Strings of Life

"Strings of Life" is a 1987 single by American electronic musician Derrick May, under the name Rhythim Is Rhythim. It is his most well-known song and considered a classic in both the house music and techno genres. May is credited with developing the futuristic variation that would be dubbed "techno".[4] LA Weekly ranked the song at number-one in their list of "The 20 Best Dance Music Tracks in History" in 2015.[5]

"Strings of Life"
Single by Rhythim Is Rhythim
Released1987
Genre
Length7:23 (Piano Mix)
LabelTransmat
Songwriter(s)
  • Derrick May
  • Michael James
Producer(s)
Rhythim Is Rhythim singles chronology
"Nude Photo"
(1987)		 "Strings of Life"
(1987)		 "It Is What It Is"
(1988)
Music video
"Strings of Life" on YouTube

Background and release

Born in Detroit, May began exploring electronic music at early age. His high school friends were Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. They were commonly known as the Belleville Three.

In 1987, May started his production career with the release of "Nude Photo", a single co-written by Thomas Barnett. The single helped kickstart the Detroit techno music scene. A year later he followed it with the release of "Strings of Life," which was named by Frankie Knuckles.[6] It "hit Britain in an especially big way during the country's 1987-1988 house explosion."[7]

"Strings of Life" is based on a piano sequence by May's friend Michael James. He dropped in for a visit at May's house and sat down to play a piano ballad he had been working on called, "Lightning Strikes Twice". This piece went into Derrick's sequencer and was kept there until Derrick decided to listen to it all the way through. He found some portions which interested him, and he started to work with it. The song was originally at 80 BPM before May increased the tempo, chopped it up into loops, and added percussion and string samples.

According to Frankie Knuckles, the track "just exploded. It was like something you can't imagine, the kind of power and energy people got off that record when it was first heard. Mike Dunn says he has no idea how people can accept a record that doesn't have a bassline."[6] The song was featured in video game Midnight Club: Street Racing.[8][9]

In 1989, the song was remixed by Juan Atkins and released as "Strings of Life '89". It peaked at number 74 in the United Kingdom.[10]

Track listings
12-inch single, US (1987)
No.TitleLength
1."Strings" (Flam-Boy-Ant Mix)6:54
2."Strings Of Life"7:23
3."Move It" (Remix)5:42
4."Kaos" (Juice Bar Mix)5:50
5."Untitled"3:08
12-inch single ('89 Remix), UK (1989)
No.TitleLength
1."Strings Of Life '89" (Juan's Magic Mix) 
2."Strings Of Life" (Original Version) 
3."Nude Photo" 

Impact and legacy

Mixmag ranked the song number 17 on its "100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time" list in 1996.[11]

DJ Magazine ranked "Strings of Life" number 25 on their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes" in 1998.[12]

BBC Radio's 2008 listeners & DJs poll, "The Greatest Ever Dance Record", ranked "Strings of Life" at number 4, after Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", James Brown's "Sex Machine" and Donna Summer's "I Feel Love".[13]

The Guardian featured the song on their "A History of Modern Music: Dance" in 2011.[14]

Mixmag ranked the song number 28 on their list of "50 Greatest Dance Tracks of All Time" in 2013.[15]

Complex included it on their list of "Songs Every Dance Music Fan Should Know, Vol. 1" in 2014, noting, "It's amazing that a record that encapsulates piano and orchestral samples but has no bassline (or need for one) can still resonate today."[16]

LA Weekly ranked "Strings of Life" number 1 on its "The 20 Best EDM and Dance Music Tracks in History" in 2015.[17]

Time Out's 2015 list of "The 20 Best House Tracks Ever" included "Strings of Life" at number 12.[18]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1989) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 74

Soul Central version
"Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)"
UK 12-inch cover artwork
Single by Soul Central featuring Kathy Brown
Released2004
Recorded2004
GenreHouse[19]
Length
  • 8:38 (full vocal)
  • 3:38 (radio edit)
LabelDefected
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul Timothy
Soul Central singles chronology
"Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)"
(2004)		 "Need You Now"
(2006)
Music video
"Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own" on YouTube

British house duo Soul Central covered the song in 2004 with the subtitle "Stronger on My Own". Vocals were written for this version by Paul Timothy and Jaquie Williams that were provided by American house singer Kathy Brown. The cover reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart in January 2005 and became a UK club hit, peaking atop the UK Dance Chart. It additionally reached the top 50 in Australia, Flanders, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Weekly charts
Chart (2004–2005) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[20] 49
Australian Club Chart (ARIA)[21] 4
Australian Dance (ARIA)[22] 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 24
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[24] 4
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 2
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[26] 31
Ireland (IRMA)[27] 39
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 39
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 43
Scotland (OCC)[30] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[31] 6
UK Dance (OCC)[32] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (2005) Position
Australian Club Chart (ARIA)[33] 28

Other covers

British electronic artist Kieran Hebden and American jazz drummer Steve Reid covered the song during their improvisational performances in the late 2000s, a live version being released after Reid's passing to raise funds for a foundation started in his name.[34]

References
  1. "Strings of Life 2001 - Derrick May - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  2. "10 Years of Techno - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  3. "Hed Kandi: Back to Love, Vol. 2 - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  4. "Derrick May Bio, Music, News & Shows". DJZ.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  5. "The 20 Best Dance Music Tracks in History". LA Weekly. November 11, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  6. "Interview: Derrick May - The Secret of Techno (archived)". Mixmag. 1997. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2012.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. Bush, John. "Derrick May". Allmusic. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  8. "Midnight Club: Street Racing [Greatest Hits]: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  9. "Midnight Club: Street Racing - Credits". allgame. October 3, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  10. "Rhythim Is Rhythim: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  11. "The 100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time". ravehistory.homestead.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  12. "DJ Magazine Top 100 Club Tunes (1998)". discogs.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  13. "Billie Jean voted top dance song". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  14. "A history of modern music: Dance". The Guardian. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  15. "What is the greatest dance track of all time?". mixmag.net. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  16. "Songs Every Dance Music Fan Should Know, Vol. 1". Complex. November 5, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  17. "The 20 Best EDM and Dance Music Tracks in History". laweekly.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  18. "20 best house tracks ever". timeout.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  19. Hogwood, Ben (January 13, 2005). "Soul Central: Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own)". Resident Advisor. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  20. "Australian-charts.com – Soul Central feat. Kathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  21. "The ARIA Report – ARIA Club Tracks – Week Commencing 17th January 2005" (PDF). ARIA. January 17, 2005. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  22. "Issue 789" ARIA Top 50 Dance Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  23. "Ultratop.be – Soul Central feat. Kathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Soul Central feat. Kathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  25. "Ultratop.be – Soul Central feat. Kathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  26. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  27. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Soul Central". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 13, 2005" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  29. "Dutchcharts.nl – Soul Central feat. Kathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  31. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  32. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  33. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Club Chart 2005". ARIA. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  34. "Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) & Steve Reid – "Strings Of Life" (Derrick May Cover)". Stereogum. June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
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