An €RiC D. ClARk Kinda Playlist
What's going on in the mind of Eric D. Clark?
With a career spanning over 40 years, renowned DJ and musician Eric D. Clark has been around enough to see the twists and turns that got us here today. In this annotated playlist, Clark reminisces on his past endeavours, from his early days in Paris, living next door to the likes of Brigitte Fontaine and Grace Jones, to impromptu video shoots with Chaka Khan. In digging up these personal records and stories of the past, Clark has helped to define an era of music born from marginalized communities of color which still resonates with us today. It's no wonder that many of these songs contain within them the power to help us remember where we are, how we got here, the work that needs to be done, and what rhythms we need to move forward.
Track Notes:
- Working Class - Non Stop Trancin'
This song was done for George Morel's label Groove On Records in NYC. Morel asked Hans, Justus and myself to do a 12" for his label, et voila! - Hans Nieswandt & Eric D. Clark - No Mo' Hatin' n Trashin'
This was something Hans and I did around 6-8 years ago. It came out in 2019 as a B-side or an A-side, depending on how one uses it, on the Hamburg label Foot Job. - Death - Let the World Turn
There is a lot to be said about Death, whose name already says a lot. They've been around forever and hark back to my early days checking out all kinds of stuff musically. - Chicago - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
This song and group were very influential to me. - Austen Coleman - My Soul's a Witness
Raw POWER! - System 3 – Feel It (You Get What You Deserve)
A clear message is drilled into one's head: Dance floor music - though seemingly empty in many cases. More often than not, it had a message. - Brigitte Fontaine - Hollywood
I was torn between this song and the next one with Grace Jones. They were both my neighbors when I lived with friends in their flat on l'Isle St. Louis. This track is a recent cover of a song Brigitte recorded in the 80's after her 30 year "Black List" status was lifted... - Brigitte Fontaine & Grace Jones - Caravane
When we were neighbors they had yet to record together, so I thought this was quite apt. - Mark "Blakkat" Bell - In This World
Mark won the Mercury Prize for vocals back in the day while with the group M People. He now teaches at The Music Institute in Los Angeles. He also wrote another song I added to the list... more on that later - Robert Owens - Bring Down the Walls
I'm not exactly sure, but I believe this was the first song I heard with Robert's voice on it. Now that we have recorded and performed together, he's family to me now, just as many in this list! - Deee Lite (& Pal Joey) - Good Beat Shake Your Body to the Beat Mix
This is one of my fave Deee Lite pieces: talk about longevity. If you ever have the chance to hear either Dmitry or Joey playin', then GO! - Amp Fiddler & Dames Brown - Steppin'
What more can I say? Amp is such a sweet guy. Whether or not he had talent doesn't matter in the face of the fact that he makes work that is simply BEYOND! Dames Brown are absolutely stunning all over the whole of the LP. - Magazine 60 - Don Quixote
Just a memory from my formative dee-jay years... - Nightmares in Wax - Black Leather
When I first bought this EP, which I still have, I would never have guessed they'd become Dead or Alive. Actually when I got D.o.A.'s 1st LP I thought it was weird that here was another band from England "singin' that KC and the Sunshine Band song"? - Dirty Snow - Pictures of You (original mix)
Story below. - Dirty Snow (Eric D. Clark remix) - Pictures of You
Esther is a good friend of mine. I believe when I produced this mix I somehow ended up playing drums for them at a gallery in London?! I broke a drumstick! Woo Hoo! - Free Radicals - I Just Can't Turn it Loose
This is my band with Thomas Schaeben. On this LP we have Anita Davis and David Boswell on vocals. - Free Radicals (Jerome Sydenham Re-edit) - I Just Can't Turn It Loose
This version appears on IBADAN Records. - Yashar Voltaire - G. G. featuring Eric D. Clark
Yashar Voltaire is an alter ego: "G. G." in this context denotes a "Gin & Ginger Ale" which in London is known as a "London Jack". The "G. G." was coined by Maarten from The Black Lodge and myself on a "G. G." night... - Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar (John Robie Mix 1)
A friend of mine returned from London with this record when I was 16 or so. I played it so much that "Yashar" became a nickname: the friend in question committed suicide less than two years after his return... we never really got over that. - Michael Smith - LIVE at the 1st International Radical Black and Third World Book Fair in London, 1982
Back when I had the privilege to live and work in the CAN studios with René Tinner, he extended a massive wealth of knowledge on me, not least of all a book entitled "It a Come" by Michael Smith. It might be on an LP, however there is one passage which asks: "When will they stop killing Black people?". The whole situation was very ironic as he was literally "stoned to death" by an angry mob upon return to Jamaica just after this oratory was given. - Cajmere & Dajae - You Got Me Up!
CHUUUUUUNE! - Adeva & Louie Vega - I Deserve to Breathe
Makes sense... - Chaka Khan, Taka Boom & Mark Stevens - House of Love (DJ Sneak mix)
This is the song I mentioned earlier with Mark "Blakkat" Bell. Bell and Jamie Petrie asked me to come down for the video shoot and it was amazing. I had four uninterrupted hours with Chaka and her brother Mark Stevens! - ABC - How to be a Zillionaire (Wall Street Mix)
CHUNE! - Tyree & Chic - I Fear the Night
Tyree was already someone I looked up to then we met and this compounded everything! On this title, which I love to pieces, he teams up with his sister Chic, pronounced "Chick", mmm'k?! - Eric D. Clark - G Moviemente
This one is off of my 2nd solo LP which was on FIRM Records: this came out as the first 12" on Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes label, Detroit Wax. It also featured a B-side remix, with Niko Marks on keyboards. - Funkadelic - If It Don't Fit; Don't Force It
Childhood - Justus Khoncke & Alexis Taylor - Sorry
I just love it... - ELO - Evil Woman
I just love it... - Roy Orbison - In Dreams
Appropriate always... - Steven Warwick - Cold Light of Day
This album was a cadeau de Monsieur Warwick himself and I am forever grateful! - Propagnada - Dr. Mabuse (Eric D. Clark mix)
Remixed this eons ago and was so thrilled as I had loved the original already back in San Francisco! - Augie Robles film scenes from "The Rookie and the Runner"
Best friends since kindergarten. This was his first short film: I did sound design and the score. - Aikiu - Win
A very different kind of thang this Aikiu! I produce them these daze: Stay Tuned! - Stereo Total - Push It
I never heard this before?! Great interlude! - Money - The Flying Lizards
Another blast from the past! - Twilight Network - It's Only a Test
Appropriate. - Jovonn - Construction
What we will need to be doing soon... - Blancmange - Blind Vision
What got us here... - Bauhaus - Kick in the Eye
The current situation... - Major Lance - Monkey Time
Childhood stuff. - The Gibson Brothers - Cuba
More childhood stuff. - Stylistics - People Make the World Go 'Round
8-track stuff. - Aaliyah - Resolution
What's needed... - Armande Altaï - l'Esclave endormi
What everyone is... - Mahalia Jackson - I'm on my Way
Many of us are... - The Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can
One would hope... - John Lee Hooker - I Ain't Got Nobody
I stole this from Dad. It's one of the coolest instrumentals I know?! - LeShaun Lenin - Isolation
Yeah, well... - Jevetta Steele - I'm Calling You
We all are... - Eric D. Clark - Another Night Another Disco featuring Jim Capaldi
Playlist curated by Professor Eric D. Clark
//