Oct 10, 2008

Into The Groove (49)

Hello, Into The Groove presents a bit of a mixed bag her today, be it that all albums are largely electronic, voice based and contain big dancefloor hits....Starting with recent inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmasters Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five , that i would think need little introduction after The Hweels of Steel let loose The Message Of With Lines in New York, New York, obviously they had more goodies..your chance to check some out....There's over 2 hours in dietversion available aswell as are the other picks...Lime, those covers really stood out and their music catered to the hedonistic dancefloor scene..so much so that the band, Denis and Denyse LePage, felt they'd better pick some goodlooking blondes to sing their music and stay happy together at home themselves...for 5 years they dominated the dancefloors with their hits and remixes...here's what got them started their first two albums, which completely got released on 12" aswell...get higher baby...Lill Louis isn't small, but he kept his nick from the days he started out in the dj scene and he was Lill...his French Kiss was only his second official single and became a stunning success, it gave him the opportunity to release From The Mind Of Lill Louis, with some great support (his father on drums) the album came out tops aswell Chicago House and then some...

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Flash was born Joseph Saddler in Barbados on January 1, 1958, his family immigrated to the United States from the West Indies, and he grew up in the Bronx. He became involved in the earliest New York DJ scene, attending parties set up by early luminaries, he began spinning records, performing live at area dances and block parties. By age 19, while attending technical school courses in electronics during the day, he was also spinning on the local disco circuit; over time, he developed a series of groundbreaking techniques including "cutting" (moving between tracks exactly on the beat), "back-spinning" (manually turning records to repeat brief snippets of sound), and "phasing" (manipulating turntable speeds) -- in short, creating the basic vocabulary which DJs continue to follow even today.

Flash did not begin collaborating with rappers until around 1977, first teaming with the legendary Kurtis Blow. He then began working with the Furious Five -- rappers Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Mr. Ness aka Scorpio (Eddie Morris), and Rahiem (Guy Williams); the group quickly became legendary throughout New York City, attracting notice not only for Flash's unrivalled skills as a DJ but also for the Five's masterful rapping, most notable for their signature trading and blending of lyrics.

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five were signed to Bobby Robinson's Enjoy Records and in 1979 released the classic "Superrappin'". They later signed to Sugar Hill Records and released numerous singles, gaining a gold disc for "Freedom," and also toured. The classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," released in 1981 was the best display of Flash's skills (combining elements of Blondie's "Rapture," Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache," Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and Chic's "Good Times." It also marked the first time that record scratching had been actually recorded on a record.

Flash and the Five's next effort, 1982's "The Message," was even more revelatory -- for the first time, hip-hop became a vehicle not merely for bragging and boasting but for trenchant social commentary, with Melle Mel delivering a blistering rap detailing the grim realities of life in the ghetto. The record was a major critical hit, and it was an enormous step in solidifying rap as an important and enduring form of musical expression. Other than Melle Mel, no members of the group actually appear on the record. "The Message" went platinum in less than a month. In 1982, Flash appeared in the movie "Wild Style" and sued Sugar Hill over the non-payment of royalties.

The group split between Flash and Mel before disintegrating entirely. Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem signed to Elektra Records and continued on as simply "Grandmaster Flash" while Mel and the others continued on as "Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five. In 1984, Mel released a 12" single, "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" which went on to become one of his signature songs. Although frequently credited on the records, Flash doesn't actually appear on "The Message", "White Lines (Don't Do It)", or many of the other Furious Five songs (if you don't hear scratching on a track, then Flash isn't on it). Mel notably appeared on Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" becoming the first rapper ever to win a Grammy award for "Record of the Year". He also appeared in the film "Beat Street" performing "Beat Street Breakdown" in the grand finale.

After a series of Grandmaster Flash solo albums including 1985's They Said It Couldn't Be Done, 1986's The Source, and 1987's Da Bop Boom Bang, he reformed the original Furious Five lineup for a charity concert at Madison Square Garden; soon after, the reconstituted group recorded a new LP, 1988's On the Strength, which earned a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. Melle Mel closed out the decade by winning two more Grammy awards for his work with Quincy Jones. There was another reunion, of a kind, in 1994, although Cowboy died in 1989. A year later, Flash and Melle Mel also appeared on Duran Duran's cover of "White Lines." Except for a few compilations during the late '90s, Flash was relatively quiet until 2002, when a pair of mix albums appeared: The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on Strut and Essential Mix: Classic Edition on ffrr. Melle Mel released his first ever solo album "Muscles" on January 30, 2007. The first single and music video is "M3 (The New Message)", released on the 25th anniversary of "The Message". March 2007 Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop/rap group ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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Grandmaster Flash - White Lines and Other Messages ( ^ 416mb)

Seeing as the other grandmaster album here lacks some of the famous twelves, i compiled what i had chronologically and taken together you can start your own blockparty.



01 White Lines 4:31
02 World War III 7:50
03 Scorpio 4:59
04 Survival 6:42
05 New York New York 7:24
06 Freedom 8:08
07 Birthday Party 5:35
08 Flash To The Beat 4:22
09 It's Nasty (Genius Of Love) 4:12
10 Message 7:02

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Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - The Greatest Mixes (97 ^ 460mb)

 Greatest Mixes adds a new wrinkle in the tried-and-true greatest-hits sets by including some new mixes of Grandmaster Flash favorites, rare original extended mixes, and some unreleased tracks. Despite all of the offerings, not surprisingly the best songs here are the original extended mixes released in the early to mid-'80s. The brilliant "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" more than sustains its lasting properties and introduces the first instances of sampling and scratching. The overdone "New York New York" from 1983 seems to gain strength from the better stuff before and after it.. Remaining true to its title, Greatest Mixes has new mixes from DJs and in doing so makes this careen toward sacrilege. While Grandmaster Flash certainly has enough tracks to "tamper" with, the album also has 3 unreleased tracks, most notably 1989's great, testy, and spare "Freestyle."



01 - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (Cutrmaster Swift & Pogo Mix) (4:11)
02 - Stepp Off (Original 12 inch) (7:36)
03 - Drug Wars (Previously Unreleased) (4:46)
04 - Pump Me Up (Original 12 inch) (4:42)
05 - Message II (Survival) (Richie Rich Mix) (6:18)
06 - Freestyle (Previously Unreleased) (4:46)
07 - New York New York (Original 12 inch) (7:20)
08 - Beat Street Breakown (Original 12 inch) (5:10)
09 - The Message (Cutting Edge's Old School Mix) (9:02)
10 - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel (Original 12 inch) (7:06)
11 - Black Man (Previously Unreleased) (3:59)
12 - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (Davidson Ospina Club Mix) (7:08)

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Lime - Your love, II (81/82 ^ 523mb)

Contrary to much information out and about...Lime was Denis and Denyse LePage...not the cutesy Joy Dorris and Chris March. Yes Chris and Joy toured the world as Lime, but the real voices and talent behind Lime were the Canadian husband and wife team of Denis, a longtime arranger and producer, and his songwriting wife Denyse. Their unlikely career began in 1980. Denis, already known in the Canadian music circles for his incredible horn and string arrangements on hits by Kat Mandu and France Joli, to name a few, decided it was time to branch out into a full fledged production.

By the summerl of 1980 Denis had compiled, with Denyse's help, a list of songs for them to record. With fellow studio wizards Joe La Greca (Carol Jiani's mentor and producer) and George Cucuzzella they entered Montreal Sound Studios for work on what would be the first of many albums. The first 12" single released was the now classic "Your Love." A snappy uptempo number that immediately started charting on it's original Matra Records pressing. After a strong showing it was remixed and re-released furthering it's chart life. The album, "Your Love," followed and eventually between Matra and Prism all the tracks were released on 12" singles. Garnering them hits with "You're My Magician," "(Baby) I'll Be Yours," "It's You" and "Agent 406." This album was also unique in that it was the only album to feature Denyse on the cover. All subsequent albums contained paintings or drawings.

After riding the crest of their first album to it's maximum, their second album "Lime 2" debuted in July of 1982. Once again on Matra Records, the formula was the same for writing, producing and mixing duties. And once again all the tracks appeared on 12" singles as either A or B sides. The 12" singles of "Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight," "Wake Dream" and "Come And Get Your Love" were all consumed by a ravenous high energy dance audience and immediately went top ten. This album also was the first to feature the artwork (cover) of Studio Graffiti, whom would do all of their remaining covers. The unusal paintings became one of the groups trademarks.

By 1983 Lime was at the pinnacle of their worldwide success. "Lime 3" released that spring would prove to be their most universal album. The success began with the first 12" single. "Guilty" with its somber and dark overtones, was a different release from their previous bubbly bouncy numbers. The album was their first to be completely recorded with Roland, Juno and Jupiter synthesizers, all programmed and played by Denis, he also assumed full producer status .

Sometime around 1982 or 1983 Lime had become so successful that demands for personal appearances was enormous. Denis and Denyse chose not to tour for several reasons. Their age was one factor, neither cared to schlep around the globe doing one-night stands. Another was that though both are attractive for their age group, their looks weren't exactly in-sync with their audiences. After lengthy auditions two attractive blondes with similar vocal ranges were recruited to tour as Lime. Joy Dorris and Chris Marsh fit the bill. The group toured the world during 1983 and 1984, receiving numerous awards. American fans were delighted by their personal club appearances. While appearing live the duo did sing live to prerecorded tracks and so many believed that they were in fact the original singers. Despite worldwide touring the groups 1984 album "Sensual Sensation" produced no blockbuster hits.

1985 was a year for the husband and wife team to reflect and and while putting new material together Matra hired New York whiz kids Morales and Munzibai (M & M) to remix the back catalogue of material for an album release, "Lime-The Greatest Hits."
The "Greatest Hits" album shot to the top of the charts and renewed interest in the group. 1985 brought a new album with a slightly new sound and a very different feel. "Unexpected Lovers" was the albums title and also it's first 12" single. The music did well on the club scene and helped the album go Gold. By 1986 the group was ready for their seventh release, "Take The Love" , it received mixed reaction

By 1989's release "Brand New Day" the husband and wife team had created an empire that had a life of it's own. Denis and Denyse did contribute to the album but had already distanced themselves from the whole scene and turned the production over to Richard Buck. Vocals were also split with Joy and Chris for the actual recordings. This was about to be the end of the road for Joy and Chris as well as Lime as hitmakers. Perhaps it was the lack of total commitment from LePage or the uneveness of the material and singers but in any event it slid into the cut-out bins quickly.

Denis and Denyse returned wholeheartedly in 1991 to write, perform and produce the groups nineth album "Caroline." This would be their last hit of any note. The oddley sounding "Caroline" was done in the current New-Jack sound and despite several versions it failed to capture the glory of their heyday. The album had other strong material as well, however tastes and styles had changed and Lime was no longer the group de jour. As of 2002 they have released a new album "Love Fury." Meanwhile Unidisc, has re-released their entire catalogue on compact disc. Denis still continues to arrange and work with other artists most notably Los Del Mar and Ouba.



01 - You're My Magician (7:32)
02 - Agent 406 (7:00)
03 - It's You (7:49)
04 - I'll Be Yours (7:19)
05 - Your Love (Remix) (7:14)
06 - Come And Get Your Love (8:07)
07 - Help Yourself (6:07)
08 - A Man And A Woman (6:45)
09 - Wake Dream (7:05)
10 - No Reply (5:20)
11 - Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonite (6:51)

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Lil Louis and The World - From The Mind Of Lil Louis ( 89 ^ 434mb)

Lil Louis is the stage name used by Chicago-born house music producer and DJ Louis Burns. He was the son of guitarist Bobby Sims, who recorded for Chess and appeared with the psychedelic-soul unit Rotary Connection. Louis grew up with nine siblings and played both drums and bass as a child, then began DJing in the mid-'70s (he earned his nickname after appearances at the club River's Edge while still in middle school). By the end of the decade he had his own club, the Future, where he began working on his editing techniques, thanks to a cassette deck and later a reel-to-reel recorder.

By the mideeifhties, Lil' Louis was hosting the biggest house parties in Chicago, and he began recording his productions around that time as well. His first single "How I Feel" appeared on his own label, and he began collaborating with Marshall Jefferson on several tracks. In 1987, his new single "French Kiss" became a local hit, then a platinum-selling international classic after being licensed to CBS and FFRR. The success triggered a major-label contract through Epic, and the release of his debut album From the Mind of Lil' Louis in 1989. Charting a course across jazz-fusion and R&B as well as house, the LP was one of the best produced by any of the Chicago figures. Pushing the album into another sphere however, are the great collaborations which occur. Larry Heard's input on tracks like "Blackout," "Tuch Me" and "6 A.M." is stellar, and uptown Wax Trax! industrialists Die Warzau even appear on production and mixing. From the album, the moody single "I Called U" became another club hit.

His follow-up LP, the more stylistically unified Journey with the Lonely, didn't fare as well and Lil' Louis retired from recording for over four years, preferring instead to set up his own studio in New York and work on production with Babyface and Me'Shell NdegeOcello. He returned by collaborating with "Little" Louie Vega of Masters at Work and also worked on production for Black Magic.



01 - I Called U (Original Mix) (6:24)
02 - Blackout - Original Mix (6:06)
03 - Tuch Me (5:09)
04 - French Kiss (6:03)
05 - Wargames (3:05)
06 - It's The Only Thing (5:18)
07 - 6 A.M. (3:48)
08 - Nyce & Slow (5:33)
09 - Insecure (6:24)
10 - The Luv U Wanted (4:38)
11 - Brittany (2:33)
12 - Lil Tanya (2:36)
13 - 6 A.M. (Reprise) (3:39)
14 - I Called U (Reprise) (2:59)
--Xs
15 - French Kiss (12 " mix) (9:55)

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7 comments:

viagra online said...

I really want to know where you get this music my collection has been growing up since I found your blog, thanks for share.

Anonymous said...

if you have time could you re-up the Grandmaster Flash post please? cheers, Larry

Anonymous said...

thanks for re-up. having an issue with the multiupload page for Grandmaster Flash - White Lines & Other Messages not loading. odd as other links to that server today have worked. maybe you could check that one? best, Larry

Rho said...

Hello Larry case of not updating, meanwhile the new link is there...

Anonymous said...

thanks Rho :-)

Ricosauve said...

Thanks for the re-up Rho!

Chrisz said...

@Rho

Please, if you can find the time, do reup "Lil Louis and The World - From The Mind Of Lil Louis". Thank you so much for your blog!