When several versions of Sacre` Francaise were released in 1998 (on vinyl by the way), they were a pleasure to play because he covered all spectrums from drum n’ bass to a Bob Sinclar garage remix. Since that phenomenal mixed cd back then, and while cavorting with Mr. Hefner and the bunnies, Dimitri From Paris has maintained the ability to touch all bases.
Sacre bleu! He seems to have recovered dusty mixed cassettes circa the late 1970/early 1980s, or raided the archives of New York City’s WBLS FM from the same period to compile these two discs that comprise Return to the Playboy Mansion as selected when he gigged there and apparently was more enamored with “the furniture, the light switches” than with the Playmates (yeah, suuure...).
The uptempo first disc includes almost a dozen monster club hits including strong-voiced Jocelyn Brown belting out her version of Side Effects’ classic “Always There”, Kenny Thomas’ early Urban radio hit “Keep The Fires Burning”, the familiar “Show You My Love Girl” by Goldie Alexander, Lorraine "Feed The Flame" Johnson giving enough respect to Teddy Pendergrass’ “The More I Get, The More I Want” and a great lead mix into the second edition of Musique which featured Mary Seymour, and “Love Massage”. The mix ends up continental-style with the suave voice of Mario Biondi on “This Is What You Are” (one of those French Riviera grooves) before Dimitri tips his hand going into his slow jam bag slightly prematurely while previewing the second disc with Pendergrass’ “Come Go With Me”.
Seeming to really dig the “Teddy Bear”, Dimitri languishes Philly-style on “Close The Door” as he begins a more quiet storm/slow jam disc deux that he calls “Sexy Time”. In this mix are the obligatory Barry White, Marvin Gaye, Melba Moore and William DeVyawn’s “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” type staples seasoned with a nice France Joli cut that you almost never hear in ‘Your Good Lovin’”, and a cool number called “Un Po D’uva E Un Liquore” (A Pour Of grape and a Liqueur) from Pino D’Angio which segues seamlessly into Amii Stewart’s rarely heard yet very pleasant “Friends”. Equally smooth are the transitions and selections from the fabulous Jean Carne, Blue Feather, and a real welcome “You Are My Melody” from one of the many reincarnations of the group Change.
Dimitri likens his mix to “an old fashioned heart warming soup [that] goes down well, [he] likes it and wants other people to taste it.” He stirs his pot-liquor successfully, encompassing the past two-and-a-half decades while maintaining a degree of musical unpredictability and within the limits of obtaining four frolicking, finger-lickin’ stars.
Release April 2008 on Defected Records
