Tune of the Day....Steve Silk Hurley-Music is the key

A classic from Steve Silk Hurley......

Tune of the Day....Subculture-TV Heaven

A belter of a track that ......

Vince Lawrence-House Music Pioneer

Vince Lawrence is a dance music producer, businessman and is one of the leading innovators of the genre of music called House Music.
Industry insiders recognize Lawrence as co-author of "On and On", the first recording officially designated House Music. He worked with Jesse Saunders in the initial creation of Jes Say Records, designing its logo by hand. He served as head of marketing and was the lyric writer for "Funk U Up" (the first House track to ever make it onto the Billboard charts), "Undercover" by Dr. Derelict, "Real Love", and many other songs released in the label's heyday. He also co-authored "Love Can't Turn Around" with Daryl Pandy, which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986 and started the House music revolution in the UK.He organized Trax Records, a Chicago house label. He is the founder of Slang MusicGroup, which has received numerous gold and platinum awards for their contributions.

Early years

At the time, Vince’s dad, worked with Eddie Thomas of Curtom Records. Eddie managed several soul and funk acts, one of which was Captain Sky, who was a Funk artist that played on Soul Train and other shows. One year, Vince got to go on tour with the musicians. He did their pyrotechnician work and watched the guy that played the synthesizers and keyboards. He thought the guy was cool and decided to learn a little bit about his synthesizers. When he got back home, he saved up enough money to buy a small synthesizer, a Moog Prodigy. Looking up to his mentors, Vince started his own band called Z Factor with Fred Riley – keyboards, Bernadette Rabaya – singer, Larry Praither – guitar, Cordell – drums. Vince sang and played keyboards. ^[10]
Their first record was called “(I Like To Do It In) Fast Cars” and came out in 1982 when he was eighteen. Vince’s dad put the record on his label, Mitchbal Records. The record was played on WGCI in regular rotation and a few records were sold. At the same time, Vince was also going to a teen club called The Playground, which was the brainchild of a young entrepreneurial man, Craig Thomson. He then met Jesse Saunders and Farley Keith, who were the DJs. They would play old disco records, which they would mix with B-52’s music. Vince got a job there, through Jesse, doing lights. He brought Jesse and Farley his record and they would play it. Vince told them that the stuff they were playing could be put on record and would make them even more popular DJs. By making a record, crowds at the clubs would know who the announced DJ was and would make the crowd attendance bigger. Vince told Jesse that he had a synthesizer and was in a band. They decided to work together to make the first house record.
They wrote the beginnings of the “On And On” record along with ten or eleven more songs. Then they made “On And On Traxs” and went to Precision Records, a pressing plant, to pay for 500 records. These records would be played in the clubs. In three weeks it became the hottest song in the city. Vince told Jesse that they should sell the records at the concession stand at The Playground. They met the guy that ran the concession stand, Duane Buford, and when it turned out that Duane played piano, they decided to make some music together. 
It was a pain selling the records at the concession stand so they decided to go to a record store called Imports Etc., where they sold a thousand records for four dollars each. They threw a party at Duane’s house and wrote “Night Flight”, “Dum Dum”, “I’m The DJ,” and all the other songs that would eventually become popular. Some of them came out of Vince’s dad’s label, Mitchbal, and the others came out on a label Vince named for Jesse called Jes Say Records. The logo was written in Vince’s own handwriting. 
Vince went back to the Precision Records to get more records from the owner, Larry Sherman, every couple of weeks. The teenage repeat customer made the owner curious, so Larry asked him what he was doing with the records. After Vince told him that he was selling them for four dollars, Larry and Vince made a deal that Larry would press the records for no charge and share the profits. Vince wanted to have a label that would fit what they were doing and came up with the name Trax Records. 
Vince wanted to show people in Detroit the music that he was doing, because he thought the records would sell in other cities as well. He went to the clubs in Detroit and gave the DJs copies of the records. After creating relationships with the underground record shops, he set his sights on New York. He met Bruce Forrest in New York, gave him some records and ended up staying there for three months finding stores and selling records. He called up Duane and Jesse and told them to come to New York. After seeing how much Vince was making selling these records in New York, Larry financed his trips to other states to find all the DJ stores and clubs.
Other DJs started teaming up, following what Vince had started. Frankie Knuckles teamed up with Jamie Principle to make their first record and Steve Hurley teamed up with Rocky Jones to start DJ International. This was happening when Vince met Marshall Jefferson in the clubs with his friends, Sleazy-D and Adonis (artist). Marshall wanted to get a record out under his nickname, Virgo, so Vince told them to do it under his own label. Vince and Marshall made the EP, “Virgo Trax”, which still gets played today.

Slang MusicGroup

After exposing some of the dance world’s best artists such as Marshall Jefferson, Adonis (artist), Byron Styngly, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Ron Hardy, Screamin’ Rachel, and Jesse Saunders at Trax Records, Vince founded Slang MusicGroup. Staying in Chicago, Vince evolved from an artist and producer to the entrepreneur and marketer that he is today. He has made Slang MusicGroup a “pop culture divining rod,” creating original and remix music for bands, gaming, and TV along with innovative advertising campaigns. Multiple producers and artists work for Slang MusicGroup and Vince has received many RIAA Gold and Platinum awards for his work.

Chicago Fire: A Dance Music Anthology

For the musician and non musician alike, Vince wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone to make good sounding music. He spear headed the development of the Chicago Fire: A Dance Music Anthology in conjunction with Sony Acid. This anthology covers many types of electronic music: electro, deep house, old school, progressive, and drum & bass. Vince was able to create a way for anybody to use loops to create new and improved house music. Vince when interviewed, expressed his hope that the tool set would help foster a new generation of house music makers and fans. He also expressed how he thought this would bring the house music genre out of the underground into the mainstream.

Tune of the day....Jesse Saunders-On and On

The track that is credited with being the first ever House track to be pressed on Vinyl back in 84,,,,,

GBTOR April 2nd, 2011 Part 1 Mixed by Danny Walsh

Here is part 1 of Danny's set from an incredible night with Justin Robertson gracing our night! Justin played an absolute blinder so hopefully this can stir some of the great memories from the night!!!

gbtor-apr-02-2011 Part1 Mixed by Danny Walsh

Enjoy!!

Also, a wee reminder we'll all be playing a residents day in the Nether Inn this Friday as part of the Dundee Dance Event 2011!
Come down, have a beer, a blether and experience some of the GBTOR magic!!!

Tune of the day....Wood Allen-Airport 89

Always reminds me of Ned Jordan at Fat Sams....

Tune of the Day....Bassheads-Is There Anybody Out There

Rhumba Club......Fat Sams......20th of Sept 1991...Andrew Weatherall's first tune....
Never seen anything like it since..........

Tune of the day ....Rozlyne Clarke-Dancin is like making love-Dub 2

Tune.........this belter has ripped the roof off of many a nightclub......

Finitribe-Forevergreen-Forevermost Excellent mix

Here's a blast of the 1st track Justin played at his recent Wall Shaking , Roof Rippin appearance at The Reading Rooms on the 2nd of April.....

Murk

The toast of the American house underground during the 1990s, Cuban-American producers Oscar Gaetan and Ralph Falcon stand behind several of the decade's best house tracks, dark numbers whose soulful vocal lines and high charting position bely an acid-tinged ruggedness at odds with the candy-floss arrangements of many dance hits. Most were recorded for their Murk Recordings label -- later licensed through MCA/Tribal America -- under a variety of aliases and projects including Liberty City, Funky Green Dogs, Deep South and Coral Way Chief. Gaetan and Falcon grew up together in Miami, and though Falcon spent four of his teenage years at a Georgia military school, both discovered and began enjoying house music independently. The duo gradually entered the Miami dance scene, influenced by early domestic producers Farley Jackmaster Funk and Todd Terry as well as later British comers including A Guy Called Gerald.

After producing a single called "Tricky Jazz" for the local DSR Records, Gaetan and Falcon followed with Mission Control's "Outta Limits, which appeared on an Atlantic compilation in 1992. By that time the pair had already set up Murk Recordings and released singles as Intruder and Interceptor. Their next production was Liberty City's "Some Lovin'," a sublime piece of hypnotic mellowed-out trance recorded with singer Bebe Dozier, a family friend. The single broke them to an international audience, and the Murk boys were soon being called on to DJ around the world.

In 1993, MCA's division of Tribal America responded to the fame, licensing the Murk catalogue in total and issuing Murk: The Singles Collection. That same year, another Liberty City single, "If You Really Love Someone," became another club hit. The duo remixed Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, the Beloved and RuPaul. During 1994, both Gaetan and Falcon concentrated on label ventures of their own (Gee Man Soul and Miami Soul Records, respectively) but then came together to record a Liberty City LP. When the album came out in 1996, however, it was under yet another alias from their early Murk days, Funky Green Dogs. Get Fired Up became a crossover hit, thanks to the number one dance single "Fired Up!" and another club hit, "The Way." In 1999, the pair released a volume in the mix series United DJ's of America.

Murk boys Oscar Gaetan and Ralph Falcon were hyped more on respect than sales figures before they broke out of the American dance mainstream with two of the biggest hits of 1996-97, "Fired Up!" and "The Way" by Funky Green Dogs. Gaetan and Falcon had been producing for their own Murk Recordings since the early '90s, and had earned club-play with hits by Liberty City ("Some Lovin'," "If You Love Someone") and remixes of Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, the Beloved and RuPaul, among others. After recording a Liberty City LP beginning in 1995, the pair turned around and released it as Funky Green Dogs, an alias which had graced only one of their previous recordings. The trailer single "Fired Up!" became a big hit on dancefloors (and charts) with remixes by Danny Tenaglia. After the album Get Fired Up appeared in late 1996, second single "The Way" hit number one on the dance charts. The duo added new vocalist Tamara, a native of the Bahamas, for their second album Star.

Strictly Rhythm

Think soul, think Motown. Think blues, think Chess Records. Think jazz, think Blue Note.

Think house, think Strictly Rhythm.

House labels come and go, yet while Strictly Rhythm isn't the be-all and end-all of house music imprints it's fair to say that no other single label has had such an influence on the development of house music as Strictly. We're talking about the stable that launched the careers of, among others, Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, Kenny Dope, Josh Wink...damn it, pretty much most of the names we today consider to be at the top of the house music tree. So we can only count our lucky stars that Strictly didn't turn out to be a
taxi company.

Yes, that's right. When Spring records closed in 1989, Financial Controller Mark Finkelstein had $25,000 dollars to his name and an ex-wife and two children to support. The smart move, he figured, was to work for a private hire service, having just enough money to put down a deposit on a car and radio.

Enter Finkelstein's colleague Gladys Pizzaro, one serious clubber from the mean streets of Spanish Harlem. Leaving behind a lucrative career in the construction industry, Gladys had joined Spring as a receptionist and worked her way up to radio promotions, backed up by an intimate knowledge of the New York club scene based on, well, living the New York club scene. Enthralled by the new 'house' and 'garage' sounds emanating out of Chicago
and New York/New Jersey - sounds which reminded Finkelstein of the '70s disco he'd so
loved - Gladys convinced Mark that to set up their own label to focus on this new music was the way ahead. And thus was Strictly Rhythm born on May 1st 1989, with Finkelstein in charge of business matters and Pizarro at the A&R helm. Along with that legendary logo...

"I have a street background," explains Pizzaro, "and graffiti at that time was very popular, and because we were doing house music, house identified with street, so that's what I identified the label with. Street music, house music, graffiti... urban culture."

The Finkelstein/Pizarro double act composed, and that iconic grafitti logo drawn by Finkelstein in the bag, Tylon's 'Feel The Rhythm Of House' (SR1200) marked the label's debut, but the first few releases were low-key (though the label's third release, 'Special' by Sir James, overlooked at the time, has gone on to be one of the most sampled records in house). The first single to really make an impact was Logic's 'The Warning' (SR1207),
which was a club smash in 1990 ("Tony Humphries played it four times at a party," recalls Pizarro, "that helped a lot"). That was followed later the same year by Underground Solution's 'Luv Dancin' (SR1220). The debut release by one Roger Sanchez, this deep
house groover put Strictly firmly on the map.

"From there on it just started to snowball," recalls Gladys, "because the word on the street got out and producers like Todd Terry started coming to see me, and Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, DJ PIerre... it just goes on and on. It was easy really because there was just so much talent in New York."

Over the next couple of years, the label continued to turn out the club anthems - Simone's 'My Family Depends On Me' and CLS's 'Can You Feel It in 1991, Aly-Us's 'Follow Me' and Djaimin's 'Give You' in 1992 - while several other notable producers had their first ever
releases on Strictly during the same period: Kenny 'Dope' with The Untouchables's 'Take A Chance' (SR1227), DJ Pierre with Photon Inc's 'Generate Power' (SR1251), Masters At Work with Hardrive's 'Sindae' (SR1272).

The label had by now firmly established a reputation as New York's leading house label, based on a combination, as Finkelstein puts it, of "integrity in business - everyone got paid - and Gladys' ears. Gladys had the best ears in dance music, period." By now, tracks were coming through the door so thick and fast that the label stepped up the release schedule to
a single a week.

"All my competitors were saying he's lost his mind, he's going to fuck this up entirely," recalls Finkelstein. "And it turned out just the opposite. Every Friday, there'd be lines outside record stores in Manhattan, and we'd be selling them out of the box, unheard. We were fortunate in
that we had the only fanbase that would buy music to make money - the DJs. In those days there were no downloads, no CDs, you had to have the vinyl."

But things would move to the next level in 1994, with the arrival of Erick Morillo in his Reel 2 Real guise. 'I Like To Move It' (SR12192) was a chart-busting hit around the world and marked Strictly Rhythm out as a major player on the international stage. Reel 2 Real would go on to rack up five Top 30 UK hits, not to mention a gold-selling album.

1994 wasn't just about chart hits, though. The same year saw the label release classics like Barbara Tucker's 'Beautiful People' (SRB015), River Ocean feat India's 'Love And Happiness' (SREP4) and Morel's Grooves' 'Let's Groove' (SR12200). Clearly, Strictly Rhythm were on a roll.

Through '95 and '96, the classics just kept on coming. Josh Wink's 'Higher State Of Consciousness' (SR12321), Hardrive's 'Deep Inside' (SREP2), Black Magic's 'Freedom' (SR12403), Reel 2 Real's 'Jazz It Up' (SR12475), Da Mongoloids' 'Spark Da Meth'
(SR12476)... the list goes on, and on.

It was also during this period that Strictly Rhythm had their greatest commercial success in their native USA, with Planet Soul's 'Set U Free' (SR12362), a fusion of house with Miami bass. "I don't think that sold 15 copies in the UK!" laughs Finkelstein, "but it sold half a
million in the US. Whereas Barbara Tucker or Ultra Nate didn't sell anything in the US."

Ah yes, Ultra Nate. Her 1997 worldwide smashes 'Free' (SR12512), 'Found A Cure' (SR12534) and 'New Kind Of Medicine' (SR12555) saw the label at the height of its success, but also marked something of a watershed for the label, according to Pizzaro. "After 1998, after our big hit with 'Free', there was a change going on in New York."

The label itself was changing direction. "We were no longer a house label, a street label," says Gladys, "we were a dance label." A joint venture had been entered into with Warner Bros, and the label - while simultaneously having its first UK No 1 with Wamdue
Project's 'King Of My Castle' - began to license European pop-dance acts for the US market, the likes of Fragma and the Vengaboys (signed to Strictly's domestic offshoot Groovilicious Records) bringing them considerable commercial success.

"No doubt about it, at that particular time that was the best move for us to make," says Pizzaro, "And we were pretty proud of it, that a major was interested in an independent. That was definitely Mark's dream, to go on a major."

The deal didn't pan out as planned but some five years on, Strictly rises phoenix-like from the ashes, thanks to a tie-in with Simon Dunmore of the UK's mighty Defected stable. "I fought the lawsuit, got the company back, got all the rights back," says Finkelstein of the new partnership. "And it was like, now what? The dance scene in the US isn't great right now, so headquartering Strictly in the US didn't make sense. Plus, I needed a creative director, because I knew I didn't understand cutting edge music. And Simon and I have worked together and been friends for 15 years, three of the first Defected releases were signed from Strictly Rhythm so it just made sense."

As househeads worldwide will attest, if Strictly Rhythm Mk2 is even half as good as Strictly Rhythm Mk1, we're in for one hell of a ride...

Tune of the Day....Da Noyz Boyz-Touch Me

A classic from New York label Nu Groove

Pics from our last party.....

Here's a selection of pics from our last Roots party with Justin Robertson...Big thanks to Ryan Dunn for the classy B & W pics

29th 0f April Trash The Wedding-GBTOR Residents Party at The Nether Inn

Hot on the heels of Robbo giving us something to tell the grandchildren about, GBTOR are back with a wee holiday special on Friday 29th April when we will be hosting a marathon 9 and a half hour free party in association with the Dundee Dance Event.

We're particularly delighted that the venue for this one is none other than the Nether Inn - a pub that the scene seemed to revolve around back when it was known as the Parliamentary Bar. If the walls of that pub could speak....

This one promises to be an absolutely cracking day/night of music as Alan, Craig, Dean & Danny dig out and unleash whatever takes their fancy......we're really looking forward to bringing you our DJ collectives various sounds - from Korova - Diggin Deeper and everything in between...

It all kicks off around 2.30 with the sublime sounds of BPS wearing his Korova hat....after that who knows?...lets see where the music takes us....

See you at the bar....

GOOD TIMES!!!!!

It's been a while coming but Norman Jay's Good Times movie is now on youtube!
Here's the link to part 1 (all other parts are available from here)

http://youtu.be/B1egelzi9bw

Enjoy!!!!

Thank You!!!!

A big, big thank you to all that came down to the Reading Rooms on Saturday to make a truly special night!!
Justin played an incredible set which included many of the classics we have been listening to on mixtapes he did 20 years ago! Again, another true gentleman!!!
We look forward to hearing him again in the future!!!
Also, a big thanks to everyone involved in putting the night together! Without you, Roots would not be the night it is!!!
Next up, April the 29th!!!!
Dundee Dance Event 2011! GBTOR presents Korova Diggin Deeper for its ROOTS at the Nether Inn (aka The Parlimentary!!)
We will be starting at 2.30pm with BPS wearing his Korova hat to start the day!!!
It's a 12am finish with Alan, Dean and Danny all playing a bit of everything at various times through the day/night!!! This is going to be something special!!! Also its FREE!!!!!
Look forward to seeing all the old faces and lots of NEW ones!!!
Thanks Again,
Dan

Justin Robertson Links.......

Not long till Saturday now....pure chompin at the bit mysel like.....and Justin Robertson hits Dundee spinning the finest, bespoke, classics at his disposal....this is one not to be missed .....

Here's a selection of links all Robbo related......


myspace
Resident Advisor page
Discogs page
Twitter
Mix-Cloud
The Deadstock 33's
Soundcloud

Tony Humphries

In July 1981, producer Shep Pettibone asked Tony for a mastermix show tape to fill in for a no show on his KISS-FM NY radio show. A vacancy left by Pettibone at the station opened the door for his own permanent mix show. Simultaneously, schooled under the “I’ll-leave-you-in-the-booth-and-see-what-happens” antics of resident DJ Larry Patterson of NJ’s Club Zanzibar fame, resulted in him gaining “THE” residency in 1982.

Developing his creative experiences behind the recording studio’s control board only enhanced his style and magic. Artists like Mtume (Tony’s first gold record “Juicy Fruit”), Chaka Khan, Karen White, Regina Belle, Donna Summer, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, and The Cover Girls were all governed by the “Humphries handicraft”.

By the mid to late 80’s, Tony became the sole helmsman weaving the tunes three nights a week, thus making dance music superstars out of local talent embedded in the heartland of Newark and her surrounding areas. Summoned across the Atlantic by the British in 1987. The “Jersey Sound” was coined by their press. In addition to traveling, remix projects mounting, pumping out a weekly radio mix show, and holding down the fort at the club, Tony was in his prime making the world of dance music exciting, hip, and refreshing.

By November 1990, his 8 year tenure ended with a tearful refrain, but this didn’t discourage Tony as he became in demand worldwide and relocated to London, England. In January of 1993, Tony took up the offer to be the resident jock at the Ministry of Sound club. That year was rounded off with a residency at “Echoes” in Rimini, Italy. This Italian residency continued for 4 years while simultaneously relocating back in NJ to launch his Yellorange Production Co.

It can be said that Tony Humphries has left an inerasable impression on the global dance music industry. To date over 300 venues he has gigged worldwide, done over 200 studio remixes, the latest being Janet Jackson’s hit “Together Again”. Throughout tremendous recognition, tons of awards and accolades from his peers, he has remained humble.
Indeed, the man... the music... the legend, Tony Humphries.

Robbo Track of the Day.....Finitribe-Ace Love Deuce....

Gonna be droppin a Robbo tune until Saturday on the blog just to get you in the mood for the man himself on Saturday night at The Reading Rooms....tickets are gettin scarce for this one and get in touch via Craig or Dean or thru gbtor@live.co.uk

Right here's Robbo's 1991 remix of Edinburgh's Finitribe with Ace Love Deux......lets rock....in a Mike Smash stylee......

BPS Oct 2010 mix

Here's a mix from GBTOR resident BPS ....from our free party @ Drouthy Neebors Bassment in Oct 2010.....enjoy.....x

Bps Gbtor Oct 2010 Mix by Going Back To Our Roots on Mixcloud