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THE DNA OF DANCE MUSIC
LOVE TO BE
Tony Walker is co-founder of the iconic house music brand, Love to be, one half of Trimtone, and a true DJ legend in his own right.
Over three decades since the launch of Love to be in Sheffield, UK the brand is going through something of a resurgence.
As the team gears up for two huge festivals at FORGE in Sheffield (25th May) and at The Stray in Harrogate (6th September), Tony Walker found time to take DMA on a deep dive into the defining musical moments of Love to be's golden era.
From the very first track that set the tone back in 1994 to the emotional closing of the Music Factory, here Walker revisits the beats that shaped a movement.
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What was the first track ever dropped at the Love to be… opening in 1994?
Danny Tenaglia feat. Carole Sylvan ‘Look Ahead’ on a promo on Tribal Records. From the get-go, we decided to curate the perfect night. This meant keeping 100% control of the opening and closing sets and give them to the residents who would build a relationship with the crowd. This worked with great success as the crowds grew from 800 to 1,800 within the first month.
Our residents were me and Steve Walker, “the Walker boys” as we were known from our radio show on Dream FM. I had the privilege of playing that first track - it had an amazing intro and enticed the early comers onto the dancefloor. Start as you mean to go on!
And the last ever track played at the closing of the Music Factory?
CeCe Rogers ‘Someday’.
At this point, the Walker Boys were no more as Steve had left to pursue a career in Law in London, so I was left flying the flag to play this final tune. The end of night tune was so important as the crowds never left early. I rotated a few Love to be anthems and without a doubt, this tune was iconic. Earlier that year, CeCe Rogers performed live on keys and vocals and took the roof off, so it was fitting that his anthemic tune was our curtain call - a tear jerking classic to end the era.
It was very emotional in the booth and on the dancefloor with a chorus of “one more tune” being roared by the crowd. It was a bittersweet moment as we loved the Music Factory, but we had another venue lined up alongside a world tour and a radio show in the form of the Transatlantic Mix on Kiss FM to keep the Love to be vibe well and truly alive.
What single track is etched in your memory that marks a defining moment from Love to be… from over the years?
When Masters At Work played Ruffeck feat. Yavahn ‘Everybody Be Somebody’ on an acetate – it was the first play in the UK. The sound coming out of our monster CVA soundsystem was something to behold!
What one track was always in your record box during the heyday of Love to be… - a tried a tested, guaranteed crowd pleaser?
Future Force ‘What You Want’ (Mark Picchiotti Mix). Mark is now one of our presenters on the Love to be… Global Connection Radio show, now on over 120 stations worldwide.
What was the best ever “last track of the night” selection ever played and by who?
Simple Minds ‘Theme from Great Cities’ was my Balearic end of nighter. I’d always strive to throw a curveball at the end as that’s what puts the seal on a great night.
Can you remember a particular tune dropped by any DJ that you’d thought really shouldn’t have worked for the Love to be crowd, but it went down an absolute storm?
DJ Disciple use to do a cool 3-deck mix with Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’, which showed the boundaries weren’t just confined to soulful, uplifting vibes to raise the energy on our dancefloors.
Can you recall your dream lineup from the early days of Love to be and how that event went down?
Frankie Knuckles & Satoshi Tomiie NYE 1995.
In the heyday of the superclub era, it was a battle to keep your lineups as strong as possible, especially in competition with clubs such as Cream and Ministry - we needed to keep one step ahead. Our music policy from launch was uplifting, soulful house, leading us to book all the iconic names from the U.S - the founders of this sound.
New Year’s Eve would always be a challenge to bring the biggest and best for our Love to be family. There was no one bigger - and hasn’t been since - than Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House Music. We pulled out all stops to secure him. To bring Frankie Knuckles to Sheffield was an iconic moment for the city and for Love to be.
Alongside Frankie, we also booked production partner Satoshi Tomiie who was at that point reaching iconic status himself.
We gave the guests sets of three hours so they could create something special and they did. I played warm up and close alongside the other residents Scott Harris, Greg Robinson and Paul Ingle.
I still get messages from our Love to be family saying how good the night was. Definitely a part of house music history was made on that night!
What track from today’s current scene do you think would have really lit up the floor at Love to be had it been released back then?
Where do you start when there are so many?! The ethos of our nights is exactly that, to find the nuggets from today that would resonate with our past. Our current release on King Street Sounds / Armada, is the perfect example: Trimtone, DAN:ROS & Tony Moran feat. Sian Lee ‘ Shine On’.
Which track launched the Love to be… record label?
On the vinyl label in the 90’s it was Serena ‘Crazy’.
On the digital label launched four years ago it was Trimtone ‘All Be Free’ - a lockdown classic.
And finally, what track would you say defined the Love to be… parties throughout the nineties?
Fonda Rae 'Living In Ecstasy' (The Groove Mix). Pure peaksvile and full of depth and soul!
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