Funky Street

Rip It Up, Issue 82, 1 May 1984, Page 22

Funky Street

Various Artists Street Beat (K-Tel)

The bop that won't stop. A cool vinyl of hot tracks reflecting the state of the art in New York dance technology. From Silverman and Baker's Tommy Boy label we have Jonzun Crew's influential Pac Jam' and Space Cowboy’ (with some lost in space yodelling, no less), G.L.0.8.E. and Whizz Kid (a fun rap over some nice understated electrobeats) and Planet Patrol who have more in common with the Temptations than Grandmaster Flash, which makes the synthesis of vocals and electrobeat more interesting. Imagine the soul power of Motown with the electronic funk of Afrika Bambaata

and you've got Planet Patrol's 'Play At Your Own Risk'. D Train continue to produce high quality soul with 'You're the One For Me' this is groove music at its best. Roger Troutman from Zapp attemps T Heard It Through the Grapevine' and fails. Kraftwerk have Tour de France' but in this collection they are called 10 Speed for a reason that's beyond me. ' By far the best street dance collection released yet. KB S.O.S. Band On the Rise (Epic) This set has the year’s best black dance track the slow and slinky 'Just Be Good to Me', which features a monster rhythm and wonderful vocals from Mary Davis. Urgent and soulful, this year's 'Sexual Healing'. Thankfully, the album has some fine moments to match that track. Tell Me If You Still Care' and 'Forever Love' have a similar feel, with great production from Jimmy Jam. The second side is more traditional in its hard funk approach, with 'l'm Not Running' and a version of Johnnie Taylor's 'Who's Making

Love'. Some tracks, like Steppin' the Stones', have an R&B feel, sounding like early Rufus. A solid black music album chock full of soul. KB Rockwell Somebody's Watching Me (Motown) If this is the new Motown, I'll stick with the old one. The Motown sound today seems to be the sound of young black America counting its money and reeking of self-satisfaction and paranoia. In 'Somebody's Watching Me' Rockwell thinks that the I.R.S. are after him and he even covers Harrison's 'Taxman'. Nearly all the other songs are victim-orientated - the self observing the self. The rhythms are heavy and synthladen and if it wasn't for Michael Jackson's backing vocals he would not have had a hit. KB Hot Chocolate Love Shot (EMI) These boys are more of an English institution than 'just a band. They've been around longer and had more hits than any of the current great pretenders to the pop throne. Past tracks like 'Heaven's

in the Back Seat of My Cadillac', and 'You Sexy Thing' are just pure pop-funk pleasure. Their current work is more in the line of lovers' rock, with the fine, but underrated vocals of Errol Brown telling us sweetly that 'l'm Sorry' but Let's Try Again', because T Gave You My Heart (Didn't I)'. This is a sweet "lovers" record; pop music with style and soul. . KB Kool and the Gang In the Heart (De-Lite)

As street/electro funk gets harder and more politically aware (check out Keith Le Blanc's work on Malcolm X's 'No Sellout') mainstream black artists get softer, searching for.that big crossover hit. It's sad in the case of Kool and the Gang, who began as a tough ghetto band and now sound like a black Crosby, Stills and Nash. The current hit single, Joanna', is indicative of the overall sound - nice, sweet and bland. The Great White Wash, lost and devoid of funk. KB