This is the title track from Charles Earland's Leaving This Planet and features such great jazz musicians as Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. The track an interesting mix of jazz, funk, and psychedelica.

Charles Earland - Leaving This Planet

Opening with  building percussion that rides through with driving piano and guitar licks. Produced by Tony Hiller who also recorded with Brotherhood of Man.

Wild Fantasy - Jungle Drums

Please take the time to read this Press Release sent from Mel's PR company, Penetration,  Inc. written by Andy Reynolds. Mel will be sorely missed and we appreciate the many gifts he has brought to world of dance music. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.

Melvin Cheren (January 21, 1933 – December 7, 2007)
 
Affectionately known as “The Godfather of Disco” for his championing of DJ’s, dance music and club culture from the early days of the Disco Movement, Mel began his five decade career in the music business at ABC/Paramount, where he eventually became Head of Production.  He held the same position when he moved to Scepter Records.  During his tenure at Scepter he was responsible for many innovations such as the first 12 inch record for DJ’s and the first instrumental mix on the B-side, earning Scepter the “Trendsetter of the Year” Award from Billboard in 1974. With a former Scepter colleague he formed his own company, West End Records in 1976, which has been associated for over 30 years with enduring dance classics like “Hot Shot” and “Heartbeat.” In recent years West End released popular compilation CD’s of remixes and live performances by legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan.

Mel was the financial backer of the landmark club created by his former life-partner Michael Brody.  This history is well documented in Cheren’sautobiography, MY LIFE AND THE PARADISE GARAGE: KEEP ON DANCIN’ published in 2000 and in a recent documentary, THE GODFATHER OF DISCO.  In 2005 Mel was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame with their Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor which meant a great deal to him.  For all of his accomplishments in the music industry, Mel was most proud of his work in support of various causes and charities and in particular his efforts in support of the LGBT Community and the fight against AIDS.  He was part of the vanguard of gay men who first responded to the AIDS crisis in New York in the early Eighties and gave GMHC their first home in his Chelsea brownstone which he later operated for over 20 years as a successful bed-and-breakfast, the Colonial House Inn.  He was the founder of 24 Hours For Life, an AIDS charity that was the fiscal sponsor for LIFE beat, on whose Board he served as a Charter Director.  Mel was also quietly a friend to many friends and strangers in need as well as an accomplished painter.  A large number of Mel’s works of art memorialize friends lost to AIDS.

It is a sad irony that he is a fatality of the same health crisis that he fought so long to eradicate. Even in his last days he took a stand for AIDS prevention in a cautionary interview aired on the LOGO channel throughout the week of World AIDS Day.  Mel Cheren is survived and will be greatly missed by many family members, prominent among them being Illya Dehktyar, Mark Cheren and Barry Cherin, as well as a large extended family of close friends, colleagues and fellow activists.  An announcement will soon be made about a memorial service/celebration and various memorial benefit parties takingplace over the third weekend in January which would have marked his 75th birthday.  Donations in Mel’s honor can be made to GMHC, 119 West 24th Street , New York, New York 10011; The LGBT Community Center at 208 West13th Street, New York, New York 10011; or LIFEbeat, 630 9th Avenue Suite 1010New York, New York 10036.

Funky calypso from King Wellington's Who is King Wellington album. The track featured here, "Pretty Girls" is a great funk tune with an open drum break.

King Wellington - Pretty Girls

Earlier this week there was a thread on the DJ History forum about what tracks worked well for the dancefloor that were from the sxties and this record immediately came to my mind. With it's driving rhythm and funky dark latin horn melody this track was definitely a floor filler in its day.

Lito Barrientos Y Su Orquesta - Cumbia En Do Menor

Here is a great reissue brought to us by Egon and released by Now-Again Records. Originally released on Soul Track Records circa 1970 it features Leroy Hutson on tenor saxophone.

The Detroit Sex Machines - The Stretch

Here is a truly great artist, Norman Connors and the album, Slewfoot is one of his best. The album features vocals by Jean Carn and a band that contains many legends in the Jazz world including Reggie Lucas, Lonnie Liston Smith, Eddie Henderson, and Gary Bartz.

The track I chose was "Mother of the Future." It has a vibe all its own that would fit on any great Gilles Peterson compilation.

Norman Connors - Mother of the Future

U.K. vinyl distributor Amato filed for bankruptcy last week.  Amato was the distributor for labels such as ReKids, Crosstown Rebels, Good Looking, and Playhouse.This is an unfortunate thing. The record labels feel the crunch, having no distributor and their records stockpiled in a warehouse somewhere that is locked away until the paperwork from the administration goes through.  The labels are also not getting money on releases that were already sold. The reason for liquidation is unclear. Some say the company had been mismanaged for years and others blame the nature of the record industry. 

It is a sad state of affairs for the record business but even worse for the dance music industry. Gigantic US distributor Studio which distributed labels such as Clasic Music Company, Global Underground, and other dance record label giants went bust last year. It is a nice thing to have more access to music than ever before with the latest MP3's available on blogs and at digital music stores like Beatport but some of us still like to have the original vinyl.  And  a real store to buy the vinyl in.

Sorry for the delay in posting. I took a quick trip to NYC and I only had time for one record store. So I took a chance and went to a store that I had heard was a hidden gem. And it was, with a great selection of African, Brazilian, Disco, Funk, and Soul records at really reasonable prices for NYC standards. Gimme GImme also has a huge selection of New Wave 12" if that's your favorite genre.

Gimme Gimme Records - 325 E 5th St New York, NY 10003 (212) 475-2955 

 If you haven't seen this three part series produced by Channel 4 in the U.K. about the history of dance music then you need to check it out now. This documentary starts with Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage and covers the evolution of dance music up until the late 90s and UK Garage music. I particularly like the interview with Chip E when he talks about "jacking" at the Warehouse.

Pump the Volume Part 1

Pump Up the Volume Part 2

Pump Up the Volume Part 3