Tin Tin & Bob Bentley - Live @ BlueThough several promoters had been throwing smaller events in New England for about a year by this time, it was in the first months of 1993 that things really took off for the New England scene. Events got larger and more frequent. KC’s “Deep” (1993-01-23) and Never Neverland’s “Wonderland” (1993-01-30) were both outstanding but the scale of Blue (1993-02-13) was on another level.

A lot of this had to do with the size of the venue; The Shriner’s Auditorium had very high ceilings and an open floor so large that rather than having a house stage in a separate room, they put it in a tent toward the back of the hall, open facing away from the main stage. The main stage was built way up high and had a Mayan pyramid facade. Add to this an overhead laser and incredible sound system and you had a truly awesome environment.

This was the first New England party I can remember having a strong New York influence. Seems it was the first to sell tickets in NY and New Jersey, work with promoters there to publicize the event and organize buses, and to hire a large contingent of NY djs. Primary knew that to throw an event of this magnitude they’d have to “unite the tribes.” Up to this point, New England parties (especially those in Maine) had a very different vibe than was found in NYC, Baltimore, DC, and Philly. Up north it was more innocent and carefree; in NYC and south it was a lot more serious. When the crowds came together I think it made for a great mix, though with the NYC crowd came a darker, shadier element. As time went on this shady, “hoody” element became synonymous with Connecticut events and could be found often in Massachusetts but for the most part the beloved Maine vibe was spared.

The best part about the event of course was the music. Here we have a recording of back-to-back sets by a couple of really talented UK DJs, Tin Tin and Bob Bentley. Tin Tin does an amazing job here, throwing acapellas here and there on top of the biggest trance and progressive house jams of the time. The highlight for me is his transition into progressive house using the acapella of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (starting at 44:40). The magic happens at 47:24 when he takes the dance track out completely and lets the acapella ride on it’s own for a couple of bars before dropping the Steve Anderson remix of Paul McCartney’s “Deliverance”. The key changes from major to minor and the mood created by the two records together is something profound.

An interesting note about this recording: these DJs have their records pitched up much faster than you could play them on conventional Technics turntables. They were able to maintain such an energetic tempo because the decks they were using had been modified to support +/- 16% pitch control; a modification necessary for the hardcore djs who played earlier in the night.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I continue to.


Download

Tracklist
00:00 CJ Bolland “Mantra”
01:04 unknown
03:37 The Age Of Love “Age Of Love” (Watch Out For Stella Club Mix) fade out
07:14 unknown
10:26 Mukkaa “Buruchacca” (Dub Mix)
14:39 Leftfield “Song of Life”
18:32 LaTour “Blue” (Underground Ice Pick Mix)
21:43 Ege Bam Yasi “Bubble” (Active Ingredients Mix)
25:34 The House Pimps “Zulu Nation”
27:38 General Base “In Trance” (3 a.m. Tec Mix)
31:29 Pamela Fernandez “Kickin’ In The Beat” (Acapella)
32:59 Sublime “Sublime” (Breakdown)
37:00 Gat Decor “Passion” (Naked Mix)
acapella unknown
39:09 tape flips. Gat Decor “Passion” (Naked Mix) record cuts out
39:37 Rising High Collective “Fever Called Love” (Ambient Mix)
42:02 Shout “Is It Ever Going To End?” (Remix)
43:50 unknown
47:24 Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (A Capella)
47:53 Paul McCartney “Deliverance” (Steve Anderson Remix)
53:36 Spooky “Land Of Oz” (Emerald City Mix)
55:45 Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (Sure Is Pure Remix)
1:00:38 Dina Carrol “Ain’t No Man” (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)
1:05:43 Frankie Bones announces end of Tin Tin, beginning of Bob Bentley
1:05:55 Collapse “My Love” (Ambient Drops)
1:09:11 React 2 Rhythm “Intoxication” (Dubfield Mix)
1:12:37 Restless Rockers “Restless”
1:15:36 Glam “Hell’s Party” (DJ Ricci & DFC Team Mix)
1:19:24 CJ Bolland “Mantra”

Thanks for your help with the tracklist: Overload, DJ ERX, Bobbi Noomer
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