Beat Street (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Volume 1 and Beat Street (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Volume 2 are soundtrack albums for the 1984 drama film of the same name. It was released in 1984 by Atlantic Records. Both albums were produced by Harry Belafonte, a calypso artist best known for his 1956 hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", and prolific freestyle music producer and remixer Arthur Baker, who collaborated with music artists including Freeez, Afrika Bambaataa, and New Order.

Both albums even entered the Billboard 200 and R&B Albums charts and stayed there in the same year.Beat Street Volume 1 - chart positions. Billboard & Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-August-09Beat Street Volume 2 - Chart positions. Billboard & Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-August-09

Description The soundtrack contains music mainly from old-school hip-hop artists including Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five, Jazzy Jay, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic and Treacherous Three featuring beatbox pioneer Doug E. Fresh but also various electro/boogie musicians such as Freeez, and the System and Juicy.

The album was certified gold in the same year becoming the first rap/hip-hop album to so.

A third volume was planned, but it was never released. The second volume was never released on CD.

Track listing

Volume 1 (80154) A-side # Title Artist(s) Writer(s) Producer(s) Length A1 "Beat Street Breakdown" Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious 5 Melvin Glover, Reggie Griffin Melle Mel, Sylvia Robinson 6:48 A2 "Baptise the Beat" The System David Frank, Mic Murphy David Frank, Michael Murphy 4:25 A3 "Strangers in a Strange World"(Love Theme From Beat Street) Jenny Burton & Patrick Jude Jake Holmes Jake Holmes 4:25 A4 "Frantic Situation" Afrika Bambaataa The Soul Sonic Force, Shango Arthur Baker, Leroi Evans, Ray Serrano, Afrika Bambaataa Aasim, William Henderson, Ellis Williams, John Miller, Robert Allen, Wilfred Fowler Arthur Baker 5:04 B-side # Title Artist(s) Writer(s) Producer(s) Length B1 "Beat Street Strut" Juicy Milton G. Barnes, Katreese Barnes Eumir Deodato 5:00 B2 "Us Girls" Sharon Green, Lisa Counts & Debbie D Debora Hooper, Lisa Counts, Ross Levinson, Sharon Green Harry Belafonte 3:52 B3 "This Could Be the Night" Cindy Mizelle Arthur Baker, Carl Sturken, Chris Lord-Alge, Evan Rogers, Tina Baker Arthur Baker 4:53 B4 "Breaker's Revenge" Arthur Baker Arthur Baker Arthur Baker 4:42 B5 "Tu Cariño / Carmen's Theme" Ruben Blades Carlos Franzetti, Ruben Blades Harry Belafonte 3:06

Volume 2 (80158) A-side # Title Artist(s) Writer(s) Producer(s) Length A1 "Son of Beat Street" Jazzy Jay John Byas, Lenny Underwood David Belafonte 4:05 A2 "Give Me All" Juicy Milton G. Barnes, Katreese Barnes Arthur Baker, Harry Belafonte 4:25 A3 "Nothin's Gonna Come Easy" Tina B Arthur Baker, Tina Baker Arthur Baker, Harry Belafonte 4:19 A4 "Santa's Rap" The Treacherous Three Kevin Keaton, LaMar Hill, Mohandas Dewese David Belafonte 6:10 B-side # Title Artist(s) Writer(s) Producer(s) Length B1 "It's All Right By Me" Jenny Burton Peter Link Peter Link, Webster Lewis 5:00 B2 "Battle Cry" Rockers Revenge Arthur Baker, Donald Calvin Hawkes, Vincent Dwight Fuller Arthur Baker 4:52 B3 Phony Four MC's – "Wappin' (Bubblehead)" Ralph Rolle Earl Deas, Eric Real, Ralph Rolle Arthur Baker, Harry Belafonte 6:11 B4 "Into The Night" La La LaForest Cope, Lenny Underwood, Webster Lewis Webster Lewis 4:42

Credits and personnel

Sanford Allen – concertmaster, violin Arthur Baker – bass, drums, producer Tina Baker – performer Katreese Barnes – performer Sharon Green – performer Milton Barnes – performer David Belafonte – sound effects Sandra Billingslea – violin Jay Burnett – guitar Kennan Keating- wah wah guitar Jenny Burton – vocals Jack Cavari – guitar John Clark – French horn Deodato – producer Lewis Eley – violin Jon Faddis – trumpet Eileen Folson – cello Winterton Garvey – violin Dwight Hawkes – backing vocalist Lamar Hill – performer Cecilia Hobbs – violin Stanley Hunte – violin Jean Ingraham – violin Anthony Jackson – bass

Jazzy Jay – drum programming, scratching Bashiri Johnson – percussion Kevin Keaton – performer Robbie Kilgore – bells La La – sound effects, backing vocalist Jesse Levy – cello Webster Lewis - DX-7, Fender Rhodes, piano Peter Link – performer Chris "Lord-Alge" Simmons – drums Guy Lumia – violin John Pintavalle – violin Sue Pray – viola Maxine Roach – viola Ralph Rolle – drum programming, sound effects, vocals Alan Rubin – trumpet Lew Soloff – trumpet David Spinozza – guitar Marti Sweet – violin Tina B. – vocals Lenny Underwood – bass, drums, keyboards Buddy Williams – drums Richard D. Young – violin Fred Zarr – bass, keyboards

Charts

Volume 1 Chart (1984)PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report) 33 US Billboard R&B Albums10 US Billboard 20014

Volume 2 Chart (1984)Position US Billboard R&B Albums47 US Billboard 200137

Album certifications

References