Light Of The World

Light Of The World - London Town (1985 remake)
They were originally a forerunner of the late 1970s/early 1980s British jazz-funk movement. The band's name is taken from the 1974 Kool and the Gang album, Light of Worlds. The band was formed by Breeze McKrieth, Kenny Wellington, Paul Williams , Jean Paul Maunick and David Baptiste.

These members also played with the band on their many performances in clubs throughout the UK before securing their first recording contract. Norman Walker (percussion) ,Earl Appleton (keyboards), Junior King (drums) &Roger Thomas (saxophone).

The following members joined the line-up in 1979 after the recording of the first album and with the band already signed to Ensign Records/Polygram, following the death of Chris Etienne when the band were in involved in a motorway crash. After auditions Nat Augustin and Ganiyu Bello, who had travelled from Manchester, joined the band. The band recorded a second album followed by a successful tour.

The band split up for the first time in 1981. Wellington, Baptiste and McKreith became Beggar & Co., and immediately hit the Top 20 with "Somebody Help Me Out". This was followed by work on the Spandau Ballet track "Chant No.1" which was reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart. Maunick, Hinds and Williams formed Incognito. Bello and Augustin continued briefly as Light Of
The World before recording solo material for EMI and Polydor. Peter Hinds was also a member of Atmosfear.

There was a brief Light Of The World reunion in 1982 just before Bello and Augustin embarked on their solo recordings. In 1985 Wellington and McKrieth reformed the band after working on some remixes with DJ, John Morales. This included a remix of the popular tracks "London Town" and "Time". Light Of The World reformed briefly again in 1990, recording for Chrysalis.

Hindsight

Hindsight - Lowdown (1987)
In this footage the first part is the video at the time and the last part is live. Camelle Hinds, songwriter/producer formed his own group in 1986 Hindsight and released a series of singles including; Small Change (1986), Lowdown (1987) and Heaven's Just A Breath Away (1987).

Before then he was the Bass player in the group Central Line. He is now bass player and lead singer for Light Of The World. Does anybody know who's playing the flute and what park it was filmed in?

Ian Foster

Ian Foster - Tell Me It's True (1986)
This footage is from Solid Soul TV show. Born to Jamaican parents in South London, Ian initially worked with the reggae group One Love, during which time he developed his songwriting skills.

By the time he reached his mid-20's, his songs had been recorded by artists including Loose Ends, Five Star, Jean Carn and Quincy Jones. As a solo artist he signed to MCA Records in 1986 where he worked with producer Nick Martinelli on Ian Foster. He now lives in Los Angeles where he has branched into production with artists like Perri. (Ralph Tee, 91)

Imagination

Imagination - Just An Illusion (1982)
Live in Manchester, The Tube TV program Christmas Eve 1982. London group were John Lee, (lead vocals/keyboards), Ashley Ingram (Bass/vocals), Errol Kennedy (drums/percussion).

Working with producers/songwriters Steve Jolley and Tony Swain they created a unique blend of British soul/dance which won them a following in the early 80's. For the R&B label their UK albums were Body Talk (1981), including the title track debut single (top 5), 'In And Out Of Love' (top 20) and 'Flashback' (top 20); and 'In the Heat Of The Night' (1982), including 'Just an Illusion' (top 5), 'Music & Lights' (top 5), the title track single (top 20) and 'Changes' (top 40).

Further success came with 'Looking at Midnight' (top 30, 1983).

I-Level

I-Level - Minefield (1983)
Another clip taken from the same live UK TV show from the date shown. I get a few emails from people wanting more Brit-Funk, but the footage does not get much interest - I've put them in a Brit-Funk play list on Dailymotion. '

In The Sand is a very popular Raregroove tune from this band, so much so it was boot legged on the London scene. It was on their second and last 1985 album Shake!

I-Level

I-Level - Teacher (1983)
Great hats and background design concept, also used on the album cover. UK Brit-Funk band were Duncan Bridgeman and Jo Dworniak from Essex, together with Sam Jones (lead singer)from Freetown, Siarra Leone.
Duncan and Jo met through an advert in Melody Maker and played in groups Scrambled Egos and Shake Shake prior to I-Level. Sam had early toured Europe with reggae band Brimstone.
Recording for Virgin Records, they first made impact on the UK dancefloors with 'Give Me' (1982), the track later being a Top 5 Single in the USA where it was released on Epic. In 1983 they scored two UK Top 50 hits with 'Minefield' ans 'Teacher' their albums being 'I-Level (1983) and Shake (1985.)
'In The Sand' became big in the UK's  Raregroove scene of the late 1990's.
They were voted by Blues & Soul readers as the most promising newcomers in 1982. But it was all over by 1985.

Funkmasters

The Funkmasters - It's Over (1984)
Can you see straight though that dress? A London bassed group with the lead vocals of Juliet Roberts on their one UK chart success for Master Funk Records. Roberts is not shown on this footage as she was out of the country when they appeared on UK TV. A 'big tune' as they say on the 2-Step scene at the time.

Juliet Roberts is a British jazz, rock and house music singer of Grenadian descent. She originally recorded as Julie Roberts in 1982, and performed on the 1983 top 10 hit It's Over by the Funkmasters.

In July 1983, she released the single Fool For You backed with It's Been A Long, Long Time on the Bluebird label, BRT3. The single peaked at no 77 on the Gallup chart, week ending August 20th, 1983.

In 1984, she began a four year stint as vocalist for the jazz group Working Week. She also released another single on Bluebird, The Old Rugged Cross b/w I'm So Glad.
In 1986 she released a single of Ain't You Had Enough Love, a cover of a Phyllis Hyman recording.

She resurfaced in 1993 as a dance music artist, with the hit single "I Want You." (#1 US Dance, #44 US Hot 100) and the house music offering Caught In the Middle. Juliet has taught British viewers vocal performance basics on the UK's Rock School series. In addition to her solo and ensemble projects, she has carved out a career as an in-demand background vocalists and amassed a lengthy curriculum vitae as such. Since 1997, she has had a trio of British Top 20 hits: So Good, Bad Girls, Needin U II.

Freeeze

Freeze - I.O.U. (1985)
Live on Manchester's Tube show. The great reat video effect were seemingly performed live! Freeez was a musical group initially known for its emergence as one of the UK's first and leading jazz-funk bands of the very early eighties.

Founded by John Rocca, Freeez gained considerable respect from the industry, DJs and the jazz funk and dance public as a dance music group from London, England. The original group consisted of various musicians depending on the year but always with founder John Rocca and key members such as Andy Stennet - keyboards, Peter Maas - bass, and Paul Morgan or Everton Mcalla—drums.

The song "I.O.U.", written, produced and mixed by Arthur Baker, (then known for his work with New Order and Afrika Bambaataa), was also used on the 1980s breakdance movie Beat Street. It spent two weeks at number one in the Billboard Dance chart, sandwiched between the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson and David Bowie, and was number 2 in the national United Kingdom Gallup charts through the summer of 83.

It was followed by other releases from the album such as "Pop Goes My Love" / "Scratch Goes My Dub", which hit the US top five. In 1987 a new remix of "I.O.U." showed the strength of the 80's anthem by climbing back up to number eighteen on the U.S. dance chart, plus number twenty-three in the national UK Singles Chart.

David Joseph

David Joseph - Be A Star (1983)

Originally a keyboard/singer with Hi-Tension a Brit-funk band of the late 70's. He went solo in the early 80's when the band spit up.

Hear he is a PA on the World Disco Dancing competition final in 1993. Hi Tension were a North London based boy band, seen as pioneers of Brit funk and started as Hott Waxx in the early 1970s. They included Phil Fearon (Galaxy and Kandidate) and Lloyd Phillips (Kandidate) brother of Paul, before becoming Hi Tension and riding high on the Brit funk wave with tracks “Hi Tension” and “British Hustle”.

The group comprised of brothers Paul Mclean (lead guitar), Patrick Mclean (saxophone); brothers David Joseph (keyboards / lead vocals) and Ken Joseph (bass guitar); uncle and nephew Jeffrey Guishard (percussion / lead vocals) Leroy Williams (congas) Paul Phillips (rhythm guitar / vocals) David Reid (drums) and Courtney Pine (saxophone on tour).The band split in the early 1980s with David Joseph pursuing a solo career.

In 1984 Ken Joseph, Leroy Williams and Jeffrey Guishard reformed the band (with old members David Joseph and Paul Phillips playing on the recording sessions) and released “Rat Race” in 1984, and “You Make Me Happy” (originally recorded as “Happy” by Surface) in 1985. Both versions scored in the UK Singles Chart.

Cool Down Zone

Cool Down Zone - Waiting For Love (1990)
This production is very much in the late 80's style of Soul II Soul. Started out as 52nd Street from Manchester, England. Dianne Charlemagne on vocals. 1982 signed with Factory.

Recent years have seen Dianna signed with Chrysalis Music and continuing to work with respected acts. New works include collaborations with London Electricity, 2020Soundsystem and Prayer Box. Diane was part of The Gospel Choir performance of 'Cry Of Innocence' – the opera in respect of the tragic death of 19 year old Stephen Lawrence.

Diane is currently working on a solo album with Sylvan Richardson (Simply Red and Ian Brown).
Marvelling and continuing to push boundaries Diane's emotive voice box and influential passion are going to be with us for many more years to come.

52nd. Street

52nd. Street - I Can't let You Go (1985)

From Manchester, England. Tony Henry (Guitar/vocals), John Dennison (keys/bass), Diane Charlemangne (vocals), Tony Bowry (bass/synths/vocals). (In 1982 the group signed with Factory Records and had local success with "Look Into My Eyes". (In 1981 "Checkin' out" was promo'd but not released by WEA.) The follow-up was "Cool As Ice" & remixed by Jellybean and did well in the US dance charts in 1983. After "I Can't Aford" the group split up, but reformed a year later with the line-up shown above.

1st. Light

1st. Light - I Don't Care What People Say (1982)

Following the breakup of Direct Drive, Paul Hardcastle joined forces with vocalist Derek Green to form the funk band 1st. Light in 1982. Signing with London Records, First Light quickly produced two hit singles. Both "Explain The Reason" and "Wish You Were Here" cracked the Top 20 on the U.K. dance charts. In spite of this success, Hardcastle grew frustrated with his lack of control over his projects. Of his experience with London Records, he recalled that "it was a total disaster. It was a constant battle of 'do this, do that,'" according to a 1985 Billboard magazine article. Hardcastle's solution to the control problem was to start his own label, appropriately named Total Control. His partner in this endeavor was the popular club DJ Steve Walsh.