Compiled from his record lists of the time.
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester), The Stars Bar (Huddersfield) & Rotters (Liverpool).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(6) Rockers Revenge Featuring Donnie Calvin ‘Walking On Sunshine’
Written by Eddy Grant
Produced & Arranged by Arthur Baker
Mixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez & Arthur Baker
US Streetwise 12”
2.(-) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five ‘The Message’
Written by E. Fletcher / M. Glover / S. Robinson / J.Chase
Produced by Sylvia Inc. Jiggs Chase & E. Fletcher
US Sugarhill 12”
3.(-) Sharon Redd ‘Beat The Street’
From LP ‘Redd Hott’
Written By E. Matthew / D. Payne
Produced by Eric Matthew & Darryl Payne
US Prelude
4.(-) Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force ‘Planet Rock’ (Instrumental)
Written by A. Baker / J. Robie / Soul Sonic Force)
Produced & Mixed by Arthur Baker
US Tommy Boy 12”
5.(-) The System ‘It’s Passion’ (Instrumental)
Written by David Frank / Mic Murphy
Produced by David Frank & Mic Murphy
US Mirage 12”
6.(-) Aretha Franklin ‘Jump To It’
Written by Luther Vandross & Marcus Miller
Produced by Luther Vandross
US Arista 12”
7.(-) Secret Weapon ‘Music Be The Music’ (Mastermix)
From LP ‘98.7 Kiss FM Mastermixes’
Written by M. Blackmon & J. Prister
Produced by C. A. Polk & Secret Weapon
Mastermix by Shep Pettibone
US Prelude
8.(-) Amuzement Park ‘Groove Your Blues Away’
Written by Paul Richmond / Darryl Ellis / Dunn Pearson, Jr.
Produced by Dunn Pearson, Jr.
US Our Gang Entertainment 12”
9.(-) B. B. & Q Band ‘Imagination’
Written by Kea Williams
Produced by Jacques Fred Petrus
US Capitol 12”
10.(-) Evelyn King ‘Love Come Down
Written by Kashif
Produced by Morrie Brown
US RCA 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Howard Johnson ‘Keepin’ Love New’ / ‘Say You Wanna’ LP – Eddie Murphy ‘Boogie In Your Butt’ 12” – Wanda Walden ‘I Must Be Dreamin’’ 12” – Gunchback Boogie Band ‘Funn’ (Instrumental) – Dunn & Bruce Street ‘Shout For Joy’ 12” – Jamaica Girls ‘Rock The Beat’ (Instrumental) 12” – Feel ‘Let’s Rock’ 12” – Richard Jon Smith ‘Don’t Go Walkin’ Out That Door’ – Bloodstone ‘My Love Grows Stronger’ LP – Shock ‘Electrophonic Phunk’ 12” – Zapp ‘Dance Floor’ LP – Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame ‘Way Out’ 12” – Howard Johnson ‘So Fine’ 12” – Deodato ‘Keep On Movin’’ / ‘Sweet Magic’ LP – BLT ‘Tighten It Up’ 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, August 2012
