In this episode, I will be chatting with my former bandmate & Rhythm Quest co-founder Mark Hadfield.
Our musical adventure started way back in our school days, playing around in the eight-track studio and trying to recreate the sounds that we were hearing played on evening radio dance shows such as Stu Alan on Key 103 and Pete Tong on Radio 1. Never in our wildest dreams would we have known that those DJ's and shows would be instrumental in bringing our first track as Rhythm Quest "closer to all your dreams" to the masses.
In 1989 on a school 'music lesson' field trip, we were taken to visit a local Recording Studio by the name of Moonraker studios. This was a place renowned for local dance acts such as A Guy called Gerald and many others. After leaving school, Mark blagged his way into becoming a 'Studio Teaboy' before eventually being offered a position as a YTS trainee. This gave us access to the studio overnight where we spent all of our free time trying to concoct new ideas in our Quest for dancefloor success.
This is where we created our seminal club banger 'Closer to all your dreams' that we signed to Network records, home to acts such as Detroit Techno Legends Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson & also masked ravers Altern-8.
During that era, it was also not just at the height of the 'Madchester' scene, but the whole Rave scene sweeping across the UK.
It led to Rhythm Quest playing to Huge crowds throughout the country, sharing the stage with acts such as The Prodigy, SL2& Shades of Rhythm. Some of the most memorable moments being in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Those crazy Kids!!!
Following on from Rhythm Quest, Mark's music career progressed as 1/3 member of Vocal House outfit & Remix Poster Boys - LOVELAND
Their debut release ‘Let The Music Lift You Up’ hit the Top 20 in the UK charts and winning the Silver Clef award for the 1994 Number 1 Dance Record of the Year
They had 4 further UK Hit records including Hacienda favourite - 'I need Somebody’ and ‘Don’t make me wait’
This led to them becoming the poster boys of UK House Remixes, working on many artists including Livin’ Joy, D-Ream, C&C Music Factory, D-mob, Barbara Tucker, Donna Summer, Tony de Vit, Shiva, Blast, Happy Clappers, Love Happy, Robert Owens, Atlantic Ocean & Chanelle.
New style dance trend Trance saw the birth of LUCID in 1998 and Mark signed with FFRR/London Records. Their first single ‘I Cant Help Myself’ hit the UK charts at no.7 & was nominated for the prestigious Ivor Novello Award. Further hits included ‘Crazy’ ‘Stay with me till dawn’ and “Out There’ all entering the UK Top 40.
Further notable success’ worth mentioning are:
LOVEFREEKZ signing to Positiva/EMI Records with the UK number 6 hit ‘Shine’ and commercial / pop success as a writer/producer with hit songs such as the multi-platinum, award-winning ‘Let me Love you’ (until you learn to love yourself) recorded by US RnB star Ne-Yo that was a number 1 in the UK & number 6 in the US, ’Bounce’ recorded by Hip Hop artist Iggy Azalea and songs recorded with artists such as Rita Ora and Celine Dion.
Join me Derick Karma, as I chat with Mark, reminiscing about his involvement with Hybrid and playing at Quadrant Park, meeting Bizarre Inc, The Moonraker Studio days and how after listening to some sound advice from A Guy Call Gerald, we signed to Network Records.
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