T-Ski Valley is an American rapper who had several hits during the 1980s. His song "Catch the Beat" was an early rap favorite in the US in 1981. He had a hit in the UK in 1983 with "Valley Style" which spent six weeks in the UK disco chart, and another hit the following year with "Catch the Beat (Scratch the Beat)" which spent more than two months on the UK disco chart.
Background
T-Ski Valley is a rapper from the Bronx. His song "Catch the Beat", like
Curtis Blow "The Breaks" is an early rap favorite.
[ DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution, Lance Scott Walker · 2022 - - Page 32] It has been described as a huge hit in the black community.
[Spotify Throwbacks, November 8, 2018 - T-Ski Valley: Catch the Beat (1982)] The song was referred to as a groundbreaking rap song by Stuart Baker in
Hot Stuff magazine issue #11.
[ Hot Stuff, 11 - Page 87 Disco Reggae Rockers by Stuart Baker Soul Jazz Records]
T-Ski Valley was born Tyrone Cox. He started his music career at the age of fourteen. He joined Kool Herc in 1978 as an M.C. He also joined up with AJ Scratch & Busy Bee as a D.J. He later became a producer. Two of the acts he produced were Just Four and Chapter III.[Museum of Pop Culture - A Eyewitness "Super Star"]
Concert: T-Ski Valley, The G.P.
Dancers, Raymond Harris, The
Pazant Bro's Band, at Lincoln High
School, Jersey City, NJ, October
30, 1981,
Description
Career
1970s to 1990s
Along with Brad Osborne of Clocktower Records,
Glen Adams and Sir Coxsone Dodd, T-Ski Valley had a part in the creation of the Grand Groove Records label.
[The Really Reel Talk, Sept 3, 2023 - Catch the Beat with Legend TSKI Valley, Episode Description] The association started when T-Ski Valley, known as Tyrone in the early days was hired to set up the break beat section at the back of the store. Tyrone asked if he could also record some hip-hop songs. Osborne booked him some time with Blank Tape Studios which was run by Bob Blank. This is the studio where some early rap and disco artists made their recordings. This included Musique and the Salsoul Orchestra. The single that emerged from the recording session was "Catch the Beat" by T-Ski Valley and Brad Osborne. Osborne and Tyrone, now known as T-Ski Valley produced a total of eight singles for the Grand Groove label over two years.
[ Remixology, Tracing the Dub Diaspora, By Paul Sullivan · 2013 - - 4 NYC, Dub, Rap, Disco and Illbient, Dub in NYC - Page 96]
"Catch the Beat"
T-Ski Valley recorded "Catch the Beat!" which was released in the US on Grand Groove GG 7701. It was produced by Brad Osborne.
[Genius - Catch The Beat! T-Ski Valley] The song had a sample from "Heartbeat" by
Taana Gardner.
[ Remixology, Tracing the Dub Diaspora, By Paul Sullivan · 2013 - , 1780232101 - 4 NYC, Dub, Rap, Disco and Illbient, Dub in NYC - Page 96]
"Catch the Beat" was in the East Coast Dance Music Top Ten for the week of 1 August 1981.
[ Cash Box, August 1, 1981 - Page 16 Dance Music Chart, Top Ten] The song would become an underground hit.
[ Remixology, Tracing the Dub Diaspora, By Paul Sullivan · 2013 - - 4 NYC, Dub, Rap, Disco and Illbient, Dub in NYC - Page 96]
It was reported by Record World in the 12 December 1981 issue that the New York area hit "Catch the Beat" was continuing to sell well.[ Record World, December 12, 1981 - Page 24 Stars on 12 -Inch: Indies Cover Hits By Brian Chin (Continued from page 3)]
Valley Style
T-Ski Valley's "
Valley Style" was reviewed in the 30 July 1983 issue of
Record Mirror. It was directly below the review of
Lydia Murdock song "Superstar". The reviewer referred to both recordings as answers to
Michael Jackson song "
Billie Jean" with the exception of Valley's version being the rap one. It was referred to as a great out of club house.
[ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 28 Discos from page 27, LYDIA MURDOCK:][ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 28 Discos from page 27, T.SKI VALLEY:]
It was reported by Record Mirror in the 6 August issue that "Valley Style" was a breaker and bubbling under the Disco 85 chart.[ Record Mirror, August 6, 1983 - Page 31, Discos, Breakers, Bubbling under the Disco 85 are,] Barry Lazell commented on the song in the 13 August issue of Music Week. He said with the record being half rap and half instrumental, DJs could get inventive.[ Music Week, August 13, 1983 - News, Disco Commentary by Barry Lazell] He would comment on the song again in a later issue.[ Music Week, August 27, 1983 - Page 14 News, Disco commentary by Barry Lazell] Also that week, if the magazine was correct in the date, "Valley Style" debuted at no. 64 in the Record Mirror Disco chart.[ Record Mirror, August 13, 1983 - Page 30 Record Mirror Disco, 64 -, Valley Style (Billie Jean), T. Ski Valley, US Capo 12in]
( Note: Page 30 at the top incorrectly has August 6, 1983 printed instead of August 13, 1983), It peaked at no. 38 on 27 August.[ Record Mirror, August 27, 1983 - Page 36 Record Mirror Disco, 38 45 Valley Style (Billie Jean), T. Ski Valley, US Capo 12in][ Record Mirror, September 3, 1983 - Page 30 Record Mirror Disco, 61 38 Valley Style (Billie Jean), T. Ski Valley, US Capo 12in] On the week of September 10, the song had a surge and had moved up from no. 61 to no. 55.[ Record Mirror, September 10, 1983 - Page 30 Record Mirror Disco, 55 61 Valley Style (Billie Jean), T. Ski Valley, US Capo 12in] The following week it fell back to no. 81 which. This was the last week of charting.[ Record Mirror, September 17, 1983 - Page 32 Record Mirror Disco, 81 55 Valley Style (Billie Jean), T. Ski Valley, US Capo 12in][ Record Mirror, September 24, 1983 - Page 30 Record Mirror Disco]
"Catch the Beat (Scatch the Beat)"
For the week of 30 June 1984 "Catch the Beat (Scratch the Beat)" debuted in the
Record Mirror Disco 85 chart at no. 45.
[ Record Mirror, June 30, 1984 - Page 52 Record Mirror Disco, 45 -] For the week of 28 July, "Catch the Beat (Scatch the Beat)" reached its peak at no. 33 on the
Record Mirror Disco 85 chart.
[ Record Mirror, July 28, 1984 - Page 33 Record Mirror Disco, 33 40]
"Saturday Night"
Also in 1984, a record "Saturday Night" which was credited to Glen Adams Affair featuring T. Ski Valley was released on Nunk 1008.
[Quantum Bit - Glen Adams Affair Featuring T. Ski Valley - Saturday Night] In the UK it was released on Master Mix 12CHE 8409. It was reviewed by James Hamilton on the week of 24 November. Remixed in Belgium, the record contained the original mix on the flip side. Hamilton said "Still good enough fun to cross over here".
[James Hamilton's Disco Page, November 24, 1984 - November 24, 1984: Thelma Houston, James Ingram, Kool & The Gang, T.Ski Valley, Scheer Music, Odds 'N' Bods, T.SKI VALLEY: ‘Catch The Beat (Scratch The Beat)’ (Master Mix 12CHE 8409)]
On the week of 10 November "Saturday Night" debuted on the Record Mirror Disco chart at no. 79.[ Record Mirror, November 10, 1984 - 79 -, Glen Adams Affair featuring T.Ski Valley, Belgian Nunk 12in] It peaked at no. 63 on 24 November.[James Hamilton's Disco Page, November 24, 1984 - Disco Top 85 – November 24, 1984, 63 64 Saturday Night, Glen Adams Affair featuring T.Ski Valley, Belgian Nunk 12in][James Hamilton's Disco Page, December 1, 1984 - Disco Top 85 – November 24, 1984, 81 63 Saturday Night Glen Adams Affair featuring T.Ski Valley, Belgian Nunk 12in]
Further activities
It was reported by
Euro Tip Sheet in the magazine's 5 November issue that "It's Just a Groove" had been added to the playlist of YLE Radio 1 in Henenski, Finland.
[ Euro Tip Sheet, No. 32 Week of November 5th, 1984 - Page 20 Correspondents Northern Europe - Switzerland - Austria, Finland, YLE Radio 1 - Helsinki - Tapani Ripatti- dj/producer, Additions (12"): T. Ski Valley- It's Just A Groove (12")]
External links
