Eddiegordon

MCA Records

The Music Corporation of America (MCA) now owned by Universal

My first record company gig, thanks to Adrian Sykes who is still a very close friend today and a fountain of music knowledge. Together we helped give MCA Records 12 Top 40 UK hits from the dance, soul roster in just 12 months after years of nothing much happening.

We hit New York together, bonded with the USA MCA people, Timmy Regisford especially, creating a working relationship that enabled us to deliver their big US R&B stars onto the UK radio network.

One highlight was to go to New York to work with Timmy Regisford and Boyd Jarvis to remix Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” for the UK clubs and radio, the Rapacious Mix, produced in a New York studio underneath the infamous Studio 54 night club, to help Mr Brown have his first solo UK Top 20 hit. The mix is at the bottom of the page to listen and d/load – enjoy

Fabulous times and a baptism of fire for me but I had Adrian’s full belief so together we rocked the floors of 74 Brewer Street, Soho London where MCA was based back then in the heart of soulful London with music bounding out of all the stores and everybody enjoying a rich period of dance music with Acid House exploding too all over the UK.

We had our soul with The Perri Sisters our Rap with Eric B & Rakm our R and B with The Mac Band and Bobby Brown our Disco with Rose Royce’s Carwash and our Acid with Kraze – I Want This Party Started Right I Want This Party Started Quickly Give Me A Beat – which introduced us to Craig Kallman of Big Beat Records who is now CEO of Atlantic Records in the USA. Looking back, my favourite record company days were the MCA times, we had a real blast and delivered hits too.

From March to December ’88 we hit the UK Top 40 with the following:

The Mac Band – Roses Are Red – No:8
Pebbles – Girlfriend – No:8
Rose Royce – Carwash – No:8
Eric B & Rakim – Follow The Leader – No:21
Pebbles – Mercedes Boy – No:40
Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel – No:13
Bobby Brown – My Prerogative – No:6
Bobby Brown – Every Little Step – No:4
Kraze – The Party – No:29
The Mac Band – Stalemate – No:40
Funky Worm – The Hustle – No:13
Sheena Easton – The Lover In Me – No:15

Eric B & Rakim “Follow The Leader” was special moment for us with Eric B coming to the UK for radio interviews. He was very cool.