Backs To The Wall

This was written before the result of the general election was known but in gloomy, pessimistic anticipation of a Johnson win. Maybe I was wrong and he’s been turfed out into a cold December Downing Street, the door banging shut behind him.

Music is important isn’t’ it? It brings us together, gives us shared experiences (personal listening experiences and shared ones at gigs or on the dance-floor). It gives a voice to people. It allows us to recognise ourselves in the art others have made. Music gives us something to dance to in the face of disaster and disappointment, both personal and political. Lifts us up and brings us down. Makes us laugh and smile, cry and sigh. Makes you feel like you can face the world.

A Certain Ratio have been celebrating their 40th anniversary this year with a tour and a box set and two new releases (an old one in their unreleased version of Houses In  Motion and a new one in the Chris Massey remix of Dirty Boy, both featured here previously). In 1989 they were only ten years old and had left Factory for the major label environs of A&M. 1989’s The Big E album had several songs I’d consider to be keepers but didn’t sell well. The single Backs To The Wall was remixed by Frankie Knuckles, one of the originators of house music. He adds a chunky house beat and pumps up the disco elements of the song although in 1989 terms this remix feels quite slow. Nice job though, the symphonic stabs are good, there’s some funky guitar riffs and housed up piano chords, a bubbly bassline and several vocal lines that jump out given the current situation, not least the ones about the economic hard times and money talking, ‘we’re going nowhere, nowhere fast’, ‘we all need friends to help in the end but nothing lasts forever’ and the chorus…

‘Backs to the wall
Stand up tall
Don’t let ’em get you down’

Back To The Wall (Frankie Knuckles Remix)

Your Love

 

Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles’ Your Love is one of the cornerstones of modern music- the two note bassline, that sequenced arpeggio part, the gospel vocals, the four-four beat. Back in the mid-80s Jamie Principle put it together in his Chicago bedroom on cheap and homemade machinery. Frankie Knuckles then sprinkled his magic over it. It was played off cassette for ages in Chicago warehouses before it got a vinyl release. It’s been a record of uplift and ecstasy ever since, especially since it then went and got magically spliced with Candy Staton.

At a recent Radio 1 session The Horrors covered Your Love. Do not worry. It is fucking superb.

Your Love (Radio Session)

Let The Music Use You

Frankie Knuckles died this week aged 59. It would be remiss of me to let this pass, especially seeing as half the music posted here over the last four years lives in his shadow to some extent. I was going to post Your Love but there’s a campaign to get it to number one so I probably shouldn’t be giving it away for free. Instead here’s Night Writers, with vocals by Ricky Dillard…

Let The Music (Use You)

Let the music use you, let it take control.

Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle ‘Your Love’

And in one deft flick of the slide fader we move from Charlie Feathers to Frankie Knuckles. Classic Chicago house and one of those songs that can take you way on up.

Dirty Diamonds II (2004) – 13 – Frankie Knuckles – Your Love.mp3