DMC sits down with Chicago house pioneer Farley Jackmaster Funk ahead of his return to the legendary Love to be in Sheffield on 4 October. As one of the original Hot Mix 5 on WBMX-FM in 1981, Farley helped break house music across Chicago airwaves, cut his teeth behind the decks at the Warehouse and solidified his reputation during a residency at the Playground. In 1986, his cover of “Love Can’t Turn Around” became the first house single to crack the UK Top Ten – an achievement that cemented his role in taking the sound global.
In our exclusive chat, Farley chats about launching Chicago’s House Music Parade, teases the launch of the House Music Museum & Hall of Fame, and dives into the making of and forthcoming 40th anniversary of “Love Can’t Turn Around”…
Last time we spoke to you was 9 years ago! You were raving about The Med in Chicago. What events / venues have been blowing you away in 2025?
Well, this Summer in Chicago we experienced the world’s largest House Music Parade. We debuted this thing in 2024 and created such a unique event that has never been done before on planet Earth.
Also, we have located the grounds in which we are going to build the House Music Museum and Hall of Fame. We made a huge announcement that we were going to do this, and we plan to be open by 2027.
Next year marks 40 years since “Love Can’t Turn Around” crossed over into the UK mainstream — how does it feel to watch a track you helped bring to life still resonate four decades on?
It feels amazing to be the person that ushered in house music into the UK, Europe and so many other parts of the world. What a blessing to have been that person that inspired so many people and opened the door for so many other artists, and so many other people to dream about this thing called house music. I’m still amazed and I really don’t have a stronger answer, other than to say I’m just so blessed to have been that person, and that I’m still living and still being able to enjoy this thing we started called house music.
The record famously featured Darryl Pandy’s unforgettable vocals and a story tied to Chicago’s early house scene — can you take us back to the moment you realised the track was something special?
Let’s go way back. It all came together from working with Jesse Saunders, Vince Lawrence, Dwayne Buford and Daryl Pandy. We got together in a recording studio and didn’t even know each other.
It was a hilarious situation because we argued most of the session from just meeting each other, trying to figure out the direction of the song. I’m the producer and I’m leading and telling them how I want it sung, and Daryl was real strong about how he wanted to deliver the song. When we got through arguing and fussing about the direction of the song, he followed my lead on it but also gave his input for us to then come out with something so amazing, such a masterpiece.
By me being on the radio at the time (I was the program director of my mixes on the radio station so I could play anything), I had the opportunity to take it straight to radio. I didn’t have to ask anybody, could I play it? I played the song maybe four times that night – people kept requesting it, so we kept putting it in the mix. We knew we had a hit.
The record was picked up by Pete Tong on Polydor Records – the very first house record ever signed to Polydor – and was the very first [house] record to be on the national charts in England and on the BBC on Top of the Pops. It was the first record to ever be on all the charts except America, of course. What a time for us. I’m still celebrating it now. You know, just these questions really are making me emotional thinking about, you know, just going back to it all.
Do you have anything lined up to mark the anniversary?
Yes, I have plans for a 40-year tour.
I was vocal trained on the song to be able to sing and present it in a mighty way. The late great Daryl Pandy – who sang the song – gave me some pointers so I carry the legacy of Farley Jackmaster Funk and Daryl Pandy on the song. We’re going to sing it live on the tour all over the world. With Pure DJs – my agent, Paul – booking events all around the world, it’s going to be an amazing tour. I can’t wait to see all the people throughout all the countries where this record opens so many doors for so many artists and so many DJs and club goers as well. It’s going to be simply amazing.
Looking beyond one landmark track, your career has traversed DJ residencies, production, hip-hop detours and global DJing — which period taught you the most about longevity in the scene?
I know we began this thing in 1984 with putting out house music, but it was the 90s explosion in England that was just ridiculous. I don’t think there was a better time in the world for me, other than meeting Jesus Christ and giving my life to the Lord, that I had so much fun, meeting so many different people, and traveling together and touring together throughout the world. The 90s was definitely the best, leading into the early 2000s when music so amazing, before companies tried to prostitute what we created and change it to EDM. No, the name of the music is called house music, not EDM.
Technology and club culture have shifted massively since 1984; what modern tools or practices do you find most exciting for DJs and producers today?
My answer to all that is I always tried to stay ahead of the game. I’m one of the ones that created the game, and so I felt like we were so light years ahead of everybody else, so there was no reason to really change what we were doing.
Our gifts and talents were very well used to create something. To change what we have already done, and go on to another style, would not be our style. Our style was to teach from the beginning and for other people, if they wanted to bring some freshness or they wanted to bring their vibe to this thing called house music, they were welcome to do it. But it was so important that the originals held on to their original sound because everybody wants to be able to do that sound, so don’t give up your sound so someone else can take it on.
You’re playing Love to be at FORGE in Sheffield on 4 October, which is going 30 years strong. What can we expect from you there where generations span the old and the new?
it’s going to be an amazing night playing at Love to be. The original Love to be was an outstanding club, so much so I have dreamt about that club. I love that club so much that I even made a song called Love To Be after the club because I never could get enough of playing there, because of the people who came there and the vibe of the place. I met Tony Walker there. Me and Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry, so many other DJs just Love playing Love to be. And man, this is going to be an amazing night to be able to go back and play for the people of Sheffield and play a few classics along with some of the new stuff that we got brewing over here.
Collaboration has been key to your story — who are the contemporary artists or producers you’d most like to work with, and what would you want to explore together?
I would love to collaborate with David Guetta. I saw him speaking about who inspired him to be a DJ and guess whose name he used – Farley Jackmaster Funk. I am the reason why he decided he wanted to make house music. I would love to return that favour by recording a song with David Guetta. I think it would be an amazing song to bring both these genres together.
Many younger producers and DJs cite early Chicago house as their foundation — what practical advice would you give to artists trying to create their own style without imitating?
I would say simply try to create something unique. Be different. Be the thumb on the hand instead of the four fingers. Be unique. Set yourself aside from whatever else you’re hearing out there. I know there’s a lot of good stuff out there, but I would say be eclectic and take from different styles to create your style. And you might even find that you might come across something very creative that you can create a legacy from.
If you could time-travel to any club night in history (past or future) and drop a 20-minute set, where and when are you going?
First of all, you gotta give me more than 20 minutes because what’s that, four records? I gotta play more than four records – give me three hours. Where and when am I going? Well, I love the Ministry of Sound. I thought it was probably the most unique club in all of everything but Chicago – the sound system, the way the club was set up. Then Pacha Ibiza that was amazing doing events with Manumission. Then if I am to pick my all-time favourite club not – and because I’m DJing there this weekend – but it’s Love to be. It was my number one club outside of America, outside of Chicago. I love Love to be so much that I moved to nearby Barnsley so I could be close to Sheffield. And it was just an amazing time when I lived in England and I used to sleep, drink, DJ all the time and just couldn’t wait for the next time to play the new song or the new beat that I had created in these clubs. But Sheffield, by far, Love to be was my favourite club next to America.
Thanks so much for your time, Farley.
Catch Farley Jackmaster Funk at Love to be at FORGE in Sheffield on Saturday 4 October alongside Yousef, Trimtone and more. Grab a ticket from Skiddle
