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This is the original version of the song I Will Follow which Lee Hamblin and I signed to Pete Tong at London Records….under the name Highsteppers. Norman Jay championed this version which made me feel very chuffed!! A powerhouse vocal performance by Lain Gray…of Wookie ” Battle” fame and now a very successful stage performer with lead roles in the West End and Broadway…Gwaan Lain!! Love this version of the song….next post will be the more successful version…which we did a year later in 2002 for Simon Dunmore at Defected…with the ‘increable mais vrai’ vocals of Lurine Cato….
Posted on Saturday February 27th
About me
Welcome all , to my little bit of the internet....some postings/musings from time to time and please scroll back for some clips of tunes I have had a hand in over the years!Simon Law aka The Funky Ginger
Songwriter, Music Producer, Musician, Educator.
Co-wrote, produced and performed on 5 globally successful albums with Soul II Soul ( including 2 Grammy award winning songs, Back to Life and African Dance) ASCAP & Ivor Novello awards.
Signed publishing and recording contracts with EMI, Chrysalis, London and Defected Records.
Co produced South African artist Lucky Dube’s Victims album in South Africa
Produced and co wrote global hits for Chante Moore, Shabba Ranks, Johnny Gill, Maxi Priest, JT Taylor (Kool and the Gang) , Joanna Law (my sister) ....and many others
Wrote, produced and directed an original musical at Jackman Avenue Public school in Toronto
Teaches music at the middle school at Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Dayschool
A Biography
From his early childhood days in Trinidad, to head chorister at Hereford Cathedral in England to London clubland and to the present day in Toronto, Simon’s diverse influences have always shone through in his music.
His songs and productions have sold over 10 million albums and singles worldwide.
He was originally signed as City Heat, with his sister Joanna Law to Chrysalis Records in 1988 in the UK, by Danny D.
He was an influential UK house music pioneer as The Funky Ginger with Slaughterhouse (Easy Street records) and did a groundbreaking session at the BBC for the legendary John Peel.
He was a regular clubber & dancer at the Africa Centre for Soul II Soul’s legendary Sunday night sessions which led to the lifelong frienship & collaboration with Jazzie B OBE and the creation of Soul II Soul’s long career.
He has been involved in all of their 7 album releases. In particular co-writing the Global #1 and Grammy winning Back II Life and also Keep On Movin’ from the seminal album Club Classics Vol 1.
This worldwide multi-platinum album, including the Grammy Award winning instrumental African Dance were all co written by Simon.
He has co-writing and production credits for Grammy nominated artist Chante Moore on MCA on her 3 US gold albums : Precious , A Love Supreme and This Moment is Mine... notably her US r&b top 10 single Loves Taken Over,
He has remixed Eric B and Rakim and Duran Duran toname a few & has production writer credits with Chicago’s highly respected Ten City and Kool & the Gang’s JT Taylor.
In 1990 he produced his sister Joanna Law’s seminal cover and uber sampled #1 UK dance tune The First Time Ever I saw Your Face on Beggars Banquet.
He travelled to Jamaica to write with Shabba Ranks on Slow and Sexy , a US top 10 tune and worked again with legends Sly and Robbie on Maxi Priest’s albums Bona Fide and Man with The Fun, writing and producing.
In the mid 90s, he visited South Africa, where he co-produced Africa’s own reggae superstar, the late Lucky Dube’s Victims album. A personal highlight...RIP Lucky.
Back in the UK he co wrote and produced many great acts like Polydor Record’s Nu Colours, Atlantic’s D’influence and London records Brand New Heavies
Having always been a lover of fine soulful disco he started his own artist project Highsteppers (on London records UK) and Una Mas with partner Lee Hamblin (Defected records UK)…they enjoyed a # 2 UK dance single in 2002 with ‘I will Follow’
In 2003 he worked with soul legend and songwriting genius Brenda Russell on her album for Dome records in the UK, with maestro Nathan East on Bass!
He has also written themes for the BBC, notably the Travel show.
As an educator he wrote, produced and directed Jackman Avenue: The Musical and Muddy York: The Musical ( in 2010 and 2011) These were original musicals at Jackman Public school in Toronto ( written in collaboration with the children using cutting edge multimedia and traditional theatre arts) featuring a cast of 100 children with 4 sellout performances!
Muddy York: The Musical will be performed at George Webster public school in May 2012
http://www.youtube.com/user/muddyyorkmusical
Teaching music to the middle school at Downtown Jewish Dayschool.
http://www.youtube.com/user/djds78/videos
Other writer/producer/remix credits include Guru’s Jazzamatazz, Rebel MC, EWF, Ronnie Jordan, Jazz Warriors, Caron Wheeler, Oleta Adams, Vivienne Mckone, Attica Blues, Kathy Brown and Fiona Prince + many others.
Recent projects:
Soul II Soul : new material with Reggae great Luciano , TV show with Jamie Oliver, performing live at summer festivals in Europe.
School Musicals in Toronto
DJ Andy Smith (formerly of Portishead) solo project,
Music teacher at the middle school at Paul Penna Downtown Jewish dayschool
Joanna Law : new material,
Toronto singer songwriter Jen Schaffer & The Shiners
http://www.jenschaffer.ca/Site/The_Lowdown.html
His own project, Slowmain ( using the psalms as lyrical inspiration)
www.slowmain.net
Peace and Blessings for 2012!
