SiNGLeS

Rip It Up, Issue 145, 1 August 1989, Page 30

SiNGLeS

LLCOOL)J I'm That Type Of Guy (CBS) 7“ & 12“ I's been about two years since the legend in leather declared his bad intentions, but apart from the evil ‘Jack The Ripper single, there’s been silence. But he's back with Walking With A Pantherand here's the first single. With a bass run humming and sailor chorus, LL tells us what slobs we are and how Goddamn good he is, of course. Most of the rap is about how LL takes your girlfriend away, you give her money, she buys Mr Cool a sweater and when you're nothome, he drops his boxer shortsin your hamper. ' The album got real critical flak, but | like it forits total lack of concern for anybody but LLCool J.llike winners. U2 Alll Wantls You (Festival) 7” & 12“ There are moments whén | like this band and thisis one of them. The simple love ballad from Rattle And Hum with strings arranged by legend Van Dyke Parks. But it's the fwo songs on the flip side that are the real gems. A cover of ‘Unchained Melody’, done by Elvis and Gene Vincent, and da Bono gets real emotive. Next up is ‘Everlasting Love’ by the Love Affair from way backin the late 60s. This one is real good, following the original’s structure, and the nifty strummed guitar really moves this one along. '

JODY WATLEY Friends (MCA) 12“ g Bestthing about this is the remix by everyone's faves Hank Shocklee and Eric Sadler, and the rap from Eric B. Pop hip-hop sometimes just doesn’t work, it can sound dumb (Fat Boys) but thisis a good combination. Jody Watley always hits the rightgroove, and check out all the funky edits, especially the Wild dub. ; TEN WEDGE Me And Mrs Jones (Regular) 7 Another Philly revival. Simply Red covered Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and this Australian trio attempt Billy Paul's homage to the other woman. There is just no way you are gonna beat the original, but I'm sure they realise that. It's just one of those songs that God created for his angels to sing, toogoodto - re-creafe. MARCYV : Let Them Stare (Elektra) 7“ It's taken me a while to tune info this guy, who some thinkis Britishyethe hasthe American big guns behind him. Produced by Arif Marfin in an almost clinically lazy - style, which meansthe beatisalmost ‘hidden, making the vocals more important Best soul single of the last few months. SAMBROWN Can | Get AWitness (A&M) 7“ Certainly the worst soul revival attempt forages. Joe Brown’s daughter Sam does lite justice to Marvin Gaye's bestgospel soul shouter. Flip it over and hear her do the same to Patsy Cline. It's hard beinga traditionalist.

THE GAP BAND I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (Arista) 125 From the movie of the same name, which looks hot. But since we haven't even got Tougher Than Leatherwe ain’t never going to see this bit of black culture. The back cover has this B-Boy in a sharp silk suit, just covered in gold, strangling the life out of him. Written by 70s soul funk supremo Norman Whitfield, and additional remix by Master Frankie Knuckles; a marriage made in disco heaven, since Whitfield is possibly the spiritual father of house. The Gap Band are always super funky (‘Burn Rubber’) and the retro production style on five mixes make this great.

PAUL KELLY & THE MESSENGERS Sweet Guy (Mushroom) 7“ :

The new albums' fitle is taken from one of Raymond Carver’s short stories of working class frustrations called ‘So Much Water So Close To Home'. This is the first single and i's good. Interesting that the song's point of view is from the woman and not the usual male vantage. | like the role reversal, and ithas a good beat that

verges on rock. | think | might take alisten to the album.

GLADYS KNIGHT Licence to Kill (MCA) 7 Following along line of Bond female title singers, like Shirley Basset, Nancy Sinatra and Sheena Easton, comes the full soul voice of Gladys Knight. It's wonderful stuff with Ms Knight belting it out with power and even Narada Michael Walden playing the Bond game by using the Bond orchestraltheme in the background.

THE STONE ROSES : Made Of Stone (Silvertone) 7* The cover puts me off, the John Squire abstract expressionism thing. It makes me aware thatthe record inside isdeadly serious, and | better like it because it's art, and therefore more meaningful. Signs can be misleading, since it sounds andfeels like a weak imitation of 60s folkie rock music. Maybe it's meant o be real deep. Butthen again, | have such simple tastes.

BRUCE COCKBURN If ATree Falls (Liberation) 7“ Here's alittle ray of sunshineinadark, - cynical world. Bruce's plea to save the planet, everything from nuclear warto the ozone layer, he has all the elements. | like - the market manipulation.

ARTHURBAKER & SHIRLEY LEWIS It’s Your Time (A&M) 7“ Don'tlike the English accentastherap intro, but once that goes, Arthur steps in with the beat and Ms Lewis starts to swing. Notbad, butin a way | expected more.

MALCOLM McLAREN Waltz Darling (Epic) 7“ Well, this lost me at first. | just can’t figure outwhat McLaren and Bootsy Collins are trying to do, conceptually anyhow. It's become one of my most played records because of this hook of incomprehensability. Apart from that, it has agreat chorus, and a bit of Strauss-like violin. I¥'s like Europop returning to its founder. McLaren pulls another fast one. KERRY BUCHANAN