cD Fair Den BoscH presenTe D By recorDplaneT

This November the 57th edition will take place in ’s Hertogenbosch. The first editions were held in the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam were i always went for hunting records. Later they moved to Utrecht and grew big in space. Now they found their new home in ’s Hertogenbosch.

The previous Mega Record & CD Fair on April 22 and 23 was a real treat ! It is a top location and easy to reach, parking close by and lots of space between the stands.

They have dealers from all corners of the world, coming from as far as South Africa, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Ukraine and every European country. Together they fill 16,600 square metres. The genres on sale across an area the size of nearly two football fields vary in equal amount. Krautrock, Speed metal, Prog. Nederbeat, South African jazz, Cape Verde folk, you name it. If there’s a record you’re looking for, chances are it’s here in one of our 550 stalls. They are the world’s undisputed largest record fair with an unprecedented number of visitors.

But RecordPlanet is more than just the biggest record fair in the world. It’s a place where people meet, connect and share their love and passion for music and vinyl, we feature exhibitions, autograph and listening sessions, book presentations and live performances.

Recordplanet dates 2023/2024

• August 27, 2023

Record & CD Fair Hoorn

• Sunday September 24, 2023

Record & CD Fair RAI, Amsterdam

• September 30 & October 1, 2023

Haarlem Vinyl Festival

• November 11 & 12, 2023

57th Mega Record & CD Fair

Brabanthallen ’s-Hertogenbosch

• April 13 & 14, 2024

58th Mega Record & CD Fair

Brabanthal len ’s-Hertogenbosch

• November 9 & 10, 2024

59th Mega Record & CD Fair

Brabanthal len ’s-Hertogenbosch

BoomBoX by STUaRT BaKER

SOUl Jazz RECORDS

After fermenting in the community centres, parks and block parties of the South Bronx for much of the 1970s, it was the sudden worldwide commercial success of The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rappers Delight’ at the end of 1979 that was to prove the true catalyst for the rise of hip-hop in the next decade and beyond. While Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa were already iconic figures - musical pioneers and masters (grandmasters in fact) in the art of the turntable - it was the young unknown MCs of the Gang (Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bad Hank) who led a nation of millions to realise that ‘if these guys could do it, why can’t we?’ In much the same way as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols kick-started punk, The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rappers Delight’ became the great democratiser of hip-hop. And as hip-hop mythology tells us, Sugarhill’s Big Bad Hank was being auditioned outside the pizza place where he worked by label boss Sylvia Robinson when Wonder Mike happened to walk by and knock on Miss Robinson’s taxi window to ask if he could rhyme too. The message was clear – literally ANyONE could be an MC. Hank had not even written his rhymes, instead borrowing a notebook to use for lyrics from his friend Casanova Fly (aka Grandmaster Caz of The Cold Crush Brothers), including the line ‘Check it out, I’m the C-A-S-A-N, the O-V-A and the rest is F-L-y’ which you can hear on ‘Rappers Delight’. All that was needed to make a record that could possibly sell a million was to know some musicians (usually elder siblings) who could re-play a popular disco break while you and your friends laid down some rhymes. This was the logic that led to an avalanche of hip-hop records on small and independent label at the start of the 1980s. With the corporate music industry yet to realise the music’s potential, the first hip-hop groups all signed to small independent labels based in New york. And although hip-hop’s epicentre was the South Bronx, all these labels were based in Harlem save for Sugar Hill Records, a short 20-minute drive away from 125th Street across the Hudson River into Englewood, New Jersey. And the owners of these first record companies to record hip-hop had all been involved in black music since the days of rhythm and blues dating back to the 1950s and 60s. ‘Rappers Delight,’ was released on 16 Sep 1979. By the end of the year there were around twenty hip-hop records in existence. Quick off the mark, Bobby Robinson’s Enjoy Records released early singles by The Funky Four Plus One, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Spoonie Gee (who was Robinson’s nephew), The Treacherous Three, Kool Kyle Starchild, The Disco Four and others.

Harlem, and one regular at the shop was Peter Brown, a hustling music producer. Brown released a few funk singles on his own P & P label in the early 1970s and then around 1976 began producing and distributing scores of underground disco 12s, often in partnership with producer and arranger Patrick Adams, which were released on a handful of his own boutique labels such as P&P, Heavenly Star, Land of Hits, Queen Constance and Golden Flamingo. In 1980, Adams began releasing a number of early rap tracks by the likes of Spoonie Gee, Tricky Tee, Sweety G and Margo’s Kool Out Crew. Also based in Harlem, ‘Fat Jack’ Taylor had run the rhythm and blues labels Tayster and Rojac in the early 1960s before becoming owner of the Harlem World Cultural & Entertainment Complex, aka the club Harlem World situated at 116th & Lennox Ave. The club became a central location of early hiphop when Harlem World began regularly hosting some of the first rap shows and battles. Taking advantage of this position, Taylor revived his dormant record labels to release a few classic early rap tracks by Love-Bug Starski and The Harlem World Crew, and Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. Back up on 125th Street there was also Paul Winley who, in the 1950s and early 1960s, had run Winley Records, a doo-wop label releasing The Paragons, The Jesters and others. In the early 1970s Winley switched to funk music releasing albums by Jimmy Castor, the Mighty Tom Cats and The Harlem Underground Band (which featured George Benson). At the end of the decade, quick to realise that these records were now finding favour within hip-hop circles as breaks, Winley capitalised on this and began releasing early hip-hop tracks by his daughters Paulette and Tanya, ‘zulu Nation Throw Down’, the debut release from Afrika Bambaataa, the zulu Nation and Soul Sonic Force, and a host of ‘Super Disco Breaks’ collections of funk and disco tracks popular for their breaks (such as James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’, Bob James’ ‘Take Me To The Mardi Gras’, Magic Disco Machine’s ‘Scratchin’ and so on).

But it was Sylvia and Joe Robinson’s newly powerful Sugarhill Records which swept up much of the early competition after the commercial success of the Sugar Hill Gang, luring Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Spoonie Gee and The Funky Four Plus One away from these other smaller labels. The origins of hip-hop lay firmly at the feet of the DJs, whose technical skills on the decks, matched only by their obsessive search for the percussive breaks found on old funk (and sometimes rock) records, were able to keep the B-Boys and Fly Girls moving on the dancefloor. The MCs who first came to rap were originally there as support to the DJ, to keep the party rocking. But, as hip-hop emerged out of these South Bronx communal spaces and the first records began to come out, the music changed. The old-school Harlem producers were wisely wary of using the original breaks that DJs were using to create this magpie new art form. Instead the first hip-hop records featured inhouse bands playing live and emulating these breaks. And while many of the new breed of DJs who played in clubs favoured funk breaks, most of these first hip-hop records were based on re-played disco breaks. And like Chic’s ‘Good Times’ was to ‘Rappers’ Delight’, many of these songs were current hits such as Tom Tom Club’s ‘Genius of Love’ or Cheryl Lynn’s ‘To Be Real.’ In fact, the links between disco and rap date back earlier to the ‘party style’ MCing of figures such as the legendary DJ Hollywood or radio DJs like Frankie Croc - ker. But these first record labels could not for one second accommodate the hundreds of new hip-hop artists that sprang up across America, creating in the process their own D-I-y music industry. Record labels appeared overnight, maybe just to release a one-off track of their own, or their friends’ music, as everyone from school teachers to nightclub owners rushed to showcase the talents of a new young generation of would-be/couldbe stars, and maybe make some money at the same time.

An early group with much more longevity were The Funky Four Plus One More, originally known as the Funky Four (K.K. Rockwell, Keith Keith aka Keith Caesar, Sha Rock, Rahiem), alongside the DJ team of Breakout and Baron (The Brothers

Disco). After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing (Rahiem swapping teams to join Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Lil Rodney C and Jazzy Jeff joining, Sha Rock leaving and returning) they became The Funky Four Plus One. The group can claim a number of firsts including the first mixed gender DJ/MC crew, first hip-hop track released on Enjoy Records, first hiphop group to appear on national television on Saturday Night Live, at the invite of Debbie Harry. In a 1981 interview in the NME by Richard Grabel, the group neatly describes both the evolution of hip-hop as well as the birth of the The Funky Four Plus One More from their early breaker roots: Rodney: ‘That was before rapping started. It was BBoying, wild dancing, on the floor spinning around. The MCs, all they used to say was ‘B-boys, are you ready?’ and the B-boys would get down.

It’d be sides, like me and him would break against some others.’ Keith: ‘Same with the DJ battles; my equipment against his, my crew against his crew. It started in the parks. Everybody used to bring out their sets and play out.’ Keith: ‘It was DJs and Bboys. All the groups had MCs but the MC wasn’t into rhyming or unity yet, they were just talking, like radio announcers. Then it got to a point where somebody started ‘Hip, hop, hip hipity hop’ and ‘To the beat y’all, freak freak y’all.’ And people started wanting to hear that.’ What records did you B-boy to? Keith: ‘Breaking records, fast records. Like James Brown ‘Sex Machine’, ‘Apache’ by the Incredible Bongo Band, Sly and the Family Stone ...’ Rodney: ‘Our group back then was the Brothers Disco. This is how we’d do our party: we’d play some freaky music, then a lot of B-boying. Then we’d play slow records. Then we’d tell them it was over and where we were gonna play next time.’ Rodney: ‘Then when we started hip hopping, we’d always use hit records. If a DJ played a record and everyone liked it, we’d make a routine off that record. At first the MCs didn’t do rhymes, just little sayings that the people started getting into. They started hearing it so much they started liking it. Then it got into long raps. First it was just one MC, then two. People used to think that five MCs would never work. We were the first group with five MCs.’ In 1979, The Funk Four Plus One More signed to Bobby Robinson’s Enjoy Records in Harlem, as did their main competition at Bronx hotspots like the T-Connection, the Back Door and the Spot - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The group released just one 12” single on Enjoy, the epic ‘Rap - pin’ and Rockin’ The House’ (with music supplied by the Enjoy house band led by the genius young musical director Pumpkin). Both of Robinson’s first signings were leaders at the height of their game in this new genre and had learnt their craft from the bottom up. When the Sugar Hill Gang arrived overnight they upset the natural order of things and Sylvia and husband Joe Robinson, Sugarhill Records’ bosses, (and no relation to Bobby), quickly took advantage of the commercial success of ‘Rappers Delight,’ soon enticing both The Funky Four Plus One More and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five over to Sugarhill based in Englewood, New Jersey to build up their new rap empire. The Funky Four made three further singles (including ‘That’s the Joint’ also based on Cheryl Lynn’s ‘To Be Real’) before splitting up.

The year 1979 was certainly to prove an important one for Bobby Robinson who went from a record store owner with a dormant rhythm and blues label from the 1960s to the pioneering producer of a whole new musical genre with an unparalleled set of 12” singles which over the following five years would include the debut releases of original artists such as Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, The Treacherous Three, Funky Four Plus One More, Spoonie Gee, the Disco Four and others. And while Robinson may not have had the business skills or financial weight behind him to hold on to most of his artist contracts, especially once the predatory Sugar Hill began searching around to add to their roster after the huge success of The Sugarhill Gang, his undoubted A&R skills enabled him to move faster than most and when hip-hop evolved in the early 80s, Robinson was able to diversify his catalogue with oneoff singles like the space boogie funk of female rap duo Silver Star, and similarly hip enough to catch the electro wave with seminal releases like The Packman’s ‘I’m The Packman’, although it has to be said he went out on a limb with The Disco Four’s ‘Country Rap and Rock’, a style that was never going to go far.

Another Enjoy signing was Kool Kyle The Starchild. Kyle was a teenager from the Bronx who, like many others, began as a b-boy alongside Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and many others before beco - ming an MC after witnessing Starksi performing live at a Burger King in the Bronx! After the legendary DJ Hollywood invited Kyle to perform at Club 371 in 1977, he began regularly playing in parks with DJ Neil performing as Creation Disco Fantasy at the same time as Grandmaster Flash, Cold Crush and others, before becoming a regular at Bronx clubs such as Disco Fever and T-Connection. Kyle was a friend of Pumpkin, the multiinstrumentalist, in - unlike most teenagers, their school also boasted its own record label! Challenger Records, named incidentally after the school sport’s team. Carver Area High School had already released one album, ‘Musically yours’ (1979), on a label called Mark Records, a longestablished record company that specialised in recording high school bands – madrigal singers, jazz bands, symphony bands. Carver High’s links with the Chicago music scene ran deep and on this first album we find house drummer, arranger and producer at Enjoy and in 1979, Kyle recorded ‘Do you Like That Funky Beat?’ for the label (released the following year), making him the first solo MC from the Bronx to make it onto vinyl. The song is a re-playing of the funk group B.T. Express’s ‘Do you Like It’. In 1981, Kyle appears performing with DJ Sinbad in the underground movie Downtown 81, rapping over an instrumental version of Blondie’s ‘Rapture’. He is introduced in the preceding scene by no less than JeanMichel Basquiat, Fab Five Freddy and Lee Quinones graffitiing a wall outside the club where Kyle is performing. Jean-Michel Basquiat: ‘Who’s inside?’ Fab Five Freddy: ‘yeh, this DJ from the Bronx man’ Jean-Michel Basquiat: ‘Any good?’ Fab Five Freddy: ‘He’s serious man, you wanna check him out.’

The George Washington Carver Area High School, nowadays known as the Carver Military Academy, is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois. In 1982, young students at the school were as excited about the current musical trend of the day as were the rest of their country. But directing the band is drummer Curtis Prince (previously a member of the local rhythm and blues band Odell Brown and The Organisers who recorded for Chess/ Checker Records) as well as a special guest appearance by the legendary arranger Johnny Pate on piano. In 1982 the school created their own Challenger

Records and the first release, The Carver Area High School Seniors ‘Get Live ’83 (The Senior Rap)’, has surely got to be the grooviest debut for any school band to make it onto vinyl ever! After introducing the song with a shout out to their music teacher and drummer, ‘Okay Mr Harris, hit it!’, a roll call of solo young MCs – including Magic C (‘dedicated, еducated, nominated, sophisticated’), Doctor Thomas, Slick Rick and Maura G – all make way for ‘whole class’ raps from Division One through to Seven with shouts on the way to teachers Lady T, Mr Whitfield and Mrs Warren and all the while keeping time to the Challenger beat: ‘Ms C.M. Warren don’t take no jive All we have to do is try our best And get As and Bs on our test’ The seniors of the Class of ’83 were soon to go out into the world on their own but Carver High continued under the direction of John Harris, Curtis Prince, Johnny Pate and Earl ‘Teddy’ Thomas releasing a further album ‘Dealin’ With It’ and two

The yO ! Boombox sampler can be bought at Soul Jazz Records: www.souljazzrecords.co.uk

YO! BOOMBOX

EARLY INDEPENDENT HIP HOP, ELECTRO AND DISCO RAP 1979-83

SJR LP530-7/LP530/CD530 Rel Date 19 May

Yo! Boombox is the new instalment of oul jazz recods’ Boombox seies on the ealy days of hip-hop on vinyl and featues some of the many innovative undegound fist-wave of ealy ap and disco ap ecods made in the  in the peiod 1979-83. This new collection celebates these fist old-school ap ecods, binging togethe ae, classic and obscue tacks eleased in the ealy days of ap.