Yes it’s another excellent HED KANDI album – do they release any other kind?
Featuring tracks picked from the period when house was shiny and new and hip-hop’s daisy age was blossoming, Back To Love is a retrospective with a difference. Many commercial big-hitters are sidelined in favour of underground tracks that made their mark in the clubs, on the streets and in the record collections of the more discerning listener.
Hed Kandi head honcho Mark Doyle says: “CD 1 kicks off with 2 soulful classics from the slightly obscure Ceybil Jeffries and the absolutely huge Robert Owens. Moving on, Inner City need no introduction and both Pamela Fernandez and Nicole may not sound overly familiar but one listen will take you straight back to a dancefloor in 1990. Malaika’s “So Much In Love” may be new to many people but it was one of my favourites and was missed by a lot of people when it was released.
“We raise the classic factor further with tracks by Little Louis, The Fog, Ten City and Colourblind. The penultimate track is a rare treat – a completely unreleased track by Degrees Of Motion. After their success with “Shine On” and “Do You Want It Right Now”, “Celebrate” never received a full release. It’s only through our relationship with Eric Kupper that we were able to contact Richie Jones and secure this track for the compilation (side note to my little ramble here but Back To Love is a constant reminder of what a legend our good friend Mr Kupper is… just look at the production credits for many of the tracks we’ve included during this series and you’ll see Eric’s name time and time again). We close CD1 with a hands in the air Chicago house piano anthem the timeless “Better Days” by Jimi Polo and move on to CD2.
“As always CD2 is a mixture of goodtime tunes that don’t stick to any set style but were the tracks that dropped near the end of the night purely for the reaction of the crowd. The first few are fairly relaxed but still goosebump-raising soulful anthems, from Chante Moore to The Brand New Heavies each track is a hands-in-the-air-on-the-dancefloor-with-your-friends anthem. The next few tracks add a bit of party attitude kicking off with Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” and finishing with Sugarbear “Don’t Scandalize Mine.” The close of the night (and the CD) is all about the party and I’m so happy to finally be able to include Sister Sledge “Thinking Of You.” That is swiftly followed by another soul anthem from Skipworth and Turner and the CD closes with a rare disco classic from Chicago.”
This edition – the seventh in the series – is shaping up to be one of the best ever, and with Hed Kandi’s profile just about to launch into full throttle over the Ibiza season, Back To Love will be finding its way onto many a sun-kissed stereo this summer.
More info at www.hedkandi.com
TRACKLISTING
CD1
Ceybil Jeffries Open Your Heart (Extended Remix)
Robert Owens I’ll Be Your Friend (David Morales DEF Mix)
Inner City Big Fun (Original 12” Mix)
Pamela Fernandez Kickin’ In The Beat (Extended Dance Mix)
Nicole Rock The House (Club Mix)
Malaika So Much In Love (Choice Mix)
Little Louis & Marc Anthony Ride On The Rhythm
The Fog Been A Long Time (Gio’s Doped Mix)
Ten City Right Back To You (Extended Mix)
Colourblind Nothing Better (TMVS Club Mix)
Degrees Of Motion Celebrate (12” Mix)
Jimi Polo Better Days (Original 12” Club Mix)
CD2
Chante Moore Love’s Taken Over (Extended vocal)
The Sounds Of Blackness I’m Going All The Way
Absolute (2) Introduce Me To Love (Original 12” Mix)
Mr Fingers What About This Love (Extended Version)
Frankie Knuckles It’s Hard Sometimes(FKClassicClub)
Brand New Heavies Stay This Way (Heavy Mix)
Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance (Fast Pop Mix)
NWA Express Yourself (Album Version)
A Tribe Called Quest Can I Kick It
Sugarbear Don’t Scandalize Mine
Sister Sledge Thinking Of You (Album Mix)
Skipworth & Turner Thinking About Your Love
Chicago Street Player (Album Mix)
