Indeep ~ Last Night A DJ Saved My Life 1982 Disco Purrfection Version

Indeep was a studio band headed by writer/producer Michael Cleveland who recruited vocalists Reggi Magloire and Rose Marie Ramsay to record a stone cold classic with “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life“. The song peaked at #2 Disco for six weeks and #10 R&B, bubbling under the Hot100 due to the disco backlash on pop radio. At the time, rollerskating disco nights were hugely popular and the music took the cue and slowed the beat down from the 120 BPM of say “MacArthur Park“. This R&B influenced sound was more downtempo, maintaining the groovy soul of disco and becoming funkier. Outside the roller rinks, the music came to be known as “boogie“ or “street music“ accentuating the urban R&B influences that redefined soul music in the 80’s. Taana Gardner had a smash with “Heartbeat“ in 1981 and then Indeep followed with Shannon’s “Let The Music Play“ being released at the end of 1982. These three singles helped to revive disco and give it a new identity to “protect the innocent“ as per Gloria Gaynor. The influence of this stellar trio is apparent in the club music that followed in songs like Heaven 17’s “Let Me Go“, Cheri’s “Murphy’s Law“ and ABC’s “The Look Of Love“. The pop influence is undeniable, disco had catchy titles woven into their choruses that everyone could recite and this new genre was incorporating that into 12“ single release is important in that side one was the long version and the side two had a vocal only track, an instrumental track plus three sound effects used in the song, the telephone ring, the screeching tires and the famous down the drain effect of a flushing toilet. I used all of these tracks to put this one together. While “Last Night“ has become a club and street classic now, Indeep was unable to come up with a new winning formula and split up after the very urban sound of “Buffalo Bill“ from 1983 where the sound was much edgier and sharper than the forever groove of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life“. The song was covered by Mariah Carey for her 2001 movie the semi-autobiographical “Glitter“. I have never seen it, but I know of think it is time I watched it, I suspect it may become a cult classic guilty pleasure flick like “Xanadu“.