Bimbo Jones aren't really known for their own releases. They are known for plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of edgy and hard-hitting club remixes that help tracks reach the top of the Billboard Charts, along with other charts around the world. But their first solo release, Harlem 1 Stop, lacked the oomph for Bimbo Jones to do for themselves what they do for others. With "And I Try" the threesome managed to make a house anthem. Combining house, disco, and electro through JB and Lee Dagger's own unique styles and joining forces with the powerful vocals of Katherine Ellis, "And I Try" is everything this dance powerhouse needed. Strong attitude and bitter heartbreak emanate from Ellis' pipes over heavy beats and a disco sample not unlike "Love On My Mind" by the Freemasons.
Group member Lee Dagger provides his own remix for this single which definitely delves deeply into electro territory, using small snippets of the disco sound we all love from the original but still providing a solid and effective remix. Max Jackson's Dirty Funk Mix is true to it's name, a dirty, dirty mix. Deep funky electro sounds support Ellis' vocals through a partially dubby mix. Definitely enjoyable. If you need your tribal/circuit sound, the Paulo and Dutkevitch Creative Mix is your mix then, with a stripped-down sound that focuses solely on the drums. DJ Paulo's LA2NY Dub is the same mix, minus the majority of the vocals.
As inventive as "And I Try" is, nothing could prepare it for Don Diablo's masterful manipulation. Electro swagger, rock sensibility, and the right amount of WTF? make Don Diablo's Distorted Disco mixes some of the most entertaining dance productions I've heard. The dub is the same mix just minus the majority of the vocals, as with Paulo's.
Summary - Bimbo Jones delivers, as do the mixers. With a decent amount of styles here (no classy house though, hmm) there's a little bit for everyone. The original and Don Diablo's are my favorites.
Release October 2008 on Tommy Boy Records.
