Burning The Ground Exclusive
“Mr. D.J.” marked the solo breakout for Klymaxx founding member Joyce “Fenderella” Irby—bass player, songwriter, and all-around groove generator. Coming off her years of success with “I Miss You” and “Meeting in the Ladies Room,” Joyce hit the late ’80s club scene with this funk-driven jam featuring none other than the Original Human Beatbox, Doug E. Fresh.
Released in 1989 as the lead single from her debut solo LP Maximum Thrust, the track kicks off with Doug E.’s unmistakable vocal percussion before sliding into Joyce’s sweet and soulful plea for the DJ to keep her dancing. It’s an early example of R&B merging with hip-hop elements—before it became the mainstream formula.
The track was co-produced by Dallas Austin, who Joyce helped launch into the industry. He’d go on to produce hits for TLC, Boyz II Men, and Madonna—but this is where it all started.
“Mr. D.J.” hit #2 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart and cracked the Dance charts too. It’s infectious, smartly produced, and undeniably funky.
This 12″ mix stretches the groove for the dancefloor, extending Doug E.’s beatbox breakdowns and giving the instrumental room to breathe. If you love that New Jack swing/R&B/hip-hop crossover sound of ’88–’90, this one deserves a spot in your rotation.
SIDE A:
Mr. D.J. (Extended Version) 6:32
Featuring – Doug E. Fresh
SIDE B:
Mr. D.J. (Radio Edit) 4:07
Featuring – Doug E. Fresh
Mr. D.J. (Instrumental) 6:10
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Mr. D.J. | U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | #2 |
| 1989 | Mr. D.J. | U.S. Billboard Dance Music / Club Play | #23 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Motown – MOT-4634
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B
CREDITS:
- Arranged By – Dallas Austin, Fenderella*
- Executive Producer – Jheryl Busby, Joyce “Fenderella” Irby
- Producer – Fenderella*
- Remix – Timmy Regisford
NOTES:
Produced for Diva I Productions
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!
Password: burningtheground
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Thank you for this classic.
Welcome back Paul!! I’m a day behind here… I don’t think I was aware of this back in the day. But, I love Klymaxx and this is a funky groove. Love the Doug E. Fresh raps interspersed throughout. This is definitely deserving of the spotlight again. Thank you Paul!
Hi Paul , hope you had a nice holiday and thanks for this great track.I have a request. Perhaps you or someone else here on board has the following 12″: DISCONET Volume 5 / Program 12. Especially Side-C1 : Endgames-First, Last-For Everything and the dub release from US on Flip Records (remixed by Ray “Pinky” Velazquez). I have the original 12″ and still looking for these 2 rips in high quality.
Hey Paul Jams Like This Is Why This Site Is # 1 . Hey Paul How About This Lost Gem!! Jane Child – Don’t Wanna Fall In Love?? Thanks!!
Thank you, Mark. I will see what I can do.
If you do post it, please post the Shep Pettibone remixes: https://www.discogs.com/release/184796-Jane-Child-Dont-Wanna-Fall-In-Love Personally I feel the Teddy Riley were horrific (and can be found easily on tons of cd singles unlike Shep’s mixes). Pretty please? 🙂 Thanks if you can!
Both the Teddy Riley and Shep Pettibone mixes were released digitally on March 25, 2025.
Right. 1)But they are 256 MP3 format on iTunes. 2)I have no idea if/where to buy 100% true lossless versions of them and 3)Your rips are always fantastic!
many thanks!
You’re welcome 🙂
Shut up and slap me alongside the head- this is exactly why I follow this site! Write ups that shine the light often on gems I almost forgot about and give me details I don’t always know! Loved this track almost forgot- thanks a million…again!
Haha! Consider your head lovingly slapped! 😄 That means the world—this is exactly why I do this: to bring those nearly-forgotten gems back into the light and remind us why they hit so hard in the first place. So glad Mr. D.J. sparked that memory—Joyce and Doug E. really cooked up something special here. Thanks for being part of the ride… and you know there’s always more where that came from. 🙌🎶
Hey Paul!! Welcome back!! We missed you!! I hope you had a nice vacation!!
I’m too excited about this release!! I haven’t heard it in ages. Thanks again!!
Jeff
Hey Jeff!! Thank you so much—it’s great to be back!! I definitely missed all of you too. The vacation was much needed, but nothing beats coming home to this community and digging back into the crates. 😊
And yes!! I was just as excited to revisit Mr. D.J.—such a jam, and one that doesn’t get enough love these days. Glad it hit the spot for you! More goodies coming soon… 🎧🔥
Welcome back Paul,
hope you had a nice vacation, and everything is well!
Thanks for sharing this slamming hip hop/new jack swing tune,
it’s been awhile since i last heard it.
peace,
dj
Thank you, Don! It’s great to be back—I had a really nice break and I’m feeling recharged. 😊
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Mr. D.J. definitely brings that perfect blend of hip hop and New Jack swing—it still slams all these years later. Always a pleasure dusting off these forgotten gems and sharing them with folks who truly get it.
Peace and grooves, my friend! 🙌🎶