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.(-) The Salsoul Orchestra ‘Ooh, I Love It (Love Break)’
Written by V. Montana Jr
Produced by Vince Montana Jr
Mixed & Additional Production by Shep Pettibone
US Salsoul 12”
2.(10) David Joseph ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’
Written by D. Joseph
Produced by Godwin Logie
UK Island 12”
3.(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”
4.(-) Pure Energy ‘Spaced Out’ (Party Mix)
Written by C. Hudson & L. Stevens
Produced by Curtis Hudson
Mixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez
US Prism 12”
5.(9) Jazzy Dee ‘Get On Up’
Written by Darren Williams
Produced by Stan Dixon
US Laurie 12”
6.(-) C.O.D. ‘In The Bottle’
Written by Gil Scott-Heron
Produced by Raul A. Rodriguez
Mixed by Raul A. Rodriguez & Mark Berry
US Emergency 12”
7.(-) Kashif ‘I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)’
Written by Kashif
Produced by Kashif & Morrie Brown
Mixed by Steve Goldman
US Arista 12”
8.(-) Convertion ‘Sweet Thing’
Written by Leroy Burgess
Produced by Greg Carmichael
Mixed by John Morales & Sergio Munzibai
US Vanguard 12”
9.(-) Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame ‘Nobody Can Be You’
From LP ‘Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame 1’
Written by Steve Arrington & Charles Carter
Produced by Steve Arrington & Jimmy Douglass
US Atlantic
10.(-) Glenn Jones ‘I Am Somebody’
Written by K. Gardner
Produced by Robert Wright
Mixed by Wright / Brauer
US RCA 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Visual ‘The Music Got Me’ (Instrumental) 12” –12”– Chocolate Milk ‘Who’s Getting It Now’ (Instrumental) 12” – Starshine ‘All I Need Is You’ 12” – R.P Band ‘You Are In My System’ 12” – Charades ‘Gimme The Funk’ 12” – The Gap Band ‘Outstanding’ 12” – The System ‘Sweat’ / ‘Stand Up And Cheer’ LP – The New Harlem Funk ‘Ask The Boss’ 12” – Cashmere ‘Do It Anyway You Wanna’ 12” – Richard Jon Smith ‘Baby’s Got Another’ (Dub Version) 12” – Aural Exciters ‘Chinese Rap’ 12” – Jerry Knight ‘Nothing Can Hold Us Back’ LP – Jonny Chingas ‘Phone Home’ 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, March 2013
