"The 7th L.E.S.S. Productions CD has arrived today all shiny and new. We've got versions from the fantastic Social Disco Club (A top notch midtempo Tori dub) and DJ Mash (a nice disco-funk drop for the spotters) aswell as ourselves. All are WAV / AIFF / 1411KBPS quality as usual on the CD for the audiophiles and 100 numbered copies for promotional use. Available at the moment from Five20East and soon through a few specialist stores."
My new 12" just in at the usual record shops, and is already record of the week at Juno, Phonica and Nuloop!!
Store revue's
Piccadilly:
"Mindless Boogie time again, it has been at least a month! This time Peter Visti is on hand with a re-edit of The Lovin' Spoonful's 60s chart smash "Summer In The City", which gets rolled out in a weird disco/house kinda way, not dropping the lyric til right at the end. On side-B Social Disco Club re-edit The Hollies "Draggin' My Heels", over a whole side they turn the Balearic winner into a re-edited Balearic winner".
Phonica:
"The Mindless Boogie crew returns with a 12'' that justifies the labels reputation for pure unadulterated fun, without paying any attention to notions of cool. On the a-side Peter Visti applies his re-edit talent on the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In The City" - ideal for the searing heat of the summer... On the flip Social Disco Club chops and re-arranges the Hollies' "Draggin' My Heals"...
On the Phonica newsleter:
"Lots of things to mention this week – we've got all 3 of our featured UDG bags in stock so click on the box and check them out. Record-wise, its all about the two main disco edits of the week – the new moxie release finally arrived a few days late but its well worth the wait and the new Mindless Boogie – the best for a while arrived today – very seasonal"!!!
David Williams' route to the top of the jazz world has been somewhat unconventional: it has taken him from Trinidad to London to New York to Washington, DC to Los Angeles and back to New York. But there is nothing conventional about brilliance, and as a bassist, that is what David Williams exemplifies. His sound is deep and resonant, his section playing seems effortless, his solos are rhythmic and compelling, and his intonation is flawless.
David was born in Trinidad; the island's rich musical heritage was made available to him in an invaluable way --- his father, John "Buddy" Williams, was a highly‑regarded bassist who led his own calypso band. David, meanwhile, went from piano at age 5 to violin at 6 and wasn't fond of either instrument. Although his father did not give him lessons, David watched closely and experimented with the bass on his own. He was also intrigued by the steel pans, and loved to play them. He started to play bass in earnest at age 12. When his sister was awarded a scholarship to study piano in London, David joined her, and studied bass at the London College of Music for a year.
David came to New York for a visit in 1969, and happened upon a workshop run by Beaver Harris, Grachan Moncour and Roland Alexander. When Jimmy Garrison didn't show, David sat in. One night Ron Carter came by and instead of reclaiming the gig, brought in his cello and encouraged David to keep playing. On a tip from Ron, David secured the bass spot with Gap and Chuck Mangione, and when he tired of that, followed another Carter lead to Washington, D.C. and promptly became Roberta Flack's bass player. The alliance lasted for two years, during which time David also worked with Donny Hathaway.
When he returned to New York, David was called to work in a number of situations: The Voices of East Harlem, Donald Byrd & the Blackbyrds (with whom David received his first gold record), a Brazilian gig at the Tin Palace led by Charlie Rouse. During this time he met Cedar Walton and his bassist Sam Jones; David subbed for Sam once or twice. George Coleman, Roy Haynes, Billy Taylor and Junior Cook were among the musicians who hired David; he also played regularly with Ornette Coleman before signing on with Elvin Jones for a twoyear stint.
In 1976, David moved to LA and got caught up in the studio whirlwind, appearing on about 20 AVI releases with disco, funk, fusion and pop groups. He played mostly Fender bass with artists including Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela, David Benoit, Jermaine Jackson, Tuxedo Junction, John Klemmer, even Liberace. The disco hit "Le Spank" garnered him another gold record during this period. Soul is Free, his first album as a leader, was released on AVI in 1979.
One of the funkiest albums Sergio Mendes ever recorded - a monster of a record that's filled with enough dancefloor groovers to have had a big impact on the soul market in the US! There's still elements of the older Mendes modes, especially in the way the vocals float nicely through the mix. Overall groove is polished 70s soul, with plenty of jazzy touches, similar to the modern soul generation coming up on labels like Capitol or Elektra at the time. The group delivers a landmark version of Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing", a killer stepper that's kept the album alive for years...
Summer is coming and my 2nd release to! After the big success of Barna Vs. Porto Ep on OCSID Music, (sold out in 1 month), im proud and excited to announce my next 12". It will be a limited summer edition on Mindless Boogie with edits by me and Peter Visti. Release date: end of June.
Jean-Marc Cerrone was born in Paris, France but hopped to London, England to record his first successful albums. A drummer, composer, and producer he first left Paris in 1975 to record what became his most popular LP Love In C Minor. He started producing and performing music at 18 when he worked as the Orchestra Leader at the Club Mediterranee. Two years later he signed an exclusive contract with French producer Barclay, and recorded what he dismisses as uncommercial songs with little chance of broad acceptance. Cerrone was already a successful entrepreneur in Paris, he owned three large, influential record shops, but went to London when he couldn't find a French company interested in his more contemporary creation. In London, he contracted with Island Records to press 5,000 copies of his new recording. They sold like hot cakes and when the smoke cleared, Love In C Minor had sold an astonishing 10 million copies worldwide, and established Cerrone as France's first disco superstar. Subsequent albums' Cerrone's Paradise (1977), Supernature (1977) and Golden Touch (1979), and Angelina (1979), all went gold to further enhanced Cerrones' Midas Touch. He started Malligator Records to release his work and others including Kongas, Don Ray, and Revelation - all had international hits. Other Malligator artists include balladeer Bobby Solo, and Rod McKuen. Atlantic Records distributed Malligator in the United States, and CBS Records everywhere else. Cerrone's success waned in the 80's but he kept pumping out albums and producing product on others. Nothing, however, approaches his mega single "Super Nature," a 1978 release from an LP of the same name that left skid marks on the International Charts.
