Finally we're down to the top 20. Every track here has earned its place here.
20 Robert Owens I'll Be Your Friend 1991 Perfecto
Of course we start off with one of the best house vocalists of all time. Needs no introduction of course, but suffice to say every track he's sung on is a certified banger.
19 Thee Madkatt Courtship Pray For a Star 1999 FFRR
Felix Stallings JR, better known as Felix Da Housecat. I had some hesitancy whether to put this or In Thee Dark We Live from Aphrohead on here but this edges it out. Its a wistful house sung by an uncredited Harrison Crump and all the tracks on this single are worthy of your time. Felix himself also sung on Pierre's Pfantasy Club Dreamgirl when he was just fifteen.
18 Florian Kupfer Feelin' L.I.E.S. 2012
Either this or DJ Seinfeld Winona for an example of how new artists can make, old school house. The drums and bass complete with hi-hat ride are its back bone, but when the vocal drops in then its magic.
17 Frankie Knuckles Presents Satoshi Tomie Tears FFRR 1989
I'm not a real good actor, I've had so many tears over this track over the years. It's another Robert Owens vocal masterpiece, with the bass coming through strong along with the vocals. It proves such a foundation house can be for a good singer.
16 Velma Wright You're Not Right Supertronics 1989
Telstar's Deep Heat compilation series has given me a few bangers over the years. The Today's People track from part one and this. A house on fire vocal performance of a woman catching her partner in the act with his lover. The drum programming alone along with piano is just another reason this has to be included.
15 Pleasure Pump Fantasize Me State Street Records 1987
One I remember from back in the day and again another vocal performance tour de force. But this time there is some argument who sung on this. Most of State Street releases were done by Carl Bias Edward Get Down Crosby and Liz Torres, but apparently this isn't Liz on vocals here and no one knows who is.
14 Humanoid Tonight Radical Records / Westside 1989
The highest placed UK house release here and its one that I'll remember from time to time. Humanoid is of course Brian Dougans who would release as Humanoid Stakker and Cry Baby which is always included on acid compilations. But its this track that draws me back, Sharon Benson on vocals and a more acid house feel to this overall than the more acid work outs of Slam (with Phats from Phats and Small) Stakker and Cry Baby.
13 NGLY Speechless Tape L.I.E.S 2018
Not the last L.I.E.S. label release on here and not the most recent either. This is an absolute chiller and is probably a borderline edge case of it being techno / deep house. Whatever the case, this is one deep dark track.
12 Victor Romeo Love Will Find A Way Dancemania 1988
This is from before the time Dancemania became a Ghetto House label but still released tracks that could kick ass. Its another acid style banger but with a heavy rimshot / hi-hat based rhythm track. The vocals by Letreece Brown are just the icing on the cake. One to track down.
11 Moodymann I Can't Quit This Feeling When It Hits 1996 After Midnight Records
House is done well when its just a simple beat and a vocal or cleverly used sample. In this case its a loop from Chic and a few understated keys and drums but Moodymann AKA Kenny Dixon JR has crafted an epic around this. Theo Parrish for his Ugly Edits are another recommendation .What am I gonna do?
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