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HOUSE MUSIC - What is House Music? |
The First House Records??
Disco music with added electronica
is one way of describling House music, although the
phrase "House music" wasn't
used in its early days of its existence. In fact, the
nightspot known as the "Warehouse"
within Chicago, Usa had existed since 1977,
and it was only when at the time that New York
born DJ Frankie Knuckles moved to a discotheque
in Chicago, that the peoples began to talk about House
music, as in, the music that was played over at the
Warehouse.
In the mid 1980s, cheap electronic
equipment appeared, Trax records was founded
in Chicago, and a new rawer, sleazier sound was being
championed by Dj Ron Hardy at the Music Box nightspot,
Chicago was all the rage.
House music crossed the distance to New
York with the track called "Mysteries of
Love" by Mr. Fingers (Larry Heard, Chicago).
The 110bpm original instrumental becane an anthem at the
Paradise Garage Nightclub after Larry Levan gets
hold of it on acetate. In the late 1980's, New York rose
again with Todd Terry introducing sampling
to house music. |
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House in Chicago
The birth place of House music was the
Warehouse, in Chicago,Usa. As the 1970's
became the 1980's, if you were young,
black or gay, your church might as well have
been this nightspot.This was a place where you could forget
your troubles and escape to a better plane for a few hours
of your life each weekend.
From 1977 to 1981,
on a Saturday, right through to a Sunday afternoon people
paid their $4 dollars to enter a building
that was supposed to hold only 600.
But, it regularly held well over 2,000 people.
All who came here had
one thing in mind to do. And that was to dance!
Which was made easy by the Djing skills that
Frankie Knuckles, who had perfected
his dj mixing skills in those Disco night clubs back
home within New York City. Playing
a soulful, funky and groovy style of Disco to his new
Chicago audiences.
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For a long time the word
"House", referred not only
to a particular style of music as to more of an "attitude".
If a song was "House", it really
meant that it was from a "cool club"
that you heard this particular music from. It usually
meant an underground club, or something that you would
never hear this type of "music" on a commercial
radio station.
In Chicago, at that period of time, going
to the right dance club could mean it was "House".
If you went there with your friends you were "House".
Walking down the streets within Chicago, you could tell
who was "House", or who wasn't
by the clothes that they wore!! - Source
taken from the Book called "Last Night a Dj saved
my life" - Headline Press - London
The word "House"
was being used years before any musical references
could be applied to the music that we know it for today.
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Chip E, an early
House music producer gives us an indication of how the
name got stuck to the music through an interview he gave.
He explained how the name came about. He used to work
at the Imports ETC records store within
Chicago.
"People would come
in and ask for all the old sounds, the Salsoul that Frankie
Knuckles used to play at the Warehouse.So
we'd put up signs that said "Warehouse music" to get peoples
attention to re-issues and collectors items" It worked
so well that we started putting it up on all sorts of
records, and shortened the label to "House". And "House"
became the name of the music that was happening, that
was hot, whether it was old or new".. - Source taken from
the Book called "Last Night a Dj saved my life" - Headline
Press - London |
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Frankie Knuckles, first
experience with the name came when he was driving through
the city and noticed a sign in the window of a bar stating:"We
play House music." Bemused, he asked his travelling
compatriot what this meant? She
looked at him and said, "It means like the
music that you play at the Warehouse"..!
But by late 1982, the
"Warehouse" popularity began
to dwindle. The owners of the "Warehouse"
had gottten greedy, and had doubled the entrance rate
to the club. Also more the club had become less friendly,
as the club became more commercialised.
Frankie Knuckles, eventually
left the Warehouse and opened up the
Powerplant, still in Chicago.
His crowd followed him accordingly, leaving the future
of the Warehouse in doubt. |
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