I've spent the past few days compiling a real treat for club music fans. Over the course of two posts, I'll be presenting my very own version of Hed Kandi's famous Back To Love compilation series. For those who aren't familiar with the label or the albums, I'll fill you in a bit. Hed Kandi was started back in 1999 by DJ Mark Doyle as a refined dance music label for a discerning generation of club-inclined listeners. Its very first releases were Back To Love albums, documenting the classic club jams (circa the late 1980s and early 1990s) that made dance music what it is now. One disc would feature house cuts, while the second included deeper tracks, even including some R&B and hip-hop. The series is one of the few that has survived from the beginning of the label to the present day, and has shifted its focus to covering later years of club tracks (and also sticking just to house music).I don't have as many Back To Love albums as I do of some of the label's other mainstay series (like Beach House or Disco Kandi), but I have enough albums and mixed collections in my library to pick out some favorites. The first disc in my homemade Back To Love mixtape consists of classic cuts picked from the Hed Kandi albums. The second half (still to come) will feature cuts from mainstream acts cherry-picked from across my entire music library, again unified as essential club staples. If you like what you hear, I'd recommend picking up the 2004 edition or The Mix: Summer 2004 if you'd also like to try out some other Hed Kandi flavors. I'll skip over the big commentary I usually give, as the music can really speak for itself, but I will point out some favorites. The Brand New Heavies' "Back To Love" manages to sound both retro and fresh, while "Slave To The Vibe" and "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" are funky essentials sure to keep you dancing even after a first listen. Club queen Ce Ce Peniston and Inner City also deliver groovy club bangers, just a few of the best from a great set of true club classics. Enjoy the music and stay tuned for more roots of modern club culture coming soon.
CD1: The Club Classics Mix
1. Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam, "Let The Beat Hit 'Em" (L L With Love R C Mix) [YSI]***
2. Aftershock, "Slave To The Vibe" (12" Club Mix) [YSI]+
3. The Brand New Heavies, "Back To Love" (Graeme Park Remix) [YSI]***
4. Ce Ce Peniston, "We Got A Love Thang" (Silky House Thang) [YSI]^
5. Clivillés And Cole Feat. Deborah Cooper, "A Deeper Love" (Club Mix) [YSI]^
6. Sub Sub Feat. Melanie Williams, "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" (Original Full Length 12" Mix) [YSI]^
7. Secret Life, "As Always" (Gospel Radio Edit) [YSI]^
8. Inner City, "Big Fun" (Original 12" Mix) [YSI]#
9. Pamela Fernandez, "Kickin' In The Beat" (Extended Dance Mix) [YSI]#
10. Jomanda, "Got A Love For You" (Hurley's House Mix) [YSI]***
11. Joe Smooth, "Promised Land" (Original Mix) [YSI]***
12. Rhythm Is Rhythm, "Strings Of Life" (Piano Mix) [YSI]+
*** from The Mix 50
+ from The Mix: Summer 2004
^ from Back To Love 03.04
# from Back To Love 03.05
***Note: Links removed***
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