Best tunes of 1990: #19 Deee-lite “Groove is in the heart”

<< #20    |    #18 >>

How do you say… Deeee-grooooo-vy????

A million dollar question, for sure. You might be able to do so with the help of Towa Tei, Lady Miss Kier, and one Supa DJ Dimitri. Throw in a guest rap by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest and the bass stylings and vocal flourishes of funk master Bootsy Collins and you’ve got one hell of a dance number. Dig.

The Deee-Lite we know and love became real once Towa Tei joined the already existing duo of Kier and Dimitri, forming an international supergroup of sorts. The American-based trio had a string of hits that were spear-headed by the “astronomical” uber-hit “Groove is in the heart”, off their debut album “World clique”, but really, that one single is all that anyone ever remembers. The group only lasted a handful of years and three albums before disbanding, though the individual members have all gone to have successful solo careers as club DJs.

This sort of tune isn’t typically my bag. Guilty pleasure? Absolutely not! It hooked me hard in my youth and never truly let go. It’s hard to argue with Bootsy’s killer bass line, the one that insinuates itself into your soul like some sort of designer drug, whose only side effects are to chronically force you into already packed dance floors. The frenetic and funky beats don’t hurt at all, and neither do the ridiculously infectious vocals. This song has found itself on the playlist of many wedding receptions in the last two decades for good reason. Like “The Macarena” and the “Grease Mega Mix”, it’s a crowd-pleasing, dance floor filler that for some reason or other, appeals to all generations. But unlike those other tracks, this one has a bit of soul.

Unfortunately, the video hasn’t aged as well as the song. I remember watching this technicolor, ridiculous mess at the time and thinking it was cool and that Lady Miss Kier in her catsuit and nails was where it was at. Now, I just shake my head and close my eyes and turn up the volume.

This song, right here, is how you spell de-groovy. And it’s a perfect spin to kick off a weekend so… Kick it.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 1990 list, click here.