KLASSIC KUTS: A Little Nasty Rock
Every crate digger has that record—the one that feels personal before you even know why. For me, that record is Garrett’s Crew’s “Nasty Rock.” It’s an electro-funk artifact from 1983 that hit my ears early and never really left. The groove was minimal, robotic, and unapologetically physical. And then there was the myth: whispers that Garrett’s Crew might’ve been from North Carolina, the same place I call home—because the label, HGEI Records, was based out of Fuquay-Varina, NC. True or not, that rumor alone stitched the record into my musical DNA.
Garrett’s Crew was the brainchild of James L. Garrett, a name that might not be up in lights, but whose work definitely lit up the rollerskating rinks, party basements, and dance circles of the early ’80s. Ironically, one of my best Friend’s name is James Garrett…What’s up J. Mac…years later that’s still funny to me.
There’s something delightfully raw about “Nasty Rock.” Big synth hits, stripped-down drum pulses, and a vocoder vocal that feels like it came through a robot’s distorter on a mission — it sounds like the future as the ’80s were just getting started. If you were skating or popping in ’83 and ’84, you probably heard this in the mix alongside futuristic funk joints. One online recall from electro heads says it melted local roller rink floors back in the day and kept floor alive with poppers, wavers, and boogaloos alike — a true under-the-radar classic that never lost its bite.
Back then, records like this didn’t need a press run or glossy photos. They moved through roller rinks, block parties, and DJ booths on word-of-mouth and needle drops. The instrumental version alone was enough to shut down a floor—perfect for breakers, poppers, and anyone who understood that space between beats is where the magic lives. The vocal version just added attitude, a mechanical chant that turned the groove into a rallying cry.
What always pulled me deeper was how “Nasty Rock” felt regional even while sounding futuristic. HGEI Records being rooted in Fuquay-Varina fueled a local pride—like maybe, just maybe, this electro weapon came from our backyard. Whether Garrett’s Crew actually hailed from North Carolina almost doesn’t matter anymore. The idea that it could have been ours made the record hit harder.
The record’s life didn’t stop in the Carolinas. After its initial run on HGEI, “Nasty Rock” turned up on Clockwork Records — a label known for underground electro joints — and then on one of the heavyweights of the era: Prelude Records, which was notorious for classic disco gems of the day. But there was a twist. On Prelude, the track was credited to The “P” Crew, not Garrett’s Crew, and it came with a new identity under the guidance of legendary producer Patrick Adams and collaborator Mr. Adam. They re-imagined the rhythm as “Party Rock,” a version with a different arrangement that I imagine was for forced for a broader dancefloor appeal that could slid neatly into Prelude’s roster of disco, boogie, funk, and electro classics. Honestly, with all the classic songs Patrick Adams wrote, produced or performed this glossy attempt to redo “Nasty Rock” just didn’t work. It didn’t have the grit of the original.
Look, some classics age into nostalgia. “Nasty Rock” never did. It stayed lean, strange, and confrontational—an electro pulse that refuses to fade. For me, it’s not just a favorite. It’s proof that sometimes the records that mean the most are the ones wrapped in rumor, regional pride, and a groove too nasty to forget. Wherever Mr. Garrett is…thank you for this bit of nastiness!
Rock, Rock to the Nasty Rock.
I introduce to you a Klassic Kut – Garrett’s Crew – Nasty Rock . Check it out below. You’re Welcome.
Klassic Love,
Madd Hatta
