Death Is Not The End – Pure Wicked Tune: Rare Groove Blues Dances & House Parties, 1985-1992 LP

Description

“This one I can’t even say it’s wicked – it’s shit hot.” Pure Wicked Tune shines a light on an often overlooked period of UK soundsystem culture between the mid 1980s and early ’90s when rare groove, boogie, and soul tracks were loaded with reggae sound system stylings. Incredible vibe captured here!

Pure Wicked Tune is a mixtape-style collection of extracts & cut-ups, taken from DIY cassette recordings featuring rare groove and “soul blues” soundsystems playing at early morning house parties and blues dances – mostly in South & East London – between the mid 1980s & early 90s.

Sounds like Funkadelic, Touch of Class, Latest Edition, JB Crew, Manhattan, 5th Avenue (and the many more featured on this tape) originally began to form in the mid-1980s. With lovers rock dwindling, and the reggae scene becoming dominated by harder digital-style dancehall, these sounds provided a tight but loyal crowd with a potent alternative – playing a mixture of killer rare soul, funk and boogie records in an inimitably reggae soundsystem style, complete with toasting, sirens and effects aplenty.