The Move Towards the Mainstream
Although house music’s popularity was growing at a steady
rate throughout the beginning of the eighties, many clubbers were still unable
to buy the tracks they heard in the clubs from record stores. In 1984 Jesse Saunders
would change this with the release of his hit “On & On” and the launch of
his own label “Jes Say records/Trax”. Jesse Saunders was sixteen years old when he first
saw Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse. Inspired by this experience, Jesse Saunders
would begin to DJ his own songs and within a few years owned his own club, The Playground. He the began producing his own music and created a record label where house
artist could now promote and make money. Utilizing the Roland TB-303 bass
synthesizer, the house being produced by the likes of Saunders began to get
faster developing into the sub - genre of acid house. During this period Jes Say
records/Trax produced hits such as “Funk u up” (The first house track to chart
on the billboard 200) and “Love Can’t Turn Around”. It would be this last hit
that would be taken over to London by pirate DJ’s and played underground
throughout the clubs, exposing British youth to acid house and house music for
the first time. With the summer of love, 88’, unfolding throughout Britain, the
once black and middle class American disco music was being adopted by the working-class
youth of Europe. Crossing over with the growing ecstasy culture, house would grow into a
different kind of beast. By the end of the 80’s house had entered the UK mainstream. Sadly many of the original Chicago artists received little to no money and by
the end of the decade new laws had seen the closure of most clubs through Chicago.
Although house music’s popularity was growing at a steady
rate throughout the beginning of the eighties, many clubbers were still unable
to buy the tracks they heard in the clubs from record stores. In 1984 Jesse Saunders
would change this with the release of his hit “On & On” and the launch of
his own label “Jes Say records/Trax”. Jesse Saunders was sixteen years old when he first
saw Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse. Inspired by this experience, Jesse Saunders
would begin to DJ his own songs and within a few years owned his own club, The Playground. He the began producing his own music and created a record label where house
artist could now promote and make money. Utilizing the Roland TB-303 bass
synthesizer, the house being produced by the likes of Saunders began to get
faster developing into the sub - genre of acid house. During this period Jes Say
records/Trax produced hits such as “Funk u up” (The first house track to chart
on the billboard 200) and “Love Can’t Turn Around”. It would be this last hit
that would be taken over to London by pirate DJ’s and played underground
throughout the clubs, exposing British youth to acid house and house music for
the first time. With the summer of love, 88’, unfolding throughout Britain, the
once black and middle class American disco music was being adopted by the working-class
youth of Europe. Crossing over with the growing ecstasy culture, house would grow into a
different kind of beast. By the end of the 80’s house had entered the UK mainstream. Sadly many of the original Chicago artists received little to no money and by
the end of the decade new laws had seen the closure of most clubs through Chicago.
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