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

This is a collection of rare grooves released in January 2024 by Death Is Not The End, a label specializing in excavations in London, England.

A mixtape-style collection of 1985 rare grooves performed at early morning house parties and blues dances in South and East London, England from 1992 to 19.

*If you would like a digital sound source, please feel free to contact us.

Below is a commentary by the label.

"Pure Wicked Tune is a DIY recording of the rare grooves and 'soul blues' sound systems played at early morning house parties and blues dances, primarily in South and East London, from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. This is a mixtape-style collection of excerpts and cuts from cassette recordings.

The sound of Funkadelic, Touch of Class, Last Edition, JB Crew, Manhattan, and 5th Avenue originally began to take shape in the mid-1980s. With lovers rock on the wane and the reggae scene being dominated by harder digital style dancehall, these sounds mix killer rare soul, funk and boogie records in the signature Reggae Soundsystem style. Playing with lots of toasts, sirens and effects, they provided a tight but loyal audience with a powerful alternative.

They were best known for their performances at house parties and blues dances, usually held in small apartments or warehouses, and such events generally ran from early morning until late the next afternoon. After dance music became an explosive hit in the early 1990s, its popularity waned, but the demand for revival sessions has continued ever since. It is relatively well known that Britain's major reggae and dancehall sound systems influenced subsequent UK sounds such as hardcore and jungle, but these sounds and the aforementioned styles were also popular. A similar line can be drawn with the tendency to sample rare groove cuts, particularly evident in the work of Tom & Jerry, 4hero, Reinforced, and LTJ Bukem.

This is the first in a series of collections that explore the sounds of UK soundsystem culture through excerpts from archival DIY cassette recordings of blues parties, dances and crashes made from the late 70s to the early 90s. . Often copied and widely shared, these rough, well-prepared 'sound tapes' provided keen ears with music that was hard to come by on the airwaves or in record shops, and brought together music that was deeply rooted in the British music landscape but often overlooked. This left a lasting impact. "

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tracklist:

1. Science (Intro) 02:03
2. Flashlight 01:35
3. Birth Night 01:43
4. Fire 01:15
5. Darkness Bout Ya (Flashlight II) 01:20
6. Shit Hot 04:04
7. All John Travolta 03:48
8. Nuff Imports 02:03
9. Chillin in the Morning 03:07
10. Pure Niceness (Flashlight III) 01:17
11. Shockout Business 01:51
12. Pure Wicked Tune 03:59
13. Work to Do 02:55
14. Sweetback (No Poll Tax) 07:01
15. Canning Town Posse 01:06
16. Hello Stranger (Flashlight IV) 00:58
17. Special Birthday Request (Find a Partner) 03:27
18. Set Speed ​​Operator 01:07
19. For All Those Who Never Hear It Proper (Outro Chop) 02:24

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.

They were most well-known for playing at house parties and blues dances, typically in small flats or warehouses, with timing of such events generally running from the early morning hours until late the next afternoon. Though the popularity of the sounds faded following the dance music explosion of the early 1990s, there has been continued demand for revival sessions ever since. While the influence of key British reggae & dancehall soundsystems on subsequent UK sounds like hardcore & jungle is relatively well documented, a similar line can just as easily be drawn from these sounds and the mentioned styles' tendency toward sampling popular rare groove cuts, particularly well evidenced in the work of Tom & Jerry, 4hero, Reinforced & LTJ Bukem among others.

This represents the first outing in a series of collections exploring the sounds of UK soundsystem culture, via extracts from archival DIY cassette recordings of blues parties, dances & clashes made between the late 70s and early 90s. Often duplicated and shared widely, these ruff and ready "sound tapes" provided keen ears with music that wasn't otherwise readily available on the airwaves or in the record shops, and would go on to leave a deeply-rooted but too often overlooked influence on the UK's musical landscape. 

Artist: Death Is Not The End

Label: Death Is Not The End