Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (song)
Encyclopedia
"Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" is a song written by Michael Cleveland for R&B
–New Wave
–dance
group Indeep
. It features vocals from Reggie
and Rose Marie Ramsey, and its protagonists recall how they were bored to death until a DJ
played a hot song and saved their lives by giving new energy to the night. The song was released as a single
in 1982
and became the most popular and successful hit released by its record label, Sound of New York/Becket Records. In the U.S. "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" reached number ten on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and number two on the Club Singles chart, and it peaked at number thirteen in the United Kingdom
. The track appears as the third track of the namesake album released in 1983
.
Rolling Stone
magazine declared the song "one of the greatest songs ever written about being a girl, listening to the radio, or any combination of the two," and, in 2005, editors of Blender
magazine placed it at number 406 on its 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born list. The song also provided the inspiration of the title of the book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey (2000). Because of the limited success of Indeep
's later releases, the group's first single was its only major hit and placed it into the one-hit wonder
category of artists. In 2004, UK house
/trance music
producer Seamus Haji
made several popular remixes of the song through his own label, Big Love
Records, and released them on a 12" single
titled "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (ATFC mixes)." This version reached number thirteen on the UK Singles Chart
and number one on the UK Dance
chart in 2006.
The song is sampled during Madonna
's performance of her song "Music
" on her Sticky & Sweet Tour
. The song is featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
on "Fever 105," one of the in-game radio stations which are accessed while driving.
singer Mariah Carey
co-produced a cover of "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" with DJ Clue
and Duro, which appeared on her tenth album, Glitter. Carey's version of the song features Fabolous
and Busta Rhymes
, and it is heard during a scene in the film Glitter
, in which Carey starred. It was released as the album's sixth and final single in 2001 in Spain on a strictly promotional basis to boost the album's slow sales, as the preceding singles from the album had performed poorly. Because of its limited release and conflict between Carey and Virgin
/EMI Records
, the single's music video (directed by Sanaa Hamri
) was not released until late 2002–early 2003 through Carey's online fan club.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
–New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
–dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
group Indeep
Indeep
Indeep was a 1980s New York-based R&B/New Wave group, best known for its post-disco song "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life."-Career:The group was led by its songwriter-musician Michael Cleveland, and it was known for employing a strong disco-esque bass line and early hip hop lyrics backed by two...
. It features vocals from Reggie
Réjane Magloire
Réjane "Reggie" Magloire is a singer, model, and actress.Magloire was born in Zaire but grew up in New York. She studied Western classical music with heavy emphasis on opera singing...
and Rose Marie Ramsey, and its protagonists recall how they were bored to death until a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
played a hot song and saved their lives by giving new energy to the night. The song was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1982
1982 in music
This is a list of notable events in music from 1982. 1982 was a big year in music with Madonna making her debut as well as the year that Michael Jackson released Thriller which became the world's best selling album and it still holds that title today....
and became the most popular and successful hit released by its record label, Sound of New York/Becket Records. In the U.S. "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" reached number ten on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and number two on the Club Singles chart, and it peaked at number thirteen in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The track appears as the third track of the namesake album released in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine declared the song "one of the greatest songs ever written about being a girl, listening to the radio, or any combination of the two," and, in 2005, editors of Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine placed it at number 406 on its 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born list. The song also provided the inspiration of the title of the book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey (2000). Because of the limited success of Indeep
Indeep
Indeep was a 1980s New York-based R&B/New Wave group, best known for its post-disco song "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life."-Career:The group was led by its songwriter-musician Michael Cleveland, and it was known for employing a strong disco-esque bass line and early hip hop lyrics backed by two...
's later releases, the group's first single was its only major hit and placed it into the one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
category of artists. In 2004, UK house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
/trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
producer Seamus Haji
Seamus Haji
Seamus Haji is a British record producer, who had a number one on the UK Dance Chart, with a cover of Indeep's, "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life". He originally released this as a single in 2004. The single originally reached #69 on the UK Singles Chart, and #13 on re-issue in March 2007 and #1 on...
made several popular remixes of the song through his own label, Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
Records, and released them on a 12" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
titled "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (ATFC mixes)." This version reached number thirteen on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number one on the UK Dance
UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
chart in 2006.
The song is sampled during Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's performance of her song "Music
Music (Madonna song)
"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...
" on her Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
. The song is featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
on "Fever 105," one of the in-game radio stations which are accessed while driving.
Covers and other uses
American R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
co-produced a cover of "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" with DJ Clue
DJ Clue
Ernesto Shaw better known as DJ Clue?, is a mixtape DJ.-Biography:For more than 10 years, DJ Clue has proven that he is more than just a beat-thumper. His accomplishments show how a turntable genius precisely puts together different songs to make a concoction of beats and melodies that rule the...
and Duro, which appeared on her tenth album, Glitter. Carey's version of the song features Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, and it is heard during a scene in the film Glitter
Glitter (film)
Glitter is a 2001 film starring R&B singer, songwriter Mariah Carey. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures and directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. It centers on the life and times of a struggling singer from the early club music scene in the 1980s.-Production:Carey has said about...
, in which Carey starred. It was released as the album's sixth and final single in 2001 in Spain on a strictly promotional basis to boost the album's slow sales, as the preceding singles from the album had performed poorly. Because of its limited release and conflict between Carey and Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
/EMI Records
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, the single's music video (directed by Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
) was not released until late 2002–early 2003 through Carey's online fan club.
- In 1997, King Britt included a version of this song in his album King Britt Presents Sylk 130 – When The Funk Hits The Fan.
- The song was also re-released and remixed a number of times by various DJ's–producers, most notably Seamus Haji, Funkagenda, and ATFC.
- House/dance music singer Lula recently released an unrelated song of the same name officially titled "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life (While a DJ Gave Me Trouble)," featuring Papa Joe, along with a number of remixes on KULT Records. This song reached Number six on the top of the Billboard Magazine Dance Chart.
- The song was remixed by DJ KambelDJ KambelKurtis Campbell, better known as DJ Kambel, is a British electronic music DJ. While DJing in the UK happy hardcore scene, he composed many works for the mega-hit compilation Dancemanias Speed series, which made him one of the most frequently appearing artists on the series along with the likes of...
and MC MagikaMC MagikaMC Magika, sometimes credited as M•A•G•I•K•A, is a British MC, music producer and rave promoter. He has been regularly featured on the UK breakbeat compilation Dreamscape series, and on the mega-hit dance music compilation Dancemanias Speed sub-series...
in 2002, appearing on Dancemania Speed 8Dancemania SpeedDancemania Speed is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's Dancemania compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released Dancemania albums or faster remixed covers of various famous songs...
with the name Last Nite Kambel Saved My Life. - The song appears in the 2006 feature film "CashbackCashback (film)Cashback is the name of two films directed by Sean Ellis: a 2004 short film and a 2006 feature film. Both were produced by Lene Bausager, starring Sean Biggerstaff and Emilia Fox. The feature was released by Magnolia Pictures in late 2006 and also starred Michelle Ryan...
"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460740/soundtrack - The song “If Ya Gettin' DownIf Ya Gettin' Down"If Ya Gettin' Down" is the first single from British boyband Five's second studio album, Invincible. The single was released on 19 July 1999. It was co-written by Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Jason 'J' Brown, Sean Conlon and Richard Breen, and co-produced by Stannard and Rowe. The song...
” by Five features a sample of the song. - The song "Electrolux" by Fini Tribe features the lyric "Las night a DJ saved my life".
- The song "Seiv Mai Nait" by Tatact also features the lyric "Last night a DJ saved my life".
- Dara Rolins covered the song under the title "Party DJ"
- In 2011, Wendy Williams danced the foxtrot to this song on Dancing with the Stars.
- The Italian band Mirage performed a remix of this song on the 2007 compilation "After Dark," released by the Italians Do It Better record label.