The Masters At Work superstar takes us back to his crib for a very special MAW All Time Top 20
IImpossible to pigeonhole and irreplaceable to the scene which he has helped build over more than 20 years, Louie Vega is the quintessential music professional. He’s the ‘DJ’s DJ’, that name constantly thanked on an artist’s album copy, the one who has influenced and defined countless other DJ-producers, from today’s brightest stars to those still beat-matching in their bedrooms. The son of accomplished jazz and Latin saxophonist Luis Vega Sr. and the nephew of renowned salsa singer Hector Lavoe of Fania All Stars fame, Louie Vega emerged in the mid 1980s as an up-and-coming DJ playing at Bronx and Manhattan hotspots like the Devil’s Nest, Roseland, Hearthrob, Studio 54 and the Palladium. Vega was soon making a name for himself through production and remixing, quickly releasing over 100 original productions and remixes including Information Society’s ‘Running’ & ‘What’s On Your Mind’, Noel’s ‘Silent Morning’, the Cover Girls’ ‘Because Of You’ and Debbie Gibson’s ‘Only In My Dreams’. Linking with New York House pioneer Todd Terry on ‘And The Beat Goes On’ and ‘Give Yourself To Me’, Vega soon met Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez, in doing so beginning one of the most successful partnerships in modern music in the form of Masters At Work. Throughout the 1990s Vega and Gonzalez as Masters At Work were responsible for some of the most ground-breaking, critically-acclaimed and commercially-accessible House music tracks ever made. Barbara Tucker’s ‘Beautiful People’ and River Ocean’s ‘Love & Happiness’ featuring Vocalist India, became – and remain – seminal crowd favourites while innovative house remixes for the likes of Tito Puente, Madonna, Donna Summer, Nina Simone, Janet Jackson, Jamiroquai, Earth Wind & Fire and many more transcended genres and established Masters At Work as a production and remix duo at the top of their game. The late 1990s saw Vega and Gonzalez continue to produce and remix under a number of monikers including Nuyorican Soul, KenLou and Sole Fusion, as well as launch their own MAW imprint with early releases including club hits ‘Moonshine’, ‘Everybody Be Somebody’, ‘What A Sensation’ , ‘To Be In Love’ & ‘Elements of Life’. Nuyorican Soul’s self-titled 1997 album saw the duo further explore elements of Latin, disco, jazz and down-tempo music. Some of music’s shining lights joined Vega and Gonzalez in the studio including Jocelyn Brown, Roy Ayers, India, Vincent Montana Jr., the Salsoul Orchestra, George Benson and Tito Puente, making the album another critical success for Vega and another influential and engaging release for music lovers worldwide. Here, the man looks back at an astonishing career, carefully handpicking his favourite 20 Masters At Work moments…exclusively for DMCWORLD…
1. “The Boss” – The Braxtons
“This song is very special as its become a signature track played in Italy and Japan in a big way and had become a sure Maw Classic. Watching crowds sing this entire song out loud at clubs in italy is an experience within itself. Also being able to work with The Braxtons was a pleasure and do much fun. The allstar cast on backgrounds and the Nuyorican Band was the dream team in the studio!”
2. “The Ghetto” – George Benson
“George Benson is definitely at the top of favourite artists I’ve worked with and was a delight in the studio. Musicianship to the 10th power. I remember when I came up with the idea and brought it up to Benson to remake the song. I was playing the live version at clubs and was inspired and heard Benson all over that song! We recorded it and the rest was history! It was amazing too the Benson knew Donni Hathaway as well. We heard wonderful stories from George about those magical days in the studio while we worked.”
3. “Desire” (Maw Dub) Nu Colors
“This is a true MAW classic to this day. I heard this at Miami’s WMC this March with David Morales and Frankie Knuckles rockin this track. It’s that MAW dub where we borrowed the famous, and one of our favorites, “I’ll always love my momma” groove. It fits just perfectly under the Nu colors melody, and the lead singer of Nu Colors is still one of my favourite voices.”
4. “It’s Alright, I Feel It” Nuyorican Soul Feat. Jocelyn Brown
“A session I will never forget. Working with Jocelyn Brown had been a dream of mine for years. And we’ve worked many songs together to this day but this song epitomizes what it’s all about. The lyrics written by Jocelyn Brown and Benny Diggs was put together so perfectly and the powerhouse of background singers on that song is one of a kind !
To top it off we were able to work with keyboard extraordinaire Terry Burrus and he did not disappoint with his amazing gospel piano playing! We’ve always heard Terry’s work with Morales and Knuckles on their Def Mix work and loved Terry’s piano and organ playing.”
5. “Shoutin’ Out” Lood
“This track was a fun night I. The studio with Donnell Rush (RIP). I would hold up signs with djs names while he was singing and singing and shouting out the names. The track was a collaboration with Lem and John of Mood II Swing. We worked together on it. It was actually supposed to be a full song which we still have in the archives called “Perfect Day” lyrics written by Lem Springsteen which Donnell actually Adlibs once in the Shoutin Out song That session was lots of fun!”
6. “I Can’t Get No Sleep” Masters At Work Featuring India
“One of Masters At Work’s biggest classics and one of the first few songs recorded by us at the start of the Maw Saga. Lyrics and lead vocal courtesy of India, the performance on this song had stood the test of time. The song is still heard today 21 years later! This track gave Maw a huge jump to not only creating MAW dubs but now taking it to the next level of producing actual songs on the MAW dub style. Keyboards courtesy of myself and Lem Springsteen, hot beats Kenny Dope!”
7. “Keep It Coming” Little Louie & Marc Anthony
“On this dub we had the honour to work with the genuis pianist Eddie Palmieri. He worked that synthesizer live, and it was a performance in itself seeing him manipulate the sounds and solo-ing in his very unique, one of a kind way. Kenny slammed the beats on this track. You can actually play it today and those beats can stand up to any other tracks and drums today.”
8. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (Masters At Work Dub) – Saint Etienne
“Has to be the number one Masters At Work Dub for me. We took the actual pop song and created this piece which took us to St Etienne’s audience and them to ours. Next thing you know the track was played in all underground and big clubs.”
9. “I Like” (Masters At Work Mix) Shanice
“R&B and House – we took it to another level here and showed how rnb and house can mix!”
10. “Still In Love” (Masters At Work Dub) Melissa Morgan
“Todd Terry, Kenny Dope and I together in the studio on a Masters at Work dub. We asked Todd to play the Melissa Morgan vocal samples on a keyboard and he ripped it to shreds! Baseline courtesy of Todd as well and sampling of keyboard sounds and replaying them. The beginning of a magic session with Tony Humphries to join soon on the next Electra Records Remix.”
11. “Canned Heat” (Masters At Work Mix) – Jamiroquai
“We’ve had the pleasure of working on several Jamiroquai sings this being one of my favourites. Sara Devine does a lovely backing vocal track in the vamp.”
12. “Barabaratiri” (Masters At Work Dub) – Gypsymen
“Todd Terry classic sampling of a Tito Puente Classic! with a MAW Remix. The rest is history!”
13. “Song For My Brother” (Maw Mix) – George Benson
When George Benson came in to overdub on the remix he left us all in awe when he scatted, sang and solo-ed. One if my favorite overdub sessions.
14. “Thank You” (Maw Mix) – Bebe Winans
Bebe Winans did this song in one take! Verses,choruses, adlibs! And the background session with Luther Vandross arranging the backgrounds was like a master class lesson!
15. “Getting It Right” (Masters At Work Mix) – Alison Limerick
“This track is Maw Funky. Alison’s performance was so natural, funky and real! It made it easy for us to sample her voice and create that intro and break! I love this track organ Oooh!”
16. “Nights Over Egypt” (Masters At Work Mix) – Incognito
“Jocelyn Brown and Maysa on the same track WOW. Two of my favorite vocalists and rockin a classic like nights over Egypt and with a Bluey production. Incognito one of my inspirational bands! We’ve had a great relationship with Bluey and Incognito thru music and have remixed a few of their wonderful recordings.”
17. “The Bounce”/”Moonshine” – KenLou
“This is Maw Kenlou At their best! Experimental! Today I hear our DJ friends Luciano in Ibiza to Kerri Chandler playing this to full houses and over 12 years later, a Blessing!”
18. “Are You Using Me” – Luther Vandross
“We are in session with Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thorton, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Paulette McWilliams, Tawatha, this was like going to school and Church at the same time. Luther Vandross (RIP) had us in a trance watching him lead all these amazing singers and creating parts on the spot! Singing every note to every singer then hearing that chord come to life! I will never forget that !”
19. “The Nervous Track” Nuyorican Soul
“The birth of Nuyorican Soul!”
20. “You Can Do It Baby” Nuyorican Soul Featuring George Benson
“If I had to pick one song and call it my favorite production of the 90s by Maw, and an unforgettable session it would Be this song right here! Cosmic and magical!”
Groove Odyssey: Louie Vega from Masters At Work plays his 1st back to back set with Kerri Chandler at the Groove Odyssey 3rd Birthday Party on Saturday September 29th. Julie McKnight flies in Exclusively to sing the vocal anthem, “Finally” plus House FM DJ’s and much more.
All info on www.grooveodyssey.com or facebook.com/groove odyssey
