/PLAYLIST/
HOT CHART - PART 2
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1 Virgo - Mechanically Replayed
Very much a Hot night track! I found this languishing in Eastern Bloc Records in early ’88, unloved and very mysterious! I’m still not sure, for sure, who knocked this Frankenstein of a monster together with parts from Virgo, Karen Young’s ‘Hot For You’, X-Ray Connection’s ‘Replay’ and Pop Mechanic’s ‘Music Gone Funky’,
but it very quickly became a Hot standard. Wonky as fuck, glouriously long (over 14 minutes) and with “BOOTLEG” stamped all over it, this fitted perfectly with the night.
2 Dub Syndicate - The Show is Coming
Adrian Sherwood and Lincoln “Style” Scott’s collab with the Sugarhill Gang/Tackhead uber dudes, this was very much the wind-up track at Hot – often taking the night from New York-Baleuric into staighter 4/4 action that dominated the rest of the night (with the aid of a few BBC Sound Effects!)
3 Jago - I’m Going to Go
A slow burning, glossy Italo Disco track from the mid 80s, re-energised by Frankie Knuckles, that made its way into our sets in ’88.
4 Take Some Time Out - Arnold Jarvis
The first of two Tommy Musto / Yvonne Turner productions in this chart – completely underrated producers responsible for dozens and dozens of amazing club tracks. This particular track is graced by Arnold Jarvis, is moody as f@ck ando delivers one of the greatest bass lines known to humanity.
5 Maurice Joshua with Hot Hands Hula - I Gotta Big Dick
Ghetto House vibes on this down and dirty slab of hypnotic Chi-town nonsense. It was a big fave with the Ladies of the Haç – who seemed to relish singing along!
6 Sandée - Notice Me
This timbale driven Latin house track with amazing dub drenched vocals was a dancefloor dominator at Hot.
7 James Ingram - Yah Mo B There (Jellybean Dub Mix)
Jellybean in dub mode! I mashed this with something else bit for the life of me I can’t remember what it was! This stands the test of time though!
8 Future FJP - Liaison D
A total Belgium gem found at Eastern Bloc Records, this plunders Lil Louis’ Frequency and turns the riff into a huge, menacing, cathedral of sound!
9 Ketama - Ketama (Disco Completo)
Whilst the big HOT sun was shining down from the stage of the Haçienda it only seemed natural to sprinkle my set with a little flamenco and Brazilian batucada. This,from Spanish fusion-flamenco band, Ketama, was and still is a massive fave of mine.
10 Joe Church – Don't You Wanna Be Mine
Jellybean in dub mode! I mashed this with something else bit for the life of me I can’t remember what it was! This stands the test of time though!
11 Adonis - No Way Back
Restlessly inventive, like Adonis, this track is a House track that has never ever lost it’s relevance. Dark vocals intoning “I’ve lost my soul”…an 808 and a 303 and voilà! You have a blueprint for it all, from one of the greatest tracks, from one of the most productive periods of dance music. Take note.
12 T-Coy - Cariño
There’s not many people in the UK with Mike Pickering’s pedigree of talent and influence in dance music. I moved back to the North for the scene and the Hacienda, that he had such a hand in creating. To find myself, less than six months after being back, co hosting a night with him was…well. you can imagine. That was Hot night. This track was already doing it – Pickering with A Certain Ratio’s original singer, now reinvented as a latin percussion ace, Simon Topping and the lovely Ritchie Close on keys…and is the first UK House tune. Period.
13 A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
Ahhh…Gerald’s never seen a fucking penny from this! I include the Glasgow’s mighty Optimo mix here as at least he gets the publishing from this, I assume! The correct story is (writers please do your research in future)…Knock at the Hacienda DJ box door, July 88, Gerald hands me a promo white of Voodoo Ray which I play without hesitation. He had that rep, legend already. Boom. Before G can get down the stairs from the balcony he hears the tune that kicks his career off and that will haunt him forever….and the first great UK Acid House tune. Manchester Rules. Period.
14 Phuture - Acid Trax
Spanky and Pierre cooking this sound outta cheap Roland junk shop gear is the greatest story of the whole fucking acid house age! Literally defines it. There’s acid house and then there’s Acid House. They did that. Culture and soundtrack. This is an insane record to hear, fresh in 1987. It clarified for me the truth that you could hang the experimental over a beat and move a dance floor. Radical genius from the Southside of Chicago not the conservatoire.
15 808 State - Pacific State
Gershwin wrote Rhapsody in Blue for New York in the Jazz Age…yeah, you know where I’m going here – but, listen to it though! Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson were a killer writing duo. Both steeped in cutting edge technology, music and this dirty old town. They got the mood right here, so right. Euphoric and blue. Hard beats and lyricism.
16 Sha'Lor - I'm In Love
One of those finds at Eastern Bloc early 1988 I shared, I mean given, to so many people. Must have bought it ten times at least. It has that New York electro feel married to a sweet street vocal that kills me every time. Machine Soul or Socket Soul as I called it. My preference was to further fuse it to an acid instrumental…coz I could.
17 Royal House - Can You Party
Todd the God Terry ..Oh my. Him and his Akai MC60, bringing New York Electro Hip-Hop stylings to House was just plain genius. So many of his many, many tunes from this period sent the temperature up on the dance floor like no others.
18 Lil’ Louis - French Kiss
Having already blown minds with Frequency and Video Clash, Louis hits gold with this strange beast of a tune. Driving, sophisticated minimalism. Three very exciting words. This would have been a classic with or without the slow mo sex talk but hey, who doesn’t love a bit of slow mo sex talk?
19 Cybotron - Clear
Kraftwerkian Proto Techno that will have to stand in for so many Detroit 12”s that dominated our sets at the time. Year Zero material. Juan Atkins, the very godfather of that scene no generations old will be with us on Good Friday. I for one will be awe.
20 Phuture - Slam
So good, so good. Sponky and Pierre’s finest moment as far as I’m concerned. Acid house is both our cultural history but a genre as well and this defines it perhaps even more than the original Acid Trax. Dark thunderous beats and our very favourite little silver box in ascendance.
