Below is an handout excerpt from a Multi-track and Pro Tools class taught at the local university:
House History
By 1981 they declared that disco was dead and there were no more up-tempo dance records. That's when I realized I had to start changing things to keep feeding my dance floor.
Frankie Knuckles "Godfather" of House music
Tempo: 110 - 140 bpm
127 is a common bpm
137 "Disco Heaven" bpm
Time Signature: 4/4
Characteristics:
Four-to-the-Floor Kick drum on every downbeat.
16th note Closed Hi-Hat with an Open Hi-Hat on every off beat eighth note.
Snares and/or Claps on the 2nd and 4th beats.
Melodic at times with Vocals.
More harmonic activity – chord progressions, melodic phrases.
Origins: Early 1980's (after the demise of Disco)
..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Chicago: Frankie Knuckles(DJ): The Warehouse (the term 'House' music came from this club)
Ron Hardy (DJ): the Music Box
Influences: Disco, Funk, Electro
Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder: I Feel Love (1977)
Kraftwerk
House music rose out of the dying flames of Disco which was dramatically brought to a close in 1979 and more specifically on July 12th 1979 when a rock Dj Steve Vahl encouraged people to bring their Disco records to a baseball game where there would be a ritual burning. It was billed as the "Disco Demolition Night" and after the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers a huge bonfire was lit and the fans were asked to throw all their Disco vinyl into the flames. It's ironic how both of those teams that night later became Dance music capitals – Chicago for House music and Detroit for Techno music.
People were still going to clubs after the vinyl bonfire so the demand for new Dance music was still there but with the fall of Disco there were no new releases being produced by the Major labels. With the rise of more affordable music gear like synthesizers, drum machines, and self contained sequencers like Roland's TB-303 (out in 1985 and responsible for Acid House Music) many Disco DJ's started realizing they could produce their own dance music. Two DJ's in Chicago lead the way – one was Frankie Knuckles considered to be the 'Godfather' of House music, spinning at The Warehouse (where the term 'House' Music came from) and Ron Hardy Dj'ing at The Music Box.
The first House music arrived around the end of 1983 or 1984 with Frankie Knuckles/Jamie Principles' "Your Love," and Jesse Saunders' "On And On." By 1985 House music was playing throughout the Chicago Dance clubs. The release of Roland's TB-303 sparked a House genre spinoff called Acid House with DJ Pierre becoming a dominant force.
New York & Chicago Connection
Right from the start there was a difference in approach between New York and Chicago. "All of the records coming out of New York had been either mid or down tempo, and the kids in Chicago wouldn't do that all night long, they needed more energy" commented Frankie Knuckles after his move to Chicago. The Windy City was seduced to a far greater extent by the European sound and when the records started to come, it showed. Whereas Garage in New York evolved more smoothly from First Choice and the labels Salsoul, West End and Prelude.
Garage:
The meaning of the word Garage has slipped dramatically over the years but any definition will pretty quickly run into problems if you name a genre of music after a club (Larry Levan's Paradise Garage in New York) which was known not for one style of music but for its wild eclecticism championed by one DJ.
ACID House:
Acid House is a variant of House Music and is characterized by the use of simple tone generators with tempo-controlled resonant filters. It began when musicians discovered that they could create interesting sounds with the Roland TB-303 analogue bass synthesizer by tweaking the resonance and frequency cut-off dials as they played. The term "acid" was used in Chicago at the time as a term for the squelchy "acid" sounds of such bass synthesizers such as the TB-303.
Phuture's 1987 hit "Acid Trax" began and defined the Acid House sound. Based in Chicago the group was formed by DJ Pierre, Spanky, and Herb J. One of the first to use the Roland TB-303 synthesizer/sequencer.
Early Releases
House:
New Order: Blue Monday (1983) considered the missing link between Disco & 80's House.
Frankie Knuckles: Your Love (1984)
Jesse Saunders: On and On (1984)
Adonis: No Way Back
Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers): Washing Machine & Can You Feel It
Marshall Jefferson: Move Your Body (House Anthem - 1986)
Steve 'Silk' Hurley: Jack Your Body (1986 – first House artist to reach 1 in UK)
T-Coy: Carino (first European House Tune – 1986)
Z Factor: Fantasy
Farley Jackmaster Funk: Love Can't Turn Around
Acid House:
Dj Pierre:
Phuture: Acid Trax
Adonis: We're Rockin Down The House
A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray
808 State: 'Newbuild' CD
S'Express: Theme from S'Express
Thursday Club: Place Called Acid
Maurice:
Disco House
Tunes that sample past Disco hits with their own vocals over the top.
Modjo: Lady
Daft Punk: Digital Love
Room 5
Other Classic House tunes:
Joe Smooth: Promised Land
Paul Oakenfield: House Nation
Colonel Abrams: Music is the Key/Answer
House Compilation CD's
History of House Music, Vol 1: Chicago released 9/96
1. Move Your Body - Marshall Jefferson
2. Love Can't Turn Around
3. Jack Your Body - J.M. Silk
4. Music Is the Key - J.M. Silk
5. Can't Get Enough - Liz Torres
6. Devotion - Ten City
7. Work It to the Bone - LNR
8. Someday - Ce Ce Rogers
9. Mystery of Love - Fingers Inc.
10. Fun With Bad Boys - Screamin' Rachael
History of House Music, Vol. 2: New York Garage Style released 9/96
1. Set It Off - Strafe
2. You're the One for Me - D Train
3. You Don't Know - Serious Intention
4. Can You Party - Royal House
5. Music Is the Answer - Colonel Abrams
6. Love Don't Live Here Anymore [Zanz Mix] - Basement Boys
7. Don't Make Me Wait
8. If You Should Need a Friend - Blaze
9. Drifting - Jomanda
10. Mystery - Phase II