Jazzie's Groove

Album: Club Classics Vol. One (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Jazzie" is Jazzie B (born Beresford Romeo), the leader of Soul II Soul. In this song, he's essentially answering the standard interview questions, starting with "What is Soul II Soul?" The answer: "We're a sound system. An amalgamation of good dance music."

    To clarify, "sound system" is a British term for a team of mobile DJs that provide the music at various functions. Soul II Soul expanded to make their own recordings, combining different flavors of dance music into distinctive grooves.
  • Jazzie B delivers the vocals in spoken word (he's not a singer). The music is a pastiche of samples, with the main horn riff coming from the 1973 song "Soul Travelin' Pt. I" by Gary Byrd.
  • This song was released as a single in America, where Soul II Soul's previous singles, "Keep on Movin'" and "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)," both topped the R&B and Dance charts. "Jazzie's Groove" rose to #6 R&B and #3 Dance.
  • Jazzie B wrote and produced this song with Nellee Hooper, his main collaborator on Soul II Soul's debut album, the boldly titled Club Classics Vol. One.
  • This is one of Jazzie B's favorite songs to perform live. Soul II Soul played it at the 1990 Soul Train Awards, where the group won three trophies.
  • The song closes with Jazzie B answering the cliché final interview question: "What's the future of Soul II Soul." The answer serves as his mission statement:

    A happy face
    A thumping bass
    For a loving race

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.