Deep Heat 3 – The Third Degree (Telstar, 1989)

Review
Street date: 7 August 1989.
28 hottest house hits.
“If you’ve bought Deep Heat, you’ve created it.
These records sound good because YOU say so”.

Best foot forward: Cappella and Helyom Halib (Part One), all hi-NRG and fast-paced house. Twist and bust with Double Trouble’s Just Keep Rockin’ before familiarity breeds contentment on Coldcut’s People Hold On. Lisa Stansfield in tow, a 5:15 edit. Kenya’s biggest hit of ’89 was Kechia Jenkins’ swinging Still Waiting. You’ll always find it burning up dancefloors in Nairobi. Meanwhile the soulful Joy And Pain was a big success for Donna Allen in the hot months of ’89 while Toni Scott’s That’s How I’m Living is a supreme example of quality old skool hip house. Kudos to Fabian. And there’s another big hitter – Inner City’s Good Life (Magic Juan’s Mix). Great keys and a nice acid taste.

Hip hop anthem time: Me, Myself And I. There are no more words. It’s about time for Black, Rock and Ron. Not from south county Dublin. The hard-hitting and still vital Stop The World. Keep it abstract with Nicola Collier on vocals. Voodoo Ray from Gerald Simpson recording as A Guy Called Gerald. Viva Manchester. Stay jive, Derek and Clive. A somewhat shorter edit though – 4:11. Why? Time for tea: Sweet Tee’s melodic Let’s Dance with the funky breaks and throbbing house bass. Slip inside Today’s People for the squelch of Set Your Body Free before getting a youthful flashback to teenage dreams with Velma Wright’s quality tune You’re Not Right. The first disc concludes with the Kelvin Pizzaro’s deep house treat Loneliness.

Disc 2 starts with a bang: Sex 4 Daze (I Want It, You Can Get It) from Lake Eerie. A taut house beat straight out of the Lil’ Louis school. The sleaze grooves continue with Razette and Lamya’s Ready 4 Love. The French Tickler Mix no less – with breathless Je T’Aimes. To a strange relationship: Voodoo Doll’s Women Beat Their Man is astonishing; bonebreaking riffs and crushing samples of Kraftwerk. This is acid via the Fairlight CMI. Pain is so close to pleasure – Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock show us the way with the funky World To World Remix of Joy And Pain. Slip into soul with Deluxe’s chilled (I’ve Got A) Feeling, Jo Ann Jones’ positive Share My Joy and On The House’s enigmatic Pleasure Control. The latter is a Marshall Jefferson production with Curtis McClain’s stern admonishing of his lady’s decision to leave him.

Arnold Jarvis gives us some rugged rhythms with the sweet garage sound of Take Some Time Out while Kelly Charles falls through the cracks with the samey R&B of You’re The One. However Maureen ups the tempo with the drop your head, dance and sweat beats of the aptly-titled Don’t Fight The Music. Let’s chill together and make some heat. Back to Detroit: Lisa M’s swirling and hypnotic Rock To The Beat was written by Kevin Saunderson and produced by Juan Atkins while the edgy techno sound of You’re Mine is Kevin’s own creation. Meanwhile the abstract squelch of Searching remains T Cut F’s best heat. Only found here. Finally Mayday! Mayday! As Rhythim Is Rhythim and the phenomenal Beyond The Dance. Rewind and fold into itself. A shaking bassline over and over. Haunting strings and heady memories. Love, peace and ecstatic happiness.

Favourite tracks
Rhythim Is Rhythim – Beyond The Dance

Voodoo Doll – Women Beat Their Man

Cappella – Helyom Halib (Part One)

Lisa M – Rock To The Beat

Lest we forget
Black, Rock and Ron – Stop The World