Deee-Greatest Band Of All Time??: Deee-Lite
Posted by: steve | From: July 22, 2004
Dum DumDum DumDum DooDooDooDoo "Groove is in the DUUUUDDE!" I swear I'm not kidding. I really believe this. From how GBoAT is going, it seems like Zac will inform you about deep historical dudes you've probably never heard of that have a lot of very interesting history, while I will mostly be talking about bands with one huge hit that has been driven into the ground with a fairly boring history and our amazing new contributor Marisa, well no real trend has developed yet (as she has only written two) but it is clear Marisa's will be interesting and well written. Oh, and it's just starting folks as I feel more comfortable talking about my more awkward musical loves it may get ugly, but stick with us here. There really is something there.
So, yeah, Dum DumDum DumDum DooDooDooDoo, "Groove is in the DUUUDE! YEAH YEAH!" Greatest Band Of All Time. Swear. Totally Swear. Dum DumDum DumDum DooDooDooDoo. It's on every "Totally Fun Party Songs From the 1990's," and every "NOW! That's What I Call The Totally Fun Party Songs From the 1990's" compilation CDs. It was even probably on the amazing "MTV Party To Go" CDs. "Groove Is In The Heart" is an amazing song. It still sounds great when it comes on, even though you've heard it a million times. I mean, it totally does the trick of making you want to dance. It's sorta goofy but with a great bassline from Bootsy Collins, hot horns, very legit guest appearance from Q Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, and that lovable Lady Miss Kier doing it up. Alas, one great song does not a The Greatest Band of All Time make, but when their debut album is really solid, AND they have a hugely underappreciated third album that spoke on all things trippy and ravey then YES, well maybe, but PROBABLY!!!
Lady Miss Kier, Super DJ Dmitry, and Jungle DJ Towa Towa (later changed to just Towa Tei) formed Deee-Lite in 1986 in New York. Leaders of the whole New York club scene they worked the clubs and excited the crowds. One thing I don't know, but would love to know is how a band like Deee-Lite gets signed to a major label. I mean being a phenomenon in NYC will get almost anyone signed, but I have never seen anything about recorded material prior to their major label debut. Do they get signed based off of the live show, or are there demos or what? Anyhoo, they get signed and release their debut album, World Clique, in 1990. The album featured their mega hit, "Groove Is In The Heart," and so many totally good vibes. Vibes, baby, that's what I'm all about now, and Deee-Lite are the best at bringing the vibes. On, World Clique, the vibes are of positive rap style production of the late 80s early 90s variety kinda like De La Soul or A Tribe Called Quest mixed with diva vocals and positive horns. Some songs roll in a traditional dance manner like an early house but feature a heavier layering of instruments and interesting tones over the house base. World Clique sold bunches of records, due to the hit single, and played a big part in bringing back the 70s retro thing that happened in the early 90s. Visually, at this point in their career, Deee-Lite was all lava lamps and deep fashion and wacky fun.
In 92, Deee-Lite dropped a dissapointing second album called Infinity Within. It veers to close, musically, to simple vocal house like you find on all the euro style dance cds of the early and mid 90s. The sound was like some of World Clique but the production was simpler and lost some of its energy and magic. The lyrics became much more political as we entered the days of The Gulf War and George Herbert Walker Bush's depression. I respect the intent, but the lyrics come off sounding pretty trite.
Dewdrops in the Garden was Deee-Lite's last studio album (a remix album dropped later) and was released in 1994. It was a pretty drastic re-imagining of the band's vibe and sound. Towa Tei left the group to work solo, which was a huge blow according to some people who viewed Tei as the musical force behind the band. They added a new member, DJ Ani, and took it so rave. Always pushing the connectedness of humans and earth they took it to another level with Dewdrops in the Garden. The album is filled with ruminations on romance, love, drug references (including a song called DMT, the most intense of psychedelic drugs), and hippy speak. It all works so well. The album is incredibly eclectic, with much more chilled out stuff, and focus on mood, albeit there still is some diva style stuff for those who wouldn't love Deee-Lite without Lady Miss Kier wonderful wails. It does reek of the 90s, but in a nice way. Dewdrops sold poorly and Deee-Lite packed it in. I saw Lady Miss Kier DJ in 1998 or something, and that was not a good show, the good vibes were gone replaced with a very confusing ethos entitled "Bitch" which stood for Being In Technological Courageous Harmony (whu?), I hope it's a movement for more women to DJ, but I'm not sure what it is. She was spinning really garbage drum'n'bass, and it just was sorta gnarly. I sound like a goober, but I WANT THE GOOD VIBES, and Deee-Lite were the best at bringing the good vibes, and good vibes = The Greatest Band of All Time, right? Right?
Steve, I think I can safely say my entries will clearly be about me: my teenage years, my crushes, my missed proms. And whatever music was playing in the background for said events.
I saw Lady Miss Kier at a party somewhat recently. She looks good.
Posted by: Marisa Meltzer at July 26, 2004 08:21 AM
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My friend Susan (pash) Ploetz had a very deep DEEE-LITE summer, in which she pledged to listen only to DEEELITe. I think she came pretty close.
Posted by: zac at July 22, 2004 04:28 PM