LABEL: D.M.C.
SERIES: N/A
GROUPING: N/A
RELEASE YEAR: 1988
CATALOGUE NO: 71/3
RUN OUT GROOVES: DMC71/3-A-1 TY1 (Side A) DMC-71/3-B-1 TY1 (Side B)
COUNTRY: U.K.
FORMAT: 12" Vinyl
COMMENTS: -

WHAT MIXMAG HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS MONTH'S D.M.C. MIXES:
Well, another year draws to a close and, following tradition, Decembers package signals a special end of year treat, as we turn the preview LP over to the DMC producers to create three full albums of amalgamations and rebuilt hits. The increase in space availability also gives us a chance to look back over the year-gone-by and pay tribute to different musical styles with our 'Best Of The Year' mixes, each spanning over 20 minutes in length - so have, fun! It's one of those 'Best Of Mixes' which opens the final set of 1988, with Brian 'Bizzie Bee' Butler switching his attentions to some of the best moments of pop dance hits of the past 12 months from the Pet Shop Boys to Yazz, through Bros, Kylie Minogue and Bomb the Bass (well it was No 2 in the pop charts!), Bizzie has saved you the trouble of scanning through your record collections and brought all the big charts hits together for a reminiscent mix that is bound to endure severe exposure over the festive season. If a musical genre had to be picked out as the one which received the most attention however, it would have to be 'House'. With the advent of acid and the media coverage that it received everybody seemed to latch onto the Smiley T-shirts, manic arm-waving dancing and the chant of "Acieed." So, following on from the classic 'House '87, the 'Housemaster' Dakeyne spent over 2 days sifting through the hundreds of 1988's house releases, before narrowing it down to just nineteen big ones. Now you have the definitive House Mix of the year, hit the smoke machine, flick on the strobe and enjoy "House music all night long"! The first of two Mike Gray creations kicks off the first half of Mixes 2 with the big funk/soul/dance selection conjuring up some future (if not already!) classic dancefloor burners. Not only did we have the pleasure of familiarising ourselves with new names such as Mica Paris, Will Downing, Keith Sweat and the Pasadenas during 1988, but we also saw the likes of Alexander O'Neal, Narada Michael Walden and Joyce Sims in full stride again. To ignore 'true music' would be at our peril. The beats, rhymes and basslines of rap 'n' roll dominated many a dancefloor over the first half of the year with the sampling phenomena causing many a legal wrangle within the industry. Hip Hop is far from dead though, even if it may have taken a back seat during the acid monpolised summer. A current wave of stunning new jams from Sugar Bear, Cookie Crew and DJ Mark the 45 King have confirmed that the said style is here to stay and the Chad Jay masterminded 'Best Of Rap' also bears witness to that. Take it away homes!! The Two Tone/Ska sound of the early 80's was certainly a great era in party dance music and seeing as though we ve covered so many other party standards in those priceless 'Silly Season' masterpieces of the past, it was suggested that the unison of The Specials, Madness, The Beat etc. would make a refreshing change to your usual "knees up' sessions. Mike Gray was posted to the mixing desk and the result is here for all to see (and hear!). The next production is likely to cause a few raised eyebrows as The Mixbusters venture into a world they've never explored before, that of the ballad. Updating such a sacred track as Alexander O'Neals 'If You Were Here Tonight' doesn't make things any easier either, but the boys have certainly done it justice, adding sax and piano work of true quality. The Quiet Storm remix will definitely be one of your most requested end-of-the-night highlights for many a gig to come. So, all that remains is to say that 1988 has been a year where the DMC DJ world has grown beyond all expectations, and who knows the limitations that 1989 holds? Here's to another twelve months of DJ supremacy and domination - Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year (Hic!).