John Truelove
Encyclopedia
John Truelove is a British record producer, DJ, performer and music entrepreneur.
's vocal You Got The Love
with Jamie Principle
's house classic "Your Love" (often incorrectly credited to Frankie Knuckles
). After distributing the bootleg himself John secured permission from the owners of Candi Staton's vocal performance to legitimise the release. He made various new mixes, including a re-recording of the Jamie Principle element, using the artist name of The Source. Seeking a record company to release the master, a meeting with James Horrocks, formerly founder and director of Rhythm King Records, led to a deal with the newly formed React Music. ‘You Got The Love’ entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 30 in February 1991, and reached number 4 after five weeks, earning a silver disk (200,000 sales) in the process.
' mix approach. The Now Voyager mix was also used for the closing credits of the final episode of the HBO series Sex And The City
.
"You Got The Love" was re-released by Positiva / EMI
in 2006, reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. The radio version of this release was a slower re-arranged version of the Now Voyager Mix, and included live strings scored by David Cullen and performed by the London Session Orchestra, with backing vocals by Beverley Skeete.
The Now Voyager Mix later provided the basis for Florence And The Machine
’s cover version of ‘You Got The Love’, which featured on their 2009 debut album ‘Lungs’ and was released as a single, reaching number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in 2010. Following the BRIT Awards
ceremony on February 16, 2010, where Florence And The Machine were joined on-stage by Dizzee Rascal
for a performance of ‘You Got The Love’ combined with Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Dirtee Cash’, the mash-up version ‘You Got The Dirtee Love’ was released as a single by Universal Island, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. All royalty proceeds from the first month of the single’s release were donated to the BRIT Trust charity.
Sheet music for the Florence And The Machine version of You Got The Love was published by Wise Publications in the Florence And The Machine ‘Lungs’ songbook on November 3, 2009.
in 1993, and ‘Clouds’, a cover of the Chaka Khan
track, sung by her sister Taka Boom, released on XL Recordings
and which reached Number 38 in 1997. John has also released records as Lectrolux and under his own name.
and owner of Food Records
, to set up a new electronic dance label funded and distributed by EMI. The partnership resulted in two labels - iT and Synthetic – the former dedicated to acid house and trance, the latter concentrating on more contemporary electronica. Notable artists signed to iT and Synthetic include Sister Bliss
(later to form Faithless
) who delivered her first remix, ‘A Merry Trance’ by D: Code for iT in 1991, whilst Synthetic released Goldie
’s ‘Terminator’ single under his and Rob Playford’s Metalheads alias in 1992. John's relationship with Dave Balfe ended in early 1993 after John released The Source track "Sanctuary Of Love" on another label. A court case followed in which Balfe tried to lay claim to ownership to “Sanctuary Of Love”. The case was resolved in John’s favour in 1994.
in 1994. Signing artists such as Woody McBride and Cristian Vogel
alongside Dave Clarke, Magnetic North released 14 12" EPs and the ‘Demagnetized’ compilation album until Dave's other DJ and recording commitments meant the label was dissolved in 1994. John also set up a new label, Truelove Electronic Communications (TeC) during this period.
Following the success of Magnetic North and TeC, John and business partner Steve Simmonds began to set up labels for other artists. This became the Truelove Label Collective, which grew to encompass 18 different labels at its peak. Labels under the Truelove umbrella included Ferox run by Russ Gabriel, Boscaland run by Jon The Dentist and Torema run by Fumiya Tanaka. The Stay Up Forever label joined the Truelove Label Collective in 1995 and spawned its own offshoots such as Cluster, Hydraulix and RAW, and the successful "It's Not Intelligent, It's Not From Detroit, But It's Fuckin' Avin' It!" mix compilation series. When the Truelove Label Collective was dissolved in 1999, the Liberator DJs adapted the Truelove template and infrastructure to form the Stay Up Forever Collective.
, Woody McBride and John Graham, and notable films to feature Truelove Music Publishing music include ‘Layer Cake
’, ‘The Football Factory
’ and ‘The Spirit
’. TV synchs include music for Sky Sports UK, ‘Damages
’ and ‘Sex And The City
’.
(Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) – PRS For Music (formerly the Performing Rights Society) Alliance. Truelove Music Publishing is also affiliated with a number of other music industry bodies including PPL
and Music Publishers Association in the UK, ASCAP and BMI
in the USA, GEMA
in Germany, STIM
in Sweden, UBC
in Brazil and BUMA STEMRA in the Netherlands.
John also took an active role in a campaign to abolish the Classical Music Subsidy, which subsidised classical music performances with a levy taken from performance income derived from pubs and clubs. He gave evidence to the UK Parliament's Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on this issue in 1999.
, DJ Rankin, D.A.V.E The Drummer, Micky Modelle
, Chris Liberator and Kevin Saunderson
alias Inner City.
Beginnings
John's career as a record producer began with the ‘Truelove’ bootlegs which fused acapella vocals with current instrumental dance tracks. The most successful of these, in collaboration with DJ Eren, combined Candi StatonCandi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
's vocal You Got The Love
You Got the Love
"You Got the Love" is a 1986 single by the band The Source and Candi Staton. One of its many remixers also adopted the name The Source. In 2008, the song was recorded by English soul singer Joss Stone for her fourth studio album, "Colour Me Free!" released in October 2009...
with Jamie Principle
Jamie Principle
Jamie Principle is a house music artist and producer born in Chicago, Illinois.He is one of the early pioneers of house music when the genre first began in Chicago during the early 1980s...
's house classic "Your Love" (often incorrectly credited to Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
). After distributing the bootleg himself John secured permission from the owners of Candi Staton's vocal performance to legitimise the release. He made various new mixes, including a re-recording of the Jamie Principle element, using the artist name of The Source. Seeking a record company to release the master, a meeting with James Horrocks, formerly founder and director of Rhythm King Records, led to a deal with the newly formed React Music. ‘You Got The Love’ entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 30 in February 1991, and reached number 4 after five weeks, earning a silver disk (200,000 sales) in the process.
You Got The Love further versions and releases
"You Got The Love" (Now Voyager Mix), was released in February 1997 and reached number 3 in the UK Singles Charts. The Now Voyager mix was slower than the 1991 version and used breakbeats, orchestral strings, piano and a 'wall of soundWall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
' mix approach. The Now Voyager mix was also used for the closing credits of the final episode of the HBO series Sex And The City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
.
"You Got The Love" was re-released by Positiva / EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in 2006, reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. The radio version of this release was a slower re-arranged version of the Now Voyager Mix, and included live strings scored by David Cullen and performed by the London Session Orchestra, with backing vocals by Beverley Skeete.
The Now Voyager Mix later provided the basis for Florence And The Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
’s cover version of ‘You Got The Love’, which featured on their 2009 debut album ‘Lungs’ and was released as a single, reaching number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in 2010. Following the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
ceremony on February 16, 2010, where Florence And The Machine were joined on-stage by Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
for a performance of ‘You Got The Love’ combined with Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Dirtee Cash’, the mash-up version ‘You Got The Dirtee Love’ was released as a single by Universal Island, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. All royalty proceeds from the first month of the single’s release were donated to the BRIT Trust charity.
Sheet music for the Florence And The Machine version of You Got The Love was published by Wise Publications in the Florence And The Machine ‘Lungs’ songbook on November 3, 2009.
Further productions
"Rock The House", which sampled the vocals of Miami house artist Nicole, entered the Top 75 of the UK Singles Chart in 1991. Other notable The Source productions include ‘Sanctuary Of Love’, released on Hooj ChoonsHooj Choons
Hooj Choons is a house record label formed by Alex Simons and Red Jerry in 1990. The first release was "Carnival de Casa" by Rio Rhythm Band, however, it was not until 1992's release of Felix's "Don't You Want Me", which Red Jerry and Faithless founder-member Rollo co-produced, that Hooj Choons...
in 1993, and ‘Clouds’, a cover of the Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
track, sung by her sister Taka Boom, released on XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
and which reached Number 38 in 1997. John has also released records as Lectrolux and under his own name.
As DJ and performer
From 1997 onwards John toured the world as a hard dance DJ, often with his partner of the time, former fashion designer turned DJ and record producer, Rachel Auburn. He played clubs and events in South Africa, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. In 2003 he developed his electronic solo act 'Lectrolux' for live performance, creating a 60 minute film with filmmaker Dick Jewell, which was projected onto large screens during his set. Debuting at London's Brixton Academy in December 2003, Lectrolux then toured Australia in early 2004.Beginnings
John established his own production company, Truelove Limited, followed by his publishing entity, Truelove Music, in 1991. In 1992 John was recruited by Dave Balfe, former manager of The Teardrop ExplodesThe Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward" the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s, the group also launched the career of group frontman...
and owner of Food Records
Food Records
Food Records was a record label set up in 1984 by David Balfe, who later took on Andy Ross as his partner. Originally formed as an independent record label with distribution going through Rough Trade Distribution, Food licenced acts to the Polygram offshoot London and Warner's WEA Records, before...
, to set up a new electronic dance label funded and distributed by EMI. The partnership resulted in two labels - iT and Synthetic – the former dedicated to acid house and trance, the latter concentrating on more contemporary electronica. Notable artists signed to iT and Synthetic include Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ, composer and songwriter. In the studio she is best known for her work with Rollo Armstrong, particularly as part of the now disbanded dance group Faithless.She started music at the age of five, when she learned how to play the piano...
(later to form Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
) who delivered her first remix, ‘A Merry Trance’ by D: Code for iT in 1991, whilst Synthetic released Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
’s ‘Terminator’ single under his and Rob Playford’s Metalheads alias in 1992. John's relationship with Dave Balfe ended in early 1993 after John released The Source track "Sanctuary Of Love" on another label. A court case followed in which Balfe tried to lay claim to ownership to “Sanctuary Of Love”. The case was resolved in John’s favour in 1994.
Truelove Label Collective
The Truelove Label Collective began when John established the Magnetic North label with Dave ClarkeDave Clarke
Dave Clarke is an English techno producer and DJ, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.-Life and career:...
in 1994. Signing artists such as Woody McBride and Cristian Vogel
Cristian Vogel
Cristian Vogel is an experimental electronic musician.-Biography:Cristian Vogel was born in Chile and moved to England in the mid 1970s. Vogel first began working with electronic compositions in the late 1980s with the Cabbage Head Collective...
alongside Dave Clarke, Magnetic North released 14 12" EPs and the ‘Demagnetized’ compilation album until Dave's other DJ and recording commitments meant the label was dissolved in 1994. John also set up a new label, Truelove Electronic Communications (TeC) during this period.
Following the success of Magnetic North and TeC, John and business partner Steve Simmonds began to set up labels for other artists. This became the Truelove Label Collective, which grew to encompass 18 different labels at its peak. Labels under the Truelove umbrella included Ferox run by Russ Gabriel, Boscaland run by Jon The Dentist and Torema run by Fumiya Tanaka. The Stay Up Forever label joined the Truelove Label Collective in 1995 and spawned its own offshoots such as Cluster, Hydraulix and RAW, and the successful "It's Not Intelligent, It's Not From Detroit, But It's Fuckin' Avin' It!" mix compilation series. When the Truelove Label Collective was dissolved in 1999, the Liberator DJs adapted the Truelove template and infrastructure to form the Stay Up Forever Collective.
Company structure and development
Since 2000 John has concentrated his efforts on his music publishing company, Truelove Music. The Truelove Music catalogue currently stands at over 7000 songs, and now focuses primarily on developing music for film, TV and special projects. The roster includes composers like Gui BorattoGui Boratto
Gui Boratto is a Brazilian electronic music producer. In the 1990s he was a member of Sect.His album Chromophobia was awarded the title of Mixmag Album of the Month. Regarding why he chose the name Chromophobia, Boratto said: "The same meaning as monochromatism in architecture, which means...
, Woody McBride and John Graham, and notable films to feature Truelove Music Publishing music include ‘Layer Cake
Layer Cake
A layer cake is a pastry.Layer Cake may also refer to:* Layer Cake * Layer Cake * Layer Cake, Soviet Sloika design for nuclear-weapon test Joe 4...
’, ‘The Football Factory
The Football Factory
The Football Factory is a 2004 English film directed by Nick Love and stars Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, Frank Harper and Neil Maskell. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by John King....
’ and ‘The Spirit
The Spirit
The Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
’. TV synchs include music for Sky Sports UK, ‘Damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
’ and ‘Sex And The City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
’.
Memberships and affiliations
John has sat on the panel of the MCPSMCPS
MCPS can mean:*Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society*Member of College of Physicians and Surgeons *Montgomery County Public Schools*McCracken County Public Schools...
(Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) – PRS For Music (formerly the Performing Rights Society) Alliance. Truelove Music Publishing is also affiliated with a number of other music industry bodies including PPL
PPL
PPL may refer to:* people* phospholipid * Pakistan Premier League, Pakistani soccer league* Pay per lead, method of marketing* Pontypool and New Inn railway station, Wales; National Rail station code PPL...
and Music Publishers Association in the UK, ASCAP and BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
in the USA, GEMA
GEMA
GEMA may be:* Georgia Emergency Management Agency* * gema, a General Purpose Macro Processor* Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte, or GEMA, a performance rights organisation in Germany...
in Germany, STIM
STIM
STIM, Svenska Tonsättares Internationella Musikbyrå, is the collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers of Sweden. Its role is to act as an agent for its members in order to collect license fees whenever their musical works are performed in public, broadcast or transmitted,...
in Sweden, UBC
UBC
- Universities :* University of British Columbia, a major Canadian university with its main campus in Greater Vancouver* UBC Okanagan, the campus in Kelowna, British Columbia* UBC Thunderbirds, the athletic program of the main campus- Athletics :...
in Brazil and BUMA STEMRA in the Netherlands.
Campaigns
John campaigned throughout the 1990s for the Performing Rights Society and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society to take dance music more seriously, arguing that procedures for collecting royalties at the time unfairly discriminated against dance music by focusing primarily on live performances rather than recorded music played in licensed premises. As a result a market research company is now commissioned to conduct an ongoing survey of UK premises licensed by the PRS where copyright music may be played, whether from a radio, on a musical instrument or over a soundsystem, and be it in a pub, a hotel lobby, a hair salon or a club. The data collected lists the music played and is used by PRS to pay royalties and ensure a more equitable distribution of income.John also took an active role in a campaign to abolish the Classical Music Subsidy, which subsidised classical music performances with a levy taken from performance income derived from pubs and clubs. He gave evidence to the UK Parliament's Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on this issue in 1999.
Tortured Artists
John established the artist management company, Tortured Artists Ltd with Steve Simmonds in 1996. Notable artists to have been managed by Tortured Artists include Mauro PicottoMauro Picotto
Mauro Picotto is an Italian electronic music musician. Previously a member of the Italian rave outfit, Cappella. He became well-known as a solo artist with techno-trance tracks including "Komodo" , "Pulsar" and most famously for "Lizard"...
, DJ Rankin, D.A.V.E The Drummer, Micky Modelle
Micky Modelle
Micky Modelle is a Disc jockey and Record producer from Ireland, born in 1972.-Career:He came in to the media spotlight in 2006, when he had he had a top ten hit with Flemish singer Jessy, Dancing in the Dark was originally released by Jessy in 2004 in Belgium. However after meeting jessy, he...
, Chris Liberator and Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson is an American electronic music producer. At the age of nine he moved to Belleville, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit where he attended Belleville High School and befriended two students, Derrick May and Juan Atkins...
alias Inner City.