Shaft - (Mucho Mambo) Sway (1999)

Yesterday, I was unexpectedly in Carrboro during the middle of the afternoon. So I swung by the PTA on Jones Ferry for the first time in literally, several years. Back when Shaun & Leslie lived on Carr Street circa the late 90s, one of them would truck over to the spot every day like clockwork, leaving slim pickings for the rest of the unhappy crate diggers around here. Of course, they only could choose from what was left over after another infamous cat who WORKED there (who I ran into just last month when he started honking at me in the Rams Plaza parking lot) got through choosing what 12" treasures he wanted to add to his huge personal collection. So eventually, I was like, f- it, I'm never gonna find anything worthwhile under those circumstances, and quit going.

But clearly times have changed, because there was a giant wall of vinyl to dig through, and I amassed a fat stack of goodies at the extended holiday sale rate of twenny cents per. I hope they extend that sale a little longer, because that much vinyl in one place is likely to spontaneously combust at some point, maybe. A freaking dusty groove fire hazard.

The thing that initially caught my eye about (Mucho Mambo) Sway by Shaft was that it looked really familiar, like I'd seen it before. And sure enough, it turned out to be a record that we sold new at the Lost City for $10-$12 when it was first released on Jellybean Recordings in 1999. Right after we'd moved to 402 West Rosemary Street, the second and final Lost City location. I could tell by the remnants of our original price tag. So that was kinda cool, to be buying it back twelve years later for $.20 at the Carrboro PTA.



Then I listened to it, and got into the latin house groove. The 6:16 Extended Mix is the real deal, but good luck finding it YouTube amidst the hundreds of different videos out there that name-check this track. Probably a result of the Pussycat Dolls having covered it. The remix featured here (supposedly from 2009) sounds as close as I could find. But the promo video from the original '99 release is funny, especially when the mambo crew evicts the lame DJ from his booth and takes over the dancefloor. Actually, there was also a super-funny alternate video shot that had me mad laffing when I saw it, featuring a guy with a tail.

- Dyn-O-Mite