JOAQUIN JOE CLAUSSELL レコード& CD

Review: We should all be thankful that one of house music's true greats, the legendary Joe Claussell, continues to grace us with his personal treasure trove of edits. As someone who has lived and breathed seminal dance music through countless decades, his knowledge and sensitivity for the sound and culture is second to none. Having dropped a second compilation of his Unofficial Edits & Overdubs, he's now offering up the companion 7" which features two inspired treatments to get you popping, dipping and spinning. First up is the Afrobeat-tinted funk of "Double Fault" by Danny Tone, and then comes a classic dub out of Ecstasy, Passion & Pain's "Touch & Go".

Review: Given his interest in all things spiritual, it was little surprise when Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell launched the Praise series of gospel compilations back in 2013. Clausell's desire was not only to celebrate gospel as a vibrant musical form in its own right, but also to showcase its enduring influence on American dance music. This fourth edition in the series retains a similar focus, collecting together church-made recordings of choirs and soloists, studio recordings, and soul, funk, jazz, disco and house shot through with the righteous spirit of gospel. It makes for a heady, life-affirming mix and includes standout tracks from Pastor L.T Barrett, Peabo Bryson, The Main Ingredient, The Rance Allen Group and C&T, whose disco stomper "Get Ready For This" (track 13) is an absolute delight.

Review: In 2013, Joaquin "Joe" Clausell continued his explorations into the links between music, faith and spirituality with the release of a DJ mix dedicated to the world of gospel music. Two years later, he arrives at volume three, once again keen to prove his belief that gospel is "the true soul music". Certainly, PRAISE: Raise Your Hands and Praise does a good job of showcasing the links between soul, funk,disco, house and gospel, slinging together admirably celebratory selections from NYCC, The Twenty-First Century Singers, Hope Collective, Spirit Of Your Love and Billy Paul. To keep listeners guessing, Clausell also includes a number of spoken word interludes and more traditional sounding gospel favourites.

Review: Given his strong faith and decidedly cosmic approach to music, it's perhaps not that surprising that Joe Clausell's latest project is a mix of gospel music. What's perhaps most interesting about Praise 2 (In Praise of The Sun) is the variety of the material on offer. Gospel has long been a cornerstone of black American dance music, and Clausell wisely tries to tell the full story. So, while there are crackly early gospel recordings from the 1930s, gospel-funk from the '60s and all-acapella recordings, he also touches on disco, boogie, soulful house and 80s gospel soul. The result is a riotous mix that's as entertaining as it is righteous.

Review: No one works a mixing board quite like Joe Clasusell, and his latest project is another high water mark in a career full of them: his Claussell Edits & Overdubs version of Crowns of Glory's 'Lord Look at Your People' is getting put out on a series of 12"s, with this third one being another winner. Bishop Jeff Banks & The Revival Temple Mass Choir offer up two versions of 'Jerusalem' on the a-side, and the reverse is 'God Helps Those Who Help Themselves' by The Gospelaires Of Dayton, O. Both are intense, emotive, life affirming affairs to bring joy to any dance floor.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record ever so slightly warped, but otherwise in perfect working condition***


No one works a mixing board quite like Joe Clasusell, and his latest project is another high water mark in a career full of them: his Claussell Edits & Overdubs version of Crowns of Glory's 'Lord Look at Your People' is getting put out on a series of 12"s, with this third one being another winner. Bishop Jeff Banks & The Revival Temple Mass Choir offer up two versions of 'Jerusalem' on the a-side, and the reverse is 'God Helps Those Who Help Themselves' by The Gospelaires Of Dayton, O. Both are intense, emotive, life affirming affairs to bring joy to any dance floor.

Review: While it initially started as a compilation and DJ mix series, Joe Claussell's gospel-focused Praise project has now spawned a string of EPs featuring rare tracks and new 'edits and overdubs' reworks by the Sacred Rhythm founder. The latest instalment begins with a wickedly percussive, predictably righteous live recording of a gospel slammer by Bishop Jeff Banks and the Revival Temple Mass Choir, which Claussell then turns into a 14-minute epic. He builds from a sparse, twinkling, piano-heavy start, before introducing weighty house drums and wild organ solos as the track progresses. Over on the flip it's all about 'God Helps Those Who Help Themselves', a turn-of-the-80s gospel disco slammer which Claussell successfully extends (the 'Edits and Overdubs Main' mix) and then dubs out (the accompanying instrumental).

Review: If the rich history of US gospel soul, funk and disco gets your juices flowing, you need this new 12" from Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell in your life. As with many of the storied producer's edit-focused 12" singles, it has been pressed in limited quantities and should therefore be grabbed before all the copies disappear. On the A-side he offers up a tidy, dancefloor-focused tweak of Crowns of Glory's hard-to-find 1976 gospel soul cut "Lord, Look At Your People", brilliantly teasing out the intro before unleashing the song in all its inspiring righteousness. Over on the flip Clausell turns his attention to the Clavinet-heavy, Blaxploitation-era gospel disco anthem that is Keith Barrow's equally as inspired 1977 gem "A World Of Lonely People".

Review: For anyone with even the smallest interest in gospel music and its relationship with black American dance music, Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell's "Praise" series of mix CDs should be essential listening. Volume six, subtitled "A Prayer For Peace, Love & Wisdom", is every bit as inspired as its predecessor, with Clausell moving between traditional choral gospel music, gospel soul, and soul-jazz, deep house and disco (including Crown Heights Affair's incredible "Say A Prayer") featuring suitably righteous lyrics. To tie the whole thing together, Clausell has also included a number of inspirational and thought-provoking spoken word samples taken from recordings of preachers and black community leaders. It's a brilliant touch.