West End Bundle (7″) West End Records

TWO CLASSIC DANCE 7″s FROM LEGENDARY LABEL WEST END NOW AVAILABLE IN THIS EXCLUSIVE GET ON DOWN BUNDLE!

LOOSE JOINTS – IS IT ALL OVER MY FACE

ARTHUR RUSSELL’S SEMINAL DISCO CUT “IS IT ALL OVER MY FACE” AVAILABLE COMMERCIALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON 45.

When the mainstream turned its back on disco in the early ’80s, it allowed dance music to once again choose its own path. As an artist, Arthur Russell routinely chose the paths less travelled. The original male vocal mix, true to Russell’s vision, is an organic piece that recreated the atmosphere of David Mancuso’s Loft.

The story goes that the  recording sessions occurred during a full moon, and included individuals that would often party at the Loft. An exercise in creating a vibe, the male version of the song reflect the complexity of Russell’s arrangements, and a maximalist wall of sound that would become a signature component in his dance productions.

Although the record received some critical acclaim, it wasn’t initially a commercial success. That came a little later when a famed DJ remixed the song without permission. According to some, Larry Levan snuck into the West End offices to “borrow” the multi-tracks to make an edit for himself to play at the Paradise Garage. (Also owned by West End’s Mel Cheren.) After getting positive feedback at the club, Larry decided to properly remix it with the aid of Francois K, who opted not to be credited because of his contract with Prelude.

Larry Levan’s remix, now known as the “female vocal mix”, although more structured, is pretty out there. Melvina Woods, a dancer from the Loft, slurs and misses notes as if here own loose joints were dusted, but the animalistic groove is so undeniable in-the-pocket that the track got local radio play, and remains a cult classic in constant club rotation to this day. Of the two versions, Levan’s mix is the one that went on to influence early Chicago house DJs, who over the years have sampled the track’s distinct drumbeat countless times.

KENIX – THERE’S NEVER BEEN (NO ONE LIKE YOU)

SOULFUL DISCO JAM AND PARADISE GARAGE CLASSIC FROM THE PRODUCER OF HITS LIKE TAANA GARDNER’S “HEART BEAT” & GWEN MCRAE’S “FUNKY SENSATION”

Although coming from a family with a music background, it wasn’t until later in 1979 that Kenton Nix started to make moves in the industry. Kenton had a test pressing of this song of his, a song he called “Work That Body”. The record didn’t have vocals yet, but he brought it to the legendary Paradise Garage and gave it to the even more legendary Larry Levan in the DJ booth. Larry and the crowd loved the record and Kenton asked Larry if he could help him get the record to SalSoul Records.

Larry said: “No, we’re not gonna go to SalSoul; this is a West End’s Record. We gonna give this to West End.”

And since Mel Cheren, the owner of West End Records, was part owner of the club – Kenton got to meet him, and hit it off immediately. The rest is history.

The first of his songs on West End Records was “Work That Body”, now with vocals from a young lady named Taana Gardner. This disco workout was followed by other hits for Taana like “When You Touch Me”, “No Frills”, and the song that would become West End’s biggest hit and most sampled to this day – “Heartbeat”.

Similar to Kenton’s other productions for Gaardner, “There’s Never Been (No One Like You)” is a classic disco jam which – paired with Levan’s mixing style – gave West End its’ signature sound. This record has been very influential to dance music. If you’ve ever heard Ten City’s “That’s The Way Love Is” you can probably notice the similarities in the arrangements and vocal stylings.