last update: 04.02.2008
12" single history :
"the 12" inches discofunk-O-Graphy's place".subject: T.T.E.D records highlights
The above text is copyright Maxx Kidd a nd Iley Brown, II. (April, 2002). Black-Music-Collectors express its greatest respect for both of Us. Contact: Max Kidd or Iley Brown, II Justask@striderecords.com
languages available for this paper.
We have prepared an events calendar documenting the achievements of the 200 songs and artists found in the catalogue of TTED DETT, by far the largest and most well known Washington D.C. based records label releasing go-go and local artists since 1981.Recognized as the “missing link” between hip-hop and r&b, go-go music is represented in many styles throughout the catalogue of TTED DETT Records and the releases have been in demand by hip hop artists for sampling or production, including pioneers Kid n’ Play, Salt N Peppa, Kuris Blow, Biz Marke and Afrika Bambataa up to today with Wil Smith and Jill Scott. Music publishers including Warner Chappell Music, Universal, Sony and BMI Music have all licensed songs from the catalogue as well. Label founder, and sole owner Max Kidd, along with help from his associate Iley Brown, II have chronicled the following facts and figures regarding the releases of TTED DETT, and the publishing of Zee Kidd Music for over 30 years.
Before being recognized along with Chuck Brown as co-godfather of go-go, Maxx wrote songs for various independent record labels of the day including Calla, Bhudda, ABC Records, Curtom, Brunswick, Chi-Town, Shrine and Cherry Blossom (his boutique r&b label). Some of the artists he wrote for or produced include The Cavaliers, Gene Chandler and Barbara Acklin, Peggy Little, Billy Butler, and William DeVaughn. We are continuously updating the matrix to include these songs with October 2002 as a target date to include an estimated 20 additional 1970’s masters.
These original analogue tape masters and alternate takes of master recordings involve the skills of William De Vaughn, (including the original studio takes of “Be Thankful For What You Got”), Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Afrika Bambaata, Dexter Wansel, Sir Joe Quarterman, Al Mason, Chuck Brown, Sass, Lonnie Simmons, Osiris, Keni St. Lewis, and others.
Other DETT TTED masters are preserved in 2” master tape, 1” tape, DAT, and compact disc formats. In addition to the listing of songs, catalogue numbers, writers/producers and publishing credits found in the catalogue matrix, we are updating the catalogue to also include live shows recorded and mastered including Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, Rare Essence, E.U., Redds & The Boys, Sluggo, and Ice Berg Slim during the height of their popularity. These are also being added as TTED DETT titles with catalogue numbers in the current matrix.
Several chart positions to note for go-go classics released on TTED DETT are “We Need Some Money” by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, which peaked at No. 26 on the national r&b charts as a single when released in 1984, and went onto be listed in 1989 Spin Magazine as one of the 100 most influential releases of funk music. “Trouble Funk Express” and “Drop the Bomb” both charted in the U.S. and U.K. Billboard hot 100 dance charts. A UK based group DC All Starz, recorded Chuck Brown’s “Bustin Loose” and Little Benny’s “We Came To Boogie” and sold 150,000 copies in Europe and charted on the disco and r&b charts there.
The visual authenticity of the history of go-go and the rising of the 1970’s DC funk scene is well documented in Mr. Kidd’s photo collection, which number in the hundreds.
To date, Maxx Kidd, DETT TTED, and many of the groups he helped launch by releasing them on the label have received attention most recently in the Washington Post’s Arts section front page “What Go-Goes Around”. Stories have also been written in the Washington Times (1997), Washington Post (2001), Billboard Magazine’s (2001) book release “The Beat” and accompanying soundtrack on Rhino, and the Smithsonian Institute’s Folk life Festival magazine (2000) amongst many, many others.
International publications including Playboy, Rolling Stone, Spin, Billboard Magazine, BRE, Urban Network, NME, I-D, The Mirror, Echoes, Blues & Soul, Cashbox and Radio and Records have all featured stories on the artists released on TTED DETT.
Many national music organizations including BMA (Black Music Association), Jack The Rapper, N.A.B.O.B., Urban Network, Cashbox, MIDEM, New Music Seminar, and NARM have all recognized Mr. Kidd and the TTED DETT record label’s contributions to the music industry and to the cultural landscape of Washington, D.C.
Cinema soundtracks that feature releases from the TTED DETT catalogue include “Good To Go” by Island Alive Films and the hard to find film “Tough”, featuring the music of Chuck Brown. Channel 4 in the UK and Channel 9 WUSA in Washington DC have also produced full-length documentaries on the music as well. Video and television appearances by TTED DETT artists highlighted include Skibone; know to the world as comedian and actor Tommy Davidson; Trouble Funks appearance in the raunchy 2 Live Crew video of 1989; and Chuck Brown on Fox TV for “The Sinbad Show”.
Film discussions have been initiated by Universal Pictures to several local music producers including Maxx Kidd and Sir Joe Quarterman loosely centered on Quarterman’s monster 1970’s hit “So Much Trouble”.
Specifically, TTED DETT releases have been at the center of the old school funk resurgence happening everywhere and aided by global collectors and Djs including Afrika Baambataa and the Zulu Nation, DJ Kool, Snowboy in the UK, DJ Rox Cee - France, New York’s best including DJ Cash Money, Red Alert, Biz Markie, DJ Simon in Amsterdam, the Black Music Coalition of France, and Japanese go-go DJ Ishiro. Go-go distributors have included Liaison, Dance Music Records, Tuff City, Karma Giraffe, Greyhound, Jimco, Rough Trade, JPC Germany, Island, Great Bay and Watts and many others including DJ record pools, national r&b distributors and local one stops.
Sampling clearances to use portions of songs in the TTED DETT catalogue have been granted to artists including Kurtis Blow, BamBaata, Warner Chappell, Biz Markie, Wil Smith, and many others. Chuck Brown’s new old school LP released May 2001 reached gold status in a month and features several “live” selection’s from the TTED catalogue.
Not to be overlooked are old-school hip-hop releases, compilations, which include DETT TTED releases. Germany’s JPC Records has release a best of DC Go-Go Volume 2 and 4, featuring non-stop mixes on separate volumes by DJ Cash Money, DJ Flex and DJ Kool.
DJ Cash Money’s “Apollo Jams” non-stop go-go mix tape has been hugely popular and club goers attending old school block party’s – popular once a month in NYC at the moment at Roseland Ballroom, and co-promoted on NY radio stations prominently feature TTED releases by Slim, Trouble Funk, and Chuck Brown and Sluggo.
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