(Vocal/instrumental group, 1980–91, 1996–present) Sheffield’s ABC essentially rewrote classic 1960s soul and pop for the new romantic 1980s. Their golden era began in 1981 with ‘Tears Are Not Enough’. ‘Poison Arrow’, ‘The Look Of Love’ and ‘All Of My Heart’ followed. The perfect pop of Trevor Horn-produced debut The Lexicon Of Love (1982) was a UK No. 1. ‘When Smokey Sings’ was the band’s last big-seller. Singer Martin Fry still flies ...
(DJ/rap artist, b. 1960) As a DJ, Bambaataa (b. Kevin Donovan) was at the forefront of the rise of hip hop in the late 1970s. In 1982, he released ‘Planet Rock’, which borrowed from Kraftwerk’s ‘Trans-Europe Express’, and essentially invented electro. In the mid-1980s he collaborated with both John Lydon and James Brown. His debut album, Beware (The Funk Is Everywhere) arrived in 1986. His immeasurable influence on progressive black music ...
(Dance group, 1994–present) Producers, DJs and remixers Basement Jaxx (duo Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe) rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, on the back of initial success at various south London club nights – most notably their highly eclectic but always uplifting Rooty evenings. On record, their sound lies somewhere between a carnival sound system and more conventional house music, but all with a telling urban bite. Debut album Remedy (1999) found ...
(Experimental vocal/instrumental group, 1973–94) Founded in Sheffield by Krautrock fans Chris Watson, Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder. The trio manipulated tapes and played conventional instruments against and over them. Signed to Rough Trade in 1978, an underground hit ‘Nag Nag Nag’ emerged. The group became more interested in danceable beats, but still retained an experimental edge. 1984’s ‘Sensoria’ and 1985’s ‘James Brown’ are seen as precursors of house music. Many ...
(Vocals, b. 1984) Scottish DJ Harris (real name Adam Wiles) made a big wave in British disco in the latter half of the Noughties, filling club dancefloors with tracks like ‘Acceptable In The 80s’ and ‘Dance Wiv Me’ – his collaboration with Dizzee Rascal. He courts controversy, voicing his opinions via social network site Twitter, but his talking on the decks made him a driving force in British music in the ...
‘Groove Is In The Heart’, 1990 With the legendary P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins on bass, the equally legendary Maceo Parker (of James Brown fame – as, incidentally, so was Bootsy) on saxophone, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip as a guest vocalist, all the elements were in place for a modern funk anthem. ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ was pop-funk perfection that reached No. 4 in the States, and No. 2 ...
(Producer, b. 1963) Norman Cook, former bassist with The Housemartins, has since operated under a number of guises with huge success. As Fatboy Slim he managed to combine the engine room of dance with great rock sounds – including The Who – to create some of the greatest anthems of the 1990s. You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby (1998) remains the best shop window to his addictive sound. Subsequent Fatboy albums ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1990–present) The brainchild of Manchester DJ and scene-maker Mike ‘M’ Pickering who recruited Heather Small (vocals) and Paul Heard (keyboards, electronics) to form the band. Mixing impeccable melody with beats and influences ranging from northern soul to pop the band were soon scoring UK hits like ‘How Can I Love You More?’ and ‘One Night In Heaven’. Small’s powerful emotive vocals were as essential as their sound and Elegant ...
‘Pump Up The Volume’, 1988 If you are going to release only one song, make sure it is a good one. ‘Pump Up The Volume’ is one of the most influential one-hit wonders of all time. A major milestone in British house music and sampling culture, it marked many people’s first point of contact with the underground dance scene. It also attracted a lawsuit from Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who detected ...
‘Salsoul Nugget (If You Wanna)’, 2001 A seemingly faceless group with a knack for a club hit, M&S/The Girl Next Door were well aware of their club-music lineage when they gave this song the title ‘Salsoul Nugget’. Salsoul is one of the most collectable 1970s disco/dance labels of all time, and an inspiration to similar labels since. Mostly now to be found on Ibiza compilations, the song was a hit, and ...
(Instrumentals, producer, vocals, b. 1965) New Yorker Richard Melville Hall started his career in punk Vatican Commandos before becoming fascinated by the sound and possibilities of dance music when it emerged during the 1980s. Ambient and techno works won him club reputation with tracks like ‘Go’ and ‘I Feel It’ seeping into the lower branches of UK charts. His abilities continued to develop throughout the 1990s reflected in chart success of ...
(DJ, remixer, b. 1963) Training as a chef, Oakenfold found his calling as a DJ and scenemaker during the acid house, Ibiza club and the later trance boom. As an in-demand club DJ he also opened for a number of rock bands including The Stone Roses and U2. He began remixing and producing under the Perfecto banner in collaboration with Steve Osbourne with great success. Oakenfold remains one of the most ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1982–present) Glaswegian Bobby Gillespie was the drummer in The Jesus And Mary Chain before forming Primal Scream in 1982. Early releases paid tribute to the 1960s sound of The Byrds and Love before beginning to steer towards Cult-like rock territory on second album Primal Scream (1989). Discovering the acid-house scene was a revelation to the now stable line-up of Gillespie (vocals), Andrew Innes (guitar), Robert Young (guitar), Martin Duffy ...
‘Make Luv’, 2003 Masterminded by Belgium-based producer Vito Lucente (a.k.a. Junior Jack), Room 5 was a Daft Punk-styled funk-dance creation. Based around Oliver Cheetham’s 1980s hit, ‘Get Down Saturday Night’, ‘Make Luv’ became a UK No. 1 in 2003, though the Room 5 concept was dropped the following year, after Lucente/Room 5 released a full-length album, Music & You: The Album. ...
‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’, 2000 Italian DJ Cristiano Spiller’s ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’ was helped in no small part by vocalist Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who herself would have something of a one-hit wonder two years later with ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’. Initially an instrumental, Spiller invited Ellis-Bexter to guest on the track, giving it more commercial appeal and securing a No. 1 in the UK. ‘Groovejet’ was ultimately one of ...
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David Bowie
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