Song of the Day: United 8 “Going To Uptown (To Get Down) (Tom Moulton Remix)”

We are living in the golden age for stumbling across the interconnecting strands of American dance music. Links that connect funk, R&B, disco, house and beyond are all out there waiting to be discovered. Listing to “So Naughty“‘ by Chaka Khan led me to the always impeccable and insanely well curated collection of Slay’d 5000 who had a video of Tom Moulton‘s 1976 Remix of the 1972 song “Getting Uptown (To Get Down)” by United 8. This record is practically a template for the perfect breakdance track. Mr. Moulton extended the track and smartly swapped the emphasis from the horns to the drums, upping the funk to help us all get down.

The original:

While not a lot is known about United 8 (they appear to have been yet another of those immensely talented soul and funk bands that popped up throughout the 60’s and 70’s, had a (usually regional) hit single and then disappeared.  Tom Moulton, meanwhile, worked as a model and as a sales and promotions man for King Records from 1959-1961. Finding the promotions side of the industry to be dishonest, Moulton eventually found his way into production, working to help craft the sound of acts such as Gloria Gaynor and Grace Jones. He worked for a number of noted disco and soul labels and is well-respected throughout the music industry. His mixes and remixes were recently the subject of a brilliant compilation on reissue-label, Soul Jazz Records.

The remix: