Lil' Louis - The Original Video Clash [1988]

Label: Dance Mania
Catalog#: DM 011
Format: Vinyl, 12"

Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Techno
Credits: Mixed By - Lil' Louis

-- user comment --

Alain_Patrick, Aug 18, 2007

Every treasure hides its own secrets. Sometimes, these secrets may be astonishing as the treasure itself. Reputed among the most amazing tunes released by Lil' Louis ever, "Video Clash" has quite a story - and few, very few know its true extension.

The first time I heard about "Video Clash" story was on an interview I made with Tyree where he said that he did his "Video Crash" classic because he had heard that Lil' Louis released the original version of "Video Clash" which was produced by Marshall Jefferson, so he, Tyree Cooper, wanted to do one that was better than Lil'Louis one, so he did "Video Crash". Mike Dunn did something similar based on the same concept of "Video Clash" and made "Magic Feet".

The natural reaction was hearing Marshall Jefferson's statement about the original of "Video Clash" in order to elucidate the matter. "Video clash I did in my living room while Lil' Louis was there. Kym Mazelle, Sterling Void, and four others were there. Kym Mazelle started singing "Fuck it, I don't even wanna sing!" over the track, and we were basically just having a jam session. Lil Louis lived really close to me; Fast Eddie was my next door neighbour - and he always complained that Ron Hardy got all my tracks first."

Marshall continued: "Well, he (Lil' Louis) was right there when I recorded "Video Clash" and he insisted that I give him a copy. At that time Lil Louis had the biggest parties in Chicago, where more than five thousand kids would regularly show up, so I gave him a copy to play. He took it home, took off Kym's vocals and edited it. Somehow, that piece of shit became his biggest record."

The other music that spread from "Video Clash" concept was explained by Marshall Jefferson as well: "Soon after, Mike Dunn did a ripoff of it called "Magic Feet", and Tyree Cooper did another ripoff ("Video Crash", and Tyree's testimonial about its history was almost the same of Marshall's), and at least five other ripoffs were circulating and I (Marshall) didn't want to put my version out because I didn't want people to think I ripped off somebody else, so I was ready to push it to the side and forget it."

What made him change his mind is his explanation about Lil Louis' arguments: "He (Lil' Louis) seemed extremely upset that the other versions came out, and asked me to put out the "original version" because he said people needed to hear it. I said no at first, then he said he would put it out for me and after lots of urging I just said - "Go ahead".

The producer of "Video Clash", Marshall Jefferson - the same man behind several other quintessential House tunes, reasoned about when the "Video Clash" was released: "When the record finally came out, my name was nowhere on it. Never received any money for it either. Recently, I asked for the rights to the song back and Lil' Louis gave me back the rights without a fight, so that was cool. There's very little money if any for it now, but at least I have the rights for justice's sake" - said the one who claims to be "Video Clash"'s true creator.

What amazed me the most was the opportunity I had recently to get into a Skype chat with Adonis and Marshall Jefferson and speak about many of these House classics. When we spoke about "Video Clash", Marshall phoned Kym Mazelle and put her telephone call on our Skype chat. Then, he started asking "Hey, Kym, remember the day when we were in my studio and I began producing "Video Clash", the one that you started singing? You know, the one that Lil' Louis took out our vocals and edited it, and released? I'm telling Alain the story..."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• lil
• louis
• original
• video
• clash

[SLRMC93]

Chicago is the Babylon, and birthplace for basically anything that has roots connecting to house music, pissed me off more than anything to hear that the Chicago garage was converted to a Verizon store, RETRIBUTION I SAY!

[statenhal]

@SLRMC93 wow seriouly? They should have made it a museum. Or a monument at least.

[Roelandvinken]

Play the first part of the record reeealy slow: There you have it: AW AW Sonar System;Meng Syndicate

[statenhal]

lol..could be!

[rtype415]

There is actually much controversy with this track. Marshall Jefferson says Lil' Louis actually jacked him for the beat after a jam session. Tyree's 'Acid Crash' and Mike Dunn's "Magic Feet" are responses to Lil Louis' theft.

On a personal note. I found the original pressing in the dollar Hip Hop section this afternoon. Gotta dig!

[Roelandvinken]

Eon sampled Lil Louis dude, you got the timeline messed up.

Don't you know that Video Clash is often Imitated Never Duplicated

[DjDedan]

@penshi everybody is sampling everybody period... tho i find house music to have the most varied forms of sampling, from straight up rips to mosaics of sound...

[Bradshawbeats]

@Spastmatiker thats nuts,

[Spastmatiker]

Mike dunn - magic feet

Tyree - acid crash

V - room - v-shaped

Speedy j - minimal

Outlander - vamp

Armando - morsecode

Listen to them and you will notice something :)

[Bakebreal]

@penshi Directed towards the wrong person, my appologies

[penshi]

@Bakebreal Where did i claim this version or anything else is the original? Thanks for the info though.

[Bakebreal]

@RAKSONGTIRAK I have the ORIGINAL, and it ain't from Belgium, THAT'S for sure....LOL

[Bakebreal]

@penshi For those of you who don't know, THIS version, nor any other version like this in press is absolutely NOT the original. It was done by DJ Shawn T.(Shawn Hardison). He made the track, and it was used for the basketball team during warm-ups in high school at Hales Franciscan back in 86-87. It was played during our homecoming, and whom ever was DJ'ing the party that night, it was OVER. The song was on WKKC that weekend, and those other versions took off. Shawn NEVER got credit.....

[Bakebreal]

For those of you who don't know, THIS version, nor any other version like this in press is absolutely NOT the original. It was done by DJ Shawn T.(Shawn Hardison). He made the track, and it was used for the basketball team during warm-ups in high school at Hales Franciscan back in 86-87. It was played during our homecoming, and whom ever was DJ'ing the party that night, it was OVER. The song was on WKKC that weekend, and those other versions took off. Shawn NEVER got credit..... I

[penshi]

@RAKSONGTIRAK I'm glad somebody else also noticed that the basic loop occured in Dr. Phibes' Acid Story one year before Video Clash was released, but i find it hard to tell where it's coming from originally: everybody is sampling everybody in house music :-)