The first thing I noticed that confused me about this double CD set is that the labeling is backwards – “the tracklist for “cd2” is on the left, while for “cd1” it is on the right – something like the steering wheel in cars over in the UK I guess. Also the press release’s tracklisting is completely different from the CD jacket. I hope that this is just because I have an advance “promo” copy and this has been rectified now that it is in stores.
That being said, musically, I first noticed a cut by the famous soul group The Dells who gave us the big hits “There Is” and “Stay In My Corner” during my youth. Here, Ashley Beedle starts of his set with a Dells version of the old Dionne Warwick hit “Walk On By” that I never knew existed – and I thought I had EVERY Dells record! Oh My!!
Ashley unearths a King Chocolate Memphis 2 Chicago version that caught my eye when I first perused the CD; the late Isaac Hayes’ name above the cut “I Can’t Turn Around”. I never knew Ike did this song, and only knew it by dint of JM Silk’s 1986 house version. What a heroic blast from the past, and it just goes to show how I often neglected to look at or process the songwriter information on records through the years, because, there it is as I look today, “Isaac Hayes” on my old RCA J.M. Silk twelve-inch!
Next my eyes noticed (over on the wrong side of the CD case centerfold) the familiar name Edwin Starr and the classic Gordy Records song title “War”. Holy Cow! Another blast from the past; remixed but not stepped all over by King Britt. That is the overall moniker of this package: yes they are remixed, but it isn’t that a bunch of bass tones were added that drone-out or ruin the originals, the music is treated with respect by these two.
So it is against the backdrop of those three songs that I can juxtapose the rest of this mock competition and a few highlights among the rest of the thirty-three jamz.
Ashley Beedle’s mix is more 1970’s disco/soul by far. I hear shades of The Originals “Down To Love Town” or Gene Chandler (the Duke of Earl) on his presentation of “I’ll Do Anything For You” by Lee McDonald. “Stop Space Return” is not a tutorial on keyboarding, but a song in a similar pocket to the late Gwen Guthrie’s (and Larry Levan’s remix of) "Can’t Love You Tonight”. Next up, “Surely Shorty” by Peven Everett is a personal highlight and one that will catch your ear and stick to it. His turn ends with a beautiful dance instrumental by The London Heavy Disco Revue, “...And Justice For All”, which alone is worth the price of admission.
Winning the Contest
King Britt wins my mock contest largely because of the exquisite ten song flurry from Jellybean’s sexy salsa number, “Latina”; including Nicolette w/John Tejada on the arousing “Desire”, and rocking right through the end of his disc with the excellent Susanna Baca and “La Noche”. I doubt that your body will not want to stop the quivering after that set which is set up by the Afro rhythms of Zaki Hbramhim on “Money”, Jamaica’s Bunny Mac on a Buga Dub of “Let Me Love You”, and the stone-cold pumper “Stay With Me (T’s Dub)”, by Glen Lewis.
This is four star territory and definitely worth buying; I just hope that you can follow along through the song title musical match-game maze.
Released March 2009 on Fabric
