Fresh from the decks to your ears, I've got some tasty treats for you today. These two gems come from one of the finest compilations in my collection: "98.7 Kiss FM Presents Shep
Pettibone's Mastermixes," circa 1982 on Prelude Records. The back of the 12" jacket reads:
Dear Kiss Listener: Mastermixes helped make Kiss-FM New York's MORE MUSIC LEADER and your response to them over the past 12 months has been overwhelming.
Everyday, we hear from more and more of you requesting copies for your own record collections. Now, for the first time, we're making them available to you as a way of saying thanks for your support.
Kiss-FM and Prelude Records are proud to present a collection of the best mastermixes, produced exclusively for Kiss-FM by Shep Pettibone, including some you've never heard before! You've asked for them and now you've got them in one fantastic package-enjoy!
For the latest in commercial-free mastermixes and much, much more, keep listening to 98.7 Kiss-FM--NOBODY GIVES MORE MUSIC!Good Listening,THE KISS JOCKSFor those of you who don't know, Kiss has been holding it down for decades as a mainstream FM radio pioneer of underground dance and urban music. Over the years, its on-air staff has included the likes of
Kool DJ Red Alert, Chuck
Chillout, The Latin Rascals, Isaac Hayes, Grandmaster Flash, and Timmy
Regisford. Guest
DJ's such as Kerri Chandler and Lil' Louie Vega have graced the airwaves, while Darryl James and Ruben
Toro are still
doin' their thing with the Midnight Mix and Kiss Club Classics, respectively, to this very day. Say what you will about commercial radio, but New Yorkers are certainly blessed with the finest selection of underground heavyweights mixing the late-night soundtrack of the weekend.
As for the tracks from the
Mastermix compilation, the first is Canadian vocalist France Joli's classic, "Gonna Get Over You." The
bassline, breaks, and dreamy piano solo are simply untouchable. It may be common practice today, but Shep
Pettibone was one of the first dudes to include multiple remixes of the same tune on one single. He mastered the art of tape splicing, and the creation of flange and dub effects, as heard on his
mastermix of "Gonna Get Over You." What starts out as a normal vocal track gets flipped into a dub for the last few minutes of the record. It almost sounds to me as if
Pettibone simply made a recording of himself
DJing with two copies of the original vinyl. At some points it seems as if you can hear two records phasing with each other playing in unison, and beats doubling up and echoing in others--CHUNKY! How exactly this mix was produced back in the days before
Protools, I don't know, but I do know that it's awesome.
The second joint is called "Come Let Me Love You," by Jeanette "Lady" Day. As I took a closer look at the 12", I noticed an *asterisk* next to the title. Turns out that means this one wasn't mixed by
Pettibone, but by the legendary Francois Kevorkian! Damn...vintage Francois K from 1982 and it still sounds so fresh. The whistles and drum breaks on this track are crazy and obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so. The astute listener should recognize some cowbell samples from "Hey Ladies" by the
Beastie Boys, off of their 1989 masterpiece,
Paul's Boutique.Anyway, enjoy these jams and pay homage to classic NY radio at its best.
DOWNLOAD FRANCE JOLI--"GONNA GET OVER YOU" (SHEP PETTIBONE MIX)
DOWNLOAD JEANETTE "LADY" DAY--"COME LET ME LOVE YOU" (FRANCOIS K MIX)
The Kanye West album is good. Really, really good. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's one of the best, most cohesive Hip Hop albums I have heard in a long time. Since my boy Mike AKA BONEZ (props!) hooked me up with the ill-virtual-back-ass-of-Canal-Street internet leak yesterday I have listened to the whole record start to finish at least 3 or 4 times. It is a joint meant to be experienced as a whole, and it is enjoyable start to finish. There might be a track or two that doesn't quite stand up to the best of the rest, but everything is fully bumpable. The songwriting is fully realized, and the guest appearances (Mos Def, Coldplay's Chris Martin, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Dwele, DJ Premier) are interesting without being overwhelming or distracting. As far as comparisons go, the first thing that comes to mind is Dr. Dre's "Chronic 2001,"--another record that really sticks together and stands up as a whole. Kanye's production is slick as ice with soulful grooves interlaced with grand synths and string sections. His lyrics are honest and straight to the point. This album should go down as an instant classic. And without further ado, your boy White Label gots the exclusive hookup fa yo ass. I'm not gonna post the whole album, I'll leave that to you and google, [newb], but of course I gotta drop a couple exclusives CUZ THAT'S HOW WE DO THINGS. FALL BACK!!!
