MC Tunes
Encyclopedia
MC Tunes is a British rapper from the suburb of Moss Side
in Manchester. His name was legally changed to Lockett in 1981. Tunes was one of the big promoters of the Madchester
-era during the 1980s and 1990s.
on the 1990 album, The North At Its Heights (ZTT Records
). The album was a moderate success, reaching No.26 in the UK Albums Chart
, and also saw European and Japanese releases. It spawned three UK singles
that entered the UK Singles Chart
: "The Only Rhyme That Bites" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 10, "Tunes Splits The Atom" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 18 and "Primary Rhyming" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 67 – this was also the first of the singles to have the 'vs 808 State' wording removed from the cover.
In 1992, Tunes recorded
the single "Digital Bad Boy/Could You Understand" (Juice Box, 1992) with A Guy Called Gerald (Gerald Simpson, also from 808 State
).
and Rock music.
Whilst gigging with the Dust Junkys, Tunes returned to work with 808 State in 1996 on a new track, "Pump", taken from their album Thermo Kings (Warner
). It was due to be released as a single, but this never happened. A few years after this, the Dust Junkys were signed to Polydor
and released their first single "Living in the pocket of a drug queen?" (1997), followed by "Nonstop operation" and "What time is it?" which reached number 39 in the UK chart.
sampled
the track "Beatbox Wash" for "Gangster Trippin" on the You've Come a Long Way, Baby
album. The single garnered much success. One of Tunes biggest complaints is that he still hasn't been paid for this sample...
Moss Side
Moss Side is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. It lies south of Manchester city centre and has a population of around 17,537...
in Manchester. His name was legally changed to Lockett in 1981. Tunes was one of the big promoters of the Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
-era during the 1980s and 1990s.
808 State
Tunes first worked with 808 State808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
on the 1990 album, The North At Its Heights (ZTT Records
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
). The album was a moderate success, reaching No.26 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and also saw European and Japanese releases. It spawned three UK singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
that entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
: "The Only Rhyme That Bites" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 10, "Tunes Splits The Atom" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 18 and "Primary Rhyming" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 67 – this was also the first of the singles to have the 'vs 808 State' wording removed from the cover.
In 1992, Tunes recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
the single "Digital Bad Boy/Could You Understand" (Juice Box, 1992) with A Guy Called Gerald (Gerald Simpson, also from 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
).
Dust Junkys
Following the stalling of his solo career, Tunes formed the group Dust Junkys in 1995, with Sam Brox on guitar, Stephen "Oj" Oliver Jones on bass guitar, Mykey Wilson on drums and Ganiyu Pierre Gasper on turntables. The band concentrated on gigging in the Manchester area and then national tours, building audiences for their mix of British hip hopBritish hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
and Rock music.
Whilst gigging with the Dust Junkys, Tunes returned to work with 808 State in 1996 on a new track, "Pump", taken from their album Thermo Kings (Warner
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
). It was due to be released as a single, but this never happened. A few years after this, the Dust Junkys were signed to Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
and released their first single "Living in the pocket of a drug queen?" (1997), followed by "Nonstop operation" and "What time is it?" which reached number 39 in the UK chart.
Sampling
Fatboy SlimFatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
the track "Beatbox Wash" for "Gangster Trippin" on the You've Come a Long Way, Baby
You've Come a Long Way, Baby
You've Come a Long Way, Baby is the second studio album by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim, released on 19 October 1998 through the label Skint Records. The album liner notes state that the album was made at The House of Love. The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number...
album. The single garnered much success. One of Tunes biggest complaints is that he still hasn't been paid for this sample...
Filmography
Besides music, in 2007 Tunes played himself in the independent feature film, Diary of a Bad Lad.MC Tunes
- The North at Its Heights (ZTT, 1990)
- The Only Rhyme That Bites (ZTT, 1990)
- Tunes Splits the Atom (ZTT, 1990)
- Primary Rhyming (ZTT, 1990)
Dust Junkys
- Done and Dusted (Polydor, 1997)
- Done and Dusted Special Edition/Dub and Dusted (Polydor, 1998)
External links
- ZTT Records official site
- ZTT Records official store
- Warriors of pop, 21 years of ZTT Record CollectorRecord CollectorRecord Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
, September 2004 (copy at Zang Tuum Tumb and all that) Article about ZTT's history, contains info on MC Tunes - Heroes of UK Hip Hop's MC Tunes page
- Review of the Dust Junkys at the 1998 Glastonbury Festival