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. (6) Grandmaster & Melle Mel ‘White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)’
Written by Melvin Glover & Sylvia Robinson
Produced by Sylvia Robinson / Melle Mel / Joey Robinson, Jr.
Engineered & Mixed by E.T. Thorngren & Sylvia Robinson
US Sugarhill 12”
2. (-) Captain Rapp ‘Bad Times (I Can’t Stand It)’
Written by Larry Earl Glenn
Produced by Cletus Anderson
Arranged & Performed by Jimmy Jam / Terry Lewis / Rich Cason
Mixed by Barry Rudolph
US Saturn 12”
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. (-) Sharon Redd ‘Love How You Feel’ (Dub)
Written by Eric Matthew
Produced by Eric Matthew
Mixed by Eric Matthew
US Prelude 12”
5. (-) Twilight 22 ‘Electric Kingdom’ (Instrumental Dub Version)
Written by G. Bahary
Produced by Gordon Bahary
Mixed by Ray ‘Pinky’ Velazquez & Gordon Bahary
US Vanguard 12”
6. (10) Major Harris ‘All My Life’
Written by Goodman & Drummond
Produced by Lawrence Goodman
Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US Pop Art 12”
7. (-) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five ‘The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel’
Various Writers (see label for credits)
Produced by Sylvia & Joey Robinson Jr.
UK Sugar Hill 12” (1981 release revived)
8. (-) DJ Divine ‘Get Into The Mix’ (Instrumental Scratch Version)
Written by D. Kelley & D. Hughes
Produced by Spyder-D
Mixed by Elai Tubo & DJ Divine
US West End 12”
9. (-) Instant Funk ‘(Just Because) You’ll Be Mine’
Written by K. Miller / S. Miller / R. Earl
Produced by Bunny Sigler
Mixed by Shep Pettibone
US Salsoul 12”
10.(-) G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid ‘Play That Beat Mr DJ (Instrumental)
Written by Miller & McGuire
Produced by Tom Silverman & Craig Harris
US Tommy Boy 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Leroy Burgess ‘Heartbreaker’ 12” – Art Of Noise ‘Beat Box’ 12” – Curtis Hairston ‘I Want You (All Tonight) 12” – Dolby’s Cube ‘Get Out Of My Mix’ 12” – Liquid Liquid ‘Cavern’ 12” – Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde ‘Gettin’ Money’ 12” – Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan ‘Ain’t Nobody’ 12” – Radiance ‘You’re My Number 1’ 12” – Two Sisters ‘B-Boys Be Dubbed’ 12” – Treacherous Three ‘Get Up’ 12” – Kevie Kev (Waterbed Kev) ‘All Night Long (Waterbed)’ 12” – Steve Harvey ‘Tonight’ 12” – Maurice Starr ‘Spacey Lady’ (Instrumental) 12” – Hashim ‘Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)’ 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, November 2013
