og:image" content=""https://s12.postimg.org/akaze8k99/blog.png"" /> Gidman's Treasures And Nuggets: August 2009

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Oh My Gosh.......BOX SET of Oldchool Rap by Peanut Butter Wolf

This looks amazing......gotta get this.....The whole box-set contains.....

"BOX SET (Pre-order; ships October 13): Ten 7-inch singles - 18 hip hop classic songs re-edited by PBW and available on 45 for the first time, plus a bonus 45 by the Eastside Prep Boys recorded by PBW in 1984 (exclusive to stonesthrow.com)".

DIGITAL: Tracks from 45 Live (not mixed)

CD (coming in September): DJ mix CD of the songs by Peanut Butter Wolf

Peanut Butter Wolf's 45 Live, hip-hop 45s box set



"45 Live is a box set of 18 hip hop classic songs on 7-inch, re-edited by PBW and available on 7-inch for the first time. A mixed CD version of the box set drops in September 2009. We've got a pre-sale available today, which includes an extra 7-inch exclusive to stonesthrow.com. This box set ships October 13, 2009.

IN THE STORE - 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix by PB Wolf

This record is such a great honor for me to be involved with. I’m sure it will hardly sell any units cuz the music industry SUCKS and most people only wanna hear bullshit (just look at which music videos get the most views on youtube or the top 10 sellers on itunes), but regardless, it’s a big deal. I mean, as a kid growing up in San Jose, CA when all this stuff came out, I was hooked and half a lifetime later I still am. I can only imagine what this stuff sounds like to the teenagers today hearing it for the first time right now, just as they probably wonder what it was like for adults like me to have heard it for the first time back when it was released.

1. Rockin' It - Fearless Four
The foundation. I read an interview with Large Professor where he was putting this in his top 10 of all time. Such a good feeling. Fearless Four are one of the most under-rated. And when they came out with “Problems Of The World/F-4000” later, that was huge too. That was a staple on my mix tapes when it came out and I used to imitate the scratch. And the video for “Problems”? black and red all the way.

2. Love Rap - Spoonie G
Back when Sugarhill Records was redoing disco songs with full bands as the backing tracks (which I love as well), Spoonie was rocking a straight up drum track. That was pretty bold at the time. Was definitely before Run DMC did it with Sucker MCs. His lyrics and voice were on point.

3. Tricky Tee Rap - Tricky Tee
This one’s also sparse production. I’m always a believer of less is more with music. It kinda trips me out how much his voice sounds like Common does now (although I’m guessing Common probably has never even heard Tricky Tee. I assume this is the same Tricky Tee that did “Leave It To The Drum” later, but that rapper sounds totally different, so who knows. Does anybody know if the old school rapper TJ Swann and the singer for Biz were one and the same?

4. Dancin Heart - Universal Two
I don’t know how this one slipped through the cracks back then. The drums and bassline are perfect. It’s great how they were just straight up rappers, not trying to be a cute novelty like some of the other females who came on the scene later. And why do they call themselves the Universal Three in the song, but the credits call them the Universal Two.

5. At The Place To Be - Sweety G
This was a bitch to re-edit. I felt funny doing re-edits of any of the songs, but it had to be done to make them fit on a 7”. I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons why 7” singles were never done of any of these songs in the first place. I think I did re-edits of all the songs except for one or two.

6. Old School - Busy Bee
This came out way later when rap had already morphed into something else, but I like how if someone heard it now for the first time, they’d assume it was from the early 80’s by the way it sounded. Actually, when I saw Wildstyle for the first time as a kid back when it came out, I remember being surprised because I was expecting the music to be more electro drum machine/synth based stuff like what was in Beat Street and Breakin, but I loved how it was different. Besides these 3 movies, no way for someone in San Jose to SEE hip hop. We only heard it.

7. Sucka DJ - Dimples D
Another “where are they now and why only one song” type of rapper. That just doesn’t make sense to me. This came out right about the time where I started programming my own beats on the Dr Rhythm drum machine, but I couldn’t find any rappers (male or female) who sounded this raw.

8. It's Yours - T La Rock
T La Rock changed the game with this song. Any rapper will tell you this. He had all those big words and they made sense the way he used them. When LL came out with “I Need A Beat” back then, I loved the song, but thought he was being T La Rock part 2. I remember looking for the scratch Jazzy Jay was using (“Full Tilt Boogie”) and was so happy when I found it a couple years later in 1987. One of the first “breaks” I discovered.

9. Cold Getting Dumb - Just Ice
By this point, we used to call the raw/underground stuff we liked “hardcore”. This is how we described Just Ice, Schooly D, etc. People say he paved the way for groups like NWA and I’m right there with them. I used to wear this album out.

10. Make The Music-Biz Markie
The reverb, the voice, the piano. It’s no wonder I lost interest in new wave, electro, soul, funk, everything else by this point. Helps me realize why people take their hip hop so seriously and make statements like “I’ll die for hip hop”.

11. Marley Marl Scratch - MC Shan
This is probably my favorite song on the whole box set. Marley Marl is one of the greatest of all time. Same formula as “Make The Music”, but Shan sounded so different. I hung on every word and every snare drum sound. I think this and (PSK) made me try rapping (ouch). Then I remember when KRS first came out, I was such an MC Shan fan, yet KRS was so dope, it really messed me up. I felt like such a trader.

12. Hardcore Hip Hop - Mantronix
This was only album cut, which was really strange to me. Was one of their best songs besides “Fresh Is The Word”. Was tough for me to decide which of those two to put on this collection. I remember when the Beat Junkies had a routine with this about 10 years ago and I was proud of them for bringing that song back. I was surprised they knew it. B-boy shit. To this day, 50 Cent’s flow reminds me of MC Tee on certain songs, although it’s probably just another coincidence.

13. Strong Island - JVC Force
Still don’t know who started the lazy Long Island flow with tons of delay between JVC, EPMD, De La, and Rakim, but they all did it well. I made my own JVC Force shirt at the mall a couple years back and wore in while in Japan and a Japanese guy took a picture of me and next time I came to Japan, they had the same exact shirt I made selling in stores. A bootleg of a bootleg.

14. Jimbrowski - Jungle Brothers
Damn, they were ahead of their time when they came out. This whole album was a start to finish masterpiece. It’s cool that groups like them paved the way for Arrested Development to have a number one hit on the pop charts that was still Afrocentric and still musically sound.

15. Mighty Hard Rocker - Cash Money & Marv
I like the beats and the rhymes on this, but the cuts on this are what do it for me. I can’t believe Cash was doing this back then. I studied his shit and still can’t do it nowadays (and hardly anyone else can either). His shit was straight up swingin’.

16. It's My Turn – Stezo
dirty drums!!! That’s what we all were trying to find back then and these were the dirtiest. Everyone who made beats sampled from this record. I used to try to mask it by taking the drum loop and filtering all the lows out to just use the high hat loop and adding a snare and different kick, then “Take It Personal” came out which was Primo’s “Fuck You” to everyone who made beats. Two classics outta one drum beat.

17. Just Rhymin With Biz- Big Daddy Kane
I wanna rhyme with the Biz. This represented the innocence of just having fun in the studio and not planning things out so much. At least that’s how it sounded. I kinda tried to do the same thing without even realizing it years later with Charizma when we had extra studio time left over and no song planned out with a song we called “My World Premiere”. That ended up being the first record on my label Stones Throw. Can’t say enough about Kane though. I think I learned more about him as a person by what Biz rapped in “Vapors” than I did in any song he rapped about himself in (although he penned Vapors for Biz).

18. The Bridge Is Over - BDP
This sounded like he was just having fun too. One of the sloppiest, purist, catchiest hip hop tracks ever. This is where the guilt started setting in for me.

19. MTS-Eastside Prep Boys (bonus track)
I made this when I was around 14. Just a drum machine I got at Toys R Us and and an MC bragging about his DJ M.T.S. the whole time. His DJ was really off beat, but all good. I met the MC and DJ that day and never saw them again since. At the end of the song, I came in and did my own cuts and they were really surprised I knew how to scratch. It was done live to tape. We didn’t have any multi-tracks back then.

20. One MC-Eastside Prep Boys (bonus track)
This was also done back when I was 14. I still talk to the MC to this day. He was the first rapper I worked with. Now he does ultimate fighting and security, but he still DJs too. I have another song by him we did back then where I had him rapping over “Sex” by Berlin. Now they call it mashup, but we were doing it back then uncredited". (From Stones Throw Site)

Monday 10 August 2009

Recommends for August 2009

Timo Lassy featuring Jose James - The More I Look At You 7" (Ricky-Tick Records RT 032)

"Sax man Timo Lassy returns with a banger of a two-tracker for the summer. The new Ricky- Tick seven inch features the tracks 'The More I Look at You' (w/ José James) plus 'Ya Dig'. Timo Lassy, the author of one of the most celebrated Ricky-Tick LPs thus far with 2007's "The Soul & Jazz of Timo Lassy", is getting all set for the release of his sophomore album in the fall. The perfect treat while waiting for the LP is checking out the new Timo Lassy seven inch on Ricky-Tick Records.

Side A features 'The More I Look at You', also the opening track of the upcoming Lp. Put the needle on the groove, let the band set it o!, and wait for Mr. James to join in very shortly. Together Lassy and José take you on a journey which makes the "world unfold all around you" the more you listen to it. Big tune, it seems. Flip over for the instrumental delight that is 'Ya Dig'. The track is one catchy snapper for the floor. A vocal version with José James will be featured on the Lp, so this is a very special treat for the 45- speed only.

On board with Lassy and his band is a very special guest from New York, The jazz voice of the 21st century, José James. The pairing of Lassy's deep sax sound and James's velvet of a voice is pretty much as perfect a match as you are likely to get. And as the evidence stands, that's plenty and then some.All signs point to the Lassy album #2 matching the remarkably high standards set by the debut. Give this duo of tracks a spin while enjoying the fine summer weather and see if you agree. We think you might..."
(Boombox Distribution Quote)

Tracklisitng

Side 1 - "The More I Look At You" (Jose James vocals)
Side 2 - "Ya Dig"


SHOOK MAGAZINE - Shook Magazine Issue 6 Vol One Summer (feat Quantic, Raekwon, 9th Wonder, Rashad Smith, Eglo, Karizma, Freddie Hubbard, Bob James etc)

"Get your hand on Issue 6 of Shook Magazine this summer. The Quantic 'Y Su Combo Barbaro' album is dropping soon; and photographer, filmmaker & all-round good guy B+ generously offered a picture he took in Colombia to put on the cover. Check the rest of the photos & the full story inside the mag. In the new issue Shook speak to Raekwon from the Wu about an album more hotly awaited than the second coming - 'Only Born 4 Cuban Linx II'. There's some ghetto-turismo in Morò de Providencia, the oldest favela in Rio, thanks to French artist JR. The UK's premier 'house dance' crew InDaHouse are captured in full effect. There's an interview with amazing producer 9th Wonder and his True School crew. There's also chat with Rashad Smith (if you don’t know who that is, check the back of your 'Woo Hah' 12-inch or CD-single). The eglo crew represent (Floating Points, Alex Nut & the whole 9 yards).There's the story behind the 1974 concert in Kinshasa when James Brown, Bill Withers and Celia Cruz lined up alongside Miriam Makeba and Franco; it's the subject of the new Soul Power film. Also check the story of Rahaan & the Chuck Brothers, the crate diggers outta Chi-city and while you're at it you need to download their mixes. Speaking of mixes, there's talk with the one like Karizma who has a new album out via R2. There's also have an in-depth story about the life and times of Freddie Hubbard, as remembered by Creed Taylor (of CTI and Impulse! fame). This issue publishes a short story by Charlie Dark ('The God of Road'), French novelist Boris Vian is remembered and Bob James is talked to too. There's also a revamped back section where you'll find anything from Congolese sapeurs to boutique stores in the heart of Hoaxtown..."

BUY HERE.


Nate Calhoun / Universal Love - Fun Town/It's You Girl 12" (Jazzman Records SLSP 005)

"Two of the rarest and best ‘70s dancers from the Florida sunshine, both taken the legendary Henry Stone’s Glades label.

DJ FRYER says: “I had not heard the Clarence Reid-penned Nate Calhoun track until a couple of years ago whilst DJing at Oslo Soul in Norway, the original title is actually “Funktown” which was must have been dictated wrong over the phone as the lyrics don’t fit. The original 45 is getting spins by Ian Wright in the UK and at respected European soul nights like Function in Sweden, the Baltic Soul Weekender and obviously Soul Spectrum here in Scotland.

The 45 never made it onto one of Henry’s TK disco 12”s and I felt it sounded way more like a 12” rather than a 45. So we asked Henry if we could do it and a few days later we were getting the thing remastered. The flip is a mid tempo modern spin also from the TK stable and a warm up record of mine on and off for a few years and popular on the northern scene although I have never heard it played out myself. Sounds great next to tracks like Wayne Ford on P&P or Sylvester's "Here is my Love"....."
(BoomBox Website Quote)

Tracklisting

Side 1 - "Fun Town"
Side 2 - "It's You Girl"


Naomi Shelton - Wind Your Clock b/w Talkin' About A Good Thing 7" (Daptone Records DAP1044)

"Shortly before the demise of Daptone's predecessor, Desco Records, at the close of the twentieth century, a 10" test pressing was cut from a session with Gospel-Soul belter Naomi Shelton (then appearing under her married name, Naomi Davis). It featured Cliff Driver on organ backed by the rhythm section of Daptone's house band, The Soul Providers, and was considered by many in the family to contain the two heaviest sides they'd ever cut. Though a handful of these tests survive, traded or auctioned off by Desco insiders and tucked into the boxes of a few lucky collectors, the label's doors had shut before the pressing orders could be sent to the plant and the record never dropped.

Now, ten years later, on the heels of Naomi's first full length LP, 'what Have You Done, My Brother?', Wind Your Clock, the coveted lost ark of every Desco fanatic, has been pressed to 7" and is slated to be issued to the public for the first time. Both sides are packed HEAVY with soul and promise to fill every nook and cranny of the whole they left in our hearts and record boxes when they disappeared and were left for lost a decade ago
". (Daptone Records Quote)

Tracklisting

Side A - Wind Your Clock
Side B - Talkin' About A Good Thing

4Hero to Release New Album in October....

Just came accross this......



"Following the rumours on their very own message board, new details about the upcoming 4hero album are now official.

Rather than delivering another remix compilation for the dancefloor, Marc and Dego decided to take a different approach this time. Extensions will contain 12 reinterpretations by hand picked jazz artists, including Robert Mitchell 3io (remember this video?), the Sonar Kollektiv Orchester, Christian Prommer’s DrumLesson and many more". (thanks to nutriot.com)

01. Sonar Kollektiv Orchester – Universal Love
02. Nu Tropic – Why don’t you talk?
03. Landau Orchestra – Conceptions
04. Christian Prommer’s DrumLesson – Planeteria
05. Robert Mitchell 3io – Third Stream
06. Ayanna Witter Johnson – Give In
07. Luke Parkhouse with The Sharkfood Orchestra – Blank Cells
08. Christian Badzura & Liverpool Session Orchestra – Sophia
09. Andre Zimma vs Ye:Solar feat. Oezlem – Cosmic Tree
10. Vince Vella’s Cuban Collective – People Always Criticize Us
11. The Sub Ensemble – Humans
12. [re:jazz] – Star Chasers

For more info click HERE.

Friday 7 August 2009

Ashley Beadle Interview (Parts 1 & 2)

Came accross this interview with Producer/DJ Ashley Beadle on the headsdown.org site....Enjoy

(Part 1)

"If you were to ask me to roll out my top twenty records made in the last fifteen years you could be pretty much assured that ‘Blacker’ by The Ballistic Brothers and Black Science Orchestra’s ‘New Jersey Deep’ would find their way on to that list. Those records soundtracked so many late nights and early mornings out in New Zealand (as did BSO’s ‘Walter’s Room’ LP) in the 90’s. If those records could speak they’d be issued with a gagging order.

Even when we ignore the big tunes we find amazing (and largely unsung) wonders like The Jamayka Boyz ‘Rastaman’, The Black Jazz Chronicles LP and Delta House Of Funk’s ‘Tuesday’s Child’. Amazing records one and all.

Ashley Beedle is the unifying force behind all these records and he’s kindly agreed to sit down with me for a multi-part Heads Down interrogation. I’m also very pleased to announce that AB will be releasing a record on Untracked later in the summer… Expect some serious deepness
"...

Ashley Beedle Interview Part One from Christopher Tubbs on Vimeo.


(Part 2)

"So here it is: part two of one of the best Heads Down excursions yet. I actually had a bit of a moment when I watched this interview back; the passion and commitment Mr Beedle exudes is for me what it's ALL about.

This week we pick up the interview talking about the genesis of his Black Science Orchestra project... Ashley picks out a couple of records that inspire him and we ponder sampling, Hip Hop and Coltrane. Not neccessarily in that order...."


Ashley Beedle Interview (Part Two) from Christopher Tubbs on Vimeo.