Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester), The Exit (Manchester) & The Bowling Green (Charnock Richard)
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Cashmere ‘Do It Anyway You Wanna’
Written by Nick Martinelli / B.L. Hudson / Daryl Burgee
Produced by Nick Martinelli & Bruce Weeden
Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US Philly World 12”
2.(-) Jonny Chingas ‘Phone Home’
Written by R. Garcia
Produced by Jonny Chingas
US Columbia 12”
3.(-) The Gap Band ‘Outstanding’
Written by L. Simmons / R. Calhoun / C. Wilson
Produced by Lonnie Simmons
US Total Experience 12”
4.(6) Sandy Kerr ‘Thug Rock’ (Chimental Mix)
Written by Sandy Kerr
Produced by George Kerr & Reggie Griffin
Mixed by Sergio Munzibai & John Morales
US Catawba 12”
5.(-) Class Action Featuring Chris Wiltshire ‘Weekend’
Written by Leroy Burgess & James Calloway
Produced by Bob & Lola Blank
Mixed by Larry Levan
US Sleeping Bag 12”
6.(-) Charades ‘Gimme The Funk’
Written by R. Shear & L. Golden
Produced by R. Alexander, R. Shear & L. Golden
Mixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez & R.Alexander
US Brunswick 12”
7.(-) Vanity 6 ‘Nasty, Nasty Girls’
Written by Vanity
Produced & Arranged by The Starr Company & Vanity 6
US Hot Tracks 12”
8.(1) Indeep ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’
Written by Mike Cleveland
Produced by Mike Cleveland & Reggie Thompson
Mixed by Tony Humphries
US Sound Of New York 12”
9.(-) Jazzy Dee ‘Get On Up’
Written by Darren Williams
Produced by Stan Dixon
US Laurie 12”
10.(-) David Joseph ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’
Written by D. Joseph
Produced by Godwin Logie
UK Island 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Man Parrish ‘Hip Hop Be-Bop (Don’t Stop)’ (Extended Edit) 12” – Kashif ‘I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)’ 12”– I Level ‘Give Me’ (US Remix) 12” – Central Line ‘Nature Boy’ 12” – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force ‘Looking For The Perfect Beat’ (Instrumental) 12” – The Salsoul Orchestra, The – Ooh, I Love It (Love Break)’ 12” – The Webboes ‘Under The Wear’ (Webboe Mix) 12” – Convertion ‘Sweet Thing’ 12” – Pure Energy ‘Spaced Out’ (Party Mix) 12” – The Micronawts ‘(I Can Do It…You Can Do It) Letzmusph Acrossdasurf’ 12” – C Bank ‘One More Time’ – Starshine ‘All I Need Is You’ 12” – The Jonzun Crew ‘Space Is The Place’ (Instrumental) 12” – Ex Tras ‘Haven’t Been Funked Enough’ 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, February 2013
