Best Of 2016: Reissue Singles
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The 50 Best Albums of 2016

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Best Of 2016: Reissue Singles
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The reissue market has grown considerably in the last few years thanks to the resurgence of vinyl. However, this year has seen an explosion in the number of singles reissued - mostly 12 inches but some 7s and 10s too. As well as the choice disco reissues which have been popular over the last few years, we definitely saw an increase in classic house reissues - several Trax releases (from quality masters this time, apparently) and some selected 12s on labels such as Fourth Floor, Large, Dance Mania and many more. Far too many to feature it and far too many records to compare - how can we compare a 1988 house record with a 1978 funk / soul / disco crossover rarity anyway? And how old does a record have to be before it is considered a reissue, rather than just a repress?

The records we have featured on this list are here for a number of reasons - they have either sold phenomenally well in the shop and online, or have been records held dear in the hearts of at least one member of staff here. Normally is due to a mixture of both factors, at the end of the day, our favourite records tend to sell well too!

Probably a lot of you will agree with us, however, this is just an opinion and being at #1 is no indication that it is better than #40. Just see this as a way of gauging the view of the Phonica staff, seeing what you (our customers) have bought, and checking to see if there are any gems you've missed…

The reissue market has grown considerably in the last few years thanks to the resurgence of vinyl. However, this year has seen an explosion in the number of singles reissued - mostly 12 inches but some 7s and 10s too. As well as the choice disco reissues which have been popular over the last few years, we definitely saw an increase in classic house reissues - several Trax releases (from quality masters this time, apparently) and some selected 12s on labels such as Fourth Floor, Large, Dance Mania and many more. Far too many to feature it and far too many records to compare - how can we compare a 1988 house record with a 1978 funk / soul / disco crossover rarity anyway? And how old does a record have to be before it is considered a reissue, rather than just a repress?

The records we have featured on this list are here for a number of reasons - they have either sold phenomenally well in the shop and online, or have been records held dear in the hearts of at least one member of staff here. Normally is due to a mixture of both factors, at the end of the day, our favourite records tend to sell well too!

Probably a lot of you will agree with us, however, this is just an opinion and being at #1 is no indication that it is better than #40. Just see this as a way of gauging the view of the Phonica staff, seeing what you (our customers) have bought, and checking to see if there are any gems you've missed…

40 - 21  20 - 1 

21

anna-systems-breaking-down-2022-repress-be-with-records-cover

ANNA

Systems Breaking Down (2022 Repress)

BE WITH RECORDS

Buy Systems Breaking Down Systems Breaking Down (Dance Remix)

Originally released in 1982, Anna's cosmic coldwave bomb "Systems Breaking Down" is a dubbed out dark-disco tour-de-force, with cut-up vocals drifting in and out of a bassline that throbs like Carpenter's best (think Assault on Precinct 13) and a palette of head-nod minimal wave.

22

aleke-kanonu-meets-tolbert-the-miracle-man-nwanne-nwanne-nwanne-happiness-pmg-records-cover

ALEKE KANONU meets TOLBERT, THE MIRACLE MAN

Nwanne, Nwanne, Nwanne / Happiness

PMG RECORDS

Buy Nwanne, Nwanne, Nwanne Happiness

Bringing together the undisputed talents of Nigerian percussionist Aleke Kanonu and soul legend from Alabama, O.C. Tolbert, this 12” created quite the buzz when it was released in New York in 1982. The B-side, ‘Nwanne, Nwanne, Nwanne’, is an Afrobeat disco monster that rattles along on the back of Kananu’s awesome percussion skills.

23

vo-mashisa-invisible-city-editions-cover

V.O.

Mashisa

INVISIBLE CITY EDITIONS

Buy She's My Lady Mashisa Mashisa (Dub Mix) Malunde

Sunshine drenched South African house vibes complete with obligatory dub if the vocals get a bit too much for you! Anyone that loved the Penny Penny re-issue on ATFA look no further. Ace re-issue from ICE!

24

bb-seaton-dancing-in-the-moonlight-jamwax-cover

B.B. SEATON

Dancing In The Moonlight

JAMWAX

Buy Dancing In The Moonlight Version Instrumental

Holy grail Reggae / Disco cut from B.B. Seaton, produced by Coxsone Dodd and originally out back in 1986 on Studio One!

25

roy-davis-jnr-gabriel-2024-repress-large-records-cover

ROY DAVIS JNR

Gabriel (2024 repress)

LARGE RECORDS

Buy Gabriel (Live Garage mix) Words To Give By The Scroll Mix Tamborine Dub

It may not seem THAT old but this collaboration between Peven Everett & Roy Davis Jnr from 1997 helped launch an entire musical movement known affectionately as Speed Garage. Proper soulful house anthem that stands the test of time and one of Phonica's biggest sellers this year!

26

shafty-deep-inside-of-you-groovin-recordings-cover

SHAFTY

Deep Inside Of You

GROOVIN RECORDINGS

Buy Deep Inside (Of You) (Soul Trance) Deep Inside (Of You) (The Jungle And The Temple) Deep Inside (Of You) (Touch And Go) Deep Inside (Of You) (The Deep Creep) Deep Inside (Of You) (A Love Romance)

There have been a number of represses this year of these 1991/92 classic Italian house tracks. This one, along with Omniverse, Onirico and the like have enjoyed a new lease of life for vinyl buyers. SHAFTY was a house music project made in Italy by Andrea Gemolotto and Ralf utilising the accapella from Kariya's 'Let me Love You For Tonight'.

27

ethel-beatty-i-know-you-care-its-your-love-2023-repress-expansion-cover

ETHEL BEATTY

I Know You Care / It's Your Love (2023 Repress)

EXPANSION

Buy I Know You Care It's Your Love

Expansion have been releasing some fine 7inch soul & boogie classic this year and this has been our favorite (along with Thelma Jones's 'How Long'). Roy Ayers on the productions lets slick bass, intricate guitar riffs and Ethel's cut glass vocals take us to another planet.

28

workdub-workdub-ep-music-from-memory-cover

WORKDUB

Workdub EP

MUSIC FROM MEMORY

Buy Island Breeze Caravan The Odyssey

Music From Memory continued their 12” series this year with the release of an EP from St. Louis outfit Workdub, taking four tracks from across the groups elusive privately released albums. Workdub’s music was very much an exploration into sound and was developed around weekly improvised jam sessions. Another killer release from the Music From Memory crew.

29

garys-gang-lets-lovedance-tonight-danny-krivit-re-edit-sam-records-cover

GARY'S GANG

Let's Lovedance Tonight (Danny Krivit Re-Edit)

SAM RECORDS

Buy Lets Lovedance Tonight - Danny Krivit Re-Edit Lets Lovedance Tonight

Classic and much-sampled disco on Sam Records given a new lease of life (and 100s of new sales) by Danny Krivit!! This one may be ubiquitous but its been such a huge seller that we had to include it (probably the biggest selling reissue of the year!).

30

underground-resistance-inspiration-transition-underground-resistance-cover

UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

Inspiration / Transition

UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

Buy Inspiration Transition

One of the finest Underground Resistance 12 inches of all time - not one, but TWO stone cold techno classics.....the inspirational monlogue led 'Transition' encouraging you to Make that transition....and on the flip, the more familiar uplifting chords of 'Inspiration'! Epic!ription Available

31

dwayne-jensen-my-people-ignition-landed-records-cover

DWAYNE JENSEN

My People / Ignition

LANDED RECORDS

Buy My People Ignition

Ok, so its not THAT old but this classic hands in the air disco-house track flew out in November after garnering plays from MCDE, Bicep and many others. Nice to have it on a LOUD pressing too!

32

underground-resistance-world-2-world-do-not-use-underground-resistance-cover

UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

World 2 World do not use

UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

Buy Amazon Jupiter Jazz Cosmic Traveler Greater Than Yourself

Without doubt "World 2 World" holds four of the best ever UR tracks all on one 12". You can feel the pure, raw emotion flowing from each track as Mad Mike puts every last bit of energy into these productions. Released just after Jeff Mills had left UR, this was a turning point for the label and this is clearly portrayed on the EP as tracks like "Amazon" and "Jupiter Jazz" still sound light years ahead of their time - 14 years after the original release.

33

fallout-the-morning-after-fourth-floor-records-cover

FALLOUT

The Morning After

FOURTH FLOOR RECORDS

Buy The Morning After (Sunrise Mix) The Morning After (The Aftermath) The Morning After (Purple Disco Machine Re-Work)

Produced by Lenny Dee and Tommy Musto and originally released in 1987 on the legendary Fourth Floor Records. First recorded as a 17 minute opus(!), the track was edited into different versions; the Sunrise Mix and The Aftermath and later became the soundtrack to London's M25 raves and Fabio & Grooverider's Rage night.

34

michael-chapman-lescudjack-incl-lexx-edit-emotional-rescue-cover

MICHAEL CHAPMAN

Lescudjack (Incl. Lexx Edit)

EMOTIONAL RESCUE

Buy Lescudjack Lescudjack (Lexx Edit)

The term Cosmic classic has been bandied around increasingly in the last decade. But in Michael Chapman’s Lescudjack we really see the genius of cosmic don's Daniele Baldelli in finding obscure records that do not fit the traditional dance floor and making them work.

35

arnold-jarvis-take-some-time-out-fourth-floor-records-cover

ARNOLD JARVIS

Take Some Time Out

FOURTH FLOOR RECORDS

Buy Take Some Time Out (Club Mix) Take Some Time Out (Ilija Rudman Reconstruction Mix) Take Some Time Out (Dub Mix)

Not pressed since 1989, this 1987 New York classic has stood the test of time with its subtle production complementing Arnold's plea for understanding.

36

lnr-work-it-to-the-bone-house-jam-cover

LNR

Work It To The Bone

HOUSE JAM

Buy Work it to the Bone (Vocal) Work it to the Bone (Instrumental) Work It To The Bone (LNR's Clubhouse Remix) Work it to the Bone (LNR's Underground Remix)

"Work it to the bone" does exactly that. It works every single part of your body into a frenzy, a cacophony of jacking sparse drum programming with that infamous descending bassline and that dude chanting, asking us to join him: "C'mon let's work!" This record is a total classic. Period.

37

morgan-geist-super-ep-2023-repress-environ-cover

MORGAN GEIST

Super EP (2023 Repress)

ENVIRON

Buy 24K Sleaze Lullaby

Classic Morgan Geist production reissued at the start of the year building up beautiful moody synthetic melodies over metallic electro-disco sounds, melding the New York classic disco tradition with electronica.

38

kid-hupendi-musiki-wangu-its-hot-sam-records-cover

K.I.D.

Hupendi Musiki Wangu?! / It's Hot

SAM RECORDS

Buy Hupendi Muziki Wangu?! (You Don't Like My Music) It's Hot (Take It To The Top)

A Boogie classic from '81 on the legendary SAM label out of New York city! K.I.D. is the production pseudonym of British library record stalwart and Munich Machine member Geoff Bastow. "Hupendi Muziki Wangu?" is Swahili for "You Don't Like My Music?" and the track has long been a classic with underground Disco/Boogie aficionados for many years and has been a staple in the record bags of many legendary jocks since it's release 35+ years ago.

39

patrick-cowley-candida-royalle-candida-cosmica-dark-entries-cover

PATRICK COWLEY & CANDIDA ROYALLE

Candida Cosmica

DARK ENTRIES

Buy Candida Cosmica Elementals Shimmering (Where Am I?) Tantum Ergo Tomato Song

These recordings shine a new light on the early experimental collaborations of a disco legend and a feminist pioneer who were taken too soon. Influenced by Tomita and Wendy Carlos, Patrick crafted his electronic sound from synthesizers, percussion, modified guitars, and hand-built equipment. Candice’s multi-octave range adds chirps, soars, and growls, going into operatic staccato runs a la Yma Sumac and ‘Illuminations’ era Buffy Sainte-Marie.

40

iz-diz-mouth-pepe-bradock-remixes-clear-vinyl-repress-2021-mint-condition-cover

IZ & DIZ

Mouth - Pepe Bradock Remixes (Clear vinyl repress 2021)

MINT CONDITION

Buy Mouth (Brad Peep's Remix For Friends) Mouth (Pepe Bradock's Unreleased Remix 1) Mouth (Pepe Bradock's Unreleased Remix 2)

Originally released on the seminal Chicago/London label Classic recordings way back in 2002, this recent Autumn reissue still sounds totally alien. Wigged out funk from the deepest recesses of Pepe's mind, his chopped up vocal samples and intricate percussive elements come off sounding like Todd Edwards on acid and still sound completely new/insane today!

40 - 21  20 - 1 

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