Lem Springsteen is an American songwriter[1] and dance and house music producer.[2] He is best known as part of house production duo Mood II Swing.[3][4]
In 1997, he co-wrote and co-produced Ultra Naté's hit song "Free",[5] a dance-hop influenced disco track released on the Strictly Rhythm label. The song peaked at number 1 on both the US Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales charts[5] as well as placing on a number of charts in other countries.[6][7] The song has appeared on a number of '90s Music compilation albums,[8][9][10] and was featured on soundtracks for Chasing Liberty and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Biography
editSpringsteen was signed to EMI Music Publishing in London for several years after co-writing and co-producing the hit recording "Free" by Ultra Nate in 1997. He entered the music business at the age of 16 years old, after manager, at the time Vaughan Mason, who had hit recordings, procured a single deal with the now defunct label Chrysalis Records UK, after Lem and younger brother won a talent contest at New York City's Apollo Theatre. Vaughan taught Lem, songwriting, analog sythns and analog recording, before the digital era. Lem's style incorporates the music he grew up on from soul/R&B to pop to disco/dance. Lem even has some rock influences but does not claim to be a rock'n roll musician or producer.
Springsteen formed the house production duo Mood II Swing[11] with John Ciafone in 1993 after the pair began to work with Little Louie Vega of Masters At Work. In addition to productions with Masters At Work and Nuyorican Soul,[12] Mood II Swing was hired by major and independent labels globally to remix dance versions of songs signed to labels from 1993 – 2003. Their notable remixes include BT's "Remember", King Britt's "The Reason", and Ultra Naté's Found A Cure, which they also wrote and produced originally.[13]
Mood II Swing produced many remixes in the 1990s and early 2000s,[14][15] remixing about 300 tracks and producing about 100 original songs. Their music was included in the Strictly Rhythm 25 Year Anniversary compilation, Strictly DJ T: 25 Years Of Strictly Rhythm, released in March 2015. Their original productions as Mood II Swing include "Closer" and "All Night Long". Their original track "Do It Your Way" and their original production "Closer" featuring Carol Sylvan were included on For The Love Of House Volume 2, released by Defected Records in 2013.
1993, under the name Urbanized, was the year Lem & John entered the world of dance music producing the song titled "Helpless" featuring vocalist Silvano, which Mercury Records picked up from the NY independent label, Maxi records. The late manager Jazz Summers, who represented Lisa Stansfield, at the time, became interested in developing an Urbanized album which never became finalized.
In 1995 Lem Springsteen produced The Wall of Sound featuring Gerald Lethan single Run to Me.[16] and a live band album called Storybook, featuring Gerald Lethan. However the label wasn't interested in pushing a live band neo-soul type album.
In 1995 Springsteen was listed in the production credits for a track on Janet Jackson's remix album, Janet Remixed, playing keyboards for David Morales remix to Janet's song Throb. The album went platinum in the UK. He also played and sang backgrounds for Satoshie Tomii's remix of "Romantic Call" by: Queen Latifah and Patra. He played experimental keys for KRS-One's production for Mad Lion recorded at Bass Hit recording studios, New York city. He's done dance remixes for major and independent artists in America and Europe. The most noteworthy vocal remix by Mood II Swing is "Don't Mess With My Man" by: Lucy Pearl for Virgin UK.
The Mood II Swing dissolved in 2008 in order for Springsteen and Ciafone to pursue individual interests. In 2010 Springsteen set up an indie imprint Urban Lounge Music, and has released a number of solo tracks and remixes, including Joi Cardwell's "Feels Like Heaven", Vanessa Daou's "Trouble Comes", and Information Society's "Running 2K14".
References
edit- ^ "The Essential… Mood II Swing". Ripple Magazine, 24 May 2016
- ^ "The Walls of convention com down on 'Storybook'". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 28 May 1994. pp. 22–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Mood II Swing". BBC Music.
- ^ "Mood II Swing works to avoid remix trap". Larry Flix (22 May 1993). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 33–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ a b "Ultra Naté: Situation: Critical". AllMusic.
- ^ "Ultra Naté". Billboard Charts
- ^ http://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/db0/Ultra-Nate-Free "Ultra Naté - Free"] 1997 Charts.
- ^ "Now That's What I Call 90s Dance". AllMusic.
- ^ "90s Anthems: The Ultimate Collection". AllMusic.
- ^ "RA Reviews: Ultra Nate - Free (Remixes) (Single)". Resident Advisor.
- ^ Frank Owen (August 1994). "Disc O Tech: Eightball Records". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. p. 113. ISSN 1070-4701.
- ^ Tim Haslett (April 1996). "Dance: On the Flip Side". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 50–. ISSN 1074-6978.
- ^ Jason Birchmeier. "Mood II Swing". AllMusic.
- ^ Larry Flix (13 March 1993). "Dance Trax". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 42–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "FACT mix 534: Mood II Swing". FACT Magazine, February 10, 201
- ^ "Reviews & Previews: Dance". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 4 November 1995. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510.