MUSIC WEEK SEPTEMBER 14 1985 Edited /r^r. by .BARRY LAZELL

DJs line-up behind JAMES HAMILTON NORTH-EAST England is notorious among -pluggers as TOP • latest Elite product the worst market for soul records in the UK. This has not always 1 3 10 SINGLE LIFE- Cameo been the case, and from personal experience I remember a Club/Phonogram JABH 11 (F) flourishing soul scene in Newcastle upon Tyne during the 2 NEW SO MANY RIVERS: Animals' heyday 20 years ago. To investigate at first hand I Bobby Womack UK DANCE indie Elite Re- US MCA 561/ (Imporl) cords reports what is prob- recently returned there with soul DJ Chris Hill, who now appears 3 1 4 STREET SOUNDS EDITION 13: ably its strongest DJ reaction every other Monday at the city centre Walker's Club Cafe Various Street Sounds STSND 13 (A) to date on the recently- Now I know that Newcastle is not the whole of the North-East. 4 2 5 LIKE A VIRGIN: Madonna promoted Night Moves by Sire WX20 (W) but as the only place in its main conurbation from which I ever 5 9 7 LUXURY OF LIFE; Keni Stevens (DAZZ 41), not- receive DJs' soul (as opposed to mixed "disco ) charts, it Tent/RCA PL 70735 (R) ably from Robbie Vincent on seemed the best part to visit. Although such record stores as 6 7 7 STREET CALLED DESIRE: Callers have been mentioned in the past as soul stockists, the Reno S Angela his all-important Radio 1 soul Club/Phonogram JABH 12 (F) programme. Night Moves main specialist outlet where disco DJs shop now is Hitsville 7 6 19 ROCK ME TONIGHT; USA. elegantly situated on the first floor of a Georgian terrace Freddie Jackson was written and produced by Capitol FRED 1 (E) Elite supremo Andy Sojka. It overlooking leafy Old Eldon Square, which carries a wide range 8 20 2 THE FAMILY: The Fam.lv is to be promoted during of dance music including all the latest imports. Paisley Park/Warner Brothers 925322-UW1 September by a series of Even so, as owners Tony Bromwich and Joan Wright told me 9 18 6 THE VISION: Howard Johnson select PA shots from Stevens A&M AMA *982 (F) between tapping out figures on a keyboard behind the counter, 10 RE THE PLEASURE SYSTEM: around the country. The 12- they only sell about 20 copies of the hottest imports, and about The System Boiling Point/Polydor Incher is commercially re- 50 copies of UK disco releases before they've hit the Gallup POLO 5182 |F| chart. What really sells in quantity though, especially to 15 to 16 11 14 3 NIGHT BEAT: Various leased this week. Stylus SMR 8501 (STY) On the same label, and due in year-olds, is Hi-NRG — explained as "the Mecca syndrome" — 12 NEW SHINE THE LIGHT; Collage the shops in a couple of weeks, is as oddly, other shops don't seem to stock it despite demand US Constcllotion'MCA 5564 (Import) built by the area's pop (biggest seller this year being 13 5 4 TURN IT UP; Various Candy McKenzie's It Musi Be 10/Virgin DIX 01 (E) Love (DAZZ 40). Candy is newly- Maria Vidal's Body Rock, including the Dutch bootlegged mega- 14 4 4 IT'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT signed to Elite, last being heard mix version). In fact, music appears less important to most club Cheryl Lvnn CBS 26497 (C) goers than the cheapness of the booze, for in order to attract 15 RE AS THE BAND TURNS: on Erskine Thompson's Intense KENI STEVENS: Elite Records Atlantic Stan A&M AMA 5019 (F| label with Remind Me a while customers at all it seems the majority of venues play anything, 16 NEW HEAVEN KNOWS; back. Her past credits include quoted as saying: "The Atlantic charge nothing for admission, and compete among themselves EMI JK 1 (E) by selling beer for as little as 25p a pint! 17 8 5 MADONNA: Madonna work with Aswad, Osibisa, Lee gulf has been bridged." Sire 923857-1 (W| Perry, Bob Marley (vocals on Dave and Max are also now in Successfully going against the grain are brothers Bill and IB 12 3 STREET SOUNDS NY Lively Up Yourself) and Third the spotlight with their Hardrock Vs LA BEATS: Various Malcolm Walker, whose six-months-old Walker's Club Cafe Street Sounds ELCST 1001 (A) World. remix of Five Star's current Let charges proper prices and features nothing but good quality 19 10 12 GENIE: BB&Q Also new to Elite are Dave VJ Me Be The One, which teasingly both upstairs in the club, and all day downstairs in Chrysalis CHR 1509 (F) and Max LX (aka the Hardrock interpolates elements of the pre- 20 16 8 CANT STOP THE MUSIC: Soul Movement), previously of the brasserie-like cafe. Already a fashionable meeting place, it Ma^e featuring Frankie Beverly vious single All Fall Down. Their remains to be seen whether this is because of or despite the Capitol MAZE 1 (E) Mastermind fame Already prom- Elite debut, in the shops for strict music policy! The club's main DJ Phil Mitchell joins Bill oted is their hypnotic, heavy re- September, will be on DAZZ 43. Walker in compiling and producing the local Metro Radio's Compiled by MRIB working of the People's Choice Now in preparation for autumn recently started first soul show, hosted by Ian Hughes Mondays classic Do It Anyway You Wanna, release will be an Elite sampler from 1975. Shifted considerably , to be titled Essential 6.20 to 8pm, which may hopefully increase interest in current from its Philly roots, this track is Boogie, and promoted as "Elite's soul releases. already creating a buzz among Elitest Sounds". Track listing is But, I can't help thinking it's going to take more than these RADIO prominent hip-hop DJs such as not yet finalised, but will definite- brave efforts to make much impression on a city where, without Mike Allen, Dave Pierce, CJ Car- ly include an as-yet-unheard re- a large black population and with wide unemployment, record los and Tim Westwood. CJ was mix of Beverley Skeete's Warm. sales are dictated by Top Of The Pops and musically anything A LIST goes. The acceptance of soul in the north generally may even be : One Love A&M COLONEL ABRAMS:TrapDCd MCA inhibited by the very way its fans there take it seriously, as COLORS: L 0 S (Love On Sight! something special (an attitude one cannot knock), whereas Fourth & Broadway/Island UK Club Play Chart around London it's so readily available as to be part of most FIVE STAR; Last Takeover RCA people's daily life. THE LATEST hot tips to stock include JAKI GRAHAM; Heaven Knows EMI MERCY MERCY: What Arc We Gonna Do 2 PRINCESS; Say I'm Your Number One Supreme Cameo's Single Life (Club JABX 21), Three Degrees' The Heaven About lt? Ensign/Island 1 TOTAL CONTRAST: Takes A Little Time London I Need (Supreme SUPET 102), Lukk featuring Felicia Collins' On RENE & ANGELA: I II Be Good Club/Phonogram 5 COLONEL ABRAMS: Trapped MCA The One (Important TANT 6); Five Star's (Tent ROYALLE DELITE: (HI Be Al Freak For You 10 CAMEO: Single Life/I've Got Your Image US Atlanta Artists Streelwavc 9 RENE AND ANGELA: I'll Be Good Club/Phonogram PT 40354), Skipworth & Turner's Hot Pursuit (4th and Broadway SHAKATAK: City Rhythm Polydor 3 MAZE FEATURING FRANKIE BEVERLY: Twilight Capitol 12BRW 33), Billy Paul's Sexual Therapy (Total Experience PT STEVIE WONDER. Part-Time Lover 7 LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE: 49934), Michael Lovesmith's Ain't Nothin' Like It (Motown ZT CLIMBERS I Wonder If I Take You Home CBS 40369), El DeBarge with DeBarge's You Wear It Well (Gordy ZT BRASS CONSTRUCTION: Conquest Capitol 8 4 MADONNA: Into The Groove Sire 40346), Precious Wilson's Til Be Your Friend (Jive JIVET 105), CAMEO: Smgle Life Club/Phonogram 9 11 D TRAIN: You're The One For Me Prelude/RCA P.P. Arnold's A Little Pain (10 Records TEN 70-12), Nicci's So In CLAUDIA; Hold On Blue Bird/10 10 16 HOWARD JOHNSON: Stand Up A&M Love (Debut DEBT 127). John Ingram's Can I Take You Home DESI: I Want To Bo mh You (US Import-Blue) 11 15 ODYSSEY: Joy (I Know It) Mirror/Priority JENNIFER HOLLIDAY: Hard Time For Lovers 12 (New) MERCY MERCY: Tonight (Mirror 12BUTCH 2), 7th Heaven's Hot Fun (Mercury Gedcn What Are We Gonna Do About It? Ensign/Island MERX 199), all on 12-inch, Sheila E's Romance 1600 (Warner JAMAICA BOYS: Let Me Hold You Closer 13 14 BARBARA PENNINGTON: On A Crowded Street Record Shack Bros/Paisley Park 925 317-1) and Wally Badarou's Echoes (Island lOon't Fight It) Cooltempo/Chrysalis 14 (New) NO WAY JOSE; Tequila Fourth & Broadway/Island ILPS 9822) each being an album with one very hot track MICHAEL LOVESMITH: Am'l Nothm' Uke It 15 19 ATLANTIC STARR: Silver Shadow A&M (respectively A Love Bizarre and Chief Inspector, both due DIANA ROSS: I'm Watching You MotownCapitol 16 (New) JAKI GRAHAM: Heaven Knows em: eventually on 12-inch); excellent imports on 12-inch being KAYLEY STEPHENSON: U s Magic 17 12 JAKI GRAHAM: Round And Around EMI Kleeer's Never Cry Again (Atlantic 0-86850), Conquest's Opti- Cassia Music (White Label) 18 6 SHANNON: Stronger Together Club/Phonogram mistic (Epic 49-05255), Robert Gilliam's All I Want Is My Baby TROUBLE FUNK: Sti» Smokm' (Hug A Bull 19 13 FIVE STAR: Let Me Be The One Tent/RCA (Sutra SUD 036), Janice^Christie's One Love SuperTronics Fourth & Broadway/Island 20 (New) SONIQUE: Let Me Hold You Cooltempo/Chrysalis As featured on the Tony Blackburn Show — RY-009). Incidentally, rSprfrte'of my incapacitation last week Radio London 9ain-I2noon Monday-Fnday Compiled from nationwjde DJ returns. Unless otherwise stated all were much exaggerated — my copy took three days arriving by l?06m 34 9 VHFf records are 12-inch singles released in the UK. first class mail!

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