As we all know BBE can’t, won’t and don’t do no wrong so if you’ve never heard the name John Morales, don’t worry. This ‘celebration’ has BBE quality control approval all over it because, quite simply, it’s brilliant!

That said it’s a good job that John Morales is little know as BBE have scooped up a right mix of fantastic rare and previously unreleased track from one of disco’s finest producers.

To tell you the truth, I’ve had real trouble writing this review as I’d love nobody to know of this fantastic compilation. And if I tell that there’s a killer track on this album, and it certainly took me by surprise as to be quite honest. How long can Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High’ last without sounding dull? Well, in the hand of Morales’ it can last up to a 17 minutes long! It’s fantastic and you might think that this would then be the ultimate one track album of the year?

Well, I wouldn’t feel short changed if I never heard of John Morales ever again as it’s brilliant right to the very end (Ed. We get the idea you like this one).

But wait, there’s more; much more. And as we’re on a 101 on the 12” extended remix from the 80/90s, there’s the Universal Robot Band’s ‘Barely Breakin’ Even’ (would that be BBE?) which has got to be one of the best records on 90s (if not all time).

No that’s bold stuff when I’d never even heard of this bloke. But then along come the interview in The Soul Survivors and we find out he was a main man in New York in the mid-70s, knew everyone you’d want to know such as Patrick Adams, Leroy Burgess and Greg Carmichael (in in Logg/Universal Robot Band here) in addition to Ms.Brown and learnt his trade sitting next to the knee of Bob Blank (Who?, you also need to check Bob Blank: The Blank Generation (Blank Tapes NYC 1975-1985) where you’ll find John ‘Itching for Love’).

By the mid-80s he was over in the UK at the knobs with artists like Evelyn Thomas and Barbara Pennington for the Record Shack label (yep, on day I’ll reveal my role in their demise al a Spike Milligan) but perhaps the most well known of his triumphs is ‘Breaking Down Sugar Samba’ that’s one of the best one hit wonders there was around that time as it went from underground to mainstream for at least two years (and it’s sounds just as good now - I remember movin’ to this one in sweaty basements week in and week out and it was always the highlight of the set).

And it’s good to see he’s still at it as he said he’s remixed in Michael Olatula’s track called ‘Ma Foya’ but back to the compilation and keeping on the subject to big uns, 80s disco gold with Class Action’s ‘Weekend’ (none much bigger than this one “night and day” party time action) and you’ll recognise ‘I Ain’t Mad At You’ even if you don’t know who Tony Adderly is.or Ronny Dyson (‘All Over Your Face’ - but not Arthur Russell).

And whilst it is inevitably concentrates on the soul/disco of the 80s, it oddly doesn’t sound dated like listening to Best Of comps that could be filled with these tracks as the M+M survives with it’s freshness.

Whilst it might seem simple now, the formula of song/percussive beak/back to song is still the best there is for a dance DJ. It works on all these tracks without doubt; stunningly good, priceless and inspirational. If there’s a Volume 2, it can’t come soon enough. Brilliant!

Reviewed: John Morales - The M&M Mixes: NYC Underground Disco Anthems + Previously Un-Released Exclusive Salsoul Mixes (BBE) Cat. No: BBE 129 (Double CD/Triple LP + Digital) Release date: December 2009
Tracklistings:
1-01 Class Action Feat. Chris Wiltshire - Weekend (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (10:03)
1-02 Tony Adderly - I Ain’t Mad At You (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (7:49)
1-03 Ronnie Dyson - All Over Your Face (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (7:17)
1-04 Curtis Hairston - I Want You (All Tonight) (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (7:28)
1-05 Julia And Company - Breakin’ Down (Sugar Samba) (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (8:47)
1-06 Cubie Burke - Down For Double (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (7:02)
1-07 Universal Robot Band - Wanna Be Your Lover (Demo Version) (4:05)
1-08 La-Rita Gaskin - Never Can Say Goodbye (Demo Version) (5:14)
1-09 Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug (I Just Wanna Be Your Lady Bug) (12” Version) (7:11)
1-10 Universal Robot Band - Barely Breaking Even (Club Version) (12:48)
2-01 Inner Life - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Pt. 1 (JM 4AM Mix) (10:40)
2-02 First Choice - First Choice (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (7:29)
2-03 Logg - Lay It On The Line (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (10:26)
2-04 Logg - You’ve Got That Something (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (9:19)
2-05 Skyy - Because Of You (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (8:16)
2-06 Inner Life - (Knock Out) Let’s Go Another Round (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (10:01)
2-07 Logg - I Know You Will (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (9:17)
2-08 Funk Deluxe - This Time (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (5:42)
2-09 Instant Funk - No Stoppin’ That Rockin’ (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (6:51)

Links:
www.bbemusic.com
www.myspace.com/bbemusic
The Soul Suvivors Issue 21 Dec09/Jan10 “Fitzroy talks to …. John Morales”