Pair-Shaped - 40 Thieves & Hot Chocolate

San Fran DJ qzen (above) supplies vocals for noddy disco outfit 40 Thieves' cover of Hot Chocolate's 'Don't Turn It Off', which first appeared back in 2008 on Permanent Vacation. The track resurfaced on Chinatown Records last year, remixed by label owner Brennan Green (as heard here on December's Balearic Death Mix), and has sprung to life again thanks to a re-edit included on Greg Wilson's Credit To The Edit Vol 2 (Tirk).

While many have written off UK soul band Hot Chocolate as cod disco, 'Don't Turn It Off' was the band at its super slinky best and appeared on the b-side of their 1979 flop single 'Mindless Boogie'. Commercially it it appeared during a slump period for the band who had enjoyed a string of global hits from '73 to '78 ('Brother Louie', 'Emma', 'So You Win Again', 'I'll Put You Together Again'). Hot Chocolate's mainstream comeback, that made them household names, didn't happen until '82 with 'Girl Crazy', damning them to the casino circuit for eternity. Yeah, they could be schmaltzy ('It Started With A Kiss') and sound like they were cranking out jingles ('Every1's A Winner') but it's hard to deny they could sex it up with the best of them when they set their crotches to it ('Heaven's In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac').

NY team Rub'N'Tug recognised the sultry nature of 'Don't Turn It Off' and included it on their seminal '05 mix set Campfire. An early morning seduction anthem was born. And the song fit 40 Thieves like a condom. Comprising qzen (ex-The Invisibles), Corey Black (Imperial Dub label manager), Jay Williams (Jaswho?) and Layne Fox (engineer on Woolfy's The Warehouse), 40 Thieves followed up their 'Life Is Special' 12" (Rong) with 'Don't Turn It Off' and there's just no getting tired of what could well be a modern disco classic. And the track was the perfect lead-in to last year's 'Beats In Space' 12" (Rong) of edits that shows they can do flamboyant disco too on 'Love To Shake It Baby'.

'Don't Turn It Off (Greg Wilson Edit)' - 40 Thieves feat qzen:

'Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac' - Hot Chocolate:

Buy: Credit To The Edit 2 - Various/Greg Wilson; 'Don't Turn It Off' - 40 Thieves.