- 01Bio RhythmVarious ArtistsJohn McCreadY “Bio Rhythm” compilation liner notes, 19901from the chapter
- 02Big FunInner Cityreveal how Kevin Saunderson had to be persuaded to release Inner City’s “Big Fun” (‘I told him it was brilliant and that it would change his life,’ Rushton enthuses)from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 03Tainted LoveGloria JonesWhen he decided to turn his back on event promotion in 1980, Rushton continued running the label as a hobby and managed to shift 30,000 copies of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love”, a stomping Soul anthem that pricked the public consciousness following the release of Soft Cell’s celebrated Synth-Pop cover in 1981.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 04I M N X T CDenise MottoAlthough Kool Kat did snap up some gems from across the pond - Denise Motto’s delightfully sleazy “I M N X T C” being the most celebrated - Rushton and Barker soon realized they’d have to pick up British productions to keep the label going.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 05House Masters - USA v UK ShowdownVarious ArtistsOne of their first releases was an audacious compilation album titled “House Masters - USA v UK Showdown”.from the chapter
- 06House ReactionT-CUT-FThe standout cut was “House Reaction” by T-Cut-F, a Nottingham-based duo comprised of vocalist Delroy St Joseph and producer Mark Gamble.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 07House ArrestKrushWith the assistance of Sheffield vocalist Ruth Joy and producers Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon, Gamble produced “House Arrest”, a single that became an enormous Pop hit around the world.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 08Nude PhotoRhythim Is RhythimHe was particularly excited by Rhythim Is Rhythim’s “Nude Photo”, a popular seller on import amongst the dedicated DJ community in the Midlands and North.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 09The DanceRhythim Is Rhythim‘I told him how I couldn’t believe how good his tracks were, particularly “Nude Photo” and “The Dance”,’ Rushton says. ‘I told him we had no money but loved the music and had boundless enthusiasm.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 10Strings of LifeRhythim Is RhythimHe gave Palmer the big sell, explaining that May’s music was the next big thing. ‘Myself and Derrick played him “Nude Photo” and “Strings of Life” and Julian just said, “I don’t get it”,’ Rushton recalls. ‘I thought, “This is not good!”from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 11Release Your BodyBang The PartyThere was a session in Square Dance Studios in Nottingham with Mark Gamble reworking “House Reaction”, plus a day spent revising Bang The Party’s “Release Your Body” for important early London House (and later Techno) imprint Warriors Dance.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 12Techno! The New Dance Sound of DetroitVarious ArtistsEither way, the name stuck, with the subsequent compilation - “Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit” - introducing this new wave of Motor City dancefloor futurism to Britain’s growing community of bedroom dance music enthusiasts and wannabe DJs.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 13It Is What It IsRhythim Is RhythimMost of them were very melodic and melancholic - “It Is What It Is” by Rhythim Is Rhythm and “Sequence 10” by Anthony Shakir are very definitely bittersweet.’from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 14Sequence 10Anthony ShakirMost of them were very melodic and melancholic - “It Is What It Is” by Rhythim Is Rhythm and “Sequence 10” by Anthony Shakir are very definitely bittersweet.’from the chapter
- 15Do I Love You (I Really Do)Frank WilsonIn fact, Saunderson was so delighted that he not only bought Rushton a copy of the rarest Northern Soul record of all, Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You (I Really Do)”,3 but also gifted him the publishing rights to “Rock To The Beat”.from the chapter
- 16Rock To The BeatReeseIn fact, Saunderson was so delighted that he not only bought Rushton a copy of the rarest Northern Soul record of all, Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You (I Really Do)”,3 but also gifted him the publishing rights to “Rock To The Beat”.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 17Big LifeInner CityThere were further deals, too, including an agreement for Inner City’s “Big Life” to be used on a beer commercial in the US. ‘In the middle of all of this, Kevin called me up and said, “I have $250,000 credit on my first publishing statement”,’ Rushton says proudly in his distinctive West Midlands accent. ‘From where we were when I first went over to Detroit eight or ten months earlier, the…from the chapter
- 18IndulgeNeal HowardThe pair already had a string of great new tracks from Chicago and Detroit to release, including Neal Howard’s “Indulge” (a track Rushton believed was almost as good as Inner City’s “Big Fun”), Mark Kinchen’s “Somebody New” and “Mood” by Symbols and Instruments, a young Windy City trio whose members included future Deep House heavyweights Derrick Carter and Mark Farina.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 19Somebody NewMark KinchenThe pair already had a string of great new tracks from Chicago and Detroit to release, including Neal Howard’s “Indulge” (a track Rushton believed was almost as good as Inner City’s “Big Fun”), Mark Kinchen’s “Somebody New” and “Mood” by Symbols and Instruments, a young Windy City trio whose members included future Deep House heavyweights Derrick Carter and Mark Farina.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 20MoodSymbols & InstrumentsThe pair already had a string of great new tracks from Chicago and Detroit to release, including Neal Howard’s “Indulge” (a track Rushton believed was almost as good as Inner City’s “Big Fun”), Mark Kinchen’s “Somebody New” and “Mood” by Symbols and Instruments, a young Windy City trio whose members included future Deep House heavyweights Derrick Carter and Mark Farina.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 21The Rhythm of LifeNexus 21By the time Nexus 21 signed to Network, Blue Chip had gone out of business, though the pair had already released a rather good debut album, “The Rhythm of Life”, a very Motor City sounding single, “Still Life (Keeps Moving)” and an ‘Italian House style tune’ under the alternative alias C&M Connection (“Another Night”).from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 22Still Life (Keeps Moving)Nexus 21By the time Nexus 21 signed to Network, Blue Chip had gone out of business, though the pair had already released a rather good debut album, “The Rhythm of Life”, a very Motor City sounding single, “Still Life (Keeps Moving)” and an ‘Italian House style tune’ under the alternative alias C&M Connection (“Another Night”).from the chapter
- 23Another NightC&M ConnectionBy the time Nexus 21 signed to Network, Blue Chip had gone out of business, though the pair had already released a rather good debut album, “The Rhythm of Life”, a very Motor City sounding single, “Still Life (Keeps Moving)” and an ‘Italian House style tune’ under the alternative alias C&M Connection (“Another Night”).from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 24A Place Called BlissCyclone…the Network Records story. ‘Because there was a slight element of truthfulness behind it - there was a club in Leicester that Neil Macey played at called Bliss, which inspired Cyclone’s “A Place Called Bliss” that later came out on Network - people couldn’t work out whether it was true or not,’ Mark Archer remembers. ‘It would have been mental if it had actually happened, but it wasn’t so far…from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 25Heychild’s ThemeHeychild…up a mixture of authentic American cuts from the likes of Juan Atkins, Derrick May, MK and Neal Howard, and fresh UK Techno numbers from Nexus 21, Energize (an early alternate alias for Dave Lee aka Joey Negro), Robert Gordon and Richard H Kirk as XON, one-hit-wonder Heychild (whose “Heychild’s Theme” was a bright and melodious take on UK-Detroit Techno fusion) and Network stalwarts Rhythmatic.from the chapter
- 26The ThemeUnique 3Being surrounded by some of the architects of the Bleep & Bass sound undoubtedly inspired him, though it was hearing Unique 3’s “The Theme” for the first time in a London club that really changed his outlook.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 27Take Me BackRhythmaticThe first Rhythmatic single, “Take Me Back”, was as raw and heavy a Bleep & Bass cut as you’re likely to hear.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 28TestoneSweet ExorcistIts sparse, ear-catching Bleeps in the vein of “Testone” or “The Theme” came accompanied by raw, skittish drums, warehouse-ready synth stabs and sub-bass so heavy it was liable to blow speakers.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 29Overload EPAltern 8The pair recorded the tracks that made up their debut single, the “Overload EP”, during studio downtime towards the tail-end of their time working at Blue Chip.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 30Infiltrate 202Altern 8It was called “Infiltrate 202” and was the product of a jokey studio session in which the two Stafford producers decided to throw as many of rave samples into the pot as possible, including riffs lifted from various recognizable club hits, a snatch of a pirate radio show by Sheffield DJs Asterix and Space (“Watch yer bassbins I’m telling ya!”) and some suitably twisted electronics.from the chapter
- 31LFOLFOThis madness was underpinned by bustling, Hardcore style breakbeats and a bassline so heavy it could have been plucked from “LFO” or “The Theme”.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 32Activ8Altern 8The rapid rise of Altern8 in 1991 - a year in which they bagged two big chart hits in “Infiltrate 202” and “Activ8”, which got to number two in the charts - was certainly indicative of the way British dance music was changing.from the chapter
- 33Sonic Cycology EPCycloneThe runaway success of Altern8 didn’t quite signal the end of Network’s involvement with Bleep & Bass - there were occasional gems in 1991, including Cyclone’s underrated “Sonic Cycology EP”, the delayed release of XON’s fantastic “Mood Set EP”, the Forgemasters’ “Black Steel EP” (featuring Unique 3’s remix of “Track With No Name”) and some weighty Robert Gordon reworks of Energize’s “Report to…from the chapter
- 34Mood Set EPXON…signal the end of Network’s involvement with Bleep & Bass - there were occasional gems in 1991, including Cyclone’s underrated “Sonic Cycology EP”, the delayed release of XON’s fantastic “Mood Set EP”, the Forgemasters’ “Black Steel EP” (featuring Unique 3’s remix of “Track With No Name”) and some weighty Robert Gordon reworks of Energize’s “Report to the Dancefloor” - but the Birmingham…from the chapter
- 35Black Steel EPForgemasters…with Bleep & Bass - there were occasional gems in 1991, including Cyclone’s underrated “Sonic Cycology EP”, the delayed release of XON’s fantastic “Mood Set EP”, the Forgemasters’ “Black Steel EP” (featuring Unique 3’s remix of “Track With No Name”) and some weighty Robert Gordon reworks of Energize’s “Report to the Dancefloor” - but the Birmingham label was now travelling in a…from the chapter
- 36Track With No NameUnique 3…Bleep & Bass - there were occasional gems in 1991, including Cyclone’s underrated “Sonic Cycology EP”, the delayed release of XON’s fantastic “Mood Set EP”, the Forgemasters’ “Black Steel EP” (featuring Unique 3’s remix of “Track With No Name”) and some weighty Robert Gordon reworks of Energize’s “Report to the Dancefloor” - but the Birmingham label was now travelling in a different direction.from the chapteralso in the bleepography
- 37Report to the DancefloorEnergize…Bleep & Bass - there were occasional gems in 1991, including Cyclone’s underrated “Sonic Cycology EP”, the delayed release of XON’s fantastic “Mood Set EP”, the Forgemasters’ “Black Steel EP” (featuring Unique 3’s remix of “Track With No Name”) and some weighty Robert Gordon reworks of Energize’s “Report to the Dancefloor” - but the Birmingham label was now travelling in a different direction.from the chapteralso in the bleepography