In this transmission, we’ll be heading back 40 years to September 1983 with a mixtape of Electro-Funk 12″ records hitting the UK dance charts that month. ‘Electro Funk’ brought together drum machines, synthesizers, turntable scratching and FX-heavy extended dub versions as a backdrop to uptempo raps on space themes and the struggles of late 20th century city living, introducing a generation to breakdancing, graffiti, rap and turntablism.
TRACKLISTING
The Return of Capt. Rock by Captain Rock
Love Tempo by Quando Quango
Problémes D’Amour by Alexander Robotnik
The Other Side by Rusty Egan
Confused Beats / Confusion (instrumental) by New Order
Rockin’ Radio (Special Mix) by Tom Browne
Magic Mike Theme (Remix / Club Version) by Magic Mike Crew
It’s Like That (instrumental) Run DMC
Electricity by Midnight Star
Nonline by I.M.S (International Music System)
Feel The Force (Instrumental Mix) by G-Force Featuring Ronnie Gee
It’s Alright (Extended Dub Version) by N.V
Scratch Goes My Dub by Freeez
Kick it Live from 9 to 5 by Sugarhill Gang
Break Dance-Electric Boogie by West Street Mob
Dr. Jam (In the Slam) (instrumental) by Men At Play
Hip hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop) (Jose Animal Diaz Remix) by Man Parrish
Rock the Beat (Dub Version) by Chilltown
Search and Destroy (instrumental) by Arkade Funk
(GTM) Get The Money (Dub Mix) by Valerie Oliver
Wave Craze (Instrumental) by Stockingcap
Scratch Break (Glove Style) by The Motor City Crew
Two, Three, Break by The B Boys
Get on out of my mix by Dolby’s Cube
Get Outta My Face (instrumental) by Ken C
You’ve Gotta Believe (instrumental) by “Love Bug” Starski
Gettin’ Money (Instrumental and vocal) by Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde
Sucker D.J’s (I Will Survive) Marley Marl’s Sucker Dub) by Dimples D
Right There (dub-A-Pella) by Two Sisters
All Tracks have been edited
First broadcast on Radio Reverb 97.2FM & DAB, Brighton, UK on 3rd September 2023.
Playlist notes:
The Return of Capt. Rock by Captain Rock
Written by the Aleem Brothers & Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. The second release for Captain Rock, and the first in a series of classic electro cuts produced by ‘The Fantastic Aleems’ which featured on the Street Sounds Electro compilations. Vocals by Ronald Greene – who started out as a DJ for Jeckyll & Hyde shows.
Love Tempo by Quando Quango
Electro-dance band from Manchester via Holland, released on Factory Benelux Records. Produced by members of New Order and A Certain Ratio. Benefited from a later New York club remix by Mark Kamins.
Problémes D’Amour by Alexander Robotnik
Debut single by Italian Producers, Maurizio Dami and the Bigazzi Brothers. A US remix by Bruce Forest, resident DJ at NYC Better Days, became a hit in 1984.
The Other Side by Rusty Egan
B-side of ‘the Twilight Zone’ single. Under the name ‘Wunderverke’, Egan’s backing track was used for Timezone’s ‘The Wild Style’, that remained in the dance charts throughout the second half of 1983.
Confused Beats / Confusion (instrumental) by New Order
First collaboration between New Order and Arthur Baker / John Robie, both in demand after production work on singles by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force. ‘Confusion’ was the follow up to New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ hit, from the spring and summer of 1983.
Rockin’ Radio (Special Mix) by Tom Browne
Produced and written by brothers, Maurice Starr and Michael Jonzun (from the Jonzun Crew). In 1983, the Jonzun Crew would release an album and four singles on Tommy Boy records. Tom Browne was a soul/jazz-funk singer, songwriter and trumpeter on a major record label who dipped into the electro sound in 1983 and 1984.
Magic Mike Theme (Remix / Club Version) by Magic Mike Crew
Vocoder funk, written and produced by Rich Cason in Los Angeles. Cason was a songwriter, producer and keyboardist who had recording credits going back to the early 1970s. In 1983, Cason also wrote and produced electro tracks by ‘Formula V’ and ‘Rappers Rapp Disco Co’. The track appears on a 1983/84 ‘Breakmixer’ mix 12″, credited to Victor (Flores) & The Glove (Chris ‘The Glove’ Taylor).
It’s Like That (instrumental) by Run-DMC
Second single from the rap legends, with ‘Sucker M.C’s’ on the b-side. Music credited to ‘Orange Krush’, who were were Larry Smith (bass), Trevor Gale (drums) and Davy DMX (guitar / turntables). At this time, Run DMC were on Profile Records who, in 1983 alone, also released Hip Hop records by Rock Master Scott And The Dynamic Three, The Rake, Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, Disco Four, Fresh 3 MCs, Rammellzee, K-Rob and Pumpkin.
Electricity by Midnight Star
Following the success of hit single ‘Freak-A-Zoid’, the opening track from the 1983 LP ‘No Parking On The Dance Floor’, ‘Electricity’ was released as a b-side on a Canadian 12” reissue. Midnight Star made conventional R’n’B LPs throughout the 1980s but would release further electro-crossover tracks such as 1984’s ‘Operator’.
Nonline by I.M.S (International Music System)
Italo-Disco from Vincenzan producers, Giorgio Stefani and Maurice Cavalieri. In 1983, the duo also released Electro/Italo-Disco track, ‘Spacer Woman’ under the name ‘Charlie’.
Feel The Force (Instrumental Mix) by G-Force Featuring Ronnie Gee & Captain Cee.
The only release by G-Force, a collaboration between Producer, Will Crittendon (‘Captain Cee’, founder of the SMI disco record label) and writer, Ronnie Gordon, who worked on several minor hip-hop related tracks in the 1980s. This track featured on ‘Street Sounds Electro 1’, released in Autumn 1983.
It’s Alright (Extended Dub Version) by N.V
A studio project by producer, Darryl Payne (Sinnamon, Sharon Redd, Electrik Funk) presented as a Shep Pettibone remix.
Scratch Goes My Dub by Freeez
B-side of ‘Pop Goes My Love’, Freeez’s follow up to I.O.U. Arthur Baker production, scratches by Whiz Kid.
Kick it Live from 9 to 5 by Sugarhill Gang
Produced by Joey Robinson Jr, son of Sylvia & Joe Robinson, founders of Sugar Hill Records. Music is credited to Portland, Oregon band, ‘Pleasure’.
Break Dance-Electric Boogie by West Street Mob
West Street Mob included Joey, Leland and Rhondo Robinson, sons of Sugar Hill Records founders with multi-instrumentalist, Reggie ‘Mirda Rock’ Griffin who also gets credits for work on 1983 Hip Hop tracks: ‘No Sell Out’, ‘White Lines’, Treacherous Three’s ‘Get Up’ and Waterbed Kev’s version of ‘All Night Long’. ‘Electric Boogie’ is credited to Jerry Lordan, English songwriter of original ‘Apache’ instrumental. This track featured on ‘Street Sounds Electro 1’, released in Autumn 1983.
Dr. Jam (In the Slam) (instrumental) by Men At Play
One-off 12″ single written and produced by Walter “Kandor” Kahn for his own eighties disco label based in Philadelphia. The rap concerns Julius Erving aka Dr. J, basketball legend and NBA champion with Philadelphia 76ers in 1983.
Hip Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop) (Extended Remix) by Man Parrish
A dancefloor staple throughout 1983, the late 1982 track gets an extended remix by Jose Animal Diaz (known for his remix of ‘Clear’ by Cybotron), originally made for ‘Disconet’ remix service for DJs.
Rock the Beat (Dub Version) by Chilltown
One-off single on A&M records, produced by prolific team, Lotti Golden & Richard Scher of Warp 9 and Ladies Choice, who worked across genres during this period from New Wave, to R’n’B, Disco and Electro-pop.
Search and Destroy (instrumental) by Arkade Funk
Arkade Funk was a vocoder alter-ego of Washington DC Go-Go band, Trouble Funk for release on their own DETT label. Confusingly, the band had previously released a vocoder track called ‘Arkade Funk’ under the band name, ‘Tilt’ as well as releasing a vocoder/Go-Go version of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express under the ‘Trouble Funk’ moniker.
(GTM) Get The Money (Dub Mix) by Valerie Oliver
Freestyle record from Raul Rodriguez & Mark Berry who also produced electro cuts for Two Sisters, Man Parish and C.O.D in 1983. Valerie Oliver released two further singles.
Wave Craze (Instrumental) by Stockingcap
One-off single, produced and arranged by Sugar Hill session musician, Ed Fletcher aka Duke Bootee (famous for his rap on ‘The Message’ and ‘Survival (Message II’)). Far too much rock guitar solo-ing tarnishes this – otherwise sparse – electro track.
Scratch Break (Glove Style) by The Motor City Crew
Motown Records, LA, short-lived attempt to dip into the rap/hip hop market. Scratches by west coast legend Chris “The Glove” Taylor who began a run of his own electro classics (‘Reckless’, ‘Itchiban Scratch’) in 1984, and would go on to work with Ice T and Dr Dre.
Two, Three, Break by The B Boys
Scratches by Bronx-born Kiss-FM DJ ‘Chuck Chill Out’ aka ‘DJ Born Supreme Allah’. Produced by Vincent Davis for release on his own Vintertainment Record label. B Boys also released ‘Cuttin’ Herbie’ and ‘Rock the House’ in 1983 featuring rappers Donald D & Brother B. The group returned with the classic ‘Stick Up Kid’ in 1985. ‘Two, Three, Break’ features on Street Sounds Electro 2. Vintertainment would go on to have hits with Keith Sweat later that decade.
Get on out of my mix by Dolby’s Cube
Thomas Dolby cutting up his 1983 smash hit, ‘She Blinded me with Science’ in his dance-floor orientated studio project, Dolby’s Cube. This track also includes vocals from Dolby’s 1981 track, ‘Europa & the Pirate Twins’.
Get Outta My Face (instrumental) by Ken “C”
Educational Party track with kid rap. Sole release for Ken C. Written and produced by Dave Ogrin, who also wrote and produced Fresh 3 M.C.’s classic ‘Fresh’ in 1983. The record label, ‘Telestar Cassettes’, also released minor rap singles by Spyder-D and the Rapologists.
You’ve Gotta Believe (instrumental) by “Love Bug” Starski.
Starski was resident rappin DJ at the famed Bronx club ‘Disco Fever’ and 70’s pioneer who credited himself with creating the term ‘hip-hop’. Starski released several gimmicky electro-rap tracks (Amityville, The House On The Hill) before a spell in jail curtailed his activities. Produced by Kurtis Blow, Larry Smith and Russell Simmons.
Gettin’ Money (Instrumental and vocal) by Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde
Third, and greatest, single on Profile Records by duo who performed in Brooks Brothers business suits. Andre Harrell aka Jeckyll went on to form commercially successful Uptown Records – home to Puff Daddy, Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., ). Alonzo Brown aka Hyde became an A&R for A & M records and worked in TV & Film industries. Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde released one LP, ‘the Champagne of Rap’ in 1985 before moving on to other projects. Writers of ‘The Return of Captain Rock’.
Sucker D.J’s (I Will Survive) Marley Marl’s Sucker Dub) by Dimples D
Along with CD III’s ‘Get Tough’, this was Marley Marl’s first appearance on record. Marley Marl started his career as Mr. Magic’s sidekick and DJ on the influential radio show Rapp Attack and went on to mix the incredible Captain Rock singles, ‘Capt.Rock to the Future Shock’, ‘Cosmic Blast’, Aleem’s timeless ‘Release Yourself Dub’ in 1984, as well as produce the debut single by Roxanne Shante. A hip-house remix of ‘Sucker DJs’ re-launched Dimples D’s career in 1990
Right There (dub-A-Pella) by Two Sisters
Vocalists Theresa and Tracey Pesco under the name ‘Two Sisters’ with ‘Hip Hop Be Bop’ team of Mark Berry and DJ and producer, Raul Rodriguez. Dub version of track from debut LP released in 1983. Co-written by Tessa Marquis, and keyboardist, arranger and producer, Marcus Barone who swapped the music industry for the film industry in mid-80s.
Research for this transmission includes various 1983 editions of ‘Black Echoes‘ (‘Britain’s only soul, funk ‘n’ reggae newspaper) and the invaluable archive of James Hamilton’s columns for Record Mirror for 1983 housed at jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com
Groove Records charts for 1984 onwards have provided some historical perspective and can be found at: mikeallencapitalradio.com