‘It drove New York crazy’ – Arthur Baker and Freeez on making club classic IOU

John Rocca, vocals, percussion

We had been a DIY band who had a jazz-funk hit with Southern Freeez, however we broke up as a result of I saved having arguments with the bass-player. Once we obtained again collectively a yr later, we determined to get a producer to kind us out. High of the checklist was Arthur Baker, who was making all these nice dance information in New York. We persuaded indie label Beggars Banquet to get us flights and put us up in a grubby lodge in Manhattan. We simply turned up at Arthur’s place – a bunch of scruffy, idealistic children who’d come all the best way from London, and he felt sorry for us.

It was 1982 and New York was very thrilling. Golf equipment like Dancetaria and the Enjoyable Home had been enjoying all of the early hip-hop and electro stuff. There was a revolution taking place and we had landed in the course of it. Sampling was coming in and Arthur had drum machines. Collectively we made the album Gonna Get You, a hotchpotch of jazz-funk and this new digital music. IOU was the final observe we did collectively.

I wrote the refrain in a cab getting back from a Chinese language restaurant

At the moment, you’d do it on computer systems, however IOU was all performed manually, aside from the drum machine. Arthur advised us what he needed. There was an affordable glockenspiel within the studio that he needed performed over the hook line, so Andy Stennett, our synth participant, hit it with a stick, whereas enjoying the piano and doing the surging synth half that’s since been sampled many instances.

We had used a visitor vocalist for the observe Southern Freeez and assumed that Arthur would usher in an American singer for IOU. However he stated: “John ought to sing this.” I didn’t wish to – and made such a large number of the excessive notes that I swore into the microphone. However Arthur appreciated my voice and the engineer eliminated the swear phrases.

Gargling whisky … John Rocca within the studio. Photograph: Courtesy of Beggars Banquet

Don Letts directed the video in London. We’d seen children breakdancing and body-popping in New York’s Washington Sq. Park, so we obtained some children to road dance to a beat field in Islington. With the youngsters on BMX bikes the video actually captures that period. High of the Pops made me re-record the music for the published. I had a nasty chilly however somebody advised me that gargling whisky would assist me hit the excessive notes. I didn’t do too badly that point.

Arthur Baker, songwriter, producer

Freeez had despatched me some information however I by no means listened to them. Then they confirmed up at my workplace unannounced. I used to be within the midst of working with Rockers Revenge and New Order, whereas additionally attempting to make a follow-up to Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Pressure. However I felt unhealthy for them so I did a deal giving my label Streetwise US rights to what we recorded.

We wrote the bones of an album, however I didn’t really feel we had a single or one thing that fitted what was taking place within the golf equipment, so I got here up with the bassline and chords for IOU. At first it was an instrumental, not a music. Then I went to a Chinese language restaurant, listened to the observe on the best way again, and got here up with the refrain within the cab.

I knew folks would assume it was a woman singing

We solely had a number of days to complete it earlier than they went again to London. John Robie – who’d co-written Planet Rock – performed the primary synth riff. My DJ buddy John “Jellybean” Benitez got here up with the thought of sampling the “AEIOU” refrain and enjoying it as if it was a solo. It was a collaboration, with me as overseer.

John did the vocals at Vanguard Studio, on the best way to the airport along with his instances packed. I knew, given the excessive register, that individuals would assume it was a woman singing, which was an fascinating flip on folks like Annie Lennox and Alison Moyet who had been subverting feminine stereotypes. Once I performed the completed document on the Enjoyable Home, folks went loopy. IOU was big in New York and reached No 2 within the UK. We had been impressed by new know-how. At the moment, after I hear folks just like the Weeknd, I can hint it again to what we had been doing 40 years in the past. I nonetheless play IOU in golf equipment.

• Upon a Time in NYC, a compilation of John Rocca’s proto-house music, 1982-87, is out now on Beggars Arkive.