Farley "Jackmaster" Funk

Last updated

Farley "Jackmaster" Funk
Birth nameFarley Keith Williams
Also known asFarley Keith
Born (1962-01-25) 25 January 1962 (age 61)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres House
Occupation(s) Disc jockey, composer, music producer, remixer
Years active1981present
Labels Trax Records, House Records
Website twitter.com/FARLEYJMF

Farley "Jackmaster" Funk (born Farley Keith Williams; January 25, 1962) is an American musician, DJ and record producer of Chicago house and acid house music. He is notable for writing and producing a number of highly influential tracks in the mid and late 1980s. [1]

Contents

He has released records under various aliases such as "Farley Funkin' Keith", "Rude Boy Farley Keith", "The Housemaster Boyz", "Jackmaster Dick" or "The Godfather of House".

Career

Farley got his start in the music industry in 1981 as one of the original members of the Hot Mix 5, a DJ team at WBMX-FM 102.7 FM, Oak Park, Illinois [2] (original members of Kenny "Jammin" Jason, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Scott "Smokin" Silz, Farley "Funkin" Keith and Ralphi "Rockin" Rosario). He was a guest DJ at the Warehouse nightclub, and was a resident DJ at The Playground, which later became the Candy Store [1] and later La Mirage.

In 1985, together with Chip E., he started a record label named House Records whose first release was "Jack Trax" by Mirage & Chip E. Farley's own debut single, and catalogue number 2, was "Aw Shucks (Let's Go Let's Go)" in 1985, followed by "Funkin with the Drums" in the same year. The latter contained stripped down "beat tracks" composed with drums alone.

After that followed a series of influential house and acid house records on Chicago's Trax Records: In 1985, Farley's single "Jack the Bass" (along with Chip E.'s "Time to Jack" from the "Jack Trax" EP) ushered in the popular "jacking" dance craze in Chicago house. [1] Also in 1985, he released "Funkin' with the Drums Again", followed in 1986 by "Give Yourself to Me" with vocals by Kevin "Jack N House" Irving and gospel singer Ricky Dillard.

In 1986, his roommate at the time, Steve "Silk" Hurley, who was an important house pioneer himself, had produced a cover of "I Can't Turn Around" by Isaac Hayes selling well in the Chicago area. Hearing Hurley's version of the song, Farley teamed up with Jesse Saunders to make his own version of the track. [2] Keeping much of Hurley's instrumental arrangement, he changed the hook from "I Can't Turn Around" to "Love Can't Turn Around" and dropped the rest of Hayes' original lyrics, substituting new words by author Vince Lawrence. The lead vocals were performed by church singer Darryl Pandy who also performed the song on the British TV show Top of the Pops . [3] The new version, "Love Can't Turn Around", reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986. [4] It holds an important place in the history of house music as the first record in the genre to make it into the UK Singles Chart and to popularize house music overseas. [5]

Farley had several other follow-up hits during the late 1980s, most notably "House Nation" in 1986, credited to the House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House, which followed "Love Can't Turn Around" into the UK top ten. [6]

The album No Vocals Necessary (1988) contained a 303 driven instrumental acid house track named "The Acid Life" that was successfully (but uncredited) covered by Technotronic as "Pump Up the Jam" (1989).

Apart from his own works, he did some remixing, producing and editing for other artists during this time. He also DJed and performed at many parties in the Chicago suburbs, and is still playing venues as a DJ today. [5]

Discography

Albums

Singles

YearSingle UK
[6] [7]
1985"Aw Shucks (Let's Go Let's Go)"
"Funkin with the Drums"
"Jack the Bass"
"Funkin with the Drums Again"
1986"Give Your Self to Me"
"Thanks 4 the Trax U Lost" (credited as the Housemaster Boyz)
"Love Can't Turn Around"10
"House Nation"
(credited as the Housemaster Boyz and the Rude Boyz of House)
8
1987"It's U" (with Ricky Dillard)
"Hey Norton (Aw Shucks)"
"U Ain't Really House"
1988"U Ain't Really Acieed (House)"
"As Always" (with Ricky Dillard)49
1989"Think!" (with Precious Red)76
"Free at Last"76
1993"Beat That Bitch with a Bat" (credited as Blackman)
1994"Pray 4 Me"
1995"Another Day"
1996"Resurrection EP"
2004"I Call on You"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

DJ mixes

Compilations

Related Research Articles

House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the early/mid 1980s, as DJs began altering disco songs to give them a more mechanical beat.

Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the first ever house music productions, which were by Chicago-based artists in the 1980s.

An acid house party was a type of illegal party typically staged in abandoned warehouses between 1987 and 1989. Parties played acid house and acid techno music, electronic music genres with a distinct sound from the use of the Roland TB-303 synthesizer. The origin of the term acid house party is disputed coming either from the 1987 song "Acid Trax" by Phuture, or the consumption of MDMA and LSD that were common at the parties.

The Hot Mix 5 are an American DJ team originating from Chicago, Illinois, who were chosen by WBMX Program Director, Lee Michaels in 1981. The founding members were Farley "Funkin" Keith, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Ralphi Rosario, Kenny "Jammin" Jason, and Scott "Smokin" Silz. In 1984, Scott Silz was asked to leave the group and was replaced by Julian "Jumpin" Perez in 1985, as the winner of a HMF sponsored DJ Battle. Another DJ, Jeff Davis, was supposed to be a sixth member, but Silz mentioned in an interview that he never showed up, leaving just the five members. Julian's tenure as a member was about a year and then, Mario "Smokin" Diaz, became a member of the group and played with them throughout their radio time in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve "Silk" Hurley</span> Musical artist

Steve W. "Silk" Hurley, also known as J. M. Silk, is an American club DJ, house music producer, and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trax Records</span>

Trax Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It played a major part in the development of house music.

Jacking, Jackin’, or the jack is a freestyle dance move in which the dancer ripples their torso back and forth in an undulating motion. It emerged within the context of Chicago house music in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acid Tracks</span> 1987 single by Phuture

"Acid Tracks" is a 1987 acid house song by Phuture produced by Marshall Jefferson and released by Trax Records. Phuture consisted of Nathan Pierre Jones, better known as DJ Pierre, Earl Smith Jr, and Herbert Jackson. Jones had been interested in developing dance music and became superficially interested in house music after Spanky had taken him to see DJ Ron Hardy perform in Chicago. The trio began developing tracks without finding anything that they felt was satisfying; Jones had heard a track made on the unpopular Roland TB-303 bass machine, which led the group to purchase one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Pierre</span> American DJ and performer of house music

Nathaniel Pierre Jones, better known by his stage name DJ Pierre, is an American DJ and performer of house music based in Chicago. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of acid house, as member of Phuture, whose 1987 EP Acid Tracks, is considered the first acid-house recording. Allmusic.com calls Jones a crucial DJ and the production wizard partly responsible for the development of Chicago acid-house. Jones' first single, "Generate Power", became standard fare for scores of producers during the next few years. Philippe Renaud, a journalist for La Presse in Montreal, states that the term acid house was coined in Chicago in 1987 to describe the sound of the Roland 303 bass machine, which made its first significant recording appearance on Phuture's Acid Trax in that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Davis Jr.</span> Musical artist

Roy Davis Jr. is an American electronic musician from Chicago, Illinois, specialising in house music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Sneak</span> American musician

Carlos Sosa, known as DJ Sneak, is a Puerto Rican-born American DJ and record producer raised in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is noted as being one of the second wave of Chicago house producers, as well as a member of the vanguard of late-1990s United States house producers.

House dance is a freestyle street dance and social dance that has roots in the underground house music scene of Chicago and New York. It is typically danced to loud and bass-heavy electronic dance music provided by DJs in nightclubs or at raves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Turn Around</span> 1986 single by J.M. Silk

"I Can't Turn Around" is a song written and originally performed by soul singer Isaac Hayes as the lead single from his 1975 album Chocolate Chip.

Acid house is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesizer-sequencer, an innovation attributed to Chicago producers DJ Pierre of Phuture and Sleezy D.

Vince Lawrence is an American dance music record producer, businessman and is one of the leading innovators of the genre of music called house music. Industry insiders recognize Lawrence as co-author of "On and On", the first recording officially designated "house music". He worked with Jesse Saunders in the initial creation of Jes Say Records, designing its logo by hand. He served as head of marketing and was the lyric writer for "Funk U Up", "Undercover" by Dr. Derelict, "Real Love", and many other songs released in the label's heyday. He also co-authored "Love Can't Turn Around" which featured Daryl Pandy, which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986 and started the House music revolution in the UK. He organized Trax Records, a Chicago house label. He is the founder of Slang MusicGroup, which has received numerous gold and platinum awards for their contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Can't Turn Around</span> 1986 single by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk & Jesse Saunders featuring Darryl Pandy

"Love Can't Turn Around" is a 1986 Chicago house song by Farley Keith Williams a.k.a. Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Jesse Saunders featuring vocalist Darryl Pandy.

Colin Curtis is a British DJ whose career spans several decades and musical developments.

Darryl Pandy was an American gospel and house music singer from Chicago.

<i>Now Thats What I Call 80s Dance</i> 2013 compilation album by Various artists


Now That's What I Call 80s Dance or Now 80s Dance is a triple-disc compilation album which was released in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2013. It includes nearly 60 of the biggest dance anthems of the 1980s era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ International Records</span> Chicago record label

D.J. International Records is a Chicago record label founded in 1985 that specializes in house music, a type of electronic dance music. In the 1980s, DJ International Records released music by key house innovators such as Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Hot Mix 5 member Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Steve “Silk” Hurley, and Marshall Jefferson. DJ International Records also released ESP’s song "It's You", Dymond's "Wild About Your Love" and Liz Torres' "What You Make Me Feel". The label also had acid house, such as Adonis's 1987 "The Poke", and Tyree's "Acid Over" and there were late 1980s hip house recordings, too, such as Fast Eddie's "Hip House" and "Yo Yo Get Funky". In the early 1990s, the label released Mike Dunn's song "Jass Yo Azz Off". Udiscover Music called the "history of DJ International...the history of house music, the very DNA of modern dance music."

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bush, John. "Artist Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 190. ISBN   1-85227-969-9.
  3. "RIP Darryl Pandy". The Wire . June 14, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 216. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. 1 2 Baines, Josh (September 17, 2015). "We Spoke to Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, the Man Who Brought House to the UK". Vice . Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "HOUSE MASTER BOYZ AND THE RUDE BOY OF HOUSE - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  7. "FARLEY 'JACKMASTER' FUNK - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved September 24, 2020.