Jupiter Beyond

[Videoskooter]

Since a few days I discovered a jewel that I honestly never heard of before BITD: "The River Drive" by Jupiter Beyond.

I noticed that Bernie has a copy of this one:
http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/2857_0_2_0_C/

Did those people release more tracks? Does anyone have more info about this band? Honestly, when I heard that track a few days ago I thought it was a Deephouse record from a more recent era.

[QUINNY]

I have a copy on the US label (AZO records, amazing I've remembered that!!) and only ever gave it a few dozen spins BITD. I must dig it out and give it a listen.

Sorry, I don't know anything about the band and the label was very unknown.

[JussiK]

Quite a few people have been exposed to The River Drive without knowing, hearing the "let's go let's go lets' go - take a RIDE!" bit sampled in Joey Negros stuff like "Love Fantasy" from his "Unverse of Love" project. This is the kind of jazzy soulful disco most Brits find suitable.

[Karlos]

I too love this track... :D :D

I also have something else in a similar vein. Can't remember the title right now so will dig it out and get back to you guys...

[Pete B]

Fantastic track, especially the second half.

The writer producer is credited as P Lightfoot - never seen his name on anything else.

Suprised Mr. Quinny like this as the percussion is quite messy. Maybe thats ok as long as he bought a copy bitd???

[QUINNY]

If I gave it a few dozen spins, it means it didn't particularly float my boat. To be honest, I don't remember the track at all.
If it has messy percussion, I'll probably not like it too much (depends what the rest of it's like), but as all my 12" records are mostly mixed up in the shed and my soundcard isn't functioning on the computer, I won't be able to to give it a listen very quickly. :cry:

[QUINNY]

After much searching.......I found my copy.

Put it on and instantly remembered it.

Has a very phat sound, well produced, but what I didn't like were the vocals. It's a track that falls into two camps and is yet another example of a record that needed something to elevate it above the rest.

Reminds me of Rinder & Lewis more than anything, but maybe not quite as good or as clever as them in many ways and ya know how much I like Rinder & Lewis's Cocomotion. To be fair I quite liked some of their other stuff.

The instrumental is rather pedestrian to my ears.

[billywho]

I find this track absolutely stunning and have mentioned it elsewhere on this board a couple of times. There is/was one other member (think it was jazz_pilgrim) who loves it as well. I first heard it on a CD called Justagroove that I bought many years ago and it blew me away. I'd been excited about getting the CD because it had Am I Gonna Be The One by Colors on it, and I really wanted a clean copy of that (turned out to be a not-very-interesting remix though). After a single listen, I knew that The River Drive alone was worth the price of the CD. What a track!

[QUINNY]

To be fair, the second half has some life.

Wonder where all the US copies ended up, as Bernie has a UK copy and the ones on GEMM are UK copies too?

[RetroRuss]

I absolutely love this track!! The second half has one of the best instrumentals of any track from BITD (IMHO). My copy, which I am looking at now was released on the Pye International Record label - (Grey label) - I actually had it on the platter at my gig last night but changed my mind as I couldn't mix it into the record that was currently playing (beatmatch yes, but it didn't sound right).

It's not one that really appeals to today's audience - the vocals are probably too 'flowery' and the initial part of the track is a bit 'floaty' for those growing up with most House music played in a minor key. I'll play it on my 'radio' show www.smokefm.co.uk next Thursday at around 7pm (BST) if anyone wants to hear the full version. RR

[billywho]

Going back to the original question, I have another track by Jupiter Beyond on a CD called Get Down Tonight (Joey Negro/Doc Livingstone compilation), released in 1997. The track is called Soul Fire and to be honest sounds like it was made in the mid 90s. It's a soulful house track - not bad but nothing like The River Drive, and you wouldn't believe it's the same group.

[Karlos]

Quinny,

I have one of the US copies...don't see many about though...

[KayJayEm54]

I too have the original UK PYE 12" - 12P 5012

Other stablemates were The Real Thing who released Can You Feel The Force 12P 105 and Give Me Your Love 12P 142.

[Pete B]

I have a japanese 12" on yellow vinyl with a pic sleeve, which strangley has a guy urinating on the cover.

[darrens]

I absolutely love this track as well, I first heard it on a disco radio show on Bristol's Galaxy 101 FM about 10 years ago; it's remained in my personal top 10 ever since. I stumbled across a copy of the "Justagroove" CD by chance in a Virgin Megastore, and couldn't believe my luck when I saw this was on the track list!

Probably "The River Drive" came to many people's consciousness by it being included on the "Calibre Cuts" release - check British Hit Singles under "Various Artists" and you'll see that the disk reached #75 in the pop charts. :P

Going back to the original question, I have another track by Jupiter Beyond on a CD called Get Down Tonight (Joey Negro/Doc Livingstone compilation), released in 1997. The track is called Soul Fire and to be honest sounds like it was made in the mid 90s. It's a soulful house track - not bad but nothing like The River Drive, and you wouldn't believe it's the same group.

Joey Negro, in his Costandinos-esque usage of multiple monikers, has borrowed some obscure disco group names from the past. One of these is Jupiter Beyond. The release you mention has nothing to do with the original release and everything to do with Joey, AFAIK.

I'd love to know more about Jupiter Beyond, but all my past research suggests that "The River Drive" was very much a one-off.