Masters At Work
Encyclopedia
Masters at Work is the house
/garage production and remix
team of "Little" Louie Vega
and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry
(who recorded several tracks under that name in the 1980s), in 1990. Cousin to Eric Vega, popular event creator and promoter in New York City.
The duo has also produced music together under the names MAW, KenLou, Sole Fusion, and Nuyorican Soul.
Their Nuyorican Soul project had the duo working extensively with real (as opposed to sampled
or synthesized) musicians, in a variety of styles including Latin
, disco
, jazz
, and more. Musicians who took part in this project include Vincent Montana Jr.
, Roy Ayers
, George Benson
, Jocelyn Brown
, Tito Puente
, and members of the Salsoul Orchestra
. The self-titled album released under the name Nuyorican Soul in 1996 included original tracks as well as cover versions of songs by the performers with which the duo was working, such as "Sweet Tears" (Roy Ayers), and "Runaway," originally sung by Loleatta Holloway
with the Salsoul Orchestra, here sung by India
and featuring musicians from the original recording of 1977.
MAW has a history as remixers, having reproduced tracks for various acts both inside and outside the world of dance music. Some of the artists remixed by the two producers include Michael Jackson
, Madonna
, Donna Summer
, Gus Gus, Jody Watley
, Janet Jackson
, Jamiroquai
, Earth Wind & Fire, and Stephanie Mills.
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...
/garage production and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
team of "Little" Louie Vega
Little Louie Vega
Luis Fernando Vager , better known as "Little" Louie Vega, is an American musician and one half of the Masters At Work musical production team...
and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry
Todd Terry
Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
(who recorded several tracks under that name in the 1980s), in 1990. Cousin to Eric Vega, popular event creator and promoter in New York City.
The duo has also produced music together under the names MAW, KenLou, Sole Fusion, and Nuyorican Soul.
Their Nuyorican Soul project had the duo working extensively with real (as opposed to sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
or synthesized) musicians, in a variety of styles including Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and more. Musicians who took part in this project include Vincent Montana Jr.
Vincent Montana Jr.
Vincent Montana, Jr. is an American composer, arranger, and percussionist, most known as a member of MFSB and as the founder of the Salsoul Orchestra....
, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, and members of the Salsoul Orchestra
Salsoul Orchestra
The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing band for acts on Salsoul Records. Under their own name the group recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1981.-Group History:...
. The self-titled album released under the name Nuyorican Soul in 1996 included original tracks as well as cover versions of songs by the performers with which the duo was working, such as "Sweet Tears" (Roy Ayers), and "Runaway," originally sung by Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
with the Salsoul Orchestra, here sung by India
La India
La India , known also as "La Princesa de la Salsa" , is a singer of salsa. She has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.-Early years:...
and featuring musicians from the original recording of 1977.
MAW has a history as remixers, having reproduced tracks for various acts both inside and outside the world of dance music. Some of the artists remixed by the two producers include Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, 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...
, Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, Gus Gus, Jody Watley
Jody Watley
Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
, Earth Wind & Fire, and Stephanie Mills.
Albums
- 1993 The Album
- 1995 The Essential KenLou House Mixes
- 1997 Nuyorican Soul (as Nuyorican Soul)
- 1998 The Remixes (as Nuyorican Soul)
- 2000 The Tenth Anniversary Collection - Part I
- 2000 The Tenth Anniversary Collection - Part II
- 2001 Our Time is Coming
Masters at Work
- 1991 "Blood Vibes/The Ha Dance"
- 1991 "Our Mute Horn" (with Ray VegaRay VegaRay "The Don" Vega is a producer of Adult Entertainment in the US. Known for colorful advertisements depicting a fictional mob family of which Mr. Vega was Godfather reminiscent of the hit HBO show The Sopranos, Mr...
) - 1991 "69 Steps"
- 1992 "Gonna Get Back to You" (with Xaviera GoldXaviera GoldXaviera Gold is a female African American dance music singer who is a former DJ and mixer on Chicago's WBMX-FM. She hit in 1987 with Ralphi Rosario on the song "You Used To Hold Me" under the name Xavier Gold . With Masters At Work she went to #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1993...
) - 1993 "Can't Stop the Rhythm" (with Jocelyn BrownJocelyn BrownJocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
) - 1993 "Give it to Me" (with Screechie Dan)
- 1993 "Hardrive EP"
- 1993 "I Can't Get No Sleep" (with IndiaLa IndiaLa India , known also as "La Princesa de la Salsa" , is a singer of salsa. She has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.-Early years:...
) - 1993 "When You Touch Me" (with India)
- 1994 "Get Up"
- 1995 "I Can't Get No Sleep '95" (with India)
- 1997 "La India Con La Voe" (with India and Albert Menendez)
- 1997 "MAW Sampler"
- 1997 "To Be in Love" (with India)
- 1998 "Odyssey/I'm Ready"
- 1998 "Pienso en Ti" (with Luis SalinasLuis SalinasLuis Salinas is an Argentine jazz guitarist who plays both electric and nylon string guitars. His music includes elements of bossa nova, Brazilian samba, Afro-Uruguayan candombe, salsa, boleros and jazz....
) - 1999 "To Be in Love '99" (with India)
- 1999 "MAW Expensive" (as MAW presents a Tribute to FelaFela KutiFela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, with Ibi Wunmi) - 2000 "Brazilian Beat" (with Lilian Chachian)
- 2000 "Ékabo"
- 2000 "MAW Unreleased Mixes"
- 2001 "Lean On Me" (with James IngramJames IngramJames Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...
) - 2001 "Dubplate Special 1"
- 2001 "Like a Butterfly" (with Patti AustinPatti Austin-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
) - 2001 "Work" (with Puppah Nas-T and Denise BelfonDenise BelfonDenise "Saucy Wow" Belfon is a Soca, Contemporary R&B, and Gospel singer, songwriter, and dancer.-Early years:...
) - 2001 "Dubplate Special 2"
- 2002 "Backfired" (with India)
- 2003 "Dubplate Special 3"
- 2006 "Loud" (with Beto CuevasBeto CuevasLuis Alberto "Beto" Cuevas Olmedo is the former lead singer of the now-defunct Chilean rock band, La Ley. He grew up in Montréal, Quebec, and is fluent in French, English, and Spanish. He was born in Santiago, Chile, and now resides in Los Angeles and is pursuing a solo career.-Biography:His...
) - 2007 "Work 2007" (with Puppah Nas-T and Denise Belfon)
Nuyorican Soul
- 1993 "The Nervous Track"
- 1996 "Mind Fluid"
- 1996 "Runaway" (with India)
- 1996 "You Can Do It (Baby)" (with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
) - 1997 "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" (with Jocelyn Brown)
- 1997 "It's All Right, I Feel it" (with Jocelyn Brown)
- 1998 "I Love the Nightlife" (with India)
KenLou
- 1995 "Moonshine/Hillbilly Song"
- 1995 "The Bounce/Gimme Groove"
- 1995 "What a Sensation" (with India)
- 1996 "MAW War/Mack Daddy Shoot"
- 1997 "Thru the Skies"
- 1998 "Bangin'"
- 2001 "Gone Three Times"
Groove Box
- 1996 "Casio's Theme/The More You Want"
- 1996 "Just Be Good to Me" (with Leena Marie)
- 2000 "I'm Your Man"
- 2001 "The More You Want"
Other aliases
- 1994 "Voices in my Mind", as Voices (with India)
- 1994 "My Love", as People Underground (with Michael WatfordMichael WatfordMichael Watford is an African American dance music singer, who was born in Virginia and raised in New Jersey. He is best known for his gospel-influenced vocals on house records through the 1990s and 2000s. Four of his singles charted on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the mid-1990s,...
) - 1995 "The Hard Times March", as 200 Sheep
- 1995 "The Drum", as WAM
- 1997 "Dance (Do That Thang)", as Black Magic
- 1997 "Let it Go", as Black Magic
- 2002 "Tranz/Body", as MAW Electronic
- 2004 "Danz/Time Travellers", as MAW Electronic
Productions for other artists
- 1993 Freedom WilliamsFreedom WilliamsFrederick Brandon Williams , better known by his stage name Freedom Williams is an American hip hop and dance music performer, who gained fame as the lead vocalist on C+C Music Factory's biggest hits.-Career:...
- "Voice of Freedom" - 1994 Barbara TuckerBarbara TuckerBarbara Tucker , is an African American house, R&B and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer. Her impact on the mainstream music scene has been felt more in Europe, than in her home country....
- "Beautiful People" - 1994 Willi NinjaWilli NinjaWilli Ninja was an American dancer and choreographer best known for his appearance in the documentary film Paris is Burning....
- "Hot" - 1997 Byron StingilyByron StingilyByron Stingily is an African American R&B and house-music singer born in Chicago, Illinois, known for his falsetto voice. He is now a principal at a school in Chicago.-Career:...
- "Flying High" - 1999 Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
- "La Fiesta", with Keith Pelzer and Jeff Townes - 2001 Jody WatleyJody WatleyJody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....
- "I Love to Love" - 2005 AnanéAnaneAnane is a fallen angel in Christian mythology, and appears in the first book of EnochAnane is also a name from Ghana meaning "Fourth Son."...
feat. Mr. VMr. VMr. V is an American house and latin music DJ, producer and rapper. He is a regular collaborator of Louie Vega, and is also the co-owner of SOLE Channel Music, with Alix Alvarez....
- "Let Me Love You" - 2005 Anané & Mr. V - "Move, Bounce, Shake"
Mixed compilations
- 1995 Ministry of Sound Sessions 5
- 2001 West End Records: The 25th Anniversary Mastermix
- 2004 Soul Heaven Presents: Masters at Work in the House
- 2005 The Kings of House
- 2006 Soul Heaven Presents: Masters at Work
- 2007 Ministry of Sound Chillout Classics
- 2007 Strictly MAW
Selected remixes
- 1991 Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" - 1992 DesiyaDesiyaDesiya was a dance/house music project, fronted by the DJ/remixer/producer Matthew Parkhouse from New York, and featured Melissa Yiannakou on vocals. Its 1992 #1 hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, "Comin' on Strong," was released by Mute/Elektra Records, and featured remixes...
- "Comin' On Strong" - 1992 Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- "Rock With You" - 1992 MadonnaMadonna (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...
- "EroticaErotica (song)"Erotica" is the lead single from American singer-songwriter Madonna's fifth studio album, Erotica . The single was released in October 1992 by Maverick Records, and later included on her greatest hits albums GHV2 and Celebration...
" - 1993 BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
- "Big Time SensualityBig Time Sensuality"Big Time Sensuality" is a song by Björk, released as the fourth single from her 1993 album Debut. The song helped boost Björk's popularity worldwide, particularly the U.S., where she charted for the first time.-Background:...
" - 1993 Debbie Gibson - "Losin' MyselfLosin' Myself"Losin' Myself" is the first single from the album Body, Mind, Soul by American singer-songwriter-actress Deborah Gibson, released in January 1993. The song was written by Gibson, and co-written and co-produced with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers....
" - 1993 JamiroquaiJamiroquaiJamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
- "Emergency on Planet EarthEmergency on Planet Earth (song)"Emergency on Planet Earth" is the fourth and final single from Jamiroquai's debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Jay Kay. It has a very environmentalist tone, urging the listener to "stop modernisation going on." The track peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart and at #4 on...
" - 1994 Secret LifeSecret Life (band)Secret Life was a British R&B/house and pop band active from 1991 to 1996, particularly popular in the UK and Europe.-History:The first release by Secret Life was a white label recording called "Spanish Lullaby", written and produced by Andy Throup and Jim Di Salvo. This was their first release...
- "Borrowed Time" - 1994 Barbara TuckerBarbara TuckerBarbara Tucker , is an African American house, R&B and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer. Her impact on the mainstream music scene has been felt more in Europe, than in her home country....
- "Beautiful People" - 1995 Donna SummerDonna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
- "I Feel LoveI Feel Love"I Feel Love" is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday.The song constituted the "future" segment of the album, which represented a stylistic progress through time...
" - 1997 The BraxtonsThe BraxtonsThe Braxtons were an American R&B girl group consisting of sisters Toni Braxton, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton, and Tamar Braxton...
- "The BossThe Boss (Diana Ross song)"The Boss" is a 1979 soul/disco song written and produced by Ashford & Simpson and recorded by singer Diana Ross, who released it as a single on the Motown label...
" - 1997 George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
- "Song For My Brother" - 1997 George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
- "Baby I'm In Love" - 1998 Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
- "Go DeepGo Deep"Go Deep" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope . Written by Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, and René Elizondo, Jr., the song was released as the album's fourth single in June and July 1998 in the United Kingdom and the United...
" - 1998 Melanie B feat. Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
- "I Want You BackI Want You Back (Melanie B song)"I Want You Back" is a song by Melanie Brown, released as her first solo single. It was released as a single from the first soundtrack to the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love and later included on her album Hot. This single was the first solo Spice Girl No.1.Mel recalled, "This was the first...
" - 1999 Gus Gus - "VIPVIPVIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
" - 2000 The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
- "Get BackGet Back"Get Back" is a song by The Beatles, composed by Paul McCartney and frequently attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The song was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." A different mix of the song later became the closing track of Let It Be ,...
" - 2000 Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
- "See Line Woman" - 2000 Spice GirlsSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
- "Holler" - 2002 AaliyahAaliyahAaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
- "More Than a WomanMore than a Woman (Aaliyah song)"More Than a Woman" is a contemporary R&B/dance-pop song, written by Static Major and Timbaland for Aaliyah's self-titled third studio album, Aaliyah...
" - 2004 Stephanie MillsStephanie MillsStephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times...
- "Free- Louie Vega Mix" - 2004 4Hero - "The Remix Album, Vol.1"
See also
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart