The idea for this mix came up a few months ago when one of my friends posted a Youtube link of Banderas "This Is Your Life" on Facebook. This song got a special place in my heart ever since I heard it for the first time in 1991. It was about time to do something with it, put it in a mix for example. Not sure how I wanted this to fit in but it had to be done, one way or the other. When I drove home from work later that day 'Crazy' from Seal was played on the radio -while that song hardly get any airplay anymore nowadays- and at that moment I realised there where quite some songs in the early 90's that a similar vibe: Mid tempo electronic music with pop/soul/funk and house influences caracterised by excellent songwriting and/or production. Slighty on the deeper/smoother side with -most important of all- a lot of emotion.
It took me over a month to complete the track selection. Digging deep (ha!) into my collection to find the right versions and to be sure I didn't forget a personal favourite. Most of the selected tracks where used but unfortunately I also had to leave some tracks out because they simply did not fit in the mix on the spot where I wanted them to be. Futhermore I wanted the mix to be 2,5 to 3 hours max. Family stand "Ghetto Heaven", Enigma "Sadeness", Inner City "Watcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", Driza Bone "Real Love" and Fidelfatti feat. Shirley - "Listen to my music" are among those that didn't make it.
Most of the songs belong to my all time favourites and so many memories come back to me when I listen to the mix; Holidays in France, Summer Love, School, The Pirate radio stations we ran, Maxximum (yeah that one!) are a few random things that come to mind right now.
The night I started working on the mix I didn't know what challenge there was yet to come. It turned out to be an arduous task as a lot of the tracks where all but DJ-Mix friendly which forced me to create 'mixable' re-edits first. In some cases I was able pick a small drum/instrumental part of the song in question to create an intro and outro, in other cases I had to use multiple versions of a track to make one decent mixable version. It took me over two weeks to complete the mix (Sorry honey for being upstairs all the time! Love you!). Never spend that much time on a DJ mix before -not counting the Awesome Bootleg Mix as that is a megamix- and I am very pleased with the result now that it is finished. I hope you will enjoy it as much I do.
Sweet Memories - Sweet Harmonies
Tracklisting:
01. Bomb The Bass - Winter In July (Cosmic Jammer Club Mix) - 1991
02. Dubstar - Stars - 1995
03. Movement 98 feat. Carroll Thompson - Joy And Heartbreak (The Future Mix) - 1990
04. Tameka Starr - Going In Circles (The L.T.J. Soul Invention Remix) - 1992
05. Sade - Make Some Room - 1988
06. Soul Family Sensation - I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Marshall Jefferson (Symphony) - 1991
07. Mag's Prout - Dreamin' Stop (Cicala Remix) - 1992
08. Martine Girault - Revival - 1992
09. Caron Wheeler - Livin' In The Light (Brixton Bass Mix) - 1990
10. Innocence - Natural Thing (Elevation) - 1990
11. The Beloved - Sweet Harmony (The Love Dub Mix / Conscience Album Version) - 1992
12. Seal - Crazy (Do You Know The Way To L.A. Mix / Album Version) - 1990
13. Soul II Soul - A Dreams A Dream (Club Dub / A Night At The Opera Mix) - 1990
15. Sounds Of Blackness - Optimistic (Album Version) - 1991
16. Visions feat. Magic Juan Atkins and Dianne Lynn - Is This Real (Final Down) - 1992
17. Deep Blue - Deep Blue (The Inner Part Of Me / Instrumental Version / Vocal Version) - 1990
18. Banderas - This Is Your Life (Original Mix) - 1991
19. PM Dawn - Paper Doll (Club Mix) - 1991
20. Blue Pearl - Little Brother (Soulshock & Cutfather Remix) - 1990
21. Elevation 4th - Make Me Feel (Extended Mix) - 1991
22. Quartz with Dina Caroll - Naked Love (Just Say You Want Me) (Part 1) - 1991
23. Infobeat - We've Got The Funk (Extended Beat / Clubmix) - 1990
24. Brand New Heavies - Stay This Way (David Morales Lunar Dub) - 1992
25. Mica Paris - Young Soul Rebels (Remix) - 1991
26. Captain Hollywood Project - All I Want (Naked Eye Mix) - 1993
27. Jody Watley - I'm The One You Need (Extended Club Version) - 1991
28. Electribe 101 - Talking / Talking With Myself (Frankie Knuckles Mix) - 1990
29. Temper Temper - It's All Outta Lovin' You (It's A Dub / Original) - 1991
30. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (Paul Oakenfold Mix) - 1991
31. With It Guys feat. Shirley Lewis - Feel Alright (Future Mix) - 1991
32. Frankie Knuckles - Sacrifice - 1991
33. Plus 1 - The Song Will Always Be The Same (The NYC + Costello Mix) - 1991
34. Corina - Temptation (The Lucifer Mix) - 1991
35. Mr Fingers - Closer (Frankie Foncett Dude Mix / 7" Version) - 1992
36. Opus III - It's A Fine Day - 1992
Great harmonies.
Well worth the work you put in...Loving every beat of it...,,,!!!
Nice!!