The History of House Music

House music began underground in Chicago and then made its way to New York. Since the underground clubs of Chicago house has grown into the biggest phenomenal since Rock and Roll. The music was originally made in DJ's basements.

"DISCO SUCKS!" Part 2 starts off with the Demolition of Disco at Cominsky Park in Chicago. This anti-disco campaign was lead by Steve Dowd in July 1979. There was a backlash on disco music after the movie, Saturday Night Fever brought disco to middle America.

Part 3 begins with the mixing of house music and explains the Hot Mix 5 style. DJs became more creative with mixing by cutting tape, using two turntables, and drum machines.

Warning: Some profanity in the interview! However, Part 4 talks about house producing its first star. Jamie Principle wrote "Your Love" which became "the song" at the clubs. Interesting enough, Jamie Principle, due to his strict upbringing, never visited the clubs where his song was being played. His tapes were huge in the clubs.

Part 5 interviews Larry Sherman. Larry Sherman owned Chicago's only record pressing plant. As the first wave of house track emerged, he launched the "Tracks" label.

In 1985, house music existed only in Chicago. DJs needed to find a way to make more money so house music went across the ocean. Upon its inception, it was well received in London. House music was played all over the radio and all in the clubs. It won over the dance floors all across London.

Warning: Some profanity in the interview! However, as more Chicago house music trickled into the UK, DJs up North embraced this new black dance music from America. DJs in Manchester were not only listening to house, they were making it.

Part 8 starts of talking about the London club scene and the prevelant use of the drug ecstasy on the dance floor. House had arrived in London but it was still being driven by Chicago. House becomes real music! And in Detroit, house gave birth to Techno. Techno brought an intellectual theory to dance music.

In the summer of 1988, Big Fun thrust Techno into the UK. This was also dupped the "Acid Period" or the "Summer of Acid." Detroit's Techno joined Chicago's House which was called "The Summer of Love."

In the UK, as Acid House took over the nation the UK papers fuel the moral panic. As the nation raved through another "Summer of Love in 1989, the police stepped up the pressure. Making the Acid House Parties illegal in the UK, attracted more criminals. Eventually, this resulted in driving raves further underground.

Warning: Some profanity in the interview! However, by the end of the 80s, the house music of America had effected a massive social and cultural revolution in Britain. Over the next 10 years it was to show no sign of slowing down.

Warning: Some profanity in the interview! However, the British group, "The Mondays" lead an explosion in Indie dance music and took house to a whole new audience. The drummer and bass player of "The Mondays" changed British music by adapting the house rhythms of Chicago to British Punk Rock music.

Warning: Some profanity in the interview! Around 1985-86 house music could be anything: it could be acid, an 8-0-8 beat with an electronic feel or soulful vocal with a piano chord. At 19 years old, Joey Beltram, came onto the House music scene. He didn't want to do popular music. He wanted to do music that was underground and represented him. He came out with "Energy Flash" that redefined dance music.

In November of 1994, despite protest the Criminal Justice bill became law in the UK but did nothing to stop House music's evolution.

Leftfield came on the scene and drew on house, techno and dub to create a distinctly British sound. In 1993, an assimilation with the grandaddy of punk, John Leiden, who stamped his unique endorsement of UK house, resulted in a crossover to mainstream Pop music. Leftfield proved that by the 90s, the UK had well and truly made House music its own.

Back in House music's homeland the music was finally coming out of the darkness. It was finally getting into the U.S. charts.

The simple art of making beats have elevated the DJ from someone who plays records to someone who makes them. Build on the ability to take ready-made sound and create something new, House has redefined the very notion of music.

Constantly reinventing itself, House unique ability to create new genre is matched by its irresistible power to move dance floors across the world. House is suppose to be a good time. It crosses all divisions, it has grown into an international phenomenon, and it shows no sign of stopping.

Special thanks for the interviews. Portion of the interview from the History of House Music was used in the segments giving a description of each video.