THE ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF
BRITISH BLACK MUSIC SINGLES AND ALBUM TRACKS
AS TABULATED FROM A POLL OF BRITISH BLACK
MUSIC FANS, ARTISTS AND MUSIC BUSINESS PERSONNEL*
* A brief analysis can be found in the space
separating the singles from albums listings
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ACT
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TRACK/SINGLE
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LABEL
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GENRE
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COMMENTARY
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4 Hero
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Loveless
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57th Dynasty
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Break Free Remix
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Fasfwd
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Rap
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Brixton’s rap collective had a few promos of this making
the rounds, but its official release has been pushed back to
Feb. 2002 when it will preceed the release of their eagerly
awaited sophomore album ‘DIY Eithic’.
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A Guy Called Gerald
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Voodoo Ray
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Rham
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Techno
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First hitting no. 55, it finally made no. 12 in the summer of
1989. It was simple yet hypnotic early UK techno crossover.
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Absolute
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Intoduce Me To Love
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Albians
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Princess I Love You
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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Artful Dodger
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Think About Me
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Ffrr/WEA
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UK garage
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They, or as it is now, he, has the midas touch when it comes
to crossing over garage-tinged cuts.
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Aswad
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African Children
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Aswad
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Back To Africa
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Island
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Reggae
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You’ll have to dip into Aswad’s debut album to hear this
gem. This was when they truly were the ‘young lions of British
reggae’. A delicious track, as was the whole Rasta and
socio-conscious tipped self-titled debut album
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Aswad
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Don’t Turn Around
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Island
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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From being the hard boys of UK reggae with two previous very
modest hit singles, Aswad flipped the script by scoring a
surprising chart-topper with this poppy lovers rocker ion early
1988.
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Aswad
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On & On
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Mango/Island
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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A 1989 top 30 hit, it follows their adopted easy listening
radio-friendly style.
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Aswad
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Roots Rocking
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Reggae
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Aswad
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Warrior Charge
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Island
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Reggae
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This 1980 instrumental track was an inspired and rocking
brass-charged underground fave taken from the soundtrack of the
Brinsley Forde-starring movie ‘Babylon’.
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Atmosfear
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Dancing In Outer Space
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Elite/MCA
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Brit-funk
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1986 top 50 crossover
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Average White Band
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Pick Up The Pieces
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Atlantic
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R&B/soul
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Their self-deprecate name notwithstanding, you couldn’t
help accepting upon hearing this cut that this was one of the
funkiest R&B records ever! Not only was it British, it was
by a white group! Got the album – remixes were not standard
marketing practice in 1975 when this hit the top 10 (it made no.
1 in the US!) – good as it was, this track just stood out.
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Beggar & Co.
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(Somebody) Help Me Out
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Ensign
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Jazz-funk
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Label-mates of Light Of The world, and fellow Brit-funksters,
they score a no.15 with this track in early 1981. However, later
in the same year, the funky, brassy followup, ‘Mule (Chant
No.2)’ only made no. 37 . Incidentally, a few months prior,
Spandau Ballet, for whom Beggars had supplied some brass, made
no. 3 with ‘Chant No. 1’!
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Beshara
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Men Cry Too
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Reggae
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Beverley Knight
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Flavour Of The Old School
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Dome
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Billy Ocean
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Caribbean Queen
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Billy Ocean
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Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)
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GTO
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R&B
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A 1980 UK fave and a US R&B big hit.
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Billy Ocean
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Red Light Spells Danger
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GTO
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Pop/R&B
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One of our greatest commercial success stories, starting out
in 1976 with the no. 2 hit ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’,
Billy had a very fruitful dozen years through the late
1970s-1980s. This single was a no. 2 hit in 1977.
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Brand New Heavies
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Got to Give
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Ffrr/London
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Brand New Heavies
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Never Stop
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Ffrr
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R&B
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It’s amazingly 10 years since BNH, fronted by N’dea
Davenport, started their long run of hits.
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Brown Sugar
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Black Skin Boy
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Lovers Rock
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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Pioneers of the lovers rock genre, the group included later
Soul II Soul cohort Caron Wheeler, and the mum of Aaron Soul.
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Carol Thompson
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Hopelessly in Love
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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One of the classic 1980s old-school lovers rock – the
single and album sold very well, but strictly on the underground
tip.
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Central Line
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Lovely Day Soca
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Mercury
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Chimes
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Heaven
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CBS
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Pop/R&B
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This pop/R&B cut bubbled at the bottom reaches of the
charts in 1989/1990 before finally making no. 24 late 1990. Best
remembered for their blinding cover of ‘I Still Haven’t
Found What I’m Looking For’, which squares up magnificently
to U2’s original.
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Chukki Starr
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Evillous System
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Coldcut
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Say Kids…
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Ahead Of Our Time
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Cookie Crew
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Females
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Rhythm King
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Rap
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Courtney Pine
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I’ve Known Rivers (4 Hero mix)
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Talkin Loud
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Craig David
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Fill Me In
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Wildstar
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R&B/UK garage
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UK’s R&B golden boy bagged his his first solo
chart-topper with this splendid R&B/UK garage fusion.
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Cymande
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The Message
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Alaska
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R&B/funk
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A UK group that was far more successful in the US during the
1970s. This track, which has a vintage Fatback feel, as well as
several others like ‘Bra’ and ‘The Dove’, have been
sampled by numerous American rap acts. Two former members of the
band are now highly placed lawyers in the Caribbean.
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D’Influence
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Falling
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D’Influence
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Good Lover
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East West
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R&B
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The band’s first hit, it bubbled around the lowerly end of
the charts twice, once in June 1992 and March 1993. One of their
many live favourites.
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David Joseph
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You Can’t Hide Your Love
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Island
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R&B
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After Hi-Tension folded, its ex-lead vocalist put together
this electro-funker. A well-deserved top 15 hit in 1983, I
bought the 12-inch single but don’t remember a solo album ever
being released. The track is sampled on Turntablerockers’
debut album.
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Deluxe
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You Make Me Feel So Happy
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Derek B
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Get Down
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Music Of Life
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Rap
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Before he hit with ‘Goodgroove’ and ‘Bad Young
Brother’, Derek B (is it for Bowland as popularly noted, or
Bottoms, as reported by The Sun?) made noise on the emerging UK
rap underground circuit of the mid-1980s with this track.
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Des’ree
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Feel So High
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Dusted Sound
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Pop-soul
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I still remember the first time I heard this. It was on
Gordon Mac’s Saturday programme on the newly legal Kiss FM. He
said, he wasn’t sure how people would take this folky track,
but he nvertheless wanted to play it even though it wasn’t an
obvious Kiss track. It just sounded special and so different. A
mild hit in the summer of 1991, it made the top 15 the following
year when it was re-issued. Des’ree’s one of the most
beguiling live performers!
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Des’ree
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You Gotta Be
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Dusted Sound/Sony
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Pop/soul
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Very interesting trajectory: The self-empowering song first
hit no. 20 in 1994. A remixed version hit no. 14 the following
year. Then after much use in a TV commercial, it landed at no.
10 in 1999.
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Don-e
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Unbreakable
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Fourth & Broadway
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Soul
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An early contemporary of Omar, this fine album title track
was I think disqualified from the charts for some breach. A
superb ballad. After one album, Don-e didn’t seem to pursue a
career as an artist. He occasionally writes and produces other
artists.
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Drizabone
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Real Love
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4th & Broadway
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Soul
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A much loved, genuine British soul classic!
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Eddy Grant
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Living On The Frontline
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Ensign
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Reggae/dance fusion
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This track launched Eddy’s crossover solo career in the
summer of 1979.
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Eddy Grant
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Walking On
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FBI
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Talkin’ ‘bout Love
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Kongo
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R&B
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Five Star
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All Fall Down
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RCA
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Five Star
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Can’t Wait Another Minute
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Tent/RCA
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Pop-R&B
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UK’s somewhat answer to the Jackson Five, had many
chart-bursting hits, including this 1986 top tenner. Last heard
of ensconced in the US. A comeback single a few years ago
didn’t seem to make much impression outside of their G.A.Y.
audience.
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Foundations
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Build Me Up Buttercup
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Pye
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Pop/soul
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Multi-racial group delivered several pop/soul edge hits,
including this, which made no. 2 in 1968.
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Freeez
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Southern Freeez
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Beggars Banquet
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Jazz-funk
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This was such a huge record, it couldn’t be contained just
on the jazz-funk circuit. It crossed over into the top 10 in
1981. I wasn’t buying buying singles then. I however remember
gettinmg the album from a tiny shop in Finchley and wonderedwhat
a label better known for Gary Numan hits was doing with black
music. .
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Funk Masters
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It’s Over
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Funk Masters
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R&B
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1983 top 10 hit
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Gabrielle
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Dreams
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Go Beat
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Pop-R&B
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There was a huge buzz on the original version which illicitly
sampled Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’. It was canned by the
newish Kiss FM. Quite frankly, I thought it lost much of its
attractiveness when the un-clearable sample was removed, so it
was surprising to see her jump up to no. 1 when it finally came
out and adorn the cover of Mixmag, I think. And, little did I
realise that she’d end up such a solid and illustrious career
as a singer-songwriter.
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Galaxy
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Dancing Tight
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Ensign
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Pop-R&B
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Ex-Kandidate member Phil Fearon’s combo’s debut single
hit the top 5 in early 1983. Seeing that the two girls looked
good but didn’t offer much musically, he later switch the
act’s name to Phil Fearon featuring Galaxy. Anyone remember
that back-flip Phil did on Top Of The Pops which nearly went
wrong?!
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General Levi
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Wicked
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Fashion
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Reggae
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With his hiccup vocal gimmick and a charming delivery, he
found his Fashion album, ‘The Wickeder General’ picked up by
ffrr/London who re-issued with a new packaging as ‘Wickedness
Increase’.
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Glamma Kid
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Moschino
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Clarkey & Blakey
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Reggae/Dancehall
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This 1997 ode to name brand mentality was a massive seller on
the reggae underground. It’s reputed to have sold fivee-figure
units and onky didn’t make the pop charts because it went
through non-chart reggae specialist shops. It certainly led to
the young north London DJ being signed to WEA
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Goldie
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Inner City Life
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Ffrr/London
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Drum & Bass
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This is when terms like ‘intelligent drum & bass’ and
the move from jungle to drum & bass begun in the mid-1990s,
because the likes of Goldie were going outside the confines of
what was then jungle. This track had delicious vocals and a rich
textured and mood changing orchestration. Best enjoyed in its
full album version.
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Heatwave
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Always & forever
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GTO
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Pop-soul
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I’m surprised to discover that this exquisite,
radio-friendly pop-soul ballad only got to no. 9 in 1978. It
seems like it was the only ballad around at that time.
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Heatwave
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Boogie Nights
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GTO
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R&B
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Better known now as the former band of writer-producer Rod
‘Thriller’ Temperton. I remember a college mate raving about
this band playing in some clyb in Carnaby Street. Next thing I
know you can’t escape this track, which rose to no.2 in early
1977. I naturally waited for the parent album, ‘Too Hot To
Handle’. A favourite of mine for yonks, it had solid funky
cuts and sweet ballads.
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Heatwave
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Mind Blowing Decisions
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GTO
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Pop-soul
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Another sweet, mid-tempo ballad well-primed for late 1970s
radio and clubs.
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Hi Tension
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Peace On Earth
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Island
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Jazz-funk/R&B
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One of the Brit-funk pioneers who brought another dimension
during the late 1970s disco era. This was flipside to the double
A ‘British Hustle’, a top 10 hit in 1978.
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Hindsight
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Heaven’s Just A Breath Away
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Circa
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Horseman
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Horse Move
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Hot Chocolate
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Brother Louie
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RAK
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Hot Chocolate
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So You Win Again
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RAK
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Pop-R&B
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After seven years and numerous hit singles, they finally hit
the top of the charts with this splendid single in the summer of
1977.
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Hot Chocolate
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You Could Have Been A Lady
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RAK
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Hot Chocolate
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It Started With A Kiss
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RAK
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Pop/R&B
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One of UK’s most commercially consistent acts – they
scored at least one hit single each year between 1970-1984. This
was a no. 5 hit in the summer of 1982. A late 1980s remixed
version was a small hit. It then entered the top 20 in 1998
following Errol Brown’s post-The Full Monty success with
‘You Sexy Thing’ the previous year.
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Hot Chocolate
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You Sexy Thing
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RAK
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Pop/R&B
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One of UK’s top hit machines, it was fronted by the image,
vocals and clever lyricism of Errol Brown. Originally a no. 2
hit during the mid-1970s disco era, it made the top 10 during
the late 1980s remixing bandwagon days, and again in 1997, this
time due to its use in The Full Monty film.
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I-Level
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In The Sand
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Imagination
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Body Talk
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R&B
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Pop/soul
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Lead singer Leee John was as camp as … Still remember him
wearing that nappy outfit on Top Of The Pops. One of the first
tracks I heard using that heavy electronic b-line and kick drum.
I think I first heard it in Blue Bird records near Edgware Road,
just a few yards from the group’s Red Bus record company.
Their debut single easily made the top 5 in May 1981.
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Imagination
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Just An Illusion
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R&B
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Pop/soul
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More on the poppy side,it not surprisingly made no. 2; it’s
been used by the likes of Destiny’s Child and PM Dawn.
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Incognito
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Always There
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Talkin Loud
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Jazz-funk/soul
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Great track, made greater by the blinding and powerful
Jocelyn Brown vocal. Very interesting, considering it was
originally a Ronnie Laws instrumental.
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Incognito
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Parisienne Girls
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Ensign
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Jazz-funk
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This, their first hit, just breached the bottom reaches of
the chart in 1990. Little did anyone know that they’d still be
going strong ten years later, while all their contemporaries
have given up.
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Incognito
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Still A Friend Of Mine
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Talkin Loud
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Soul
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Band leader Bluey knows how to pick ‘em – where song, or
singers, in this case the soulful toned Maysa Leak.
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Jamiroquai
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Blow Your Mind
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Sony S2
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Janet Kay
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Silly Games
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Arawak/Scope
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
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Dennis Bovell’s lovers rock classic was first released on
Arawak. Lightning’s Scope picked it up and hit no. 2 in the
summer of 1979. Can anyone forget those high notes young Janet
with this. In Aug. 1990 the remix got to no. 62, whilst a
version by Lindy Layton featuring Janet reached no. 22.
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Janet Lee Davis
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Two Timing Lover
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Fashion
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Jill Francis
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Make Love To Me
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Glady Wax
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Soul
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This was such a massive hit on the underground
street-soul/2-step soul scene it even managed to briefly breach
the bottom reaches of the national pop charts. An impressive
achievement for an indie release aimed at a niche market!
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Junior
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Mama Used To Say
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Mercury
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R&B
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It didn’t do much on its initial release. However, after
the stonking US remix made no. 30 in America, the new version
made the UK top 10 in early 1982.
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Junior
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Too Late
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Mercury
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R&B
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The follow-up to ‘Mama Used To Say’ hit no. 20 in the
summer of 1982.
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Junior Giscombe
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Morning Will Come
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MCA
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R&B/soul
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The ‘Mama Used To Say’ man dropped this cut that much
appeal to the soul connoisseurs. I seem to think Simon Law was
involved because it’s got his trademark beats used with his
Soul II Soul and other early 1990s productions.
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Kamakazie
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Life Ain’t A Game
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Rap
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Kandidate
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Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight
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RAK
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Pop-soul
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Whilst disco and jazz-funk raged, these north-west London
combo were moulded into a poppy, soulful act by Micky Most and
his bubble gum pop RAK label. They’d score a bigger hit with
another ballad, ‘I Don’t Wanna Lose You’.
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Kandidate
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I Don’t Wanna Lose You
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RAK
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Pop/soul
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Best known as the group from which spung the likes of Phil
Fearon, and producer Tambi, this was a pop-tinged slowie which
narrowly missed delivering the group with a top 10. It stalled
at no. 11 in 1979.
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Keni Stevens
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Night Moves
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Elite
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L.A. Mix
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We Shouldn’t Hold Hands In The Dark
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A&M
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R&B
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DJ/remixer Les Adams got more soulful with subsequent
releases. This 1991 record was his last and poorest chart
performer.
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Labi Siffre
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Something Inside (So Strong)
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China
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Pop/soul
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In the early 1970s, there were few black acts, particularly
British, on Top Of The Pops. Labi was one of the more regular
black faces on that show, so it’s surprising to discover that
his only top 10/5 hit is this nice1987
anti-apartheid/discrimination song.
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Level 42
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Living It Up
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Polydor
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Jazz-funk/R&B
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Light Of The World
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No. 1 Girl
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Light Of The Wotld
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London Town
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Ensign
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Jazz-funk
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Not b
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Linton Kwesi Johnson
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Sonny’s Letter
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LKJ
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Reggae/Rap
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Another set of pointed couplets dropped by the ‘dub
poet’. If my memory serves me right, this is based on a letter
written by some guy in prison?
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Linton Kwesi Johnson
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Waan Fe Go Rave
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Linx
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You’re Lying
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Chrysalis
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R&B
|
This first came out on a promo backed by City Sounds. Picked
up by Chrysalis, it made no. 15 in 1980. I remember grooving to
it in a club, then buying the album only to find out that the
album version didn’t have the same potency as the 12 version.
I felt slightly robbed! Singer David is now big on the
gospel/Church circles, whilst bassist Stretch plies his wares
with experimentalists Skidoo 23.
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Loose Ends
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Choose Me
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Virgin
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Loose Ends
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Gonna Make You Mine
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Virgin
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Loose Ends
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Hangin’ On A String
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Virgin
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R&B
|
The most highlighted record in this listing. Funky, funky,
funky. It’s been sampled quite a few times by American rap and
R&B artist. Not surprising – I recently met a Yank who
informed me that he had all the Loose Ends albums because they
were one UK R&B act that just were so credible on that side
of the pond. Considering much of their earlier work was done
with American producer Nick Martinelli, it’s not suprising it
had such a Stateside appeal.
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Louisa Mark
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Six Sixth Street
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Bushays
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Reggae/Lovers Rock
|
Connoisseurs may opt for this, but it doesn’t better the
ground-breaking mid-1970s debut lovers/rub-a-dub anthem
‘Caught You In A Lie’!
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LTJ Bukem
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Demon’s Theme
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Good Looking
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LTJ Bukem
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Horizons
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Good Looking
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|
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Lyden David Hall
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Sexy Cinderella
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Cooltempo
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R&B/soul
|
A minor hit late 1998, this sexy and groovy song deservedly
became a top 20 exactly a year later!
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Lynden David Hall
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Do I Qualify
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Cooltempo
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R&B/soul
|
Another sexy, R&B/soulster, it made the top 30.
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M Beat
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Rumble
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M Beat featuring General Levy
|
Incredible
|
Renk
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Jungle
|
In the summer of 1994, this was the sound of jungle. It
eventually crossed over, lodging in the top 10. However, some
feel this crossover success spelt the beginning of the end for
the UK genre, which later mutated into drum & bass!
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Macka B
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Wet Look Crazy
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|
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Mark Morrison
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Return Of The Mack
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WEA
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R&B
|
Mark had a huge ego, but then he created one of the most
exciting and big-selling genuine UK R&B hits ever with this.
Even the Yankies couldn’t have enough of it. It sold over 1
million copies Stateside and stalled at no.2 only because
Hanson’s ‘Mmmbop’ was getting more airplay (the Billboard
Hot 100 chart has a high element of airplay, unlike the UK
charts which is purely sales-based).
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Martine Girault
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Revival
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Opaz/Ffrr/RCA
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Soul
|
The early 1990s was indeed a time of revival of British soul
and R&B. Labels likes Soultown were happening, as were
delicious cuts such as Vivienne McKone’s ‘Fly’ and
Martine’s ‘Revival’. The later first came out on Opaz, it
got licensed to ffrr/London, who hit no. 53 with it in 1992 and
no. 37 in Jan. 1993. A remodelled version on RCA made no. 41 in
1997. Sadly not much was heard from Martine after parting from
producer Ray ‘Opaz’ Hayden.
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Massive Attack
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Unfinished Sympathy
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Wild Bunch
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R&B/Dance
|
Long before they got given the trip-hop tag, these West
Country folks showed off their commercial and creative potential
with this exquisitely orchestrated and Shara Nelson-sung track.
It launched the latter’s career. It was funny how radio DJs
would often announce the record as ‘Unfinished Symphony’.
This record was proof, if it ever was needed, that non-musicians
could create fine music using modern technology. Oh, and it had
a great video which ws like one continous shot!
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Matumbi
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After Tonight
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Trojan/Safari
|
Reggae/Lovers Rock
|
This 1976 single was a favourite on the mid-1970s
reggae/lovers scene. The Trojan version coupled the even more
popular ‘Man In Me’.
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Maxeen
|
Is It Meant To Feel This Way
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Maxi Priest
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Who’s Gonna Ease The Pain
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10/Virgin
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McKoy
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Family
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Righttrack
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R&B/soul
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I always used to describe lead vocalist Noel McKoy as our
bobby Womack. A very soulful societal and familial song.
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Mica Paris
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My One Temptation
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