"On & On" is a 1984 Chicago house song performed by Jesse Saunders and written with record producer Vince Lawrence. Saunders recorded it using a Roland TR-808 in 1983, based on a mash up of rhythm tracks containing interpolations of "Space Invaders" by Player One, "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer, and a song by the Giorgio Moroder band Munich Machine.[1][2][3] The song was released as a single on Jes Say Records in early 1984. It's frequently cited as the first House song released on vinyl.[4][5][6][7][8]
Composition
editSaunders composed the track with Lawrence in order to replace a record which had been stolen from Saunders's collection, the "On & On" bootleg disco megamix by Mach (1980). That megamix, a pastiche of loops from several disco records, particularly the bassline from Player One's "Space Invaders" (1979) and Lipps Inc's "Funkytown" (1980), had been Saunders's "signature" tune as a DJ; it was one that other DJs in the city didn't have or didn't play. Saunders & Lawrence added hypnotic lyrics and electronic instruments, utilizing a Roland TR-808 drum machine as electronic percussion as well as a Korg Poly-61 synthesizer and Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ Johnston, Chris (3 April 2014). "The Crate: Jesse Saunders' On and On (1984)". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Ryce, Andrew. "Rewind: Jesse Saunders - On And On · Single Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Jesse Saunders: On & On (Clear Vinyl) 12". TurntableLab.com. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Beyond Heaven: Chicago House Party Flyers 1983-1989 (1st ed.). Evanston, Illinois: Almight & Insane Books. 2021. ISBN 978-0-692-13956-1. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "House Music Guide: A Brief History of House Music by Beatport - 2022". www.beatportal.com.
- ^ Dutton, Jack (15 October 2020). "How Jesse Saunders made the first ever house record". The National. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Harris, Arielle Castillo,Geeta Dayal,Keith; Castillo, Arielle; Dayal, Geeta; Harris, Keith (2 April 2014). "20 Best Chicago House Records". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Whitehurst, Andrew (27 March 2014). "WHAT WAS THE VERY FIRST HOUSE RECORD?". DJ Mag. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Church, Terry (February 9, 2010). "Black History Month: Jesse Saunders and house music". BeatPortal. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ^ "Jesse Saunders – On And On". Discogs. January 20, 1984. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
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