OFTEN referred to as one of the godfathers of house music, Chicago legend Marshall Jefferson arrived in the UK in 1987 alongside Frankie Knuckles, Fingers Inc. and Adonis for the infamous DJ International Tour.
Marshall returns to the UK on Saturday 10th February as Love To Be start their 30th anniversary year with a bang at Mint Warehouse, Leeds alongside another house music legend, Julie McKnight and a host of local talent.
We caught up with Marshall for a chat ahead of the party next Saturday which you can read below. Plus, if you head to The Night Bazaar you can also listen to a playlist compiled by him featuring ten of the iconic records which he feels defined house music and read what he had to say about them.
Could you share the story behind The House Music Anthem (Move Your Body), its creation and how you feel about its enduring legacy?
“I basically just heard a hot groove in my head when I was at work and luckily I remembered it when I got home so I laid it down into my Yamaha QX-1 sequencer. I played the piano part with a Prophet 2000 keyboard, bass with a Roland JX-8P, I also laid out the drums for the whole song with a Roland 707. The QX-1’s quantize was horrible so I never quantized anything I did back then, so that’s why the timing sounds a bit…….off. I call it human!”
“Anyway, I was really feeling it and called up On The House, who were my buddies from work: Curtis McClain, Thomas Carr, and Rudy Forbes. We’d been On The House since 1984 and had done several songs before that even though none made it to record, so we had studio experience and everyone was pretty relaxed. Curtis sang the lead and also backgrounds with the rest of us. I only wrote one verse so there was nothing too complicated and we were able to record and get a decent mix in only about an hour and a half. Everyone wanted to polish the song up but I felt it was ready to go, so I gave it to a few DJs I knew, mainly Ron Hardy, Hugo Hutchinson, Mike Dunn, and Tyree Cooper. From there it achieved the 80’s version of ‘viral’ before it was even released.
How do I feel about its legacy? I really don’t know, it’s been a part of my life for so long that it seems like a relative.”
Who were your key influences when you first started DJing and producing and how have they shaped your sound?
“My key influences for DJing were Farley Jackmaster Funk, Ron Hardy, and Kenny Jammin’ Jason. Production influences were Led Zeppelin, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Elton John.
My DJ style is a merging of styles from the DJs I mentioned-the phasing and back spinning from the Hot Mix Five, the bass work from Ron Hardy.
Led Zep probably are responsible for my career even starting because I recognized that they were recording at a slower speed and speeding the tape up. Their 1st album, Led Zeppelin 1, was recorded and mixed at normal speed, but every subsequent album was recorded at a slower speed and mixed at a higher speed. If you watch The Song Remains The Same, you’ll hear them play at a much slower speed than the album of the same name. This inspired me, a non musician, to play at an even slower speed, and speed it up even fast. From there, almost anything musically was achievable, and I played all the instruments myself on most of my songs. That enabled me to play piano on Move Your Body somewhat like Elton John, who was my idol. I loved EJ’s piano playing man, and I was pretty chuffed to be able to put one on a record.
I loved Isaac Hayes orchestration and I used things like flute and flugel horn combinations and strings like he did. Curtis Mayfield was my favourite lyricists and I tried to take the way he told stories in songs.”
How has the advancement in music production technology impacted your creative process over the years?
“It made things a lot easier; QX-1 took 30+ minutes to copy some parts, today the same thing is done in seconds on my computers.”
Having witnessed various music scenes globally, what unique qualities do you think Leeds brings to the house music landscape?
“Leeds has always had really enthusiastic crowds and hardcore partiers. Not just Love To Be but Back To Basics too. Well hell, the whole north was partying all over the place man because Manchester, Newcastle, and Liverpool was jamming too.”
Is there a particular event or performance in your career that stands out as the most memorable?
“Well I’ve had thousands of gigs over the years and that’s no exaggeration and it’s really hard to pick out just one because there have been may times when I really rocked the crowd.”
What advice would you give to upcoming artists trying to make their mark in the house music scene today?
“I was informed recently that there are more than 100,000 releases a week now. An unknown will have to do something exceptional to make it, and I’m serious. If I started today I don’t think I could make it. An unknown would need a different appearance so that people would remember them, and also outstanding music of course.”
For you, what’s the key to a great DJ set, and how do you prepare for a show like the one at Mint Warehouse?
“The key to a great set for me is the sound system, first and foremost. With a great sound system and can rock any party, make high people sober and sober people high.”
How do you keep your sound fresh and relevant while staying true to your roots in a constantly evolving music industry?
“I mix the new with the old. I play both. I start out with the new and play classics if I see older people there. They’ve been tripping me up the last few years though because now people come with their now 18-year-old kids.”
Can you give us a glimpse into any upcoming projects or collaborations that fans can look forward to in the near future?
“Jungle Wonz EP and Sleezy D EP on Nu Groove, A 40 song House Masters album on Defected, a Ten City Album on Nervous, and a Marshall Jefferson Album on Helix.”
