By Linda Di. (66.67.193.82) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 03:28 pm:

Anybody know what Kashif is up to? A great talent, should have been a superstara!

By Galactus (207.144.253.114) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 04:03 pm:

I remember liking Kashif a great deal when I was in high school in the very early 80s.....I had his first LP on cassette.....

He was sort of part of that "transition" period of r&b, and I think that victimized him a bit.....Guys like Kashif, Junior, Richard "Dimples" Fields, early Luthor and a few others were on the verge of bringing back some traditional soul when they got caught in the crossfire of new fads and techno-r&b around '84...too bad, really......Early on, the technology hadn't yet overrun the soulfulness of Kashif, and he made and produced some good stuff....very original at the time, and yet still very traditional in some respects...

Don't care for his later stuff quite as much....but would like to get the Kashif CD compilation that's available now....

By Grubman Indursky & Schindler (216.139.153.109) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 04:19 pm:

You can go to his website

www.brooklynboy.com

Did you know he was a member of the B.T. Express in 1975 ? Remember the "Energy To Burn" album ? He's the one with the glasses. He went by his real name Michael Jones at the time. Another member of B.T., drummer Leslie Ming, later went to play drums on a lot of that 80's Kashif produced material.

By Rodmann (12.223.170.105) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 04:25 pm:

That's interesting Grubman. I've always thought that Kashif used only beat machines on most of his 80's tracks so he had no use for a drummer.

By Grubman Indursky & Schindler (216.139.153.109) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 04:36 pm:

Oh yeah Rodman, Kashif definitely used Leslie a lot on those early records. You can him drumming away on Kashif's first album, Evelyn King's "I'm In Love" & "Get Loose" albums. If my memory serves me correctly, Kashif played bass guitar on those songs as well.

Kashif used drum machines on his "Love Changes" album (His last great album IMO)

Kashif once owned a beautiful studio in his former home in Stanford, Conn. (New Music Group Studios) and another during the '90's called Marathon Studios in NYC (That was a fantastic sounding room)

By Juicefree20 (68.161.24.39) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 06:45 pm:

All aspiring artsists should get his book: Everything You Wanted To Know About The Music Business. He was also doing seminars based on his book. If I remember correctly, he bought Jackie Robinsons' Connecticut mansion. Kashif was one bad brother. He had a light rep back then, here in Bklyn. Most of us were crazy about Barbara Joyce, who live in The Atlantic Towers on Atlantic Avenue. A celebrity in the neighborhood gives you a little pride. She used to drive her little black sports car & everyone knew who she was.

Juice

By Wonder B (80.11.231.193) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 06:54 pm:

Hasn't he released a new CD just a while ago?

Wonder B

By Des (217.42.228.232) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:55 pm:

Kashif was castigated on this site regualrly.
His 'big' 12" successes have been ignored on this site.
Kashif is/was a 'good' talent in the 80's - 'period'
Des

By Juicefree20 (68.161.24.39) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 08:45 pm:

Des, Kashif was the man back from '82 to '85. His productions on Evelyn King, revived her career. His recordings were no joke, remember The Mood from his debut LP? What a jam.

Juice

By Des (217.42.228.232) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 08:59 pm:

Juice - I agree.....I'm just kinda pissed tonight(drunk) and disinclined to positively post,when past posts have indicated a lack of appreciation of his talent in the timeframe you state.
Des

By Juicefree20 (68.161.24.39) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:18 pm:

Des, I was a DJ then & believe me, you had to play Kashif & Evelyn Champagne King. It wasn't a party if you didn't because Kashif was hot. Kashif was definitely hot here in Brooklyn & NY as well. He doesn't get the credit due him & I feel that he bowed out of the music scene way too soon.

Juice

By Juicefree20 (68.161.24.39) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:27 pm:

Galactus, Dimples goes way back to the 60s. Earth Angel from his debut LP was a nod to his musical roots. He never got much notoriety until he started singing in the 80s. Junior Giscombe was a UK singer that got caught up in the flood of British singers in the US. At that time, the UK brought us Billy Ocean, Lynx (You're Lying) which begat David Grant (Stop & Go, Could It Be I'm Falling In Love). From there, along came 52nd Street, Loose Ends & later Sade, Total Contrast, Brand New Heavies, Soul II Soul, 5 Star, etc. What really helped to bury these acts was the Rap Juggernaut. There was just less room on Radio Playlists & more Radio stations catering to Rap music. Unfortnately, there was just no room for them anymore & that's a shame. I wonder just what we missed, as the opportunities for these artists became nearly non-existent. It makes me wonder just what gems they could have created if only there was a place for them.

Juice

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.72) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 02:54 am:

G,I,& S:
Kashif used a LOT of beat machines...and if was the bass player...it was his left hand on a keyboard !! In fact, the keyboard bass was almost his signature sound...

By Don (68.75.171.154) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 09:43 am:

Hey Fellas, Don Here, I haven't forgotten dude. I think you all said it for me. What I remember most of his musical cliques are Melba Moore, Fonzi
Thorton, Lilo Thomas, Luther, Paul Lawrence, Freddie Jackson and Change.

By drums (68.84.118.164) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 11:04 am:

Hi all,

I was listening to the radio earlier this week and Kashif came up. He is currently suing Janet!

It seems Janet used one of his samples from a song from an Evelyn Champagne King song called Im in Love. He gave permission to only use the bridge of the song, but Janet's producers used the entire song.

I guess that he didnt like the way that today's "producers" jack beats to make music....

d

By kevin quinn (141.151.89.83) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 07:20 pm:

I remember the debut Kashif album in '83 had three jams I really dug:

Lover Turn Me Out
Say Something Love
Help Yourself To My Love

It was a nice, fresh sound for the time perid.

By Rodmann (12.223.170.105) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 08:29 pm:

Thanks Grubman. I know Kashif mainly from his work with Melba Moore and Meli'sa Morgan. 'Love's Comin' At Ya', 'Keepin' My Lover Satisfied' and 'Fool's Paradise' are classics to me! I don't exactly remember if it was Kashif or Paul Lawrence Jones III that produced 'Love's Comin' At Ya' but it's a great tune nonetheless.

There's another Kashif production that I'm crazy about on the group High Fashion's first album called 'I Want To Be Your Everything'. ONE OF MY FAVORITE EARLY 80's TUNES! It should have been a hit when it was first released but I don't think it was ever a single. I'm surprised that no one has remade it. Carl Thomas, if you're reading this it's a smash just waiting to happen!

By Juicefree20 (151.205.169.232) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 10:18 pm:

Rodmann!!! Excellent choice my friend. I also liked You're The Winner as well as Feeling Lucky Lately. Misses Meli'sa Morgan & Audrey Wheeler sang their behinds off & Erick did his thing as well.

Juice

By Rodmann (12.223.170.105) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 04:26 am:

Hey Juice. 'I Want To Be Your Everything' is a classic! And yes Meli'sa & Audrey are tearing it up in the background. I wonder what became of Erick? I really dig his singing style. He reminds me of Carl Thomas. This song still sounds fresh. Someone could still have a hit with it!

I can't remember 'You're The Winner' but 'Feelin' Lucky lately' is good too.