Mark Devlin’s Beatmasters mix series continues this month with the latest instalment. But this one’s a little different!
While the other volumes have handled contemporary producers like Timbaland, Kanye West, Swizz Beats and Just Blaze, this one’s a real crate-digger as we take it back with the two dudes that totally ran the black music scene in the 1980s. We’re talking Jimmy ‘Jam’ Harris and Terry Lewis.
The Jam & Lewis sound is highly distinctive, and it’s easy to overlook just how prolific these guys were. Starting out as members of the funk group The Time, (prior to their sacking by Prince,) in their glory years, they produced output from Alexander O’ Neal, The SOS Band, Sounds Of Blackness, Change, Cherelle, The Force MDs, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant, revitalised the career of A&M label boss Herb Alpert with a funky new sound, and have been behind the boards for virtually all of Janet Jackson’s output from 1986 to date. Hell, they even did a joint with The Human League!
Anyone who was listening to black music in the 80s and early 90s is going to feel those memories come surging back. For anyone who’s too young to remember, just sit back and enjoy some beautiful sounds from beautiful times, which paved the way for the stuff that’s around today.
With such a wealth of material on offer, (just check the playlist – 42 tracks spanning the 22 years from 1984 to 2006!!), this one’s longer than usual, clocking in at well over an hour. It has to be said that the sound quality varies a bit from track to track, but that’s little surprise considering many of the tunes were lifted off vinyl that’s been sitting among the cobwebs and dust of the garage or loft for the past few years. (Can you imagine how long it took just to dig out all the records in the first place?!)
So, here’s the Download link. Listen, absorb and enjoy the sound of two true masters of the game:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/koxdcb
THE BEATMASTERS MIX: JIMMY JAM & TERRY LEWIS
JANET JACKSON: LET’S WAIT AWHILE (1986)
JANET JACKSON: FUNNY HOW TIMES FLIES… (1986)
SOS BAND: WEEKEND GIRL (1984)
FORCE MDs: TENDER LOVE (1985)
HERB ALPERT: MAKING LOVE IN THE RAIN (1987)
RALPH TRESVANT: SENSITIVITY (1990)
HUMAN LEAGUE: HUMAN (1986)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: A BROKEN HEART CAN MEND (1986)
SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS: I’M GOING ALL THE WAY (1991)
JANET JACKSON: NASTY (1986)
MARY J BLIGE: LOVE IS ALL WE NEED (1997)
USHER: YOU REMIND ME (2001)
HERB ALPERT: KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME (1987)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: FAKE
SOS BAND: THE FINEST (1986)
SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS: TESTIFY (1991)
CHERELLE & ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS (1988)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: THE LOVERS (1987)
SOS BAND: JUST BE GOOD TO ME (1984)
SOS BAND: JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT (1984)
CHANGE: CHANGE OF HEART (1984)
JANET JACKSON: SO EXCITED (2006)
JANET JACKSON: ESCAPADE (1989)
CHERYL LYNN: ENCORE (1984)
SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS: OPTIMISTIC (1991)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: CRITICIZE (1987)
CHERELLE & ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: SATURDAY LOVE (1985)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: WHAT’S MISSING (1986)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: WHAT CAN I SAY TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME (1987)
JANET JACKSON: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY (1986)
HERB ALPERT Featuring LISA KEITH: DIAMONDS (1987)
JANET JACKSON: WHEN I THINK OF YOU (1986)
JOHNNY GILL: RUB YOU THE RIGHT WAY (1990)
JANET JACKSON: RHYTHM NATION (1989)
CHERELLE: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON (1988)
JANET JACKSON: ALRIGHT (1989)
JANET JACKSON, LUTHER VANDROSS & BBD: THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (1992)
JANET JACKSON: CONTROL (1986)
SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS: THE PRESSURE (1991)
JANET JACKSON: ALL FOR YOU (2001)
CHERELLE: EVERYTHING I MISS AT HOME (1988)
ALEXANDER O’ NEAL: WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER (1987)
There’s a brief video snippet on the making of the mix right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JyUF7Wegk
Meanwhile, just a reminder that all ten of the previous volumes in the Beatmasters series are still available if you missed any. Here’s the links that you need:
DJ Premier mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/etuhye
Dr Dre mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ez1l9c
Kanye West mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/r671pj
Pharrell/ Neptunes mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/y2xnqg
Timbaland mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5uou5s
Swizz Beats mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/w1vwp7
Just Blaze mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ru6aog
RZA mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/t4e56n
Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/93fe6j
Marley Marl mix:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/529zfy