Years active 1987-present
Genre(s) House
Label(s) Trax Records (1987-1990)
Virgin Records (1991-1996)
Definity
Records (2001-present)
Frankie Knuckles (born January 18, 1955, in New York City) is a DJ, producer and remix artist.
He has earned the appellation "The Godfather of House."
Career
Early Work
While studying Textile Design at FIT in Manattan, Knuckles began working as a DJ. He played
soul, disco and R&B at The Continental Baths with fellow-DJ Larry Levan. Shortly after this, he began to gain notoriety
and played at Better Days. When the Warehouse opened in Chicago in 1977 he was invited to play on a regular basis. He continued
DJing there until 1982, at which point he started his own club, The Power Plant. When business difficulties caused it to fold,
he moved back to NYC, and was the featured resident DJ at The World, and also had numerous subsequent residencies, inluding
The Choice.
His career really took off and he immersed himself in producing, remixing and recording. His earliest remixes
include First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder" and Jago's "I'm Going To Go". As house music gained momentum, pioneering producer
Chip E. took Frankie under his tutelage and produced Frankie's first recording, "You Can't Hide", featuring vocalist Ricky
Dillard. Then came more production work, including Jamie Principle's "Baby Wants to Ride", and later, "Tears" with Robert
Owens (of Fingers, Inc.) and Satoshi Tomiie.
Acclaim
With several important original productions and remixes to his name,
by the early 1990s, Knuckles was becoming one of the most successful and well respected names in an increasingly popular house
music genre. In 1991 he released his biggest hit to date, The Whistle Song which is still regarded by many as one of the most
influential records of house music to date. His debut album - Beyond the Mix, released on Virgin Records also contained another
dancefloor hit titled Rain Falls and featuring vocals from Lisa Michaelis. He also joined forces with another upcoming Music
Producer by the name of David Morales around this time, and they began the highly successful group Def Mix. Key remixes from
this time include his rework of the Electribe 101 anthem Talking With Myself and especially the now legendary Where Love Lives
by Alison Limerick.
As his productions and remixes were becoming more popular than ever, he was also breaking new ground as
a DJ. When Junior Vasquez took a sabbatical from Manhattan's The Sound Factory, he took over and launched a hugely successful
run as resident DJ until Vasquez made his return, at which point Knuckles took up a post as resident at The Sound Factory
Bar. Despite a high profile, he remained very much a part of the underground scene which is perhaps why he has remained so
respected to this day. In 1992, Billboard's Larry Flick commented "He's probably the best dance music producer we have in
America. He understands the groove, but he understands songs, and the whole picture."
Godfather of House
By the late 1990's, the public's ador for House music had
diminished, and it was no longer the world leading music genre it had become but Knuckles continued to produce some of his
best work. The demand for his remix work was as high as ever, and he revamped the material of A-List recording artist's including
Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Toni Braxton and many others. He released fewer original productions in the
last years of the 1990's, but as the new millennium approached he worked closely with Definitity Records and released several
successful new singles including Keep On Movin' and a re-issue of an earlier hit Bac N Da Day. In 2004 he released a 13-Track
album of original material - his first in over a decade, titled A New Reality which was critically well received.
On September 19th, 2005, Frankie was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievement
as a DJ. It is testiment to his status as one of house music's most influential and respected artists and it is widely accepted
that his style of DJing and his selection and the appeal of the Warehouse gave house music its name. Frankie Knuckles is arguably
the pioneering DJ of his generation and is certainy one of house music's founding fathers.
The man many call the godfather of house, Frankie Knuckles began DJing in New York in the early 1970s while
still a teenager, years before the disco boom which proved to be the first flowering of modern dance music. Ten years later
he was in Chicago, putting together megamixes of old disco hits with new drum-machine percussion for an appreciative audience
at crucial clubs like the Music Box and the Warehouse. Another decade on from those first formative steps for house music,
Knuckles was back in his New York home, working as a producer and remixer for the biggest pop stars in the business. His career
spans more time than any dance producer and without him, the landscape would be immeasurably different.
Born in the Bronx in 1955, Knuckles listened to a lot of jazz as a child, thanks to his sister's record
collection. He studied commercial art and costume design before taking his first job as a DJ in 1971. Several years later,
he hooked up with childhood friend Larry Levan and the two began working at Nicky Siano's New York club, the Gallery. Levan
later moved to the Continental Baths, and Knuckles worked at another club for several months before rejoining Levan. Again,
Levan left -- this time to set up his own club, the Soho Place -- and Knuckles continued on until the Continental Baths was
closed. A group of entrepreneurs initially approached Levan about becoming the DJ at a club they were starting in Chicago;
instead of abandoning the interest in his own club, he declined but suggested his friend Frankie Knuckles.
Knuckles moved to Chicago in 1977 and began DJing at the Warehouse, spinning Salsoul and Philadelphia
Int'l records in front of a crowd unused to the New York DJing style, which included beat-mixing and the addition of percussion
fills (from a separate turntable) to spruce up the sound of traditional soul. In 1983, Knuckles opened his own club, the Power
Plant. While Frankie was entrancing a largely gay, uptown crowd at the Power Plant, Ron Hardy, at the Music Box introduced
the sound to many of the Southside producers who made waves during the 1980s: Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Adonis,Steve
"Silk" Hurley and at least half a dozen others.
After more than 15 years spinning vinyl, Frankie Knuckles began recording as well, debuting with several
singles released on the seminal Trax Records. Such efforts as "Your Love," "Baby Wants to Ride," "You Got the Love" and "Angel"
(most credited to Knuckles though vocalist Jamie Principle undoubtedly exercised some influence) were among the best tracks
released in the Chicago house explosion of the mid-'80s. Knuckles also recorded for Danica ("Let the Music Use You") and worked
with younger producers like Marshall Jefferson as well as future Fingers, Inc. vocalist Robert Owens. Just as Chicago house
began spreading worldwide during 1986-87 though, Knuckles returned to New York. He formed Def Mix Productions with David Morales
(one of the other major names in house music) and began working on house treatments for the biggest pop stars of the 1980s
and '90s, including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Inner City and En Vogue.
Despite the popularity of house in the international arena, the godfather of the music waited several years
before the major labels came calling for something other than a remix. Finally, Virgin signed him to an artist contract in
1991 and released his debut album Beyond the Mix. The singles "The Whistle Song," "Rainfalls" and "Workout" moved up the dance
charts, though the album failed to connect with pop or R&B fans. Knuckles continued to produce singles and remix tracks,
while his second album Welcome to the Real World was released in 1995.
Sunday, 2nd of July, 2006 Full dj list
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FRANKIE KNUCKLES
Exclusive
interview posted the 16-07-04 Read more........
Think about this for a second. The year I was born, 1972, Frankie "Godfather of House" Knuckles started
his first DJ residency. It took place at New York's Continental Baths, a mini-village/hotel that served as a haven for gays
to escape to, long before disco and house were on the club circuit.
"The first time I went there," Knuckles recalls, "I don't think I left for two weeks. That's what kind of
place it was. You could go and live there, eat there, shop there, whatever, for as long as you wanted.
"I played a lot of soul, funk and the Philly sound. It was good energy to dance to, even if it wasn't like
the music we know today." After the Baths closed in '75, Knuckles relocated to Chicago, accepting a residency that had been
offered to friend and fellow DJ, the late great Larry Levan. "People say that Larry didn't want the gig because he didn't
want me to start getting the work he was getting (at the Paradise Garage). But I didn't care. It was something new and different,
and proved to be an amazing experience for me, opening all kinds of doors."
Twenty years later, Knuckles is pretty much responsible for jump-starting Chicago's now-massive house scene.
He would regularly fly back to New York to go to the record pools and pick up the latest tunes, and return to Chicago to packed
dancefloors of students and businesspeople alike waiting to hear the newest in disco. And in return, it was Chicago that jump-started
his studio career with the remix of "Let No Man Put Us Under." "I had a friend who knew the people at Salsoul Records and
I basically just bugged them until they let me do it," laughs Knuckles.
After that, Knuckles found himself producing volumes of original music and remixing tracks for scores of
major artists, from Diana Ross to Mary J. Blige. In 1997, Knuckles nabbed the first ever Grammy for remix artist of the year.
"It's not something I ever dreamt about," he admits. "I thought it would be David Morales--I was totally caught off guard."
Today, Knuckles is the history of house personified. He knows it and he's proud of it. "I'm so lucky," he
says, "because I grew up with this--a part of this music and movement--not into this."
“IT’S
JUST A ‘MATTER OF TIME’” Frankie Knuckles has his day, literally! With a street in Chicago, we walk the
talk down ‘Frankie Knuckles Way’.
Posted by: Carla G.C. on Friday 16th July, 2004 @ 15:18 -
Lisa
Loco writes:
From ‘Bac N da Day’ a ‘Matter Of Time’ presents ‘A New Reality’
for ‘the godfather’ of house music, Frankie Knuckles…
“What does one say about a man whose work in clubs and in the studio has not only entertained
for decades but also challenged conventional notions of dance music, met or exceeded all expectations of the modern DJ, elevated
the role of streetwise remixer to one of innovative producer, and literally changed lives with a boundless ability to fill
clubs with so much love that patrons can only absorb so much before they actually start bouncing it off each other?”
Austin Downey (NEXT Magazine) penning sleeve notes for ‘A New Reality’.
Here at Ibiza-Voice we always strive to select our words as wisely as possible, so what can we say that’s
fresh about Frankie Knuckles now in 2004?
Bronx born in 1955, Frankie’s immense career spans generations, and perhaps most famously the Warehouse,
where it’s said the actual term ‘house’ was born from a necessity to describe the music played there at
that time. You can see a far fuller bodied past biography at the Def Mix site, but currently Frankie’s doing an extensive
eleven-month long tour to support his first album in seven years for Def Mix titled ‘A New Reality’ which was
unleashed earlier this year.
Furthermore, we can now add the fact that Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley’s just proclaimed
Wednesday 25th August 2004 as ‘Frankie Knuckles Day’ to honour the Grammy award-winning DJ and producer
in the city! Yes, this special day is to begin with a street dedication ceremony at noon, feet away from the legendary Warehouse;
when Jefferson Street, between Van Buren and Monroe, is to be renamed ‘Frankie Knuckles Way’. There will also
be an evening presentation before Frankie closes up the DJ Series at Chicago’s Summer Dance.
With this dawn of ‘A New Reality’ and a city mayor’s major approval it seems highly appropriate
that Knuckles’ latest single ‘Matter Of Time’ is now out on Definity Records. So in view of this Ibiza-Voice
asks ‘the godfather’ himself just what's goin' on?
Greetings Frankie, we hope that you’re well! Your first artist album to be released in seven years,
‘A New Reality’ went out earlier this year; so what have the reactions been like since, and in what terms have
you personally measured its success?
FK: “The reaction has been better than I expected. Phenomenal to be exact,
and I measure its success on that fact that it has become a reality. It lives. It breathes. It emotes and makes people feel.”
On ‘A New Reality’ your album credits extend all over the world, but what have your extensive
travels in 2004 taught you about so-called ‘house’ music in today’s high-tech world? “That like rock
& roll, rhythm & blues and soul; house music will live on. It will embrace all the new technologies and continue to
flourish… And people around the world will continue to be entertained.”
You say, “Pacha, Ibiza is by far, the greatest club I’ve ever worked for…” Now you’ve
played there a few times already this season, so how’s the atmosphere building for the ‘Island Of Desire’
nights?
“I think the season is off to a good start. Some folks think it's a bit slow, but I can see what's looming
on the horizon. When the season finally kicks in, it will be the usual summer madness. Pacha is magnificent for me because
it hosts a variety of different events every night of the week. You can go there every evening and never experience the same
music twice. Plus the staff and management treat my audience and I like gold. I find myself playing for more island locals,
which I absolutely adore; tourists will come and go all season, but it's the locals whose respect I savour. It's like being
welcomed into any community. When you are welcomed, you can make yourself at home.”
As an originator and pioneer of ‘house’ music, how do you feel about being so close to something
that’s so elusive in reality? For example no experienced DJ is ever happy putting a concise definition to the actual
term ‘house music’. Are we therefore right in thinking that if we asked for your own meaning it would also be
a struggle?
“Not at all, I understand why there are so many definitions of HOUSE MUSIC now. It’s because there
have been so many different ideas of what HOUSE MUSIC is bantered about over the past fifteen years, and depending on who
you ask you're gonna get a different response. But for me, HOUSE MUSIC is any song or MUSICAL composition that I would've
played at The WAREHOUSE. The music, the song or the composition had to make sense, not only to me, but to the audience that
I played for.”
(As a ‘hippy’ side note to that question, it’s maybe interesting to note that many
influential concepts on this planet also escape science and defy definition, like matters of the human spirit for example.)
“I wish I was high on something (other than life) to respond to this. I can get deep if you like, but not everyone
is really interested in my going there.”
Of course, so looking out from the DJ booth these days must be very different to those remarkable early
times, but perhaps essentially the same, what are your thoughts? (David Morales has said, “People danced with
each other more, which we're missing today… Vocal house is where you see people interacting; it's more of an intimate
thing…” What do you say?)
“Vocal music is so much a part of my music equation. I like to think of myself
as a storyteller when I'm DJing. With enough time to stretch out my set, I like to take the audience on a journey that will
tug at their emotions. Playing with their energies and bringing them to a place that in their minds is sometimes close to
heaven. When I look out in the room at the crowd, I focus on those people that are locked into what I'm doing. Playing in
pubs and bars or those ‘rave’ kinda situations, where you have a crowd that's trying to dictate what and how you
spin, doesn't work for me. My job’s not simply to play in the manner they see fit, but instead I give people the benefit
of my experience from thirty plus years without having to dig too deep in my music vaults. Only an intelligent listener will
allow you the space to achieve this, and in the end, good, bad or indifferent they will respect you for the effort.”
You’ve enjoyed a colossal career. If you could have that time all over again with the benefit of hindsight
would you change certain things?
“Yes. I would give life back to all the DJs and entertainers that helped shape
this very culture that so many take for granted. There are many unsung heroes/fallen DJs that contributed to this business
that aren't even recognised today. At the risk of sounding a little crazy, I find myself channelling the techniques of some
of these guys (who all inspired me to this place in my career) every time I step up to play.”
Indeed, keep on dancing… what’s the longest set you’ve ever played out of interest?
“Twenty-four hours, twice, at The WAREHOUSE in Chicago, circa 1981 and 1982.”
What song/album or track title most aptly summaries your life in 2004?
“‘Stay Free’
by Ashford & Simpson.”
Does the decreasing use of wax among DJs make you at all sad or are you embracing the new school methods
of MP3 computer-aided mixing?
“I do miss it all the time. However, this is the way of the world for the club DJ
now. There was a time I was cold to the idea of playing CDs, but in order for me to stay in the game and work amongst my contemporaries
I have to be prepared to work and understand the technology from the most practical viewpoint. Plus, after losing too many
records because of faulty airport workers and airlines (not to mention carrying those heavy-ass record bags!) I believe I’ve
earned my day out of the sun when it comes to playing vinyl.”
We hear that you’re not a big fan of politics, but are clearly focused upon charity work. Is this
perhaps a case of tackling grassroots with practical acts of kindness when let down by politicians?
“Huh? No I'm
not a fan of politics. But I do believe that those of us that are blessed with a talent and the ability to make a living with
our talent are obligated to put something back. To share our fortune with the less fortunate, even if just lending our name
to a certain cause helps make someone (whose life is less fortunate) a little bit better. It feels good to help.”
If love was the message back in the 70’s then what do you imagine is the message for today’s
‘noughties’ dancefloors?
"Keep On Movin', Don't You Ever Stop."
With a city mayor’s endorsement it seems highly apt that your latest single is called ‘Matter
Of Time’. Well 'Frankie Knuckles Day’ and ‘Frankie Knuckles Way’ – what's your response to this
news?
“Well, I would imagine if you asked any of my family members or biggest fans they might sing along and
agree with the title of the new single; it’s just a ‘MATTER OF TIME’.
This is a very surreal experience for me. I'm at a point in my career where I could never possibly imagine
something like this. The fact that the city is giving recognition to the genre of HOUSE music means that they (in city government)
recognise this as something real and viable.
To bestow this honour on me is proof positive that hard work and dedication bring you to this place, not
to mention the profound effect it has on the people that follow you around the globe for years. I've always thought that it
was reward enough to have an audience that love and respect your talent and craft. To have him or her acknowledge you with
support by showing up at every gig and hanging in there with you, even in the most difficult conditions, is more than a reward.
It’s faith and belief. I'm in a very good place right now, and I'm happy 'bout the whole thing.”
Would you like to say anything else to our Ibiza-Voice readers to conclude this interview? (A broad
question left open for you.)
“I'd like to personally thank the people of Ibiza for being so kind and generous
to me and my company, Def Mix. I know that it isn't easy to host the countless amount of DJs and followers, tourists and whatever
else bombards the island every year and keep a sense of self. If no one has ever said to the people of Ibiza, let me be the
first to say ‘THANK YOU’ for being so gracious, from Frankie Knuckles.”
Ibiza-Voice return sincere thanks to Frankie and also Dennis Wheeler at Def Mix. Congratulations again on
‘Frankie Knuckles Day’ and of course ‘Knuckles Way’!
The album ‘A New Reality’ and its single ‘Matter Of Time’ are both out now, while
Knuckles is on the decks certain Saturday’s for the ‘Island Of Desire’ nights at Pacha, Ibiza.
Note: Photographer Timothy Saccenti
Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Principle featured on ‘Bac N da
Day’ and Nicki Richards featured on ‘Matter Of Time’ plus many other songs from Frankie’s album.
