With so many of us saddened by the passing of Chicago house legend Frankie Knuckles, we’re throwing a night of euphoric dance this Friday night in tribute with a bunch of our fave DJs - Simon Caldwell (Mad Racket), Magda Bytnerowicz (4our), PELVIS, Matt Vaughan (Loose Ends), Love’s Disciple and Long John (Paradise Lost).
With so many huge, historic dancefloor fillers in order, asked them to tell us their faves from Frankie Knuckles’ prolific career.
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Ryan Powderly (Pelvis): Frankie Knuckles presents Satoshi Tomiie – Tears
It was 1988 and Frankie was in Tokyo playing at a launch party for Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics company. As he stepped up to the turntables, a young local pianist played an introductory fanfare. His name was Satoshi Tomiie. They chatted via an interpreter and stayed in touch afterwards. Then Tomiie sent Frankie a cassette tape, containing a demo of Tears. Next thing, Frankie recruited Tomiie as a partner in Def Mix Productions and they released Tears with Robert Owens on vocals. A very special house music moment.
Matt Vaughan: Frankie Knuckles feat. Roberta Gilliam – Workout (Workin’ Dub)
Super hard to choose a fave but this is definitely up there for me. All of the classic early 90s elements in all of the right ways. And it’s definitely about this dub mix for mine. Finger snaps, bassline and that piano! I can’t not dance to this. Work out!
Brendan King: Frankie Knuckles – It’s Hard Sometime (D.M. Red Zone)
This track makes me think of dancing with my eyes closed in a haze of smoke at 5am whilst there are only the last faithful few on the dancefloor… Introspective and melancholic as well as uplifting all at the same time.
This tune has everything and never fails to energise the crowd – gospel choir, soulful piano and a super groovy bassline. A sentimental fave as it was a standout moment at last year’s Inner Varnika festival in Victoria on a gloriously sunny Easter Sunday afternoon. A moment that reaffirmed why I love DJing so much.
Love’s Disciple: First Choice – Let No Man Put Asunder (Frankie Knuckles Mix)
I love this track as it marked a tipping point for mine for when disco evolved into house music. The bass line of that tune was eventually used in the Farley jack master funk tune love can’t turn around.
Simon Caldwell: The Night Writers – Let The Music (Use You)
Killer keys line! This one always gets me…
Check out our Frankie Knuckles tribute party this Friday Night! It’s happening from 10:30pm, if you’re there for Donny Benet just stick around to dance! $10 entry, $5 for the first hour. Full details here.
He’s a disco fiend, a consumate showman and the master of ‘The Touch’. Donny Benet is a Goodgod fave, and he’s returning to the Danceteria this Friday night for a huge evening with his full Donny Benet Show Band, as well as special guests Jack Ladder and SPOD!
Together they’ll be performing two massive sets, including hits new and old, and brand new collaborative songs! It’s the full Donny experience, and it’s coming to you this Friday night! Get all the info here.
But first, we invited Donny to take us through some of the vintage Italian classics that’ve influenced his sound…
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Here’s 10 of my new favourite Italo Disco clips. So much heat happening here that I’m speechless.
So sit back, treat yourself and see you this Friday night!
Don
xxx
Silver Pozzoli – Around My Dream (1985)
Brian Ice – Talking To The Night
Peter Baumann – Strangers In The Night
Silent Circle – Touch in the Night
Donny Benet & The Donny Benet Show Band perform this Friday night from 8pm. More info here!
Nobody knew this Sydney mob called DMAs until Goodgod homie Johann Ponniah signed them to I Oh You. They hadn’t played live or released anything. But I Oh You know how to push this continent’s buttons. And without any introduction they uploaded a video of ‘Delete’ and got the internet going nuts - not just asking “are they really lads with acoustic guitars” – but saying what? where from? how? what else? This song is great.
Last Friday, DMAs launched their EP (it’s #7 on the iTunes charts already) and performed their first live show ever. So there’s three things you can do to catch up on them. Buy their EP. Find wisdom in the spare words from DMAs in this interview with Goodgod’s Greta Balog below. And go buy a ticket to their EP launch show, here at Goodgod in May.
Alright boys, what does DMA’s stand for?
Abbreviation of a few previous names we had.
The track “Delete” is all that a lot of people heard – what’s the next song they should listen to on your EP?
Your low. It’s an old song of johnnies that I’v always liked and always wanted to make a DMA’s track. It brings back fond memories for me
What’s it like dropping a single and having such a huge fan base from just one song?
It’s exciting but i wouldn’t say it’s a huge fan base, we want a lot bigger one
Do you get the shits with each other often?
It’s equal, to say that you never get the shits with some one that your close with means that your probably not that close after all
Johnny, you used to be the lead singer of Little Bastard, what led you to change your style of music so much and start DMA’s?
I can answer that Johnny loves all types of music this is just another outlet for him
What can we expect from DMA’s in the near future?
To be a band that everyone knows
After two huge, sweaty parties in the Sydney Opera House Studio, we’re stoked to be bringing the Goodgod flavour to Vivid Live once more, this time in the Opera House’s amazing Joan Sutherland Theatre for a brand new seated affair… Goodgod Tin Pan Alley!
We’re going to bring together some of our favourite acts for a stage spectacular like no other on May 30, and our lineup begins with none other than visionary South African cult hero Penny Penny, complete with seven-piece band!
Coming from a poverty-stricken family of 68 children and working as a janitor, Penny Penny became a star in South Africa with his first and only record in 1994, Shaka Bundu, which sold over 250,000 copies. His incredible house-influenced synth-pop was a national secret until recently, when his music was re-released by Awesome Tapes from Africa. Now the first musician to be a National Congress councillor, he’s taking a quick break from official business to headline Goodgod Tin Pan Alley in his Australian debut!
Penny Penny will be joined by a massive bill of Goodgod favourites… stay tuned for more info!
Tickets go on sale Monday March 31, and you can get all the info here.
