top 50 house tracks of all time 2

 So here is part 2 of  my top 50 house tracks. Its been hard to narrow it down, but am confident that this is my final line up.

40 Plus One Feat Sirron It's Happening 1990 MCA

One of these forgotten old school tracks. Not really going to branch into Hip House on here though we do have entries for Tyree Cooper and Fast Eddie, but this UK entry with its rap is a fave of mine and can easily hold its own against what the US had to offer. 

39 Jaydee Plastic Dreams 1993 R&S Records

We band the word classic about many tracks, but this actually deserves it. I know its been released and remixed over the years but I'm talking about the original here and at a pinch the original Cha Cha slide that used this before it was released as it was. I guess it was the bass line in this, those notes you just know what it's going to be, and that makes it a classic.

38 Fet  et Moi Paris is For Lovers 2009 White Label

A lot of things happened in the mid 2000's that make it a dark time in dance music. America finally woke up to the fact that it made dance music and that clubland existed outside of its dreary rock / hip hop hegemony. Therefore it rebranded it as EDM an slur almost as bad as queer is for the gay community.

What you want to know is that this slaps, has a bootleg vocal by Justin Timberlake and a killer bassline again. Its a team up of two DJ's Fetisch and &me, and you may have seen the a version of this where a super car races through Paris.

37 River Ocean Feat India Love and Happiness (Yemaya y Ochun) Strictly Rhythm 1994

Love and Happiness by Al Green is one of those stand out tracks of soul, that somehow ended up as a house rework with an iconic bassline to rival that of Jaydees Plastic Dreams up above. While this Love and Happiness is not that love and Happiness its still one hell of a track, and shows what an absolute force Strictly Rhythm was back then. 

36 Marshall Jefferson Move Your Body The House Music Anthem Trax 1986

Mailman (former) Marshall Jefferson is the first person credited with introducing piano into the house music pantheon with this release on Trax. What I didn't know till recently is that the vocals on this was Curtis McClain. So this link above is a credit and a thanks to right that wrong.

35 A Man Called Adam Barefoot In The Head Big Life 1989

One of those leftfield house tracks that were definitely part of the Balearic sound, a mix of euro / disco and leftfield bits and pieces inspired by the white island Ibiza. I know I'm linking to the Head mix of this but, really any version will do. 

34  Arnold Jarvis Take Some Time Out Fourth Floor Records 1987

Another garage house heater, and along with Someday Ce Ce Rogers one of the foundations of that sound. Produced by Tommy Musto, who is better known for his collaborations with Frankie Bones, makes his long overdue mark on the list.

33 T.O.T. What U R DFM 1989

I'll rip myself off on this one as I wrote all those years ago is that it sounded like an E trip, beside the point, that at that time I had never tried ecstasy and TBH never really wanted to either. I guess acid should be on this list as we've already had one entry from Nathaniel Jones Phuture project. This track, along with 808 state proved the UK could produce great acid tracks. Vocals are by Carol Morley sister to journo Paul Morley according to Discogs reviews. 

32 Ron Hardy Shooting Stars 1984 ish, Reel To Reel?

An edit of Steve Silk Hurley I Don't Know done by the one and only Ron Hardy. One of those three big icons of house, an absolute fucking master of the decks. He was DJ at the Muzic Box club in Chicago and it has to be said a personal hero of mine. His attitude, how he'd make the crowd Jack, and work the floor and that he would play records from young producers just to see if it would work. Acid tracks, was the one along with others. Let's go Ronnie.

 31 DHS The House of God 1990 Hangman Records

A track that along with Radio Babylon by Meat Beat Manifesto that is way ahead of its time and rather like Plastic Dreams above, has never been bettered. I know that Green Velvet Preacherman did the whole evangelical preacher thing better, this came first. In hindsight he sounds a lot like Donald J Trump begging for cash on here. 

top 50 house tracks of all time pt1

So it begins. This is a response to a poor, poor article from billboard about their 50 best, and it took me a while to come up with something that doesn't suck balls. The original list in notepad had no order, so here is me imposing some chaos onto this long list. 

You all know the drill on how house got started. Young, Gay Black dudes needed a safe space to listen to disco without hassle and when the original tracks died out found Europe made their own style and when Italo faded, decided to copy and make their own Italo / disco inspired tracks for club use. 

50 Robin S Show me Love Stonebridge Club Mix  Champion Records 1993

One of those tracks that, though aren't super good, everyone knows. The original, released in 1990 is nothing like this and you can find it under her full name of Robin Stone. But it's Stonebridges rework of this that everyone knows. There's an ad out for pain relief on TV that has a choir rework of it.

49  L.I.A.M & Marcus Mixx You Got no Right Missing dog 1987

One of those tracks that go for stupid money on Discogs. Marcus Mixx is one of those guys that despite sticking to the raw, jacking sounds of house, never became a big name. There was this interview I remember where he was basically sleeping in his car as he was so broke.  TBH it could have been T.A.P or Jack that Dick but Got no Right edges it for me. 

48 4th Measure Men 4 You Area 10 1993

There has to be a Marc Kinchen track on this list and originally was going to be that Nightcrawlers track which was also used in an ad (Webuyanycar). But seeing as his sound never really varied over the last 30 years, this is probably the pinnacle of what he did. Along with Terrance Dixon one of the vanguards of house from Detroit.  

47 Hard Drive Deep Inside Strictly Rhythm 1993

Incredible that this should rank so low on the list. An utter anthem and just goes to show what the rest must be like. Also didn't really click that this is a Little Louie Vega production and ANY top 50 house has to have a M.A.W. track on it. 

46 Nexy Lanton You Too Live Music 1991

One of those absolute summer tracks and can remember this from the Steve Jackson show on Kiss FM back in 1993 or so where they took a break from disco classics to play this. Also the first non US track on the list being a excellent Italian production instead. 

45 Soho Hot Music Jazz Mix United Sound Of America 1990

A Pal Joey track I keep coming back to. Maybe its because there is a bit of Jazz in house along with the disco or maybe its the beats aren't your standard 4/4, it proves that house is a broad church. Oh and if you want more Pal Joey, then Earth People Reach up to Mars is also another track well worth your time. 

44 Tyree Cooper Nuthing Wrong Dancemania 1995

Another of those tracks that have a sample that bugged me for absolutely ages. Heard it years back and took me a good 30 or so years to find out its a Tyree Cooper track. Not only is it by the Supa Dupa Producer but its a Dancemania track too, possibly the heir to all the tracky, raw, ghetto style house and while Deeon or any of the other jit style DJs figure on the list, they are well worth your time to check out. 

43 Today's People Set Your Body Free KMS 1989

 A track that I come to from time to time and the link above is how I first heard it. On Telstar's old Deep Heat comps back in the day. A UK track that made it to Kevin Saunderson's techno label KMS which would normally put out Inner City tracks and the like. 

42 Lil Louis French Kiss FFRR 1988

I know this should be higher on the list, and I know that there are at least a couple more versions of this that should rank more as well that  Mathematics put out in the 2010's. Along with Josh Wink's version its one of those seminal staples of house. Fun fact his mum used to come to nearly every show he played. Will have to link to his Facebook as he posted a video on this.  

41 Phuture Rise From Your Grave Strictly Rhythm 1992

And if this was 13 year old me writing this Acid Tracks would get the shoe in at number one. But as I've gotten older, I've come to enjoy the other tracks Nathan Jones did more. Oh, you'll still get your dose of acid house on here, its been part of my DNA for so long that it can't not appear. But for now I'll sign off with this and rise from my "grabe" next Sunday with part 2. 

House and cabin.

 We have a few up coming announcements, someone did one of those best house tracks of all time and of course they are ignorant Americans so. I'm going to be doing my own, 50 of the best with a (Carl) bias towards the classics and such. Probably starting next week 10 per entry with a round up for each. 

Also Twatter has given us a daily dose of Hardy boys this time its the Sting of the Scorpion which I learned that it was (unverified) meant to be called the Stomp of the Elephant. Don't know how true this is but someone also posted that Brazil got a translation and gave us a link to his blog post. 

If you can read Portuguese you can read it here, or just let your browser auto translate. 

How to dismantle an atomic bomb

 With apologies to U2, this is of course Trapped at Sea, the seventy third book in the series. It may also be called keep on trucking as well, as the boys get jobs driving big lorries around in order to smoke out some truck hijackers.  Oh and be aware that yes they do get to dismantle an atomic bomb in this as their dealings leads them to Pirates Cove, an island somewhere in the Caribbean, where the freighter they are trapped on docks (well Atlantic island), and they find that the Uranium the trucks held! is being used to make bombs for a rogue nation.

Sorry for the big wall of text there, you did read that right, they get to dismantle an atomic bomb with the help of an evil professor.  There is, for once one difference between the two texts as the final sentence altered to omit the next book in the UK version. 

The text credits a Doctor William W. Ennis for help with the atomic research and radioactive side of things. A search brings up a William P Ennis, a war hero and a name Beavis and Butthead would chuckle over, but nothing for the former. I wonder if he was a friend of the author or someone he knew?

You can read them here and here. 

99-1

 Recently got done watching a video of this 1994 crime drama, and boy, they really don't make 'em like this now. 99-1 was a cop show on ITV shown it seems just after the new year from the Ad breaks in this. 

Its a no brainer really. Put Leslie Grantham as a Chain smoking, hard drinking corrupt bastard of a cop, offer him the chance to take down some of the biggest crims in organized crime, after being jailed for corruption. Then see where it takes him.

The premise is that someone from government wants him to go undercover (as mentioned) after copping to fitting up a criminal back in the 80's. I only have the pilot episode and it sets up how he came to be there. He has an estranged wife (Gwynneth Strong / Cassandra from Fools n Horses) and son which he sees rarely. There is a great bit where she has to go to an Xmas party and he has to babysit with some of Capcom's finest. Micky Mouse Magical Quest and the original SFII for SNES.  May just clip this bit of him "playing" SFII, as its clearly the attract screen of Ryu VS Dhalsim. 

There's also him sitting down to an Xmas meal on his own. A kind of *Jonathan King Meals for one sans Aromat,  bottle of stolen whisky in hand and Its a Wonderful Life on TV. He gets a visit from a protégé (Robert Carlyle) and his bird, who takes a shine to him, who try and talk him round, but in the end, gets shot by a nutter following a lead that Grantham himself gave him. 

If you ever find this on sale, (there is a DVD box set out there) catch it. YT has a few episodes up too but they won't be around forever.

*Disgraced music mogul Jonathan King used to post up on Twitter / X a selection of grim dinners that he had. Along with a glass of wine there was the ever present bottle? of Aromat with every meal. 

Bush on Fruits

 Boot sale today wasn't bad. Not a mega haul by anyone's standards but still good.   A few new VHS tapes for VHS mess including what I'm hoping is 99-1 a crime drama that starred Leslie Grantham and something by Peter Sellers. 

We didn't get the book above, but just had to include a photo as its a great piece of nominative determinism. 

Barrymore

Happy Easter everyone. To take my mind off of sinister work, have some boot sale madness. Oh and to the ugly bitch on the middle floor, the reason why I haven't done your chute is because repairs are being cunts and not answering a job booked at least 3 times already. So put your claws away. 

With this broached, we can at least have some fun .Our haul this week includes a PS1 game (Xi AKA Devil Dice here.) Along with some odd home made CDs and stuff (mixes?), and finally, our crap tune of the week is of course Kenny the Kangaroo from Michael Barrymore, and after hearing his Family Ness cover on YT I'm shuddering to think how bad it is.