FIRST CHOICE Vinilo y CD

Review: Those keen on yellow 7" singles will be keen to hear about these two new cuts of spangly disco from Paul Simpson, pulling no punches in his reworking of 70s soul royalty First Choice and their breakout single, 'First Choice Theme'. Hooked up by the unmatched Brookside Records, this release is the happy result of Simpson's longtime job as a top-tier disco producer, him having been the student of legends like Tom Moulton and Vince Montana. Provided with only the crispest of stems, the A side ('Disco Mix') hears Simpson strip the track back to its bare percussive bones, rendering it clearer and temptingly DJ-able. The B ('Radio Mix') relinquishes vocals entirely, providing a keen disco-funk backdrop for any late night breaks bender.

Review: Over the years, First Choice's 1983 disco hit 'Let No Man Asunder' has been remixed and re-edited countless times, yet producers are still able to find new ways to reinterpret it. The latest to pass the test with flying colours is DJ Koco AKA Shimokita, who here serves up two fresh reworks. His A-side edit makes the most of the track's infectious groove, jammed-out electric piano chords and spacey synths, eventually introducing the group's brilliant vocals in order to take it to another level. Arguably even better is the stripped-back flipside dub, which sounds like it was crafted from the master tapes. It naturally plays around with the percussion, bassline and vocals, delivering what could be the heaviest take on the track of all time.

Review: Pioneering disco outfit First Choice built up a fine arsenal of hits in the 70s and 80s. Amongst them was their epic "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" which now gets two new versions served up by Brookside. Hot Mix 5 and Chicago house legend Ralphi "The Raz" Rosario is the man doing the work and the brings big drums and vocals with some superbly soulful keys next to Craig J Snider. On the flip, the band's most iconic tune "Love & Happiness" gets a rework by Mike Maurro. It is more soulful and warm, laced with big drums and sweeping pads.

Review: First Choice's era-defining disco funk anthem "Love Thang" gets dusted off by Salsoul. Timeless struts, silky bass flurries, huge orchestration and gutsy vocals; this still sounds spotless today. Complete with an acapella and instrumental, the real boon here is Kon's edit. If anyone is going to edit such a classic appropriately it's this guy; with a more mix-friendly, break and vocal focused intro, dynamic stripdowns and build ups and a big drum-focused pay-off, Kon reminds us how artful editing can be in the right hands... Again.

Review: Originally released way back in 1973, "Smarty Pants" is arguably one of the foundation records of the Philadelphia Soul sound that quickly evolved into the disco sound we know and love today. Here First Choice's superb original version (A2) gets a reissue, this time accompanied by an extended multi-track "Re-Freak" by DJ Spinna that sounds like a classic Tom Moulton "disco mix". Side B boasts two versions of 1976 soaring disco cut "Are You Ready For Me": a gently beefed-up, house-friendly "Uplifting Version" by remixer T-Groove and the Norman Harris and Stan Watson-produced original version. If disco is your thing, you need this in your life.

Review: In its original, hard-to-find "long version" form, First Choice's "Love Freeze" is one of the greatest chunks of soaring Philadelphia Soul/early disco around. It was recorded and released - initially in edited form - in 1975. You can find the elusive "Long Version" on the flipside of this essential reissue, which is headed up by an even more epic "Re-Freak" by the effervescent DJ Spinna. Clearly re-mixed from the original master tapes, his near ten-minute version builds slowly, breaks down in the middle, builds up again and finishes with an impressively dubbed-out conclusion. It actually sounds like the sort of floor-focused late '70s remix with which Tom Moulton made his name. That, of course, is no bad thing.

Review: By the time they pitched up on Salsoul in 1977, First Choice were already big news in the disco scene, having previously released a number of dancefloor anthems on Philly Groove Records. It was Salsoul, though, that employed New York DJs and studio buffs to turn their radio-length songs into extended dancefloor workouts. The fruits of the label's labours are showcased on this fine double-album compilation. It includes notably different versions of "Double Cross" from Shep Pettibone and Larry Levan (the latter being our pick of the pair), Tom Moulton's stupendously good mix of "Doctor Love" and lesser-known Tee Scott mixes of "Breakaway" and "I Can Show You (Better Than I Can Tell You)". Oh, and Frankie Knuckles' sublime interpretation of "Let No Man Put Asunder".

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has very light surface marks/smudges, but otherwise in perfect working order***


Italian purist editor Moplen gets given the raw stems of two famous Salsoul classics: First Choice's game-changing "Let No Man Put Asunder" and Candido's light-years ahead of time thumper "Jingo". The former gets a little dancefloor edge as the vocal begins to loop towards the end and the groove gains more momentum. The latter remains one of the most driving, physical and addictive tunes Salsoul ever released but with added length and more of dynamic in the percussion. Known for adding little to no additional production, once again Moplen's extensions and rearrangements are done in their most honest form.

Review: Italian purist editor Moplen gets given the raw stems of two famous Salsoul classics: First Choice's game-changing "Let No Man Put Asunder" and Candido's light-years ahead of time thumper "Jingo". The former gets a little dancefloor edge as the vocal begins to loop towards the end and the groove gains more momentum. The latter remains one of the most driving, physical and addictive tunes Salsoul ever released but with added length and more of dynamic in the percussion. Known for adding little to no additional production, once again Moplen's extensions and rearrangements are done in their most honest form.

Review: There are few more celebrated edit kings than Late Nite Tuff. Now he is back once again with the goodness, this time tackling killer racks by First Choice and Double Exposure. All of the source material here is considered to be stone cold classic, so he's brave if nothing else. But of course, he also has the skills to make these edits worth your while - he extends the breaks, lets the grooves roll on and ensures the vocals remain in place to really get hearts sweeping and hands in the air. The unabashed funk, soul and disco joy of his take on Double Exposure's "Everyman" might be the standout here.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record ever so slightly warped, but otherwise in perfect working order***


There are few more celebrated edit kings than Late Nite Tuff. Now he is back once again with the goodness, this time tackling killer racks by First Choice and Double Exposure. All of the source material here is considered to be stone cold classic, so he's brave if nothing else. But of course, he also has the skills to make these edits worth your while - he extends the breaks, lets the grooves roll on and ensures the vocals remain in place to really get hearts sweeping and hands in the air. The unabashed funk, soul and disco joy of his take on Double Exposure's "Everyman" might be the standout here.

Review: Salsoul, Kerri Chandler, Joe Claussell; do we need to say any more? Disco remixes don't get any more authentic than this. Both still sounding as powerful and beautiful as they did on first commission: Kerri's twist on First Choice's "Doctor Love" comes with that confident strut and energetic dynamic that's driven by the strong strings, Rochelle and Annette's gutsy vocals and Kerri's unrelenting 4/4. Claussell, meanwhile, does the epic breakdown-to-build-up technique that he made his own. A spiritual trip that explores every aspect and element from the percussion to Double Exposure's golden harmonies, drop this and no one will leave the dancefloor for the full stretch. Incredible.

Review: There's a whole load of Salsoul goodness that we often miss or skip, whether due to unavailability of reissues or simply because there's just simply too much of it, but this RSD 2018 release of Late Nite Tuff Guy Reworks hits the spot in all sorts of ways! The master edit-junkie and version freak steps up with three reworks of some pretty classic classics, namely First Choice's "Dr Love", Double Exposure's "Everyman" and, finally, First Choice's "Love Having You Around". House-tinged edits for you to VIBE to!

Review: Salsoul herald the new generation with this powerful double A 12" featuring brand new edits of two out and out label classics; Germany's Phonk D flips First Choice into a total barn rattler. Jacking, loopy but every bit as urgent and infectious as the original, it's less of an edit and more of a total rebuild, crafted with full celebratory spirit. On the B-side we have Tiger & Woods' Delphi laying down two immaculate extensions of Salsoul Orchestra's "Time Out". Edit 1 whips up the full instrumentation while Edit 2 strips things back for more focus on the vocal. Contemporisations don't get much hotter than this.

Review: Here are two absolute gold standard Salsoul classics given a new spruce up thanks to the remix skills of T Power. Wisely, they've chosen to take a softly softly approach to such sacred material, but there's a little extra dancefloor oomph where it counts to make these tracks pop off that little more against more modern fare. First up is Instant Funk's evergreen classic "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)", and on the flip it's the impossibly perfect "Love Thang" by First Choice. Both have never sounded better - full credit to T Power for doing this one right.

Review: J Rocc has long been one of the most widely regarded re-editors on the hip-hop and crate diggin' scenes, and has previously completed commissions for the likes of Stones Throw and Minimal Wave. Here, he tackles a track each from esteemed disco labels Salsoul and West End. His A-side version of the much tinkered with First Choice jam "Let Know Man Put Asunder" was clearly inspired by Ron Hardy's legendary reel-to-reel version, and expertly loops up key passages to create a relentlessly sweaty, floor-friendly groover. Flip to the B for his take on Loose Joints' similarly renowned "Is It All Over My Face", which seems to give greater emphasis to the original's crazy instrumentation, rather than the over-familiar vocal.

Review: DJ doyen Muro unleashes the inaugural volume of what's shaping up to be an essential (and highly limited) 7" Salsoul tribute series. First up is Salsoul Orchestra's seminal "Ooh I Love It" on which Muro has paid attention to the drum arrangement, lacing the breaks together with just the right amount of hip-hop edge. Flip for an equally sharp twist on First Choice's heavily-sampled "Love Thing" where full emphasis is paid to the iconic bassline.