Always Fresh, So New York
Which tracks best capture the soul of the city? New York DJ Stretch Armstrong of Strech and Bobbito shares three of his NY classics.
Tom Browne: Funkin’ for Jamaica (1980)
“This funk record got played to death in late 80’s and early 90’s NYC, to the point where I didn’t really want to play it or hear it any more. I recently saw the video for it, which features all of the musicians and singers in the studio who over the course of the song appear to be the happiest people on Earth, and it now makes me really happy when I hear it. The Jamaica they are singing about is Jamaica, Queens, not the island.”
The Clash: This is Radio Clash (1981)
“The Clash always owed much to New York’s original punk scene. But after visiting NYC when hip-hop started moving its way into Manhattan, they embraced the sounds of boom box culture, citing Grandmaster Flash and other early dj/rap acts as new influences. This Is Radio Clash is just that – a culture clash, with elements of dub, disco, hip-hop and rock; not a New York record per se, but one that would not have been if it wasn’t for the city.”
Dominatrix: The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (1984)
“This was a huge record on Arthur Baker’s Streetwise imprint. When I first started to go out as teenager - when you could still go to clubs as a teen in NYC - I’d hear it everywhere. I’d like to think of it as alternative Freestyle but really, you can’t categorize this record. Always fresh. So New York.”
