FIRST CHOICE レコード& CD

Review: Pioneering disco outfit First Choice built up a fine arsenal of hits in the 70s and 80s. Amongst them was their epic "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" which now gets two new versions served up by Brookside. Hot Mix 5 and Chicago house legend Ralphi "The Raz" Rosario is the man doing the work and the brings big drums and vocals with some superbly soulful keys next to Craig J Snider. On the flip, the band's most iconic tune "Love & Happiness" gets a rework by Mike Maurro. It is more soulful and warm, laced with big drums and sweeping pads.

Review: In its original, hard-to-find "long version" form, First Choice's "Love Freeze" is one of the greatest chunks of soaring Philadelphia Soul/early disco around. It was recorded and released - initially in edited form - in 1975. You can find the elusive "Long Version" on the flipside of this essential reissue, which is headed up by an even more epic "Re-Freak" by the effervescent DJ Spinna. Clearly re-mixed from the original master tapes, his near ten-minute version builds slowly, breaks down in the middle, builds up again and finishes with an impressively dubbed-out conclusion. It actually sounds like the sort of floor-focused late '70s remix with which Tom Moulton made his name. That, of course, is no bad thing.