Eric B. & Rakim | FOREVER YOUNG

The Danse Society.

As often happens with bands of all genres, members leave and go on to form other bands. The English Goth band The Danse Society was one of those bands. They got their start in 1980 and had been around for six years when all of the members of the band (save for one) left to form another band, Johnny In The Clouds.

The one band member that stayed on was lead singer Steve Rawlings, who continued as Society, releasing two songs in 1987, “Saturn Girl” and “Love It.” I met Michael – one of my (future) best friends and the person who has been most influential to me in music – in the Summer of 1987, around the time The Danse Society became Society. It’s no surprise that “Love It” wound up on the first mix tape Michael made for me in May 1988 – the original “Ron’s Honkin’ Stompin’ Stubba Smut Mix” (I can’t remember how the title of the mix tape came about…)

One of mixes on the 12” single was remixed by Coldcut, the London Electronic duo who have produced and remixed music for decades for the likes of Eric B. & Rakim, Eurythmics, INXS, Blondie, Lisa Stansfield, The Fall and more. This was the mix that caught my ear and was the mix that appeared in the video. The Coldcut Remix for “Love It” included many samples that rival and even may have been inspired by “Pump Up The Volume” by M|A|R|R|S, out around the same time.

“Love It” wasn’t the type of song I would have been into earlier in the 80s, and it wasn’t a hit anywhere (though it did reach No. 19 on the U.K. Indie Singles chart), but it’s a really cool and fun song, I totally dig the guitar stylings, and even though I don’t know much else about the band, I’m glad “Love It” was introduced to me, because for almost 30 years, I really still do, um, love it…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8XKYLmTZ8Q

It’s nearing the end of International Women’s Day (3.8.2016) here on the right side of the U.S., and the first song I thought of to highlight today was the incredible Liquidator Mix of “Galbi,” by the late, great Tel Aviv, Israel-born Ofra Haza.

Ofra Haza had released nearly 25 albums between 1979 and 2000, and was once referred to as the “The Madonna of the East.” It’s kinda funny how she followed suit and actually turned up on the roster for Sire Records in the late 80s, the same label (back then) as “The Queen Of Pop” herself.

Westerners who don’t know a lot about Ofra Haza might have heard her music, most notably her 1984 / 1987 hit, “Im Nin’alu,” heavily sampled on a very popular Coldcut remix (sub-titled “Seven Minutes of Madness”) for rappers Eric B. & Rakim, and their 1987 hit, “Paid In Full.”

“Paid In Full” reached No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 5 in Holland, No. 12 in Germany and No. 15 in the U.K., plus it made people outside of the Middle East aware of this amazing Israeli music treasure. “Im Nin’alu” was also sampled on the 1987/1988 M|A|R|R|S dance classic, “Pump Up The Volume.”

Both “Im Nin’alu” and “Galbi” originally appeared on Ofra Haza’s 1984 album, YEMENITE SONGS, released on Shanachie Records, and would also appear in remixed form on her next album, SHADAY, released in 1988 on Sire Records.

“Im Nin’alu” was a huge global hit, spending 8 weeks at No. 1 in Germany, 6 weeks at No. 1 in Switzerland, 4 weeks at No. 1 in Norway, 2 weeks at No. 1 in Spain, plus a No. 1 ranking in Finland, and Top 10 peaks in another 3 countries. Here in the U.S., the double-sided 12” single for “Im Nin’alu” and “Galbi” reached No. 15 on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart. “Galbi” on its own would go on to hit the Top 20 in Austria, Germany and Italy.

“The Played Out Mix” version of “Galbi” was the first remix to be issued in Israel in 1984, but the version I fell in love with appeared on the second volume of the excellent Sire Records’ JUST SAY YES sampler series – 1988’s JUST SAY YO. The “Emilio Pasquez Mix” was commissioned by Sire Records for this compilation. Emilio Pasquez had worked in the late 80s with Dance and House acts Bomb The Bass and S-Express.

Ofra Haza sadly passed away on February 23, 2000, at the young age of 42, but her music and her legacy lives on, and to this day, I remember her most for “Im Nin’alu,” her cool vocal contribution to the 1992 version of “Temple Of Love” by The Sisters Of Mercy, and for the kick-ass Liquidator Mix of “Galbi.”

“Welcome to the complete sample library, volume one…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-ssJNS-Pk&list=PL5A55AE4AB9324F48