Is there any online resources compiling James Hamilton's Record Mirror charts from 20 years ago?

Did you ever read James' early 1992 reviews of UK hardcore breakbeat and proto jungle tracks in DJ magazine? They were great but I can't find any online anywhere. Apparently he used to count the bpm (which were an essential part of his review) by tapping along by hand. He reviewed stuff like early 4 Hero, LTJ Bukem, Acen and particularly memorably Egyptian Empire " Horn Track". If I ever find any I will post. A sample from memory would be something like " droning near Eastern horns and acid squelches end up mildly subservient to the violent amen drum breaks that race in to crash and spurt their way through this 163.2bpm hardcore rattler". Yes he did the bpm to 1 decimal place! Such a sad loss when he passed away.

Actually people discussing his very distinctive style here:

http://www.djhistory.com/node/1057141

wobbly bass hooked lurcher
jiggling, burbling throbber
122-123bpm, urgently striding, piano led thumper

James always had a particular focus on rhythm, so it makes sense that proto jungle would have intrigued him. Meanwhile, today's column (Jan 31 1976) is the first of three special reports from Billboard's first International Disco Forum in NYC - including, to my surprise, his first mention of beat-mixing, which he had just encountered for the fist time. I strongly suspect that this was the first mention of beat-mixing in the UK press, too.

https://jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com/1976/01/31/january-31-1976-new-york-disco-scene-special/

I remember his pages, and the very long chart he would do. I never heard any of the records mentioned, but as you say, there were loads of musical styles he would do before anyone - Asian disco for one, as well.

The paper did sort of spoil it by running a "comedy" version of an asian disco chart a few weeks later, lots of "poppadom" jokes, and so on..

It's fascinating to see James introducing some of the key elements of disco/dance culture in such rapid succession within his Record Mirror columns. Within the space of just four weeks, we've had the first mentions of beat mixing (31 Jan 1976), 12-inch singles (14 Feb 1976), and remixing (21 Feb 1976). ("A new breed of engineers who take another producer’s finished record and re-mix the tape to make a brighter version that’s more suitable for play in discotheques.") The world was changing fast.

@mike t-diva, you are awesome.

I second that emotion.

*dimples prettily*

Doing the blog is certainly fuelling my Discogs habit. Top recent discoveries: Cameo "It's Serious" / Norman Connors "Captain Connors".

Thanks for providing the links to info Mike

this is astonishing -- massive props!

I'm doing a new post every other day, and my intermediary tells me that columns are being transcribed through to at least 1989.

one of the few people on earth that could appreciate the Rod Stewart/Scotland 1978 World Cup Squad record.

His taste is commendably broad and fascinatingly singular. He picks out a lot of hits well ahead of time, but is sometimes dismissive of future classics (Young Hearts Run Free springs to mind), and raves about long forgotten flops, e.g. multiple releases by his beloved Dooley Silverspoon.

New feature alert: a full alphabetical list, Guinness Book of Hit Singles-style, of all Disco Chart entries from 1975 to 1979, with highest positions and weeks on chart.

https://jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com/chart-archive/a-full-list-of-all-record-mirror-uk-disco-chart-entries-1975-1979/

I've also tabulated the longest runners in the Disco Chart. The table is often strikingly non-canonical.

https://jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com/chart-archive/longest-running-entries-on-record-mirror-uk-disco-chart-1975-1979/

oh God, this whole blog. Spotify black hole here I come.

surprising to see some of those charting so well! and all the older hits randomly showing up, several of which would seem to be headscratchers for disco. i don't suppose enough detail was shown directly on the chart (catalog #s etc.) to ascertain whether those were reissues, special mixes or what?

The chart was more pop-orientated in its earlier years, hence a lot of totally non-disco stuff charted high. For example, even in late 1977, Tom Robinson's "2-4-6-8 Motorway" managed to stay at #1 for four weeks. There was a shift of emphasis in spring 1978, when the number of contributing DJs rose dramatically and the chart expanded to a Top 90. By the end of 1978, the chart was purged of all but the very biggest pop hits, but even these charted much lower.

Errrrrrrr....

Andy Cameron
Ally’s Tartan Army / I Wanna Be A Punk Rocker (Klub) — 11 March 1978: 36, 1

People danced to it!

Laurel & Hardy
The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (United Artists) — 3 January 1976: 9, 1

So, James Hamilton's Record Mirror columns will be coming out in book form next autumn: a 900-page hardback, no less. We've got a VERY well known person to write the introduction. It is all very exciting.

Oh great! Please update when available to buy!

I certainly will.

I see it as a UK equivalent of that Vince Aletti book in certain respects.

oh nice - congrats mike!