Ultimate Breaks

Back in the early 80's, a man named Lenny Flores came out with a series of LP's called Ultimate Breaks. They were bootleg compilations of various genres like Rock, Latin, Funk and Salsa. All of the music was heavily break laden. In other words songs popularized by the early hip hop DJ's that had a specific drum break in the middle that the DJ would extend, using two copies, into it's own song. You've probably heard most of the songs on those records sampled a thousand time by now, as, these records also brought the whole legality of sampling to the limelight.

I first remember seeing one of these in a dollar bin at a record store. The label just had a cartoon octopus on it, and the songs were written with a typewriter on the label. A few years later, the artwork was a little more elaborate, and they re-released them in a 25 volume series. Here's a mix that features some of the best of that series:

Ultimate Breaks Mix

Stream HERE

Download HERE

1 JB's-Doing It To The Death
2. Billy Squier- The Big Beat
3. Bob James - Nautilis
4. Cameo- Rigor Mortis
5. Cerrone- Rocket In The Pocket
6. Chuck Brown & The Sould Searchers- Ashleys Roach Clip
7. Esther Williams- Last Night Changed It All
8. Incredible Bongo Band- Apache
9. Labi Siffre- I Got The Blues
10. Melvin Bliss- Synthetic Substitution
11. One Way- Pussy Footer
12. Thin Lizzy- Johnny The Fox
13. Vaugn Mason- Rock, Skate, Roll, Bounce
14. Babe Ruth- The Mexican