Saturday, October 16, 2010

Love Tempo

It has been a hectic week and did not get a chance to do any postings.  Here I am back with dance classic "Love Tempo" by Quando Quango.  This short lived British, Manchester based new wave and dance project, formed by The Hacienda DJ and Factory Records A&R man Mike Pickering, Hillengonda Rietveld and Reiner Rietveld brought a unique sound that influenced the underground music scenes in New York and Chicago in the 1980's.  Their first release was the "Go Exciting" twelve-inch single in 1982, and their last release of new music was the 1985 full length album Pigs & Battleships.  They are best known for "Love Tempo" which reached number four on the US Billboard Dance Chart, and "Atom Rock".  Their sound was the result of an eclectic mix of Latin, jazz, reggae and disco, all in pioneering New Wave context.  Hillegonda Rietveld said, describing the group's music, "...Fela Kuti meets Kraftwerk somewhere between Manchester and Rotterdam, part of a new wave of post-punk electronica, with a whole lot of Mike Pickering's admirably broad knowledge of soul, disco, reggae and pop to stuff the gaps".  Bernard Summer of Joy Division and New Order, who produced early Quando Quango recordings, was a major influence on the group also and you can actually witness this episode on the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People which managed to capture this period in music succesfully.  The group was originally formed in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in 1980 and after they released of Pigs & Battleships, they went on to collaborate with other acts such as Spasmodique,  A Certain Ratio's  Simon Toppin, Lisa Stansfield and M People under Pickering's tutelage.  This song was later included on the Disco Not Disco compilations albums. It is time for "Love Tempo" and hope you enjoy it!


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