Bill Brewster - Sources - The Streetwise Records Anthology Compiled by Bill Brewster (2015)

Sources is a brand new series which will examine the output of a number of extremely influential independent U.S. labels throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. In an age where corporate anonymity reigns supreme and music is being treated like aural wallpaper, the Sources series will go back to a time when record labels really meant something via their A&R policies, their ground-breaking releases, their everyday modus-operandi and their general philosophies. What made these operations unique? How did they manage to compete with the major companies? How did they protect their artist rosters? What sort of people ran these operations and how did they manage to survive in the cut-throat music business? Bill Brewster, co-founder of the influential DJ History website and forum and author of the acclaimed “Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life” will be compiling and writing the sleeve notes for the series. The first six releases will concentrate on 6 New York independent labels which have each been massively influential in the evolvement of Dance Music over the last 30+ years – Easy Street, Fresh, Sleeping Bag, Sam, Streetwise and P&P. Each 3 x CD package will be full of lovingly re-mastered original 12” mixes as selected by Bill. These will include many tracks which have never made it to CD before and you can be sure that a variety of ‘secret weapons’ will emerge from each of these packages! All notes and scans will be included in a 16 page colour booklet which fits beautifully within the 3CD superior digipack. The usual Harmless PR and Radio operation will support all Sources releases. The ninth release in the Sources series focuses on one of the more unique New York independent record labels of the early to mid-1980s. Originally created by producer extraordinaire Arthur Baker, the label managed a dazzling array of hit records from the start with huge international smashes by Rockers Revenge, Freeeze and New Edition. The label was also responsible for signing some left-field records like Dr John’s “Jet Set”, the weird and wonderful Dominatrix with “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight and even New Order with “Confusion”, displaying a wide-reaching grasp of different styles. No record was too bizarre for Streetwise who licensed in the pumping jazz-funk of Touchdown’s “Ease Your Mind” and even Eartha Kitt’s Gay anthem “Where Is My Man”. The label dominated the U.S. and U.K. Dance charts with a plethora of releases like Colonel Abrams early Garage anthem “Music Is The Answer”, Cuba Gooding’s fantastic re-make of “Happiness Is Just Around The Bend” and even veteran diva Loleatta Holloway with the brittle “Crash Goes Love”. They were also in early on the Rap/Hip-Hop scene with Dimples D, Guru and T La Rock & Jazzy Jay. As with all Sources releases, this is another deep dip into New York club culture and Streetwise was pretty much as close to the streets as the name suggests. File with the other Sources releases and keep the collection going!

Tracks:
01 Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine (Original 12'' Mix) [09:32]
02 Dr John - Jet Set (Original 12'' Mix) [06:54]
03 Loleatta Holloway - Crash Goes Love (Original 12'' Mix) [07:23]
04 Pushe - Don't Take Your Love Away (Original 12'' Mix) [07:55]
05 Colonel Abrams - Music Is The Answer (Original 12'' Mix) [06:43]
06 Paul Simpson Connection - Use Me Lose Me (Original 12'' Mix) [06:01]
07 Cuba Gooding - Happiness Is Just Around The Bend (Original 12'' Mix) [07:51]
08 Cuba Gooding - Got The Hots (Original 12'' Mix) [05:55]
09 Citispeak - Rock To Rock (Original 12'' Mix) [05:52]
10 Touchdown - Ease Your Mind (Original 12'' US Remix) [07:01]
11 Eartha Kitt - Where Is My Man (Original 12'' Mix) [06:22]
12 Freeez - I.O.U. (Original 12'' Mix) [07:42]
13 New Edition - Candy Girl (Original 12'' Mix) [07:10]
14 New Order - Confusion (Original 12'' Mix) [08:04]
15 New Edition - Pass The Beat (Original Album Version) [04:44]
16 Pee Wee - Be My Girl (Original 12'' Mix) [05:53]
17 Nyhtjar - All In Fun (Original 12'' Mix) [06:33]
18 Dominatrix - The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (Original 12'' Dominant Mix) [04:48]
19 Zenobia - In The Night (Original 12'' Dub Mix) [08:21]
20 Ladies Choice - Girls Night Out (Original 12'' Mix) [07:28]
21 Al Baby Green - Coldblooded (Original 12'' Dub Mix) [05:51]
22 Nairobi & The Awesome Foursome - Funky Soul Makossa (Original 12'' Mix) [07:27]
23 Dimples D - Sucker Dj's (I Will Survive) (Original 12'' Mix) [04:52]
24 Awesome Foursome - Funky Breakdown (Original 12'' Mix) [07:58]
25 Larrice - Bop Till I Drop (Original 12'' Bop Mix) [05:42]
26 Air Force 1 - See The Light - Feel The Heat (Original 12'' Mix) [05:20]
27 Moja Nya - Rise Up (Original 12'' Dub Rise Mix) [04:39]
28 Citispeak Feat. Jeanne Harris - I Don't Need Your Handouts (Original 12'' Instrumental Mix) [06:57]
29 Guru - Who You Stealin' From (Original 12'' Mix) [07:14]
30 Ultimate 3 Mc's - What Are We Gonna Do (Original 12'' Mix) [06:26]
31 Ralph Rolle - Roxanne's A Man (The Untold Story) (Original 12'' Mix) [04:45]
32 Freeez - Scratch Goes My Dub (Original 12'' Dub Mix) [12:04]
33 T La Rock & Jazzy Jay - It's Yours (Original Radio Mix) [04:21]