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o There's something decidedly suspect TOMMIE IMIEIF!! about the debut 12 inch from James Lee o Wilde. On the surface, 'Stroke Of Luck' has all the ingredients of afine deep 1 "In LA we have our own names," reveals Delicious Vinyl's Tone-Loc. "My name house track. Spacey bass, haunting is Tony and 'Loc' was a nickname my homeboys gave me from 'loco' or crazy. In t.n melodic organ and even apassable song certain cities they call each other certain names. Icould have ended up as 'Loc' to boot, but underneath methinks there or 'Tone-Dog' or 'Tone-Rock'. Most of these names are from the gangs." lies apop star itching to get out. A sheep in wolf's clothing, so to speak. Born and raised in West Los Angeles, Tone Loc describes his neighbourhood o "Oh yeah, you bet!" exclaims James "as probably bigger than most other cities". It doesn't seem to have a problem excitedly. "I want to be abig star, a with the gangs, a topic that has inflamed the media in both the US and the UK, megastar even." and got on the nerves of the people who love LA's mean streets. James used to work for his Dad as a "You'd think there was nothing out here on the west coast but drugs and gangs builder in Hornchurch, Essex, but chucked it all in when Polydor responded by the way the media is attacking so hard." to one of his demo tapes and offered him Tone-Loc's Wild Thing' is climbing the US pop charts. He was introduced to rap arecording contract. With ahealthy by a friend who brought him a tape from New Jersey. Cassettes, called 'Swap admiration for George Michael and Meet Tapes', still fuel LA's underground rap scene and are sold at flea markets. describing his forthcoming album as, "pop soul, akind of cross between awhite Tone-Loc prizes his collection. Alexander O'Neal and Robbie Nevil", "I used to think that New York was going to dominate hip hop," he noted, "but James now spends his time at dance LA is closing in fast." Scoring points for California is Tone's debut LP, 'Loc-ed After classes and posing in front of mirrors with Dark', which was produced by the Dust Brothers, currently in the studio finishing his guitar. Ithink Ismell aBros. You just the Beastie Boys' second LP. (MH) can't trust anyone these days. (Ti)

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Gerald Alston is described as amix of • decided to go solo he stuck with the check, but on your own it's different," manly reserve and rhapsodic passion. same formula for his debut album, 'Gerald says Gerald. "I have this rule that if Ican Which is to say he's another in the Alston'. Slow and swaying love songs are always iron my own shirts I'll be OK. We growing armchair soul club — rich, mellow generally the order of the day, though were staying in this big house when we and mature, adult-orientated soul, Luther Gerald seems freer now that he's not recorded the album, with maids to do all Vandross without the dross. Mind you, confined to the doo wop style of the the cooking and washing, but Imade a Gerald has agood excuse, he doesn't Manhattans, and occasionally he even point of doing all my own laundry. The know any better. For two decades he allows himself to get quite funky. others would tease me, but it keeps me was the lead singer for the Manhattans, Like his music, Gerald is genial and in touch with reality." whose smoochy ballads like 'Kiss And Say relaxed, he enjoys cooking and reading is going to regret ever Goodbye' were always the last songs to more than nightclubbing, and he has a saying that. As soon as the rm staff got be played at parties and the last chance firm control of his ego. wind of these very words, 23 bin bags of to persuade your dancing partner to get "When you're in agroup there's no dirty laundry were instantly dispatched to off with you. chance you'll ever get big headed because Gerald's home. Keep that iron hot, Mr So it's not surprising that when he the others are there to keep you in Alston! (Ti)

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