best rare 80's cuts

**mixtape** · December 1st, 2003, 03:54 PM

what are some of the best rare 80's cuts?

**hoellihozb** · December 1st, 2003, 06:59 PM

one of my personal favourites is Exodus "Together Forever"

**boogie nites** · December 1st, 2003, 08:37 PM

I don't know if it is rare but how about Unique "What I Got Is What You Need" and Alton Edwards "I Just Wanna Spend Some Time With You" ? Oh, and Dynasty "Groove Control".

**Rodmann2** · December 1st, 2003, 10:05 PM

Here are my picks :D :D :D :D :D :

IN MOTION (1982) by Freda Payne - This is a great tune on the Sutra label, in that early 80's Kashif/Prelude Records style. I'm not sure why more folks don't know about this one?

I WANNA HOLD ON TO YOU (1980) by Loose Change (not Loose Ends!) - Excellent midtempo number with great percussion and moody singing. I don't know much about this group beside the facts that they are from England and had a hit with something called STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART.

I WANT YOU (1981) by Barry & Glodean White - Fun, R&B/Pop uptempo number from Barry White and then wife Glodean from their excellent but overlooked BARRY & GLODEAN album. (That album also contains some very good ballads!)

IF THIS WORLD (1982) by Coffee - I never hear anything about Coffee and Leon Bryant's remake of this Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell classic. Coffee's version came out about 3 months before Cheryl Lynn & Luther Vandross's and managed to hit number 68 on the R&B singles chart. As much as I love Cheryl Lynn, I find her and Luther's take on this classic a little too smarmy and overblown. (Not as bad as Luther & Dionne Warwick's hit duet HOW MANY TIMES CAN WE SAY GOODBYE! Yuck! :oops:) Coffee and Leon got it just right! My favorite version of all three by far!

LADIES OF THE 80'S (1980) by Eighties Ladies - Phew!, Roy Ayers outdid himself producing this ultra funky, uptempo boogie number! This one's got one of the best basslines I've ever heard! The instrumental is a little different and just as funky.

HAVE A GOOD TIME (1981) by Gwen McCrae - This was the flipside to Gwen's classic FUNKY SENSATION. It should have been released as a single itself! Does anyone know if FUNKY SENSATION was ever flipped over and this tune was given any club play?

As you can see, I'm an early 80's R&B nut! I hope I didn't miss the whole point of this topic but I'm equating rare with overlooked.

**K-Bee** · December 2nd, 2003, 01:04 AM

OMG the "Rare" thing is back :lol:
it seems there's still a general idea of "rare meaning good"
around here. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. Just because a certain track is not widely available doesn't mean it's the 8th wonder of the world....sometimes there's a reason for a lot of music never being rereleased and fading into obscurity.

Still, I wanna list some songs though since i'm just like rodmann - a complete 80s nut.

currently these 80s tracks does it for me....you be the judge of the "rare factor" :lol:

Colors - Am I Gonna Be The One (1983)
Blue Moderne - Through The Night (1987)
Curtis Hairston - Summertime
Steven Dante - Give it Up for Love (1986)
Armenta And Majik - I Wanna be With You (1983)
Loose Ends - let's Rock (1983)
Atlantis - Keep On Movin' & Groovin (1981)
Thelma houston - You Used To Hold me So Tight (always a fav :P ) (1984)
The Soul Club - I Want Your Guy (1986)
Val Young - If You Should Ever be Lonely (1985)
Booker newberry III - Attitude (1984)
Ceejay - Could This be Love (1986)
Phil Fearon - I Can prove it (1986)

hmmm...better stop now, I really could go an all day :lol:

**QUINNY** · December 2nd, 2003, 02:54 AM

Originally Written by K-Bee

OMG the "Rare" thing is back :lol:
it seems there's still a general idea of "rare meaning good"
around here. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. Just because a certain track is not widely available doesn't mean it's the 8th wonder of the world....sometimes there's a reason for a lot of music never being rereleased and fading into obscurity.

Now everyone, jump in on K-Bee. I know you did last time I had the temerity to write this.

**Rodmann2** · December 2nd, 2003, 03:30 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

Originally Written by K-Bee

OMG the "Rare" thing is back :lol:
it seems there's still a general idea of "rare meaning good"
around here. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. Just because a certain track is not widely available doesn't mean it's the 8th wonder of the world....sometimes there's a reason for a lot of music never being rereleased and fading into obscurity.

Now everyone, jump in on K-Bee. I know you did last time I had the temerity to write this.

Where else can we talk about rare recordings but on a forum like this? Is the average person really gonna know or care about a rare Freda Payne single from 1982 that only scrapped the bottom of the R&B charts? I don't think so!

The big hits in any genre only tell about 50% of the story. I've learned over the years that just because something was a hit doesn't always mean that it was better. Sometimes records just didn't get the promotional push or were too far ahead of their time. If we only listened to the big hits the only things for us to talk about here would be Donna Summer, The Village People and The Bee Gees. LOL!

The rarietes are always a welcome alternative to the same handful of Top 40 tracks that have been shooved down our throats for years. God knows I've heard YMCA & STAYIN' ALIVE enough damn times! LOL

**K-Bee** · December 2nd, 2003, 05:45 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

Originally Written by K-Bee

OMG the "Rare" thing is back :lol:
it seems there's still a general idea of "rare meaning good"
around here. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. Just because a certain track is not widely available doesn't mean it's the 8th wonder of the world....sometimes there's a reason for a lot of music never being rereleased and fading into obscurity.

Now everyone, jump in on K-Bee. I know you did last time I had the temerity to write this.

Did I really Quinny?? :lol: I really can't remember at all! I had this view on the "rare" debate for ages. I really can't see why I'd go into some sorta discussion with you about that if we agree in the first place :lol:

anyway, I suppose we can all agree it's the musical quality that's counts in the long run...not whether if it was only pressed in 25 purple vinyl copys in northern Idaho or not!
I've come to discover a lot of these "rare" tracks throughout the last couple of years (partly thanks to this very board) and even though I've been astounded by the quality of some of these "rarities" I must say that I've been the opposite as well by at least tvice as many. A lot of these are best left alone in the land of obscurity i you ask me. L.A. Dream anyone??

Obviously I'm always on the lookout for something I haven't heard before, but it sure as hell ain't the lack of availablity that attracts me. I rather wanna look at the people involved and make my choices from there...after all this world this world of disco isn't such a big one when it comes down to the bone of it. (paolinho da costa was on all records anyway :lol: )

**QUINNY** · December 2nd, 2003, 05:46 AM

Aah, but no-one ever mentions Staying Alive, YMCA et al and is soooooooo smug about their choice. There's so much bullshit written about rare records.
After 15 years pro club DJing, 31 years in and around the music biz and 47 years listening to records, I still think that on the whole the best records have been the hits. Sure there are a few exceptions.
By all means discuss rare records, but don't hype them up out of all proportion just 'cos no one's gonna be able to argue with ya. Rare records mean one-upmanship to too many folk and unless you can describe a record accurately, why would anyone bother to check it out, unless they too collect rare records just for the sake of it? They may as well be discussing the weather forecast for what it's worth.

I'm with K-Bee on this (although we're both guilty of dragging out relatively obscure toons at times).

**Forrrce** · December 2nd, 2003, 06:25 AM

'Rare' for rare's sake again? We had a gay old time with that idiot from Washington a little while back, didn't we? Hopefully Mixtape can put his point across a little better than the other gentleman. Quinny's pretty much right in what he's said, but there are other sides to this.

There are many good records which didn't get initial exposure for different reasons. Within certain circles, they may become desirable at a later date. This 'desirability' is driven by a number of factors - curiosity, one-upmanship, completion, or actually liking what you hear being the big 4. It's not hard to develop a taste for the esoteric and the exclusive - sometimes you just get dragged in.

At the same time, if you've worked your way up and you're fairly grounded and confident in your chosen field, you'll know what to look for - and getting to know new sounds is ultimately more important than simply wanting what others don't have, especially because they want whatever.

Your own taste is what's important here. If you have to ask what 'rare' records to collect and you're not a record dealer providing a service to others, you're really not ready to play with the big boys.

**QUINNY** · December 2nd, 2003, 08:21 AM

I guess the '80s are somewhat overlooked on these boards. Accepting that one man's rare is another's burnt offering, here's a few off the top of my head that I still enjoy and may be rare.
Herb Alpert - Red Hot ( this swung like the clappers, about 116 BPM from memory)
Zuice - Everyone's a Winner (like a Steve Arrington Feel So real clone, only just as good)
Cleavage - Barah (one of the first true house records. Stole the bass from Cymande's Bra/Tubular bells et al, depending on where you start out from)
Paul Hardcastle - Guilty ( all in all, for me just about his best indie release with Kevin Henry? on vocals. A complete song that cut a hard rhythm track @ 120 BPM or thereabouts)
Total Contrast - Takes A little Time - I played this 115 BPM piece of BritDiscofunk? to death and just couldn't believe that it never made a really big impact. It's one of those records where the rhythm track is soooo fluid that you almost believe that it's a lot faster than it is. Very catchy song, good vocals, classy production.

If you want to find out rare '80s toons you'd be better off looking in some other site that does what it says.
Rare Grooves.com or similar. I'm sure there's loadsa sites like that out there. At least this site manages a relatively low ANORAK quotient compared to some I've seen.
Anyhoos, this site is full of freakin' rare stuff on any given subject (oh! AND Delectable Donna...mustn't forget her...wish I could) at any given time.

**efunk_adelic** · December 2nd, 2003, 09:32 AM

Quinny, you know I just love those BPM's... when they are mentioned. :)

"Rare" can be such a naughty word here... just kills me, but mixtape.. you'll survive... lol.

I like a lot of songs that never charted or didn't reach the upper portion of the charts.

Check out "Smerphies Dance" by Spyder D.. great song that worked really well at the club I spun at.. I believe it came out in '82. (98 bpm)

Also, "I Need A Freak" by Sexual Harrassment --around (118 bpm)

**Pete B** · December 2nd, 2003, 10:09 AM

A few bits from the 80's I was into

Lillo Thomas "Settle down" - was not a massive Kashif fan but the 12" mix of this was proper dubbed out soul

Sunfire "Never Too Late" - The later classy B Side from Gary Davies's fave band

Intrigue "Let Sleeping dogs lie" - the Brit groups track always sounded great loud in a club

Mark Vi "Rainy Days" - cheerful happy fast soul that is probably considered too jolly by todays generation.