First Love - It's a Mystery to Me

Great boogie / soul track from 1982, a vintage year for many.

Ganymed - Future World

Enjoying the Disco Bloodbath mix on Beats in Space which you can grab here, particularly the way this one slides in ... Ganymed with the title track from the album 'Future World'.



Another of Ganymed's more dancefloor friendly outings is posted here.

Mark Capanni - I Believe in Miracles

Original version of this song, apparently recorded by the song's writer before the Jackson Sisters' amazing but overplayed version from 1973, though only released as a promo later in 1974. Well I never. Causing excitement over on the excellent Brownswood forum.

The Carstairs - It Really Hurts Me Girl

Fascinating thread over there at the DJ history forum discussing the legendary Blackpool Mecca, centred on the memories of Ian Dewhirst and other DJs. Well worth a read, especially Ian's tales of digging in America in the early 70s. If only ...

The 'Out On The Floor' compilation on Inferno was my introduction to this tune as a wee London mod, in 1979.

Shit Robot - Simple Things (Todd Terje Remix)

Todd Terje riding high with a great remix of Shit Robot, out now on DFA so buy it here. Serge Santiago has turned in his own brilliant take on the same tune, available on a separate 12" here. Wonder what Todd will play tonight at East Village?

Keep Love Alive Top Five Todd Terje Moments:

1. Camino del Sol (remix) - Antena
2. Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes (re-edit) - Paul Simon
3. Another Station (TT mix) - Lindstrom
4. Balearic Incarnaton (remix) - Dolle Jolle (TT remix)
5. Plastik (remix)- Simon Baker

Dennis Parker - Like An Eagle

Todd Terje at East Village, London tomorrow night, woohoo! Here's a favourite of the Norwegian disco dude, 'Like An Eagle' by Dennis Parker. Mr. Parker was apparently a porn star in the 70s (well of course, with that 'tache!) who caught AIDS then blew his brains out with a shotgun. Great video!

Sandy Mercer - Give Me Your Love

Funky boogie track with great drum breaks. Seem to remember the instrumental getting played by people like Trevor 'Madhatters' Nelson and Soul II Soul but the vocal is pretty cool.

Queen Samantha - Give Me Action

Another tip-off from Sean P, cheers mate!

Meanderthals - Andromeda (Idjut Boys mix)

What do you get when you cross the UK's finest proponenets of deep and laid back electronic sounds ...

... with one of Norway's finest proponents of deep and laid back electronic sounds?

You guessed it.

Dan and Conrad team up with Rune (see previous post) for an album as the Meanderthals and what you get is all pretty chilled. This remix is hardly uptempo but there's something about the heavy drums and tribal sounding percussion that reminds me of Soul II Soul at the Africa Centre (circa 1986??) So classic sounding dance music that deserves to be rumbling on a big sound system stack somewhere this summer. Buy it here

Asha Puthli - Space Walk

Mellow cosmic funk from this 1970s Indian film star and disco chanteuse. Popularised by Gilles Peterson towards the end of the 1980's acid jazz scene at Dingwalls, more on him later.

Travis Biggs - Fly Like An Eagle

The Steve Miller Band original of 'Fly Like An Eagle' is a top tune and needs no improvement, although jazz violinist Travis Biggs here takes it in a more funky, cosmic direction and it is a worthy excursion. If you dig this then check the rest of the album, which has been reissued by Soul Jazz, here . It contains a great version of Stevie Wonder's 'I Wish' and a killer groove called 'Tibetan Sirenity'. With thanks to Chas.

Sound Dimension - Granny Scratch Scratch

Obscure funky reggae tunes were popular on the London boogie and rare groove scene in the mid 1980's and the big find was the monster 'Greedy G' on Studio One instrumentals album 'Better Dub'. Shortly afterwards came the discovery of this from the 'Roots Dub' album, recorded by Studio One house band Sound Dimension. Caned by Westwood, amongst others, on his radio show at the time.

Queen Yahna - Ain't It Time

Excellent, conscious 70's disco-soul courtesy of Peter Brown's P&P label.

Melba Moore - Magic Touch

Brilliant northern soul stomper from a young Melba Moore recorded in 1966 although not at first released. In fact The Bobby Fuller Four released a pop version although this pales in comparison with Melba's version. This is a later release (re-issue?) thanks to Chas!

The Gospelaires of Dayton, O. - God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

Thanks to Sean P for this one.

Arts & Craft - I've Been Searching

It took more than a decade of searching to track this one down, what a tune!

Deniece Williams - Cause You Love Me Baby

Two-step boogie favourite

Brooklyn Express - You Need A Change Of Mind

Underground disco from New York production legends Began Cekic and Fredd Zarr. A version of the Eddie Kendricks classic that works the breakdown of the original into a sexy, soulful boogie monster.

Rome Jefferies - Good Love

It seems like this one was rare from the moment it came out. A funky, electronic slice of soul that was popular with London boogie boys of the mid-eighties and played by Tim Westwood on his LWR show. The original vinyl still fetches bucks and rightly so, it's a classic and you can grab it here

Mad Props For Tim Westwood

Tim Westwood is a comic figure to many, occasionally a controversial one, but as a DJ on the London pirate station LWR he was the man that introduced me to loads of great music. Known for it's hip hop exclusives, Westwood's radio show was also the source of many great funk and boogie discoveries for me. Here is a surprisingly soulful list of my top 10 Westwood tunes from those days. I remembered where I heard it first Tim ... respect!

Rome Jefferies - Good Love
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Lonely Disco Dancer
Cloud One - Patti Duke
Deniece Wiliams - Cause You Love Me Baby
Brooklyn Express - You Need A Change Of Mind
Barbara Mitchell - Never Had A Love
Sound Dimension - Granny Scratch Scratch
Jermaine Jackson - You Like Me Don't You
Ciara - Goodies
Billie - Ain't Nobody's Business