Back in the 90’s Bottom Line Records became known for soulful House tracks that packed dance floors around the world. Under the guidance of Ed The Red and his productions help put New Jersey on the musical map. That Jersey sound found champions the world over and became synonymous with places like Zanzibar and The Shelter! The sound known collectively as Garage named for Manhattan’s famous Paradise Garage was the sound and Bottom Line had it down. Many vocalists and producers who helped form that sound had releases on Bottom Line Records: Reggie and Ron Burrell, Lenny Fontana, Jerzzey Boy, Moore Classic Wall, and singers like Annette Taylor, M.J. White and Barbara Dixon found a home for their silky soulful vocals on top of chunky house tracks!
Then there was Vivian Lee! Vivian Lee originally from Alabama recorded what was to be Bottom Line’s biggest hit “Music Is So Wonderful” in 1986! Tony Humphries broke it at club Zanzibar where it became an instant hit. Since then the song has been released numerous times sometimes just called “Wonderful” and not always giving proper credit to the artist.
Back in the 90's when DSG started with our first record label Wizz records, we licensed & released, Ed The Reds'' It's Alright'' with my own mixes under the names Bingo Bango Bongo, Funky Disco & The Nu Groove, plus help from Love Station (Teardrops, Strike You Sure Do) and Loveland (Let The Music Lift You Up), the release came on a CD single, Two 12 inch singles including one in (Ed The) Red vinyl which reached #2 in the UK Club chart & got rave reviews including 5 dancing men in mixmag.
Fresh for 2016, Ed The Red decided to revisit the single himself after I suggested that a new 2016 Disco, Soulful mix would be just what the doctor ordered. This mix oozes with funky, Fatback Latin classness and should be a big one for the summer of 2016. ED THE RED - MUSIC IS SO WONDERFUL 2016 - Released on Bottom Line records released 17th June.
Just released on DSG Music through, i Tunes, Amazon, Beatport, Juno and other download sites. The song is currently in the top 10 of Solar Radio's ''Sweet Rhythm's Soul Chart'' and has been played on many BBC Radio shows. The song was also a record of the week on John Leech's popular radio show. The song also entered the Amazon's best sellers chart. REVIEWS POSTED BELOW: Texas-born singer Rudi Wilburn has more than a touch of classic soul singers like Barry White in his voice. But it was a trip to Europe that introduced him to Stephane d'Esposito, aka Neo, a talented producer and songwriter, with whom Rudi wrote the song “Your Smile” in 2005. The song became a hit at selective venues throughout Europe, but never got the shine it deserved until this year, when noted producer Billy Drizabone reworked the backing track to give it a new, hotter sound. Review with thanks to Soul Tracks
Rudi learnt his craft in the juke joints of Texas and cites his influences as Barry White, Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye and it's his wonderful sonorous voice that graces the song... no wonder it's been a popular spin on the modern soul scene for a number of years. Review with thanks to Souljazzandfunk.com
Currently the hottest tune on the modern soul scene is 'Your Smile' by NEO. Neo of course, is French piano man Stephane d'Esposito and he penned the song with the vocalist Rudi Wilburn. The song first came out in 2005 but this year it won the attention of Gary Van den Bussche who runs the wonderful Disco Soul Gold organization which includes the boutique label DSG Records. So, Gary got his old mate Billy Freeman from Drizabone to remix 'Your Smile'. Big Bill retained the magic of the original but added those special, infectious Drizabone elements to the cocktail and the new version took the modern soul world by storm.
If you want more of 'Your Smile', the good news is that it's about to become available in two new mixes.
First up is CW's Soulful Mix. Slightly slowed down, this one will once again appeal to the sophisticated modern soul crowd. With a lush, spoken passage, the ambience is Barry White meets Lou Rawls ... and that can't be bad can it?
The second tweak – the 12 Shades Dirty Groove Mix – is a touch more experimental. Almost in soulful house territory, it features a loping bass line and some wonderful Donald Byrd style trumpet which creates an appealing, ethereal atmosphere.
Whatever mix you go for, you'll enjoy some classy, proper modern soul..
MFSB how does it feel to be in your 40th anniversary year of indamixworldwide?
Not of indamixworldwide, Gary, but rather indamix. Feels like this all started yesterday, although it also at times gives me the feeling this sounds like the Middle Age, when remembering my very first gig in a club back in… 1974
DJ Spinna with MFSB
So you used to be a musical journalist for Coda Magazine, any highlights from
your time spent there?
Coda Magazine which, for some time, happened to be the leading mag in France in
terms of Electronic Dance Music, but not only.
I started as a reviewer at the end of the 80’s when back from UK where
I’d lived for a year for mag called De La Dance as a wink to… De La Soul, then
switched 2 years after to Black News, then to Coda Magazine back in 1995. I’ve
always considered music as a whole, exposed to almost everything, as long as it
was groovy, be it acoustic as its most advanced (progressive) electronic forms.
My highlights from this period as a journo? My meeting with Nile Rodgers and
the late Bernard Edwards for the release of the last Chic album back in 1992.
The one with Barry White who honored and graced me with his friendship from
then. Not to mention Guy (Teddy Riley and the brothers Hall) at London’s
Hammersmith (the Labatt’s Apollo then). Will Downing, Mica Paris, Omar… Carl
McIntosh, Jazzie B and Maxi Priest who I happened to meet at a same table
during the final of a DMC World Championships at Wembley Arena. The late Guru.
But also Randy Muller who I happened to meet incidentally during the Winter
Music Conference in Miami. Roy Ayers, who I first met in Miami too with
Nuyorican Soul. Gil Scott-Heron who I got introduced to after a concert at
NYC’s S.O.B. Femi Kuti, both in NYC and Paris, and the list seems like endless
since. I’ll never forget neither the first time I saw Kenny Bobien singing live
who got me into tears at a place where I happened to meet Mel Cheren of the
Paradise Garage who would so to say adopt me as his nephew soon after. And
neither will I forget when Freddy Sannon (Shelter Records) got me to see the
very last vinyl factory in activity somewhere in NJ state…
Tell us about the rise & fall of indamixworldwide. com
It all started from a column – Indamix – which I initiated on Coda Magazine,
dedicated to Garage and (soulful) House Music. Many people overseas who were
receiving it told me it was cool although they’d like it to be written in
English as opposed to French for a better understanding. So I started sending
them a translated version in English via email. Then a friend of mine who was a
neighbor created a website and asked me about a name to put on it. I naturally
came up with… Indamix although it was the name of a XXX rated website. So I
added worldwide to it, as a wink to Gilles Peterson’s famous radio show of the likes
and that was it.
He was the webmaster and I was the editor, but he relocated to another place
and left me the keys of the whole, although I was a total newbie in terms of
programming.
I wanted to work on a more elaborated system but didn’t have a single clue, so
I started learning languages such as Xhtml, java, css although never found a
way to put everything into form. I then decided to put Indamixworldwide.com on
hold…
Who has given you the inspiration to still be in the music industry 40 years
on?
I wouldn’t see myself doin’ anything else. I started as a DJ, I worked either
as a technician either as a presenter for various radio stations. I’ve turned
myself into a journalist. I’ve released compilations for various labels. I’ve
always felt the need to share what I thought to be the best.
MFSB started from a DJ background, do you ever see yourself, going back out
there & spinning again?
Very much so. To me, there’s nothing like the direct contact. Meeting a crowd,
warmin’ them up and getiin’ them into your own game with the will to have them
havin’ one of these times… And even more when comin’ to jam together with other
people. I couldn’t forget that night during a festival in the South of France
when, together with Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer, a bunch of Cuban
percusionnists and a Jazz saxman, we’ve ended up blending vibes like a live
orchestra… Same feeling when I happened to spin a few times accompanied by
Sammy Figueroa who was Miles Davis and Chic’s percussionist. As many communions
that saw us speakin’ the same language although hailing from different parts of
the worl, havin’ different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. I still have
the same emotion when remembering this…
What are your three favorite Disco/ Soul jams of all time ?
Tricky
question to say the least! I’ll then speak in terms of meaning, with no
specific order…
Inner Life featuring Jocelyn Brown – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, as it’s a
constant sign of hope.
The O’Jays – ‘I Love Music’, as it tells about what I’m expecting from music.
The Isley Brothers – ‘Go All The Way’, as I never wanted to be emprisonned into
any specific genre of music…
How do you see your future?
Hmmm, another one… But I suppose I’d like to come up with a radio station and
spread the idea of… Indamix!
MFSB
is currently the editor for the Facebook page indamixworldwide. The page is a
unique concept of selectors, posting on the page in a Radio style, with,
pictures, groovy music ranging from Disco to House, with funk driven jams in
between The selectors do an Hour show, posting new, remixed, or classic jams
with instant crowd feedback with an audience close to 20,000 - Each selector
sets
a genre or theme for their daily or weekly show & post to the live Facebook
followers taste, with topical comment about the news or weather. Each selector
comes from a different part of the world, hence the name, indamixworldwide,
with different no only languages, but musical taste & popularity from
country to country. Each selector is chosen & tested on a test page, to see
if they have a superior musical taste & knowledge, not only this, they have
to fit in with the indamixworldwide formula & family.
The
indamixworldwide page has been running everyday for the past three years, it
has a weekly chart, single of the week, plus it does promotions for upcoming
new releases & it's all free of charge, all indamixworldwide ask is that
you support the page.
Are there any plans to start a Radio Station?
Definitely, although I need the right partners to fullfil this dream…
Are you still looking for selectors to
post on the page
Anyone willing to share her/his love for music and people while edutaining them
is more than welcome.
If
you could only take three songs to a party what would they be?
Here we go for another round, huh? Alright then, same as previously, because of
their meanings…
Chic – ‘Everybody Dance’, as a starter.
Romanthony – ‘In The Mix’, as its title speaks for itself, although it also
could be ‘Bring U Up’…
Joe Smooth – ‘Promised Land’, as there’s nothing like inspirational music to
get you higher…
Thanks
very much for your time MFSB, I would like to say, here's to the next 40 years...
Likewise, Gary. Although I do hope we won’t have to wait until then to meet up
and have a couple of drinks, as a starter of course!
