Various Artists - Arthur Baker Presents Breakers Revenge

Compiled by legendary producer Arthur Baker, ‘Breakers Revenge’ is a near- definitive collection of original funk, soul, latin, disco and electro classic tracks from 1970 to 1984.

These tracks, a combination of classics and obscurities, have all since become legendary to breakdancers everywhere. First played at South Bronx block parties, community halls and park jams in the 1970s and 80s, spun endlessly by the first three major hip-hop DJs - Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa - and found in the record crates of any DJ of note ever since.

Seminal funk and soul tracks such as Dennis Coffey’s ‘Scorpio’, The Jimmy Castor Bunch’s ‘It’s Just Begun’, James Brown’s ‘Get on the Good Foot’ and The Mohawks’ ‘Champ’ sit side-by-side with the ground-breaking, classic electro of Afrika Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock’ and Arthur Baker’s own definitive ‘Breaker’s Revenge.’

Breakdancing has come a long way from its New York roots to its respected position as an art form today where, for the first time ever, it is to be featured in the Olympics held in Paris this August 2024.

The breakbeat remains at the very heart of hip-hop - the mercurial funk, soul and disco tracks, always 100% guaranteed to get B-Boys, B-Girls and breakdancers moving at any block party, with the percussive breakdown of each track the pinnacle to any dance / battle between breakdancers.

Similarly, these tracks have been sampled many times over by every hip-hop artist and producer of note. KRS-ONE, Marley Marl, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Eric B, The Fugees, Outkast, Mos Def, Main Source, Jungle Brothers, LL Cool J, De La Soul and, well, everyone.

Compiler Arthur Baker played a pivotal role in hip-hop history when, in 1982, he produced Afrika Bambaataa’s seminal ‘Planet Rock’ (as featured here), introducing electronic instruments into hip-hop for the first time ever and in the process creating electro. After ‘Planet Rock’, Arthur Baker went on to remix or produce every major artist of note - from New Order to the Rolling Stones, Al Green to the Pet Shop Boys.

This vinyl release is presented as deluxe gatefold double vinyl with two bespoke
inner sleeves and digital download code.

Both formats come complete with an introduction by Arthur Baker and extensive sleevenotes, including a track-by-track breakdown by hip-hop historian JayQuan, and striking images from photographer Sophie Bramly.

“What I truly loved about early hip-hop was that the music thrown down by ‘Bam, Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jay and Kool DJ Herc was genre-less, multi-cultural, music from all ends of the world. This is the definitive collection, including all the classics (other than a couple that alas we couldn’t get the rights to), and some real hard to find obscurities.” - Arthur Baker

1. Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band - Scorpio
2. The Jimmy Castor Bunch - It's Just Begun 
3. B.T. Express - Energy Level 
4. James Brown - Get On The Good Foot 
5. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock 
6. Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa 
7. Esther Williams - Last Night Changed It All
8. The Mohawks - The Champ 
9. Herman Kelly & Life - Dance To The Drummer’s Beat 
10. Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of Your Love 
11. James Brown - Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose 
12. Candido - Soulwanco 
13. Arthur Baker - Breaker's Revenge 
14. Manu Dibango - The Panther 
15. Abaco Dream - Life and Death in G & A 
16. The Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine 
17. Mongo Santamaria - Cloud Nine 
18. Edwin Starr - I Just Wanna Do My Thing 
19. Badder Than Evil - Hot Wheels