Ninja Crew - We Destroy / Baby T. Rock

Another one I had on an old Mike Allen tape that I loved when I first heard it but it was the b-side he played and never the a-side, to my knowledge. I often wondered if he listened through the records before broadcasting his show or if he just played the b-sides by accident. Still, nice accident if that was the deal. I only got my copy about three years ago and it sounds decent considering the 4sight pressings were pretty average. I like 'We Destroy' but it's the b-side that kills it for me.

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Easy Mike - The State We're In / It's Too Political

There's some talk on discogs re this 12" about it being the first time the break from James Brown's  'funky drummer' was heard and I would certainly concur with that. The record itself for me is not that exciting but I have it only for the memory of hearing that break for the first time and being blown away. I don't think I really knew what it was after being bombarded for a couple of years with ball bustin' drum machine beats. I got in to breaks not long after this record and bought all the UBB LPs over time which I still have today. This is ok really. Reminds me of Mike Allen's radio show too, which is nice, God bless 'im.

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MC's Of Rap - Domination

If you're looking for a firin' bass heavy electro banger then you're in the right place. Been after this one for a bit but no UK sellers had it on offer until a few weeks back where I stumbled upon this little beauty for just shy of a fiver. The sound of '86 is back y'all. Well, it should be.

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Sugar Ray Dinke - Cabrini Green

For me and maybe a few others this is definitely a throwback to the John Peel radio show. I bought a copy maybe a week or so after hearing it on his show one night, traded it soon after and bought this copy about a year ago for next to nowt and it's mint. I did try and get one on the original label and it used to irritate me a little if I couldn't get the US import copy if it was a US record but it bothers me less so these days. A great record and there's some info on discogs about him which is short but worth a read as I have nothing on him except for the memory of hearing him when I was about 16 or 17. Tune!

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Fresh Girls - Mandingos - I Got The Bass

Someone requested this many years ago on this very blog and I didn't have a copy then so I bought one. Another one I had in '86 but traded among my friends at the time and one I wasn't super keen on mainly because of the 'row, row, row your boat' tune that sounds like it was played on a kazoo. You can't deny that super heavy Miami bass packs a major punch though and I don't mind it so much now.

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M.C.B. - It's Your Scratch (Do What You Wanna Do)

I mentioned some years ago that I was on a mission to get back some old records I used to own and this was on the list. Discogs had a few over the years for a while but people were wanting a little more than I was willing to pay so I guess I got lucky wining one on ebay a few weeks back for a fiver. I can tell you're really pleased for me. The sleeve's a little beat up and is taped together - looks better than it sounds - but the wax is nice and that's the main thing. I recall buying my first copy in '86 from the import box in the Virgin store on the high street in Sheffield but can't remember if I sold it or traded it. Doesn't matter now though. Another Amos Larkins sure shot!

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J. Grey - Miami

After a long and forced hiatus we're back in the room and here's a corkin' tune from '86 to kick off the new year. Anquette's 'Throw The P' is the A-side cut but I much prefer this one personally. More to come, hopefully..

P.S, thanks to my man Machiventa for sorting out the problem, long time no see mate.

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Progression - Tom Tom

I had to hunt this record down after Mike Allen played it one time and it took me years to get a copy but I eventually copped one from Roulette Records in the city centre. I traded it many years back and only actually returned it to the ever increasing collection a couple of years back now, in fact almost exactly two years ago today. Top tunage.

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Divine Sounds - My Mother

As it's mother's day tomorrow in the UK I thought I'd let you present your mom with a little something special to brighten up her day. For the rest of you, 'The Circus' is on  the other side.

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Ultimate III - Ultimate III Live!

This could be the best hip hop 12" released in 1986 and a definite contender for best hip hop record of all time. In my opinion.

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Rap-O-Matic Ltd - Lies, Lies

Another vivid memory from my youth is John Peel playing this one evening. DJ Cheese allegedly did all the excellent wax flexing on here although he is uncredited on the label and it does sound like his style. Did I mention DJ Cheese came to my home town not long after he became the  '86 DMC world mixing champion? Think I probably did. He also revolutionised the way the people looked at the competition and made it a whole lot more interesting at the same time. His entry is still my fave of all time. I was sat open mouthed the whole time I was listening to it live on Radio 1. Probably. Shame they never started filming the event until the year after.

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Freddy B & The Mighty Mic Masters - Freddy's Back / The Main Event...Word

I treated myself to one of these just recently and at £1.50 it was a steal. 'The Main Event' is the one though and a throwback to the John Peel days too. Top tunage.

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Scorpio & Jazzy Jay - (Go Michael) Air Jordan

Been busy, busy, busy so thought I'd offer up a really nice and criminally (geddit?) under rated 12" to keep you going a little while..

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Word Of Mouth (Feat.DJ Cheese) - Coast To Coast

There's a thing on the radio next week about John Peel presented by Annie Nightingale and for some reason when I read the blurb on it I was reminded of this record. There was a thing ages back on BBC2 and he introduced WOM doing this track as it was their new single. It's nowhere near as good as the mighty 'King Kut' but it's ok.

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MC Shy D - DJ Man Cuts It Up

Always rated Shy D back when I was breaking so buying this was a no brainer. 4Sight's pressings weren't always that great - the flimsy vinyl doesn't help - but it's very listenable and a good reminder of how we used to listen to music. I'm still trying to make some of my workmates understand but they shake their iphones at me and tell me that's all they need. My vinyl will last longer than your telephones you fuckers. That's what I tell 'em.

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The Masterdon Committee - Get Off My Tip

This has been on heavy rotation just recently. I remember John Peel playing it and remarking on how fresh Pebblee sounded and she still sounds fresh today. Brilliant record.

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Kaptain Jam & The Mighty Finesse - I Can't Stand You

Bought a copy of this last year after trading my original purchase in the late eighties and I think it's a pretty fresh jam. A mate of mine bought it on a London trip and I had it within a couple of weeks 'cos he used to play records to death and get tired of them fairly quickly. I was guilty of doing the same occasionally but he now has zero records in his collection and I still have a few and it's steadily growing back again to where I think it should be. If I still had every record I'd ever bought it'd be in to the thousands and I'd need a bigger place but sacrifices had/have to be made 'cos not everything you buy is a winner. 'The Way We Rock' is the B-side cut which I used to prefer but after a recent re-cap I'm not so sure. It only cost me three quid too.

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Cut Master D.C. - Santa's Beat Box

I wanted to be able to scratch like the Cut Master real bad. I would say he was the first major influence on me as far as scratching goes but if I'm honest I never quite got it the style I was looking for before I gave up in the early nineties. Listen to track 3 at around 2:08 and tell me that doesn't still sound dope today. Happy Christmas readers.

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Supreme Force - You Gotta Come Out Fresh

Always liked this one, had it since '86 too, this is my kind of record. Crews bouncing off each other before passing the mic, you know, the Cold Crush or Fantastic Five type of thing. Everybody around this time had to be influenced by those guys and it's evident here. Tough beats, solid rhymes, and they're called 'Supreme Force' so it was a no brainer for me. NIA was a decent label too.

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MC Chill - MC Story

I think MC Chill is under represented on these types of things. My first listening experience came via a tape one of my brothers got from a new kid at school - I think I made a reference before - and he presented it to me with marks out of 5 for each track and he gave 'Bust This Rhyme' a '2' which, I think is pretty unfair as he 'left' hip hop around the same year and now listens to anything from Pearl Jam to Bing fuckin' Crosby so I give him '0' out of 5 for that choice. Anyway, an online acquaintance showed me a youtube vid of a live performance of Mr. Chill upped by the man himself so I thought I'd dig this out to show some respect and enthusiasm I guess for a decent 12" from '86. My personal fave is 'Downbeats' so I might get around to that at some point if I remember. I really think ' The Prophesy' is one of his worst but, what the hell.

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