Freestyle Music
ayres
1,452 Posts
Not freestlye rap, I'm talking about 80s and 90s Freestyle music like Shannon "Let the Music Play." You know, corny pop-electro NY & Miami shit. Cosmo and I were asked to do a party a few months ago playing freestyle, and now I've been asked to write a little article about my favorite freestyle records, and I am the first to admit I don't go that deep with it. Here is the stuff I play when I play freestyle:Freez - I.O.U.Johnny O - Fantasy GirlConnie - Funky Little BeatDebbie Deb - When I Hear Music / Lookout WeekendLisa Lisa and the Cult Jam - I Wonder if I Take You Home / Can You Feel The BeatShannon - Let the Music Play / Give Me TonightStevie B - Party Your BodyExpose - Come Go With Me / Point of No Return (Exposure LP)Brenda K Starr - What Goes On / What You See is What You Get / Picking Up PiecesTrinere - I'll Be All You Ever NeedThe Cover Girls - Show Me / Because of You / (Show Me LP)TKA - Maria / Scars of Love / Tears May Fall / Come Get My Love (Scars of Love LP)Noel - Silent Morning (Noel LP)Tina B - Honey to a BeeIndia - Right From the StartWhat is the hot freestyle shit I need to get up on? Knowledge me!!!
Comments
trinere - theyre playing our song
dino - summer girls
young & restless - b girls
i always thought of that as miami bass. do yall think Strafe "Set it Off" is freestyle? I don't, but I can't really figure out why.
definitely, even if it wasn't intended to be. Staple of freestyle sets.
Frida---I Know There's Something Going On
Paging DJ Stef, already.
C-Bank - Get Wet
Carmen - You & Me
Cover Girls - Show Me
Cover Girls - Because Of You
Cynthia - Thief Of Heart
Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music
Expos - Come Go With Me
Expos - Point of No Return
Freeez - IOU
Freestyle - Don't Stop The Rock
Information Society - Running
Jellybean - The Mexican
Johnny O - Fantasy Girl
Leather & Lace - Tender Heart
Leather & Lace - Let Your Body Go
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Can You Feel The Beat
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - I Wonder If I Take You Home
Nayobe - Please Don't Go
Nice & Wild - Diamond Girl
Nocera - Summertime, Summertime
Nolan Thomas - Yo, Little Brother
Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk
Shannon - Give Me Tonight
Shannon - Let The Music Play
Tina B - Honey To A Bee
TKA - Scars of Love 1990s
Angelina - Release Me
Collage - I'll Be Loving You
Collage - Diana
Coro - Stand By Your Lover
Clear Touch - Cherish
Cynthia - If I Had The Chance
Cynthia - How I Love Him
George Lamond - Bad of the Heart
George Lamond - Distant Heart
George Lamond - Look Into My Eyes
Intonation - Free My Love
Jocelyn Enriquez - I've Been Thinking About You
Jocelyn Enriquez - Do You Miss Me
Lil' Suzy - Promise Me
Lil' Suzy - Take Me In Your Arms
Lina Santiago - Feel So Good
Joei Mae - He's My Baby
Lisette Melendez - Time Passes By
Lisette Melendez - Together Forever
Manuella - Don't Try To Come Back
Natalie - I Want Your Love
Nina Bena - Sweetheart
Planet Soul - Set You Free
Rochelle - Praying For An Angel
Rockell - In A Dream
Rockell & Collage - Can't We Try
Samantha - Be Sure
Two In A Room - El Trago
Two In A Room - Ahora
yeah, you're the man.
Time to Move
Josh, I remember walking into Street Corner 5 minutes after you found this sealed and I'm sure Aaron hooked you up big time. I didn't show it at the time but I was wearing one of these when I left the store -
Currently on Gemm for $43
I'll try and post an old freestyle mix I did later on tonight.
One of my first pro gigs was being Suave's tour DJ.
Not the "Rico Suave" guy mind you, just "Suave".
He was local and got signed to Mic Mac/Metropolitan which was one of the bigger freestyle labels.
His big hit was "Crying Over You". We toured a lot with Johnny O & Cynthia.
I learned to hate the music pretty quickly. Today I still hate it yet I love it too. It's weird.
a few other tunes of note...
Judy Torres / "Come Into My Arms"
Monet / "My Heart Gets All The Breaks"
Nocera / "Summertime Summertime"
Bass Noir / "My Love Is Magic"
Sybil / "Let Yourself Go"
Kreamcicle / "No News"
Joyce Simms / "Lifetime Love", "Come Into My Life"
That's my jam!
One of the few redeeming things about the guido techno station that my girl likes to listen to is the Freestyle show hosted by Judy Torres.
WOW
Cynthia
no doubt, definitely a "shouldnt be a secret weapon, but in some stupid way it totally is" thing....every time I would play that at a gig and those I-I-I-I's come in people don't know what to do with themselves.....kinda just stand there slackjawed for a second, but then usually eat it up. (DRUNK CROWDPLAESER)
that sleeve/label is nuts. that kinda graphically sums up freestyle right there.
oh snap! where's TA and tino TCB or whoever tongan care of business. and where is STEF!!!
The C-Bank ULTIMATE jam is "I Won't Stop Loving You." God, I love that song.
Debbie Gibson - "Only In My Dreams" (Don't laugh.)
Expos?? - "Exposed to Love"
Janice - "Bye Bye"
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - "Head to Toe"
Nayobe - "Good Things Come To Those Who Wait"
Noel - "Silent Morning"
Nuance - "Take a Chance"
Pretty Poison - "Catch Me I'm Falling"
Stevie B - "Spring Love"
Taylor Dayne - "Tell It to My Heart"
TKA - "One Way Love"
Will to Power - "Dreamin'"
Every Trinere 12-inch is good. Don't sleep on Jody Watley ("Don't You Want Me").
Some other artists to look for: Sa-Fire, Tolga, Corina ("Out of Control"), Pamela Fernandez (these four all on Cutting Records), April (out of San Jose, might be hard to find), Cyr??, Maribell (Criminal Records, bilingual!).
I'll post more tonight, along with a mix, and maybe along with a pic of me in the 80s with lots of mousse, a petticoat and Zodiac boots.
I'm not laughing.
I remember seeing Louie Vega at 1018 cutting doubles.
He kept catching and bringing back the breakdown part. Bugged for sure but kinda fresh in a strange way.
There was this other record all those DJs used to play in the clubs all the time back then and I never could find it.
It was some mix with the Jackson 5 "I Want You Back" and the drums from "You'll Like It Too".
Does anyone know this???
My sister graduated high school with her. A few years later my sister and her friend were in a record store ("The Wall" I think) and saw a contest entry box to win tickets and backstage passes to a Debbie Gibson concert at Nassau Coleseum...they entered as a joke and won of course. Go backstage, and Debbie's like "uhhh, what are you guys doing here?". Probably had to be there.
A few years ago I was in a local shop that caters to club and party djs (Music Trendz) and saw a poster advertising a Judy Torres in-store but thought nothing of it. I noticed that there were a few extra people than normal in that shop (meaning maybe 4 or 5 people) and they were waiting for something...then I realized the in-store was that day, and started in about 5 minutes. 15 miutes later as I'm paying she gets out of a car, all done up smelling real good, and strolls into her waiting audience of 5 kids. She was TALL too, I never heard of her before that day and thought maybe she was a player from the WNBA.
Long Island was BANANAS for freestyle, and still is in some cases. That shit really took root here. I can dig it I guess, it reminds me of 8th grade.
Who did the song "Yo No Se"? That was HUUUGE.
Paul, when you djed for Suave did you play the Long Island show at Spit or Zachary's? My sister was probably there.
oh man this is going to be so awesome!!! i remember there were girls at my high school who's bangs wouldnt fit in the yearbook picture. this is what i am anticipating!!! id show you pictures of me being all cool but unfortunately no such thing exists.
no doubt. lots of JW tracks that people loves to hear. I'm waiting for late-80's remix albums to come back strong....
^^^^ok, not freestyle, but whatever. the Roni remix, at the right time, works wonders. but then again, drunk crowds will eat anything up.
It's funny that you mention Long Island cause that's definitely where he did the bulk of his shows. Long Island and Jersey. Ugh.
I really don't remember the names of too many clubs, besides the ones in Manhattan & Westchester.
Sometimes we'd do up to 5 or 6 shows in a night, driving from one club to another in the tri-state area.
It's funny cause we'd see the same performers at different clubs. "Oh, Coro. You again?"
It was a pretty thriving circuit for awhile.
I spoke to Jeff (Suave) a few years back and he was still doing it! Flying out to do shows in Chicago and shit.
Here I was thinking that whole scene was completely dead. But I guess not.
My bangs never got THAT big but WHY did I get a perm when my hair is already curly??
(Requesting "Overdoing It" graemlin.)
here you go
OK here's the mix: When I Hear Freestyle
Tracklist:
"Let's Go" - Nocera
"Summertime, Summertime" - Nocera
"Summergirls" - Dino
"Funky Little Beat" - Connie
"They're Playing Our Song" - Trinere
"Silent Morning" - Noel
"Don't You Want Me" - Jody Watley
"Last Chance" - Cyr??
"Show Me" - Cover Girls
"Dreamin' of Love" - Stevie B
"Out of Control" - Corina
"Come Go With Me" - Expos??
"Roses Are Red" - Maribell
"One Way Love" - TKA
"Searchin'" - Debbie Deb
"Leave It All Behind" - Tolga
"When I Hear Music" - Debbie Deb
"Dreamin'" - Will to Power
"Come Go With Me" - Expos??
"Let the Music Play" - Shannon
I made this mix for Spinner.com when Anna worked there. So thanks, Anna!
And you can't see the petticoat skirt, but...
This was when I went to see Mantronix at City Nights. Soul Disco Records had a showcase every Thursday and I always went. I saw Nocera, Cyr??, Sweet Sensation, Expos??, Will to Power, Debbie Gibson, TKA, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Rodney O & Joe Cooley... to name a few. Ask me about choreography! I still remember some of the dance moves.
Enjoy!