In the early 80s more and more DJs started to look for records with break beats. One hotspot for these early diggers was Music Factory on 43rd and Broadway at Times Square in New York City where a record buyer / sales person called Stanley Patzer accumulated and shared encyclopedic knowledge of the in demand records for the new art form of Hip Hop DJs. His friend and fellow record seller (at Downstairs Records) Leonard “Breakbeat Lenny” Roberts took the most in demand tracks and released them (sometimes edited by Louis “Breakbeat Lou” Flores to extend the break) on a total of nine bootleg compilations called Octopus Breaks.
The latter two took the existing Octopus compilations and from 1986 onwards rereleased them legally (ie after acquiring mechanical copyrights) on a newly created label called Streetbeat Records. Until Lennys’ death in the early 90s when the label ceased trading a total of 25 compilations called “Ultimate Breaks & Beats” (UBB) were released.
From around 1996 onwards all 25 volumes have repeatedly been bootlegged. There have also been additional releases added on similar labels (Vol 26 for example) which have nothing to do with the original Streetbeat Records.
Approximately thirty years after the original inception of "UBB", Breakbeat Lou has revived the series with its own website and facebook page.
Street Beat Records
1154 Castle Hill Ave.
Bronx
NY
10462
The offices were above DJ Specialty at this same address later moved to Pugsley Ave in The Bronx
OK lets set the record straight on this series. The Original Octopus Breaks better known as Break Beats with image of the various colored octopuses and the fake address of Hollywood Florida. These records were bootlegs of original recordings of funk, soul, disco and even rap recordings and were made in New York by the late Bronx legend "Break Beat Lenny" (as he was a personal aquaintance of mine I wont give out his last name for respect to his family.) Lenny pressed up 8 volumes using the Octopus logos and later switched to his Street Beat Record logo with the different artwork. If you compare the etchings in the dead wax they all say Break Beats or BB in the wax (Octopus logo versions) and the Street Beat series use the exact same etchings as they are the exact same master plates As I get time I will update this section with photos. The rarest Octopus version is Volume 4 in which a limited run had the rare rap tune Get Up and Go To School by Pookey Blow which appeared on Tri State Records. The octopus breaks were NOT the first bootlegs lenny did.. one of his earler boots was on Sure Shot Records where he pressed up Long Red by Leslie West, he did these around 1981 (He also pressed up 45s earlier than that).
This series debuted in 1986, months before the Emu SP1200 hit markets in mid-1987. These 2 things combined are the sole reasons why pre-1987 drum machine driven Hip-Hop gave way to samples/loops. Even some 1986 needle drops that appear in Hip-Hop that year originate here.
Initially, these were compiled as a way to gather all the Hip-Hop DJ's battle tracks into a one-stop-shop when Hip-Hop still meant MC's were a compliment to the real attraction, the DJ.
Great compilations for the purposes of hearing the original source of well-known breaks, and maybe for praticing your turntablist skills. Beware though, that a lot of these are edited versions that repeat the break. From the SONIC point of view though, this entire series of releases is HORRIBLE. These are are basically counterfeit copies of unlicensed compilations that have been around for more than 25 years now. In other words, these are bootlegs of bootlegs of bootlegs. You can hear that by comparing the original boots with these more modern knock-offs. These hapless, greedy PIRATES can't even be bothered to use clean originals to re-cut the compilations...Each new round of these is made from an earlier pirate vinyl bootleg, and the sound gets murkier and murkier and they just change the artwork. Don't pay a lot for these...they're easily available in most big cities, flea-markets and used disco/hip-hop bins. Don't waste any stamps trying their Bronx, NY mailing address. Do
you honestly think pirates would make it THAT easy for the R.I.A.A. to bust them???
brothercraig
February 13, 2020