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| Danny Tenaglia |
| Birth name |
Daniel |
| Also known as |
Soulboy, Code 718, King Street Crew, Hambone, NYLX, NYDC, The Look, DATAR, |
| Born |
March 7, 1961 (1961-03-07) (age 48)
Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres |
US garage
Techno/Progressive house |
| Occupations |
Record producer
Disc Jockey
Remixer |
| Years active |
30 |
| Labels |
various |
| Website |
http://www.dannytenaglia.com/ |
Danny Tenaglia (born March 7, 1961) is a New York-based DJ and Grammy nominated record producer. Explosive success for him came not behind a major label release, or a world tour, or a radio hit remix: It happened when enough people had the private Tenaglia experience for themselves.
The momentum started building in early '70s New York, when a barely 10-year-old Danny first got the feel of vinyl in his hands. Enthralled by the music of artists like Philly Soul's The Trammps, Motown's Marvin Gaye, African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and disco producer Giorgio Moroder, he started to collect records, plumbing the depths of each one, and frequently finding that he preferred the B-side to the A. It was 1979 when he discovered legendary nightclub Paradise Garage, where DJ Larry Levan's rich, genre-less blend of music seemed to mirror his own "no boundaries" policy. It was here where Danny found the club model he would one day emulate: Levan's bold style, the venue's plain décor, and the party's warmth and inclusiveness.
Danny left New York in 1985 and launched a successful DJ-ing career in Miami as a resident at Cheers nightclub. There he schooled the locals in classic New York and Chicago house, but five years later he returned home, tired of only playing other people's music. He started to assemble an impressive roster of remixes, including Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" (1991), Jamiroquai's "Emergency on Planet Earth" (1993), and Madonna's "Human Nature" (1994). But his first epic was The Daou's "Surrender Yourself" (1993): With the kick in the bass and the underlying rhythm as the foundation, Tenaglia blanketed Vanessa Daou's wispy vocal with grand, thick chords, a combination of classic groove and modern club-ready depth that was, at the time, entirely new. The title of his 1995 debut artist album on New York's Tribal Records described it perfectly: Hard & Soul. But even if the cocktail was his own, Tenaglia never hesitated to declare how heavily his influences weighed in his productions - everyone from Patti LaBelle to Kraftwerk, with countless lesser-known Soul, R&B, Latin, Samba, and Disco artists in between.
A trio of label compilations - Mix This Pussy (1994) and Can Your Pussy Do The Dog? (1995) for Tribal, and Gag Me With A Tune (1996) for Maxi - were the first Tenaglia sets clued-in clubbers could take home to dissect.
In 1996, after a brief stint at New York superclub Roxy, Danny landed a Saturday night residency at white-hot Twilo, a position that upped his profile but didn't satisfy his expanding artistry as a DJ and producer. While New York swooned for big-room diva anthems, Danny was turning his ear toward the more minimal, tech-y grooves originating in European production studios. This period produced solid remixes like Grace's "Not Over Yet" (1996) and Janet Jackson's "The Pleasure Principle" (1996). In 1998 he moved his residency over to NY club Tunnel.
In 1998 Danny released another full length LP titled Tourism. The album featured the track "Elements," an instant classic. With his own warped voice providing the narration, "Elements" walked the listener through the different components of a dance track in real time, going from kick to drum loop to snare hit, letting each layer over the other until the track exploded with dark, drum-heavy energy. "Elements" was #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart for two weeks in 1998. "Music is the answer" featuring Celeda (also on the LP Tourism) was on the top 40 charts in the UK. Next to ostentatious radio anthems, its simplicity was a revelation.
The release of his first installment in the UK-based Global Underground series of DJ mixes, titled Athens (2000), lit the international fire. Athens (meant to reflect the set he played at the Greek capital's club King Size) remains one of the darkest, strangest, sexiest sets ever released by Danny. Its tame cover photo of a gentle-looking man in a Yankee cap just didn't seem to fit. DJ dates across Europe dispelled the mystery and started to clue people in as to what Danny's sets were like.
Back in New York, Tenaglia was tiring of the cavernous gloom of Tunnel and longed for a weekly home that better resembled where the DJ bug first bit him - the Paradise Garage. He landed at Vinyl, a black-walled, single-environment, no-liquor club about one-quarter the size of Tunnel. He named the night "Be Yourself," after the self-affirming, heavy-bottomed vocal track he had recently recorded with Chicago's Celeda. And he took the name to heart: Without the pressure of bar minimums or an expectant crowd, Tenaglia spread his DJ wings. Next to new tracks he played tracks by the artists who inspired him during his youth. If he wanted to launch into a two-hour set of straight-up techno, he did. If he wanted to play old Michael Jackson records, he did. If he wanted to get on the mic and tell the crowd the name of the sound he was about to play, or who next week's guest opening DJ would be, or just give everyone a "verbal handshake" to welcome them to the club, he did. And a city tired of drama embraced the barebones, music-centered night.
The world caught up to Tenaglia in 2000. His annual party during Miami's Winter Music Conference outgrew its home at the cramped Groovejet and moved to just-opened superclub Space. DJ giants like Carl Cox danced on top of the speakers with the Deep Dish boys, Fatboy Slim mingled on the patio, and for a day the ego inherent to DJ culture evaporated: Tenaglia was hailed as the "DJ's DJ." His roof-raising revamp of Green Velvet's "Flash" won "Best Remix" at the UK's Muzik Awards, where he was also awarded the "Best International DJ" prize.
In the two years that followed, Tenaglia released another Global Underground installment titled London; toured the world, took the party island of Ibiza by storm, remixed Billy Nichols' "Give Your Body Up To The Music" (a Garage anthem); got nominated for a Grammy (for his remix of Depeche Mode's "I Feel Loved," also nominated for Best Dance Song); returned to Twilo for two special gigs - a President's Day marathon with Carl Cox that shattered all its attendance records, and the club's sixth anniversary party with John Digweed, which turned out to be even more meaningful than it seemed at the time (Twilo was shut down permanently a week later); graced the cover of every major dance music magazine; and won a Dancestar Lifetime Achievement award... all while keeping the "Be Yourself" party buzzing every Friday.
In 2003, Danny came full circle with the release of Choice: A Collection Of Classics, a two-CD mixed compilation that let him pay direct tribute to many of the artists who had influenced his sound and style. It featured everyone from Blaze to Adeva to Imagination, as well as hefty liner notes explaining the significance of each track, penned by Danny himself. He also remixed another Garage classic (Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice," which became her first Billboard number one ever), opened another Space during Winter Music Conference (the new location down the block), and took another Dancestar award, this time 'Best Party' for "Be Yourself."
"Be Yourself" took the same honor again in 2004, but this time the win was bittersweet. At the time of the ceremony, Vinyl, now called Arc, had already been sold to condo developers. Danny closed the classic club on Sunday, April 25, 2004, with an emotional set that lasted well into Monday afternoon, and culminated with his mix of Kings Of Tomorrow's paean to unending love, "Finally."
Since then Danny has remained prolific in the clubs and has graced the decks in all the big rooms in NYC including Avalon, Crobar, Pacha NYC, Roxy and Webster Hall. After a long studio silence, Danny re-emerged in 2008 with a single on Tommy Boy Records, "The Space Dance". It was named in honor of his first weekly residency during the summer season of 2008 at renowned global clubbing institution Space Ibiza. The track reached #1 on the Billboard Club Charts during November 2008.
Immediately following that, Danny released his first compilation album in five years, entitled Futurism, also on Tommy Boy Records, with a nod to the modern dance floor and Danny's outlook for tomorrow's sounds. The compilation featured tracks from artists whom Danny had been championing for several years including Davide Squillace, The Wighnomy Brothers and Afefe Iku.
After over 30 years of DJing Danny still continues to tour around the world. His commitment to playing new music and incorporating it with music from his past is still a very big part of his performances. After his success he has remained humble and towards the end of his sets can often be seen on the dance floor, mingling and dancing with the same people who came to see him perform.
Discography
Singles
- $ (That's What I Want) (Tribal UK )
- B (Hooj Choon) Vocals by Kayo and DT (under the artist DATAR w/ Chris Bourne & Andy Holt )
- Baby Do You Feel Me with TEENA MARIE (Funktastica)
- Bottom Heavy (Tribal)
- Elements (Twisted)
- Glammer Girl (Sexy)(under the artist The Look)
- Goosebumps (Twisted) (under the artist NYLX w/ Underground Sound of Lisbon)
- USL Give Me Goosebumps (Kremlin Mix)
- Harmonica Track (Maxi) (under the artist Soulboy)
- Loft In Paradise (MAW)
- Look Ahead (Tribal)
- Love or Lust (Maxi) (under the artist Soulboy)
- March (Sexy) (under the artist The Look)
- Music Is The Answer (Twisted)
- Ohno (Twisted)
- Turn Me On (Twisted)
- Up In The House (Tribal) (under the artist NYDC with Deep Dish)
- WOW! (Tribal) (under the artist Hambone)
- Dibiza (Stereo Productions) 2006
- Space Dance (tommy boy house) 2008
Remixes
- A Guy Called Gerald VooDoo Ray (DMC) 1996
- Anything Box The Beat of Life (Epic)
- Akiko Crazy About You (Sony Japan)
- Arthur Baker Let There Be Love (RCA)
- Balo Only You (Tribal)
- Bardeau Shangri-La (Enigma)
- Beats International Change Your Mind (London)
- Bette Midler I'm Beautiful (Warner Brothers) 1999
- Blind Truth Love Is The Key (Minimal)
- Blondie Nothing Is Real But The Girl (Beyond) 1999
- Byron Stingley Stick Together (Nervous) 1999
- Byron Stingley Why Can't You Be Real (Nervous) 1999
- Cause & Effect Nothing Comes To Mind (Exile/BMG)
- Cause & Effect Another Minute (Exile/BMG)
- Celeda Be Yourself (Twisted) 1999
- Cerrone Supernature (Pure) 1996
- Cher All or Nothing (Pure) 1999
- Clockwork Shout It Out (Mercury/Polygram) 1989
- Club 69 Warm Leatherette (Twisted) 1998
- Club 69 Drama (Twisted) 1997
- Code 718 Equinox (Strictly Rhythm)
- D-Note Lost & Found (Virgin) 1997
- Dajae U Got Me Up (CAJUAL)
- The Daou Surrender Yourself (Columbia/Tribal) 1993
- The Daou Give Myself to You (Tribal) 1993
- Daphne Change (Maxi)
- Daphne When You Love Someone (Maxi)
- Dead Or Alive Baby Don't Say Goodbye (?)
- Deep Dish Stranded (Deconstruction) 1997
- Deep Dish presents Quench High Frequency (Tribal/Deep Dish)
- Deepstate Everybody Get Down (Atlantic)
- Depeche Mode I feel loved (Mute records) 2001
- Double Dee Found Love (Epic)
- Dread Flinstone From The Ghetto (Scotti Brothers)
- E-N The Horn Ride (Tribal)
- East 17 Hold My Body Tight (London/FFRR) 1988
- Ed Lover/Doctor Dre Back Up Off Me (Relativity)
- Escape Club Call It Poison (Atlantic)
- Faithless Salve Mea (Arista) 1997
- First Choice Double Cross ('92) (Salsoul) 1992
- Francois K. Mindspeak (Wave)
- Frankie Knuckles/Adeva Love Can Change It (Virgin)
- Funky Green Dogs Fired Up (Twisted) 1996
- Funky Green Dogs From Outer Space Reach For Me (Tribal) 1994
- Garbage When I Grow Up (Mushroom) 1999
- Giant Steps Satzuki (Eightball)
- Giorgio Moroder Here To Eternity (Caus 'N' Effect/Airplane!(impor) Logic(US)) 2000
- Giselle Jackson Love Commandments (Waaco) 1997
- The Good Girls Just Call Me (Motown)
- Grace It's Not Over (Kinetic/Warner Brothers) 1997
- Grace Jones Feel Up (Island)
- Green Velvet Flash (F-111) 2000
- Hammer Gaining Momentum (Capitol)
- Hansoul Imagination (Epic)
- Heller & Farley Rising Sun (Junior) 1999
- Hi-Impact Lookout Weekend (Epic)
- Isis Hail The World (4th & B'way
- Jackie 60 The Jackie Hustle (Minimal)
- Jamie J. Morgan Why? (A&M)
- Janet Jackson Pleasure Principle (AM:PM) 1996
- Jamiroquai Emergency on Planet Earth (Columbia)
- Kim Mazelle Love Me The Right Way (RCA/Logic)
- Kimara Lovelace Only You (King Street) 1996
- Kinane Heaven (Coalition/UK) 1998Danny Tenaglia Vocal Mix
- King Street Crew Things U Do To Me (Nervous)
- King Street Crew Gonna Be Alright (Nervous)
- Kiwi Dreams Y? (Tribal) 1994
- Liberty City Some Lovin' (Tribal/Murk) 1994
- Lisa Stansfield Everything Will Get Better (Arista)
- Loleatta Holloway Hit & Run ('92) (Salsoul)
- Love Root Funky Emotions (Fourth Floor)
- Madonna Human Nature (Maverick/WB) 1995
- Mavis Staples The Voice (Paisley Park)
- Me'Shell NdegeOcello Who Is He And What Is He To You (Maverick/WB) 1996
- Michael Jackson Thriller ('92) (Epic) 1992
- Mija Fun At Home (Maxi)
- Moby James Bond 007 Theme (Mute) 1997
- New Order World (The Price of Love) (Qwest/WB)
- Oletta Adams Never Knew Love (Fontana)
- The Orb Little Fluffy Clouds (Island) 1998
- Patricia Kaas Reste Sur Moi (Columbia)
- Patrick O'Hearn Black Delilah (Private Music) 1989
- Pet Shop Boys Before (EMI) 1996 (original version co-produced by Tenaglia as well)
- Pet Shop Boys The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On(EMI) 1996
- Pet Shop Boys Saturday Night Forever (EMI) 1996
- Reach 2 Rhythm All or Nothing (Tribal/Guerilla) 1990
- Red Flag Count To Three (Emigma)
- Ride Committee/Roxy Love To Do It (Tribal)
- Right Said Fred Don't Talk Just Kiss (Chrisma/Virgin)
- Right Said Fred Hands Up For Lovers (Virgin)
- Right Said Fred I'm Too Sexy (Charisma/Virgin) 1991
- Roach Motel Work To Do (Junior Boys Own)
- Robert Owens Something U Can't Finish (Minimal)
- Seventh Avenue The Love I Lost (Atlantic) 1988
- Shakespear's Sister Break My Heart (FRRR/London) 1989
- The Shamen MK2A (One Little Indian)
- Shernette May If You Want Me To (Virgin/UK)
- Soul Verite Chan Me To The Beat (Maxi)
- Spill feat. William Orbit Don't Want to Know (Virgin)
- Susan Clark Deeper (London/FFRR)
- T-Connection At Midnight ('92) (Chemistry)
- Third World Every Little Touch (Mercury)
- Underground Sound of Lisbon So Get Up (Tribal) 1994
- Ultra Nate New Kind of Medicine (AM:PM) 1998
- Vanessa Daou Sunday Afternoon (Krasnow/MCA) 1996
- Vanessa Daou Two to Tango (Krasnow/MCA) 1996
- Visions I'm Coming Home (Flying)
- Wailing Souls All Over The World (CHAOS) 1992
- Wayne G Twisted (FFRR) 1997
- Xaviera Gold/ Ralphi Rosario You Used to Hold Me (Strictly Hype)
- Yoko Ono Walking On Thin Ice
See also
Dre Day BPT, LIME LIGHT
References
dannytenaglia.com
External links
