Dominatrix “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight” (Pink LP w/Booklet)
“The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight” has a long and storied history among connoisseurs of ‘80s New York dance music. Combining catchy, deadpan synth-pop and classic ‘80s electro hallmarks with the provocative edge of leather-and-lace sex culture, it remains a worldwide dancefloor staple to this day.
Despite its popularity, little has been known about the song’s background. The brainchild of producer Stuart Argabright (nee Arbright, a member of the groups Ike Yard and Death Comet Crew); alongside DJ and remixer Ivan Ivan; Kenneth Lockie (from Cowboys International, and early Death Comet Crew); and vocalist Claudia Summers; the song’s dominating female subject was based on a person whom Arbright had dated. The song – and a banned-by-MTV video that today could be mistaken for a Victoria’s Secret commercial – became a club smash at famed Danceteria and other urban meccas. But, despite some leather-clad live dates in 1984, the group itself was short-lived.
The deluxe vinyl package is accompanied by a 16-page glossy booklet with text by writer Dave Thomkins and input from Argabright and Ivan Ivan. Additionally, fans will be thrilled into submission by visuals and press clips relating to the original release on Arthur Baker’s Street Wise Records; the song’s provocative video; as well as the dominatrix culture in New York City at the time which inspired this unlikely smash hit.
This special Get On Down vinyl edition is sure to be coveted by fans and collectors. This configuration has never been available before: beyond four original mixes of the song (12”, Chants, Dominant and Beat Me) that fans know and love – this full-length LP includes the newly unearthed song “Play It Safe” and the rarely heard, hypnotic “City That Never Sleeps,” in addition to the rare 1984 “Scratch Mix” of the original title song, with cuts by the legendary DJ Red Alert.
Jurassic 5 “Quality Control” b/w “Jurass Finish First” 7 Inch
Also available Jurassic 5’s “Quality Control” b/w “Jurass Finish First” on 7 Inch for the first time ever. These two songs, off Jurassic 5’s stellar debut full-length from 2000 [Quality Control], perfectly showcase the disciplined hip-hop fun that this six-man group is known for around the world. Featuring two DJs and producers (Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark) and four MCs (Chali 2na, Zaakir/Soup, Akil and Marc 7), these disparate minds combined powerfully as one, rocking unison lyrical lines and tag-team verses over deftly funky music.
Originally heard as a hugely popular radio promo for California’s famed Wake Up Show in the mid-1990s, the Cut Chemist-produced song “Quality Control” was expertly expanded for the group’s debut, with a pimp-strut beat and a relaxed, live feel. Alternating tag-team lines and an extended four-man unison chorus combine to flaunt an indie ethos that also gained them mainstream appeal. “We got the kind of rhymes / To get you ready for the weekend,” they exclaim, and no one would dare deny it.
“Jurrass Finish First” was never released as a single, but easily could have been. Featuring only two of the group’s MCs – Chali 2na and Marc 7 – the track (produced by Nu-Mark) is a catchy, quirky groover with hard drums, piano stabs and a cello for good measure. It somehow manages to be loose and complex at the same time, and remains a staple of the group’s live show to this day.
This “big-hole” 45 pressing on black vinyl, with a 7-inch sized artwork replication of the original “Quality Control” single front cover, is a taste of what is coming soon with Get On Down’s Record Store Day 2015 Deluxe Reissue Quality Control – The Wood Box. As an additional collector’s note, these two songs have never been featured on a single together.
