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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