Memory Lane: '95 WOF

[Ian Townsend]

I'm building a replica '95 WOF but it's tough because:

a) it's a purely post-00s music forum construct and
b) it's content changes depending on who you talk to!

Trawling threads on Waxidermy and Soul Strut has created a list of about 120 records so far. After cross- checking blogs related to Timmy Dig-A-Lot habits from BITD, reading Soul Mans World of Beats and watching various DITC documentaries about two dozen records have emerged as rock solid contenders including ones by David Axelrod, Dorothy Ashby, Skull Snaps, Funk Inc, 24 Carat Black, Roy Ayers, Johnny Hammond,etc...

I'd love to hear thoughts from anyone's private mind garden about their understanding of the '95 WOF or better still, if anyone has any specific memories of actually staring at one in '95!



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'95 WOF: Literally 1995 Wall of Fame: Desirable records and grails, mainly of the funk, soul and jazz variety that adorned the walls of record shops in 1995 and had gained fresh status because they contained breaks that had been used by Hip Hop producers for bands like the Wu Tang Clan, Beatnuts etc...

BITD: Back in the day

DITC: Digging In The Crates

The phrase '95 WOF is used a lot in record sales speak on various sites.
In 1995 the Roosevelt Hotel record conventions were in full swing.

[Ian Townsend]

Hmmm. Well that little bit of graphic fun didn't work out very well did it?

[mr sayers]

Great stuff Ian man, can't wait to see the finished thing. Couple of contenders off the top of my head - Ramp - 'Come into the knowledge' and 'Giant - S/T (The one with 'Queen of downs on').

[Ian Townsend]

Great stuff Ian man, can't wait to see the finished thing. Couple of contenders off the top of my head - Ramp - 'Come into the knowledge' and 'Giant - S/T (The one with 'Queen of downs on').

Brilliant, cheers Craig. RAMP seems to be one of the universally embraced '95 WOF staples. Embarassed to confess I had no idea what RAMP was until Tom B introduced me to it three years ago. I recall a thread from later somewhere about people assuming the name stands for Roy Ayers Music Project but he denies it.? I may be wrong. I suspect a wade through Wax Poetics would sort that.

I had 'Giant' quite low down the list from someone mentioning it in a 95 WOF thread but didn't have a clue what it was! I do now...thanks.

I'm pondering if the '95 WOF looked the same in the US as it did in Europe? I suspect it did as knowledge of what breaks were used on what tracks was already spreading via Hip Hop magazines, radio shows and amongst dealers too.

I think Ed Theeman's Blaxploitation site was already up in 95 and also early The Crates mailing list. Soulmans World Of Beats Vol. 11 did a report on the Roosevelt Convention in February 1995 too. I've spoken to several people who admit they eagerly wrote down all the LPs he used to list.

Any memories....or just fire off the LPs you most associate with this phenomenon? All thoughts appreciated.

Cheers.

[Tsundoku]

A few pre-95 memories for you. I used to work on a record stall in one of the markets up in Camden (the Loch before it was redeveloped) in what I'm guessing would be 1989? I had two records stolen from the stall when we did a fair at the Camden Electric Ballroom. IIRC, the records that were nicked were the Tommy Stewart LP with "Bump and Hustle" Music on (I used to have this on a bootleg as well), and the James Mason LP with "Sweet Power" on. So they'd be my top two contenders! I also remember selling boots of Starvue's LP - the one with "Body Fusion" on - so I'll throw that in there, though I think that may have been a more London thing. It's got that two-step reggae scene crossover.

[Tsundoku]

It's funny looking at "Bump & Hustle" music on Youtube and it's from '76 - so it was only 13 years old when it was revived in '89. And it's now 24 years since then.... so it has had some weird telescopic ageing half life in my head, the "revival" being older than the redicovery. If memory serves, the guy who nicked that copy actually got belted a few weeks later by Horace, a mad black dude who ran a stall in Camden Market.

(Edit: Just listened to the Tommy Stewart on Youtube - cannot enjoy this musically anymore).

[Billy Dynamite]

Good subject, will look forward to seeing the final result and would also like to see the whole list of contenders if that's possible at some point?

You mentioned Johnny Hammond, I'd extend that to a lot of the Mizell Brothers' productions from that era particularly Places and Spaces by Donald Byrd and Blacks and Blues by Bobbi Humphrey.

On a Roy Ayers/RAMP tip his label Uno Melodic which ran (I think) from 1980-1983 has some glorious stuff on it like Sylvia Striplin's album along with a couple of great 12's by Ethel Beatty. Bobbi Humphrey again, Eighties Ladies album/singles and more Roy Ayers releases.

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here!

[Expiry2011]

For some reason I'm thinking of records like Sweet Charles and Lynn Collins (although I'm not sure if that an LP or a bootleg), Voices of East Harlem, Deodato 2001 - but maybe they are from slightly earlier and not WOF?????

[Ian Townsend]

For some reason I'm thinking of records like Sweet Charles and Lynn Collins (although I'm not sure if that an LP or a bootleg), Voices of East Harlem, Deodato 2001 - but maybe they are from slightly earlier and not WOF?????

Thanks E!
Lyn Collins is a definite given the number of times she is mentioned, and your very good question is one which arises every time 95WOF comes up. Everyone has their own vision of what constitutes a 95WOF record before some people question 'but is it too early, but was it later? etc.

Someone dedicated to hunting for original breaks from their favourite Hip Hop records and buying 90s Boots will have a slightly different angle from those who were out partying at soul, funk, jazz nights. And of course dealers/ owners of record shops would make sure they had both kinds of stuff on the wall and if they weren't specialist they'd be mixed in among the usual Floyd, Beatles, Clash, Zeppelin etc..

Genuine photographs of a 95 record shop wall would probably look nothing like the 95WOF does in someone's mind anyway. It's part of the reason it interests me. It's in minds, it's used used to refer to a lot of records and it's used repeatedly in Sales yet no one has attempted to model it.

Very grateful for any thoughts at all, especially if it's just to name a record that springs to mind immediately.

[Ian Townsend]

Good subject, will look forward to seeing the final result and would also like to see the whole list of contenders if that's possible at some point?

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here!

Big Yes to the first one. Definitely. I'll post Jpegs in this thread with a typed list and some thoughts.
Big 'no apology necessary' to stating the obvious...that's exactly what will help me refine the wall.
And thank you for your nominations.

I'm already thinking of posting everything on the wall but reserving the top 50 places for ones that get mentioned most. i.e Craig referencing Giant above means two clear shouts for that on two different boards which will place it higher up but not top level.

And thank you Dan....really appreciated and your post raises the issue of records that became hot in the earlier Rare Groove days and retained or increased their heat as Timmy Digalot / YIGABOI? culture emerged in the 90s.


* Yo It Got A Beat On It?

[babycart]

To be honest there weren´t too many WOFs in Newcastle back then, unless Metallica picture discs in Pet Sounds count, but I´ve got loads of old Straight No Chasers that should give an idea of what specialist jazz shops were advertising at the time.

1995 was definitely the time when Brazilian gear really started taking off after the Blue Brazil and Brazilica comps the year before. Mr Bongo were releasing Waltel Branco & Marcos Valle comps, there were those Treasure Trove boots of Tania Maria, Azimuth and Ana Mazotti (not sure exactly when) and the OGs were obviously very desirable.

[Campag Record]

I think the WOF95, at least to my knowledge, is very much a beat digging/related thing and USA groups. It really wouldn't extend into 'obscure' Brazilian, Indian, Asian areas at that point. It was very much based on the Roosvelt shows and what producers were buying and sampling from in the early to mid 90's.

These will be probably obvious Ian as they're always mentioned and pictured in articles but some that would definitely be included:

Power Of Zeus - The Gospel According To Zeus
Tom Scott - Honeysuckle Breeze
Joann Garrett - Just A Taste
Marlena Shaw - The Spice Of Life
Jimmy Smith - Rootdown
Wayne McGhie & The Sounds Of Joy
Magnum - Fully Loaded
Surprize - Keep On Truckin'
Lialeh OST
Stark Reality

....and many more.

PS Just check Boney's little black books

[bodger]

Interesting thread Ian - I'd agree with all of the above. If Crazy Beat have any historical shots of their walls from that period they would be most useful? I remember Hayden or one of the Cambridge crowd raving about the contents after one visit - Johnny Lytle - The Loop being one lp mentioned!

I used to visit London record fairs (Black Music?) regularly during this period and TBH I only knew a fraction of the LPs on show. The majority have probably now been reissued or are well worn classics...

The Soul Searchers Lps jump to mind (S/T and Salt of the Earth). I have a fanzine buried somewhere from about 88/89, which covered big revival records of the time (one being the Soul Searchers) and I was fascinated by this. I'll see if I can rediscover it and send you a copy - it was written by a certain Simon Locke if anyone remembers him?

Early to mid 90's was also the time big warehouse finds of boxes of sealed 70's classics were turning up regularly - James Mason being one which would have added fuel to the fire?

Others that spring to mind-
Larry Young's Fuel?
Eddie Russ - The lope Song
They Call Me Mr Tibbs - OST
Any Axelrod LP
Any JB's LP
Any Doug Carn LP

[gizard]

Hi. Interesting thread indeed. I was good friends with Simon Locke who put out the concrete funk fanzine in the late 80's. I even contributed to the 3 issues that made it out.
At that time it was very much the tail end of rare groove and smack bang in the middle of beat collecting. There were record fairs in marble arch and high gate that Simon and myself used to go too. As well as the usual London record stores and stalls in Camden etc.
Even back then it was very much lyn Collins, ramp and other staples. 95 saw the inclusion of British collectables as well as the big sample sources of the time.

[SirSlim]

- Johnny Lytle - The Loop being

Definitely remember seeing that one up on the wall at Mr Bongos shop circa mid 90s - £75/£80 if memory serves.