Members: Kangol (Kid), Doctor Ice, Educated Rapper aka EMD, Mix Master Ice
Members of: Full Force Family
U.T.F.O. (UnTouchable Force Organization) originated from Brooklyn, NY. Mix Master Ice (Maurice Baily), Kangol (Shiller Shaun Fequiere) and Educated Rapper aka EMD (Jeffrey Campbell) were high school friends from East Flatbush. Ice and EMD were originally in a DJ group together while Kangol and Doctor Ice (Fred Reeves), brother of Jalil from Whodini, were in a dance group called the Keystone Dancers and appeared in Whodini’s Rap Machine and Magic’s Wand videos.
The group referred to themselves as the Village People of rap due to the specific character of each member. They were not only great rappers but also had some great melodies while Mix Master Ice was a formidable DJ. Together with the production company and later recording group, Full Force, they released many memorable tracks such as Beats & Rhymes, Hanging Out and Leader Of The Pack but are probably most known for birthing The Roxanne Saga with Roxanne, Roxanne which lead to numerous responses by Roxanne’s parents, sister, doctor, etc. The track utilized Billy Squier’s Big Beat.
For personal reasons, Educated Rapper only appeared on Pick Up The Pace from the second album.
Be sure to check out JayQuan’s UTFO Foundation lesson for a more comprehensive insight into the group, the music and their lyrics.
Label: Select Records
Year: 1984
Format: 12″
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes: There are four different label variations that I know of: black and white label, colour label with small black print UTFO, colour label with large black print UTFO, colour label with all blue text.
Label: Select Records
Year: 1984
Format: 12″ Test Pressing
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes: This test pressing contains a radio edit of Roxanne, Roxanne which, other than here, only appears as a promotional 7″ listed below.
Info and images courtesy of Fab.
Label: Select Records
Year: 1984
Format: 12″
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes: There are a few label variations that I know of plus a couple of pressings on red vinyl: color label with different font and artist names below UTFO only spanning up to the right of the catalogue number below, color label with different font and artist name spanning almost the full width of the label (This was also available on red vinyl), black and white label with artist names below UTFO spanning almost the full width of the label (This was also available on red vinyl).
Label: Select Records
Year: 1984
Format: 7″
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes: This 7″ is the only way to get these two tracks together on a US pressing. The full length versions were issued in the UK by Streetwave, as listed below.
Label: Streetwave
Year: 1984
Format: 12″
Origin: UK
Side A
Side B
Notes: This is the 5-track release which incorporates two separate US releases on one UK 12″ (FMS 62254 and FMS 62256). There is also a 6-track release as listed below.
Label: Streetwave
Year: 1984
Format: 12″
Origin: UK
Side A
Side B
Notes: This is the 6-track release which incorporates two separate US releases on one UK 12″ and also includes the instrumental of Hanging Out which didn’t appear on the 5-track release above.
Label: Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Year: 1985
Format: 7″ Promo Only
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes:Music taken from the Krush Groove soundtrack and only available as a promotional 7″. Pick up the Pace is a slightly different version than on the group’s Skeezer Pleezer album and was the only track from it to include The Educated Rapper aka EMD. Although it appears in the movie it doesn’t actually appear on the soundtrack album release so is exclusive to this 7″.
Label: Select Records
Year: 1986
Format: 12″
Origin: US
Side A
Side B
Notes: There are a few label variations for this release: one with three publisher credits on each side, KADOC Music, Mokojumbi Music and Willesden Music; one with three publisher credits on side A, KADOC Music, Mokojumbi Music and Willesden Music, and four on side B, including the additional ADRA Music; one withfour publisher credits on each side, ADRA Music, KADOC Music, Mokojumbi Music and Willesden Music.
Label: Cooltempo
Year: 1986
Format: 12″
Origin: UK
Side A
Side B
Notes: UK Exclusive B side.