Do you remember… September ? Well, we gotta do it at least as good as Earth, Wind & Fire back in the daze as it’s time for many of us on this part of the world to get back seriously at work. And I gotta say that we’re pretty much excited about it here on IDMW.Com because of a whole bunch of new blood to come on the site, starting with the now imminent opening of our long awaited online record store. We’ve gathered a lot of goodies to feed your apetites over those last weeks, meanwhile seing our attention eventually caught up by people and things of the past we’d forgotten when not litterally discovered, seing us with a whole bunch of (new) things we feel we’ve gotta talk to you about in the near future. As for this week, we’re coming back atcha with our usual bunch of colums, welcoming French producer and resident DJ of weekly Dance Culture sessions, Greg Gauthier for a chat. Our Single Of The Week sounds like a piece of xtra summer time brought up by the likes of Bah Samba, meanwhile our Vintage section gets a little bit more space welcoming not only our now usual 12’’ of the likes – ‘Disco Inferno’ by The Trammps – with the addiction of a new dedicated column left to the hands of our own MFSB.

Welcome back to what we hope has (or is to) become your home…

ISSUE#101

BACK 2 DA ROOTS (DISCO, SOUL, FUNK & OTHER ILLICIT GROOVES)

Dis had 2 come up one day or anotha on these pages and the day in question has finally arrived. To tell you the truth, I’ve spent those last 4 months doing almost nothing but listening to music released along those last 3 decades, while collaborating on the launch of our record shop with long time friend LC2long and finally ended up getting deeper and deeper into it. As a matter of fact, I took a look at my entire collection, rediscovered litteral hidden treasures and eventually found extra ones which I’d never heard before while shopping here or there. And I gotta say that what I’m up to share with you on this new column are more than good vibes. It’s for a major part what made me who I am today as almost each single record is firmly attached to a precise moment of my life. Nevertheless, don’t expect me to work with a chronological method as too many things have occured inbetween, not to mention the fact that I’m not writing my biography, am I ? This said, I’d like to dedicate this first editorial of the likes to the so called Philadelphia Sound and its mentors – producers Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff – and the countless artists who’ve actively contributed to make it what it remains on our memory - The O’Jays, People’s Choice, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, The Jones Girls, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and oops, I was to forget…  MFSB (the band) and the likes as not only it was a… sound, but first and foremost a spirit which came to unite people from different backgrounds, horizons, skin colours and made that period so exciting and shiny.

The contribution of the people we’re gonna talk on this new column is unvaluable as they paved the way for the generations which were to follow, as shown by the numerous remixes, reedits, reproductions or whatever which came up to our attention since, having their souvenir trully alive, judging by the hudge amount of transgenerational collabs that have occured, should it be by the likes of Masters At Work with people such as Roy Ayers,  George Benson, James Ingram and the late Tito Puente to name but a few, but also more recently house producer Louis Benedetti and vet Philly Sound mentor Vincent Montana Jr or even, on a more mainstream field, French outfit Cassius with Jocelyn Brown or Bob Sinclar with Cerrone, and the list goes on.

Music is the message and the latest happens to be more than love. Its full power comes for its capacity to retrace what is nothing but our common history along the years and, as a direct result, the fundaments of today’s production. In other words, we would like this column to be taken for what it is : a simple path for a better understanding left to your own disposal, as opposed to a sign of nostalgia, due to the simple fact that any comparison from a thing to another can be done within a same period time in regards to the countless changes which have occured from a decade to another.

As always, don’t forget that your suggestions/enquiries or commitment (should you feel that we’ve forgotten an important thing) are more than welcome while dropping us a line. Meanwhile, the weeks to come should see us going further in that direction with our weekly Vintage 12’’ section, interviews and portraits of some of the main actors of those times. Stay tuned. MFSB

BACK 2 DA ROOTS TENNERZ

CLYDE ALEXANDER Got To Get Your Love (Heavenly Star)

MARTA ACUNA Dance Dance Dance (P&P)

BOHANNON Me & The Gang (Mercury)

RAY PARKER & RAYDIO It’s Time To Party Now (Arista)

B.T. EXPRESS Does It Feel Good To You (Columbia)

THE TRAMMPS Disco Inderno (Atco)

CHICAGO Street Player (Columbia)

CROWN HEIGHTS AFFAIR Say A Prayer For Two (DeLite)

INNER CITY Moments Of My Life (Salsoul)

JANICE McCLAIN Giving My Love (Mon Tab)