8 Tracks: That Sound Great On Mind Fair’s Rotation Sound System

This obscure slice of Scandi-pop from 1984 is an instant vibe-inducer and a big favourite here at Mind Fair HQ. Little is known of the six piece Swedish combo other than they’re from Gothenburg and were rather partial to wearing ridiculous baggy white trousers however this “pop not pop” gem of a tune never fails to hit the spot. The nursery rhyme lyrics, faux reggae melodica , cliched ’80s Linn drums and Dave Gilmour-esque guitar all say it shouldn’t work…..but it does.

An emotional rollercoaster of a tune in the shape of a hard to find Frankie Knuckles mix of the Womack & Womack classic. Completely stripped back at the start, Frankie begins by teasing us with random guitar flourishes and occasional wafts of vocal and piano. It’s a full three minutes before any sign of a beat emerges and from then in this monster just builds and builds, then drops, then builds again and so on. Everything about this mix is perfection which explains why this U.S only Island promo has become so sought after. If ever a track deserved to be pressed as a singled sided 12, this is it!!!

An epic from the ex-War harmonica virtuoso. A low slung piece of jazzy funk with haunting strings that descend into pure sleaze when the groove kicks in.

We couldn’t possibly compile a list of tracks that we think sound great on the Rotation sound system without including at least one Rick Hall production. Recorded at the legendary Fame studios, Muscle Shoals, we’ve plumped for Travis Wammack’s ‘You Better Move On’ from his eponymous self titled LP. Incidentally Wammack started his career early, he cut his first record at the tender age of twelve!!!!

Here at Rogue Cat Towers we have a penchant for all things gospel, from rootsy raw community choirs right through to big bible tinged disco productions. Whilst Mark Seven did a fine job of editing this for his ‘Divine Edits’ 12” on Creative Use we’ve gone for the original, a big-ass production held together with a lovely grooving piano and heavenly harmonies that take you to ‘that’ higher place.

Wildlife Records describe this as the ‘record to rule them all’ and we’re inclined to agree. A private pressing featuring the cosmic synth sounds of 18 year old Filip Lundqvist it still sounds contemporary and as relevant as anything you’ll hear today despite being made over 30 years ago. Killer!

Soaring string soaked Larry Levan favourite given the full-on
Claussell deep-soul treatment. It manages to keep all the original ingredients in tact whilst raising the rhythm track in the mix and adding amazing Latin percussion flavours that transcend the mood even further. Fond memories of playing this at our Rotation garden party earlier this year where it literally jumped straight out of the Klipschorns and on to the dance floor. The sure sign of a well crafted record.

Sadly, whilst compiling this list, we heard of the sad news of David Mancuso’s passing. Though the urge is strong to write an epitaph we’ll stick to the job in hand and simply post this, a Youtube link (that David would possibly despise) to a track that we think most strongly imbues his spirit through our experiences. It’s also one of the best songs ever recorded from one of the greatest albums ever made.