Heading back 40 years to October 1983 with a mixtape of Electro-Funk, Hip Hop, Freestyle and Scratch 12″ singles breaking into 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.
Broadcasting on Radio Reverb 97.2FM and DAB, Brighton, UK, streaming on www.radioreverb.com in these timeslots:
Sunday 1st October at 11pm
Tuesday 3rd October at 1pm
Monday 9th October at 2pm
Thursday 12th October at 11pm
Tuesday 17th October at 1pm
Tuesday 24th October at 10am
Friday 27th October at 2pm
Tuesday 31st October at 1pm
TRACKLIST
A Dub Break by Clappa Club
Dog Talk by K-9 Corp (Featuring Pretty C)
Atomic Dog by George Clinton
Caveman Rock by Junior Gee
Scratch The Rock by Master-Funk
Get Up by Treacherous Three
On A Journey (Dub) by n.y.c PEECH BOYS
Feel it (The MExican) by Funky Four
Cruisin’ (Dub) by Tom Browne
The Wildstyle (Special New Mix) Instrumental by Time Zone
Sweet Stuff by Kevie Kev (Waterbed Kev)
I wanna Be With You (Part 2) (Instrumental) by Armenta
The Breaker by Richie Scott
Take it to the Bridge (instrumental) by Adele Bertei
Let the Music Play (Dub) by Shannon
(Hey You) the Rocksteady Crew instrumental by The Rocksteady Crew
Radio Activity (vocal + instrumental) by Royalcash
Play That Beat (vocal and instrumental) by G.L.O.B.E & Whiz Kid
Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie (from the film, ‘Wildstyle)
Cavern by Liquid Liquid
White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) (Bonus Beats + Vocal) by Grandmaster & Melle Mel
Bad Times ( I Can’t Stand It) (Greg Wilson Edit) by Captain Rapp
Quote from film ‘Style Wars‘
Tech No Bop by Bill Summers and Summers Heat
The Key (Instrumental) by Wuf Ticket
Pump your Body (Club Version) by Brian and Zan
Electric Kingdom (vocal and instrumental dub version) by Twilight 22
Cheap thrills (instrumental) by Planet Patrol
Playlist notes:
A Dub Break by Clappa Club
B-side of Bobby Gilliom’s single, ‘Gimme A Break’ on Clappers Records, which released Hip Hop and Roots Reggae records from 1980. Gilliam was a guitarist and vocalist with 80’s disco-funk band, The Strikers, from New York. The Strikers debut LP was released on Prelude Records who regularly released electro singles that made the dance charts. Milton Brown, from the Strikers became vocalist for Warp 9.
Dog Talk – K-9 Corp (Featuring Pretty C) – Capitol 12”
& Atomic Dog – George Clinton – Capitol 12”.
The 1982 track, ‘Atomic Dog’ reappeared in the UK charts in Oct ’83 because the backing track was used on the ‘Dog Talk’ single, which also appeared on Street Sounds Electro 1, released on 23rd October 1983 as a cheap, accessible way of owning expensive import 12″ mixes. Produced by P-Funk maestro George’s Clinton’s manager, Archie Ivy, with vocals by Lane Strickland (aka Pretty C), ‘Dog Talk’ was available in ‘Censored’ and ‘X-rated’ versions. Although not a home to electro, Capitol records also had hits with Thomas Dolby in 1983.
Scratch The Rock / Caveman Rock by Funk Masters / Junior Gee – (Master-Funk Records)
‘Funk Masters’ was the B-side to Junior Gee’s single ‘Caveman Rock’. Produced by British reggae DJ, Tony Williams, for release on his MasterFunk label. Junior Gee was the artist name of Paul Sevier, then a 16 year old. Sevier and Williams teamed up the following year on the underappreciated UK hip hop track, ‘Check Us Out’ under the artist name, The Capitol Boys. Following a Peel session and TV appearances, Sevier worked on a variety of UK rap projects throughout the 1980s.
‘Get Up’ by Treacherous Three (US Sugarhill SH-462)
Produced by Reggie Griffin who is also credited with arranging October ’83 smash hit ‘White Lines’. His other 1983 credits included ‘Break Dance-Electric Boogie by West Street Mob’, ‘No Sell Out’ by Malcolm X (with Keith LeBlanc) and Waterbed Kev’s version of ‘All Night Long’. Treacherous Three were rappers Kool Moe Dee, Special K and LA Sunshine who, by then, were an old school Hip Hop trio from Harlem. Part of a strong batch of releases on Sugarhill Records until they shut down in 1985 as a result of shady ‘White Lines/Cavern’ dealings.