Shakin' That Ass

The third and final compilation of my nominations for the #90sRumpShaker BlueSky challenge, hosted by @stevenh1974.bsky.social throughout August. If you liked the first two, then you will not be disappointed. If you didn't then, er, you will.

Today's selection opens and closes with my first and last picks, namely Back To Front by Adamski featuring Ricky Lyte (RIP) and remixed by Leftfield, and Tinseltown To The Boogiedown by Scritti Politti featuring Mos Def and Lee Majors (no, not that one), remixed by Psycho Les aka Lester Fernandez from The Beatnuts.

None of the other eight songs fall below the high bar set by these two, whether it's the dancehall grooves of Dawn Penn and Apache Indian to the trance-formative techno of David Holmes and Ashley Beedle's epic remix of Sugar Daddy by Secret Knowledge.

I've even managed to squeeze in Eurovision 1995 hopefuls Love City Groove, whose self-titled song managed a respectable 10th place in the final. The bigger draw for me is that, inexplicably, the commercial single release included an 11-minute remix by none other than Jah Wobble that is worth the sticker price alone.

I'm taking a break from BlueSky challenges in September, but will no doubt dive back in the near future. A few of the artists featured in the past three days should also be due their own moment in the Dubhed selection spotlight, hopefully before the end of 2026.

1) Back To Front (The Rub It Radio Edit By Leftfield): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

2) You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (Extended Mix By Steely & Clevie): Dawn Penn (1994)

3) Magic (Sasha's Black Magic Mix): Sasha ft. Sam Mollison (1994)

4) Love City Groove (Seek Understanding Beyond Immediate Perception Mix Long Version By Jah Wobble): Love City Groove (1995)

5) Fever Called Love (Hardfloor Radio Edit): Rising High Collective (1994)

6) Toxygene (Album Version): The Orb (1997)

7) Starlovers (Album Version): GusGus (1999)

8) Sugar Daddy (Out Of Our Brains On The 5.15 Mix By Disco Evangelists aka David Holmes & Ashley Beedle) (Single Edit): Secret Knowledge (1993)

9) Real People (Gaudi Remix By Daniele Gaudi): Apache Indian (1997)

10) Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Psycho Les Variation): Scritti Politti ft. Mos Def & Lee Majors (1999)

#90sRumpShakersVolumeThree (59:37) (GD) (M)

Time's A Double-Edged Sword

Forty five minutes of hip hop and rap, featuring Beastie Boys, De La Soul and Run-D.M.C., some next gen artists with Antipop Consortium and Young Fathers, and some lyrical treats bridging Wales and Brooklyn as Green Gartside meets Mos Def, Lee Majors and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

 

By sheer coincidence, I flip from a young mother to the Young Fathers, with Monie Love's exhortation to Build Relationships Where Education and Enlightenment Dominate followed by Edinburgh's finest who returned after a four year break in July with Geronimo.

 

The selection starts and ends in 1998, with cuts from Hello Nasty by Beastie Boys and Jurassic 5's self-titled debut, two much-loved albums in my collection. As you might expect, a parental advisory sticker is slapped over this selection due to occasional smut and cussing.

 

1) Body Movin' (Album Version): Beastie Boys (1998)

2) The Projects ('Ocean's Eleven' Album Edit): Handsome Boy Modeling School (1999)

3) Say No Go (New Kick Instrumental) (Remix By Pasemaster Mase): De La Soul (1989)

4) War: Outkast (2003)

5) Capricorn One: Antipop Consortium ft. Mr. Live (2009)

6) Born 2 B.R.E.E.D. (The Freedom Mix): Monie Love (1993)

7) Automatic (Jayou Remix): Young Fathers (2010)

8) Feel The Vibe (Album Version): Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics (1992)

9) Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Ali Shaheed Muhammad Variation): Scritti Politti ft. Mos Def & Lee Majors (1999)

10) It's Tricky (Album Version By Rick Rubin & Russell Simmons): Run-D.M.C. (1986)

11) Bucky Done Gun (DJ Marlboro Funk Carioca Remix): M.I.A. (2005)

12) Lesson 6: The Lecture (Album Version): Jurassic 5 (1998)

Double-Edged Sword (44:56)

Now Here's A Little Something You May Not Like

Feels like a while since there's been a rap selection and, with Saturday's sunshine, shorts and smiles during the day replaced by torrential rain through the night, something a little less languid for a soggy Sunday seems in order.

A mixed bag, as ever, mostly 21st century, apart from a remix of Beastie Boys from 1999 that I couldn't resist including and which provides today's post title. A little bit of an alternative music crossover here and there, with Lethal Bizzle taking on The Ruts and The Black Keys masquerading as Blackroc, collaborating with Jim Jones.

There's the characteristic nod to my birthplace, care of local boy done good Tricky, and another track from one of my favourite albums so far this year, from Mr. Oizo (yes, really) and Phra aka Francesco Barbaglia from Crookers. 

I'll confess that I haven't listened deeply to the lyrics of all of the tracks featured here, so my apologies for any inappropriate cussing or questionable content.

1) Big 'n Bashy (Original Mix): Fallacy ft. Tubby T (2003)

2) Alive (B.R.A. Remix By Bentley Rhythm Ace): Beastie Boys (1999)

3) Sea Level: Little Simz ft. ALXA & Mick Jenkins (2015)

4) Bristol To London: Tricky ft. Blackman & Marlon Thaws (2010)

5) The City (Remix): Darwin Deez ft. DJ Hummus (2011)

6) Babylon's Burning The Ghetto: Lethal Bizzle (2007)

7) Flip Flop Rock: Outkast ft. Killer Mike & Jay-Z (2003)

8) Queen Of Hearts: The Black Opera ft. Mayer Hawthorne (2012)

9) What It Look Like (Pocketknife's Poppinspiel The Glockenspiel Remix): Spank Rock (2007)

10) Rumbling: Young Fathers (2011)

11) Un Attimo (Album Version): Mr. Oizo & Phra (2022)

12) Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo): Blakroc ft. Mos Def & Jim Jones (2009)

13) Ghetto Pop Life (Album Version): Danger Mouse & Jemini (2003)

1999: Alive EP: 2

2003: Blackmarket Boy: 1

2003: Ghetto Pop Life: 13

2003: Speakerboxxx: 7

2007: Back To Bizznizz: 6

2007: What It Look Like EP: 9

2009: Blakroc: 12

2010: Mixed Race: 4 

2011: Tape One EP: 10

2011: Wonky Beats: 5

2012: Libretto: Of King Legend: 8

2015: Age 101: Drop X EP: 3

2022: Voilá: 11

Now Here's A Little Something You May Not Like (46:12)

Forever Green But Not To Be Seen

If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I love the music of Green Gartside and Scritti Politti. When it was announced in December 2020 that Scritti Politti would be playing Cupid & Psyche 85 in it's entirety live in concert for the first time, I got a pair of tickets for what was going to be my first live gig in over 2 years. I intentionally  went for the London date as a) it was at the weekend and b) being one of the last dates of the tour, in early October, surely it would be okay to go by then. Surely?

 

I should be sitting on a train to London, with growing excitement and anticipation at seeing Green Gartside/Scritti Politti performing live on a stage for the first time since June 2007. Sadly, I’ve had to pull out of this weekend’s trip. I have loved ones who are extremely vulnerable and, whilst we’d initially discussed my going solo to London, it was both a difficult and easy decision to make. Had it been a local gig in a spacious venue, it might have been okay. As the Scritti Politti experience would involve several hours on public transport to and from London, Tube travel, the gig itself plus an overnight stay, it just wasn't an option. 

 

It probably says a lot about the fragile normality we're all living in at the moment that I literally could not give the tickets away, despite various calls out to friends, friends of friends and the wider music loving community. Add to the mix a nationwide petrol panic and people are understandably reticent about a trip to or across The Big Smoke.

JC at The Vinyl Villain made it to the Glasgow gig on Monday and posted a brilliant and heartwarming review. It not only confirmed that Green Gartside remains possessed of one of the finest voices ever, but just how much it means to get out and enjoy live music with people again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't gutted not to be seeing Scritti Politti tonight, but some very kind people have posted songs from the Glasgow & Cardiff concerts on YouTube: a few notes into each song and my heart lifts.

So, the tickets will now go into my collection of "gigs I got tickets for, but never made it to". The irony is that, having bought the Scritti Politti tickets for London, shortly after John Grant's postponed gig at Bath Forum was rescheduled for - you guessed it - 2nd October. I still can't make it to this gig either, but I'll have more to say about that in Sunday's post...

 

Anyway, why regret when there's so much beautiful music from Green Gartside to enjoy? Today's selection shares the same name as the Forever Green mixtape I posted back in August, but is by and large the Imaginary Compilation Album (#261, to be precise) that was my debut posting on The Vinyl Villain. At the time, I stuck rigidly to the 10 songs, 5 per side of (imaginary) vinyl format. In recreating it for today's post, I realised that that there was a real imbalance in the running times. I initially considered replacing the 12" mix of Boom! There She Was with the shorter album version. Instead, I've added two bonus songs to Side Two: B.E.F.'s cover of Stevie Wonder, featuring Green on vocals, and A Place We Both Belong, which was one of two new and exclusive songs on the 2011 compilation, Absolute. I think they slot in pretty well.

This post is a thank you to Green Gartside for getting back on stage with Scritti Politti and continuing to be an inspiration. I also read that the multi-talented Rhodri Marsden - and Scritti mainstay - celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday (1st October) with the gig at Brighton. A belated happy birthday, Rhodri! Sorry I missed you all this time, hopefully I'll see you again soon.

 

Side One (25:21)

1) Boom! There She Was (Sonic Property Mix By Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero) (UK Edit): Scritti Politti ft. Roger Troutman (1988)

2) A Little Knowledge: Scritti Politti ft. B.J. Nelson (1985)

3) Petrococadollar: Scritti Politti (2006)

4) Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me (Nice Up The Area Mix By Green Gartside & Ian Craig Marsh) (Cover of Gladys Knight & The Pips): Scritti Politti ft. Sweetie Irie (1991)

5) Flesh & Blood (Version): Scritti Politti ft. Ranking Ann (1985)

 

Side Two (24:35) 

1) Confidence: Scritti Politti (1979)

2) Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Album Version): Scritti Politti ft. Mos Def & Lee Majors (1999)

3) Wishing Well (Cover of Anne Briggs): Green Gartside (2020)

4) Gettin’, Havin’ And Holdin’: Scritti Politti (1982)

5) I Don’t Know Why I Love You (But I Love You) (Album Version) (Cover of Stevie Wonder): B.E.F. ft. Green Gartside & Billy Preston (1991)

6) A Place We Both Belong: Scritti Politti (2011)

7) Forgiven (Live Acoustic Version) (Charles Hazlewood, BBC Radio 2, 17 May 2007): Green Gartside (2007)

 

Side One (25:21) (GD) (M)

Side Two (24:35) (GD) (M)