L.A. Mix were a British group composed of
DMC mixer and club DJ Les Adams (29 November 1955
– 2 September 2019), his production partner and wife Emma Freilich and multi-instrumentalist
Mike Stevens. All of the group's seven
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
charted on the
UK Singles Chart.
Biography
L.A. Mix consisted of then husband-and-wife team Les Adams and Emma Freilich, and Mike Stevens.
Their first hit was in 1987, "Don't Stop (Jammin')", which was based on a simple 8-track demo that Adams had formed in his home studio,
and made No. 47 on the
UK Singles Chart.
That record got L.A. Mix in trouble, as the bassline had been taken from the song "Love Is the Message", resulting in
Vincent Montana Jr. attempting to take an injunction out on the group.
The record deal was initially only for one single, but then Adams remixed
Maurice Joshua
Maurice Joshua (born in Chicago, Illinois), usually credited under the name Maurice, is an American record producer. His single " This Is Acid (A New Dance Craze)" (1988), reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart in April ...
's "
This Is Acid" by taking the vocals, adding a synth lead from
Black Riot's "A Day in the Life", using the rhythm synth from
Inner City
The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...
's "
Big Fun", sirens from some of
Todd Terry
Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music. His productions helped define the New York house scene in the 1990s and used extensive samples that blend the sounds of classi ...
's records and some assorted sexual screams of unknown origin from his collection,
and as a result the record went to No. 1 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. Thus, the record label decided to release another single.
That single was "Check This Out", which reached No. 6 in the UK in 1988 and was their biggest hit.
That also raised legal ire, this time of the then-owner of
Easy Street Records
Easy Street Records is an independent record store located in Seattle, Washington. Easy Street opened its store in West Seattle in 1988, and later added a cafe/bar, which serves coffee, breakfast, lunch, beer, wine, and cocktails. Easy Street Rec ...
as the song included a short sample of "You Don't Know" by Serious Intention, and the owner of that label was one of New York's top lawyers. The matter was settled out of court for $15,000.
It is not to be confused by a
Hardhouse
UK hard house or simply hard house is a style of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1990s and is synonymous with its association to the Trade club and the associated DJs there that created the style. It often features a speedy te ...
song of the same name, also released in 1988.
Next, in 1989 they released "Get Loose", which featured rapping by
Pauline Bennett (under her stage name Jazzi P) and charted at #25
after they had been diagnosed by the songwriting team of
Stock, Aitken and Waterman as being "unlikely to have another hit".
A fourth single, also released in 1989, "Love Together" featuring Kevin Henry, charted at #66. These four singles were aggregated on the album ''On the Side'', which was released in 1989.
In 1990, the first of three singles from L.A. Mix's second album was released. "Coming Back for More", also the title track of the new album, was released as a single. The song featured vocals from Franseco (Leslie George),
and charted at #50.
In 1991, "Mysteries of Love", featuring
Beverlei Brown
Beverlei Brown is a British R&B and soul singer. Brown gleaned her singing skills from her mother, who sang in her church's choir in Birmingham, England. When she was old enough, Brown sang with the choir and eventually became the leader.
She ...
on lead vocals, Marcus C on rap and co-production from
Andy Whitmore
Andy Whitmore is a British keyboard player and record producer from London, UK. He works from his own studio Greystoke Studio in Ealing, West London. Whitmore has produced 14 UK top-ten hits including " Flava" by Peter Andre and "I've Got a Littl ...
,
was released and made #46.
Their final single, "We Shouldn't Hold Hands in the Dark", also featured vocals from Franseco but also from
Juliet Roberts
Juliet Roberts (born 6 May 1962) is a British jazz, rock, soul and house music singer of Grenadian descent.
Career
Roberts was born in London, England. She originally recorded as Julie Roberts in 1982, and performed on the 1983 top 10 hit si ...
and charted at #69.
L.A. Mix also produced two UK
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
singles (one of which was a top ten hit) for
Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue (; born 20 October 1971) is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. As a child, she became known for her appearances on the television talent show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988). She went on to play the r ...
's 1991 album, ''Love and Kisses''; "
I Don't Wanna Take This Pain
"I Don't Wanna Take This Pain" is a single by Australian singer Dannii Minogue from her debut album, '' Love and Kisses'' (1991). A personal favourite of Minogue's, its original mix was released as the third single in Australia, where it peaked ...
" and "
Jump to the Beat
"Jump to the Beat" is a song written by Narada Michael Walden and Lisa Walden. It was originally released by American singer Stacy Lattisaw in 1980 when it became a big hit in the UK, peaking at No. 3. It was later covered by Australian singer D ...
". They also produced work for
Krush
Krush were a UK dance music group, who had a crossover hit single with "House Arrest" in 1987.
Career
The group consisted of musicians Mark Gamble, Cassius Campbell and record producers Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon. Ruth Joy was the featured ...
vocalist
Ruth Joy, on her 1992
MCA album, ''Pride and Joy''.
On 2 September 2019, it was announced that Les Adams had suffered a heart attack and died, after having suffered heart problems for some time.
Discography
Albums
*''On the Side'' (1989),
A&M
*''Coming Back for More'' (1990), A&M
Singles
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
English house music groups
English dance music groups
English musical trios
Musical groups established in 1987
A&M Records artists
Mixed-gender musical trios