Compiled from his record lists of the time.
As played at Wigan Pier and Legend (Manchester).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(8) Electrik Funk ‘On A Journey (I Sing The Funk Electric)’ (Instrumental)
Written by E. Matthew / M. Watson
Produced & Mixed by Eric Matthew & Darryl Payne
US Prelude 12”
2.(-) Savanna ‘Never Let You Go’
Written by Osbourne / Jacobs / Robinson / Durrant
Produced by Joe Williams
Mixed by Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
UK R&B 12”
3.(-) Patrice Rushen ‘Forget Me Nots’
Written by P. Rushen / F. Washington / T. McFadden
Produced by Charles Mims Jnr & Patrice Rushen
US Elektra 12”
4.(3) Mystic Merlin ‘Mr Magician’
From LP ‘Full Moon’
Written by Jerry Anderson
Produced by Alan Abrahams
US Capitol
5.(-) Universal Robot Band ‘Barely Breaking Even’ (Instrumental)
Written by Leroy Burgess / James Calloway / Sonny T. Davenport
Produced by Greg Carmichael
Mixed by John Morales
US Moonglow 12”
6.(10) Sharon Brown ‘I Specialize In Love’
Written by Golden / Scher
Produced by Eddie O’Loughlin
Mixed by Tee Scott
US Profile 12”
7.(-) B.B.C.S & A Band ‘Rock Shock’
Written by A. Booth / K. Christian / R. Butler
Produced by Gary R. Turnier & B.B.C.S. & A
Mixed by Gary R. Turnier, B.B.C.S. & A & Mark Berry
US Sam 12”
8.(-) Gwen Guthrie ‘It Should Have Been You’
Written by Darryl Thompson
Produced by Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare & Steven Stanley
Mixed by Larry Levan
US Island 12”
9.(6) Rafael Cameron ‘Boogie’s Gonna Get Ya’ (Instrumental)
Written by R. Muller
Produced by Randy Muller
Mixed by François Kevorkian
US Salsoul 12”
10.(-) Peech Boys ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ (Dub Mix)
Written by Peech Boys / R. Bernard Fowler
Produced by Levan / deBenedictus
US West End 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Brass Construction ‘Can You See The Light’ 12” – Touchdown ‘Ease Your Mind’ (US Remix) 12” – Foreal People ‘Love Begins With You’ (Instrumental) – Patrick Booth ‘Dance All Night’ 12” – Fat Larry’s Band ‘Act Like You Know’ / ‘Be My Lady’ LP – Xavier ‘Work That Sucker To Death’ / ‘Love Is’ 12” – Michelle Wallace ‘Tee’s Right’ 12” – P Funk All Stars ‘Hydraulic Pump Pt III’ 12” – Patrice Rushen ‘Number One’ LP – Pleasure ‘Sending My Love’ 12” – Maxine Singleton ‘Don’t You Love It’ 12” – War ‘You Got The Power’ 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 2012
