deee-lite: classic or dud?

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maybe you have to say something here to have a new thread show up in new answers?

mikael wood, Sunday, 16 March 2003 06:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

You shouldn't have to. Anyway, I loved that first album a lot, but I admit I feel a bit too sleepy to go into the reasons why right now.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 March 2003 06:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

Classic. This was one of the records that turned me from the "dance music is not as good as real rock and roll" mindset.

nickn (nickn), Sunday, 16 March 2003 07:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

The first album was classic front to back, and the others had their moments. Without them, though, Towa Tei might have never gone on to release his own material and that would be a shame.

paul cox (paul cox), Sunday, 16 March 2003 07:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

This was one of the records that turned me from the "dance music is not as good as real rock and roll" mindset.

yep, me too. So for that alone: classic.

Omar (Omar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 10:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

Deee-Lite is one of those bands which, despite the tribulation of typing on an unfaniliar keyboard (Helltime's ) and being quite, quite drunk (helltime's liquor, plus other devices) I am so profoundly ... Jesus H. God I have in short order realized approximately five things:

1. I love Dee-lite
2. Lady Miss Kier is poosibly the best frontwoman of the 1990s
3. My drunkenness does not change these facts
4. Between Towa Tei and DJ Dimitri you will be hard pressed to find a late 90's jockey with better taste in breaks
5. god dammit I am stone drunk like a motherfucker this post took much more time than it should have

good night and by the way Deee-Lite ROXXXXX000rs you F4444aaagg66g6gzzzzss

Millar (Millar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 10:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

No seriously I am bombbbeddddd Oh goid Whiskey is the satan in this bithc five times AAAAAAAAUUuUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

Millar (Millar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 10:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

They faded disappointingly quickly, but for the glory of Groove Is In The Heart alone, classic.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 16 March 2003 11:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Deee-Lite were awesome. I have a picture of Lady Miss Kier on the wall to my right cut out of a book I bought only because that picture was in it. She's dancing in some kind of tatty looking club/disused-space and looking transcendental.

I think I prefer the second album to the first though.

Groove is in the Heart is on my X-Box for racing sports cars to. Wow.

mei (mei), Sunday, 16 March 2003 11:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Groove is in the Heart" is MY FAVOURITE SONG OF ALL TIME!!!! When that song came out, I was MADLY IN LOVE with that lead singer. Beyond classic.

Evan (Evan), Sunday, 16 March 2003 12:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

Rarely does one have such a nice permanent record to laugh at the morning after. I hope this shows up on my next background investigation.

Millar (Millar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 19:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

I lived by classic rock and hated synths and dance music on principle at the time and I still fucking loved "Groove Is In the Heart".

sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 20:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

In all honesty though I also kinda liked some stuff by KLF, C&C Music Factory, Paula Abdul, Maestro Fresh-Wes, Snap!, Bell Biv Devoe, Arrested Development, . . . Even "Stayin' Alive". I was a really half-assed rockist.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 20:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

In my heart, I secretly didn't mind Vanilla Ice either.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 20:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

sundar is fired.

Millar (Millar), Sunday, 16 March 2003 20:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

I remember a young Robert Smith impersonator (at one time, a surprisingly common breed in the Midwestern suburbs) running around the dancefloor of some early nineties "alternative" club, desperately begging everyone to stop dancing to "Groove is in the Heart." In Dee-Lite's sunny beats, he must have heard a terrifying prediction of a day when his smeared lipstick would no longer make the ladies swoon.

EC, Sunday, 16 March 2003 21:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

sounds like a lot of folks had similar experiences with deee-lite — being awakened to non-rock music when "groove is in the heart" seduced anyone in its path with its obviously-easy-to-like-for-any-human qualities. this is certainly what happened for me, and i'm glad it did.

i'm interested in committed dance fans' reactions, too, both to WORLD CLIQUE and to the band's later, maybe-more-explicitly-dance-keyed work. did you guys like deee-lite, or think they were jerks?

mikael wood, Sunday, 16 March 2003 21:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

I just want to say that Channel One got me into both Sheryl Crow and Guns & Roses, and I like them both pkay to this day.

Fivvy (Fivvy), Sunday, 16 March 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

i deejayed a party last nite on Staten Island for what turned out to be mostly uptight people and about 20 firemen.... i played a mashup of "Short Dick Man" that used the bassline from "Groove is in hte Heart", it really got the floor moving, and the next song the person whose house it was comes up and goes "this might be a weird question but do you have 'Groove is in the Heart' by Dee-Lite??" which was cute and kind of cool, deffo better than the person who came up during "Here Comes the Night" (CHEERS DAVE Q) (a Beach Boys disco epic from 1980) and goes "umm everyone here is in their 30s, kind of OLDER...." and she's sort of struggling for the next thing to say so i reply "older than disco??" ha ha go back to your canapes, bitch

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think I saw 'em at Roseland in around '91. Bootsy was with them. Miss Lady whatever seemed sexy enuf. I don't really remember and don't own their records now. So, D.

Jess Hill (jesshill), Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Good Beat" has always been my fave--probably the first record that I ever heard and thought "this must be what 'deep house' is." also one of the first that really evoked the whole idea of nightclubbing in a visceral, physical way--just listen to the depth of that bassline/beat. the first album is really really really wonderful. after that, though, they got too new age/spiritual for me, but yeah, absolutely mad props all around.

Tracer--glad you were able to get out of there and see us at Siberia for at least a little bit.

M Matos (M Matos), Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

aside from "Groove Is In The Heart," DUD. I threw on World Clique the other day and MAN, no age good no not at all. Wack diva bullshit and "eclectic" beats o' boredom. In the context of the entire album, "Groove Is In The Heart" is INEXPLICABLY glorious. After searching on allmusic, I'm guessing the song sounds even better in the context of mix CD's like New Millenium Dance Party and especially Rhythm & Grooves: Groove Is In The Heart, which wedges the song between Let's Dance and Hip Hop Hooray.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

dude they were like all 'tired' and shit at like 1:30

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

Picnic in the Summertime!

man, Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't ever wanna be older than disco.

Deee-lite remind me of much happier times, the last really upbeat, positive time I can remember. Momus wrote something nice about it, but I can't remember the thread.

I think the Deee-Lite theme is great, too. "New York City! New York City!" And "ESP". Oh, I just love the whole thing.

Arthur (Arthur), Monday, 17 March 2003 01:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

walk with me till we find the right spot
a little excursion picnic in the park
feet in the grass until it gets dark
that's when i saw the firefly's spark...

Joe (Joe), Monday, 17 March 2003 02:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah, I'm not sure what it is about "Groove is in the Heart" and its power to convert rockists. Even my prog metal-lovin' buddies know it's awesome. (see also: A Tribe Called Quest "Scenario" and Bel Biv Devoe "Poison")

original bgm, Monday, 17 March 2003 04:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Groove Is In The Heart" has the secret power of being fun to dance to even if you can't dance.

It's genius, obviously.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 17 March 2003 06:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

I own Dewdrops and Infinity. The former impressed me in college, when they epitomized what I wanted from a great club/rave/disco sound (still do, maybe), but now seems too slight despite its good beats. The latter doesn't sound quite as good but is a bit more substantial (Rubber Lover! Heart Be Still!) and the flaky lyrics grow on you. It's uneven, though, and I don't listen to it much. I don't dislike Groove Is in the Heart, but it doesn't do all that much for me. I've never heard anything else from World Clique.

gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 March 2003 06:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

terrific call, alan n, re: "groove is in the heart"'s similarity to "scenario" in terms of the tunes' ability to interest people not typically interested in those genres. wonder what that says about q-tip's ability as a crossover success and why KAMAAL THE ABSTRACT never got released (or did it?), even with its pretty right-on timing with the neo-soul thing.

that said, isn't it weird that despite that early success with the sort of general pop audience deee-lite just went ahead and got weirder (if not necessarily better) and more insular over their next several albums, even going so far as to release that remix disc long after their would-be moment had passed? maybe not that's as unusual as it's seeming right now — i suppose the beatles got stranger, after all — but it seems like a pretty impressive move from a band that probably had at least a couple more potential hits in them. or at least more funny hats.

mikael wood, Monday, 17 March 2003 06:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think the reason Kamaal wasn't released is that it's fucking horrible

M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 March 2003 07:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

I second Mr. Matos. Completely weak-ass cheese.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 March 2003 07:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

weak-ass? really? if i remotely liked anything about that record it was how supremely confident q-tip sounded in his own dabbling. i doubt i'd like to listen to it any time soon, but he sure seemed strong of heart making it.

mikael wood, Monday, 17 March 2003 07:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

how good is 'deee-lie's theme' off the poer of love
b.side ? reason i ask is that lemon jelly big it
in muzik this month.

piscesboy, Monday, 17 March 2003 11:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

I had the second two records, "Groove" is the only song I ever heard from the first. At the time DL were just astounding to me, but I must confess that I didn't listen to anything that sounded remotely similar and my interest in music was just beginning. Thought of them as a club-cult version of the B-52s, what with the silly clothes, doofy nicknames, etc. The third album only had like 4 songs I liked so I sold it; the second I still own and play like, once a year. What the heck happened to them, anyway? Like the B-52s, they just sort of disappeared without a trace.

Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Monday, 17 March 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

I hate the way rock dudes ALWAYS say that "Groove is in the Heart" is "undoubtedly the best house track *ever*" as if they've *ever* heard more than two or three others.

Clarke B., Monday, 17 March 2003 16:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Groove Is In The Heart" isn't even the best song on that album! I mean, "Good Beat", "Power Of Love", "ESP", "World Clique", "Deee-Lite Theme", "Who Was That?", "Deep Ending", "Build The Bridge"... WHAT A FUCKING GLORIOUS ALBUM!

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 17 March 2003 16:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

nice one clarke. they only used to say that because
bootsy's in the video and they knew who he was.

piscesboy, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

clarke b. and piscesboy, i'm interested: if you guys are more "dance dudes" than "rock dudes," were deee-lite up your alley? i couldn't really tell from your posts. but i'm curious if "dance dudes" took the band seriously, or considered them more a concession to "rock dude"-style accessibility/familiarity/tokenism/what-have-you.

mikael wood, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

the first album is classic, like everyone said. the others are decent. I mean, on world clique the song writing is so strong, and it is way more song based than a lot of house records. So, I guess it is a house record but is also a pop record and some rnb too. I'm not really a "dance dude" but i like the pop hits kind of stuff a la Daft Punk, basment jaxx, etc., and dee-lite fit in with that, but a bit less electronic sounding than current house i guess. right?

g (graysonlane), Monday, 17 March 2003 21:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

seven years pass...

"Groove Is In The Heart" isn't even the best song on that album! I mean, "Good Beat", "Power Of Love", "ESP", "World Clique", "Deee-Lite Theme", "Who Was That?", "Deep Ending", "Build The Bridge"... WHAT A FUCKING GLORIOUS ALBUM!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, March 17, 2003 10:48 AM (7 years ago)

^^

ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 15:37 (thirteen years ago) link

dude they were like all 'tired' and shit at like 1:30

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, March 16, 2003 11:46 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

:(

progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 15:39 (thirteen years ago) link

Does anybody have the remix album? I had that joint back in the 90s and really liked it. Does anything hold up?

haircrüt 100 (kkvgz), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 15:40 (thirteen years ago) link

I haven't heard anything but World Clique yet, but that one's fantastic. Reminds me a lot of the fun/carefree vibe on 3 Feet High & Rising, actually. Not sure where to dig next but hey. I have time, right?

ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:21 (thirteen years ago) link

2nd album is dope if you dig deep house

Monkeys? Um, no. (HI DERE), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:24 (thirteen years ago) link

First "adult" concert I attended. Fall '90 in South Beach. My first drag queen sighting too.

raging hetero lifechill (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:26 (thirteen years ago) link

Towa Tei's 'Future Listening' is fantastic, esp if dig Dee-Lite for the sampladelic production

World Clique totally captures the '90s will make the 60s look like the 50s' optimism of 1990

Aqua Buddha (herb albert), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link

Like Vanessa and Theo Huxtable's hair styles.

raging hetero lifechill (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:35 (thirteen years ago) link

My first drag queen sighting too.

How many since?

ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 16:55 (thirteen years ago) link

I like the remix album and Dewdrops In The Garden a lot. I think of them as Deee-Lite's "rave" albums.

Moodles, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 17:13 (thirteen years ago) link

three years pass...

daffodil yellow comes into prominence in a fluorescent fashion.

valerie loves me some hummus (how's life), Wednesday, 23 April 2014 14:04 (nine years ago) link

one year passes...

I can't believe I haven't listened to World Clique before now, it really is rather good.

haudrum, Friday, 1 April 2016 18:01 (eight years ago) link

I just listened to it for the first time like a week ago and yeah it's great.

Hey (Extended Mix), Friday, 1 April 2016 21:04 (eight years ago) link

I used to go around singing:

you don't need a dick
to make my heart click

The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 April 2016 21:16 (eight years ago) link

I only know Groove which was and still is on point

“I hate my wife. She doesn’t even have a dick” (sunny successor), Saturday, 2 April 2016 23:55 (eight years ago) link

The whole album is flawless aside from "Shine On"

i like to trump and i am crazy (DJP), Sunday, 3 April 2016 02:40 (eight years ago) link

"Smile On," you mean? That one's obnoxious, yeah

The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 3 April 2016 06:15 (eight years ago) link

Yes, that's what I meant.

i like to trump and i am crazy (DJP), Sunday, 3 April 2016 20:13 (eight years ago) link

Listening to this for the first time today. 'Smile On' is the standout (aside from Groove, which I've known since I was a lil' tyke). Crazy.

afriendlypioneer, Monday, 4 April 2016 17:52 (eight years ago) link

lol, I think the standout is the entire run from "World Clique" through the end of the album

i like to trump and i am crazy (DJP), Monday, 4 April 2016 17:54 (eight years ago) link

World Clique classic all the way home, and I don't even mind "Smile On." In love with this one, from the first remix 12, which I got recently:

How Do You Say…Love (A Delicious Pal Joey Dub)

Does Pal Joey have a thread? Need to check. BRB

andrew m., Tuesday, 5 April 2016 21:13 (eight years ago) link

Well he sorta does. And I posted on it awhile back lol.

andrew m., Tuesday, 5 April 2016 21:14 (eight years ago) link

title track on World Clique is so great. gonna have to dig this one up again.

anyone heard the Towa Tei single "GBI (German Bold Italic)" with Kylie? right from the start it sounds like an attempt to make "Groove pt. 2" and it's mostly successful (IMO), even featuring (and uncredited) Haruomi Hosono on backing vocals, which is a really strange thing to do. I guess this thread just reminded me of how cool that song was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPwyvZa0AZk

frogbs, Tuesday, 5 April 2016 22:10 (eight years ago) link

Pal Joey is so underrated

Hey (Extended Mix), Saturday, 9 April 2016 09:36 (eight years ago) link

two years pass...

this just came up on shuffle, sooo good. I think Britney stole that outfit btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncAbMVh3NfU

frogbs, Tuesday, 24 July 2018 02:52 (five years ago) link

It would never have occurred to me to see them live at the time because I was transitioning from pseudo-goth to full on grunger, but damn that would've been fun!

Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 24 July 2018 03:58 (five years ago) link

eleven months pass...

From the global village!
In the age of communication!

... (Eazy), Tuesday, 9 July 2019 23:21 (four years ago) link

New York City!

You can’t see it but I had an epiphany (Champiness), Tuesday, 9 July 2019 23:21 (four years ago) link

real
fresh

andrew m., Wednesday, 10 July 2019 14:32 (four years ago) link

straight life-affirming album. always within arm's reach for me.

andrew m., Wednesday, 10 July 2019 14:33 (four years ago) link

Extremely disappointed to learn that Lady Miss Kier is flirting with conspiracy/Q-Anon/deep state/"free thinking" shit recently, based on her twitter.

Johnny Fever, Thursday, 11 July 2019 03:20 (four years ago) link

umm wtf are you doing miss kier

frogbs, Thursday, 11 July 2019 03:52 (four years ago) link

kidney’s in the heaaaart / kidney’s in the heaaaaaart

breastcrawl, Thursday, 11 July 2019 05:43 (four years ago) link

groove is in the HAARP

ufo, Monday, 15 July 2019 10:21 (four years ago) link

world clique indeed

Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Monday, 15 July 2019 10:29 (four years ago) link

This is among my favorite videos on the internet. It has made me weep, there's so much palpable joy happening in it, and it was before NYC turned into a Chase bank/Starbucks amalgam. Just incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-gp9lPVj3E

blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Monday, 15 July 2019 13:11 (four years ago) link

Deee-Lite was my gateway to electronic music. I remember sitting around getting stoned with a friend when he put on the Sampladelic Relics and Dancefloor Oddities comp, which spoke to me a lot more than what little techno I had heard up to that point. Novelty stuff like Sesame's Treet or the Mortal Kombat theme was all that had filtered down to me, for the most part.

So I had listened to that record for a while when I overheard some ravers at school saying that Lady Miss Kier was going to be DJing at Buzz or some other DC club night. And I, who known as a hippy and definitely not a raver, was like, "maybe I'll go to that." One guy started clowning on me pretty hard for that, dancing around (not unlike the crew in table is the table's clip above) and saying "Can you imagine Peace, Man all up in Buzz like 'Groove is in the Heart!'?"

I did not go out to Buzz that Thursday.

☮ (peace, man), Monday, 15 July 2019 16:32 (four years ago) link

this thread reminds me, Towa Tei has been doing some great stuff lately but it's hard to find in the States

frogbs, Monday, 15 July 2019 17:34 (four years ago) link

fuck that one guy

quelle sprocket damage (sic), Monday, 15 July 2019 17:46 (four years ago) link

lol at first I was like "what did Towa Tei do to you??????" and then I scrolled up

brigadier pudding (DJP), Monday, 15 July 2019 18:03 (four years ago) link

it's a daisy age

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 15 July 2019 18:40 (four years ago) link


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