How Freestyle Singer Shannon’s Biggest Hit Started a Whole New Genre in 1983

Most hit singles follow up on a trend or style that’s already been established by others. A precious few create their own genre. “Let The Music Play”, a 1983 smash by Shannon, managed to set a precedent on the music scene while also seducing the mainstream.

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Amazingly, the song was delivered by relatively inexperienced principals, both in terms of the performer and those behind the scenes. Then again, maybe that scenario played into the song’s novel construction and execution.

Welcome to the Drum Machine

It’s important to understand the surrounding musical context before you can truly appreciate what “Let The Music Play” achieved. In the early 80s, dance music was mostly relegated to the clubs after the backlash against disco. You didn’t often hear such songs played on mainstream radio, as programmers didn’t want to be tied to a faded trend.

The good news is that the situation opened up the playbook for creators. One of those creators was a New Yorker named Chris Barbosa. He had been working as a mobile DJ for various events. To help him out in those endeavors, he purchases a ton of new equipment, including various Roland drum machines.

While messing around at home with the machines, he created a piece called “Fire And Ice”. The idea behind the title was that the fire was related to the thumping bass line he’d programmed. And the ice referred to the synth melody he had concocted on top of the relentless beat. “Fire And Ice” eventually morphed into “Let The Music Play”. But not until a performer was found.

“Play” Time

Mark Liggett, who decided to co-produce the track with Barbosa once he heard the demo, conducted auditions for singers. The first person he heard was Brenda Shannon Greene. At the time, Greene was working as a bookkeeper while singing part-time with a jazz band. She got the gig and adopted the stage name of Shannon for the record.

Barbosa and Liggett decided to add a male singer for contrast. Jimi Tunnell filled that role, and he ended up singing the refrain while Shannon delivered improvs around him. The lyrics were written by Ann Godwin, who couldn’t take credit due to a preexisting publishing deal. She gave the credit instead to her brother, Ed Chisolm.

“Let The Music Play” almost immediately transcended the dance genre upon its release. The song landed at No. 8 on the pop charts. In the meantime, the genre known as freestyle, which combined elements of Latin music with dance music and, via the drum machines, hip hop, grew out of the song.

Behind the Lyrics of “Let The Music Play”

“Let The Music Play” tells the story of a relationship that briefly turns into a love triangle before the ship is righted once again. The pulsating music is the catalyst for the narrator’s tale, even as deeper emotions get involved. “The music played while our bodies displayed through the dance,” Shannon sings. “Then love picked us out for romance.”

Some friction enters the picture: “But when the music changed/The plan was rearranged/He went to dance with someone else.” But before all is said and done, they reunite. “He tried pretending a dance is just a dance but I see,” Shannon coos. “He’s dancing his way back to me.”

Above it all, she exhorts us to trust in the beat. “Just keep the groove and then he’ll come back to you again,” she assures. The potent musical package surrounding that assertion makes it sound like a sage piece of advice.

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