MIXED WITH LOVE-THE WALTER GIBBONS ANTHOLOGY.

dereksmusicblog ♦ July 10, 2012 ♦ 2 Comments

MIXED WITH LOVE-THE WALTER GIBBONS ANTHOLOGY.

Recently, I reviewed Larry Levan-The Definitive Salsoul Mixes 1978-1983 and this provoked some controversy. The controversy was whether Larry actually remixed some of the tracks on the compilation. These rumors weren’t new to me, as they’ve been circulating for many years. I hoped my review would bring these rumors out into the open and provoke debate. Similarly, many people responsible for these mixes or around between 1978 and 1983 seem unwilling to perpetuate the myths that Larry remixed several of these tracks. John Morales said as much in an interview with disco disco. While we’ll never know beyond reasonable doubt who mixed what tracks, what I do know, is that during the period Larry Levan was remixing for Salsoul, Larry lead quite a chaotic lifestyle and was known for his lack of punctuality. This has since lead to accusations that remixes credited to Larry, were remixed by either studio engineers, or DJs like John Morales or Walter Gibbons. One example is the Patrick Adams and Greg Carmichael productions, including groups like Inner Life and Logg. John Morales was Patrick and Greg’s favored remixer, and is thought to have remixed the tracks by Inner Life and Logg on Larry Levan-The Definitive Salsoul Mixes 1978-1983. Again, John Morales said as much in the aforementioned interview. While the truth may never be known, one thing I do know, is that remixers like John Morales and Walter Gibbons’ remixes were some of the best and most successful Salsoul remixes. So successful were Walter Gibbons remixes, that a three-disc box set of his remixes Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology was released by Sussd Records in 2004. It’s Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology which we can safely say, was mixed by Walter, which I’ll tell you about.

Previously, I’ve reviewed another Walter Gibbons’ compilation Walter Gibbons-Jungle Music released by Strut Records in 2010. In that article. I remarked how Walter Gibbons was one of the most talented, innovative and influential remixers, who’d influence a whole generation of remixers. Not only that, but Walter was a DJ who other DJs would go to watch. One of the biggest compliments people play to Walter is that he was a DJs’ DJ. However, During his remixing career Walter Gibbons’ name became synonymous with one label in particular…Salsoul Records.

Walter Gibbons was born in 1954 in Brooklyn, New York, growing up with his mother, sister and two brothers. People described him as quiet and unassuming. Having grown up in Brooklyn, Walter headed to Queens and some people might say his life started all over again when he started DJ-ing at the Galaxy nightclub. 

When Walter stood behind the decks at the Galaxy nightclub, a different Walter Gibbons emerged. He became a pioneer of New York’s disco scene from its very early days. He was one of the first DJs to pioneer beat-matching, while his sets were imaginative and experimental. From his early days at the Galaxy, Walter’s mixing was flawless, precise, focusing on extending a track’s percussive breaks, so that he was almost remixing tracks live. By switching between tracks, he’d seamlessly mix breaks from one track to another. In doing this, he was willing to sacrifice the melody for the sake of the dancers, who he teased relentlessly with his mixing. While this required maximum concentration and dexterity, and must have proved exhausting. After all, the breaks didn’t last long, maybe thirty-seconds maximum. There was neither Traktor nor Ableton Live back then. Instead, he’d to mix another record into the previous one. Then Walter’s hit on an imaginative, innovative idea.

This idea came about almost by accident. Walter was putting his mixes on reel-to-reel tape and decided to edit the tracks. It allowed him to extend breaks, rearrange tracks so they were longer and more dance-floor friendly. What Walter was doing was similar to what Tom Moulton had pioneered. By doing this, a two-minute track could be extended to four-minutes and rearranged in such a way that suited the dance-floor. Walter was like a musical Alfred Hitchcock, building up the tension and drama, before unleashing a track that raised the roof. Soon, he came to the attention of a man who owned a record label Ken Cayre, owner of Salsoul Records.

Salsoul Records had just released their first album, The Salsoul Orchestra’s The Salsoul Orchestra. Ken Cayre gave Walter a track to remix from a group he’d recently signed, Double Exposure. This was Ten Percent, which would become Walter’s first remix for Salsoul.  Although the track was referred to as a remix, it was actually more like a reedit of the master. What Walter did was more akin to what he’d been doing at home. Regardless of whether it was a reedit or remix, it became a classic, and was perceived as the best twelve inch single released until then. For remixing the track, Walter was paid $185. However, it was the start of a relationship with Salsoul that lasted until 1979, after which Walter didn’t play such a big role in remixing Salsoul’s tracks. Then came what some people refer to as Walter’s first true remix. The track was from the Queen of Salsoul Loleatta Holloway. Hit and Run would go on to sell over 300, 000 copies. 

Among the many Salsoul artists that Walter went on to remix, were some of the label’s biggest names. This includes Salsoul royalty, including the Queen of Salsoul Loleatta Holloway, The Salsoul Orchestra, Double Exposure, First Choice, Love Committee and Anthony White. Many of these tracks feature on the three discs of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology. The three discs are separated into Disc One-The Madness Begins, Disc-Two The Madness Continues and Disc Three-Total Insanity. Several of the same tracks feature on all three discs, but with different remixes. This is intriguing, demonstrating how Walter brings something new to a track, sometimes three times. In total, there are twenty-nine remixes, but I’ll pick the best tracks from Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology which I’ll tell you about.

DISC ONE.

Disc One of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology features ten tracks from Walters’ early days of remixing Salsoul tracks is entitled The Madness Begins. We’re taken on a journey through some classic Salsoul, written, arranged and produced by luminaries like the Baker, Harris, Young songwriting and production team, plus Vince Montana and Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey. Loleatta Holloway and Love Committee feature twice, while Double Exosure, Anthony White, First Choice and True Example all make appearances. Each of these tracks are remixed by Walter, extending the original and making them even more dance-floor friendly. Here are my selections from Disc One of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology.

The track that opens Disc One of Probably Walter Gibbons’ Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology is one of Walter’s earliest Salsoul remixes Double Exposure’s Ten Per Cent. Released on Salsoul, and produced by the legendary Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, formerly of M.F.S.B. and then The Salsoul Orchestra this is a genuine disco classic. Percussion, rhythm section and handclaps open the track, before strings cascade and join the arrangement. Straight away, this is a track that could only have been released on one label Salsoul. This is The Salsoul Orchestra at their finest, with the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section providing the track’s heartbeat. It takes nearly three minutes before punchy backing vocals enter. When they do, they briefly soar above the arrangement. Flourishes of piano enter, joining the frenzied guitars, pounding drums and percussion. Add in the lush strings and dramatic, punchy blazing horns, and you’ve the recipe for what was required for a classic disco track. Later, when the vocal enters it’s impassioned and emotive, perfect for the arrangement. With a tempo of 124 beats per minutes, this is just a stunning slice of delicious disco, one that deserves to be called a classic.

Anthony White’s Block Party was produced by Earl Young, who knew him from his Philadelphia International days, when he released his Could It Be Magic album in 1976. Written by Baker, Harris Young, this is one of the most underrated tracks in Walter Gibbons’ back-catalogue. Just pounding drums and percussion open the track, before a rumbling bass-line from Ron Baker accompanied Earl’s drums beat for beat. A Hammond organ enters, before horns growl and the arrangement builds and builds. Swirling strings become the latest addition as this track reveals its secrets. Later a myriad of percussion, wah-wah guitars and the best rhythm section of the seventies combine. They creating a track where Walter teases and tantalizes mercilessly, for nearly six majestic, drama packed minutes.

First Choice’s Let No Man Put Asunder is another Salsoul of Walter Gibbons’ best known remix. Originally, released in 1977, and produced by Ron Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young, who were originally part of M.F.S.B. at Philadelphia International Records. They left to become the Salsoul Orchestra and played and produced numerous Salsoul classics. Let No Man Put Asunder is very definitely one of their very best productions. They provide Walter with the basis for a classic remix. Against a backdrop of the brilliant Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, percussion and handclaps Loleatta Holloway’s sassy vocal enters, full of bravado and confidence. While backing vocalists accompany her, Loleatta vamps her way through the track. Although the word classic is used far too easily, this track is worthy of being referred to as one. 

While many compilers always plump for one of Loleatta Holloway’s better known tracks, it makes a pleasant change to hear We’re Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together). Released in 1977, but a track Loleatta’s 1976 album Loleatta. Produced by Norman Harris, the track reveals a really soulful side to the Queen of Salsoul. Again the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section are key to the track’s sound and success, combining with keyboards and rasping horns, before the track takes on melodic, hooky sound. Cascading strings enter, before Earl’s dramatic drums signal’s the Queen’s entrance. Her voice is emotive, impassioned and deeply soulful. Sizzling guitars, a pounding rhythm section, lush strings and braying horns accompany Loleatta’s vocal as she veers between tenderness and power. This is an irresistible combination, as Loleatta demonstrates her Southern Soul roots.

Although I’ve only mentioned four tracks from Walter Gibbons’ Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology, I could’ve mentioned several others. Most of the tracks picked themselves, with Double Exposure’s Ten Percent starting Walter’s career at Salsoul, while First Choice’s Let No Man Put Asunder is another classic Walter Gibbons mix. Anthony White’s Block Party is one of the most underrated tracks on the compilation and I couldn’t not pick a track from Loleatta Holloway, the undisputed Queen of Salsoul. Having said that, tracks from The Salsoul Orchestra and Love Committe would’ve been worthy of a mention too. Will my choices be just as easy on Disc Two of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Salsoul Anthology?

DISC TWO.

The Madness Continues, which is the title of Disc Two of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Salsoul Anthology is a fitting description of disco’s hedonistic heyday. Here, ten tracks that provided the soundtrack to disco’s hedonism are remixed by Walter. Some old friends from Disc One reappear, like Loleatta Holloway, Double Exposure, Anthony White and The Love Committee. True Example are the only newcomers on Disc Two, where The Madness Continues.

Before becoming The Salsoul Orchestra, its members had found fame as M.F.S.B., Philadelphia International Records’ house-band. Many of its members including the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section and Vince Montana would go on to write, arrange and produce many classic Salsoul tracks. This was the case on Salsoul Orchestra’s 1976 album Nice ‘N’ Nasty. The title-track, Nice ‘N’ Nasty written, arranged, conducted and produced by Vince Montana. Pounding drums and hissing h-hats give way to a sizzling guitars, before horns blaze, strings swirl and breathy female vocals enter. From there, you’re swept away, atop lush strings, while horns serenade you. Later, Norman Harris lays down a peerless guitar solo. A proliferation of percussion, backing vocalists, punchy horns and dancing, shimmering strings are key to the track’s success and its joyful, uplifting sound.

One of Walter’s most commercially successful remixes was his remix of Loleatta Holloway’s Hit and Run a track from her 1976 album. It gave Loleatta a surprise hit single, selling over 300,000 copies. Since then, it’s become one of Loleatta’s best known songs, remixed by many remixers. Walter’s version still stands out from the crowd, lasting eleven minutes. However, what made the track was the sound of the Salsoul Orchestra. With the Baker, Harris and Young rhythm section at the heart of the trackm driving the track along, Loleatta embarks upon a sassy, sultry vamp. She mixes power and passion, while percussion, guitars, blazing horns and Vince Montana’s vibes accompany the rhythm section. Along with tracks like Dreaming and Runaway, Loleatta Holloway was the greatest diva of the disco era. Here, her powerful and sassy vocal along with the multitalented Salsoul Orchestra, make this not just one of the greatest tracks of the disco era, but a Salsoul classic.

Another track produced by Baker, Harris, Young is Double Exposure’s My Love Is Free, from their 1976 debut album Ten Percent. The introduction is extended, so that the combination of drums, shakers, swirling strings, guitars and flourishes of piano seemingly and thankfully go on forever. Eventually, the vocal drifts in and out fleetingly. Here, the arrangement has made in Phialdephia stamped all over it. With rasping horns, cascading string, percussion and the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section provide the track’s pounding heartbeat. However, while the remix is of the highest quality, Walter sacrifices the vocal at disco’s altar, ensuring this pounding slice of soulful disco is sufficiently dance-floor friendly. This is quite definitely the case..and then some.

Where Will It End is one of two tracks from The Love Committee on Disc Two. It’s produced by Baker, Harris, Young and is another underrated track from Salsoul’s back-catalogue. That’s why I’m so pleased it features here. The track literally bursts into life, blazing horns combining with cascading strings and the rhythm section. Percussion and tight soulful harmonies are added, as the track grows and grows. Horns growl, keyboards drift in and out then the throaty vocal enters. Quickly, it changes hands, each vocal adding to the track’s quality. Here, The Salsoul Orchestra’s performance is peerless, as is Baker, Harris, Young’s production. For over seven minutes, they seamlessly combine soul, drama and peerless disco joyfully. 

Choosing just four tracks from Disc Two of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology wasn’t as easy as I’d thought. With so many great tracks, I could’ve chosen just about any of the tracks. Loleatta’s Holloway’s Hit and Run picked itself, as did Double Exposure’s My Love Is Free. Picking the other two tracks wasn’t as easy, but The Salsoul Orchestra’s Nice “N’ Nasty shows how seamlessly and peerlessly they could fuse disco, funk and soul. Similarly, The Love Committee’s Where Will It End is another track where disco and soul unite joyously. Among the other tracks, Anthony White’s I Can’t Turn You Loose is one of the highlights, and a track I could’ve chosen just as easily. Like Disc One, Disc Two features a consistently high standard of music. Will that be the case on Disc Three of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology?

DISC THREE.

Although the first two discs of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology feature some of Salsoul’s biggest names, on Disc Three Total Insanity, many of these names are absent. Just The Salsoul Orchestra and Loleatta Holloway are present, with the Luv You Badly Orchestra, Cellophane and the Robin Hooker Band featuring. This sees covers of Tammy Wynette’s Stand By Your Man and Hank Williams’ My Cheating Heart, given a disco makeover by Salsoul and remixed by Walter Gibbons. Does the inclusion of these leftfield choices affect the quality of music on Disc Three of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology?

The Salsoul Orchestra’s Magic Bird of Fire (Fire Bird Suite) was released in 1977, from the album Magic Journey. This track is arranged, conducted and produced by Vince Montana Jr., another former alumni of M.F.S.B. and Philadelphia International Records. While it’s just crunchy drumbeats that open the track, it gives way to a dramatic, almost grandiose combination of strings and percussion. It reminds me of something you’d hear in the soundtrack to a movie, at the point where they were trying to create an element of suspense. Joining this is fast, funky bass line and then piano and punchy blazing horns. Although set to a disco beat, with the tempo 128 beats per minute, this could’ve worked well on a movie soundtrack. Flourishes of harpsichord and woodwind are just the latest in a hugely eclectic selection of instruments to join the arrangement. Together, they combine to produce something very different from what you’d expect of The Salsoul Orchestra, but something full of suspense and drama, where you never know what will happen next.

Luv You Madly Orchestra’s Moon Maiden was released in 1978, on their Luv You Madly Orchestra on Salsoul. The project paid tribute to Duke Ellington, with disco tracks composed by the Duke. Here, crispy drumbeats pound, flourishes of flute cascade, before a thunderous bass enters. It’s joined by keyboards, percussion and female backing vocalists. Strings cascade, sweep and swirl, before synths make a brief appearance. Things change when a soulful soaring female vocalist enters, accompanied by tight, equally soulful harmonies. The result is quite different from the other Salsoul tracks on the compilation, but still has the trademark quality of a track featuring the famous Salsoul label.

My final choice from Disc Three is another track from the Queen of Salsoul, Loleatta Holloway, Catch Me On The Rebound. This is a track from her 1978 album Queen of The Night, produced by Norman Harris. It features the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, who combine with blazing horns, keyboard and percussion to create a track that’s steeped in drama. You’re anticipating Loleatta’s vocal, awaiting her grand entrance. You’re not disappointed. Her mixture of power, passion and emotion is present, while Earl Young’s drums pound. The Sweethearts of Sigma add punchy harmonies, before Ron Baker’s bass bounds across the arrangement. As Loleatta vamps, percussion and gospel-tinged backing vocals add to the drama of the track. All this makes this the best track on Disc Three and demonstrates just why Loleatta Holloway was the real First Lady of Disco. No-one else came close.

While I only picked three of the nine tracks on Disc Three of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology, the inclusion of some leftfield choices didn’t affect the quality of music. Luv You Madly Orchestra’s Moon Maiden was very different from other tracks on the compilation. So were Robin Hooker Band’s covers of Stand By Your Man and My Cheating Heart. Although disco and country songs seem strange bedfellows, they somehow work well. In the anything goes days of disco, this was the case, with artists covering all sorts of tracks. The Salsoul Orchestra and Loleatta Holloway were the only familiar faces on Disc Three, with Loleatta’s Catch Me On The Rebound another welcome inclusion, rather than more familiar tracks like Dreamin’ or Love Sensation. 

Loleatta Holloway is one of Salsoul’s biggest names that feature on the three discs of Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology. She’s joined by Double Exposure, The Salsoul Orchestra and First Choice, plus a few other welcome additions. These include Anthony Jackson, Love Committee and True Example. Each of the twenty-nine tracks on the three discs see Walter Gibbons remix the track, bringing something imaginative and innovative to the original track. He knew what worked on the dance-floor, plus was able to lengthen the tracks so that he was no longer constantly mixing between tracks to lengthen breaks. On some tracks, Walter lengthens the breaks so much, that you feel they’ll last forever. Then, Walter allows the track to explode, with joy and drama escaping at last, after teasing and tantalizing dancers. Many of Walter’s remixes are timeless classics, but we must remember that with many of the tracks, he’d the perfect starting point for his remixes. This includes track produced by Baker, Harris, Young and vibes virtuoso Vince Montana. With The Salsoul Orchestra providing the musical soundtrack for each artist, these tracks were some of the best tracks Walter Gibbons would ever produce. For anyone who loves disco, Salsoul or Walter Gibbons’ remixes, then Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology is essential listening. On Mixed With Love-The Walter Gibbons Anthology, you’ll hear some of the best music of the disco era, which I can safely say were remixed by Walter Gibbons…unless of course you know different.

MIXED WITH LOVE-THE WALTER GIBBONS ANTHOLOGY.