"Passion" is a song by English electronic music group Gat Decor. It is their best-known work and was originally released in 1992 on Effective Records. The 12-inch single contained the original, instrumental version (The Naked Mix) along with Darren Emerson's remix on the B-side. This was Emerson's first remix, and also his first record label. The 1992 release was an immediate success in underground dance clubs, and eventually became a hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 29.[1] In 1996, a new version featuring vocals by Beverley Skeete reached number six in the UK.
| "Passion" | ||||
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| Single by Gat Decor | ||||
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| Songwriter(s) | Gat Decor | |||
| Producer(s) | Gat Decor | |||
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| "Passion" on YouTube | ||||
Critical reception
editAlan Jones from Music Week described "Passion" as "an uplifting house tune" in his review of the 1992 version.[2]
Impact and legacy
edit"Passion" is one of the first songs to be referred to as "progressive house". Nick Warren has described the single as one of the first to create a distinctive British house sound. The distinctive "piano-house" progression in its second half was played by Simon Slater who said, "The piano break was played by me and the break is actually 1 semitone up from the bass line which is unusual but it worked and was kept like it is in the track as you know it. Then I delayed the track and added delays to create the piano rhythm."
In 1996, Mixmag magazine ranked the 1992 single number 33 on their list of the "50 Most Influential Records of All Time". In addition, Mixmag (and their readers) ranked "Passion" number 22 on Mixmag's list of "100 Best Dance Singles of All Time". British DJ Tony De Vit named the song one of his favourites that year, saying, "I don't like piano tunes but the production here is 101% and I like everything about it. I wish I'd made that record. It's relentless, dancey, soulful and so well put together. It is the perfect song — and I hate piano tunes, that's how good it is. If I made this record I could stop tomorrow."[3]
In 2020, Mixmag featured "Passion" in their list of "The Biggest Drops in Dance Music",[4] while NME ranked it among "The 20 Best House Music Songs... Ever!", writing, "Stick on 'Passion' and you'll immediately find yourself transported to hedonistic, early '90s Ibiza, – this euphoric dance track is the sensation of a club of revellers raising their arms as the sun comes up, bottled."[5] Same year, Tomorrowland featured it in their official list of "The Ibiza 500".[6]
Since its original release, "Passion" has been officially and unofficially re-issued several times. Remixed by East London DJ Mervyn Victor[citation needed] after playing it live in the mix for several years he finally put out a few DJ only copies in 1994 on vinyl calling it "Degrees of Passion".[7] This was a version of the 1992 seven-minute instrumental with a mixed in vocal from "Do You Want It Right Now?" by Degrees of Motion featuring Biti. The vocal used from Degrees of Motion was sung by Biti Strauchn[8] At the time nearly every major DJ in the UK jumped on it making it a cult hit.[citation needed] In 1996 a four-minute version subtitled the "Do You Want It Right Now Mix", featured a new version of the "Do You Want It Right Now" vocal recorded by Beverley Skeete peaked at number six in the UK.[1]
As of 2008, countless bootlegs have been released, consisting of remixes and other mash-ups. The track has appeared on an abundance of compilation albums and DJ-mix sets (both official and unofficial). Other producers who have mixed the song throughout the years include Junior Vasquez and DJ Chus. The track, in both its original and various bootleg forms, is still widely played in nightclubs to this day.
Track listing
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Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | 29 |
| UK Dance (Music Week)[9] | 1 |
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
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| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] | 24 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 17 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[11] | 9 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Single Tip)[12] | 9 |
| Scotland (OCC)[13] | 10 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 6 |
| UK Dance (OCC)[15] | 2 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 222. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Jones, Alan (16 May 1992). "Chart Newcomers" (PDF). Music Week. p. 9. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Jock On His Box" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 15 June 1996. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ Seb Wheeler; Dave Turner; Patrick Hinton (17 April 2020). "The Best Drops In Dance Music, According To You". Mixmag. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Hunt, El (25 June 2020). "The 20 Best House Music Songs... Ever!". NME. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Tomorrowland Ibiza Top 500 (2020)". Spotify. 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Gat Decor Vs. Degrees Of Motion – Degrees Of Passion". Discogs.
- ^ Biti Strauchn Discography. Discogs. Retrieved on 4 March 2012.
- ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 16 May 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 12. 23 March 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ^ "Gat Decor – Passion" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "GAT DECOR - PASSION" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 03 March 1996 - 09 March 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Gat Decor". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 03 March 1996 - 09 March 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "British single certifications – Gat Decor – Passion". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 May 2022.