Uncovered from a stack of moldy boxes in a weathered garage, 47 mangled master tapes of
disco jams and early
rap cuts finally get their chance to see the light of day on
Don't Stop: Recording Tap.
Jeremiah Yisrael's short-lived
Tap label only issued a few 12"s between 1981-1983, none of which would receive any airplay or acclaim, but in that time he managed to capture a stunning document of the underground boogie sounds of nighttime in New York City on his reel to reel. His paranoia with recording contracts squashed the potential of bigger deals for his artists, including one for
Missy Dee with
Sugar Hill Records, and his acute perfectionism led to endless takes on the cutting room floor, but this same compulsiveness led to some amazing Jordache-bumping dance numbers, meticulously composed and performed repeatedly until the
funk had the perfect flavor to satisfy his picky palate. Recruiting
R&B veteran
Gene Redd, Jr. (who had orchestrated hits for
Motown,
Chess, and
Mercury, among others) to arrange the songs, and then cherry-picking the streets for blossoming talent, he entered his studios with no-namers
Jackie Stoudemire,
Arnie Love & the Lovettes,
Annette Denvil,
Magnetism, and
Bonnie Freeman along with rappers
Fabulous 3 MCs, and
Missy Dee & the Melody Crew. Jumping from straight up
disco anthems,
reggae-infused sunshine
soul, to block party raps, leaves the listening experience uneven, as do some of the poorly executed mixes, but the heart and soul of these sessions make this a highly enjoyable listen in the vein of the
In Yo Face,
Disco Juice, and
Sugar Hill Records Story sets. As well as being a great candidate for a dance party disc, the artwork is stunning, including pictures of the masters in their original shabby shape, old photos of the artists, stained sheet music, and a detailed retrospective of how the tapes came to fruition. ~ Jason Lymangrover
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