“I thought I had it all when it came to Brit Funk and beyond but then again I hadn't been round Joey Negros had I!!! A crucial selection from a world that inspired a whole generation of DJs and bands.” –
Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1)
Back Street Brit Funk is the latest compilation from Dave Lee aka Joey Negro released on the Z Records label. The double disc album features highly collectable and rare tracks from the late 70s through to the mid-80s from the likes of Freeez, MBT, The Hudsons, The Warriors, Mirage and more.
Brit Funk tells the story of the underground scene in the UK when punk and disco were giving way to a new blend of jazz, soul and funk, heavily influenced by the American big hitters of the day but re-worked by the UK pioneers for the British dance floors.
Just as revolutionary as the Brit clubber's style was the music they were into - often provided by American musicians easily twice their British audience's age and what's more, very much from the American jazz establishment. Names such as Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Donald Byrd and George Duke had already been around as dedicated jazzers, while groups such as Earth, Wind & Fire and The Crusaders were also borne out of that tradition. It's this body of work, along with the more commercial dance music du jour, that provided the inspiration for a new wave of UK bands and clubs to develop their own Brit Funk scene.
By 1980 the “disco” bubble had pretty much burst in the cooler UK venues, and even the more mainstream discos were starting to play jazz funk, with totally club driven records by the likes of Rodney Franklin, Azymyth and Mystic Merlin rubbing shoulders with Adam Ant, Abba and David Bowie in the Top 20 of the national charts.
Add to this a wealth of UK bands inspired by this happening club scene - Light of The World, Atmosphere, Hi-Tension, Freeez – being the better known examples. Often this home grown music was released on independent, self-financed (white) labels, or outlets based in specialist record shops like Soho's Groove and Record Shack. Created by British musicians for the UK audience, Brit Funk was raw and up-tempo and what it lacked in the smooth finesse of the polished American jazz funk it made up for with unbridled enthusiasm and energy.
What Mr Lee has done here is uncover some of the genuinely 'unsung' heroic records of the style; hard-to-find but absolutely right THERE in terms of those soul, jazz, funk and disco influences - with that Brit Funk twist!
As the '80's progressed, home-grown groups like Shakatak and Level 42 took the whole thing to the Top 10 and Top of The Pops, while variations on the UK club theme could be seen and heard in the New Romantic, Rare Groove and Acid Jazz scenes; in turn, also creating stars such as Spandau Ballet, Haircut 100, Soul ll Soul, Sade, Boy George, The Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai.
Brit Funk follows the highly successful, must have albums previously compiled by Joey Negro: Soul of Disco Vol.1 & 2, Destination Boogie and Locked In The Vinyl Cellar.
This is a unique selection of high quality music, which will have a shelf life lasting well beyond the current trends and fads. All tracks have been Cedared and re-mastered to a very high standard and now sound better than ever before.
Joey Negro has also re-edited many of the tracks exclusively for this album, updating them with a fresh new approach.
www.zrecords.ltd.uk / www.joeynegro.com
Retail Tracklisting (please note: promos are 14 track samplers):
CD 1
01 Mirage - Summer Grooves
02 Freeez - Keep In Touch
03 China Burton - You Don't Care (About Our Love)
04 Breakfast Band – L.A. 14
05 Hudson People - Trip To Your Mind
06 Ritual - Sore Lip
07 The Warriors - Destination
08 Savanna - Never Let You Go
09 Stikki Stuff - The Wiggle
10 Nigel Martinez - Better Things To Come
11 Surface Noise - Zero One
CD 2
01 52nd Street – Express
02 Incognito - Parisienne Girl
03 MBT - You Know Too Much
04 Elixia - Soho Phaze
05 Style X - No Secret Affair
06 Leiah Ikafa - Disco 2000
07 Antilles – Latin Dream
08 Ransom McKenzie + Friends - Orange Grove
09 Intrigue - I Like It
10 The Cool Notes - I Wanna Dance
11 Adrenalin - Feel The Reel
12 Ed Bentley - Bentley Boogie
"At long last the perfect Brit Funk album and of course it comes from the archives of Dave Lee. We have had a few discussions on Brit Funk/Jazz Funk in the past and it's a pleasure to listen to these tracks and smile at the memories of roller skating jams, plastic sandals, Grandad shirts, leg warmers, hung belts and all dayers. This music is in my DNA. A wonderful lesson from Mr Lee on true Brit Funk! " – Ashley Beedle
"Some of these tracks take me back to the Jazz-Funk days when I was DJ’ing at Wigan Pier, and appearing at various All-Dayers throughout the North and Midlands. Great to see some forgotten gems in there" - Greg Wilson
"Dave Lee and Z Records unearth some forgotten gems from the UK’s often over looked Jazz Funk era, worth it alone for Hudson People’s "Trip To Your Mind" and MBT’s “You Know Too Much”. This is a great comp." - Simon Faze Action
