In conjunction with radio42.com and rautemusik.fm jazz-not-jazz presents two hours of simply great music every Friday 19:00-21:00 UTC+1 (you don’t have to convert it for Germany…that’s Friday 13:00-15:00 in NYC, Friday 10:00-12:00 in San Francisco and Saturday 04:00-06:00 in Sydney). The links of the audio stream can be found on radio42.com or rautemusik.fm (look for #Musik.Lounge there).
This Friday will see a D-Influence retrospective. I’ve recently heard on another site’s forum that there are some people who are not familiar with D-Influence’s music in toto. Since I have most of D-Influence’s music on CD I think it’s a good idea to introduce you to their music, production and remix work. There are a few other releases like the 12″es of Good 4 We or the Michael Jackson cover Rock With You, which I only have on vinyl…actually I’m just a little bit lazy to rip my vinyl so you just get the stuff I have on CD. But it’s enough to cover two hours. If you want to learn more about my favourite British soul band then visit their website d-influence.com.
1. D-Influence: Good Lover (Touch Mix) (5″ CD East West)
Good Lover was the track that introduced me to D-Influence in 1992. Ok, I’ve missed their debut single I’m The One on Acid Jazz but luckily I’m the one was also on the album Good 4 We.
The single Good Lover also features a Nellee Hooper remix and a house mix made but D-Influence themselves. Besides the original version it’s the Touch Mix (also mixed by D-Influence like all the other remixed versions of the single releases you can hear) that still moves me today.
2. D-Influence: For You I Sing This Song (from Good For We - 1992 East West)
Good 4 We features two excellents ballads, Funny (How Things Change) and For You I Sing This Song. Sarah sounds a little bit like a smoky Sade on this song and I just love the strings. Still a great song 13 years after I’ve first heard it.
3. D-Influence: No Illusions (D-Influence special disco edit Kozimunda)(5″ CD East West)
No Illusions from the Good 4 We album in its original version is already a nice dance song but here we get additional strings and a funky disco-inspired groove. D-Influence’s own Blue Soul Mix is also highly recommendable since it turns down the pace and takes the song into ballad territory. The Marc Kinchen (MK) remix are rather meaningless in comparison.
4. D-Influence: Sweetest Things (from Good For We - 1992 East West)
Sweetest Things was one of the bonus tracks on the CD (well, in the early 90s it was quite common that CDs had bonus tracks that couldn’t be found on the vinyl release. Just in case you don’t grew up buying vinyl). Musicwise Sweetest things takes over where No Illusions left us with its funky dance groove.
5. D-Influence: Phuncky Times (from Prayer 4 Unity - 1995 East West)
Three long years after Good 4 We Prayer 4 Unity finally surfaced and what a great record it was and still is. We all know how difficult it is to release a sophomore album that isn’t a carbon copy of the debut. For me D-Influence had released an equally strong album with Prayer 4 Unity.
Phunky Times is a mellow midtempo funk song.
6. D-Influence: Midnite (D-Influence Special R.E.M.I.X.E.D. Version) (5″ CD East West)
Midnite was the first single that announce the Prayer 4 Unity album in 1995. This remix finds D-Influence invading Master At Work territory with a funky house inspired groove.
7. D-Influence: Always (from Prayer 4 Unity - 1995 East West)
Always is another fine soul-funk song with Keziah Jones on acoustic guitar and Marcella French (of I Shall Endeavour fame) on background vocals.
8. D-Influence: Waiting (D-Ambient Strings Heavenly Mix) (5″ CD East West)
This remix of Waiting is a fine version of the original with only strings and Sarah’s voice.
9. D-Influence: Good Morning Heartache (from London - 1997 Echo)
After Prayer 4 Unity I had only spend two years of waiting for a new D-Influence album. Of course I didn’t spend the time sitting there tensely waiting for Kwame Kwaten, Ed Baden-Powell, Steve Marston and Sarah Webb to release another album. Still I was very delighted when I got my copy of London. Good Morning Heartache is not a cover of the famous Billie Holiday/jazzstandard song but an original composition and a fine ballad by the way.
10. D-Influence: Hypnotize (Funky As F**k Mix) (5″ CD Echo)
Hypnotize was the first single release from the London album. MAW did a remix of Hypnotize too…maybe D-Influence’s new label finally wanted them to have a hit? After all there are enough people out there who buy a record simply because of the names of the remixers. But I wanted to stick with D-Influence’s own mixes for this show, so I’ve included the Funky As F**k Mix. Well, the name of the remix says it all!
11. D-Influence: Magic (D-Influence Extended) (5″ CD Echo)
Obviously D-Influence had listened to a few old disco-funk records by Teena Marie and others for this tune. Again there were remixes by famous remixers like Joey Negro and Ashley Beedle (Black Science Orchestra) but it’s D-Influence’s own extended version that brings out the best.
12. D-Influence: Running Away (from London - 1997 Echo)
Running Away finally found D-Influence on a bossa/Brazilian ispired groove. Co-written by Bluey (of Incognito fame), who also plays guitar here, this is still one of my favourite summer grooves.
13. D-Vas: Show Me Love (from D-Vas 2002 Dome)
London was the third and last release of D-Influence as I know them since Good Lover. While Kwame Kwaten, Ed Baden-Powell and Steve Marston continued producing and remixing and released their D-Vas project in 2002, D-Influence’s voice Sarah Anne Webb left and Show Me Love was the last song she did together with the guys. Sarah also appeared on a 12″ release with Jon Cutler (Dawn on Papa Records).
14. D-Vas: Taste Of Bitter Love (from D-Vas 2002 Dome)
Finally the guys from D-Influence also did a cover version. Romina Johnson sings on this great remake of the Ashford & Simpson song that has been a hit for Gladys Knight and The Pips in 1980.
15. Kathy Sledge: Another Day (D-Influence 12″) (5″ CD Narcotic)
Ex-Sister Sledge Kathy’s Another Day was her follow-up to the Stevie Wonder cover Another Star on Roger S. Narcotic Records label. Another Day was written and produced by D-Influence in 1995. Again D-Influence impress with strings and a funky song.
16 .Ultra Nate: Incredibly You (from One Woman’s Insanity - 1993 Warner Bros.)
Incredibly you has always been my favourite track on Ultra’s sophomore album. Written and produced by D-Influence this was the first time I saw their name on another artist’s album.
17. Ultra Nate: New Kind Of Medicine (from Situation:Critical - 1998 Strictly Rhythm)
Situation:Critical by Ultra Nate was a strong album, but somehow she couldn’t repeat the worldwide success she had with Free. Luckily the album wasn’t Free remixed, reloaded and redone but full of good songs like this gem by D-Influence. New Kind Of Medicine was also released as a single but unfortunately it didn’t feature an extended remix by D-Influence, so we stick with the album version here.
18. Deni Hines: It’s Alright (D-Influence Full Length) (5″ CD Mushroom)
Australian soul singer Deni Hines didn’t really made an international impression in the late 90s when she released an album and various singles on Mushroom although she had some nice songs like Delicious, which featured Don-E, or It’s Alright. The latter appeared in various mixes by Don-E, Errol Henry or D-Influence.
19. Adeva: Don’t Think About It (from New Direction - 1997 Avex Trax/Distinctive)
Is it a bird, is it a plane, no it’s superman Adeva…no it’s not a bird on the cover but Adeva with lots of feathers…New Direction wasn’t her best album though it features some strong songs like the D-Influence produced Don’t Think About It. Somehow Adeva was never really successful to make the transition from house chanteuse to a serious soul songstress.
20. M People: Fantasy Island (D-Influence Dimensional) (5″ CD BMG)
Actually this is more an excursion into popland but D-Influence succeed in giving this tune a little more depth with the strings and their funky groove. The 5″ CD was one of the examples where you may get value for money with nine remixes by David Morales, M+S and D-Influence but in the end you really don’t know which version to choose as your favourite.