The year, going by the label, was ’92. My mind is all about fuzzy around those times as a lot was going on, but we were working in Ladbroke Grove and music was good. House music was alive and well and slowly other bits and pieces were appearing referencing further back than I’d gone before. I remember Dwayne Dawson from Amato Distribution giving me an old disco, funk and soul cut-up reissue/bootleg (I think ‘Bits N’ Pieces’) and me not getting it. Then these JPR Records appeared, supposedly from the US, but actually coming from W10.

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Night Is Over / Download

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Born To Love / Download

They were the first records I’d heard that joined everything up by taking those Kenny Dope-style drums and basically running them under a re-edit adding synths replaying the original parts. They were definitely key to opening the door to a world of music that I hadn’t really thought about bar T-Connection and the big Salsoul/disco anthems. They cut into records like Maze ‘Twilight’, The Jones Girls ‘Nights Over Egypt’ and ESG tracks (I’m pretty sure the Patti Jo re-release wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the Hope release (JPR 003)). Anyway, soon after the disco revival hit full swing. Well compiled Salsoul catalogue re-issue comps appeared on import, the Garage and Loft classics boots appeared, Black Cock records arrived and Ashley made ‘New Jersey Deep’. The more switched on magazines started writing articles on Larry Levan et al and off we went.

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Grace / Download

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Bushing About The Beat / Download

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Untitled / Download

Disco is seen as a staple now but back then it wasn’t really on the radar so much so the JPR label was pretty important to me and maybe a few others of my age. It also reintroduced the idea of the re-edit. Some tracks stand up better than others to my ears, though that’s just the nature of beats, but as a moment in time and influence on their future they are good to hear. Phil Mison and a few others are still breathing life into them and they are pretty cheap right now if you have your Discogs switched on. Anyway, here are the first three releases.

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By Daylight / Download

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Hope / Part One / Download

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Hope / Part Two / Download

(EDIT – As I said this is a personal take on that time but everyone’s is different. Tim H said the following, ‘In my memory, Jump Kutz did more to kick start the disco edits, but maybe they were all happening at the same time. In my eyes the real influence was Norman Jay/Paul Trouble and Zoo gigs and radio shows.’ – Ed)