Early 90s house-pop percussion

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I promised my friend Catherine that I would make her a CD with some of my favourite non-Madonna examples of this sort of thing (you know, huge snare-build-ups and energetic swinging grooves and just a general fabulousness). And lo, I am doing this, but I wanted to check if I was missing anything. What are your favourite examples, and why?

The kind of thing I am definitely including, to give you an idea:

Crystal Waters - 100% Pure Love
C&C Music Factory - Just A Touch of Love

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 2 October 2006 02:18 (seventeen years ago) link

A while back I predicted there would be a revival of this sort of thing, and it hasn't really happened, which has upset me a bit. Seems like things have drifted away from Chicago towards Detroit, rather than over to New York.

Will a revival happen? And if not, why not, when this style of percussion is clearly the best thing in the world?

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 2 October 2006 02:19 (seventeen years ago) link

I agree about the movement back to Detroit! I am feeling that, screw NY

Pookas (Pookas), Monday, 2 October 2006 17:47 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't even know what kind of music you're talking about ... maybe i have to listen to the tracks ...

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link

oh this!

basically you are doing a david morales / bad yard club / steve hurley mixtape, right??

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:40 (seventeen years ago) link

do you know who makes me CRY with JOY???

CECE PENISTON!!!

you want

for my baby (ruff & tumble vocal / ruff & tumble dub) - this was released as full flava ft cece peniston

deeper love (junior vasquez mix)

he loves me (paul johnson vocal dub) - the oozy-woozy "vocal science" effects on this track are up there w/ the primest sunship or whatever


obviously there are mega-mega-tracks that i should mention, like the maurice joshua mix of "nobody else" or the bad yard club dub of "in the mood", but i won't, because they're not really about the perky perky percussion, they are more just vocal deep housey garage.

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:46 (seventeen years ago) link

how about kim syms - "too blind to see it" (hurley club dub)

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:47 (seventeen years ago) link

this is not really "pop" per se, but if you want progressive house jams w/ latin percussion, you want HENRY STREET MUSIC, of bucketheads "the bomb" fame ...

scottie deep - "brooklyn beats"

scottie deep - "after the dance" (built off the clash "magnificent seven" ... and so was "the bomb", right? or was that "rock the casbah"?)

TKC - "i believe"

ralphie rosario - "brinca"

dj sneak - "show me the way"

and so on!!

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:52 (seventeen years ago) link

i dunno tim, let me think about this ... like breaks, this is stuff i usually enjoy popist-anonymously (like sometimes i'll just put on the digital cable radio to the station that they use for piping into gyms or gay hair salons or fancy jeans + polo shirt boutiques) and not rockist-style (looking up singles on discogs.com and searching them out on soulseek)

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:55 (seventeen years ago) link

i missed my calling .. i should have been the pappawheelie of 90s commercial house

anyway BLUNT to thread, please

HUNTA-V (vahid), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:55 (seventeen years ago) link

you could also leave me out of this, mind. count me in on the deeper tip

blunt (blunt), Monday, 2 October 2006 19:01 (seventeen years ago) link

All of the albums (CD) from a bunch of these artists (and some that are maybe tangentially similar - deee lite etc.) are 1.99 at Reckless Records. I bought Crystal Waters' Storyteller and CeCe Peniston's Finally (+1 disc w/ all the different mixes of the title track) for 2-3 dollars each. Black Box's Dreamland too. I'm actually really surprised there hasn't been more of a 'revival' of this stuff, esp. in chicago - in '93-94-95 this stuff was all over the radio

deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 October 2006 19:01 (seventeen years ago) link

(used CDs obviously, but thats still dirt-cheap for CDs)

deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 October 2006 19:01 (seventeen years ago) link

jamiroquai-space cowboy (david morales classic club mix)

Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 2 October 2006 20:26 (seventeen years ago) link

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GKQuZWIPX2s

Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 2 October 2006 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ybKjIaR-I

Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 2 October 2006 20:35 (seventeen years ago) link

i'd never seen that big fun video, but its kind of making me naseaus

deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 October 2006 20:40 (seventeen years ago) link

See also:

"Got A Love For You" - Jomanda
"Got To Be Free" - The 49ers
'Wrap Me Up" - Alex Party
"Another Sleepless Night" - Shawn Christopher

Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 12:08 (seventeen years ago) link

Joey Negro 'Do It Believe It'
Love Decade 'So Real'
Slo-Moshun 'Bells Of NY'

Konal Doddz (blueski), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 12:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Robin S. "Show Me Love"
Livin' Joy "Dreamer"
The Original "I Love You Baby"
Rozalla "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)"
Snap "Rhythm is a Dancer"

And of course CeCe Peniston and Black Box as mentioned above.

You said pop right? Any of these help?

matt2 (matt2), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 18:29 (seventeen years ago) link

A little on the dark side, but: Stevie V - "Dirty Cash"

Also: Bizarre Inc. - "I'm Gonna Get You"?

I.M. From Hollywood (i_m_from_hollywood), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link

These are mostly very good suggestions.

To get specific for a moment, I'm thinking about that early 90s Shep Pettibone sound, sort of exactly halfway b/w Technotronic and early Strictly Rhythm, if that makes sense.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 04:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Gotta Have Your Love - Mantronix
Was That All It Was - Kym Mazelle
Something Got Me Started (Hurley's House Mix) - Simply Red (don't laugh, it works)
Kinda Groovy - Cool 2
The Pressure (Part 1) - Sounds Of Blackness
My Family Depends On Me - Simone
Hallelujah / Pennies From Heaven - Inner City
Peace - Sabrina Johnston
Always There - Incognito
Black & White (Clivilles & Cole mix) - Michael Jackson
The Best Things In Life Are Free - Luther & Janet
Shake Your Head - Was (Not Was)
Everybody, Everybody - Black Box
In Your Bones - Fire Island
Slave To The Vibe - Aftershock
Dream Lover (Def Club Mix) - Mariah Carey

mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 09:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Kinda Groovy - Cool 2

need to hear this again!

Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 09:35 (seventeen years ago) link

"Shake Your Head" - Was (Not Was)

feat. vocals from miss kimberly basinger and mr. oswald osbourne!!

Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 09:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Kinda Groovy - Cool 2
need to hear this again!

On the count of three:

"I think it's so groovy now, that people are finally getting together, think it's wonderful now..."

mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 11:54 (seventeen years ago) link

eight months pass...

Is there a good compilation of this stuff out there?

The Brainwasher, Friday, 29 June 2007 21:10 (sixteen years ago) link

A while back I predicted there would be a revival of this sort of thing, and it hasn't really happened, which has upset me a bit. Seems like things have drifted away from Chicago towards Detroit, rather than over to New York.

Will a revival happen? And if not, why not, when this style of percussion is clearly the best thing in the world?

I'm still waiting for my new jack swing revival. I may just have to lead that particular charge myself.

The Reverend, Friday, 29 June 2007 22:58 (sixteen years ago) link

hey hey, there's definitely a house revival going on - first the tb-303 squelch and drums, and maybe on day... that ubiquitous piano and synth riff. feels like I'm 9 years old again.

uhrrrrrrr10, Saturday, 30 June 2007 00:04 (sixteen years ago) link

I heard "Set U Free" the other night and played "Yolanda" to a very positive reception (these are non-house-only clubs)

Spencer Chow, Saturday, 30 June 2007 00:17 (sixteen years ago) link

I hope that Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" becomes a huge hit and sparks the revival...

The Brainwasher, Saturday, 30 June 2007 00:24 (sixteen years ago) link

two years pass...

Is there a good compilation of this stuff out there?

maybe http://yearofmixtapes.blogspot.com/2009/08/week-11-1990s-vocal-house.html ?

i keep listening to them over and over

W i l l, Tuesday, 29 December 2009 17:17 (fourteen years ago) link

Cathy Dennis & David Morales; Find The Key To Your Life

W i l l, Tuesday, 29 December 2009 17:28 (fourteen years ago) link


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