Bohannon Impact On Dance Music
Of all the “Proto-House” producers and artists from the early 1980s, the Bohannon impact is my absolute favorite! I was first introduced to his sound when I was quite young. In 1983 I was 13 years old and it is when I became voracious for good music! I get turned on to his sound by a musical mentor…a radio disc jockey I listen to every week for their weekend show. Years later, in the early 1990s, another musical mentor, San Diego based Mark E Quark, re-introduces me to Bohannon. Specifically, the song, “Let’s Start II Dance Again”!
My fresh ears from experience listening to House and Hip Hop allowed me to resonate with the rappy Disco lyrics and the smart, funky House beat. Second time’s the charm! That I could be re-introduced to a song 10 years later and it has become even more relevant shows how far ahead of his time Bohannon is! “Let’s Start II Dance Again”, is the song that has stood the test of time! I still play it in a Disco tinged /House set!
Bohannon Impact on EDM
Bohannon impact and the influence of songs like, “Let’s Start II Dance Again” have been huge on the evolution of dance music! EDM has a host of songs sampling and remixing Bohannon. That’s the Bohannon impact! Bohannon impact is his style of music influencing the creation of House in the early 1980s.
He called his sound, “4 On the Floor”! He uses the term “4 On the Floor” because he crafted a repetitive, straight kick drum pattern to be the backbone for other musicians to play over. The “4 on the floor” beat pattern is also really fun to dance to! Enter House! House is a genre we all know well, and this song is a very strong and early example of the origin of the “4 on the floor” beat we all love!
Who Is Bohannon?
Hamilton Bohannon, or simply Bohannon, was born Hamilton Frederick Bohannon in Newnan, GA, on 7 March 1942 and died 24 April 2020. He is a hugely influential musician and producer that created a stylized signature sound he referred to as “4 On the Floor”. It is one of his most important contributions to the future of dance music.”4 On the Floor” has a repetitive even beat structure that the kick drum drops evenly on 1/4 notes. It is the same beat pattern that is adopted by House, Trance, Techno, etc.
Bohannon started early in the Funk movement as a back-up musician and band member. “After earning a music degree from Atlanta’s Clark College, he was hired as a drummer by Stevie Wonder and moved to Detroit, where he was a bandleader and arranger for Motown tours until he joined Dakar/Brunswick in 1972.” (last.fm). After 1972 he releases his own music.
Largely, his music is popular primarily on the dance floor! Gotta love a man who makes music for the dancefloor! “He had several songs that were successful club records, but only mild R&B hits, among them “South African Man,” “Foot Stompin’ Music,” “Disco Stomp,” and “Bohannon’s Beat.”: (last fm). In 1978 he had his first big hit, “Start the Dance”. “Let’s Start II Dance again”, the song we are exploring is a reimagining of the 1978 hit! From 1981 – 1984, Bohannon runs Phaze II Records and that is when his most “House Sounding” songs are made!
Bohannon Interview
Below you can find a link to an interview done by the news in 2017 with Hamilton Bohannon in his home town in Georgia! It is hosted on The Diana Ross Project.
Bohannon Impact Through “Let’s Start II Dance Again”
There’s not a lot of songs in dance Music history that are as perfectly balanced as “Let’s Start II Dance Again”! Plus, it is proven timeless by the sample use continuing into modern day. The song is so chock full of quality sounds that it is not surprising samples from it are in many songs.
Twenty eight songs sample “Let’s Start II Dance Again. There is even a sanctioned remix of it! The song uses Bohannon’s signature “4 On the Floor” beat to attack the dancefloor and drive forward the music! There is a strong Funk element to the instrumentation, but the song is more appropriately called Disco, and in retrospect, Proto-House. Rounding the song out is several vocal elements, including a vocal stab saying, “Everybody, Get on up and dance!”, a rapping male vocal, and a vocal sample from a 1978 Instant Funk record.
All the characteristics mesh beautifully to create a seamless musical experience that emotionally builds excitement and energy! It is a song for the dancefloor and clubs! I still mix it into my House sets now! Take a listen!
Here is the link to purchase the 12″ vinyl on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/203531-Bohannon-Lets-Start-II-Dance-Again
Bohannon Impact in Sampling Songs
“Let’s Start II Dance Again” is sampled in songs that run the breadth of EDM history from early jackin Hip House to recent releases. The first song we look at that samples the Bohannon hit is a 1989 hit by L.A. Mix. It is, “Get Loose”. Notably, It samples multiple elements from the original, but most notable is the vocal stab that wails, “Everybody!” It is a great example of Hip House from the peak of Hip House popularity in 1989.
The Song uses a funky but jackin House beat common in early House. It has tight percussion and highs. Together it produces a very dance-friendly tune. Enough may be enough for most House, but this was Hip House. Add the rapping of Jazzi P and you have a great tune! Oddly enough, Jazzi P raps on a totally different song the samples, “Let’s Start II Dance Again”. That song is “Shocked” by Kylie Minogue and features Jazzi P on vocals. Take a listen to “Get Loose”, by L.A. Mix!
Here is the link to purchase the 12″ vinyl on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/204417-LA-Mix-Featuring-Jazzi-P-Get-Loose-Not-For-Long-Mix
Bohannon Impact in Sampling Songs – Song 2
Bohannon’s music continues to be relevant to dance music. It has been relevant since it was first released in 1981. We just listened a song from the early days of House that uses the samples. Let’s look at a more recent example!
The next song we are looking at is from 2010. Like the first example, it uses multiple elements. The producers are Mr Oizo & Gaqspard Auge and the song is “TV Slut”. The song is a current sounding vision of House. Straight video game like beat with an electronic lo-fi sound. Twisted vocals as well. It is most notably has a sample starting around 1:45 in…. Take a listen!
The album this song appears on is not available on vinyl. It is available on this CD and also various mixed CDs.
https://www.discogs.com/release/5151070-Mr-Oizo-Gaspard-Aug%C3%A9-Rubber-Original-Soundtrack
“Let’s Start II Dance Again” Remix
Any great song begs a quality remix. A song as revolutionary as “Let’s Start II Dance Again”, is going to be remixed! However, it does not need to be changed much! Why mess with perfection?! That is the approach legendary Disco House producer, Dmitri From Paris has!
Dimitri does very little to it in actuality. The beat is cleaner and fully sequenced so it can be beat mixed easily by a DJ. Musically there is almost no difference! Overall, the song just sounds freshened up with light edits to bridge anything that doesn’t keep up to the times….which isn’t very much. Honestly, I think it’s an excellent choice to purchase and play in your modern House sets!! It’s also a great record because it has 2 remixes on one side and the original Bohannon version on the other! Take a listen!
Here is the link to purchase the 12″ vinyl on Discogs:
Conclusion
Bohannon really is my favorite producer of a House sound during the Disco years, and “Let’s Start II Dance Again”, is my favorite song by him. I’m glad I got to share some stories and music with you! His song represents a timeless sound that is still being reproduced and mimicked 40 years later!
That’s a truly phenomenal accomplishment. My favorite part of the song is that it seamlessly blends multiple styles of music! Disco, House, Rap, Jazz, and Soul are all clearly represented in the song! I find that amazing and truly inspirational. Keeping your mind and ears open to the best sounds in all genres exponentially increases your appreciation and love for music. I love how Bohannon hears the groove alive in so many different styles of music! He hears the bits of groove, collects them, and puts then together in a way never done before! A way that creates a timeless dance masterpiece!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode! It is great to be back researching, remembering, and writing a new episode for you all! There will be more to come! Be sure to subscribe so you get updated when a new episode drops! Use the link below!
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Great article, thanks for sharing! Nicely blended tune that deserves a write up like this.
Really glad you liked it! It was nice to research and write another episode!