Decadance I: 1990

Side 1 of a mock cassette compilation, kicking off a new series of mixtapes that never were, and a sequel of sorts to one that I posted last August and September.

As 1989 turned into 1990 I had the idea of creating a themed series of cassette compilations, looking back at the previous decade and inspiringly titled Decade. Five C90s, one year per side, 12 songs apiece. 

I recorded the first volume on 3rd February 1990. Thirty five years later, I've finally got around to the follow up.

Decadance (sic) was originally the title of a planned companion to the Decade series, featuring selected 12" versions of 80s songs. I've appropriated it for this series instead, intentional misspelling and all, starting obviously with 1990.

The next five weekends will feature each year of the 90s, sticking with the same format of a dozen songs that dip into my record collection, which grew exponentially during the decade as I got a regular wage and a increasing addiction to music.

This was a bloody tough one to begin with. My 'shortlist' ran to over 50 songs. I decided quite early on that 1990 was going to be limited to more dance-oriented music. Although I still buying lots of guitar-based and indie records, the songs here are more reflective of what I was leaning into and hearing when I was out and about.

So, that immediately relegated Pixies, Lush, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Mazzy Star, Inspiral Carpets and, reluctantly, World Of Twist. Being in the list of 1990s biggest sellers was no guarantee either, as Sinéad O'Connor, Maria McKee, Madonna found out to their cost. 

And Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and especially Turtle Power by Partners In Kryme were proof if needed that being in the Top 15 best-selling singles of 1990 does not mean that the record buying public was right. Although I agonised longer than perhaps I should have about whether to include Infinity (1990's...Time For The Guru) by Guru Josh (RIP).

That said, two-thirds of today's selection were Top 40, and I've even managed to include two #1's with Beats International and Adamski (who naughtily didn't co-headline with Seal) although I would have sworn that there were three.

In fact, Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite didn't hit the top spot. It was kept at #2 for two weeks by the re-release of The Joker by The Steve Miller Band, before Maria McKee came in with Show Me Heaven and ruined it for both of them.

Before I'd picked any of the other songs, I knew 1990 would begin with Renegade Soundwave, simply because I loved their singles and debut album, Soundclash.  Andrew Weatherall's game changing overhaul of Primal Scream with Loaded was a strong contender but inevitably was the only way to end the selection.

In between, there are perhaps some obvious choices, with The KLF, EMF and The Beloved but hopefully a few pleasant surprises too. 

Of the singles that stalled outside the Top 50, The Fall's inspired collaboration with Coldcut was huge for me, as was The Shamen's game changing album En-Tact. The single version of Make It MIne is a different mix, but the version with the rap by Rhyme & Reason that was so cheesy it was cool is the definitive in my opinion.

As well as samples aplenty, a couple of used another song as the entire foundation of their own, to startling effect. Beats International's cover of Just Be Good To Me by The S.O.S. Band laid Lindy Layton's vocals over the rhythm of Guns Of Brixton by The Clash, with a re-recorded verse lifted from Johnny Dynell & New York 88's Jam Hot was just inspired. 

As was A Tribe Called Quest's debut Top 50 hit, Bonita Applebum, whose pairing with Carly Simon & Chic 1982 hit Why? elevated both songs to another level entirely.

Although never in the same league as Andrew Weatherall, I liked Paul Oakenfold's remixes and whilst he's represented here, you may be scratching your heads wondering why I've left off his frankly brilliant remix of Step On by Happy Mondays (#5 in April 1990) for his arguably lesser known remix of Nothing by Frazier Chorus (#51 in August 1990).

Despite Step On coming out earlier in the year, I actually bought the 12" singles of Cloud 8 and Nothing first. Both featured Oakenfold remixes (I'd also recommend the limited edition Chad Jackson reworks of Nothing) and both were a surprising and pleasing departure for Frazier Chorus. Not that it helped them in the commercial sense, unfortunately,  but look what success did to Happy Mondays...

As an added bonus, this time around, I've included info at the end on when each single's peak (UK) chart placing and date, and the respective EP or album the featured version is lifted from. Well, it keeps me occupied and off the streets.

It will come as no surprise that Sunday will take a look at 1991. 

The Top 10 best selling singles of that year included Bryan Adams, Queen, The Simpsons, Chesney Hawkes and Color Me Badd. You may be relieved to know that none of them will be showing up here.

1) Probably A Robbery (7" Remix By Daniel Miller & Rico Conning): Renegade Soundwave
2) Telephone Thing (Album Version By Coldcut): The Fall
3) Unbelievable (Album Version By Ralph Jezzard): EMF
4) Make It Mine (V2.5) (Remix By The Shamen & 'Evil' Eddie Richards): The Shamen ft. Rhyme & Reason
5) Hello (Album Version By Martyn Phillips): The Beloved
6) What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral) (7" Version): The KLF ft. MC Bello & The Children Of The Revolution

7) Dub Be Good To Me (Album Version By Norman Cook): Beats International ft. Lindy Layton

8) Bonita Applebum (7" Why? Edit By CJ Mackintosh & Robin Hancock): A Tribe Called Quest

9) Groove Is In The Heart (LP Version By Deee-Lite & Mike Rogers): Deee-Lite ft. Bootsy Collins & Q-Tip

10) Nothing (7" Edit By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne): Frazier Chorus

11) Killer (Edit By Adamski & Mike 'Spike' Drake): Adamski ft. Seal

12) Loaded (Andrew Weatherall Mix) (7" Version): Primal Scream

27th Jan 1990: Extricate (#58): 2

11th Feb 1990: Happiness (#19): 5

18th Feb 1990: Probably A Robbery EP (#38): 1

25th Feb 1990: Dub Be Good To Me EP (#1): 7

18th Mar 1990: Loaded EP (#16): 12

6th May 1990: Killer EP (#1): 11

12th Aug 1990: Bonita Applebum EP (#47): 8

26th Aug 1990: Nothing EP (#51): 10

9th Sep 1990: World Clique (#2): 9

9th Sep 1990: What Time Is Love? EP (#5): 6

22nd Sep 1990: En-Tact (#42): 4

25th Nov 1990: Schubert Dip (#3): 3

Side One (47:24) (GD) (M)

Named After Cypress Avenue In South Gate, California

Bringing a week a post titles tenuously linked by place names, Cypress Hill are the logical conclusion.

 

Before you read this, pop over to No Badger Required (as long as you promise to come back) and read a post from a few weeks ago. Cypress Hill's second album Black Sunday features in the ongoing Nearly Perfect Albums series and SWC makes a compelling case for it's impact and enduring influence. It's a fabulous read (no surprise there, as NBR is a fabulous read on a daily basis).

 

I had a few Cypress Hill EPs and random tracks in my collection but it's only been in the last decade or so that I've started delving a little more into their back catalogue, which has been a rewarding experience, to say the least. 

This brief selection leans heavily on tracks and remixes from the first three albums circa 1991 to 1995, plus a trio of cuts from the 21st century. I must give the obligatory cuss caution, due to the habitual and casual effing and jeffing throughout. If you can handle that, then you are in for a sonic and lyrical treat.

 

1) Latin Lingo (Album Version) (1991) 

2) Hits From The Bong (T-Ray's Mix - Single Version) (1993)

3) Illusions (Q-Tip Remix) (1995)

4) Memories (2001)

5) When The Ship Goes Down (Diamond D Remix) (1993)

6) Puercos aka Pigs (Spanish Version) (1991)

7) Bye Bye (ft. Dizzy Wright) (2022)

8) Psycobetabuckdown (Instrumental) (1991)

9) Throw Your Set In The Air (Slow Roll Remix By DJ Muggs) (1995)

10) Champion Sound (2022)

11) Everybody Must Get Stoned (1995)

12) Insane In The Brain (Extended) (1993)

13) Light Another (Album Version) (1991)

1991: Cypress Hill: 1, 13

1993: I Ain't Goin' Out Like That EP: 2, 5

1993: Insane In The Brain EP: 12

1995: III: Temples Of Boom: 11

1995: Illusions EP: 3

1995: Throw Your Set In The Air EP: 9

1999: Los Grandes Éxitos En Español: 6

2001: Stoned Raiders: 4

2003: Cypress Hill: Instrumentals (bootleg): 8

2022: Back In Black: 7, 10

Named After Cypress Avenue (45:07) (KF) (Mega)

I Took One Toke, Yo, I Almost Choked

Time for some midweek hip hop, courtesy of A Tribe Called Quest.

I've only recently been taking a deeper dive into the Tribe's treasure trove of albums, EPs, bootlegs and compilations so much of their output (and there's a lot) is still unfamiliar to me. 

 

Here then is a ten-track sampler that spans my first - and for many years, only - ATCQ purchase, 1990's Bonita Applebum single, through to 2016's sixth and final album We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.

 

A Tribe Called Quest's founding core was Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Q-Tip aka Kamaal Fareed, Phife Dawg aka Malik Taylor (who died from complications due to diabetes in March 2016) and Jarobi White (who left after their debut album and returned for their swansong). A formidable quartet whose questing spirit left a impressive legacy.

 

1) Stressed Out (Raphael Saadiq's Remix ft. Faith Evans) (1996)

2) Mr. Muhammad (1990)

3) Common Ground (Get It Goin' On) (1998)

4) Who Got Da Funk (ft. Science Of Sound & Godfather) (2002) 

5) Jam (Single Edit) (1997)

6) Everything Is Fair (Instrumental) (1991)

7) Oh My God (Organ Mix By CJ Mackintosh) (1994)

8) Whateva Will Be (2016)

9) Vivrant Thing (1999)

10) Bonita Applebum (12" Boys Mix By CJ Mackintosh & Robin Hancock) (1990)

 

1990: Bonita Applebum EP: 10

1990: Peoples Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm: 2 

1994: Oh My God EP: 7

1996: Stressed Out EP: 1 

1997: The Jam EP: 5

1998: The Love Movement: 3

1999: The Anthology: 9

2002: Native Tongues: Unreleased & Unleashed (bootleg): 4

2009: Rare And Unreleased Instrumentals Vol. 1 (promo): 6

2016: We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service: 8

 

One Toke (42:23) (Box) (Mega)

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun

In 1971, (The New) Rotary Connection releases their fifth and final album, Hey, Love. The writing was already on the wall: superlative singer Minnie Riperton had already been presented as a solo artist the previous Christmas; although a few years away from career-defining song, Lovin' You, her prodigious talent was unmistakable. The last gasp of the Rotary Connection was no half-baked effort, however, and contained the epic blast of celebration and affirmation that is I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun.

A quarter of century later in 1997, Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez & 'Little' Louie Vega aka Masters At Work revisited this classic as Nuyorican Soul. Apart from the switch from male to female lead vocals - superbly realised by Jocelyn Brown - it's a pretty faithful take on the song.

Their remix as Masters At Work ups the funky beats and sprinkles in some Q-Tip for good measure...

...but the winner for me is the 4 Hero Remix, which retains much of the original, then explodes into a breakbeat and strings frenzy in the latter half, to stirring effect.

Last but not least is a more recent take from 2018 by Toshio Matsuura Group, the Japanese DJ and producer joined by an impressive line up, including Tom Herbert (The Invisible, Acoustic Ladyland) on bass, Dan Leavers (The Comet Is Coming) on piano, Crispin "Spry" Robinson (Galliano) on percussion, Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet) on drums and Cuban vocalist, composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader Daymé Arocena on vocals. This version is heavier on guitar and drops into a rousing samba for the climax. You can buy the song here.

 

 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun: The New Rotary Connection (1971) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (Album Version): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown (1997) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (MAW Remix): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown & Q-Tip (1997) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (4 Hero Remix): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown (1997)  

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun: Toshio Matsuura Group ft. Daymé Arocena (2018)