Mixtape: Roger Riddle - "Music from the Juke Joint 2.0"

In May I DJed a party that might have saved my DJ soul.

I've been DJing for about 15 years now, and it gets harder and harder to keep doing it.

Now, everyone is a DJ. Thanks to streaming, everyone has a huge music collection. Digital DJing has it's advantages, but the downside is everyone thinks they're a DJ. People can hear their favorite song any time they want, so why should it be any different in the club?

People make requests and they are incredibly rude. No one wants to hear a song - no matter how good it is - if they've never heard it before. Play it, an everyone walks off the dance floor.

For years I DJed in a place where the people who would most enjoy my events either didn't come to them, or if they did, they all went ad sat in the patio outside and smoked smoked cigarettes for 3 hours before they came in to party for the last hour.

Music has changed so much that stuff I am really into seems irrelevant. I never dig deep into my collection. And I began to wonder if all my years of digging for music was best served only playing for myself. 

I'm doing all this complaining to say - In May I DJed an event in Akron, Ohio called the Juke Joint 2.0. It was put together by my friend Eriq Troi. It featured DJ Vinnie G and myself.

It was the absolute opposite of everything that I just said was wrong with my prior DJing experiences. It was such a breath of fresh air - and much needed too. Prior to playing this event I had been telling my girlfriend that I wanted to quit DJing live shows because I wasn't enjoying them anymore. 

I put together this great set of music to pull from at the Juke Joint, and when my time came to go on, people danced and sang from beginning to end. It was amazing. People danced til they were soaked in sweat, and sang until their voice was hoarse. 

This mix is a selection of songs that I played from that night. I hope you enjoy.

Track list after the jump.

Be Thankful For What You Got (FKJ Remix) by William De Vaughn
Slave - Watching You by Slave
Inside Out by Odyssey
Rock Creek Park by Blackbyrds
Jam on it (Main Mix) by Mos Def
Let The Beat Hit 'Em by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
Unknown by Unknown
Saturdays by De La Soul
Golden (Kaytranada's Life Extended Living Edition) by Jill Scott
Stronger Than Pride (Karizma K2 Mix) by Sade
Everybody Everybody by Black Box
Big Fun (Original 12'' Mix) by Inner City
100% Pure Love by Crystal Waters
Optimistic (Original) by Zepherin Saint, Ann Nesby, G3
I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits [Explicit] by Moodymann
Looking For The Perfect Beat (12" Vocal Version) (Remastered) by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
I Didn't Mean To Turn You On by Cherrelle
A.I.E. (Cobblestone Jazz Remix) by Soil & "Pimp" Sessions
Elevator (Going Up) (Louie Veg by Louie Vega, Monique Bingham
My Life Is A Minimal Circle (Original Mix) by Rick Wilhite
Haven't You Heard (Joey Negro Extended Disco Mix) by Patrice Rushen
It's Tricky by Run-D.M.C.
Push It by Salt 'N' Pepa
The Tears Of A Clown by Smokey Robinson
Momma Say Bull Shit (rmx) by Rod Lee
Ensemble by Sinclair
Lions Of Judah (Four Tet Re-Edit) by Emanative & Ahmed Abdullah

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - "Tuning In"

I've been "Tuning In" to a lot of good new music lately. I share what I recently discovered with my newest mix.

This mix came about because I have not been able to spot playing Katranada's "Lite Spots", Jarreau Vandal's "Small Talk", and Prequel's "Nothing Better".

I guess you can call these songs house music, but they really blur the lines between a lot of different styles.

So as I am listening to them over and over again over the past couple of months, I have been collecting songs that I think will sound good around them. Some were old favorites of mine - Trus'me's "W.A.R." and House of Gypsies' "Sume Sigh Say" but most were new. There is a lot of good new music out there right now and it just keeps coming.

Then just as I thought I had all I needed to finally put together a decent mix, I hear something I knew about but had slept on. Emanative's cover of Sun Ra's "Love In Outer Space". It came on in my headphones and I knew right then that I had to include it - even if it wasn't really a house song.

This song was part of an album called The Light Years of Darkness that was recorded and released as a fundraiser for the Steve Reid Foundation - an organization which aims to help people working in music who are in crisis. Killer album for a great cause. Download it.

And because of that Emanative song, I was finally able to play that massive Cut Chemist tune at the very end of the mix that has never fit anywhere else.

Listen, share, and enjoy. Tracklist after the jump.



Trus’me - W.A.R.
Moodymann - I Got Werk
Kraak & Smaak - Way Back Home Feat. Ivar
Reverendos Of Soul, Danny Losito, Micky More, Andy Tee - Moon Rising (Micky More & Andy Tee Mix)
Re-Tide - Revolution Is Here (Original Mix)
KAYTRANADA - Lite Spots
Joy Jones, Osunlade - Over (Osunlade Remix)
Marcel Lune - Sketches (Original Mix)
DJ Gregory - Block Party
Eli Escobar, Steven Klavier - Back 2 Luv
Soul Vision, Dario D'Attis - Don't Stop (Dario D'attis Remix)
Mad Villains, Aisha Zoe - Senses feat. Aisha Zoe (Extended Mix)
Jarreau Vandal - Small Talk
Reckonwrong - Getting Warmer (Hot Mix)
Seven Davis Jr - Open Up(Remix)
Kort, FaMEnotMoney, Elementary - That's Why (Original Mix)
Prequel - Nothing Better
House Of Gypsies - Sume Sigh Say (MAW Remix)
Emanative - Love In Outer Space (feat' Ahmed Abdullah)
Cut Chemist - Adidas to Addis

Mixtape: Superfunkycalifragisexy - ChillHop: Autumn Serenade

ChillHop: Autumn Serenade

I've been using Mixcloud to host my mixes for awhile now, but I am just finding a community of my own within it. One of those people in that community is a DJ by the name of Supercalifragisexy.

Supercali's most recent mix is a relaxing instrumental listen that is really jazzy tones over hip-hop drum beats.

It's one of those mixes that I wish I had pulled off myself - each song making me say, "Ooh! What is this?"

Perfect for work. Perfect for just relaxing. Perfect for night time. I suggest you listen.

I'll work on getting the full track list for this mix.

Need more to listen to? Try my mix, "Big Love".

Maynard Ferguson - Primal Scream

Maynard Ferguson's Primal Scream is the work of a bad M.F.

Maynard Ferguson - Primal Scream
Columbia, 1976

I'll buy anything that has Bob James name on it, and that's how I ended up with this record. I have to say that I feel as if I will never run out of Bob James records to buy. He easily could have been the hardest working musician of the 70s. The only person I can think of that holds a candle to Bob James is Ron Carter. These two men were on every album made in the 70s.

Bob James produced this album. It has that great 70s Bob James feel, and it features the cast of musical characters you would expect to see on an album produced by Bob James.

Eric Gale, Ralph MacDonald, Gary King, Steve Gadd. Chick Corea makes an appearance on a track titled "Cheshire Cat".

A notable track is "Pagliacci" which Ferguson performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.


When I bought this album, my good friend Dale Hamlin was in town for a visit. He pointed out this pretty funny section on the back of the album jacket.

 Now, I believe what is going on here is that Ferguson used his own initials to signify that the instruments were from his own design. However, hilarity ensued when Dale read the section as, "Maynard Ferguson plays a Mutha' Fuckin' Horn Trumpet..." Funny. As. Hell.

I hope there was a bit of intentional double entendre written into the way that was worded.

If you need some music to keep you going, may I suggest my Mixcloud mix, "Big Love" - a mixture of funk, soul, Latin jazz, Brazilian, and a little bit of deep house thrown in for good measure.

Gabor Szabo - Bacchanal

I grabbed Gabor Szabo's Bacchanal because of a Bobby Womack interview.

Gabor Szabo - Bacchanal
Skye, 1968

I've been on a Gabor Szabo kick lately. If I hear him, I really tune in. If I see one of his records, I buy it. It's all because I found out that he did the original recording of "Breezin'" - the song made famous by George Benson.

I learned this in an interview with Bobby Womack (in that same interview Bobby Womack said he wrote "Breezin'", which I didn't know. He also said that he wrote lyrics to the song).

That was enough to make me pay attention to Szabo. Bacchanal is one of three albums he released on the Skye label - which he started with Cal Tjader and Gary McFarland.



The album featured two new songs written by Szabo, and the rest of the songs were covers of pop tunes of the day. The stand out track for me is his version of Donovan's "Three King Fishers". He also covers Donovan's "Sunshine Superman". There are also songs from Burt Bacharach, Lee Hazelwood and others.

Be sure to check out my mix, "Big Love", on Mixcloud.

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - Big Love

Almost a year later, I take a second look at my set from Big Love.

Almost a year ago I played a sustainability festival in Akron called Big Love. I built a set that focused on drums and percussion because I was going to be playing along side Elec Simon, who would be live drumming over the mix. 

Elec is an incredibly talented guy. He toured with STOMP! for 10 years. Then he came back home to Northeast Ohio and began working on a anti-bullying porgram because his best friend growing up committed suicide due to bullying.

He goes into different schools and teaches percussion classes while sliding in an easy to digest anti-bullying message. He has become a mentor to many kids in the process.

So the guy is seriously busy. In fact, when the day came for us to perform at Big Love, he had just gotten back home from Toronto the day before. He was there playing the NBA All-Star game weekend as part of the three-point shootout entertainment.

So, with all that in mind I had to be on my A-game. We had only played together once before and that was an impromptu set at Mighty Soul Night. Mighty Soul Night is a night of funk, jazz, latin, soul, and afro-beat spun by DJs with live drummers. It takes place every 4th Friday at Uncorked Wine Bar in downtown Akron, Ohio. The night I met Elec, I just happened to be DJing a guest spot, and he just happened to come in after being invited to come hang out with a friend. We hit it off.

So I came up with a set that I thought Elec would be able to work with. I practiced and I recorded those practice sessions so I could figure out my mistakes and tweak the session where it was needed. When I was satisfied with it, I shared the final practice session with a few close friends. Then I got ready to play it live.

The set turned out to be beautiful. However, I didn't record it so all I had was those recordings of my practice sessions. I recently took another look at the tracks from that day and started to play them again. I realized that I really liked this set. I added a track. I took one away. And then I hit record and here it is. It's not perfect, but it is still a fun listen. I hope you enjoy, and more importantly I hope you dance.

The track listing can be found after the jump.

Bill Withers - Let It Be
Herman Kelly & Life - Dance to the Drummer's Beat (Jim Burgess 12" Mix)
Barry White - Your Sweetness Is My Weakness
Third World - Now That We Found Love
Ben Westbeech - So Good Today
Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - As We Enter
79rs Gang - Drama
The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau, Part 1
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Something (Roger Riddle Big Love Re-edit)
Rick Wilhite - Drum Pattern & Memories (Moodymann Mix)
Eddie Kendricks - Date With The Rain
Héctor Lavoe - Mi Gente (LOUIE VEGA EOL REMIX)
Todd Terje - Strandbar (samba)
Sonzeira - Bam Bam Bam [feat. Giovanca]
Kashmere Stage Band - I Wish (Todd Terry Remix)
Kaori - Good Life (Good Vocal Mix)
House Of Gypsies - Sume Sigh Say (MAW Remix)
Salomé De Bahia - Outro Lugar
Portinho - Batumata
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Ain't Nothin' But A Party

What was it like to go to a Pink Floyd concert in 1966?

Pink Floyd in 1967. (L-R: Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters and Syd Barrett) Michael Ochs Archives/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Joe Boyd remembers those Pink Floyd early years because he was booking the band at his club in London.

To celebrate the release of the new Pink Floyd Early Years 1965 - 1972 box set - a 27 disc set (to put that in perspective, Dark Side of the Moon wasn't released until 1975) - NPR sat down with writer and producer Joe Boyd to talk about those early days of the band.

In 1965 Boyd went to the UK to help get an overseas office of Elektra Records up and running. The following year he opened his own club, the UFO Club, in London. It was London's first psychedelic rock club, and one of the acts that played there regularly was Pink Floyd.

So, few people know what a live performance from Pink Floyd was like better than Boyd does. Take a listen to what he had to say about that era with his All Songs Considered session with NPR.


And be sure to read the full NPR All Songs Considered post to learn more about #PinkFloydWeek.

Mixtape: Jazzcat - Falling Leaves

Falling leaves, crisp air - something about Autumn just says jazz. 

Right after I posted "For Ears With Hearts" to Mixcloud, Jazzcat's "Falling Leaves" showed up in my timeline. He had posted it just a couple of days earlier.

There was comfort in knowing that I wasn't the only one who was motivated by the changing of the seasons to do a chillout jazz mix. And when it's coming from Jazzcat, you know it's going to be good. The guy is a master selector.

I suggest you put on your headphones and go for a walk in a park while this one plays. Make sure you wear a scarf loosely looped around your neck. Take in the colors of the trees. Reflect on what the year has brought you. Imagine what new adventures will come. Think of all the special people in your life. Wonder who you will meet next. This is what this mix and Mother Nature inspires around this time of year.

If the hiking through the park isn't really your thing, then light a fire in the fireplace (or candles if that works better), dim the lights, and pour the wine.

Enjoy.

Autumn In New York (Part One) - Arthur Blythe
'Tis Autumn – The Maynard Ferguson Orchestra
Portrait of Jeannie – Blue Mitchell
Dolphin Dance – Herbie Hancock
Dahomey Dance – John Coletrane
Chant - Donald Byrd
These Are Soulful Days – Lee Morgan
Nica's Dream – The Horace Silver Quintet
Speak No Evil – Wayne Shorter

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - For Ears With Hearts

Sometimes you just need some jazz to chill out to, "For Ears With Hearts" delivers.

"For Ears with Hearts" has been a long time coming. I had some of these songs on the back burner for a long time. I think I first came to know Beth Gibbons' "Romance" 10 years ago, and was never able to work in into a mix until now.

Sly 5th Ave's instrumental cover of Kendrick Lamar's "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" was one of those songs I just kept going back to for a listen. The problem was there was a long time when the song was only available for streaming. One day recently, I went back to the site for a listen and realized not only could I buy a download, it was available on a 7" inch single. I felt that after waiting so long to get my hands on it, it was going to be worth it to have that physical copy on my self to pull out an wow someone one day.

And that sparked the mix. Once I had Sly 5th Ave's track quickly other ideas popped into my head. 

The Esbjörn Svensson Trio's "Somewhere Else Before" is this incredible track that pops up in my life to soothe things just when I need it most. Danger Mouse and Daniel Lupi's ode to Ennio Morricone in the "Theme of Rome" fits so nicely. 

Then there are the oddball choices that aren't jazz but somehow get the vibe just right. Submotion Orchestra's "All Yours" was another track that I have long loved but could never work it into a mix. It found a home here. Zero 7's "Throw It All Away" is a remix that nod's its head to the work of J Dilla. Still, it works here.

And speaking of Zero 7, Ira Sullivan's "Kingdom Within You" could easily be mistaken for some rare Zero 7 song. However, it was produced in 1980 as part of his Strings Attached album.

I could go on an on about each song in this mix. Badbadnotgood's "Time Moves Slowly" featuring the STELLAR voice of Samuel T Herring (Who is this guy? How have I missed out on him all this time?) is just one of the great tracks from their new album. A since I am waxing poetic about voices, Melanie De Biasio and Michael Kiwanuka definitely deserve praise.

Every song is good. Just give it a listen. The track list is after the jump.

Sly5thave & The Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra - Don’t Kill My Vibe
José James - Heaven On The Ground (feat. Emily King)
Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Somewhere Else Before
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Theme Of ''Rome''
Melanie De Biasio - Sweet Darling Pain
Zero 7 - Throw It All Away [Tribute to Dilla remix by Demus]
Badbadnotgood - Time Moves Slowly (feat. Samuel T. Herring)
Submotion Orchestra - All Yours
Michael Kiwanuka - Place I Belong
Bob Cunningham - Lover's Theme
Curtis Mayfield - The Makings Of You
Ira Sullivan - The Kingdom Within You
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - MO' BETTER BLUES
Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band - La Rumba Experimental (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix)
Beth Gibbons - Romance
Jazzanova - Dial A Cliché

The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul

So I finally got my hands on a copy of the Marvelettes' Sophisticated Soul album.

The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul
Tamla, 1968

For years I have wanted this album because I am in love with the song, "You're the One For Me Bobby" (Not to be confused with the song "You're the One" which was also on this album and released as single). It was always just outside my reach.

I never ran across it in record stores. I could never find a copy of it online except for copies overseas. Those overseas copies would run $30, $40, sometimes as much as $60. Which I might have paid but when you add international shipping, it wasn't worth it. There never seemed to be copies for sale in the United States.

I once met a guy who ran a record stand at a flea market in Macon, Georgia. He swore up and down he had a copy of it in a storage unit. I told him I wanted it. He said it would be more than his usual $5. I told him I would pay the $30 he was asking for it. Each week I went back, he never had it. That was as close as I ever got.


This album didn't have a hit on it. Plus, Gladys Horton had left the group (though her voice does appear on the album as a backing vocal on "You're the One"), and Anne Bogan had stepped in to replace her. Even though there was production and writing by Smokey Robinson and Ashford and Simpson, and instuments played by the Funk Brothers, the album didn't produce a big hit. Not to mention Sophisticated Soul came towards the end of the Marvelettes run. This all adds up to there just weren't as many copies of this one as there were some other Marvelettes albums.

The album was such an afterthought of the #Motown catalog that it never made it to CD or mp3. So, I was just screwed. No "You're the One For Me Bobby" for me.

Then one day last week I look up the album - as I would do for time to time - and there are copies everywhere! All over the United States. Just about all of them were $10 and under. It's like a warehouse was found with dead stock cases or something.

So now, I own two copies. And I will probably buy a third one to trade!

Now next on my list of records to get is Kiosk's "Mona Call" (Good luck with that one, right?)

Follow more of my record collecting stories on Instagram.

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - Hoxxx! (I'm Talking to You, Ladies) - A Tribute to Princess Freesia

The playfully soulful sounds of Princess Freesia.

The release of Princess Fresssia's newest album, STELLARSONIC! is just the next stop on the wild ride I've been on since I first heard her voice.

Back in the days when Soundcloud wasn't deleting everything everybody uploaded, I spent a lot of time uploading to, searching, and listening to what was available on that website. 

I had run across and was following a producer named Soulpersona. I loved his remixes - particularly a Whitney Houston one comes to mind. Then one day I ran across a song called "Ultrasuperlove" that he produced. 

I was blown away by the sound. And the voice? The singer was amazing. 

What manner of music was this? It was new but it reminded me of the soulful sounds from the late 70s that I loved so much.

So looked up the vocalist behind the track, Her name was Princess Freesia. The next song I found was a cover of Barry White's "Never Gonna Give You Up". The integrity of the song was still there, but she had made it her own. At this point, it was official - she had her hooks in me. 

What came next was a bit of an obsession with this singer/producer 1-2 punch. 

I have since then bought every album I could find and any song with her name on it. That's seven full length albums - more than a lot of artists release in their entire career. 

In the world of Princess Freesia's music, it is always nighttime. She is loving, strong, bold, fun, and unapologetically feminine , and because of all of that, the music is very sexy. 

Her newest album, STELLARSONIC!, continues with her tradition of releasing solid albums. It is well worth the purchase. 

Enjoy.

Track list:
Princess Freesia - Light Up
Princess Freesia - Love
Princess Freesia - Fateful Attraction
Princess Freesia - You're Running To Me
Princess Freesia - Make It Real
Princess Freesia - Hoxxx!
Princess Freesia - Do It Baby
Princess Freesia - I'm Still Young
Princess Freesia - What's That All About
Princess Freesia - Never Gonna Give You Up
Princess Freesia - Play With Me
Soulpersona & Princess Freesia - Give It Up
Soulpersona feat. Princess Freesia - The Lapdancer Theme
Princess Freesia - Mean Streets
Princess Freesia - Workin' Out Fine feat. Terry Lewis
Soulpersona feat. Princess Freesia - I Got Into This Mess (Part 2)
Princess Freesia - Slip It On
Princess Freesia - Taffeta
Soulpersona & Princess Freesia - You Did It Again
Soulpersona feat. Princess Freesia - Coochie
Soulpersona & Princess Freesia - Makes You Feel Good (feat. Jocelyn Brown)
Soulpersona feat. Princess Freesia - Make That Money
Soulpersona feat. Princess Freesia - A Girl's Gotta Get Her Lovin
Soulpersona & Princess Freesia - Goodness Me (So Hot!)
Princess Freesia - I Like It
Soulpersona & Princess Freesia - Sold Reprise (Bonus Track)

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - Tomorrow's Funk Today

Tomorrow's Funk Today 

Futuristic sounding music from the past. You don't have to wait for the future to come to hear it. I am giving it to you live and direct right now.

I want you all to know that I don't like Doctor Who.

Anyway, this is fun stuff. Remixes of songs you love done in funky futuristic ways, and songs you may have never heard done in the same future funk style.

Anyway, I play some tunes I dig. I share them with you. I hope you like them. Blah blah blah. You aren't interested in what I have to say, you just want to listen to the music. So with out any more delay, hit play.

The track list is after the jump.

Tomorrow's Funk Today by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

Daniel Crawford - Rock With You (Dance Remix) 
Petula Clark - I'M NOT IN LOVE (LUXXURY EDIT)
William De Vaughn - Be Thankful For What You Got (FKJ Remix)
Amp Fiddler - Hold On ( Daniel Crawford remix)
Jazzanova - Another New Day
The Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Death of a Star (Supernova)
Stevie Wonder - Superstition (OPOLOPO Remix)
D'Angelo - Spanish Joint (Miguel Macedo Soulful Mix)
Womack & Womack - Conscious Of My Conscience (MRN Remix)
Crusaders Feat. Randy Crawford - - Street Life (OPOLOPO Rebounce)
Plant Life - Stardancer
Funkadelic - Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard On You (Louie Vega Remix)
Jamiroquai - Little L
Jacob Collier - Don't You Worry Bout A Thing (Scott C's GOODS Touch Up)
John Arnold - 1,2,3,4 (feat Paul Randolph)

Mixtape: Adam Kvasnica - Groovy Soundtracks

Adam Kvasnica is dope. The guy knows his music, especially jazz.

Once I got heavy into posting on Mixcloud, I ran across him because he selects songs that I like to listen to. His ability to pick out songs with the same feel and lay them out in a way that flows so easily from one to the next is uncanny.

Kvasnica is a lawyer by trade and he lives in Piestany, Slovakia. His passion is music. He is one of those guys who loves to listen and share.

It is always worth your time to hit listen on one of his mixes. This "Groovy Soundtrack" mix is no exception. I've tried my hand at doing mixes that have that soundtrack feel and have not gotten anywhere near as good as this one.

So sit back and enjoy.

Groovy Soundtracks by Adam Kvasnica on Mixcloud

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - The Conversation Piece

I had laid out the tracks for this mix earlier in the week after listening to about two weeks worth of house music. However, I had too much other stuff to do to finish the mix without feeling guilty. Then in the course of my dealings, I suddenly found myself in three separate conversations about house music over the course of the week. The last one - with El-Prezidente of The Mighty Soul Night - was a pretty intense conversation about the state of house in Akron as compared to Cleveland and then Northeast Ohio, compared to Chicago, Detroit, and New York.

While the scene in Akron and Cleveland may not be as strong as it is in those other big cities, people in this area love house music. I felt even more at home here in Akron. I came home, turned on the turntables, and hit record. Here it is. I hope you enjoy!
(#ProTip: If you don't listen until the last song, you are playing yourself short. That last song is fire!)

Track list after the jump.

The Conversation Piece by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

Zepherin Saint, Ann Nesby, G3 - Optimistic (Original)
Alejandro Paz - El House
The Maghreban - Wonder Woman
Shuya Okino - Give Your Love A Chance (Replayed By Root Soul - Dimitri From Paris Disco Edit)
DJ Cam, Pablo Valentino - Summer in Paris (feat. Anggun) (Pablo Valentino Remix)
Tracy Hamlin, Dj Spen, Thommy Davis - MacArthur Park (Dj Spen & Thommy Davis Perishable Peak Mix)
Todd Terje - Delorean Dynamite (Disco Mix)
David Anthony, Beverlei Brown - I Don't Know Why (Manoo Remix)
House Of Funk, Oliver Night, DJ Spinna - You Got To (DJ Spinna Vox Remix)
Adesse Versions - The Light
Louie Vega, Monique Bingham - Elevator (Going Up) (Louie Veg
Breakbot - You Should Know (feat. Ruckazoid) [Le Family Club Remix]
DJ Sneak - The Hot Shit
Gerideau, Joey Negro - Bring It Back To Love (Joey Negro Remastered Real Garage Remix)
Seven Davis Jr - One
Hapkido - Break The System (Original Mix)
Moodymann - 9 Nites 2 Nowhere
Julio Bashmore - Umuntu (feat. Okmalumkoolkat)

The Harlem Globetrotters and STOMP Make Sweet Music Together

When I was little, my mom would always take me to see the Harlem Globetrotters whenever they came to town. I am talking about the days of Curly Neal, Sweet Lou Dunbar, and Meadowlark Lemon.

It was an incredible spectacle. They did things with a basket ball that was just mesmerizing for me as a kid. The dribbling, the far out shots, the crazy passes, the pranks. It was almost too much for a kid like me to handle.

And then there was the music. The Globetrotters would run out on the floor and do their warm up to "Sweet Georgia Brown". I was in heaven. Here they were passing the ball back and forth in ways that would make your mouth just hang open, the whole while to the beat of this song with a crazy whistle to it.

That song was lodged in my head as a kid (still is). Whenever I heard it, I thought about the Harlem Globetrotters (still do). The marketer in me can't

help but acknowledge what an effective piece of branding that was. I remember going to see them one time, and my mom bought me a 7" record of the song from the souvenir stand. I played it constantly, the whole while trying to recreate the moves I had seen them doing. I could never get it right, but I had fun trying.

Now there is a whole new generation of Globetrotters, and a whole new generation of fans. And the magic is still there. I catch them on TV every now and then and they are still just as fun to watch as it was when I was just a kid.

And then I ran across this video of the Globetrobbers with the percussion performers from STOMP, it was such a spot on win. It falls right in line with what I think of musically when I think of the Harlem Globetrotters. And the video is a one shot take. Big bucket of win for whoever came up with this idea. Enjoy!

The Anti-Nazi Teen Gang that Beat Up Hitler Youth and Danced to Jazz

If you are a fan of music (and I assume you are if you somehow landed here at my blog), and particularly jazz, no doubt you have run across stories of a counterculture of jazz loving young people that formed in Nazi Germany.

Like young people all over the world, these German youth fell in love with the sounds that began in New Orleans, and they wanted to listen to it, play it, and dance to it. Rules be damn!

MessyNessy over at messynessychic.com shared a great post that tells their story - complete with incredible pictures.

If you have ever wondered why the people of Germany didn't stand up and fight back, these young badasses did. They broke all the rules, hanging out in the mixed company of boys and girls, listening to banded music, and even taking delight in beating up their mainstream counterparts, the Hitler Youth.

Here's an excerpt of MessyNessy's post:

"A band of adolescent music-lovers, swing dancers and snappy dressers– not exactly the type you’d expect to take on the Nazi Hitler Youth. But in pre-WWII Germany, the Nazi regimentation of society inadvertently gave rise to massive teenage street gangs who beat up the Hitler Youth, tagged anti-Nazi graffiti at train stations– and listened to jazz.
Aged 12 to 17, these non-conforming youths were usually referred to as Edelweiss Pirates by the Gestapo, an anti-authoritarian subculture of kids rebelling against the system– in this case, the Nazi regime.

When membership of the Hitler Youth became mandatory in 1936, thousands of youths, particularly from Cologne and of working class families, wanted no part in it. The strict paramilitary and gender segregated organisation didn’t exactly fit in with their teenage lifestyle of hanging out on street corners, listening to jazz and swing music and flirting with the opposite sex.
Jazz music was considered “degenerate music” by Nazi ideology, because it was often performed by black and Jewish musicians and promoted free love."

For the rest of the post, and more pictures and stories of these cool jazz loving kids, go to: http://www.messynessychic.com/2015/10/29/the-anti-nazi-teen-gang-that-beat-up-hitler-youth-and-danced-to-jazz/

Mixtape: Roger Riddle - Back Scratchy

I have a really itchy back. If you ever want me to do something for you, just scratch my back. I'll do whatever.

That has nothing to do with this mix other than the fact that my back was itchy as I was trying to come up with a name for the mix.

This is just a nice little collection of songs I have been listening to lately and a handful out of the past that I threw in for good measure.

Enjoy. Track list after the jump.

Back Scratchy by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

Jamie Lidell - A Little Bit More (Luke Vibert Mix)
Discovery - Swing Tree
Phantogram - Fall In Love
Arcade Fire - Here Comes The Night Time
Electric Wire Hustle - Tom Boy
Beck - Que' Onda Guero
Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President
Jaylib - The Official (Instrumental)
Mos Def, Pharoahe Monche, & Nate Dog - Oh No
Lyrics Born - I Changed My Mind (Stereo MC's Rattlesnake Mix)
Modest Mouse - Float On
Nightmares On Wax - You Wish
Broken Social Scene - Major Label Debut (Fast)
The Strokes - Someday
Benny Sings - For Your Love
Common - I Am Music
Bjork - Human behaviour
Brian Eno & David Byrne - Strange Overtones
De La Soul - Let, Let Me In
LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
Andrew Bird - Imitosis
TV On The Radio - Crying
Tegan and Sara - Alligator [Dave Sitek Remix]

Whiz Kid - He's Got The Beat (12" Single)

Whiz Kid - He's Got the Beat (12" Single)
Tommy Boy, 1985

I'm going to be honest with you. I have never played this. I don't know the song. 

However, I love this cover. It is the epitome of what I loved fashion-wise in the '80s. It is so old school!

The tracksuit - stylin'. That belt buckle - I loved mine when I was a kid, and would wear one today in a heartbeat. Stylin'. The fat laces with the design - stylin'. The gold chains - stylin'. The green, blue, and white color scheme - fresh to death. ON YOUR KID??!! Come on! Super Stylin'!

Read the rest of this entry at RogerRiddle.com: http://rogerriddle.com/2015/08/whiz-kid-hes-got-the-beat-12-single/

You can also read more of my ramblings about my record collection over at my Instagram account: @occupyyouripod

Lootpack - Weededed Remix (12" Single)

Lootpack -Lootpack-Weededed-Stones-Throw-Madlib Weededed Remix b/w Loopdigga
Feat. Rasco, Oh No, and Medaphoar
Record Label: Stones Throw, 2000

My introduction to Madlib came through Lootpack's "Weededed". I was instantly in love and it led me on an incredible wild ride trying to find all the music that I could that was connected in any sort of way. So began my love of Stones Throw.

This song is so much fun to play when I am DJing. The bassline does it for me. Madlib's production is showing the early signs of greatness that we will grow to love. Wildchild is straight spitting. Is it too soon to consider this one a hip hop classic?

Read the rest of this article at RogerRiddle.com: http://rogerriddle.com/2015/08/lootpack-weededed-12-single/

Read the Instagram entry at: @OccupyYourIpod

Mixtape: DJ Roger Riddle - My Past Is Calling

My Past Is Calling

This has been a time of reflection for me. An up coming milestone birthday. An upcoming move. A recent trip to my hometown after years of being away. Staying in the house I grew up in while on that visit.
These songs are at the very essence of my childhood. 

This is the music that helped to define my personal tastes in music. This is where I came to the fork in the road that was my parents music and the music of my generation. This is also the fork in the road where hip-hop and techno split. Where 80s pop bumps up against both briefly.

These are the songs of the skating rink in Detroit. They are the songs that I sat by the radio to record on my boombox. And because techno was born in Detroit, these are the songs that I struggled to stay up late and hear what the Electrifying Mojo was going to play on his radio show.


These are the songs that set me on the path to becoming a DJ and today, I give them their due. An offering.
Track listing after the jump.

My Past Is Calling by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

1. Cosmic Rapp by James Pants
2. Sucker MCs by Run DMC
3. Too Much Posse by Public Enemy
4. Trans Europe Express by Kraftwerk
5. Beat Box by Art of Noise
6. Speech by Cyrus
7. Hip Hop Be Bop by Man Parrish
8. Situation (U.S. 12" Mix) by Yaz
9. Big Fun by Inner City
10. When We Used To Play by Blake Baxter
11. I Need A Freak by Sexual Harrassment
12. Play It Cool by Model 500
13. Al-Naafyish by Hashim
14. Do Me (Frank Wiedeman Orchestra Mix) by Tiefschwarz
15. Clear by Cybotron
16. No UFOs by Model 500
17. I'm Ready by Kano
18. Look Out Weekend by Debbie Deb
19. Strings of Life by Derrick May
20. Technicolor (Long Mix) by Model 500