The Shamen – Pro>gen

As far as Progen is concerned, it's all about the C-Mix Dub. Some might call it hip-house due to Mr. C's short rap, but it's not really enough to push it over that boundary in my opinion. It certainly isn't acid house as submitted here on this release page.

This is the version I'd first heard, in the warehouses and on pirate radio. Still contains the vocals but much less so. More underground. The days when heavy serious basslines were at the forefront of house and techno production. Straight to the point. Kicking straight off with the bassline and bass drum. Dirtier, grittier than the subsequent more commercial, remixed, polished cheesier versions which eventually after months of playtime ended up hitting the mainstream charts in 1991. Mr. C's MCing vocal also sounds more natural, relaxed and live than on the remixes.

I Mr. C himself from the Shamen spinning it on pre-release for the first time on London pirate radio station Dance 93.0 FM lateish '89. Mixed it up with some really rough freestyle electro track with him Mcing over the top. Later played quite extensively at the Barn in Braintree, Essex. With all other versions. But my first social experience of it was with a couple of mates at some dive in central London somewhere, I can't where and what the place was called but it was cramped in there, hot and quite a few people didn't smell very hygienic. I believe Mr. C and maybe Eddie Richards were actually playing there if I'm not mistaken although I can't clearly recall much (apart from that pungent, funky odour) and that heavy bassline boring a deep hole in my chest, as I was otherwise sufficiently inebriated.

Damn, I had a recording of when it was first played on his pirate radio show. The original cassette went missing like hundreds of other tapes! Probably to eventually be dubbed over in later years with crap cheesy pop house or chipmunk happy jungle tunes, notably by a certain someone I know. You know it cousin you crafty git ... :(

One of those types of tunes which really comes alive (come alive! come alive!) on a big hefty sound system. Don't judge it if you're playing it on some cheap, crappy (hi-fi) or supposed boom box. This needs to be heard on a good quality club sound system to be fully appreciated.

Lightspan Soundwave is a good track. Sounds nice in a warehouse scenario. Purely instrumental. Unfortunately, the remixes, can't which ones, contain too many unnecessary vocal samples.

For me personally it's all about the Ben Chapman Mix of "Lightspan", which has an alternative introduction to the original mix, making a DJs life easier. As well as the original it features the drum break with the awesome percussion beat of the legendary "Holy Ghost" by the Bar-Kays. I just have one minor point of criticism: the production is a bit weak at some places, for example in the break after the introduction when you should hear only a bass without the drums you can hear the original sound loop - especially its hi-hats - running in the background as if your crossfader needs to be replaced.

There were of course at least 40 different mixes of this song and it was nearly impossible to get away from for sometime over the course of it's varied and for a time nimble shelf life. But if you really want one of the better and stranger mixes. Check 7-B by the Beatmasters. To a degree it's barely recognizable as what it is unless you know the track. Just to tweak it a little further they included samples of the Stones "2000 light years from home."
Set the strobes on high.

The one that swept the dancefloors clear of the turgid 109bpm 'mellow house' in late 1989/early 1990.

After the beats come in, some filtered, choppy guitar(?) chords rise powerfully and cleanly through the mix. This opening section used to fill dancefloors within ten seconds. Then a synth line drifts through, followed by a punchy riff. Then the vocals (by which point hands were waving, and neck-hairs were standing).

By the time the Mr C rap came in, the dance-floor was always pounding.

This tune was one of the first genuine cross-overs (in a number of genres - house, techno, industrial, indie, balearic), and spawned a staggering number of remixes. The Shamen were so bemused by them all that they released a triple-12", including all the different samples used for the song, so budding producers could stitch them all together in whatever way they wanted.

This is the best version. Soulful, powerful, uplifting.

When this record first came out back in "the day" it was a true house monster. It did get way overplayed, eventually becoming more of a commercial tune, but it was hot when it was underground. This record got caned in Florida by Kimball Collins, Dave Cannalte, Andy Hughes, et al.