If you’ve ever ventured on to a club dance floor in the past 10 years it’s likely you would have come across tunes from Defected. The label is undoubtedly one of the most ubiqtuous house music brands on the planet and has some of the most memorable and loved dance music on its books. The label’s association with stunning clubs like Pacha Ibiza gives the label a certain glamorous image – the antithesis of which is probably London’s grungy rock-centric Camden. Yet this is the place Defected are choosing to showcase their new fully live show…
As part of the much acclaimed iTunes festival, Defected are putting together some of the biggest voices in disco and house and backing them up with a ridiculously tight live band. Heading proceedings will be the legendary Candi Staton, she of ‘You Got The Love’ and ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ fame. Also performing will be NYC vocal powerhouse Barbra Tucker and Bob Sinclar cohort Steve Edwards.
To celebrate this special performance we are giving away 20 pairs of tickets for the event on Friday 23rd July.
All you have to do to stand a chance of winning is email competition@shazamteam.com with your answer to the following question:
Which act recently covered Candi Staton’s ‘You Got The Love’
Candi Staton’s ‘You’ve Got The Love’ has remained a club favourite since it’s 1986 releases largely thanks to a slew of 90′s remakes; the most prominent of which mixes Candi’s legendary gospel vocals with the sleazy proto-hose stylings of Frankie Knuckle’s ‘Your Love’. Recently interest in the record has seemed to increase with the use of the record in the finale of ‘Sex And The City’ (one for the girls) and Kasabian’s cheeky cover version which has been climaxing their live sets throughout the year (one for the fellas). Although there’s more than enough versions of ‘You’ve Got The Love’ floating around, Florence & The Machine’s rendition of the song still comes as a welcome edition. Florence’s vocals really shine when coupled with the familiartity of the lyrics, while the drama of the bands backing has made ‘You’ve Got The Love’ a great curtain closer at Florence’s live gigs. The new video for ‘You’ve Got The Love’ is a Studio 54 themed affair complete with white suits, dodgy ‘taches and an amazingly on form Florence – who plays the roll of a flame haired sex vixen singing from crazy suspended half moon glitter ball. Check out the video here.
Synched to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Christopher Street riots in New York and respectfully borrowing its name from Harvey Milk, the gay rights campaigner infamously assassinated in San Francisco in the 70’s, London festival ‘Milk In The Park’ hoped to mix politics and partying whilst delivering music and happy times. Entertainment on the day included everything from the niche, but ever-popular Horse Meat Disco crew to other dance tents playing a range of styles from retro Chicago house to 90’s mainstream hands-in-the-air pop. In the main arena, London’s Deputy Mayor, Richard Barnes, felt it necessary and rightly so, to spell out the significance in gay history of the afore-mentioned events before the performance of top-billed disco queen, Candi Staton – ironically on first, due to her commitments north of the border later that day.
Following a disco set by Horse Meat DJ Severino & a hyped introduction by a resplendent drag queen, Ms. Staton, looking immaculate in an all-black number, arrived delicately on stage to a mainly over-30’s whooping crowd, who courteously gave her a tumultuous welcome in the process. Calm as you like, looking genuinely pleased to sing to her adoring fans, she started with the Bees Gees classic ‘Nights On Broadway’; an impeccable choice for an opening song: vocally perfect, smiling, dancing, waving, every step of the way encouraging participation from the enraptured audience. The middle section of the set included some unusual offerings. From her rendition of Tammy Wynette’s ‘Stand By Your Man’ through to two Elvis’ hits – which she did indeed cover back in the day, but seemed a downbeat choice for such an occasion. Having said that, one of the highlights of the afternoon was seeing the genuine emotion she displayed during her performance of the civil rights song ‘In The Ghetto’. Soon back on track and raising the temperature once again, she stormed through extended versions of her biggest hits: ‘Victim’ nearly brought the tent down and ‘Young Hearts (Run Free)’ & ‘You Got The Love’ were every bit as perfect as the day outside.
Candi delivered many words of wisdom during the show. The ones that probably stuck most with the exiting crowd were that perhaps in this big, bad world we should learn to love each other more! On the basis of her performance & the joy that it was to behold, we’ll give it a real good try!
