Various Artists - The House That Jackin' Built (2009) Backbeats 002 + Mini Booklet - Rare House/New Jack Swing (MP3)

When the label first kicked off,the compilations done with love by my old m8 Northern/Jazz Funk/House DJ Ian Dewhirst or "Frank" as he was known back then (from Leeds but now based in London) wanted to cover other genres of black dance before the series got into the real soul as it progressed. Here are his own words ..."So welcome to the second volume of Backbeats, "The House That Jackin' Built" in which we explore the basic brutal sound of Chicago House Music. I first came under the spell of House Music when I was compiling new dance music albums in the mid 1980's and began hearing records which sounded very basic and unsophisticated compared to many of the other polished productions of the era. This music was uncompromising, very basically recorded, shabbily packaged and, for the most part, sounded like someone had recorded the stuff in a bedroom. But the grooves were utterly irresistible! As usual it was a trip up North to a Few clubs when everything began to make sense. Suddenly wave after wave of energetic, brutal House rhythms were washing over me and I got right into the zone...Then suddenly the sound took hold throughout the U.K. and out of nowhere Steve 'Silk' Hurley hit No.1 with "Jack Your Body" and the U.K. became a House nation. So my colleagues at the time and I didn't waste much time in getting on a plane to Chicago to try to get to the source before anyone else. What we found when we got there was a like a scene from the music biz of mid 60's. Everybody sold their records for cash, sometimes several times over. Multiple contracts would be exchanged for the same record. Nobody trusted anyone. The Trax label was situated in an office above a dirty vinyl pressing plant and run by the majestic Larry Sherman, an ex musician and a relation of famed mob financier Meyer Lansky. Generally nobody messed with Larry if they could avoid it!. Added to the list of characters were rival label owner Rocky Jones, Lewis Pittsley, the effervescent Rachel Cain aka Screaming Rachel, Bann Barn, Frankie Knuckles, Farley Keith, Darryl Pandy, Ray Barney and a host of other Chicago House Music luminaries. Suffice to say, we had a great time and returned to the UK even more confused then we were before. We've selected some of the more popular tunes from the Trax label for this particular volume as we want to draw people into these uncompromising grooves and keep 'em there! These were absolutely among the greatest records from the first era of House and include some of the most legendary names of the era including Marshall Jefferson, Frankie Knuckles, Farley lackmaster Funk, Adonis, Jamie Principle, Mr Fingers (aka Larry Heard), Ra1phi Rosario and Joe Smooth among others"....As with everythin on this label,all deleted and very sought after.

AMM & Ian "Frank" Dewhirst

                                                                        The Tasters!