The true story behind a true classic. In 1990 a couple of friends came together to produce their own house tune. The result was 500 white labels pressed up and sold. Job done. So whats so special about that you may ask? Around that time anyone with a keyboard a drum machine and half an idea was doing exactly the same thing. But with Just 4 U by Push Button Technology comes a story of how a truly great tune never fades. Of the thousands and thousands of makeshift bedroom releases to come out of those crazy days, Just 4 U still sums up all that was special and unforgettable back then. It has a raw energy and passion. Pressed into that 12 slab of black vinyl there is a determination to make the people. And 24 years later, that hands in the air thrill is still there whenever this tune is played. When I first got my hands on one of the 500 whites, there was nothing on the label. I was convinced it was a remix of an FPI project track (probably because of the everybody all over the world sample it featured). Then to add to the mystery there was the original version of Im your Ecstasy buy Control on the flip side. Was this a bootleg? If so, who was behind it? Because of its limited numbers the release was very soon a hot piece of vinyl property, going for upwards of £35 back in the day. That inflated value continues today with the originals sometimes changing hands for £100. This tells you everything about the continuing popularity of Just 4 U. What more could you ask for in a classic. Stirring strings. Soaring piano. A killer fat baseline and a great selection of samples that all work seamlessly together. But who were the people behind this limited-edition dance monster? Well for the first time, we can reveal all. This is the story of how a boy from Wilsden, against the odds managed to create an anthem which helped to shape a generation. Push Button Technology was formed by Paul Jannetta and Jason Leilas who were school friends both studying at Beckfoot School in Bradford throughout the 80’s. Paul had always been interested in House music as his Brother used to be the resident DJ at Blue Lace on Cheapside in Bradford. He had all the latest commercial house tracks but Paul was keen to explore more of the new sounds coming out of Chicago. So he set out to buy pretty much all the House Sounds of Chicago Albums, along with the Jack Trax series and pretty much everything else he could lay his hands on around at the time. Pauls school friend Jason really got into the DJ side of things and started to teach himself how to mix, while Paul himself got involved with sequencing and sampling. After leaving school Paul was accepted at Leeds College of Music and things were going in the right direction. To get a bit of spending money together before he started his course, Paul got job at Xtex Polythene in Wilsden. Whilst working there Paul was involved in a serious accident which saw his right hand crushed in a printing machine. His hand was dragged between two rollers, pushing all four knuckles on his right hand through the underneath, which quite literally popped all four fingers. Emergency surgery followed, with the surgeon notifying Paul that he would never be able to play the keyboard again with his right hand. At the time the accident happened, Just 4 U had already been written but only recorded on a four-track tape recorder in Jason’s bedroom. But the track needed to be laid down in studio quality before it could be pressed up. Because the two friends didn’t have any cash for equipment, they spoke with one of their former teachers at Beckfoot School who had his own recording facilities. The equipment was nothing fancy, just a basic reel-to-reel recorder, a 32-channel desk and an effects unit. There were no sequencers or samplers in sight. Everything on the track was played live on a Yamaha PSR electric keyboard. Because of the serious damage to Pauls right hand, He needed to relearn the track entirely and replay everything with his left hand. The drum beat was simply two break beat drum sampling records played together to get the length required for the song. Then they laid down the bass, piano and strings (all played live) over the top in real time. The same was done for the vocals. They were just taken from vinyl acapella records and played along in time to the other elements. Somehow it fused seamlessly together and the white label was soon pressed up. Unsure that what they had created would be a success, the friends devised a cunning plan. On the flip side to Just 4 U they would bootleg a track they would be sure would sell well. This was the original of ‘Im your Ecstasy that featured the druggy vocal that didnt make it to the full commercial release. The plan worked. And the whites flew out of the door. It was time to take the show on the road. PBT needed live PAs. Paul and Jason contacted the likes of Dean Cavanagh and Slim who were running Universe and Tolerance and also the Warehouse in Leeds. At this point they also brought on board Jerry (Red Dread) Crawford as the MC to get the rave crowds going. The potential for success was there, but just when things started to look promising, Paul and Jason parted company due to non-musical difference. Paul looked how to keep everything going. He had been friends with the Sugden Brothers (Mark and Craig) through Stoney Lee and knew that they were also doing similar stuff at the time. It felt like a natural progression to get in touch to see if they were interested in coming on board. The plan worked as Craig brought some fresh ideas to the table from a show/performance perspective and Mark was a very keen and seriously good dancer. Some amazing gigs at some of the best venues around soon followed. Packed clubs where the crowds would treat you like gods for the 20 or 30 minutes you were on stage. Tolerance and Universe, The Gallery, The Warehouse, Pacha in Rotherham, Palm Cove Club, AJs and a few illegal gatherings too. One night PBT had the chance to walk out on stage at Maestro’s in front of 3,000 people. This was rave superstardom in the making. Next came the Just 4 U remix. A limited pressing which again sold out in a breath. Now was the time to talk to the labels. 380 records in Manchester was interested. And why wouldnt they be? This was a proven floor winner. But there was a problem. It was a problem many similar dance outfits stumbled over at that time. Copyright. Back then you just grabbed your samples, riffs and ideas from anywhere and everywhere. You didnt worry about who owned them or what the consequences would be. You just concentrated on what the crowds wanted. Until the day you decide you want to go for the big time. Then the reality hits home. Just 4 U was built around samples that simply couldnt be used in a full release back then. Unfortunately that sealed its fate and ultimately that of the group. It was only ever gonna be a flash of brief brilliance. But what a moment it was. But then maybe, thats where its strengths lye. It never got the big release it deserved. Lets take the Control track that was on the flip side of the original PBT white label. Sure it got chart success but it feels tired, dated and painfully cheesy today. ‘Just 4 U’ was frozen in time and remains a classic that shouldnt be underestimated or forgotten. Hats off to the boys from Bradford who made it.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:23:36 +0000