RiL052 - Inner City - Pennies From Heaven
/Inner City are an artist who need no introduction. What I found interesting however when researching this blog was how many of the artists link. Chez Damier, who I will introduce in future mixes, was Kevin Saunderson's A/R man at KMS. Chez was the first A/R man to find MK when he was 17 in Detroit. A small number of people in Detroit made a huge impact on house music. Everyone knows 'Good Life' and it's a fantastic record but that had already been and gone by the time we started Basics in '91. You will notice that I don't play a huge number of vocal records. It was a real division throughout the 90s whether you played vocals or not. I just don't like that many full vocal records but when I find one I love it forever. I like pain, soul and hope to come through in a house record in equal measures. Robert Owens always had those characteristics in abundance but then so did Paris Grey from Inner City. When she's singing 'Big Fun' you feel like she deserves it because she's had no fun at all through the week. 'Pennies From Heaven' is Gospel inspired but its insistent, 'We Need Some Love' message can be understood on a dancefloor by any non-believer. Kevin drafted in his future wife Ann Saunderson (nee Nanton) and Members of the House to add backing vocals and created a truly awesome vocal arrangement.