Shut Up & Dance – Save It 'Til The Mourning After (1995)

Ragga-techno hit-makers and sampling pirates without equal on Britain's early hardcore breakbeat scene, Shut Up & Dance were an early influence on the development of jump-up breakbeats and b-bwoy attitude into the streamlined version of drum'n'bass which emerged later in the '90s. The duo of PJ & Smiley, both residents of East End stronghold Stoke Newington, formed both the label and group Shut Up & Dance out of their bedroom in 1988. 

The imprint first released records by the Ragga Twins and Nicolette during 1989 before Shut Up & Dance the group debuted later that year. Early singles like "£10 to Get In" and "Derek Went Mad" displayed the pair's approach to hardcore techno -- sampling well-known pop groups with little fear of retribution, piling chunky breakbeats over the top, evincing plenty of ragga attitude and displaying an unflinching criticism of the emerging rave scene's dark side.

Their 1995 single "Save It 'Till The Mourning After reached no.25 in the UK and samples Duran Duran's song "Save A Prayer", whilst retaining its original chorus.

The band's success brought copyright lawyers from at least six major labels, responding to obvious transgressions against their artists, which resulted with Shut Up & Dance spending two years involved in legal wrangling. In similar fashion to their American hip hop contemporaries like Biz Markie and De La Soul, these problems eventually bankrupted their record label.

A1 Save It 'Til The Mourning After (Club Mix) 5:14
A2 Save It 'Til The Mourning After (Instrumental) 4:52
B1 Save It 'Til The Mourning After (Extended Original Mix) 4:52
B2 Rush Coming On 3:27

Shut Up & Dance – Save It 'Til The Mourning After (1995)

(320 kbps, cover art included)