JOHN MORALES THE M AND M MIXES VOLUME 2.

dereksmusicblog ♦ March 14, 2012 ♦ 2 Comments

JOHN MORALES THE M AND M MIXES VOLUME 2.

One compilation I was really excited about last year, was John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2, released in March 2011 by BBE Music. Here was double album featuring eighteen previously unreleased mixes from John Morales that had never been released before. Previously, the only way to hear the tracks was in a New York club, when John was doing a DJ set. So, to be able to hear all of these eighteen tracks on one album, so this was truly disco heaven. These tracks represent some of the most iconic and memorable disco anthems of John’s career, which started back in the seventies, as a DJ. Like other DJs, John realized that he needed longer tracks for his DJ sets, so following in the footsteps of Tom Moulton, Walter Gibbons and Larry Levan, John taught himself to edit tracks. This meant he could take a three minute track and transform it into six or seven minutes of DJ friendly music. Now remember, this was long before computers or software like Logic, Pro Tools or Ableton Live. Instead, all John had to rely on was reel-to-reel tape, razor blades and editing tape, which he’d splice and then rejoin. Using a DJ and dancer’s ear, he quickly worked out what exactly worked on a dance-floor. His work paid off, when Patrick Adams and Greg Carmichael, two New York producers heard his work. They gave John his first chance to remix a track, Inner Life’s Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair). Then in 1982, another chance meeting changed his career and the course of dance music’s history.

When John Morales met Sergio Munzibai, who back then, along with Frankie Crocker, was musical director at New York’s WBLS radio station. This meeting launched one of the most fruitful and prolific remixing partnerships in dance music history. After their first remix, which was Mikki’s Itching For Love, they decided that each of their remixes would feature the M and M name. Since then, they’ve undertaken literally hundreds of remixes, all featuring the M and M logo. However, an illness to John in 1993 had an impact upon his career.

John became ill in 1993, with the illness lasting a decade that meant time away from the recording studio. However, this gave him the opportunity to test learn the musical software that would soon dominate the music industry. During this period, John tested what would become Cubase for Atari Computers. In some ways, this must have given John an advantage over other producers for his return the recording studio. Since his return to the studio, John has been even busier than ever, working with on retrospective projects that include Marvin Gaye’s I Want You and Here My Dear, The Four Tops, James Brown, while working with Double Exposure and Chaka Khan. Now forty years as a DJ and remixer, John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 allows you to hear eighteen of John’s greatest mixes of that time on two discs, which I’ll now tell you about.

DISC ONE.

Disc One of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 features nine tracks from an eclectic selection of artists who John has remixed over the years. From his very first remix of Inner Life’s Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair), there’s tracks from Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin, War, Brass Construction and Candi Staton. Truly, this demonstrates just how wide a variety of artists John and then John and Sergio Munzibai remixed during their career. WIth artists and tracks of such a high quality, choosing just a few to review, wasn’t easy, but here are my highlights from Disc One of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2.

Starting with the very first remix John ever Inner Life’s Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair), released in 1979 on Prelude Records, this was a single from Inner Life’s album Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair). Featuring Jocelyn Brown on lead vocal, the M and M Mix is a true timeless classic, lasting nearly nine minutes. It has everything you could want in a disco track, and much more. Punchy drums, handclaps and percussion, give way to keyboards, before blazing horns enter accompanied by backing vocalists. It’s only then that Jocelyn’s sweet and impassioned vocal enters. Accompanied by joyful backing vocalists, the arrangement begins to reveal its charms and subtleties. With cascading strings, rasping horns and the rhythm section accompanied by keyboards, Jocelyn’s vocal grows in power and passion. When all this combined, the result is an impassioned and irresistible disco masterpiece from Inner Life, with John Morales’ sprinkling his magic throughout the track.

Teddy Pendergrass’ The More I Get was originally from his debut album Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1977.  On it’s release, the album reached number seventeen in the US Billboard 200 and number five in the US R&B Charts. It’s real dance-floor friendly track from it’s opening bars. Guitars chime, accompanied by a fast funk laden bass, percussion and drums. The tempo is quick, the sound upbeat and hook laden.  Teddy’s vocal is charismatic and powerful, as he testifies his way through the track accompanied by joyous, gospel tinged backing vocalists. Key to the arrangement are blazing horns, cascading, sweeping strings, percussion and pounding drums. Together, they combine to produce a dance-floor classic from Teddy. Listening to the track, it’s hard to comprehend that this is a track from the late seventies, given its contemporary sound. Any producer wanting to hear what it takes to fill a floor, should listen to both Gamble and Huff’s original and John’s remix. Similarly, anyone interested in the history of dance music, should listen to this track and they’ll see how tracks like this were hugely important in the development of house music in the eighties.

The next track I’ve chosen, is from an album I reviewed recently, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ final album Talk It Up (Tell Everybody), released in 1984. The album and Don’t Give Me Up have a very different sound to the group’s previous music, combining boogie with a post disco sound. Synths, drum machines, keyboards and then chiming guitars combine, before the group enter singing tight harmonies. This gives way Gil Saunders lead vocal. His baritone is emotive, almost sensuous, while behind him the other four Blue Notes contribute subtle harmonies. The lyric that the group “promise to be better to you…promise to be sweeter this time to you,” strikes a chord. Although sung in the context of a relationship, this could equally apply the group’s long standing fans, after some disappointing albums. Here, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes sound better, and indeed sweeter, on what would be their farewell album.

Brass Construction’s Now Is Tomorrow was a track from their 1976 album Brass Construction II. It’s a mixture of funk, soul and disco, with Brass Construction’s famed rhythm section driving the track along. Meanwhile braying horns and punchy soulful vocals and backing vocals drift in and out the track. Strings almost shiver, as the rhythm section, percussion and horns provide the funk, while there’s a hustle sound to the arrangement. The result is a mesmerizing and compelling mixture of funk, soul and disco during John’s nine minute remix.

Candi Staton’s disco anthem Young Hearts Run Free, was the title track of Candi’s 1976 album. Written and produced by Dave Crawford, Sylvester Rivers arranged the single which reached number one on the US R&B Charts, while reaching number twenty in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the UK. It marked a real change in style from Candi’s previous Southern Soul style. Here, she’s transformed into a disco diva, her vocal enveloped of by punchy rasping horns, percussion and swathes of lush strings that are key to track’s success. John has taken the four minute original, transforming it into an eight minute epic. Even today this track is guaranteed to fill any dance-floor. His formula for success is simplicity itself. Take both the breaks and best parts of the track and extend them. This means you hear extended percussive breaks, much more of those glorious rasping horns, lush strings and of course Candi’s heartfelt and impassioned vocal. Does disco get better than this?

Although I’ve only mentioned five of the nine tracks on Disc One of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2, there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with the other four tracks. Indeed, the tracks from Evelyn Thomas, Fantastic Aleems and War have the quality you’d expect from a track with the M and M logo on it. Many of these nine tracks have a real contemporary sound, one that’s almost timeless. These tracks sound as good today as they did they were remixed by John. This is why so many of these tracks have entered disco folklore, attaining legendary status among disco lovers. That’s why it’s so good to have these tracks on John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2. However, will the nine tracks on Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 match the standard of music on Disc One? That’s what I’ll now tell you.

DISC TWO.

Like Disc One, Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 features another nine tracks. This includes two more tracks from Inner Life, plus tracks from Loleatta Holloway, First Choice, Brenda Gooch and the Salsoul Orchestra. Five of these tracks feature artists who recorded for the Salsoul label. These are tracks from the label’s greatest period, when it was releasing some of the best disco music ever. With music of this quality, then it looks likely that Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 will match the quality of music on Disc One, if not better it. Is that the case though?

One of Loleatta Holloway’s best known and most memorable tracks from her disco career is Dreamin.’ Released in 1976, this was a track from Loleatta’s third album Loleatta. Loleatta’s musical background is similar to Candi Staton’s career. Both Candi and  Loleatta started of singing Southern Soul, before becoming disco divas. Dreamin’ was released on Salsoul and produced by Baker, Harris, Young, formerly of M.F.S.B. and then the Salsoul Orchestra. Here, the M and M mix takes a three minute track, transforming it into a stonewall disco classic, where a sassy Loleatta vamps her way through the track. With the Salsoul Orchestra accompanying her, and the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section accompanying her everything is in place for a seminal track. Sweeping, swirling strings, Earl Young’s peerless drumming, percussion, Ron Harris’ bass and then Norman Baker’s guitar give way to Loleatta’s impassioned, sassy vocal. From there, Loleatta gives a masterclass of a vocal, accompanied by soulful backing vocalists. Add to that Vince Montana Jr.’s vibes playing and blazing horns, and you’ve the recipe for one of the greatest disco tracks of the seventies.

First Choice’s The Player was the title track from their 1974 album, released on Philly Groove Records. Arranged by Norman Baker, who along with Stan Watson, produced the album. The Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section feature on the track, along with Vince Montana Jr.’s vibe and Don Renaldo’s horns and strings. Many of these musicians played in both M.F.S.B. and the Salsoul Orchestra. When an arrangement featuring such talented musicians is combined with a powerful, impassioned vocal, the end-result is something special. The track literally bursts into life dramatically, with blazing horns, the rhythm section and percussion combining before the vocal enters. It has a similar power and passion to Loleatta’s, and is accompanied by backing vocalists who sweep in and out the track. Cascading strings enter, combining with the punchy, dramatic horns, providing the perfect backdrop for the vocal, as John builds and builds the drama during his nine minute remix. Like on so many other tracks on the compilation, the basis for a great remix is the original track. Using all his years of experience, he helps create one of the best tracks on the compilation, helped in no end by having a great track to start with.

Although the Salsoul Orchestra played on tracks by many artists on the Salsoul label, they also recorded numerous albums, including The Magic Journey in 1977. On that album was Magic Bird of Fire, produced by Vince Montana Jr. This is a track that combines funk, Latin and disco with a sometimes dark foreboding orchestral sound. Of course this is set to a disco beat, with a tempo of 126 beats per minute. The track is sees dramatic braying horns and strings, combine with an equally dramatic rhythm section. Adding a contrast is the Latin percussion which is sprinkled through the track. Towards the end, the track becomes rousing and stirring, mixing elements of classical music with funk, Latin and disco before reaching its dramatic crescendo. If you want to hear a different side to the Salsoul Orchestra, then this is track for you. 

Another track produced by Baker, Harris, Young is Double Exposure’s My Love Is Free, from their 1976 debut album Ten Percent. Opening with drums, shakers, swirling strings, guitars and flourishes of keyboards, they give way to the male lead vocal. Meanwhile, the rest of the group contribute punchy, backing vocals, while the arrangement has made in Philadelphia stamped all over it. With rasping horns, cascading string, percussion and the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section provide the track’s heartbeat. However, while the arrangement is of the highest quality, so ia  the impassioned pleas of the lead vocal, augmented by some equally impassioned and soulful backing vocalists. Together, they combine to produce one of the most soulful tracks on John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2.

Choosing just one more track from Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 wasn’t easy. However, after much deliberation I chose another track from Inner Life, If You’re Gonna Love Me which features Jocelyn Brown’s lead vocal. This is from the 1982 album Inner Life II, released on Salsoul. Opening with just the drums, then handclaps, the arrangement quickly grows. A bass, keyboards and then Jocelyn’s vocal enters. It has the same quality as on Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair). It’s strong, emotive and impassioned, sung against a catchy and punchy arrangement. From there, things get even better, with the rhythm section driving the track along, while keyboards, lush strings and percussion augmenting the vocal on this joyous, uplifting and hook laden track.

Certainly Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 didn’t disappoint.  The music was just as good as on Disc One, with the music of the highest quality. While I’ve only chosen five of the nine tracks, the five I’ve chosen are some of John’s best remixes on the compilation. His remix of Loleatta Holloway’s Dreamin’ is one of the best I’ve heard, while First Choice’s The Player and are two masterpieces produced by Baker, Harris, Young. Truly, Disc Two of John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 is quality from the opening bars to the closing notes. That’s not forgetting tracks Logg and Gary Criss, both on Salsoul, as well as Brenda Gooch’s You and I from 1978. Like the rest of the tracks on John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2, they’re the quality you’d expect from a remix with the M and M logo on it. These tracks are testament to the skill, experience and creativity of John Morales, not only a talented remixer and DJ, but a man immersed in music. He’s a inspiration to young DJs and producers, given his perseverance and determination. From the start of his career, he showed both determination and perseverance to learn his craft, mastering first the old style reediting and remixing skills, then immersing himself in the technology that would come to dominate music in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. The fruits of John Morales’ perseverance and determination is here for everyone to hear and cherish on John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2. Released in 2011 by BBE Music, John Morales The M and M Mixes Volume 2 features eighteen of his best and most memorable disco mixes of  his forty year career. Standout Tracks: Inner Life Caught Up (in A One Night Love Affair), Teddy Pendergrass The More I Get,  Candi Staton Young Hearts Run Free and First Choice The Player. 

JOHN MORALES THE M AND M MIXES VOLUME 2.