Midas Hutch-100 Percent

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“100 Percent” was written and performed by dance music legend Leroy Burgess and Sonny Davenport under the name Aleem in 1985. Dutch producer Midas Hutch, has remade the song with the addition of the talkbox. His video for “100 Percent” is a series of ’80’s movie clips including scenes from Breakin’ and Beatstreet. He’s already used his love of ’80’s soul/funk to remix Dej Loaf’s “Try Me.”




Throwback: Fonda Rae: Over Like A Fat Rat

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Fonda Rae started making dance music in the late ’70’s with Don Armada’s Second Avenue Rhumba Band when she sang on the “Deputy Of Love” single. Rae then worked with a variety of dance acts including Kid Creole and The Coconuts, Wish and Fantasy as the lead voice on the songs, “Maladie D’Amour,” “Touch Me” and “You’re Too Late.” A Leroy Burgess demo made with studio engineer Bob Blank became “Over Like A Fat Rat” once Rae’s vocals were added to the mix. The song quickly emerged as a timeless boogie classic that thrived in the clubs and house parties. Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, Kool G Rap and Polo, SWV, Grand Puba and Master P have all sampled “Over Like A Fat Rat” giving the song another legacy among Generation X. Fonda Rae still performs and is currently working with The Soul Garden production team on a new album.




Throwback: Black Ivory-Mainline

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Stuart Bascombe, Russell Patterson and Leroy Burgess became Black Ivory in the late ’60’s after original members Lawrence Newkirk, Vito Ramirez and Michael Harris left the group. The New Yorkers were signed quickly to Perception/Today Records where Patrick Adams was offered an A&R job after bringing the group to the label. Adams also wrote their first single, “Don’t Turn Around” and it was released in 1971. Their debut album of the same name came out later in the year and it had exceptional staying power because of “You and I,” “I’ll Find A Way” and “Find The One Who Loves You.” Black Ivory was among a number of soul groups known for slow love songs like Blue Magic,The Delfonics and The Stylistics. Baby Won’t You Change Your Mind was their sophomore album and it was heavily supported because of the songs “Spinning Around” and “Time Is Love.” When the Perception label had financial problems they signed to the Warner subsidiary Kwanzaa and released “What Goes Around (Comes Around).” Kwanzaa eventually folded and they were added to the roster at Buddah Records. Feel It was their first output for Buddah and it is noted for the track “Will We Ever Come Together.” There would be two more albums with Buddah before the group dissolved. Hangin’ Heavy was their last release for the company and 1979’s “Mainline” was a song that Leroy Burgess had left over from other projects. Burgess went on to become a king of dance music because of several endeavors including Phreek, The Aleem Twins, Fonda Rae, Narada Michael Walden, Rick James and others. He started performing with Black Ivory again in the 2000’s and the group self-released the album Continuum in December of 2011.