A-T-5 054 From Funkin' Keith to Jackmaster Funk
Farley 'Funkin' Keith was a member of the DJ team Hot Mix 5 with Mickey 'Mixin' Oliver, Ralphi 'Rockin' Rosario, Kenny 'Jammin' Jason and Scott 'Smokin' Silz (Silz was replaced by Julian "Jumpin" Perez in 1985 and Mario "Smokin" Diaz joined later as a sixth member). The original DJ team had been put together by Chicago radio station WBMX Program Director Lee Michaels in 1981. People in the know might say Hot Mix 5 ushered in the second wave of house DJs with Frankie Knuckles, Chosen Few DJs, and Ron Hardy being it's first wave They laid the foundations of house music, first, by mixing disco and contemporary European imports (what was getting called 'Punk Out' at the time) in their intricately sequenced and edited collages (clearly influenced by Shep Petibones' Mastermixes and the Latin Rascals edits). When local productions began appearing they incorporated them into their sets. They broke all the early Chicago house records on the show, these included many of their own productions. There are references in what the DJs were playing in the early Chicago productions, baselines, drum patterns and melodies mimicking 'Feels Good (Carrots & Beets)', 'Peaches & Prunes', '119', 'Walk The Night', 'Life Is A Jungle', 'White Horse', 'Beat The Street', 'Disco Circus', anything Kraftwerk etc
Hot Mix 5's Friday Night Jams were recorded and passed around and many still exist online, like the one below
https://www.mixcloud.com/uniquesoundsofamerica/farley-jackmaster-funk-friday-night-jam-1985-hot-mix-5-wbmx-chicago/
Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk - Friday Night Jams 1985 - Hot Mix 5 WBMX Chicago
Farley 'Funkin' Keith changed his name to Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk around 1985. As well as radio show he was resident at The Playground (later the Candy Store) which was one of the clubs that grew the young, then nameless (well, called anything but House!), scene on the South Side (and West Side) of Chicago
Chip E. and Farley go in together to create the label House Records which puts out the foundational EP Jack Trax. But according to Chip E. in a post on Discogs "House Records was MY original label. Farley (Jack Master Funk) was supposed to be the executive producer (come up with funds) but somehow it fell through after the label art was done (wasn't as easy as it is today). Long story short, I sold my nearly new SL1200 MK2 turntables to afford the studio time, and my mother loaned me her tax return funds to have the first 500 pressed at QCA" - so according to him Farley didn't hold up his end of the bargain
As well as putting out records on House Records Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk is among the first artists on the influential Trax and DJ International labels, deified in the UK
Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk with his roommate Steve 'Silk' Hurley (below as J.M. Silk - Jack Master Silk) led the Jackin' craze when their records became pop hits in the UK (remember The Reynolds Girls 'I'd Rather Jack Than Fleetwood Mac'?) I read the other day the term 'Jack' which was initially more popular as a name for the music than 'House' was short for ejaculate? In all my years I'd not heard this before
Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Farley Knows House from Funkin With The Drums Again
Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Jack The Bass - borrows heavily from the Laidback track 'White Horse'
Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Aw Shucks (Let's Go Let's Go) - reproduces the bassline from Sharon Redd's 'Beat The Street'
Some other artists mixed by Farley
J M Silk – Music Is The Key (House Key) - Steve "Silk" Hurley with vocals from Keith Nunnally on the main mix
Razz Featuring Matt Warren & (fellow Hot Mix 5 DJ) Ralphi Rosario - Razz-Matazz - usually you hear 'Kill Yourself Dancing' or the rhythm trax type track 'Pump It Up' off this release but I like 'Razz-Matazz'
