Union City Recordings was an electronic music record label set up by Circa Records in 1992, from their operations in West London. [1] The label was managed by Rob Manley and specialised in deep house music, which was popular in clubs at the time. [1] The label's catalogue ran to 29 releases across the various formats of the time (12" vinyl singles, CD singles and one compilation album, Colours). The label is best remembered for releases by RuPaul and Sasha's first single, "Appolonia" (under the name "B.M. EX"). [1] Other artists to record for the label included M.A.N.I.C., 4 Love ("Hold Your Head Up High"), Mark Kinchen, Sure is Pure and TC 1992 ("Funky Guitar"). [1] [2] [3] The first releases had sleeves designed by Union Design of Shoreditch, but were later replaced by non-branded white label bags, which were intended to increase popularity with DJs and specialist record stores such as Black Market.
The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in The Bronx, New York City, NY, United States. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as a road manager and backup DJ. Big.D was put down with the crew by Kool Keith in 1989. A former member, Rooney Roon, was fired following an assault arrest. Beat-boxer Rahzel was also involved with the group early in its career. The group's work was associated with unorthodox sampling, polysyllabic rhymes, and bizarre lyrical imagery.
"Love Is Strange" is a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.
The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, later known as Flo & Eddie. The band had several Top 40 hits beginning in 1965 with their cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe". They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together".
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include "Wordy Rappinghood", "Genius of Love", and a cover of The Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk", all released on their 1981 debut album Tom Tom Club.
Jules Mark Shear is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He wrote the Cyndi Lauper hit single "All Through the Night" and The Bangles' hit "If She Knew What She Wants", and charted a hit as a performer with "Steady" in 1985.
Cutting Crew are an English rock band formed in London in 1985. They are best known for their debut album Broadcast and hit singles, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", "I've Been in Love Before", "One for the Mockingbird", and "Everything But My Pride".
Ann Lee Peebles is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are "I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband Don Bryant and radio broadcaster Bernie Miller, and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". In 2014, Ann Peebles was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Nightingales are a British post-punk/alternative rock band, formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England, by four members of Birmingham's punk group The Prefects. They had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorded a couple of Peel Sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had a retrospective CD released by New York indie label Acute Records.
"Kentucky Rain" is a 1970 song written by Eddie Rabbitt and Dick Heard and recorded by Elvis Presley. It was recorded at American Sound Studio and features then session pianist Ronnie Milsap. Other musicians on the record include Bobby Wood on piano, Bobby Emmons on organ, Reggie Young on guitar, Tommy Cogbill on bass and Gene Chrisman on drums. The song and session was produced by Felton Jarvis (RCA-Victor) and Chips Moman. It was certified Gold by the RIAA, signifying United States sales of more than a million copies. Songwriter Eddie Rabbitt released his own version of the song in 1978.
Kim Weston is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms ", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye, "It Takes Two".
Argent were an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of the Zombies. They had three UK top 40 singles; "Hold Your Head Up", which reached number five and spent 12 weeks on the chart, "Tragedy" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You". Two of their albums charted in the UK; All Together Now, which peaked at number 13 in 1972, and In Deep, which spent one week at number 49 in 1973.
Change is an Italian-American post-disco group formed in Bologna, Italy, in 1979 by businessman and executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus (1948–1987) and Mauro Malavasi. They were heavily influenced by the disco band Chic. The current incarnation of the group formed in 2018.
Theatre of Hate are a British post-punk band formed in London in 1980.
"My Lovin' " is a song by American female group En Vogue, released in 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum hit album, Funky Divas. The single reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their joint highest-peaking single on the chart alongside "Hold On" and "Don't Let Go (Love)", and it peaked atop the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart for two weeks. Internationally, the song reached number four in the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 on the charts of Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Gaye Bykers on Acid (GBOA) are an English psychedelic rock band from Leicester, and one of the founder members of the grebo music scene. They later released both thrash punk and dance music albums under various aliases.
"Free Your Mind" is a song by American female group En Vogue. Released on September 24, 1992, "Free Your Mind" is the third single released from their critically acclaimed hit album Funky Divas. The anti-prejudice song became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Billboard named the song No. 41 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. The track was recorded between December 1991 – January 1992, composed and produced by Foster and McElroy. The guitar and bass tracks for the song were written and recorded by San Francisco-based guitarist Jinx Jones. The opening line: "Prejudice, wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!", is adapted from a line originally used by David Alan Grier's character Calhoun Tubbs from Fox's In Living Color. An alternative version of the song with different lyrics appears on the 1992 Summer Olympics compilation album Barcelona Gold.
The Pale Fountains were an English band formed in Liverpool in 1980, and composed of Mick Head (vocalist/guitarist), Chris McCaffery (bassist), Thomas Whelan (drummer), trumpet player Andy Diagram (horns) and Ken Moss (Guitar/Bass). Diagram was simultaneously a member of Dislocation Dance for most of the Pale Fountains' existence.
TC is the stage name of drum and bass producer, singer and Bristol DJ Tom Casswell. He left school and started making music inspired by the sounds of the Bristol scene and the music and atmosphere of St. Paul's, the area of Bristol where he grew up.
"Give It Up, Turn It Loose" was the fourth single from American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas. The song's title is a reference to the 1969 James Brown song "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". Released on November 12, 1992, the single reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1994, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. This song features Maxine Jones on lead entirely.
"Radio Wall of Sound" is a song by the British rock band Slade, which was released in 1991 as the first single from their compilation album Wall of Hits. Written and produced by bassist Jim Lea, the single reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart. It remained in the top 100 for five weeks and became Slade's last hit single, discounting later chartings of "Merry Xmas Everybody".