Lem Springsteen is an American songwriter
["The Essential… Mood II Swing"]
''Ripple Magazine'', 24 May 2016 and
dance and
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began altering ...
producer.
He is best known as part of house production duo
Mood II Swing.
["Mood II Swing works to avoid remix trap". ]
In 1997, he co-wrote and co-produced Ultra Naté's hit song "
Free
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procur ...
",
["Ultra Naté: Situation: Critical"]
''AllMusic''. a dance-hop influenced disco track released on the
Strictly Rhythm
Strictly Rhythm is an American house music record label.
History
Strictly Rhythm relaunched in 2007 after a five-year break, following a venture with Warner Music. The label made a number of its recordings available for digital download and si ...
label. The song peaked at number 1 on both the US
Hot Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as ...
and
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
charts
as well as placing on a number of charts in other countries. The song has appeared on a number of '90s Music compilation albums, and was featured on soundtracks for ''
Chasing Liberty
''Chasing Liberty'' is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, the film is about the 18-year-old daughter of the President of the United State ...
'' and ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer
''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...
''.
Biography
Springsteen was signed to EMI Music Publishing in London for several years after co-writing and co-producing the hit recording "Free" by Ultra Nate in 1997. He entered the music business at the age of 16 years old, after manager, at the time Vaughan Mason, who had hit recordings, procured a single deal with the now defunct label
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright A ...
UK, after Lem and younger brother won a talent contest at New York City's Apollo Theatre. Vaughan taught Lem, songwriting, analog sythns and analog recording, before the digital era. Lem's style incorporates the music he grew up on from soul/R&B to pop to disco/dance. Lem even has some rock influences but does not claim to be a rock'n roll musician or producer.
Springsteen formed the house production duo Mood II Swing
with John Ciafone in 1993 after the pair began to work with
Little Louie Vega
Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. (born June 12, 1965), as known as "Little Louie" Vega, is an American DJ, record producer and Grammy Award winner remixer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is one half of the Masters at Work musical production team.
Biograph ...
of
Masters At Work
Masters at Work is the American garage house production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. The duo has produced music together under the names MAW, KenLou, Sole Fusion, Hardrive, and Nuyorican Soul. They have been ...
. In addition to productions with Masters At Work and Nuyorican Soul,
Mood II Swing was hired by major and independent labels globally to remix dance versions of songs signed to labels from 1993 – 2003. Their notable remixes include
BT's "Remember",
King Britt
King Britt (born 1968) is an American educator, DJ and record producer from Philadelphia.
Biography
Britt is a 1986 graduate of Central High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1987, he started working at Tower Records, as a buyer for t ...
's "The Reason", and
Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté Wyche (born March 20, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter who has achieved success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free", " If You Could Read My Mind" (as part of Stars on 54), and "Automa ...
's ''
Found A Cure'', which they also wrote and produced originally.
Mood II Swing produced many remixes in the 1990s and early 2000s,
"FACT mix 534: Mood II Swing"
''FACT Magazine'', February 10, 201 remixing about 300 tracks and producing about 100 original songs. Their music was included in the Strictly Rhythm 25 Year Anniversary compilation, ''Strictly DJ T: 25 Years Of Strictly Rhythm'', released in March 2015. Their original productions as Mood II Swing include "Closer" and "All Night Long". Their original track "Do It Your Way" and their original production "Closer" featuring Carol Sylvan were included on ''For The Love Of House Volume 2'', released by Defected Records
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
in 2013.
1993, under the name Urbanized, was the year Lem & John entered the world of dance music producing the song titled "Helpless" featuring vocalist Silvano, which Mercury Records picked up from the NY independent label, Maxi
records. The late manager Jazz Summers, who represented Lisa Stansfield, at the time, became interested in developing an Urbanized album which never became finalized.
In 1995 Lem Springsteen produced The Wall of Sound featuring Gerald Lethan single ''Run to Me''. and a live band album called Storybook, featuring Gerald Lethan. However the label wasn't interested
in pushing a live band neo-soul type album.
In 1995 Springsteen was listed in the production credits for a track on Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's remix album, '' Janet Remixed'', playing keyboards for David Morales remix to Janet's song ''Throb
''Throb'' is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from September 6, 1986, to May 21, 1988. The series, created by Fredi Towbin, was produced by Procter & Gamble Productions in association with Taft Entertainment Television, and was di ...
''. The album went platinum in the UK. He also played and sang backgrounds for Satoshie Tomii's remix of
"Romantic Call" by: Queen Latifah and Patra. He played experimental keys for KRS-One's production for
Mad Lion recorded at Bass Hit recording studios, New York city. He's done dance remixes for major and independent artists in America and Europe. The most noteworthy vocal remix by Mood II Swing is "Don't Mess With
My Man" by: Lucy Pearl for Virgin UK.
The Mood II Swing dissolved in 2008 in order for Springsteen and Ciafone to pursue individual interests.
In 2010 Springsteen set up an indie imprint Urban Lounge Music, and has released a number of solo tracks and remixes, including Joi Cardwell
Joi Cardwell (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she performed in various singing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the early 1990s as a guest vocalist for Lil Louis on the num ...
's "Feels Like Heaven", Vanessa Daou
Vanessa Daou (born October 4, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, visual artist and dancer. Most notably a musician, her work is known among nu jazz, trip hop and electronic music circles for her trademark spoken word and aspirated ...
's "Trouble Comes", and Information Society
An information society is a society where the usage, creation, distribution, manipulation and integration of information is a significant activity. Its main drivers are information and communication technologies, which have resulted in rapid info ...
's "Running 2K14".
References
External links
Official website
Urban Lounge Music
"Lem Springsteen" profile at Traxsource
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springsteen, Lem
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American record producers
American house musicians