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!
