumental) 12” – Aural Exciters ‘Chinese Rap’ 12” – Tony McKenzie ‘Ha Chica’ 12”– Shirley Lites ‘Heat You Up (Melt You Down)’ (Melt Down Mix) 12” – Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame ‘Nobodby Can Be You’ LP – Ingram ‘DJ’s Delight’ / ‘Smoothin’ Groovin’’ 12” – Richard Jon Smith ‘Baby’s Got Another’ (Dub Version) 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, April 2013
