20 UK Acts That Outlined A UK Dancefloor Sound
13 min read
Whereas punk and New Wave grabbed the UK headlines in the course of the late 70s, within the nightclubs of London and southeast Britain, American funk music was all the fashion, championed by influential DJs like Steven “DJ Froggy” Howlett, Robbie Vincent, and Chris Hill. Venues akin to London’s the 100 Membership and Canvey Island’s Goldmine turned the crucibles the place the sound of Britfunk was nurtured; an ethnically inclusive scene the place a ardour for the music introduced individuals collectively. Impressed by their love for US funk, many younger Black British musicians shaped their very own bands, although they by no means copied their idols or sang with a fake American accent; and since lots of them have been of Caribbean descent, the music typically had a looser, dub-tinged really feel, which gave it a particular taste.
With the chart success of pioneering bands like Hello-Pressure and Mild Of The World, Britfunk’s affect quickly seeped into mainstream pop, impacting the music of Haircut 100, ABC, and Wham! whereas additionally influencing avant-garde bands just like the Pop Group, 23 Skidoo, and Clock DVA. Although the primary wave of Britfunk had fizzled out by 1982, the mid-’80s noticed the emergence of a brand new technology of technologically savvy bands like Free Ends and 52nd Avenue, whose sound was outlined by synthesizers and drum machines. Later, because the 80s rolled into the 90s, the UK’s uncommon groove scene – which championed classic US jazz and funk information – helped spawn the extra natural acid jazz motion, which gave rise to the groundbreaking bands Model New Heavies, Incognito, and Jamiroquai.
Right here’s our salute to the 20 artists that put Britfunk on the map and confirmed that home-grown UK funk acts might compete with the perfect that the US needed to supply.
20: Whole Distinction
From Comfortable Cell to the Eurhythmics and Wham! to Erasure, British duos dominated the Eighties pop panorama. There weren’t many home-grown R&B twosomes, although, aside from London’s Whole Distinction, consisting of singer/keyboardist Robin Achampong and bassist Delroy Murray. Combining slick, machine-tooled digital grooves with soulful vocals, the pair launched two well-received Britfunk albums (1985’s Whole Distinction and 87’s Beat To Beat), tasting average success in each the UK and US.
Key Observe: “Takes A Little Time”
19: Atmosfear
Main the preliminary Britfunk cost, this London sextet co-founded by bassist and vocalist Lester J. Batchelor and drummer Ray Johnson have been one-hit-wonders whose percussive interstellar disco groove “Dancing In Area” – launched through their guitarist Andy Sojka’s Elite label – rocketed to No. 47 within the UK charts throughout 1979. In 1981, the group inked a cope with MCA and unleashed their debut LP, En Trance. Atmosfear recorded a second album in 1983 however dissolved shortly afterwards. In addition to being sampled by the Chemical Brothers and Madlib, in latest occasions the group’s music has been revived through remixes by Grasp At Work and Dmitri of Paris. Batchelor and Johnson resurrected the band in 2020 underneath the identify Atmosfear 2
Key Observe: “Dancing In Area”
18: Shakatak
With 33 studio albums to their identify, this long-running group – whose identify references a London music retailer known as the Document Shack – are nonetheless going robust. With a sound outlined by Invoice Sharpe’s crystalline acoustic piano filigrees and Jill Saward’s alluring siren-like vocals, the group patented an infectious and danceable jazz-funk model that was the forerunner to clean jazz. Between 1980 and 1987 Shakatak notched up fourteen UK hit singles and earned a gold disc for his or her basic 1982 album, Night time Birds, whose title track was a Prime 10 British smash.
Key Observe: “Night time Birds”
17: I-Stage
A London-based trio consisting of singer Sam Jones and multi-instrumentalists Joe Dworniak and Duncan Bridgeman, I Stage’s electro-funk aesthetic was symptomatic of R&B’s embrace of state-of-the-art expertise within the early 80s. Augmenting synths and drum machines with actual horns and bass, they began brightly, scoring two UK hit singles in 1983 – “Minefield” and “Trainer,” each catchy and eminently danceable – in addition to a charting self-titled debut album however have been unable to match that success with their second album, 1985’s Shake, whose mix of soul, Britfunk, pop, and hip-hop didn’t discover a receptive viewers.
Key Observe: “Minefield”
16: Younger Disciples
Although their time within the highlight was transient, one-album-wonder Younger Disciples mirrored the colourful zeitgeist of London’s early Nineteen Nineties acid jazz scene with music that blended samples, hip-hop model beats and actual devices to create a sound that concurrently was basic and cutting-edge. Consisting of Londoners Marco Nelson and Femi Williams and bonafide American funk royalty within the form of gospel-reared singer Carleen Anderson – the daughter of James Brown associates Bobby Byrd and Vicki Anderson – the group have been signed to DJ Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label. Their solely album, 1991’s Highway To Freedom, included the UK hits “Get Your self Collectively” and “Apparently Nothin’.” The group break up when Anderson left to pursue a solo profession.
Key Observe: “Apparently Nothin’”
15: Junior
One of the crucial dynamic younger new vocalists to emerge as a part of the primary Britfunk wave, this London-born singer sang backing vocals with Linx earlier than launching a solo profession. His first single, a disco-funk indie label launch known as “Get Up & Dance,” was issued in 1981 underneath his actual identify – Norman Giscombe, Jr. – however after signing to Mercury later the identical 12 months, he was merely billed as “Junior.” His Mercury debut, the driving dance observe, “Mama Used To Say,” was a convincing transatlantic smash, rising to No. 7 within the UK and No. 2 within the US R&B chart. Junior continued to take pleasure in various levels of chart success on either side of the Atlantic into the early Nineteen Nineties.
Key Observe: “Mama Used To Say”
14: 52nd Avenue
This Manchester quartet fronted by the sweetly soulful vocals of Diane Charlemagne proved that Britfunk wasn’t confined to London. Melding subtle soul grooves with cutting-edge electro-funk, the outfit made their debut for an area indie label in 1982, the now iconic Manufacturing facility Information – finest identified for introducing the world to Pleasure Division and New Order – earlier than signing to MCA three years later. They ventured to Philadelphia to work with sizzling shot producer Nick Martinelli, who helmed their debut lengthy participant, Kids Of The Night time, which yielded the minor UK hits, “You’re My Final Likelihood” and “Inform Me (How It Feels)”; the latter additionally peaked at No. 8 within the US R&B chart in 1986. By 1990, the group have been no extra, however Charlemagne went on to work with City Cookie Collective and the drum and bass maven Goldie.
Key Observe: “Inform Me (How It Feels)”
13: Creativeness
Consisting of flamboyant lead singer Leee John, bassist Ashley Ingram, and drummer Erroll Kennedy, Creativeness have been one of many UK’s greatest soul and funk acts of the Eighties. Regardless of their penchant for skimpy clothes and a playful, tongue-in-cheek campiness, they have been severe musicians who have been expert at creating erotic ambiences with their rubbery bass strains and slinky bed room grooves. The group hit the UK Prime 5 within the early 80s with their anthemic singles “Physique Speak,” “Simply An Phantasm,” and “Music And Lights” however have been unable to duplicate their success in America.
Key Observe: “Simply An Phantasm”
12: Central Line
Taking their identify from a route on the London Underground, Central Line started as a jazz-funk sextet in 1978; they signed with Mercury Information a 12 months later, debuting with the propulsive disco single “Wot We Bought (It’s Scorching).” It didn’t chart however the band’s fortunes modified for the higher in 1981 after they connected with producer Roy Carter, who had been within the pioneering Britfunk band Heatwave. Beneath Carter’s supervision, the group – which had slimmed all the way down to a quartet by then – up to date their sound with synthesisers and put six singles into the UK singles chart between 1981 and 1983, probably the most profitable being a radical electro-funk revamp of the jazz customary “Nature Boy.” The group break up in 1984.
Key Observe: “Strolling Into Sunshine”
11: Freeez
Based and fronted by singer-songwriter, percussionist, and producer John Rocca in North London throughout 1978, Freeez included future Incognito guitarist “Bluey” Maunick in its earliest incarnation. They launched their first single, a bass-driven jazz-funk instrumental known as “Preserve In Contact,” two years later through the indie label Calibre. It made No. 49 within the UK singles chart and its success received them signed to an even bigger label, Beggars Banquet, which launched the group’s first Prime 10 UK hit, “Southern Freeez,” in 1981. Rocca then deserted natural jazz-funk, turning his consideration to the nascent electro sound infiltrating dance music by teaming up with New York producer Arthur Baker in 1983 to helm the synth-powered “I.O.U.,” a Prime 20 US R&B hit.
Key Observe: “I. O. U.”
10: Stage 42
Hailing from the Isle Of Wight, a big island within the English Channel, Stage 42 started as an instrumental quartet in 1979 and after relocating to London, aligned themselves with the UK’s burgeoning jazz-funk motion. They initially signed to Elite, a small indie label the place they launched some club-friendly 12″ singles, earlier than becoming a member of Polydor. The group’s early releases, just like the instrumental “Sandstorm,” outlined by its lithe, sinewy bass line – courtesy of Mark King, who was additionally their lead singer – have been decidedly jazz-funk in nature however because the group advanced, their sound and materials turned extra pop and rock-oriented. Although they’ve witnessed a number of personnel modifications in the course of the 4 a long time, King and singer/keyboardist Mike Lindup stay the guts of the band.
Key Observe: “Love Video games”
9: Linx
Beginning out as a quintet in 1980, Linx introduced a fresh-faced vibrancy and buoyant joie de vivre to the UK’s soul and funk scene. After their debut single, they slimmed all the way down to a dynamic duo consisting of singer David Grant and bassist “Sketch” (actual identify, Peter Martin) and patented a particular sound that blended funk and soul with pop and even tinges of rock. They racked up six UK and three US hits for Chrysalis Information between 1981 and 1983, the largest of which was “Instinct,” a brilliant, sunny, Caribbean-inflected dance quantity which rose to No. 7 on the British pop charts. The duo, who have been nominated within the Finest Newcomer class on the 1982 Brit Awards, launched three albums earlier than splitting up in 1983. Sketch subsequently joined the avant-funk group 23 Skidoo whereas Grant loved a profitable solo profession in the course of the the rest of the 80s (he later turned a vocal coach on the British TV present Fame Academy).
Key Observe: “Instinct”
8: Mild Of The World
Serving to to set in movement Britfunk’s first wave, London’s Mild Of The World have been an lively eight-piece band with horns who took their identify from the title of the 1974 Kool & The Gang LP Mild Of The Worlds. Led by singer/percussionist Gee Bello and guitarist Nat Augustin, the group additionally featured future Incognito members Bluey Maunick and keyboardist Peter Hinds, and have been snapped up by Ensign Information in 1979 after the label’s influential A&R exec, the legendary tastemaker DJ Chris Hill, was stunned by the group’s demo tape. The group’s debut single, “Swingin’,” pushed by Augustin’s uneven funk guitar, dented the UK Prime 50, as did the evocative “London City,” a trendy amalgam of funk and jazz. By 1982, the group – as had Britfunk – had run out of steam. The group’s horn part briefly loved a lifetime of its personal underneath the identify Beggar & Co within the early 80s.
Key Observe: “Swingin’”
7: Heatwave
Some contend that Britfunk’s Large Bang second got here when this London-based group dropped their infectious third single, “Boogie Nights,” in 1976, which exploded within the pop charts and discotheques around the globe. Taking their stylistic cue from US teams like Kool & The Gang, the group blended uncooked syncopated funk with the svelte sophistication of jazz. The truth that the group have been actually cosmopolitan in nature – its members got here from the UK, the USA, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and Jamaica – was instrumental in imbuing their music with a singular sonic taste. Extra huge worldwide hits adopted, together with “The Groove Line” and the luxurious romantic ballad “At all times & Eternally,” however the group misplaced industrial momentum when their keyboard participant and principal songwriter Rod Temperton stop in 1979, moved to the USA and started writing materials for Michael Jackson. Heatwave reunited briefly within the late 80s earlier than drifting into obscurity.
Key Observe: “Boogie Nights”
6: Jamiroquai
Fronted by the magnetic frontman and singer/songwriter Jay Kay, Jamiroquai shaped in 1992, initially as an acid jazz group impressed by a combination of old-fashioned jazz-funk, early 70s Steve Surprise albums, and hip-hop. Making their debut on the Acid Jazz label with the one, “When You Gonna Study,” they shortly turned a sizzling commodity and signed a serious label deal in 1993, ensuing of their prescient, ecology-focused debut album, Emergency On Planet Earth. Because the years and albums handed, the group advanced, including disco, electronica, and Latin music parts to their instantly recognizable sonic template. A number of of their singles topped the US Dance Membership chart, together with “Area Cowboy” in 1995 and “Canned Warmth” 4 years later.
Key Observe: “Digital Madness”
5: Hello-Pressure
Though their time within the highlight was transient, this achieved North London octet made sufficient of an influence on the finish of the 70s to encourage different aspiring British funkateers to observe their lead. Fronted by singer and keyboardist David Joseph, they signed to Island Information in 1978 and hit the UK Prime 20 with the one “Hello Pressure,” whose rhythmic currents bubbled with tinges of Afrobeat and Jamaican dub in addition to American soul and funk. Its follow-up, the anthemic dance observe “British Hustle” did even higher, breaking into the UK Prime 10 whereas the group’s eponymous debut LP peaked at No. 74. Regardless of their encouraging success in Britain, the group didn’t fare nicely abroad and broke up quickly after their album hit the streets. The group briefly reformed in 1984 with out Joseph, who was by then having fun with average success as a solo performer.
Key Observe: “British Hustle”
4: Soul II Soul
Beresford Romeo is best often known as Jazzie B, the self-styled “Funki Dredd” and DJ who was the mastermind behind this legendary UK soul and funk collective that started life as a Jamaican-style sound system that performed each Sunday evening at London’s Africa Centre. Soul II Soul, who coined the motto “A cheerful face, a thumpin’ bass, for a lovin’ race!,” started releasing their very own music, a union of basic soul and jazz parts with up to date beats, in 1988 utilizing a number of completely different vocalists, together with Rose Windross and Caron Wheeler. Their debut album Membership Classics Quantity 1 (re-titled Preserve On Movin’ for the US market) went platinum whereas the one “Again To Life” topped the charts in each the UK and USA and received the Grammy for Finest R&B Efficiency By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. The group continues to be going at this time.
Key Observe: “Again To Life”
3: Model New Heavies
Famous for his or her natural, previous school-style strategy to funk that noticed them closely sampled by a number of hip-hop producers, this London group was constructed across the nucleus of guitarist Simon Bartholomew, bassist Andrew Levy, and drummer Jan Kincaid. They first emerged in 1988 on the dance label Cooltempo however made extra of an influence after switching to the rising Acid Jazz imprint and within the early 90s witnessed mainstream success after they introduced in American singer N’Dea Davenport, whose dynamic vocals helped propel the group into each the UK and US charts. After Davenport stop the group in 1996, her replacements have included fellow Individuals Siedah Garrett and Carleen Anderson in addition to a different sequence of visitor vocalists.
Key Observe: “Keep This Approach”
2: Free Ends
Not since Heatwave within the late 70s had a British-based soul and funk act made such a concerted assault on the US R&B charts as Free Ends did between 1985 and 1991. Consisting of singer Jane Eugene and multi-instrumentalists Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol, the trio signed to Virgin Information in 1981 however didn’t style success till they connected with Philly producer Nick Martinelli three years later. By mixing effervescent drum machine grooves with futuristic synth textures and actual orchestral strings, the group patented a singular sound. Eugene and Nichol left the group in 1990, leaving McIntosh to take the reins and kind a brand new lineup, which lasted for one album.
Key Observe: “Hangin’ On A String (Considering)”
1: Incognito
Topping our record of finest Britfunk acts is that this long-established London collective shaped by songwriter, guitarist, and producer Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick in 1979 after he left the band Mild Of The World. Impressed by huge American teams like Earth, Wind & Fireplace, Incognito blended brassy funk, soul and Latin music into an intoxicating brew and rode in simply as the primary wave of Britfunk was dropping momentum, hitting the UK charts in 1981 with their first single “Parisienne Lady” taken from their debut LP, Jazz Funk. Quickly after, the band went into an extended hibernation however returned larger and higher within the Nineteen Nineties on DJ Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label, releasing a succession of excellent singles and albums which established them because the standard-bearers of the UK’s acid jazz scene. The group’s music additionally went down nicely in golf equipment, due to remixers like Masters At Work and David Morales, who have been in a position to translate the group’s slick huge band preparations into addictive dance flooring grooves.
Key Observe: “At all times There”
