“Fresh” (Scratch Mix ) by Tyrone Brunson

Bassist, singer, songwriter and producer Tyrone Brunson dropped this bumpin’ cut back in 1984. The super-funky instrumental showcased the musician’s prodigious bass-poppin’ skills. It also boasts a hot beat, dope scratching and sterling synth work. Additionally, the track features some great James Brown samples, which were borrowed from his classics, “Say it Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” and “Hot Pants.”

“Fresh” is a delicious slice of the influential electro-funk sound that was dominating hip-hop music at the time. The track was written by Brunson, Barry Eastmond and Milton Bond and produced by Russell Timmons, Jr. It was the title song off Brunson’s second album, Fresh, released in 1984. The  remixers for “Fresh” were Reggie Thompson and Scott Folks with Elai Tubo laying down the scratches. The track also has a cool vintage ‘80s music video filled with pop-lockers, a scratchin' DJ, breakdancing, etc. And the DJ in the video is none other than the O.G. himself: Ice-T.

Calvin Tyrone Brunson was born on March 22, 1956 in Washington, D.C. He played and sang with several local bands throughout the ‘70s, including the tight funk outfits The Family and Osiris. Brunson landed a record deal with the Columbia-distributed Believe In A Dream label in 1982. His first single,“The Smurf,” which was named after the popular dance craze, became a heavily played club banger in New York and elsewhere. It climbed to #14 on the U.S R&B singles chart and #52 on the UK singles chart. The track was included on Brunson’s debut album, Sticky Situation (1982). The album’s title track was also released as a single and was a moderate hit, peaking at #25 on the U.S. R&B singles chart in 1983.

“Fresh,”the title track from Brunson’s 1984 sophomore album, had a solid showing on the U.S. R&B singles chart, climbing to #22.

Brunson eventually moved to MCA Records and released the album Love Triangle (1987) on the label. The collection was produced by James Mtume, who's best known for his production work with the popular R&B/funk band Mtume. In addition to vocals, Brunson played bass, synthesizer and drums on the album. The title track is a lush R&B ballad that features Gayle Adams, who turns in a soulful, impassioned vocal performance. Unfortunately, the song failed to gain any traction on the charts nor did any of the other songs on the album.

Following Love Triangle, Brunson worked mainly as a background vocalist, most notably for hit-making R&B trio Levert.  He left the music scene in the ‘90s and became a teacher of computer networking. He died on May 25, 2013 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 57.

“The Smurf” is what Brunson is most remembered for, but that are many other strong tracks in his catalogue that are definitely worth checking out, including "Fresh."