Walter Gibbons has long been a hero round here, so it was quite a joy to be asked by Keep On magazine to write an article on him. This was about the same time though as Salsoul UK released a Walter comp, with extensive sleevenotes written by Tim Lawrence. So it was pointless to try to say anything else. Especially when Walter's pal tried to charge me money for stories. So Dave Lee was roped in and we wrote about our favourite Walter moments. They're at the foot of the page, but first here's what we believe is a complete Walter discography, and some tittle tattle for good measure..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE
TEN PER CENT
SALSOUL 1976

The mix that started it all for Walter, and all the future DJ/producers, when in 1976 he became the first DJ to set foot in a recording studio. Comparing the two versions of this song it's obvious Walter knew exactly what made a dancefloor move in 1976. His trademarks are already apparent: taking his love of doubling up sections from the DJ booth to the studio and seizing the opportunity to really push them drums.

 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE
TEN PERCENT ALBUM
SALSOUL 1976

"Disco blending by Walter Gibbons and Ken Cayre" it says here. Don't really know what disco blending means, or what tracks it refers to. Imagine how good this album would be if Walter had actually mixed it all. And they ditched the three minute filler songs. And it was a double pack.

 

THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA
NICE 'N' NAASTY
SALSOUL 3001
SALSOUL 1976

Another early mix from Walter, this time without any trademarks other than the reverb on the bass drum on the intro, on the guitar and strings towards the end and the tape loops on the break in the middle. Other than that it's a pretty standard Salsoul Orchestra job. I guess Walter was still finding his studio feet.
So, the other side? A disco version of the theme from 2001? Sounds bad. But actually, it could be a lot worse. There's only really a minute or so of the theme in there, then it's off into Vince Montana & Walter Gibbonsville. Big strings and keyboards and all underpinned by an incessant cowbell pattern. Nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
HIT AND RUN
WE'RE GETTING STRONGER (THE LONGER WE STAY TOGETHER)
GOLD MIND 1977

This is one of Walter's most popular and well known mixes. The story's already been well documented - everybody hated it because he hardly used any proper vocals and it was way too long, but the dancefloor loved it. Compared to some of his other remix work this seems pretty tame - there's no breakdown to just handclaps with too much reverb, though he did turn the congas up pretty loud. But his arrangement here once again shows how well he understood dance music, hearing things in songs that no one else would've noticed. The guy was a genius.
The B side is also credited to Walter. Could it be an error? Doesn't sound like him.

 

LOVE COMMITTEE
CHEATERS NEVER WIN
WHERE WILL IT END
GOLD MIND 1977

I've always been puzzled by these mixes. They just don't sound like Walter at all. There are two seperate issues too - one credited to Walter, one not. It's a mystery.

 

TRUE EXAMPLE
LOVE IS FINALLY COMING MY WAY
AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME
GOLD MIND 1977

Not much I can really say about these two. Nice songs. Not much else.They sound like pretty standard compositions, and Walter doesn't really add much disco madness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANTHONY WHITE
I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE
BLOCK PARTY
SALSOUL 1977

As much as I love Otis Redding, I've never managed to get into this disco version of his song. Perhaps not as awful as a cover of a Tammy Wynette song, but still not a good look. I've always been a bit disappointed with Walter's mix here too - it's so straight it's hard to believe he was involved at all. The only giveaway is the middle section when he rocks the hats and conga - there's no mistaking Walter's sound there. But his crazy/genius arrangement is sadly missing.
The instrumental version I guess goes some way to making ammends with a nice percussion breakdown, but it's the track itself that lets Walter down. This was another disappointment to me when I first heard it because I only knew Anthony White for things like Hey Baby on PIR. I imagined that style with a Walter touch.

 

VARIOUS ARTISTS
DISCO BOOGIE VOLUME 1&2
SALSOUL 1977/78

These aren't Walter's mixes - he "disco blended" the albums, and edited some of the songs slightly. Judging by the subtitle "Super Hits For Non-Stop Dancing" Walter probably didn't have too much input in the track selection here, so it doesn't quite constitute a DJ set. But it's probably the closest most of us will ever get to hearing him spin. Which is a shame, because his mixing is tight. I can only imagine what he'd sound like playing a proper set of his edits and stuff.
(The sound clip's a medley of blends from Volume 1)

 

CELLOPHANE
SUPER QUEEN
DANCE WITH ME
SALSOUL 1978

These aren't the greatest songs ever recorded, but in Walter's hands became something special. Having never heard the regular versions of these songs I can't compare them to anything, but to me at least, this is Walter at his best. Breaking things down time and again to just drums, percussion and insanity that his greatest mixes became known for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA
GREATEST DISCO HITS
SALSOUL 1978

Same idea as the Disco Boogie albums, Walter "disco blended" this, except this time with a bunch of Salsoul Orchestra tracks that don't go very well together. He did his best, but it doesn't flow like a DJ set. I've recorded one blend for the clip, because I like this bit.

 

TC JAMES & THE FIST O FUNK ORCHESTRA
GET UP ON YOUR FEET (KEEP ON DANCIN')
I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY
FIST O FUNK 1978

Possibly Walter's rarest official release, or at least one of the hardest to track down. It took me a long time. But it was so worth the wait. The synth line that opens Get Up alone is enough to justify it. The song itself isn't so great - but in Walter's hands, who needs a good song? Just edit out the bad parts. Because the good parts are really fucking good!
I've Been Looking is something you'd have trouble playing to a crowd - it's just way out there. Totally nuts. But in a good way.

 

SALSOUL ORCHESTRA
IT'S GOOD FOR THE SOUL
MAGIC BIRD OF FIRE
SALSOUL CANADA 1978

Walter's versions of these songs from the Disco Madness album were released on 12" in Canada. Good For The Soul is totally nuts. 99% drums and percussion, touch of flute, tiny bit of bass and Walter and a bunch of girls going mad over the top. Then a big beast of a break with Timpanis, timbales and whistles. The keyboard part towards the end is sublime, but it's only in for a minute, and gone way too quickly.
Magic Bird on the other side is a great piece of music to begin with. And Walter's mix takes it to a whole new level. It's records like this that show just how much of a great ear and true understanding of what makes great dance music Walter had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LUV YOU MADLY ORCHESTRA
ROCKET ROCK
MOON MAIDEN
SALSOUL 1978

I used to always confuse this with the Cellophane record Walter mixed for Salsoul. Don't know why, I always thought they were very similar, Euro sounding songs saved only by Walter's work on them. But I was wrong. Rocket Rock for example is a pretty funky instrumental. Again, I never heard the original version so don't know quite what Walter brought to the table, but I'm pretty sure he turned the hats up at least. And most likely put the spacey effect on the strings.
The other side is where it's at though, Walter's all over this one. From the sudden drops from full music to just percussion to the section in the middle that's just flanged hats and syndrums, ths is the Walter we all know and love!

 

LOVE COMMITTEE
LAW AND ORDER
JUST AS LONG AS I'VE GOT YOU
GOLD MIND 1978

One of the best disco double siders you'll get for not a great deal of money. Both sides are guaranteed to fill your dancefloor. Walter had this thing where he'd really draw out an intro, keeping the bass out for longer than you'd think possible, and in this case for a particularly long time. He must've been the first DJ to notice the effect bass can have, and this is his best example. It's almost five minutes.. the whole song's done before the bass eventually kicks in, and blows you away. The second half of this is where it really takes off.
And then turn it over for one of Walter's best loved mixes. I don't think my description's needed here. Everyone should know this record!

 

LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
CATCH ME ON THE REBOUND
CATCH ME ON THE REBOUND INSTRUMENTAL
GOLD MIND 1978

Definitely one of my favourite Gibbons mixes. It doesn't do all the madness that I love in a Walter remix, but it's his arrangement here that hits the spot. Starts off with what is a pretty standard Salsoul song, albeit a fucking great one, before Walter really lets rip with the drums and vocal vamps for a good few minutes... Thank you Walter.
Then there's the instrumental... oh shit! Walter takes "stripped down" to a whole new dimension. Six minutes of music before the drums even kick in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BETTYE LAVETTE
DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN
WEST END 1978

So, this was the first Walter Gibbons mix I heard before I actually knew who he was. I was never really a fan of the song itself, but the arrangement always had me intrigued. It's all over the place, building up slowly from a fierce bongo groove, to the point when the song should kick in, then just drops straight back down to drums and bongo. The he slowly starts again, this time leading into the song. But it's not long till he's off again and the proper Walter action starts - percussion, handclaps, too much reverb, stuff panning all over the place, and some nice synthyness.
There's a good story about this mix... when it was delivered to Mel Cheren he was disappointed as the mix didn't sound like he expected from Walter. Turns out the engineer had refused to do anything Walter had asked, told him to sit down and shut up, and did the mix himself. Thankfully Mel sent them back to do it properly.

 

SANDY MERCER
PLAY WITH ME
YOU ARE MY LOVE
H&L CANADA 1978

One of Walter's least popular releases, or at least most slept on. It's not held in the same esteem as the other Canadian only stuff like Gladys Knight. He mixed this with Steve D'Aquisto, resulting in more subdued mixes than what we'd hope for from Walter. Strangely, the A side is the weaker of the two. It's a nice enough song, but pretty unremarkable. You Are My Love is stronger, but still not what you want from a Walter Gibbons mix. However, if you like soulful disco, this song actually rules.

 


SALSOUL ORCHESTRA
IT'S GOOD FOR THE SOUL
DOUBLE EXPOSURE
MY LOVE IS FREE
LOLEATA HOLLOWAY
CATCH ME ON THE REBOUND
SALSOUL ORCHESTRA
MAGIC BIRD OF FIRE
DOUBLE EXPOSURE
TEN PERCENT
FIRST CHOICE
LET NO MAN PUT ASSUNDER
SALSOUL 1979

Salsoul's Disco Madness album of special Walter Gibbons mixes is essential for anyone with even a passing interest in his work. There are way too many great tracks on here to go into in detail, but every last one is a killer. Walter was really on fire here - not so much of his madness that was still to come, just real dancefloor perfection on every song. Big drums, lots of tape edits, proper disco style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE ROBIN HOOKER BAND
STAND BY YOUR MAN
YOUR CHEATING HEART
SALSOUL 1979

Yes, Salsoul really did release 12" disco mixes of these C&W favourites. And they're every bit as bad as you might imagine. Though Walter's touch goes at least some way to saving the day. Once we get the first verse and chorus of Stand By Your Man out of the way, he gives us some nice breaks with cowbells and synths and stuff going on, builds it with congas and keys before dropping the bass back in. It's all good for a couple of minutes until.. there's that fucking chorus again! Jesus, Walter, what drugs were you taking?? Same story on the other side - really terrible idea, possibly even worse due to far more of the song being used, and the 150bpm tempo. The middle section is totally Walter with some nice dubby stuff going on, it's just a pity about the song.

 

GLADYS KNIGHT
IT'S A BETTER THAN GOOD TIME
SAVED BY THE GRACE OF YOUR LOVE

BUDDAH CANADA 1979

Walter's most in-demand mix, only ever released on a Canadian 12". Or the even rarer acetate only 15 minute version without the dodgy edit. Another one that lacks Walter's madder moments, it's all about the arrangement - it's actually all about that moment in the second chorus when the bass finally kicks in. It's worth every penny just for that alone. Don't listen to anyone who tells you the original mix is better - they're only jealous because they can't find a copy.
It's easy to forget that Walter also mixed the B side of this. It's nowhere near as good a song, but the handclaps are too loud, there's a percussion break with just hammond organ in the middle and the hats are more prominent than they really need to be. Works for me.

 

IDYLL PASSION
NIGHTRIDE
GALA BALL 1979

This should probably be in the "Walter Rumors" section at the foot of this page as Walter's uncredited on this obscure 12". But according to the producer of the record it's him. Listen to those drums - if that isn't Walter someone's doing a pretty good impression of him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COLLEEN HEATHER
ON THE RUN
WEST END 1979

Sadly, this is another pretty unremarkable mix. Not a great song to begin with, but Walter's worked his magic on many a duff track with no problems before. I just don't hear Walter in here at all. And what the fuck is that kick drum all about? Sorry Walter.

 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE - LOCKER ROOM
ICE COLD LOVE
I WISH THAT I COULD MAKE LOVE TO YOU
SALSOUL 1979

Another couple of pretty standard mixes here. Maybe Salsoul wanted to do another Ten Per Cent, but gave Walter the wrong songs to mix. Maybe Walter didn't show up to the studio because he was at church. Who knows.

 

 

ARTS & CRAFT
I'VE BEEN SEARCHING
I'VE BEEN SEARCHING INSTRUMENTAL

JUS BORN

It's hard to believe Walter did this mix so late in his career. It's one of his best, in my top 3 for sure. He had great material to work with - obviously a big budget production, and he used it very well. Keeping it soulful, but adding touches of real Walter madness to what amounts to twenty minutes of music spread over the two sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STRAFE
SET IT OFF
JUS BORN 1984

Music from 1984 doesn't do much for me. This is a million miles from Walter's style in the 1970s, but is a very important record for its influence at the time. It spawned a million imitators and had kids in Puma States dancing on lino worldwide.

 

ARTS & CRAFT
WAIT A MINUTE (BEFORE YOU LEAVE ME)
PANIC 1985

I don't know what to say about this - especially when we compare it to the other Arts & Craft record, which is a masterpiece. I find it hard to criticize Walter's work, but I can't hear his touch on this record at all. Maybe he had a crappy engineer, or was having a bad day. Maybe God told him to make it shit.

 

HARLEQUIN FOUR'S
SET IT OFF
JUS BORN

The "follow up" to Strafe's Set It Off. Much the same - 1980s electro, but with a female lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDIAN OCEAN
SCHOOLBELL/TREEHOUSE
SLEEPING BAG 1986

Arthur Russell. Maybe I need to take some drugs to hear this properly.

 

THE CLARK SISTERS
TIME OUT
REJOICE 1986

Not my favourite Walter mix, but dating from 1986 it was never gonna be. It probably suited Walter as it's a gospel song, but by this point he'd obviously forgotten why we love his mixes.

 

ARTHUR RUSSELL
LET'S GO SWIMMING
LOGARHYTHM 1986

I'll never forget my disappointment when, after searching for this record, I finally found it. I didn't know. It's popular with collectors and Arthur Russell obsessives, but does absolutely nothing for me. It is from 1986 though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STETSASONIC
4 EVER MY BEAT
TOMMY BOY 1987

From their debut album, and also released on a 12" promo. I'm not really qualified to comment on this. Is it good? Bad? I don't know. It's mid '80s hip hop. All sounds the same to me.

 

DINOSAUR L
GO BANG
BOOTLEG

A previously unissued mix of Go Bang which was bootlegged a few years ago in Japan and is now harder to find than his mix of Fist O Funk!
Go Bang is a pretty mad song to begin with - Arthur Russell wasn't really known for anything else, so adding Walter to the mix was always asking for trouble. The result is as insane as you'd expect. In a good way. It's kinda dubby, though not as tough as you'd expect Walter to go with a song like this. And it's like half an hour long.

 

ARTHUR RUSSELL
CALLING ALL KIDS
PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED

As with most of this Arthur Russell stuff, I don't like it. Walter's forte was the big epic stringy disco, not this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

>Al Kent Reviews.....

 

The first time I recall seeing Walter's name on a record was on a UK 12" of Betty Lavette's "Doing The Best That I Can", which I'd picked up in a pile of cheap and nasty 12s from a local flea pit. I'd only just started buying those big records, having spent my previous years studying the matrix numbers on obscure Detroit released 45s. And, like most northern soulers, saw disco, and especially 12" singles, as something to be avoided. None of the records I picked up that day did much for me, but this one had parts that certainly made me sit up and listen. The Betty Lavette song itself is nothing special, but the mix contains all the elements that I now know are walter's trademarks - fierce drums, heavy space effects and more breaks than you'd think possible on an 11 minute mix. And so, my love affair with Walter, or at least his mixes, began..
Until quite recently very little was documented about Walter; Born and raised in Queens, New York, he was resident DJ at Galaxy 21, where, as early as 1972, he was a pioneer in the art of mixing, and killer on the double copies, extending his beloved drum breaks like no one before him. He was the first DJ to officially remix a track after Salsoul's Cayre brothers asked him to mix a disco version of Double Exposure's Ten Percent, involving him in the release of the first commercially available 12" single. For that he deserves his place in history. He also had a cute little side parting, looked great in dungarees, and had strong christian beliefs. But forcing those beliefs down the throats of a club full of LSD crazed dancers was probably a bad move.


ARTS & CRAFTS
I'VE BEEN SEARCHING
JUS BORN

This is one of my favourite walter pieces, released in the early '80s, but sounding very much like a mid 70s production. Walter pulled out all the stops on these 10 minute mixes. Both sides kick off, as you'd expect, with drums, percussion and lots of effects. The vocal mix takes a while to build, teasing with bits of backing vox and strings here and there until it all kicks off about 4 minutes in. One of the great things about this mix is that it's actually a great song, when so many of his mixes were of sub-standard releases, with only Walter's inclusion making them slightly appealing. The instrumental though is the one that does it most for me, with Walter giving each element its own space in a killer arrangement. And the solo clav for the last minute or so is just the icing on the cake.

 

SALSOUL ORCH
MAGIC BIRD OF FIRE

SALSOUL

Vince Montana's original version of this is a dark, moody, extremely orchestral affair that I wouldn't imagine getting a great reaction if played out. But Walter's mix, available on the Disco Madness album and a Canadian 12" disco-fies it nicely. It still contains all the elements of the original, and is as dark in places, but walter adds his percussion and breaks, taking it to a new funky, altogether more dancefloor friendly level.

 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE
MY LOVE IS FREE
SALSOUL

Another from the disco Madness album, and a real favourite with all Walter lovers. The arrangement on this record is amazing - if you want to hear the blueprint for house music, here it is right here. Earl Young's drums are at their very best, relentless throughout, and when, after two thirds of the record have gone by, that bass line kicks in - wow! Nuff said!

 

LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
CATCH ME ON THE REBOUND
GOLDMIND

I love this record to bits. If ever there was a production that encapsulates the sound of Salsoul, this is it.. with Walter's name in the credits as an added bonus. There's 3 mixes out there to choose from - vocal and instrumental on a Goldmind 12", and a further mix on the Disco Madness album on Salsoul. It's a tough choice picking a favourite mix, in fact it's impossible. But to me the most striking has to be the instrumental - Opening with just the orchestra, various instruments dropping in and out here and there, and some serious bass work from Ron Baker. It takes almost the whole side before any drums kick in, possibly making it difficult for some DJs to play, but most certainly a joy to hear.

 

CELLOPHANE
SUPER QUEEN
SALSOUL

Here is a classic example of poor walter's work: an absolutely atrocious song, saved only by the name "Walter Gibbons" on the label (see also Stand By Your Man, Can't Turn You Loose etc.). If only he'd cut an instrumental it might be a different story, because the instrumental parts are just pure walter; slamming drums soaked in reverb, great breaks and heavy use of synths. Dance With Me on the other side is a similar story - dreadful song, but with some great, great Walter moments. In fact, this is possibly his craziest ever mix.

 

 

>Dave Lee Reviews...

 

The first Gibbons 12" I came across was Hit & Run back in the early '80s. That record blew me away and I watched out for his name from then onwards. Once I was in "the business" I tracked down and spoke to Walter quite a few times. This was the in the late '80s and he was working in New York's Rock and Soul Record Store. He seemed like a friendly amiable guy. I told him I was surprised he wasn't doing more studio work and he very honestly told me he had done quite a few mixes for then current acts like Stetsasonic which had been knocked back by the labels. I was still interested in him doing something for Republic (my then label), as I thought if he was given the right track he would still be able to turn out something special. Eventually I got him to mix a Blaze produced track by Cookie, but unfortunately, though he'd went to all the trouble of adding live drums and piano, the mix still wasn't great and we never released it. It probably could have been salvaged if studio expenses hadn't been an issue, but we were on a budget and I couldn't afford to spend any more. It was pretty difficult telling Walter that we weren't going to use his mix. Oh well, at least I got to speak to the man.


GLADYS KNIGHT
IT'S A BETTER THAN GOOD TIME
BUDDAH

For me one of Walter's best mixes is this Canadian only 12". The remix was apparently commissioned to be part of a "Dancing with Gladys" album (in the same series as the Melba Moore one) but that LP never materialized. Walter completely opens out what was already a nice soul disco cut, adding breaks and giving more space to the production. As usual the strings and percussion are pushed up to the fore, while he waits until the second chorus before the introducing the bass line. There is supposedly an acetate floating around of a much longer 8 min+ version - maybe that might be without the dodgy edit in the break? It is certainly rather un-Gibbons like to have a mix clocking in at a mere 6.50mins!

 

LOVE COMMITTEE
JUST AS LONG AS I GOT YOU
SALSOUL

I can see why many producers would cringe when they first heard the results of Mr. Gibbons tampering with their precious work. He sometimes seems to have complete disregard for orthodox levels, often pushing forward in the mix what would have been intended as a background vocal or an incidental string arrangement. On the Love Committee long player we hear "Just as long..." mixed by producers Baker Harris Young, the result is a decent but unexceptional up-tempo Philly soul tune. However, on the longer 12" Gibbons lets the song breath and then build to an instrumental, string led climax. In the last couple of minutes he makes a feature of some lovely musical and vocal parts that were buried deep within the original mix - funnily enough these are the bits that ended up getting sampled and all the house heads have got to know the tune through!

 

HARLEQUIN 4
SET IT OFF
JUS BORN

Along with "Let's Go Swimming", one of Walters last great mixes. Electronics didn't really seem to suit his style quite as well. His forte was re-arranging a full orchestrated live production, stripping it down and making the most of underutilized percussion and musical parts. However, when the music went the more minimal keyboard/drum machine route maybe the raw material wasn't there for him to work his magic. On listening to "Set it off" again it's hard to believe that this was such an enormous track in British clubs at the time. If contractual problems hadn't delayed its UK release for almost a year it would have easily crossed into the top 20 pop chart; which would have been no mean feat for such a leftfield record. Walter paces the mix just right, despite being 14mins long it doesn't get boring as it morphs in and out of Barbara Tucker's vocals, electronic sequences and jazzy trumpet. This is still a truly unique sounding piece of music.

 

LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
HIT & RUN
SALSOUL

Ken Cayre was apparently none too pleased when Walter delivered his remix of "Hit and Run". Cayre was doubly annoyed - not only did Gibbons version clock in at an unruly length (over 11mins), but within that was very little of the actual song. However, what Walter had done here was turn a decent Norman Harris produced album track into one of the greatest Salsoul 12"s of all time. That's not to take away from the original producer or musicians, as Gibbons wasn't overdubbing any instruments - this was more a drastic re-arranging and re-balancing of what was on tape. Walter's mix concentrates on the outro vamp section; turning up the jazzier elements like the rhodes and vibes and allowing enough space to not only let the groove swing; but for Loleatta's powerhouse vocal to really cut through and make an impression on the listener. If you check out the original album cut it's all there but somehow nothing seems to stick out - Walter's version is the definition of a good remix.

 

TC JAMES & THE FIST O FUNK ORCH
GET UP ON YOUR FEET
FIST O FUNK

This is something that Dimitri turned me onto when I was thinking of putting together a best of Walter compilation a few years back. An obscure 5 track EP that contains two Gibbons mixes of cuts from T.C.James's album - the best one being an 11 minute revamp of the title track. Walter turns up the drums and manages to give a proper underground disco vibe to what was frankly a rather lightweight album cut. It's not the most sonically polished of his mixes but the overall rawness of the sound in this case helps counteract the feel goodness of the song. It's one of those that builds momentum the longer it goes on, climaxing in a long Patrick Adams-ish synth solo. Before writing these reviews I went back and double checked all these records, comparing the originals with the Gibbons mixes, and I have to say in each case he has made a pretty substantial improvement. Well done Walter, your legacy lives on!

 

 

As part of the Keep On article, we also asked some fans of Walter's work for their favourite mixes...


My favorite Gibbons mix is Double Exposure "My love is free" (from Disco Madness remix LP) He took all the tedious bits out, and really hyped it by turning up the orchestral strings and horn parts, that last tiny accapella bit (as sampled in "Free loving" by Morning Kids) always gives me the goose bumps.
Dimitri from Paris

Oh my god, there are soooo many, but off the top of my head, I'd have to say HIT AND RUN...but i love them all...he really captured the idea of excitment in his mixes, which revealed itself in the reaction on the dance floor to one of his mixes...usually frenzied hollars and arms in the air....dancing is an experience that encompasses so much of your soul, and Walter found ways to put that soul into the music...
Nicky Siano

Well that is not such an easy question,as Walter was "The Man" on the east coast for left of centre remixes. But I have to say I am feeling his mix of "Let no man put asunder" from the Disco Madness lp because you get the whole song stripped down and raw with just the keys and drums for backing. And the sheer power of the vocal and the drums is enough to carry the tune for the whole of the song until, finally, you get the backing vocals and bassline coming in and it let's rip. My only regret is that it fades out soon after everything kicks in and I am sure there is a tape somewhere with a full 10 minute version!!!!
Nick The Record

Arts & Crafts 'I've Been Searchin'' is probably the last, true disco epic. Gibbons tweaked and mixed this classic Philly-style arrangement with an extremely left-field twist and there's evidently a very traditional R&B song under all the madness. However, it's rendered most peculiar and rather spaced-out by Gibbons's hand.
Sean P

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots of stories floating around, about records Walter mixed, 12" singles that don't exist or where his record collection ended up. Here's just a few...

 

JA KKI
SUN SUN SUN
PYRAMID 1976

There's nothing to suggest Walter did this mix, other than one girl who claims he told her he'd done it. No one else can verify whether he did or not. It's certainly not impossible, but surely there would be more evidence if he had?

 

INSTANT FUNK
GOT MY MIND MADE UP
SALSOUL 1978

The rumor is that Walter was given this song, started the mix, then found God and ditched it. Larry Levan was given the uncompleted mix to finish off. He did a ton of stuff around this period though, so the God thing doesn't ring true. And it sounds nothing like Walter. I don't buy it.

 

BRENDA HARRIS
FREAKIN FREAK
DREAM 1979

Nothing more than hearsay this one, as Dream was a Salsoul subsidiery, and Walter was a big name round those parts. So why wouldn't he be credited? And why does it sound nothing like him?

 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE
EVERYMAN
SALSOUL 1976

Despite a recent reissue on UK Salsoul called "Original Walter Gibbons 12" Mix", it's nothing more than an error - There is no Everyman 12"! The internet may tell you differently, with some sites even listing a 12" release with the catalog number 12D-12013 with "Disco blending by Walter Gibbons", but I think this is just someone's wet dream - the record doesn't exist. Or if it does it's rarer than a Le Frank O 12" and I want one!