Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester) & The Haçienda (Manchester).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1. (-) Two Sisters ‘High Noon’ (Part 2)
Written by Tessa Marquis & R.A. Rodriguez
Produced by Raul A. Rodriguez & Man Parrish
Mix Engineered by Mark Berry
US Sugarscoop 12”
2. (7) Herbie Hancock ‘Rockit’ (Long / Album Version)
Written by H. Hancock / B. Laswell / M. Beinhorn
Produced by Material & Herbie Hancock
US Columbia 12”
3. (-) The Rake ‘Street Justice’
Written by J.Rifkin / L.Gottlieb / M. Blatte
Produced by Jay Rifkin / Larry Gottlieb / Marc Blatte
US Profile 12”
4.(-) Wuf Ticket ‘The Key’ (Long Version)
Written by J. Mason / K. Wolf
Produced by James Mason
Mixed by François Kevorkian
US Prelude 12”
5. (-) Time Zone ‘The Wildstyle’ (Long Version)
Written by Bambaataa / Henderson
Produced by Afrika Bambaataa & Bernard Zekri
US Celluloid 12”
6. (-) Project Future ‘Ray-Gun-Omics
Written by Spadlet / Harris, Jr. / Sandridge / Sandridge / Currier
Produced by Rahni P. Harris & David Spradley
US Capitol Records
7.(8) The S.O.S. Band ‘Just Be Good To Me’ (Long Version)
Written by T. Hall & J. Harris III
Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
US Tabu 12”
8. (-) Unique ‘What I Got Is What You Need’ (Dub)
Written by D.J. Smith / D. Henry / M. Norris
Produced by Deems J. Smith
Mixed by David Todd & Nick Martinelli
US Prelude 12”
9. (-) Brian & Zan ‘Pump Your Body’ (Club Version)
Written by Brian Aquart / William Aquart
Produced by Brian Aquart & William Aquart
Mixed by Tony Humphries
US Sound Of New York 12”
10. (-) Lafleur ‘Boogie Nights’ (Instrumental)
Written by Rod Temperton
Produced by Lafleur
Mixed by Ben Liebrand & Rutger Krose
Dutch High Fashion 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Candido ‘Jingo Breakdown’ 12” – Toney Lee ‘Love So Deep’ (Instrumental) 12” – Galaxxy ‘Sexy Style’ (Dub Mix) 12” – Cybotron ‘Clear’ 12” – Newtrament ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down’ (Dub Mix) 12” – Chilltown ‘Rock The Beat’ (Instrumental) 12” – Electric Power Band ‘Poppa Smerf (The Big Throwdown)’ (Instrumental) 12” – Love Club ‘Hot Summer Nights’ (Instrumental) 12” – The Packman ‘I’m The Packman’ (Instrumental) 12” – Hot Streak ‘Body Work’ (Instrumental) 12” – Bohannon ‘Let’s Start The Dance III’ (Instrumental Club Play) – Atmosfear ‘What Do We Do’ 12” – Manu Dibango ‘Soul Makossa’ (Re-Issue) – Mary Jane Girls ‘All Night Long’ 12” – The Jonzun Crew ‘We Are The Jonzun Crew’ (Instrumental) 12” – Planet Patrol ‘Cheap Thrills’ (Instrumental) 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 2013
