Keeping the good ‘ole vinyl thing going, the DEMON MUSIC GROUP are launching their Demon Music Singles Club on May 5th with the release of a plethora of newly mastered 7- inch and 12-inch reissues across multiple genres and eras from soul and disco to house and techno, including rare mixes, and tracks unavailable since their release. Most will be available for the first time on 7” vinyl and they’ll be housed in new sleeves / house bags !!!
The releases have been curated by Demon’s Dom Williams, a successful DJ and avid vinyl collector and he says that the issues will celebrate the glory of rare releases, very special mixes, over-looked B sides and iconic artwork. As importantly the releases are all fully licensed in collaboration with famous labels like SAM Records, Easy Street, HDH and Fresh Records, There’s also a real commitment to, they say, “recreating exceptional artwork, tracking down and newly mastering the original audio – no matter how long it takes – and creating singles which are equal to, if not better than the originals.” The first batch (released May 5th) includes classics by William DeVaughn, Greg Henderson, Rhyze, Rosie Gaines, and Freestylers.
The A side of the WILLIAM DEVAUGHN 12” is of course his evergreen ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’ but the flip is worth investigating. It’s ‘Blood Is Thicker Than Water’. It originally appeared on the ‘Be Thankful’ album and was also released as a single. Like ‘Be Thankful’ it has a gentle Curtis Mayfield field and like the big hit here it’s presented in a full seven minute version that melds parts 1 and 2.
The GREG HENDERSON release is a 7” and features his best known tune, ‘Dreamin’’ and the two sides features the vocal and instrumental versions. You’ll know it’s a NYC disco, boogie classic originally recorded in 1982 and released on the Rain Records label and later licensed to SAM Records. That was also the label for Rhyze’s ‘Just How Sweet Is Your Love’ which Demon are reissuing a s 7” with ‘I Found Love In You’ on the flip. Demon believes that that this is the first time the tunes have been on 7” – it seems the 1980 oil crisis stymied it’s vinyl release back in the day!
The ROSIE GAINES selection is the ever-lovely Closer Than Close’ and Demon are reissuing 4 mixes of the song on a 12”. The tweaks are the Mentor Remake, the Mentor Club Mix, the Tuff Jams “Evan Closer Mix and the wonderful Frankie Knuckles’ Classic Club Mix which clocks in at ten foot-tapping minutes!
Amongst the other the May 5th releases is a 12” that offers four tracks from the FREESTYLERS. The outfit were formed in 1996 when DJs and producers Matt Cantor and Aston Harvey joined forces. In ’98 they released their debut album ‘We Rock Hard’ on the imprint, Freskanova. The Demon reissue cherry picks four of the biggest tracks from the album. ‘B-Boy Stance’, ‘Ruffneck’, ‘Here We Go’ and ‘Warning’ all showcasing the big beat and breakbeat electronica that became the band’s trademark sound.
Demon have also lined up releases from the Urban Cookie Collective, Strike, Lovestation and dear old Shaun Escoffery – his 12” will feature mixes of ‘Space Rider’ and ‘Days Like This’ – but you could have guessed that, couldn’t you? Learn more @ https://demonsinglesclub.tmstor.es/
