Can you ... Jack Your Body?

Bonjour!

I wasn't planning on writing a musical post today but ended up listening to Jack Your Body last night on my IPod whilst on the treadmill and it brought back such memories - my mind tends to wander on the treadmill whilst I'm hiking uphill!

I was actually 'jacking my body', if you can call it that, back in 1986 when this tune was first released!   It was the start of nightclubbing for me and it coincided with the onset of  the House Music era in our clubs.  I distinctly remember my friend and I trying out the new style of dance after watching a video on TOTP and then putting it into practise at Romeo and Juliets every Thursday night (dance and soul night!). Just to clarify, Romeo and Juliets consisted of two separate rooms.  Romeos was blue, fairly well lit with a square dance floor like a boxing ring and focused mainly on pop music.   Juliets was deep purple with a curvy dance floor, it was a lot darker and moodier in here and this was where the latest dance music happened!  This was 'our room' and we were always one of the first on the dance floor showing off our latest shapes ... sounds so corny but it was bloomin' fantastic! If you get chance have a listen/refresh your memory but turn it up so you get the full effect of the bass and hi-hat doing their signature 'House Music' thing!!

Steve Silk Hurley ... Jack Your Body ...!

Ok  ... the dance ...  hips tilt one way, arms tilt the other at waist height or sometimes in the air if you're really feeling it.  I recall a lot of walking around the dance floor during this move (think groovy penguin - it honestly looks a lot better than it sounds!).  Just to put everyone's mind at rest ... I still have the knack (relief!) ... I know this because I have just performed 'the moves' up and down the length of the hallway to Jack Your Body ... my husband is feigning interest as I try to explain the technique to him but is wrapped up in the Yorkshire v Lancashire cricket match on TV so you get the picture! 

Jack Your Body is one of the tracks on my Pete Tong CD which is regularly played in the car ... sometimes on school runs in the morning.  I think my daughter will be fairly interested in the whole dance music thing as she grows up ... but try explaining to your grumpy teenage son (who clearly did not get to bed early enough,despite endless reminders) that you used to 'jack your body' in 1986 and see what the reaction (if any) is!

Do you remember Jacking Your Body and more importantly can you still do it? Which was your favourite dance move back in the day? And which was your favourite night-club?


Jen x

The Music Tag!

Bonjour!

I've been wanting to do this tag post for so long ...............! Thanks to Georgina from Makeup Pixi3 who created the tag way back when! Also to Sasha from Ramblings of a Beauty Bird who made me laugh when she wrote that the first ever piece of music she purchased was on a tape and I quote "I know - TAPE - how old!" - cheers Sasha - that makes me feel positively ancient! ;)  The first music I purchased were the old 45" singles, albums and 12" singles which you played on a 'real' record player - remember having to 'put the needle on the record' - those were the days! I remember being locked in my bedroom for hours on end when I was young playing my vinyl - still got most of them but no record player!

What's your favourite type of music? 
All sorts - depends on my mood and what I'm doing! Could be anything from house music to jazz, new romantic to motown, soul to hip-hop, blues to funk - like I said all sorts!

What's your least favourite type of music? 
I can't do brass band (sorry!) - all that 'oomp-pah' just doesn't hit the spot! Don't really get on with  excessive metal (is it 'death metal'?), punk or trance either - scrambles my brain up a bit too much!

What's the best gig you've been to? 
I haven't been to see a 'current' band for years - gigs are so expensive these days - but I did see a lot of New Romantic bands back in the day. Depeche Mode (3 years running), Spandau Ballet, Ultravox and OMD. I would love to see Usher in concert - one day though!   I've been to watch my brother Mike playing at Boy George's gig fairly recently, which was a good one and also various local jazz gigs he's played at - love a good jazz gig, especially when they really go for it with the be-bop, it just gets under your skin!

What albums are you listening to at the moment? 
Recently I've had the Trevor Nelson R&B Collection and Alexander O'Neal  'Hearsay' on in the car - also groovy 80s classics are my perfect 'hot weather' music - the louder the better - think Shalamar, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Heatwave, Earth Wind and Fire - marvellous!


What's your favourite bands/artists/favourite album? 
Like I said - all sorts and my favourite of the moment depends on my mood so I'm just going to name a few! Jimi Hendrix, Faithless, George Benson, Usher, Aretha Franklin, The Prodigy, Ella Fitzgerald, Arctic Monkeys, Otis Redding, Spandau Ballet, Glen Miller, The Doors, Little Mix and Muse!

Just have a listen to this though while you read my rambling below - I have this vinyl EP! Just bear with me!

Marshall Jefferson - Move Your Body... (The House Music Anthem) 

What you have to remember is that house music and the whole dance scene was just emerging and it was such an exciting time in the clubbing world - you had to be there!  Imagine being in a dark smoky nightclub (we smoked in nightclubs in those days!) and 'Move Your Body' starts up and then the beat kicks in with full on base while the track builds up - it's sending shivers down my spine remembering all that 'jacking' of bodies on the dance floor and getting completely lost in the music - I just link it with pure and utter exhilaration! Like old Marshall says, 'Move Your Body, Rock Your Body...Music's going to set you free...!' All that's in your head is the music and the beat and nothing else matters at that point...! Bit intense but that's how it was - anthem alright! Back down to earth now...!

If you could instantly know how to play any instrument, what would it be?
I can sing (but am sorely out of practise) - so for now I'll just say my (rusty old) voice would be my instrument!


Music is therapy - the stuff  moves me!  I've grown up with it (dad's jazz was always playing at home!). It's the real deal, it makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you tap your foot, sing your little heart out and shake your booty and in my opinion there ain't nothing better! 

If you've read this far down well done! Hope you've enjoyed my ramble (bit passionate about me ol' music I am!).  I'll try not to waffle on too much in my next tag post!

Jen x

'Such A Good Feeling' and John Frieda Full Repair!

Bonjour and Happy Hot Friday!

Well...finally... and about time too - this is how Summer should be - this is how it used to be when I was a youngster.  Sooo nice to not be wrapped up in multiple layers, to have an excuse to get one's legs out and get a dab on...in no particular order! ... Not sure our piggies would agree though - they've both been laid flat out in their hutch and we've been giving them frozen bottles of water wrapped in hay to keep them cool! Anyway for those of us without fur...it's such a good feeling I had to play this tune out loud...


Brothers in Rhythm - Such a Good Feeling!

Released in 1991 - it's a happy 'house' vibe that I remember well and has a real 'feel good factor' to it...

You may or may not notice the blonde girl in the crop top and bell bottoms, I had an outfit  just like that complete with 90's platforms no less - that was a proper 'get your groove on' outfit!

Speaking of  'good feeling' look what I won in a recent giveaway run by Nic of Strawberry Blonde Beauty Blog  (fantastic blog) - thanks Nic!

From the John Frieda Full Repair range  - Hydrate and Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner, Deep Conditioner, Repairing Oil Elixir and Flyaway Tamer Smoothing Wand.  Seriously... what haircare junkie wouldn't be over the moon with all this lot ...? Cannot wait to get stuck in!

What gives you a good feeling? (No rude answers please!)


Jen x