N.I.C.E. Vinyl #7, 8, 9, 10 and more

It's been a while since I've done a N.I.C.E. Vinyl post and I've got a lot of new vinyl rips to share so I suppose now is as good a time as any. That said, these aren't all vinyl rips and the ones that are break a major rule, specifically no use of automatic declicking. No matter how clean the record is or how long I work on it, old hip-hop vinyl seems to be noisy and it's ridiculous to spend hours manually declicking it, especially when iZotope RX does a fantastic job even with the settings adjusted rather lightly. So, here are six very out of print releases for your listening pleasure, five of which are in FLAC and V0 MP3 formats. Enjoy!



Uptown - Dope On Plastic
FLAC
V0 MP3

This is taken from a 1989 Tommy Boy test pressing, although that's probably more or less a white label issue, though some white labels are test pressings so who knows. Anyway, fresh rip and contents are the same as the standard release.



Too Poetic - Poetical Terror / God Made Me Funky
FLAC Side One
FLAC Side Two
V0 MP3

Also taken from a 1989 Tommy Boy test pressing with identical contents to the standard release. R.I.P. Poetic.



KMD - Nitty Gritty
FLAC
V0 MP3

Taken from an Elektra US white label promo. Contents identical to standard release. This is a special release because it contains a remix of Nitty Gritty with Busta Rhymes as well as the original version of Plumskinzz which was edited into two tracks to remove MC Onyx's verse when it was released on the incredible Black Bastards. Zev Love X of KMD is better known now as MF Doom, just in case you didn't know. R.I.P. Subroc.



Trilogy - Good Time
FLAC
V0 MP3

Taken from an Atco US white label promo. This is an odd record as it's basically a Robert Clivillés and David Cole produced hip-hop single. That's the Clivillés & Cole best known for C+C Music Factory. This is a party record but it could probably could have passed on some more serious hip-hop mixes at the time of it's release. I had the cassette single for this when it was originally issued although the mixes here are a little different, though discogs lists the contents of the standard vinyl release as identical to this one. I guess you could call this poppy hip-hop but it's still pretty kickin'. The Mighty "D" Mix sounds almost like a rough mix, what with the clicks in the left channel from when the bass is supposed to kick.



Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 - Jazzy Sensation (Greatest Beats)
FLAC
V0 MP3

I mentioned this disc in the recent Steinski post. This is an officially pressed promo CD issued in advance of Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats compilations and contains the only official pressed reissue of all three of Double Dee & Steinski's History Lessons after the original Tommy Boy and DD&S vinyl pressings. The versions here are extremely crisp though they sound like they may have been mastered from vinyl. Nonetheless, this also contains the DD&S remix of Jazzy Sensation which was an exclusive, promo-only release at the time as there was no way to clear all those samples. It's since been reissued as well, simply under the name Jazz, on Steinski's What Does It All Mean? retrospective compilation. The original 12" version of Jazzy Sensation is included as well.



DJ Mink - Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (FON Records Version)
V0 MP3

I'm not uploading the FLAC for this because it's sourced from a set of low-quality MP3s. As to why I'm sharing transcoded MP3s of this, it's because I can't find another version of the FON release of Can U Relate anywhere, two of the mixes don't seem to have been released elsewhere and I've cleaned these tracks up considerably, although there is still a lot of cracks and pops to be found. The biggest fix is a giant skip during the Hard Mix of Relate which I patched by borrowing an identical portion of the track and swapping it out. It's seamless to my ears so I hope it will be to yours as well. If anyone wants the lossless version just let me know, though I don't think you'll be gaining anything from it.


One more important thing, just in case you're wondering why some of these labels have little marks over some of the text, I got two of these 12"s from a radio station I worked at when they were getting rid of tons of their old nineties hip-hop vinyl. Despite them giving them away, I figured they wouldn't want their name mentioned so I tried my best to remove them from the labels. Funny thinking back on that, I got an incredible promo/test pressing of the first Ultimate Spinach record from that same box of trashed vinyl, though I think I traded it for a New Order 12" I thought was rare at the time. Turned out not to be all that rare unfortunately.

Uptown / DJ Mink: 2 Seldom Heard Classics

These records are easy favorites of mine, both probably making a list of desert island discs. Interestingly enough, they are also these artists' only releases, at least with top billing. Who knows if this is because they burnt out too quickly, they were difficult to work with, or they simply couldn't get anything else released for one reason or another, but this is it, at least as far as known releases go.

For starters, let's talk about Mr. R. Dacosta, better known as Uptown. His sole release, at least as a solo artist, is the amazing Dope On Plastic. I first heard this in Liam Howlett's Dirtchamer mix, and I knew I had to find the whole cut from that moment forward. It's got an amazing beat that simply grabs the attention of anyone within it's range. It's shown up from time to time on hip-hop comps and mix-tapes, but the original release has never been available in any format other than vinyl, and apart from a European repressing in 2007, it's long out of print. The title cut is produced by CJ Moore and Dante Ross. I'm not very familiar with CJ's work but Dante is a very well known producer, even if he's best remembered as Dante The Scrub on De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising. Simply put, Dope On Plastic is a certified classic although it may be best known to NY residents circa 1989.

Dope On Plastic wasn't Uptown's only jam, as evidenced by It's My Turn, the single's other featured track. It's not on par with Dope, but it's worth checking out, even if it's only to hear Uptown spitting a different set of verses. That track is produced by Bobby Simmons, best known for his work with the Stetsasonic crew.

The original single, while not featuring any remixes, was generous regardless as it contained the regular tracks alongside the instrumentals (labeled Dubstrumentals) and acapellas for both. Brilliant stuff!

The only other known recordings by Uptown are his appearances on Buckshot LeFonque's Breakfast @ Denny's and the DJ Premier remix of Music Evolution, as well as another DJ Premier remix of Omar's Keep Steppin'. Now, I know who Buckshot LeFonque are/were (Branford Marsalis PISSES ME OFF!) but I'm not at all familiar with Omar, so if anyone wants to shine some light on his work, or more importantly this remix of Keep Steppin', it would be greatly appreciated!

The other feature here is DJ Mink's Hey! Hey! Can U Relate?, featuring vocals from The K.I.D. and Carruthers, together known as 2wice The Trouble. Simply put, it's a banger!

I've tried to do some research on Mink and 2wice, but I've turned up little to nothing so far. Apart from Can U Relate, Mink's only known production credit is for the track Soul Tip by Blue Eyes, another such release and individual I can't find much of anything about. Can U Relate, though, I know a bit more about.

Intended for release in 1989 on FON Records, Can U Relate received a promotional release crediting the track to Mink featuring 2wice The Trouble. It doesn't look like that release ever became officially available for purchase, but it was then picked up for release via Ozone. It finally saw release in 1990, although the only images I can find seem to hint it may have also been a promotional only release. Finally though, a certifiably available version was released that same year on the mighty WARP Records, which credits that label's co-founder, Rob Gordon, with programming, mixing, editing and co-producing the track. A remix was provided by Mark Brydon and Parrot, the instrumental of which ended up on the b-side and the vocal version on WARP's Pioneers Of The Hypnotic Groove compilation. The original version (labeled Hard Rap) has shown up in mixes and on compilations occasionally, but again, it's largely unknown apart from DJs, people familiar with the style and clubbers in early nineties England.

Both of these releases are classics, but neither are easily available, at least not in their complete forms, so I'm posting them here. I don't have an original copy of the Can U Relate single so the version posted here is someone else's rip, although the rip of Dope On Plastic is from an original test pressing I own. I'm also posting the A-Sides of each release in case anyone just wants to check out the main tracks, but you should really grab the complete releases as they're simply awesome! Enjoy!


Uptown - Dope On Plastic

01 Dope On Plastic (Vocal)
02 Dope On Plastic (Plastipella)
03 It's My Turn (Vocal)
04 It's My Turn (Acapella)
05 Dope On Plastic (Dubstrumental)
06 It's My Turn (Dubstrumental)


DJ Mink - Hey! Hey! Can U Relate?

01 Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (Hard Rap feat. The K.I.D. & Carruthers)
02 Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (Hard Instrumental)
03 Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (Sunshine Dub Instrumental)
BONUS: Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (Sunshine Remix)


Individual Tracks

Uptown - Dope On Plastic

DJ Mink - Hey! Hey! Can U Relate?

August 2009 Mixtape

LOVE IS A DONUT...uh, it's time for another Unheard Music mixtape! The last one was a bit era-specific but this episode is more in the vein of how these posts will usually be. Enjoy!


The Unheard Music - August 2009 Mixtape

01 Liz Phair - Chopsticks
I love Liz Phair. She gets shit for having a more commercial sound these days but she doesn't seem to care. She's said several times that she has to pay the bills and it's hard to be an indie star like she used to be when you're raising a family in the suburbs. This is from her second full-length, Whip-Smart, and is kind-of the last stand for her more indie specific styles. I'll be doing a post about her beautiful, early demos in the near future. If you're not familiar with her, you should get Exile In Guyville. It's a very honest record and you don't have to be a woman for it to change you.

02 Hrvatski - Vatstep DSP
More Hrvatski for those who enjoyed his album. This was created as a remix for kid606 although it only features a few very small samples making this more an original track than anything else. You couldn't generally call Hrvatski's music happy, but this track is as close to happy as he gets. Lotta fun!

03 Greg Phillinganes - Behind The Mask
This is kind-of the missing link when it comes to Michael Jackson's Thriller. As the story goes, Quincy Jones was obsessed with the Yellow Magic Orchestra's song, Behind The Mask, and decided he wanted to make a version with proper lyrics. He asked Michael to write the new lyrics, and together they created an incredible pop song. For reasons unclear though, Michael's version has never seen the light of day, although Greg, Michael's keyboardist through most of the eighties, recorded the MJ version and released it as a single. For all we know this might sound exactly like the MJ version, but no one has said anything so who knows. All I can say is this song is a slept-on eighties classic!

04 DJ Mink - Hey! Hey! Can U Relate? (feat. The K.I.D. & Carruthers)
This sounds more like an old-school hip-hop track than something from the early nineties. Initially released on the British FON label, it was licensed by Warp and became a popular underground hit. Hip-Hop heads know this track well but this was never a commercial hit, so check this shoulda-been number one jam.

05 Venice Shoreline Chris - All-Nite Dinah
Also known as Chris Murray, Venice Shoreline Chris recorded his album, The 4-Track Adventures Of Venice Shoreline Chris, all by his lonesome, but you'd never guess it by how fun the album sounds. Check out his site for more info and samples from some of his other records.

06 Beck - Satan Was Way Cool
From a demo tape recorded during his early, weird years, this is Beck recording new vocals over King Missle's Jesus Was Way Cool. Funny as hell! I'm gonna do a post on Beck earlier, folkier and way-weirder days sometime in the near future. I probably would have done it already but he's got so much stuff to choose from!

07 Mochipet - They Might Be Giants vs. Lyrical Giants (Get Crunked!)
Oh yeah! Mochipet is well-known for his dancey releases, but this is from Combat which he released on kid606's Violent Turd Records. Great record that clocks in around a half hour, it entertains for a long time afterward. This is an easy highlight from that record.

08 Miles Davis - Willie Nelson (Insert 1)
This is from the Complete Jack Johnson Sessions box-set that Sony released a few years ago. A small portion of several takes of Willie Nelson was included in the completed Jack Johnson album, but the additional takes are awesome. This one includes Sonny Sharrock doing some seriously fucked-up echoplex soloing. Awesome record!

09 John Oswald - Anon
This is from the 69/96 compilation which sorta came out. You can buy it digitally via iTunes or Amazon and physical copies are, or were, available, although there was never an Oswald sanctioned release, or at least that's the official story. The truth is that Negativland is responsible for the US release of this compilation which features remastered and cleaned-up versions of most of the Plunderphonic album and other gems from throughout Oswald's career. They were able to release it after Oswald sent them digital copies of the masters, artwork and liner notes, but Oswald did try to get this released on his own. Unfortunately, the CRIA would not allow him to do so even if he were to get permission for all samples, so he took matters into his own hands and let Negativland help out. This track is a reworking of a Tim Buckley song and was originally part of the Elektrax/Rubaiyat EP which was a promotional release on Elektra Records. You can get the whole EP here at the excellent Music Hertz, among many other great things! Check them out!

10 Foetus - Clothes Hoist
JG Thirlwell is THE MAN! This is from the Hole album which he released as Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel. As most of his releases are under a variation of the name Foetus, I'm just gonna stick with foetus for simplicity's sake. Get creeped out and rock out to this, and if you're feeling it grab the Hole album!

11 The Stick Men - Caged Sex
The Stick Men were incredible. Coming out of Pennsylvania, they bare a resemblance to James Chance and The Contortions, although they're quite a lot more fun in my humble opinion. If you like this you need to get their album, Insatiable. It's such a shame when stuff as unique and crazy as this falls victim to the perils of history and location.

12 Miles Davis - Willie Nelson (Insert 2)
Another take with Sonny Sharrock, but this one also features John McLaughlin. Wild stuff!

13 Bob Dylan - Get Your Rocks Off
From the infamous Basement Tapes, this unreleased track is a gem. There are so many awesome recordings from this era in Dylan's career. I might post some Basement Tapes goodness eventually, it's just that there is so much stuff to choose from. I feel like I should post everything I've got, but that's nearly a gigabyte of stuff, so I'm just gonna give it some time.

14 Vernon Reid - What's My Name
No question mark in the title, so does that make it a statement or a typographical error? either way, Vernon and his band, Masque, along with producers Prince Paul and Teo Macero, bring the action. This is from Vernon's Mistaken Identity album. Most of the album isn't this intense but, if you like electric Miles, you'll enjoy the whole album. Really good stuff!

15 Randy Newman - Political Science
I remember Mr. Newman complaining that this is one of his most timeless recordings. I understand why, but I love it all the same. Sarcasm, a sick sense of humor and maybe even a little honesty, just don't take it too seriously.

16 Jimi Hendrix - Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice
I only heard this for the first time very recently. This is up there with Hendrix's best in my humble opinion. It starts off innocently enough before it literally leaves the planet.

17 Whale - I'll Do Ya
Whale are one of the great unknown bands of the mid-nineties, at least in the US. They started with a joke single and video featuring a sexy little thing with braces and a lollipop teasing a number of shirtless men only to release a funky, druggy, in-joke of an album that sounds like the soundtrack to a really insane weekend. This song should have been huge! If they ever played it live I hope to god that it was incredible. PLAY IT LOUD!!!!!

18 John Oswald - Case Of Death (Part One, Chapters 1-16)
More Oswaldian goodness, this is also from the 69/96 compilation. If you like his stuff you should really support him by purchasing the comp. Mind melting stuff.