Monday, May 10, 2004
Sugar Hill Records 12 inch single Discography
12 inch singles:
SH-542 Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (15:00) / Rapper's Delight (6:30) 1979
Note: First version came on a red label in an orange and yellow sleeve. Next came the iconic turquoise version. Numerous (some might say "Endless") small label variation exist as the record was a constant seller for years. The most notable variation is that eventually a note was added to the label indicating "music
taken from 'Good Times'" and the song credits changed from "(S. Robinson - H. Jackson -M. Wright - G. O'Brian)" to "(Bernard Edwards - Nile Rodgers)" who wrote "Good Times." Also, unlike every other SH single except 543 I have seen, the label print on Rapper's Delight is usually in black instead of blue. I do have a blue print version though which indentifies "Music taken from 'Good Times'" but still lists S. Robinson et. all as the writers. Obviously, other than the original red label, these variations are irrelevant except that it is interesting to chart the evolution of the disc.
SH-543 The Sequence - Funk You Up (10:30) / Funk You Up (6:30) 1979
Note: Available with either black font or blue font. Dr. Dre sampled the "Ring Ding Dong/ Ring-a Ding Ding Dong" riff off this single for his song "Keep Their Heads Ringin"
SH-544 Viola Wills - Gonna Get Along Without You Now
SH-545 Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Reprise
SH-546 Superwolf - Superwolf Can Do It
SH-547 Sugarhill Gang - Hot Hot Summer Day
SH-548 Sequence - And You Know That
SH-549 GrandMaster Flash and the Furious 5 - Freedom (8:13)/ Freedom (8:13) (instrumental) 1980
SH-550 Spoonie Gee Meets The Sequence - Monster Jam
SH-551 Moments - Baby Let's Rap Now
SH-552 Positive Force - Especially For You
SH-553 The Sugarhill Gang - 8th Wonder (7:21) / Sugar Hill Groove (9:52) 1980
SH-554 Funky Four Plus One - That's The Joint
SH-555 GrandMaster Flash - The Birthday Party (8:30) / The Birthday Party (8:30) (instrumental) 1981
SH-556 New Guys On The Block - On The Dance Floor (6:05) / On The Dance Floor (6:05) (instrumental) 1981
SH-557 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five On The Wheels Of Steel
SH-558 The Furious Five Meets The Sugarhill Gang - Showdown (5:52) / Showdown (5:52) (instrumental) 1981
SH-559 West Street Mob - Let's Dance
SH-560 Brother To Brother - Monster Jam (I Want To Funk With You)
SH-561 The Sequence - Funky Sound (Tear The Roof Off) (5:14) / Funky Sound (Tear The Roof Off) (5:14) (instrumental) 1981
SH-562 Spoonie Gee - Spoonie Is Back (6:37)/
SH-563 Fine Quality feat. Cuz - Ahh Dance
SH-564 The Mean Machine - Disco Dream
SH-565 The Crash Crew - We Want To Rock
SH-566 The Moments - Record Breaking Love Affair
SH-567 Sugar Hill Gang - Apache (6:09) / Apache (6:09) (instrumental) 1981
Note: Although S. Robinson et all again claim writing credits, this single heavily samples the 60's instrumental guitar rock song of the same name written by Jerry Lordan. It is worth checking out the hit version of "Apache" by Jørgen Ingmann that hit number 1 on Billboard in 1961.
SH-568 Candi Staton - Count On Me
SH-569 Grand Master Flash & Furious Five - It's Nasty (Genius Of Love) (7:49) / It's Nasty (Genius Of Love) (8:15) 1981
Note: Writing credits are "Tom Tom Club," the side project of Talking Heads' Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz.
SH-570 West Street Mob - Got To Give It Up
SH-571 Candi Staton - Love and Be Free (6:30) / Suspicious Minds (3:57)
Note: My copy is a DJ Promo and does not distinguish the A-side from the B-Side, so I may have them reversed.
SH-572 The Sequence - Simon Says
SH-573 Ferrari - Let Your Mind Be Free
SH-574 Grandmaster Flash - Flash To The Beat
SH-575 Trouble Funk - Hey Fellas
SH-576 West Street Mob - Sing A Simple Mob
SH-577 Sylvia - It's Good To Be The Queen
SH-578 Sugarhill Gang - Funk Box (promo only?)
SH-579 The Sequence - I Don't Need You Love
SH-580 Illusion - Why Can't We Live Together
SH-581 SugarHill Gang - The Lover in You
SH-582 Brother To Brother - On the Funk
SH-583 Sekou Bunch - Can't Stop Lovin' You
SH-584 Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five feat: Melle Mel and Duke Bootee - The Message (7:11) / The Message (7:11) (instrumental) 1982 (variation: large blue font and small blue font versions. On the larger font version "GRAND MASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE" takes up two lines instead of one.)
SH-585 Treacherous Three - Whip It
SH-586 Funky Four Plus One - Do You Want To Rock
SH-587 Crash Crew - Scratching (promo-only?)
SH-588 West Street Mob - Ooh Baby
SH-589 Philippe Wynne - America We're Still #1
SH-590 Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five -Scorpio (5:10) /
SH-591 Busy Bee - Making Cash Money
SH-592 Sekou Bunch - Pretty Baby (5:30) / Pretty Baby (5:30) (instrumental) 1982
SH-593 Sequence - Here Comes The Bride (5:42)
SH-594 Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - Message II (Survival) (6:50) / Message II (Survival) (6:50) (instrumental) 1982
SH-595 The Crash Crew - Breaking Bells
SH-596 Treacherous Three - Yes We Can
SH-597 Sugarhill Gang - Word Is Out
SH-598 Philippe Wynne - You Ain't Going Anywhere
SH-599 Treacherous Three - Action
In 1983 SugarHill Records switched to the 32000 series for their singles which were distributed by MCA.
SH-32000 - SH-32004 (unreleased?)
SH-32005 West Street Mob - Break dance (electric boogie) / Let Your Mind Be Free
SH-32006
SH-32007
SH-32008
SH-32009 Grandmaster & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (7:38 + 2:16 Bonus) / Melle Mel's Groove (5:56) 1983
Fun Fact: Despite their insistence that you "Don't Don't Do It," Melle Mel is actually recommending that you NOT use cocaine.
SH-32010 Crash Crew - We Are Known as Emcees (We Turn Party's Out) (5:29) / (We Turn Party's Out) (5:32) (instrumental) 1983
Note: Even in Ebonics, "We Turn Party's Out" is a confusing statement
SH-32011 - SH-32015 ??
SH-32016 Grandmaster Melle Mel - Jesse
SH-32017
SH-32018
SH-32019 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five - Beat Street / Internationally Known
SH-32020
SH-32021 Sugarhill Gang - Livin' In The Fast Lane
SH-32022 West Street Mob - I Can't Stop
SH-32023 Furious Five - Step Off
SH-32024
SH-32025 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five - We Don't Work For Free (5:00) /
SH-32026
SH-32027 West Street Mob - Mosquito
SH-32028
SH-32029
SH-32030
SH-32031 Rock-A-Funk-A-Billy (Gallon) - Looking For Some Action
SH-32032 Lisa Danielle - I've Got The Juice
SH-32033 The Furious Five featuring Cowboy, Melle Mel & Scorpio - Step Off (6:52) / Step Off (4:32) 1984
SH-32034
SH-32035 Treacherous Three - X-Mas Rap/ Santa's Rap
SH-32036
SH-32037
SH-32038
SH-32039
SH-32040
SH-32041
SH-32042
SH-32043
SH-32044
SH-32045 Treacherous Three - Turn It Up (5:11) 1985
Note: This is the same as 32049.
SH-32046
SH-32047
SH-32048
SH-32049 Kool Moe Dee - Turn It Up (5:11) 1985
Note: This is the same as 32045.
SH-32050 The Sequence - Control
SH-32051 The Sugarhill Gang - The Down Beat (4:40) 1985
SH-32052
SH-32053
SH-32054
SH-32055
SH-32056
SH-32057 Givens Family - Holding On
SH-32058 Grandmaster Melle Mel - Vice (from Miami Vice) (5:00) 1985
SH-32059 Smash - Bite The Beat
SH-32060 Miracle Mike & the Ladies of the Eighties - Outta Control (5:06)
SH-32061 Mass Production with Grandmaster Melle Mel - Street Walker (5:59) released 10/85
SH-32062 Word - Love Is Strange
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LP RECORDS
I know a few LP albums and compilations exist, especially from non-American markets, but I've excluded a comprehensive listing of LPs because I don't know anything about them. The one American Sugar Hill Gang LP I do have contains several foolhardy attempts at disco ballads in addition to a short 4:55 version of Rapper's Delight marked 'MUSIC TAKEN FROM "GOOD TIMES"'
Probably only worth looking for if you are somewhat morbid. It is number SH-245 and comes in a gatefold picture sleeve marked 1979 and titled siply SUGARHILL GANG on the spine. Track listing in blue print is: 1. Here I Am (5:09), 2. Rapper's Reprise (Jam-Jam) (7:40), 3. Bad News (6:45) / 1. Sugar Hil Groove (9:52), 2. Passion Play (5:10), 3. Rapper's Delight (4:55)
I think some of these songs are LP-exclusives, but for a reason.
7 inch 45 rpm?
A 7 inch 45 of Rapper's Delight exists and is not rare. Check eBay. I don't know the track times or b-side details. Obviously the 15:00 version must be omited from any 7 inch, but what replaces it?
Probably other 7 inchs exist. I've seen a German 7" EP, but as for American 7" releases, I don't know if any others were pressed. One possible area of research, for someone less lazy than myself, would be into the possibility that some 45s were pressed exclusively for jukeboxes. Record companies still do this. I have a jukebox 45 of MMMMBOP by Hanson (don't judge me!) so I wouldn't be surprised if the big Sugar Hill label hits were pressed on 45s but never sold in stores. If they do exist, they are probably less rare than you would think. Jukeboxes tend to keep records clean and Jukebox operators tend to keep crates of never-used 45s, so even if there aren't a lot of them, most will be in nice shape. The same can not be said for the 12" records I've found in the wild, one of which has a lighter hole burned through the label (I bought it anyway because it wasn't the same 5 SH records you see over and over.) But this is all speculation!
This is a work in progress... not that I'm devoting my life to it. List to be filled in and expanded if I figure out what the holes are. Contact me if you have a record not listed in hand and can tell me what it is.
(These records aren't for sale, unless you want to make me rich. Otherwise just check eBay. Also, don't pay too much for a tourquise Rappers Delight. I agree it's a great song, but it's probably as common as 90% of this list combined, even if it regularly sells for more than the others. If you lose one Rappers Delight auction, there will be another one ending in an hour, so play it cool and bide your time until you win one at a fair price.
Read my blog. It has nothing to do with this.
Last Updated Feb 11 2007.
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