Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester), The Hacienda (Manchester) and The Dance Factory (Bolton).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Hashim ‘Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)’
Written by Calliste Jr.
Produced & Mixed by Jerry Calliste Jr. & Aldo Marin
US Cutting 12”
2.(-) The B Boys ‘Cuttin’ Herbie’
Written by V. Davis
Produced by Vincent Davis
US Vintertainment 12”
3. (3) Shannon ‘Let The Music Play
Written by Chris Barbosa & Ed Chisolm
Produced by Mark Liggett / Chris Barbosa / Rod Hui
Mixed by Chris Barbosa & Nelson Cruz
US Emergency 12”
4.(-) Barbara Mason ‘Another Man’
Written by Butch Ingram
Produced & Mixed by Butch Ingram
US West End 12”
5.(-) Rufus & Chaka Khan ‘Ain’t Nobody’
Written by H. Wolinski
Produced by Russ Titelman
UK Warner Brothers 12”
6.(-) Two Sisters ‘B-Boys Be Dubbed’
Written by R.A. Rodriguez & W.T. Smith
Produced by Raul A. Rodriguez
US Sugarscoop 12”
7.(-) The Russell Brothers ‘The Party Scene’
Written by L. Joseph / R. Russell / R. Russell / M. Hollingsworth
Produced by Larry Joseph & The Russell Brothers
Mixed by Scott Folks / Larry Joseph / Michael Hollingsworth / The Russell Brothers
US Portrait 12”
8.(-) Xena ‘On The Upside’ (Dub)
Written by Curtis Jospeths & Ann Godwin
Produced by Mark Liggett & Chris Barbosa
Mixed by Chris Barbosa & Nelson Cruz
US Emergency 12”
9.(-) Liquid Liquid ‘Cavern’
Written by Liquid Liquid
Produced by Ed Bahlman
US 99 12”
10.(-) Malcolm X / Keith LeBlanc ‘No Sell Out’
Written by Malcolm X & K. LeBlanc
Produced by Keith LeBlanc
US Tommy Boy 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Ryuichi Sakamoto ‘Riot In Lagos’ 12″ oldie – Lefturno ‘Out Of Sight’ 12” – Art Of Noise ‘Beat Box’ 12” – World Premier ‘Share The Night’ 12” – West Phillips ‘(I’m Just A) Sucker For A Pretty Face’ (Instrumental) 12” – Twilight 22 ‘Electric Kingdom’ (Instrumental Dub Version) 12” – Circle City Band ‘Magic’ 12” – Time Zone ‘Wildstyle’ (Remix) 12” – Captain Rapp ‘Bad Times (I Can’t Stand It)’ 12” – Sharon Redd ‘Love How You Feel’ (Dub) 12” – Vericheri ’69 Cancer Sign’ 12” – Pumpkin ‘King Of The Beat’ 12” – Grandmixer D.ST ‘Crazy Cuts’ (Dub) 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, December 2013
