Rolling Reissues 2024

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Arthur Baker presents
Breaker's Revenge
Original B-Boy and B-Girl Breakdance Classics
SOUL JAZZ RECORDS
1. Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band – Scorpio
2. The Jimmy Castor Bunch – It's Just Begun
3. B.T. Express – Energy Level
4. James Brown – Get On The Good Foot
5. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock
6. Manu Dibango – Soul Makossa
7. Esther Williams – Last Night Changed It All
8. The Mohawks – The Champ
9. Herman Kelly & Life – Dance To The Drummer’s Beat
10. Spanky Wilson – Sunshine of Your Love
11. James Brown – Give it Up Or Turnit A Loose
12. Candido – Soulwanco
13. Arthur Baker – Breaker's Revenge
14. Manu Dibango – The Panther
15. Abaco Dream – Life and Death in G & A
16. The Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine
17. Mongo Santamaria – Cloud Nine
18. Edwin Starr – I Just Wanna Do My Thing
19. Badder Than Evil – Hot Wheels
20. Johnny Bristol – Lusty Lady
Compiled by legendary producer Arthur Baker, ‘Breakers Revenge’ is a near-definitive collection of original Funk, Soul, Latin, Disco and Electro classic tracks from 1970-1984.

These tracks, a combination of classics and obscurities, have all since become legendary to Breakdancers everywhere. First played at South Bronx block parties, community halls and park jams in the 1970s and 80s, spun endlessly by the first three major hip-hop DJs - Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa – and found in the record crates of any DJ of note ever since.

Seminal funk and soul tracks such as Dennis Coffey’s ‘Scorpio’, The Jimmy Castor Bunch’s ‘It’s Just Begun’, James Brown’s ‘Get on the Good Foot’, The Mohawks’ ‘Champ’ sit side-by-side here with the ground-breaking classic electro of Afrika Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock, and Arthur Baker’s own definitive ‘Breakers Revenge.’

Breakdancing has come a long way from its New York roots to its respected position as an art form today where, for the first time ever, it is to be featured in the Olympics held in Paris this August 2024.

The ‘breakbeat’ remains at the very heart of hip-hop, the mercurial funk, soul and disco tracks, always 100% guaranteed to get B-Boys, B-Girls and Breakdancers moving at any block party, with the percussive breakdown of each track the pinnacle soundtrack to any dance/battle between Breakdancers of any note.

Similarly these tracks have been sampled many 1000s of times over by every hip-hop artist and producer of note. KRS-ONE, Marley Marl, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Eric B, The Fugees, Outkast, Mos Def, Main Source, Jungle Brothers, LL Cool J, De La Soul and, well, everyone!

Compiler Arthur Baker played a pivotal role in hip-hop history when in 1982 he produced Afrika Bambaataa’s seminal ‘Planet Rock’ (as featured here), introducing electronic instruments into hip-hop for the first time ever and in the process created electro. After ‘Planet Rock’, Arthur Baker went on to remix or produce every major artist of note – from New Order to the Rolling Stones, Al Green to the Pet Shop Boys.

This Soul Jazz Records vinyl release is presented as a deluxe gatefold double vinyl, with two bespoke inner sleeves and download code, the double CD comes in digi-case includes full notes and booklet. Both formats come complete with introduction by Arthur Baker, extensive sleevenotes, including track-by-track breakdown. by hip-hop historian JayQuan, and striking images from photographer Sophie Bramly.

“What I truly loved about early Hip-Hop was that the music thrown down by ‘Bam, Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jay and Kool DJ Herc was genre-less, multi-cultural, music from all ends of the world. This is the definitive collection, including all the classics (other than a couple that alas we couldn’t get the rights too), and some real hard to find obscurities.” Arthur Baker

REVIEWS:

Mojo Magazine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Famed electro producer selects the breakdance tracks that matter before its Olympic debut in Paris.
Marries essential well-knowns with critical obscurities.

Record Collector Magazine: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These are the breaks.
18 key tracks spun at the earliest parties by Kook Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa … early building blocks for KRS One, Public Enemy, De La soul etc.
Beautiful.

The Wire Magazine: an undeniably handsome package… simply gems that deserve a fresh airing.

************SPECIAL EVENT************

SORRY< THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT >

To launch the album there is a very special event with Arthur Baker in conversation with Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records) on Thu 27 Sep at 6.30pm at Sounds of the Universe.

You can buy tickets for this event NOW.

You can buy a ticket+ signed album (LP or CD) bundle or a ticket on its own. The album bundle guarantees you a special copy of the album signed by Arthur Baker which you can up at the event.

Space is limited and this event will sell out.

EVENT INFORMATION:

An Intimate Evening With Arthur Baker

Arthur Baker in conversation with Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records founder)

6.30pm Thurs 27 June at

Sounds of the Universe

7 Broadwick Street

Soho, London W1F 0DA

Before they achieved stardom the world over with “It’s Raining Men,” Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes Armstead made waves in the thriving San Francisco music scene as Two Tons o’ Fun (and, later, The Two Tons). The powerhouse duo began working with gender- and genre-defying artist Sylvester at Fantasy Records, singing background and lead vocals on many of his most memorable recordings. In 1980, they struck out on their own and teamed with legendary Motown veteran Harvey Fuqua (who had also helmed Sylvester’s beloved albums) for two remarkable LPs on his Honey Records imprint. Fusing disco, dance, soul, funk, and R&B with roof-raising, gospel-tinged vocals, both Two Tons o’ Fun and Backatcha put the extraordinary voices of “Queen of Clubland” Wash and Armstead out front. Now, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to celebrate the Two Tons with a complete 2-CD anthology that serves as a companion to last year’s acclaimed Sylvester release, Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981. Two Tons o’ Fun’s Get the Feeling: The Complete Fantasy/Honey Recordings brings together, on 2 CDs, both of the Two Tons’ albums – the first of which features Sylvester himself in the band – plus a host of rare single versions, remixes, and extended versions. Among the highlights are the top five Dance smashes “Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven” and “I Got the Feeling” as well as such R&B and Dance hits as “I Depend on You” and “Never Like This.” Both albums have long been overlooked; their last CD reissue was more than thirty years ago in the U.K.; this collection marks both albums’ U.S. CD debut, while most of the bonus tracks are also new to worldwide CD. For the occasion, all audio has been newly remastered by Mike Milchner, and we are remastering the two albums straight from the original tapes, so this collection will offer a big sonic upgrade. The collection also contains a deluxe booklet featuring liner notes by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese and unseen photos. With the return of Two Tons o’ Fun, only one exclamation is appropriate: Hallelujah!

Boy, do we have a lot of good stuff coming the next few weeks! Get the feeling!

Real Gone Gordon and Gabby

Numero:

Blondie: Against All Odds (Super Deluxe Edition)
This one deserved a dedicated email. As you've already seen, we have an insane release schedule ahead of us this summer and that doesn't even include 3 more boxset announces coming this fall. I have less than 100 copies of the Super Deluxe version of the Grammy-Nominated Blondie: Against All Odds 1974-1982 boxset and I'm trying to move them ASAP to your house and out of my warehouse. This is THE version to own and a MUST to complete your Numero collection. It'll take you months to get through all this I'm not even joking. It probably weighs almost 20 pounds.

50% off until July 1.

Blondie: Against All Odds (Super Deluxe Edition)
The set includes:
- 124 tracks / 36 previously unissued
- Two volumes of liner notes, track by track commentary, illustrated discography, and dozens of previously unpublished photos
- Remastered from the original analog tapes, vinyl cut at Abbey Road Studios
- Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition (10xLP, 1x7”, 1x10” on heavy weight black vinyl, 2 hard cover books)

It was eight years ago that we assigned the catalog number 070 to the band Blondie. One of my bosses, Ken Shipley, had just returned from Chris Stein’s Woodstock estate where the band’s historic recording archive sat under a blanket of barn dust for decades. Over the ensuing years, the project has taken many shapes, growing from a humble set of four LPs to the massive Super Deluxe Edition 10xLP+10”+45+2 books boxset.

Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 gathers the original line-up’s six albums, including Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter, four additional LPs of session outtakes, B-sides, and demos, a 10” with the 1975 Alan Betrock demo and a previously unissued 1974 rehearsal tape, and a 45 rpm single featuring their rumored-to-exist cover of the Doors’ “Moonlight Drive” and the at-home sketch of “Mr. Sightseer”—a whopping 124 studio tracks.

Erin Osmon’s liner notes tell the group’s story in exacting detail, with session commentary from Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Frank Infante, Nigel Harrison, and Gary Valentine, and essays from producers Richard Gottehrer and Mike Chapman all housed in a glorious foil-wrapped, 144-page, hard cover book.

A second 120-page volume gives a discographical overview of the period via hundreds of pic sleeves, 45 labels, international sleeve variants, flexis, cassettes, and even 8-tracks. This behemoth of a box set weighs 17 pounds and is hands down the most in depth physical release we’ve manifested in our 21 year history.

50% Off Until July 1