Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester) & Berties (Manchester).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1. (-) Newtrament ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down’ (Dub Mix)
Written by Bertram Johnson
Produced by Roy Carter
Mixed by Nigel Green
UK Jive 12”
2. (1) Freeez ‘I Dub U’
Written by A. Baker & J. Robie
Produced by Arthur Baker
Mixed by Arthur Baker/ John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez / John Robie
US Streetwise 12”
3. (-) Toney Lee ‘Love So Deep’ (Instrumental)
Written by N. Dolph & A. Roman
Produced by Eric Matthew
US Radar 12”
4. (-) Bohannon ‘Let’s Start The Dance III’ (Instrumental – Club Play)
Written by Hamilton Bohannon
Produced by Hamilton Bohannon
Mixed by François Kevorkian
US Complete / Phase II 12”
5. (-) Electric Power Band ‘Pappa Smerf (The Big Throw Down)’ (Instrumental)
Written by L.West / C.Stephens / M. Hollis / D. West / D. Cleckley / B. Thomas
Produced by Bernard Thomas & Lewis West
US Bee Pee 12”
6. (-) The Jonzun Crew ‘We Are The Jonzun Crew’ (Instrumental)
Written by M. Jonzun & M. Starr
Produced by Michael Jonzun
Mixed by Michael Jonzun, Jose ‘Animal’ Diaz & T. Silverman
US Tommy Boy Records
7. (-) Herbie Hancock ‘Rockit’ (Long / Album Version)
Written by H. Hancock / B. Laswell / M. Beinhorn
Produced by Material & Herbie Hancock
US Columbia 12”
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”
9. (-) Atmosfear ‘What Do We Do’
Written by A. Sojka & R. De Jongh
Produced by Sojka / De Jongh
UK Elite 12”
10. (-) Galaxxy ‘Sexy Style’ (Dub Mix)
Written by Lawrence Goodman / Ed Drummond / B. Ingram
Produced by Lawrence Goodman & B. Ingram
Mixed by Sergio Munzibai & John Morales
US Pop Art 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Rock Master Scott ‘It’s Life’ (Instrumental) 12” – Sinnamon ‘I Need You Now’ (The Fierce Reprise) 12” Midnight Star ‘Freak-A-Zoid’ 12” – Project Future ‘Ray Gun Omics’ 12” – Shawne Jackson ‘Loveline’ (Instrumental) 12” – Brian & Zan ‘Pump Your Body’ (Instrumental) 12” – Mary Jane Girls ‘All Night Long’ 12” – Two Sisters ‘High Noon’ 12” – Weeks & Co ‘If You’re Looking For Fun’ 12” – First Choice ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ 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, July 2013
