Compiled from his record lists of the time
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend (Manchester) & Berties (Manchester).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Brass Construction ‘Walkin’ The Line’
Written by Randy Muller
Produced by Randy Muller
US Capitol 12”
2.(-) D Train ‘Music’ (Instrumental)
Written H. Eaves III & J. Williams
Produced by Hubert Eaves III
Mixed by François Kevorkian & Hubert Eaves III
US Prelude 12”
3.(-) Mtume ‘Juicy Fruit’
Written by J. Mtume
Produced by James Mtume
Mixed by James Mtume / Reggie Thompson / Scott Folks
US Epic 12”
4.(-) Booker Newberry III ‘Love Town’
Written by Bobby Eli & Len Barry
Produced by Eli & Park Place Productions
Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US Boardwalk Records
5.(-) Ingram ‘DJ’s Delight’
Written by James M. Ingram’
Produced by Ingram
US Mirage 12”
6.(10) Run-D.M.C. ‘It’s Like That’ (Instrumental)
Written by L. Smith / J.Simmons / D. McDaniels
Produced by Russell Simmons & Larry Smith
Mixed by Kurtis Blow & Elai Tubo
US Profile 12”
7.(-) Aurra ‘Baby Love’ (Instrumental)
Written by S. Washington / C. Jones / J. Ivory
Produced by Steve Washington
Mixed by Shep Pettibone
US Salsoul 12”
8.(-) B Beat Girls ‘For The Same Man’ (Dub Version)
Written by Noble / McLaren / Rifkin
Produced by Matt Noble
Mixed by Bobby E. Davis
US 25 West 12”
9.(-) Warp 9 ‘Light Years Away’ (Dub Version)
Written by Richard Scher & Lotti Golden
Produced by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez / Richard Scher / Lotti Golden
Mixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez
UK Prism 12”
10.(-) Mary Jane Girls ‘All Night Long’
From LP ‘Mary Jane Girls’
Written by Rick James
Produced by Rick James
US Gordy
Other big tunes this month:
Advance ‘Take It To The Top’ 12” – Craig Peyton ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’ (instrumental) 12” – Visual ‘The Music Got Me’ (Instrumental) 12” – D Train ‘Music’ (Instrumental) 12” –Whodini ‘The Haunted House Of Rock’ (Instrumental) 12” – Fearless Four ‘Just Rock’ 12” – C.O.D. ‘In The Bottle’ 12” – Weeks & Co ‘If You’re Looking For Fun’ (Master Dub Version) 12” – Tony McKenzie ‘Ha Chica’ (Instrumental) 12” – David Joseph ‘Let’s Live It Up’ (Instrumental) 12” – Fatback ‘Is This The Future?’ LP – Shirley Lites ‘Heat You Up (Melt You Down)’ (Melt Down Mix) 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, May 2013
