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Beat This! (20 Hits From Rhythm King)


Compilation of early releases on the Rhythm King label. Booklet includes label biog and artist pics. Some tracks are edited.




Rhythm King

Rhythm King Records Ltd was an independent record label founded in the mid 1980"s by Martin Heath, DJ Jay Strongman, and James Horrocks. Starting out as an offshoot of Daniel Miller "s critically acclaimed Mute Records Rhythm King"s initial focus was dance music - specifically house music, acid house, acid jazz, sampling culture and hip hop/rap. Strongman"s rap/funk off-shoot, Flame Records, signed proto-gangsta rapper Schoolly D and Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers amongst others….
…The breakthrough was the single Rok Da House by The Beatmasters featuring The Cookie Crew. Initially reaching #78 when first released in July 1987 the single was re-released in January 1988 and reached #5 UK singles chart in February 1988 and is acknowledged as the first record to merge hip-hop and house into a style known as hip house. This was followed up by Beat Dis by Bomb The Bass. The identity of Bomb The Bass was shrouded in mystery until it was revealed that it had been produced by a DJ at London"s Wag Club Tim Simenon. Simenon used his DJ experience, record collection and techniques gained from a music production course to create a cut and paste style which successfully merged sounds and samples from various genres within dance music - in particular old school hip hop, house, electro and funk with samples from film and TV - most notably The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Thunderbirds. The record reputedly cost £500 to make and had a big impact on the UK singles chart debuting at #5 in the UK singles chart in February 1988 - what was then the highest debut position for an unknown artist. It eventually reached #2 for two weeks and was kept of the top spot by Kylie Minogue"s debut single I Should Be So Lucky….
…Rhythm King didn"t have too long for its first UK Singles Chart #1. S-Express was the brainchild of London DJ Mark Moore who - along with many of the well known faces involved in London"s club scene at the time, put together the single Theme from S"Express. This mixed many of the contemporary dance music sounds of the time with a sample from Rose Royce"s 1970"s disco anthem Is It Love You"re After to great success. The single shot to #1 in April/May 1988 and 1988 to 1991 would be a golden period for Rhythm King with its artists - in particular Baby Ford, The Beatmasters, Betty Boo, Bomb The Bass, Merlin and S-Express doing fairly well in the UK album and singles charts…. (wikipedia)



01. Beatmasters Featuring P.P. Arnold - Burn It Up
02. S" Express - Superfly Guy
03. Bomb The Bass Featuring Lauraine - Don"t Make Me Wait
04. Taffy - I Love My Radio
05. Merlin - Born Free
06. Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - We Need Some Money
07. Viola Wills - These Things Happen
08. Shawnie "G" - Mission Impossible
09. Baby Ford - Chikki Chikki Ahh Ahh
10. Bomb The Bass Featuring Maureen - Say A Little Prayer
11. S" Express - Theme From S" Express
12. Beatmasters Featuring Cookie Crew - Rok Da House
13. King Sun-D Moet - Hey Love
14. Schooly D - Put Your Fila"s On
15. 3 Wize Men - Cruising For A Bruising
16. Jay Strongman - East West
17. Bailey & Bridges - Come And Get It
18. Gwen McCrae - Funky Sensation
19. Hotline - Rock This House
20. Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis
21. Bomb The Bass - 10 Seconds To Terminate
22. Bomb The Bass - Mega Mix


Label: Stylus Music
Released: 1989