Class Action and Phreek were
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and
post-disco
Post-disco (also called boogie, synth-funk, or electro-funk) is a term to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1985, imprecisely beginning with an unprecedented backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to c ...
musical projects. The original Phreek comprised Christine Wiltshire,
Leroy Burgess,
Patrick Adams, Stan Lucas, Ken Mazur and others. Class Action was directed by
Larry Levan and featured Christine Wiltshire as vocalist. Both groups are best known for their club hit, "Weekend", written by James Calloway and
Leroy Burgess. The 1983 version was remixed by
Morales and Munzibai and Larry Levan and produced by Bob Blank and Lola Blank.
History
The song "Weekend" was originally recorded on
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
by
Patrick Adams' studio group Phreek of which Wiltshire was a member.
The song was heavily played by
Larry Levan yet it was commercially unavailable so it did not enter any charts.
In the early 1980s, William Socolov, the co-owner of
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based independent record label founded by musician Arthur Russell and entrepreneur Will Socolov. It was active between 1981 and 1992, and specialized in dance music and hip hop.
Background and ...
, invited Levan to make a new version of "Weekend". This version, recorded by the studio group Class Action, which also featured Wiltshire, became more successful than the original version, peaking at No. 49 on the British pop chart
and No. 9 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Dance chart.
Discography
Phreek
;Albums
*1978: ''Patrick Adams Presents Phreek'' (
Atlantic)
;Singles
*1978: "Weekend / "Have A Good Day" (
Atlantic)
*1978: "Weekend / "May My Love Be With You" (
Atlantic)
*1983: "Weekend"
(Original version) (
Atlantic)
Class Action
;Singles
*1983: "Weekend" (
Sleeping Bag)
Track listing
;Phreek version
;Class Action version
Chart performance
Legacy
* The Canadian group
Killer Bunnies used the opening lyrics from "Weekend" as the basis for their 1997 single "I Can't Take the Heartbreak", which peaked at No. 36 on ''Billboard's'' Dance Club Songs Chart that same year.
* The song has featured in the 2006 video game ''
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'', on the
Paradise FM
{{Use Irish English, date=May 2021
County Kerry has had a long history of pirate radio. One of the first pirate radio stations was set up by Michael Donovan in the early 1970s and it was called Radio Tralee. It first broadcast on AM. It was rees ...
radio station.
* In 1988, the song was covered by
Todd Terry Project. This version also appeared in the 2004 video game ''
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', on the
SF-UR radio station.
* In 2004, Class Action's version was reissued on the
Warlock Records
Warlock Records is a record label based in New York City that was founded in 1985 by Adam Levy (born 1962), whose father was record producer Morris Levy. Artists that recorded for Warlock Records include Jungle Brothers, Royal House, Skinny Boys ...
label.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 1983
Musical groups disestablished in 1983
Musical groups established in 1978
Musical groups disestablished in 1978
American boogie musicians
American disco groups
1978 establishments in New York City