🌟 1981 opens with Carl Carlton’s “She’s A Bad Mama Jama” — a strut in audio form, the kind of confident sparkle that instantly sets the room’s temperature. Teena Marie’s “Square Biz” follows with electric charm, snapping the mix into motion with her signature blend of funk, jazz, and fearless personality.
🎶 Lakeside widens the groove with “Fantastic Voyage,” pure early‑80s escapism, before The Gap Band hits with the unmistakable swagger of “Burn Rubber.” Rick James seals the warm‑up arc with “Give It To Me Baby,” a polished blast of funk that locks the floor into place.
🌀 Earth, Wind & Fire lift everything into neon air with “Let’s Groove,” and Prince sharpens the edge with “Controversy,” pushing the mix into the magnetic crossroads where 1981 lived. Bar‑Kays and One Way keep the energy tight and muscular, a seamless pulse of early‑80s club electricity.
🎧 Tom Tom Club cracks the mix wide open with “Genius of Love,” setting up Blondie’s “Rapture” to glide effortlessly between hip‑hop, new wave, and pop. Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” adds a burst of radio‑bright Americana before the late‑night climb begins.
🌀 Gino Soccio, Change, Nick Straker Band, Frankie Smith, and Fantasy close Part 1 with glossy precision, bounce, and a triumphant finale — the kind of run that leaves the room glowing long after the last note fades.
Every cut you hear was built in my studio. Full story: From Razor Blades to Right-Click: A DJ’s Path from Analog to Infinite Undo
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