Chicago House History(Hot Mix Five)

[alvin]

http://www.apollojams.com/pages/mixE.html

Interesting link featuring playlists from Hot Mix 5 on WGCI in Chicago.

The playlists mirror the the point in time when Chicago "house" was about to explode on mainstream airwaves(84-85). Up until this point the music(on the radio) was a mixture of disco, uptempo r & b(garage), italo imports and whatever else that was eclectic at the time. Peep the old photos of the HotMix 5.(A racially diverse group from different parts of the city). I think Ralphie Rosario was like a teenager when he started doing the mixshows(17-18).

The website also features other genres as well.

[Funatik]

wow! those playlists are nuts!

there are some hot 'bobby o' productions on those playlists, larry heard played a record produced by 'bobby o' this past friday @ seven! ...that for the life of me i cant remember the name

[downlow]

think it was THE FLIRTS passion though i can't remember exactly. yah those guys are selling those old mixtapes...Dope site! i got one old BMX tape by farley and a mike hitman wilson mix on GCI...man imagine record shopping back then!

[alvin]

It's weird how radio in Chicago was back then. WBMX and WGCI were "urban" stations that had black, white and hispanic dj's hosting the mixshows. The program directors saw what was going on in the streets and underground clubs with the energy from the music and did a good job translating it into something that was cool to the more "mainstream" audiences. When the mixshows were at their peak they would AVERAGE over a MILLION listeners.

The radio also did miracles for the distribution of the music. With so many listeners who were freaking out for the music, the record stores did brisk business. If a dj played a hot track on the radio at night the response could be felt the next day at the record stores. A lot of people buying the music WEREN'T DJ'S...just lovers of the music.

p.s.) the early playlists from 84-85 mirror what was "house music" at the time(Klein & M.B.O, Quando Quango, Lime, Alexander Robotnik etc.) and this also overlaps at what was to become known as "House Music(the beat tracks)" to the general public(Jamie Principle, Jesse Saunders, Wayne Williams, Farley JMF etc. had tracks out as early as 1983-84). Soon after you had "Jack"(the term for the style of dancing) which hit the mainstream with Chip E(Jack Trax EP and Time to Jack 1984-86).

[monarch]

Originally Posted by alvin

The radio also did miracles for the distribution of the music. With so many listeners who were freaking out for the music, the record stores did brisk business. If a dj played a hot track on the radio at night the response could be felt the next day at the record stores. A lot of people buying the music WEREN'T DJ'S...just lovers of the music.

that's how I became a dj...

I went to the clubs (or listened to EdgeClub) and heard the music that I loved. I couldn't find it on CD, so I went to Bill's and bought it on vinyl. I had two or three crates of music before I even had a second turntable...

I never thought I would be DJ...I was just collecting the music I loved

[alvin]

Originally Posted by monarch

that's how I became a dj...

I went to the clubs (or listened to EdgeClub) and heard the music that I loved. I couldn't find it on CD, so I went to Bill's and bought it on vinyl. I had two or three crates of music before I even had a second turntable...

I never thought I would be DJ...I was just collecting the music I loved

I had two or three crates of music

Shit... that's about what Eric has today...

jk

[Holmes Davis]

Guess its about time for this thread again
don't mind though
Mickey 'Mixin' Oliver was my fav, his early 80s track selections def made a lasting impression
He still plays, had his own company out in phoenix I believe
man "S.N.L.A.N.J" was greatness
Farley's sets were wow, combing the house/gospel/soul/R-n-b/Disco

[Funkenstein]

Alvin with the knowledge dropping yet again.

Thanks as always! I now have more jewels to go searching for.

Damn this vinyl addiction.

[Holmes Davis]

Originally Posted by alvin

p.s.) the early playlists from 84-85 mirror what was "house music" at the time(Klein & M.B.O, Quando Quango, Lime, Alexander Robotnik etc.) and this also overlaps at what was to become known as "House Music(the beat tracks)" to the general public(Jamie Principle, Jesse Saunders, Wayne Williams, Farley JMF etc. had tracks out as early as 1983-84). Soon after you had "Jack"(the term for the style of dancing) which hit the mainstream with Chip E(Jack Trax EP and Time to Jack 1984-86).

I dig alot of the 82/83 pre-house, synth-pop
Shirley Lites, Katmandu, Bar-Kays, Kid Creole, Yazoo...that kinda stuff
Those "best of mixes" by Greg Wilson (radio 1) early 80s were really cool,
I didn't know Human League, Gap Band, Herbie Hancock could be mixed like that, it was positive education

[Holmes Davis]

Originally Posted by downlow

THE FLIRTS - passion

I just saw this at half-price, but I got to excited over a NM Neworder record, and forgot about it

[RickySilk]

Alvin can you repost the link to the old house Documentary film?