Let the Music (Lift You Up)

"Let the Music (Lift You Up)"
Single by Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
from the album The Wonder of Love
B-side	"Loveland's Theme"
Released	1994
Genre	Disco [1] house [1]
Length	3:29
Label	12INC Eastern Bloc Records KMS
Songwriter(s)	Hassan Watkins Loveland Mike Banks
Producer(s)	Loveland
Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane singles chronology
"Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (1994) "(Keep On) Shining/Hope (Never Give Up)" (1994)
Music video
"Let the Music (Lift You Up)" on YouTube

"Let the Music (Lift You Up)" is a song by British house music group Loveland featuring singer Rachel McFarlane, released in 1994 by labels 12INC, Eastern Bloc Records and KMS as their debut single. It was co-written by Hassan Watkins and Mike Banks, and is a cover of a song by American singer Darlene Lewis. Some of the single releases also featured both versions. The Loveland version was included on the group's only album, The Wonder of Love (1995), and peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number-one on both the Music Week Dance Singles chart and the UK Club Chart, and won the Best Dance Record of the Year award at the Silver Clef Award. ^[2]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Virtually flawless disco/house number is poised to glide from atop U.K. dance charts onto stateside dancefloors within seconds. Track pumps a heavy beat, which is tied in flowing ribbons of strings and horns. Rachel McFarlane provides a bright flash of diva belting, proving her moxie by holding her own against a busy, effect-filled arrangement. Rhythm/crossover radio tastemakers are advised to open their minds and ears." ^[1] Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it a top score of five out of five and named it Single of the Week in the category of Dance, and a "huge house track from Manchester". ^[3]

He added, "The Full On Vocal Mix, with its pounding pianos and hackneyed lyrics, is undeniably old-fashioned and is about as cheesy as a lorryload of Wotsits. But it comes with a guarantee to create absolute mayhem on all but the most elite of dancefloors." ^[4] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update felt the Loveland cover version of the Darlene Lewis song is "much more exciting". ^[5] Mark Sutherland from Smash Hits gave it two out of five, viewing it as "a routine rave-up stomper by some blokes you've never heard of that will nonetheless "storm" the charts." ^[6] Another Smash Hits editor, Emma Cochrane, felt it "was pretty good". ^[7]

Track listing

• 12", Europe (1994)

1. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Full On Vocal Radio Edit)
2. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Full On Vocal Extended Mix)
3. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Bottom Dollar Big Room Dub)
4. "Loveland's Theme"

• CD single, France (1994)

1. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Full On Vocal Radio Edit) – 3:29
2. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Big Room Dub) – 5:40

• CD maxi, US (1994)

1. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Full On Vocal Mix) – 6:14
2. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Bottom Dollar Remix) – 5:34
3. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Publicly Executed Dub) – 6:32
4. "Let the Music (Lift You Up)" (Big Room Dub) – 5:40
5. "Loveland's Theme" – 4:13

Charts

Weekly charts Darlene Lewis version Chart (1994) Peak position UK Singles (OCC) UK Club Chart ( Music Week ) [8] 47 Loveland version Chart (1994) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [9] 162 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [10] 55 Scotland (OCC) [11] 21 UK Singles (OCC) 16 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [12] 26 UK Dance ( Music Week ) [13] 1 UK Club Chart ( Music Week ) [14] 1 US Hot Dance Club Play ( Billboard ) 19

Year-end charts Loveland version Chart (1994) Position UK Singles (OCC) [15] 200 UK Club Chart (Music Week) [16] 1

References

1. Flick, Larry (2 July 1994). "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy". Billboard . p. 84.
2. "Dance music meets classical at intu Trafford Centre's spectacular Christmas lights switch-on". ilovemanchester.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
3. Beevers, Andy (2 April 1994). "Market Preview: Dance - Single of the Week". Music Week . p. 13.
4. Beevers, Andy (5 March 1994). "Hot Vinyl". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7.
5. Hamilton, James (19 March 1994). "Dj directory". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7.
6. Sutherland, Mark (30 March 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 53. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
7. Cochrane, Emma (12 October 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 63. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
8. "The RM Club Chart". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 26 March 1994. p. 8.
9. "Loveland ARIA chart history". ARIA. Retrieved 26 July 2024– via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
10. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 18. 30 April 1994. p. 14. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 03 April 1994 - 16 April 1994". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 June 2021.
12. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 7 May 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
13. "Dance Singles". Music Week . 16 April 1994. p. 28.
14. "The RM Club Chart". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 12 March 1994. p. 4.
15. "1994 – Singles" (PDF). Hit Music . 7 January 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
16. "The RM Club Chart of the Year". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 24 December 1994. p. 10.