30 Tracks Celebrating 40 Years of Dance Mania, Part 2
Looking back at one of the most storied labels in house music history.
As promised in yesterday’s newsletter, below is the second half of my retrospective tour through the catalog of Dance Mania, one of the most important labels in the history of house music.
(And if you’re thinking, “Wait a minute … Wasn’t the original title “30 Tracks Celebrating 30 Years of Dance Mania”? Yes, yes it was. I have to apologize for my poor math skills, as Dance Mania was founded in 1985, which does in fact make the label 40 years old. Yesterday’s confusion stemmed from my misinterpretation of an upcoming Dance Mania event in Chicago, which is meant to celebrate 30 years of ghetto house, juke and footwork. Why not just celebrate the label’s complete lifespan? You’ll have to ask the promoters, but in the meantime, I’ve made a few adjustments to yesterday’s First Floor, and have tweaked the title of today’s edition as well. I’m still only picking 30 tracks though. I know that doesn’t match 40 years, but I think we’re all capable of dealing with the discrepancy.)
I’ll spare you another lengthy intro—again, yesterday’s mailout talked at length about my approach to making this list, and also shared a few thoughts on how Dance Mania and ghetto house have aged over the years. I will, however, repeat that my selections, which have been listed chronologically, are not meant to constitute some sort of definitive, all-encompassing “Best of Dance Mania” list. The tracks below include familiar anthems and obscure rarities alike, and what ultimately ties them together is my own personal taste—simply put, they’re the tunes I liked the best while trawling through the label’s extensive catalog. That’s it.
How do they compare with your Dance Mania favorites? Take a look and let me know.
Parris Mitchell “Spanish Fly” (1994)
The Discogs crowd must be slipping, because only a few abbreviated clips of “Spanish Fly” appear online, but the song was definitely part of Parris Mitchell’s Butter Fly release. The title track of that record, which is quite similar to “Spanish Fly,” is posted above, and showcases Mitchell’s ability to craft a breezy, low-key house groove. More geared towards swaying than slamming, it’s a mature—and somewhat plinky—tune, and “Spanish Fly” ups the ante by bringing the soft honks of some canned horns into the mix.
Paul Johnson “Feel My M.F. Bass” (1994)
Paul Johnson wasn’t just one of Dance Mania’s greatest artists. He was one of the most revered Chicago house figures of all time, right up until his death in 2021. (Although many Dance Mania affiliates were namechecked in Daft Punk’s 1997 song “Teachers,” it’s probably not a coincidence that Johnson was listed first.) A Night Life Thang wasn’t his first record, but it was his first appearance on Dance Mania, and it included “Feel My M.F. Bass,” an absolute all-timer of a house tune. Gregariously loopy, brashly confident and, yes, playfully foul-mouthed, it’s a lovable banger that seems to simultaneously want to cave in your skull and put a smile on your face. Getting pummeled rarely feels this good.
D.J. Funk #1 “Follow (Getto House Mix)” (1994)
Speaking of confidence, DJ Funk has never been lacking on that front, even back in 1994, when his Street Trax II EP was literally credited to D.J. Funk #1. Populated with bleepy odes to getting high and a variety of sex-focused bangers, the record ended with something of a surprise—a “Getto House” rework of “Follow Me,” the 1992 house anthem by New Jersey outfit Aly-Us. DJ Funk’s version, which almost certainly was done without any sort of official permission, dispenses with the original’s uplifting nods to gospel, swapping strings for a sleazy bassline as he leads the proceedings into a darker, sweatier and more sinful place.
Housegang “Old School Confusion” (1994)
One of several names used by Mike “Hitman” Wilson, Housegang was a vehicle for his Hittrax series, which wrapped up in 1994 with Hittrax 5: The Reconstruction. (According to the credits, the record was actually written and co-produced by Neal Howard, who also contributed to the Lincoln Boys project that was mentioned in the first part of this list.) “Old School Confusion” has never been the subject of much attention, but it’s a real slapper, combining a crunchy bassline with warped, elastic synths and a relentless drum attack.
Club Style “Spirit” (1994)
Aside from their solo work, and their contributions to the Traxmen project, Paul Johnson and Robert Armani also found time to briefly join forces as Club Style, a name that Armani had previously used on 1992’s Got the Feeling / Be with You 12-inch. The new Club Style configuration debuted with Crazy Wild, and while the EP’s springy, piano-flecked title track is what DJs have reached for the most over the years, “Spirit” is the record’s smooth sleeper. A deep house cut that still has plenty of bounce in its step, the song’s elegantly strutting bassline is complemented by a patchwork of lush strings, ringing chimes and a whole lot of synthesized horns.
Jammin Gerald “Aw Shucks” (1994)
Though he’s now recognized as a Dance Mania lifer, Jammin Gerald was still a new arrival back in 1994, having debuted on the label the year prior as one half of the Track Stars, a collaborative project with Parris Mitchell. His first solo outing was 1994’s Factory Style, but “Aw Shucks” comes from the follow-up, Factory Trax, which arrived just a few months later. Showcasing his versatility, the record includes both funky swingers and percussive slammers, and the potent “Aw Shucks” falls into the latter category, its stripped-down drums charging full steam ahead through a scratchy, quasi-metallic haze.
DJ Deeon “Rubber Bass” (1995)
There would be no ghetto house without DJ Deeon, and the Chicago native championed the sound for nearly 30 years, right up until his untimely passing in 2023. The man had a real talent for smut, and though many of his most celebrated tunes revolved around lyrics that might politely be described as “colorful,” he was also a flat-out incredible producer, one who was perfectly capable of banging the box—even when no naughty language was involved. A double 12-inch that included 11 tracks, 1995’s House Werk was essentially an album, and “Rubber Bass” is one of its electric—and radio-friendly—highlights. Built around an elastic synth that perfectly encapsulates the song’s title, it’s both euphoric and relentless, with Deeon’s rubbery—no pun intended—melodies cartoonishly stretching as his sweatily pumping drums run circles around the dancefloor.
Traxmen & 2 Men on Wax “Mix It (Dig Deep Mix)” (1995)
It’s not clear which members of Traxmen were involved in the creation of Basement Trax Volume 4, but they made it in tandem with 2 Men on Wax, a collaboration between Paul Johnson and Louis Bell. All of that talent blossomed on “Mix It (Dig Deep Mix),” a jacking, borderline techno tune that moves like a freight train, and at times sounds like a sped-up version of Lil Louis’ classic “French Kiss.” Thanks to its organic-sounding bassline, it also manages to feel deeply funky. Can the average party person comfortably swing their hips as they’re being battered about the head? Putting this song on seems like a great way to find out.
Tyree “Nuthin Wrong” (1995)
Having released his first solo record in 1986, Tyree Cooper was already something of a Chicago house hero by the time he officially linked up with Dance Mania for 1994’s Da Soul Revival EP, but there’s no question that Da Soul Revival #3, which arrived the following year, provided a sizable boost to his reputation. Much of that is due to the success of “Nuthin Wrong,” a relatively straightforward rhythm track that’s since become a full-fledged classic, the sweet funk of its singalong vocal having inspired countless clubbers to yell—soulfully, of course—“I don’t see nuthin wrong” at the top of their lungs. Beyond that, Cooper employs little more than some snapping drums and what sound like some quietly brawny organ chords, but frankly, that’s all he needed to do. Anything additional would have fouled up a piece of music that’s damn near perfect.
Play Ground Productionz “Hypnosis” (1995)
Like many of his ’90s contemporaries, DJ Deeon tried out a litany of aliases over the years, including Play Ground Productionz. 1995’s Vintage Computation was the second of three records he dropped under that name—as it happens, it was also the 100th release in the Dance Mania catalog—and it was highlighted by “Hypnosis,” one of Deeon’s rare excursions into full-blown acid. Judging by the song’s tweaky synths—and the way they interact with his clap-heavy rhythms—it appears that he was more than comfortable in this particular soundworld, begging the question of why he didn’t go down that path more often. Now that he’s gone, we’ll likely never know, but the psychedelic bounce of “Hypnosis” should still satiate even the most ardent acid freakers.
Strong Souls “Hums” (1995)
The Strong Souls project—an alias of Raymond Funnye (a.k.a. RayDilla)—made only a single appearance on Dance Mania, dropping the Hums 12-inch in 1995. The ultra-deep “Twinkles” wound up being the record’s breakout tune, but the title track is the real highlight, its soulful strut borrowing heavily from the Mr. Fingers playbook while simultaneously bringing some splashy organs and sparkling synths into the mix. Add in the song’s odd rhythmic crunch—which sounds like one of the Muppets chomping away on a midnight snack—and what results is a satisfyingly quirky (albeit still soulful) deep house number.
Lil ’Tal “Funkin with Another Drum” (1995)
Although the position of the apostrophe in his artist moniker changed multiple times over the course of his career, there was never any question about Lil ’Tal’s talent for drum programming. Taken from his South Side Madness double 12-inch, “Funkin with Another Drum” is a full-on percussive workout, one in which the only “melodies” are in fact just the less abrasive strikes that Tal summoned from his drum machines. Pensive it is not, but while the fiercely percolating “Funkin with Another Drum” most definitely moves fast—and does so with a real sense of swagger—the prevailing vibe is ultimately closer to a youthful playground sprint than an obligatory cardio session at the local gym.
Debo “Primus” (1995)
The deeper one digs into the Dance Mania catalog, the more readily apparent it becomes that DJ Deeon was a musical genius—and a hyper-prolific one at that. Debo was another one of his aliases, and it first popped up on 1995’s Split Personality 12-inch. With songs like “1995 Hit” (as in “hit it from the back”) and “Hump-N-Pump-It,” the record has plenty of, let’s say, “adult-oriented” material, but it also contains “Primus,” a lithe and bubbly instrumental that’s too spry to be called deep house but also far less aggressive than the average Chi-town rhythm track. Of course, it’s only record nerds—and, of course, music journalists—that ultimately care about things like subgenre categorization, and what truly matters is that “Primus” occupies a real sweet spot, its merrily bopping grooves sure to appeal to house music lovers of all stripes.
Dee Jay Nehpets “Lay It Down…” (1995)
Dance Mania has always primarily been a house label, but as the ’90s wore on, it also became increasingly involved in the emerging sounds of juke and footwork, which in many ways were direct descendants of ghetto house. The work of Dee Jay Nehpets was a crucial part of that lineage, and his 1995 debut, The Backwards Named Dee Jay Nehpets, at times delved into what might be described as proto-footwork, most notably on “Lay It Down…” Although the song itself is essentially a banging rhythm track, all of the classic juke / footwork elements are there: syncopated drum patterns, vocal chops, hypnotically repetitive loops, etc. In later years, Nehpets would fully embrace the juke label, but back in 1995, he was just doing his thing, unaware that his music was laying the foundation for something that would eventually alter the trajectory of club music around the globe.
DJ Deeon “The Freaks” (1996)
A track that contains what’s possibly the most iconic “uh oh” in dance music history, “The Freaks” was the vivacious highlight of DJ Deeon’s Deeon Doez Disko! / Back 2 Skool! 12-inch. Though it’s a Chicago record through and through—the lyrics quite literally shout out all four corners of the Windy City—it’s also become an international party anthem over the years, not to mention a fun-loving celebration of freakiness that can be played at sleazy discos and bar mitzvahs alike. Another testament to Deeon’s immense talents—and his ability to instill even the beefiest of basslines with a dynamic sense of funk—”The Freaks” just might be the best thing he ever produced.
And with that, this list has officially reached 30 tracks. Are there more gems to be found in the Dance Mania catalog? Absolutely, particularly for those who like to indulge in more X-rated material. The final few years of the label’s initial run were largely dominated by ghetto house, and while my own tastes skew toward other sounds, I’m sure that other Dance Mania fanatics will have their own picks. However, that’s not the only reason my selections only run through 1996; having started with the label’s very first record, I ultimately went through more than 150 Dance Mania releases in the span of just a few days, at which point I came to two different realizations:
My brain was starting to melt.
I already had more than enough tunes to fulfill my initial idea of highlighting 30 tracks from the label’s expansive catalog.
Maybe that means an additional chapter of this list is needed, but let’s put that on the back burner for now. Instead, I’ll leave you with one final selection, a track which first surfaced not during the ’80s or the ’90s, but in 2016.
Jammin’ the House Gerald “Believe (Instrumental Bonus)” (2016)
Although “Believe” was produced sometime during the ’90s—the exact date is unknown—it wasn’t until Jammin’ the House Gerald’s 1994 12-inch Factory Style was reissued more than 20 years later that the song finally saw the light of day. A bonus track that Gerald apparently found on an old DAT, it’s a rather dreamy bit of house music, the sturdy funk of its bassline accentuated by the same sort of vibraphone chimes that acts like Dream 2 Science filled their tunes with during the early ’90s. Like most bonus material that pops up on reissues, “Believe” has never received much attention, but it’s a pretty fantastic tune that also raises an important question:
How much other great stuff does the extended Dance Mania family have sitting in their archives?
Probably a lot, and while it’s sad to think that much of it will likely never see the light of day, we can hold out hope that some intrepid archivist—or perhaps the Dance Mania crew themselves—will eventually round up this material and unearth a few more gems.
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn and Instagram—and make sure to follow First Floor on Instagram as well—or you can just drop Shawn an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.