Compiled from his record lists of the time.
As played at Wigan Pier, Legend & The Exit (Manchester), Stars Bar (Huddersfield) & Rotters (Liverpool).
Listen to the full rundown here:
1.(-) Sharon Redd ‘Beat The Street’ (Instrumental Remix)
Written by E. Matthew / D. Payne
Produced by Eric Matthew & Darryl Payne
Mixed by François Kevorkian
US Prelude 12”
2.(-) Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame ‘Way Out’
Written by Steve Arrington / Sam Carter
Produced by Steve Arrington Co-Produced by Charles Carter
US Konglather 12”
3.(-) Raw Silk ‘Do It To The Music’
Written by Ron Dean Miller / Bert Reid
Produced & Arranged by Ron Dean Miller
Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US West End 12”
4.(-) B.T. (Brenda Taylor) ‘You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too’
Written by R. Cobb / C. Dyson / S. Sanford
Produced by C. Dyson / D. Clayton
Mixed by Nick Martinelli & David Todd
US West End 12”
5.(-) Richard Jon Smith ‘Don’t Go Walkin’ Out That Door’
Written by R. J. Smith / J.Weinstein / J. Bithorn
Produced by John Kongos
UK Jive 12”
6.(-) Eddie Murphy ‘Boogie In Your Butt’
Written by D. Wolfert / E. Murphy
Produced by David Wolfert
US Columbia 12”
7.(10) Evelyn King ‘Love Come Down’
Written by Kashif
Produced by Morrie Brown
US RCA 12”
8.(-) Melba Moore ‘Love’s Comin’ At Ya’
Written by Paul Lawrence Jones III
Produced & Arranged by Paul Lawrence Jones III
Assistant Producers: Kashif & Morrie Brown
US EMI America 12”
9.(-) Mike & Brenda Sutton ‘Don’t Let Go Of Me (Grip My Hips And Move Me)’
Written by Mike & Brenda Sutton
Produced & Arranged by Mike & Brenda Sutton
Mixed by Shep Pettibone
US Sam 12”
10.(-) Nighthawk ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ (Souped-Up Instrumental Version)
Written by Frankie Sullivan / Jim Peterik
Produced by Bruce Nazarian & Jerry Q. Jones
Mixed by Bruce Nazarian, Jerry Q. Jones, Ken Collier & Warren D. Woods Jr.
Canadian Quality 12”
Other big tunes this month:
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force ‘Planet Rock’ (Instrumental) 12” – Klein & MBO ‘Dirty Talk’ (USA Connection Instrumental) – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five ‘The Message’ 12” – New Jersey Connection ‘Love Don’t Come Easy’ 12” – The Bang Gang ‘Fill Me Up’ 12” – Rockers Revenge ‘Walking On Sunshine’ 12” – Wanda Walden ‘I Must Be Dreamin’’ 12” – Gary’s Gang ‘Knock Me Out’ 12” – The Jonzun Crew ‘Pack Jam (Look Out For The OVC)’ (Instrumental) 12” – P Funk All-Stars ‘It’s Too Funky In Here’ 7” – Touché ‘Wrap It Up’ 12” – The Limit ‘She’s So Divine’ 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, September 2012
