Which came first - House or Hi-NRG?

[Anonymous]

The story as told by Mr Levine, is that Robbie Leslie a Legendary dj at the Saint premiered " So Many men" on Easter Sunday 1984, apparently the place was plunged into total darkness and then boom boom boom in came the track , virtually taking the roof off the place, I wasn't there, its just as he tells it. Great record though, went on to sell millions worldwide.

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by straightacting

The story as told by Mr Levine, is that Robbie Leslie a Legendary dj at the Saint premiered " So Many men" on Easter Sunday 1984, apparently the place was plunged into total darkness and then boom boom boom in came the track , virtually taking the roof off the place, I wasn't there, its just as he tells it. Great record though, went on to sell millions worldwide.

Yes - this story is now legendary... I read about this recently in a great book about the history of Disco. Miquel brown is one of my favourite HINRG artists. She is still very active in showbusiness and I recently had the pleasure of seeing her in a stage play here in the UK !
So many men was a wordwide hit and I believe it spent 13 weeks in the UK HINRG charts - unfortunately it never crossed over into the mainstream charts.

[Anonymous]

I was sure this crossed over in the UK, it certainly charted in canada, and placs like Germany and Turkey, I know co's I've seeen the Gold and Platinum discs for it. Did you know that High Energy by Evelyn Thomas sold 7 million copies alone in Turkey, what is is it about those moustache wearing Turks??

Have you ever seen the original video for "so many Men"?? it was shot in LA in late 83, absolutley hilarious, and quite fantastic.

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by StraightActing

I was sure this crossed over in the UK, it certainly charted in canada, and placs like Germany and Turkey, I know co's I've seeen the Gold and Platinum discs for it. Did you know that High Energy by Evelyn Thomas sold 7 million copies alone in Turkey, what is is it about those moustache wearing Turks??

Have you ever seen the original video for "so many Men"?? it was shot in LA in late 83, absolutley hilarious, and quite fantastic.

Apart from the gay clubs - HINRG never really took off in the straight clubs in the UK....
I have seen the videos for So many men & Masquerafe by Evelyn Thomas - Both very tacky but great !!! I always wondered if they shot a video for THE BOYS COME TO TOWN by Earlene bentley ???

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by Energyguy

Apart from the gay clubs - HINRG never really took off in the straight clubs in the UK....

Some hi-nrg did used to get played in straight clubs that i went to in the mid-80s such as Roni Griffith (The Best Part Of Breaking Up), Hazel Dean (Searching), New Order (Blue Monday), Trans X (Living On Video) but admittedly most of these were pop chart cross-overs & not the underground stuff like Eastbound Expressway or Jolo or Pamela Stanley for example.

[Davicillo]

Sandradee, you are right! HiNRG WAS played in straight clubs as I stated before because it had a poppier sound that crossed over easily. I remember hearing the same tracks as you along with 'Black kisses' Curtie & the Boombox, Angie Gold 'Eat you up', Charade 'Got to get to you' and many Lime tracks.

[straight acting]

certain Hi Nrg records were massive at so called " straight clubs" in the early 80's, I remember Divine's " You think you're A man" being esp popular. heaven also had a straight night once a week which was fun, and nearly all Hi NRG.

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by straight acting

certain Hi Nrg records were massive at so called " straight clubs" in the early 80's, I remember Divine's " You think you're A man" being esp popular. heaven also had a straight night once a week which was fun, and nearly all Hi NRG.

I had a few friends round from work the other evening and they started going through my vast vinyl collection... They had never heard of HINRG dance music... I put some of my favourites on "the decks" and it blew them away !! They thought it was superb.. They especially loved the tracks by Evelyn thomas and Miquel brown 8)

[marmite7]

I'm gonna throw the cat amongst the pigeons by saying that I believe house DID evolve from Hi-nrg!!


The sounds we know & love from the very early 80's (Partick Cowley, Lime, Bobby O - all American / Canadian, and NOT Euro) were principally played in the gay clubs of New York & San Fran. Further up North (Chicago), that sound was becoming boring, so.....................

taking the repetitive 4x4 rhythms of Hi-nrg and blending it with stripped down vocals from old Philly Soul tunes, Chicago House was born and played to massive response in the gay clubs there.

Just listen to The Immortals - Ultimate Warlord from the late 70's, a pre-cursor to hi-nrg and a definite influence to future house producers, along with Tony Cook & The Party People - Rock It (Get On The Dance Floor).


The Europeans picked up on the US hi-nrg sound and stripped down the bass line, making their own music somehow less soulful and more mechanical. Euro beat morphed into what we now know as techno / trance.

Off - Electrica Salsa is actually Sven Vath!!


The UK rave era of late 80's & very early 90's took all these elements one step further and introduced sampled breaks from old soul & funk tunes, to create breakbeat/hardcore.

I say a prayer of thanks that I live in the UK and have watched and participated in the evolving music scene - from my first tentative steps onto a disco dancefloor back in 1981, to 'aving it large during the late 80's & early 90's.


And still going strong! ;)

(Watched Mauro Picotto & Eddy Halliwell tear it up last Saturday at a club in town)