SATURDAY'S SINGLES : SUGARHILL GANG and SNAP!

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Good morning gang and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles, a Birthday edition. First up, on our calendar of cake is New Jersey born old school rapper, Wonder Mike (Michael Anthony Wright) of the groundbreaking hip hop trio, The Sugarhill Gang. Mike is celebrating his 65th Birthday today and we are celebrating with him. Happy Birthday Mike !  The Sugarhill Gang were the first rap act to crack the Top 40 with their hit, "Rapper's Delight". Released on  September 16, 1979 on Sugar Hill Records, the tune reached #36 on the Hot 100, #3 in South Africa, the UK, and West Germany, #2 in Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and #1 in Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain. The track sampled (without permission) Chic's "Good Times" and resulted in a lawsuit that eventually saw Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards added as songwriters. The song hails from their self titled debut record, The Sugarhill Gang. Our copy is a 12" single with the Long Version (15:00) on Side A and the Short Version (6:30) on Side B. It may be the only song lyric I've ever heard that mentions Kaopectate.

Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright – vocals

Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson – vocals

Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien – vocals

Bernard Roland  or Chip Shearin – electric bass

Albert Pittman or Brian Morgan– electric guitar

Moncy Smith – piano

Bryan Horton – drums

Sylvia Robinson – additional vocals, vibraphone, and production

Billy Jones – engineer

Phil Austin – mastering

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Our second set of Birthday candles belongs to Pennsylvania born rapper, drummer, and Army Veteran, Turbo B (Durron Maurice Butler) of German electronic dance group, Snap!. Happy 55th Birthday Turbo B ! Their song "The Power" was released January 3, 1990 on the Arista label and produced by Snap! It peaked at #3 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden, #2 in West Germany, on the Cash Box, and the Hot 100, and #1 in Canada, Europe, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the Hot Dance Club Play charts, the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales,  the Hot Rap Singles charts, and in Zimbabwe. Our copy is the 12" Maxi single with the following track list:

A1 The Power (Switch Mix) 6:21
A2 The Power (Power Dub) 5:35

B1 The Power (Ful Mix) 6:02
B2 The Power (Potential Mix) 5:42
B3 The Power (The Power Mix) 3:48

Vocals - Turbo B

Lyrics – Durron Butler 
Music – Benito Benites, John "Virgo" Garrett III
Original sound – Master Musikproduktion GmbH
Producer – Snap!

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