Side 1 of a cassette compilation, recorded 23rd July 1994.
First of all, welcome to Alex from Germany, who has just started a music blog called Bamboo Temple Garden. On Thursday, Alex commented on my previous posting of side 2 of this mixtape which reminded me (a) how much I liked this particular cassette and (b) that over a year later I hadn't got around to posting side 1. Where does the time go?!
The determination to make this Saturday's post coincided with the completely unexpected but very welcome news on Friday (via Swiss Adam) that the mighty Fluke has reunited and have a new single out on Monday. Incredibly good timing as Fluke kick off this side with their own remix of 1993 single Bubble, which was originally only available on the vinyl 12" single. To say that I'm thrilled that they're back is an understatement.
Next up is another legend, Fabio Paras, operating under the Smells Like Heaven alias with Londres Strutt. I love this song, especially the remix here by Boomshanka, but it also used to cause my girlfriend at the time no end of amusement over a misheard lyric. Once you hear the sampled refrain "bassline kicking" as "baste my chicken", there's no going back, I'm afraid...
Dave Lee was at the forefront of the 1990s disco revival and the singles and remixes around his solo album Universe Of Love set the template for the rest of the decade. Believing his own name to be lacking the fizz and pop needed for his musical output, Dave merged the names of two US artists, Pal Joey and J Walter Negro, to create Joey Negro. Dave continued to use the name for three decades until in July 2020, he recognised that it was not acceptable and the alias was permanently shelved. Whilst the name may have been ill advised, the music is and has always been brilliant.
Which I could also say about A Man Called Adam, who have continued to produce great music in each decade from the (late) 1980s to the 2020s and show no sign of running short on inspiration. Bread, Love And Dreams is a much-loved single from their debut album, with a memorable cover image of Sally Rodgers' bum... I'm still not sure that I've connected that image with the lyrical themes of the song, but I guess it stood out on the record shop racks at the time. What also stood out was the quality of the mixes, not least their own but those by Slam and, included here, Graeme Park.
I only need mention the Sabres Of Paradise or the names Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns and you know you're in for a treat. This is their epic remix (one of three) of Conquistador by Espiritu aka Vanessa Quiñones and Chris Taplin. It's a 12-minute propulsive house monster, not a typical Sabres mix in many respects but proof that when they wanted to go there, they could lead the way every time.
Who else to follow Andrew Weatherall than David Holmes? David sealed his reputation with an equally epic remix of Smokebelch II by Sabres Of Paradise, but this remix of should've-been-huge Freaky Realistic predates that milestone. Named after the now-legendary Belfast club that David and Iain McCready ran at the time, the two Sugarsweet mixes of Koochie Ryder take the song into a much different (head) space and will be a pleasant surprise if you're only familiar with David's later work.
And to close side 1 (and bridge to side 2, as it happens), The Grid aka Dave Ball and Richard Norris bring their own remix of Crystal Clear. This single came as a seemingly unbeatable remix package featuring Justin Robertson and The Orb. Both excellent but The Grid are more than up to the challenge, the Trimar Mix adding female vocals and an energy that elevates it even higher than the original album version. And it's all achieved in under five minutes. Great stuff.
If that doesn't have you smiling and grooving wherever you are, check your pulse, you may need medical attention...
1) Bubble (Braillebubble): Fluke (1993)
2) Londres Strutt (Boomshanka Remix By Ben Mitchell & Steven Harper): Smells Like Heaven (1993)
3) Do What You Feel (Dum Dum Vocal Edit By Dave Lee): Joey Negro ft. Debbie French (1991)
4) Bread, Love And Dreams (Parkside Mix By Graeme Park): A Man Called Adam (1992)
5) Conquistador (Sabres Of Paradise Mix No. 3 By Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): Espiritu (1993)
6) Koochie Ryder (Sugarsweet Mix Part 2 By David Holmes & Iain McCready): Freaky Realistic (1993)
7) Crystal Clear (Trimar Mix By Dave Ball & Richard Norris): The Grid (1993)
Side Two here
