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The Message - The Story of Sugar Hill Records

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The Message - The Story of Sugar Hill Records [Box set]

~ Various Artists (Artist)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product details

Audio CD (31 Jan 2005)
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Box set
Label: Castle Music
ASIN: B0006LCPW4

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 147,060 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Disc: 1
1. The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper�s Delight (Long Version)
2. Positive Force - We Got The Funk
3. Super-Wolf - Super-Wolf Can Do It (Short Version)
4. The Sequence - Funk You Up (12� Version)
5. Grandmaster Flash & Freedom - The Furious 5
See all 9 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. The Sugarhill Gang - 8th Wonder
2. Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel
3. Spoonie Gee Meets The Sequence - Monster Jam
4. The Sugarhill Gang - The Lover In You
5. Funky 4 + 1 - That�s The Joint
See all 11 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - The Message
2. Busy Bee - Making Cash Money
3. Funky Four - Feel It (The Mexican)
4. West Street Mob - Ooh Baby (Short Version)
5. Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five - It�s Nasty (Genius Of Love) (Short Version)
See all 12 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4
1. West Street Mob Break Dance - Electric Boogie
2. Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don�t Don�t Do It) (Long Version)
3. Crash Crew - We Are Known As Emcees (We Turn Party�s Out)
4. Grandmaster, Melle Mel & The Furious Five, with Mr. Ness & Cowboy - Beat Street
5. Busy Bee - Busy Bee�s Groove
See all 13 tracks on this disc

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5.0 out of 5 stars Words (and music) From The Old Skool, 1 April 2009

By	pjr (London, England) - See all my reviews

Rap (for it was really still called rap for its duration) has never looked too kindly on Sugar Hill Records. Started as a commercial enterprise, owner Sylvia Robinson went out to get big names and make money. She did exactly that but at the cost of something akin to credibility. Any serious history of Sugar Hill Records has to acknowledge that. Yet history also has to acknowledge that when looking back to the genesis of rap and hip-hop the label produced some stunning examples of early hip-hop, some of which have stood the test of time as bona fide classics. Across the 4 cds of this particular compilation you will find a major retrospective illustrating the growth of both the label and the development of early rap music itself.

It begins with the party time interplay of the first rap hit and, arguably, the first out and out rap record itself. The formation of The Sugarhill Gang may be controversial but nearly 3 decades on there is still much to enjoy in "Rapper's Delight". Simply put, this wasn't just a hit because of its novelty value. It remains a classic example of the good time party feel that must have been an essential ingredient of any block party of the time (even if it's perpetrators were formed specially to make the record).

Selling massive quantities and becoming a world-wide pehenomenon really did give the label the chance to sign more artists and make some other truly great records. Over the four discs there are some of the truly essential early examples of rap. Although the likes of The Funky Four Plus One (More) and Spoonie G started off on the Enjoy label (where they both made some impressive pieces) they arrived early and put out some great music. The Four's "That's The Joint" is a remake of their Enjoy classic, but there is an effervessence the original just slightly lacks. It's musically tighter too.

The reason for the musical quality is the fact that Sugar Hill had a house band including Skip MacDonald, Keith LeBlanc and Doug Wimbush who played on a great number of the early tracks so the label didn't have to use records and play royalties for the fact (I'd call them samples but the term didn't exist then). Their playing is always constant and tight and although it took the power of the DJ's away it seems to liberate the rappers by, literally, not missing a beat.

Sugar Hill Records developed and in doing so gave Grandmaster Flash the chance to make his mark. "...Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel" remains a DJ tour de force which may have taken a couple of days in the studio to perfect and get right across 3 turntables in one take but the perseverence is worth it. The result is the archetypal old skool scratch record, both clever and not without a touch of humour. It's only a shame there wasn't more of this type on the label. The set ends with another Flash cut up but despite being the only unreleased piece here "The Adventures Of Grandmaster Himself" doesn't exactly set the world alight and it's previous failure to surface seems a little understandable.

The record launched the career of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, who were soon the biggest act on the label. After a few party time raps the band finally agreed to cut "The Message", despite some reservations. It showcases the move of rap into electronic music which had been pretty much the domain of 1982's new kid on the block, Tommy Boy Records. "The Message" took back the impetus with it's jittery rhythms and melody and a socially aware lyric which propelled it to sucess across the globe.

After that the label moves more towards the electronic and away from the house band. The Furious Five had a string of hits, almost all included here which mixed beats with social commentary with varying degrees of success. Other acts such as The Treacherous Three (whose cover of "Yes We Can Can" has survived better than expected), The Cash Crew, and The West Street Mob made music which was designed with break dancers and body poppers in mind. The Mob's "Breakdance (Electric Boogie)" being the finest example of the lot.

Furnished with excellent sleevenotes and a heap of photos of the time, this is a fine example of how to make a good collection from a label where compilations seem two a penny. What marks this one out is that it avoids too much filler. All the essential tracks are here, and there are many others which are not so well known. Busy Bee's contributions are lesser known but most welcome here, and the West Street Mob's "Feel It (The Mexican)" will have owners of Bomb The Bass's "Beat Dis" nodding in recognition. All of this at a very affordable price which sets it apart from the rather more exhaustive collection on Rhino. For anyone who wants a bit more than a collection of big hits, this well researched compliation tells its story very well.

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