"Inner City Life"
Single by Goldie Presents Metalheadz
from the album Timeless
B-side"Inner City Life" (remix)
Released21 November 1994[1]
Genre
Length
  • 3:50 (radio edit)
  • 7:00 (full-length)
  • 21:03 (album version)
LabelFFRR
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Goldie
Goldie Presents Metalheadz singles chronology
"Inner City Life"
(1994)		 "Angel"
(1995)
Music video
"Inner City Life" on YouTube

"Inner City Life" is a song by British electronic musician Goldie featuring vocals by British singer Diane Charlemagne, released in November 1994 by FFRR as the first single from his acclaimed debut album, Timeless (1995). The song was written by Goldie with Rob Playford, and is widely considered one of the most iconic drum and bass works of its era.[2] Accompanied by a music video directed by Mike Lipscombe, it peaked at No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 6 on the UK Dance Chart. NME ranked "Inner City Life" No. 11 in their list of the "50 Best Songs of 1994".[3] In 2013, it was ranked No. 30 in Mixmag's list of "50 Greatest Dance Tracks of All Time".[4]

Background and release

"It's still a good b-line after all this time. The thing I was kind of mad about was it never got radio play. No one would ever want to play it on the radio. Rinse FM or Kiss FM would not play the record and I found it very difficult, because when you look at it conventionally, it's a good record. But then it was completely out of sorts and I found that very difficult as far as "Timeless" was concerned. "Timeless" was made first and then "Inner City Life" came out of it and I always found it very difficult that no one wanted to play it on radio and didn't want to give it the air time."

—Goldie talking to Red Bull Music Academy about the song.[5]

"Inner City Life" is a portion of the album's first track, "Timeless: Inner City Life/Pressure/Jah", which is a 21-minute opus. The song fuses the breakbeats and basslines common in jungle with orchestral textures and soul vocals by Diane Charlemagne. It has been described as a ghetto-blues ballad, 'a yearning reverie of sanctuary from "inner-city pressure"'[6] and features a sample from Ike Turner's song "Funky Mule", from his 1969 album, A Black Man's Soul.[7] Goldie/Metal Heads became the first jungle act to make the Radio One playlist, albeit the N-list, with the track.[8]

"Inner City Life" peaked at No. 49 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994. In 1995, it re-entered the chart, peaking at No. 39. "Inner City Life" was performed live at The Word[9] on Channel 4 and it was included on the soundtrack to the film Trainspotting (Trainspotting 2: Music from the Motion Picture, Vol. 2). At the time of the release, the single didn't receive much radio play, according to Goldie.

Critical reception

Andy Kellman from AllMusic described the song as "emotive".[10] Larry Flick from Billboard viewed it as a "flawless gem".[11] Ben Turner from The Guardian stated, "'Inner City Life' perhaps said it all – the sound of an intense and explosive urban city under a hot beautiful sunlight. The kind of feeling that something is about to blow. And that was jungle."[12] Simon Reynolds from Melody Maker felt the "gorgeous jazzy vocals and Goldie's angelic/demonic strings could well make "Inner City Life" the "Unfinished Sympathy" of jungle".[13] Another Melody Maker editor, Sarra Manning, praised the "caramel cream vocals" of Diane Charlemagne, "melting out urban angst platitudes over some more bass-heavy, bubbling fat noises."[14] Dom Phillips from Music & Media noted its "vocal future jungle delights",[15] while Maria Jimenez remarked the "soulful breakbeat", complimenting it as a high quality track of its dance sub-genre.[16] Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it four out of five, stating, "This is the most creative jungle tune yet. Diane Charlemagne's superb vocal soars over the plunging bass, galloping beats and almost ambient synth sweeps. It is a powerful combination that is earning DJ plays from unlikely quarters and deserves to cross over."[17] In August 1995, Rupert Howe from Muzik wrote, "This is a masterpiece of melancholy, with all the dark/light, bass/melody contrasts in jungle thrown into kaleidoscopic relief. The spectral strings move disturbingly in and out of focus, the low frequencies seem to open up underneath you, and the eerie mutations of Diane Charlemagne's vocals float in the ether, utterly lost in space. Emotionally, it's all over the place - joyful one minute, intense enough to suck the daylight out of you the next. Anything to make you feel more alive."[18]

In a separate review for NME in November 1994, Howe said, "This is it. Metalhead Goldie has finally fashioned a sound fusing so many of the present's finer elements that is timeless. As the track unfolds through Diane Charlemagne's spellbinding vocal hex and the splintered breakbeats you get flash-frames from a parallel landscape — fragments of soul, jungle, iced-out ambience — all encased in a holographic production that looms up like a physical presence. A soundtrack for life, wherever you choose to live it."[19] NME editor Ted Kessler felt "it's like something from the first Soul II Soul album cross-pollinated with a ferocious breakbeat programmed by Captain Kirk. Very space-age, very new but not quite fully realised this time."[20] Simon Reynolds for The Observer said it "could turn out to be jungle's breakthrough masterpiece".[21] Brad Beatnik from the RM Dance Update considered it "perhaps the most talked about record of this month". He added, "The use of the strings and strong female vocals are the defining characteristics on a tune that deserves a standing ovation."[22] Another editor, James Hamilton, noted that Charlemagne "calmly wails in jazz samba style through swirling shrill strings and explosively skittering 0-155-0bpm jungle beats, weird and atmospheric".[23] Charles Aaron from Spin commented, "Like Marvin Gaye ruminating while rushing, he fades a breathtaking vocal by Diane Charlemagne (plus muted trumpet) in and out of ethereal beats. Fraught with dub's tensely apocalyptic vision and techno's hopeful twitch, this is finally the sound of an urban pulse that acknowledges both black and white expressions and tensions, and the feeling of coming up, going down, and needing to keep dancing forever. No other jungle I've heard has sounded like this. Or any other dance music, for that matter."[24] Shane Danielsen from The Sydney Morning Herald noted the "swirling strings" of the track, "underpinned by complex poly-rhythms and booming subsonics."[25]

Music video

The accompanying music video of "Inner City Life" was directed by Mike Lipscombe.[26] It has interchangeable indigo and sepia tone and was later digitally remastered. The video was later made available on Goldie's official YouTube channel in 2020.[27]

Impact and legacy

In 1996, British clubbing magazine Mixmag ranked "Inner City Life" No. 34 in its list of the best singles of 1996, "Mixmag End of Year Lists: 1996".[28]

Same year, British drum and bass DJ and producer Fabio named it one of his Top 10 tracks, saying, "This track showed the scope of the music and it shocked so many people: before this record people thought drum & bass was good dance music and nothing else. This showed that the music could be as deep as Massive Attack or anything. It's good and bad all wrapped up in one."[29]

In 2010, David Crawford called the track "epic" in his book 10,001 Songs You Must Hear..., adding that it "boasted swirling strings, a clattering break beat that evolved throughout the track, and Diane Charlemagne's sweet, soulful vocals on top."[30]

In 2013, Complex included it in their list of "The 15 Best Songs from the Electronica Era". They noted, "Chock full of soul, precision breakbeat edits, and strings, "Inner City Life" helped let the mainstream know that drum & bass was more than the chin-stroking dark sounds in the corner, and was more than capable of making tracks that could move you emotionally."[31] Same year the song was ranked No. 30 in Mixmag's list of "50 Greatest Dance Tracks of All Time".[32]

In 2018, Time Out listed the track at No. 23 in their "50 Best '90s Songs" list, adding, "Fusing jungle's intricate breakbeats, sub bass and unbridled futurism with heart-aching soul soundscapes and the lamenting voice of Diane Charlemagne, this beautiful-yet-brutal piece of sonic art switched an entire generation on to the power of jungle and D&B."[33]

Accolades

Year Publisher Country Accolade Rank
1995 NME United Kingdom "50 Best Songs of 1994"[34] 11
1996 Mixmag United Kingdom "End of Year Lists: 1996" 34
1999 Spin United States "The Top 20 Singles of the 90s" 9
2004 IDJ United States "The 50 Greatest Dance Singles" 20
2005 Süddeutsche Zeitung Germany "1020 Songs 1955-2005" *
2010 Groove Germany "Die 100 wichtigsten Tracks der letzten 20 Jahre" *
2010 Musikexpress Germany "The 50 Best Songs of the 1990s" 42
2011 The Guardian United Kingdom "A History of Modern Music: Dance"[35] *
2013 Complex United States "The 15 Best Songs from the Electronica Era" *
2013 Mixmag United Kingdom "50 Greatest Dance Tracks of All Time" 30
2015 Robert Dimery United States "1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, and 10,001 You Must Download (2015 Update)" *
2018 Time Out United Kingdom "50 Best '90s Songs" 23
2019 BBC United Kingdom "30 Tracks That Shaped Dance Music Over the Last 30 Years"[36] *
2022 Pitchfork United States "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s"[37] 125
2022 Rolling Stone United States "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time"[38] 78

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Track listing

  • 12"-single, Goldie Presents Metalheads – "Inner City Life" (1994)
  1. "Inner City Life"
  2. "Jah"
  • 12"-single, Goldie Presents Metalheads – "Inner City Life" (Remixes) (1994)
  1. "Inner City Life" (Roni Size Instant Mix)
  2. "Inner City Life" (Nookie Remix)
  • Maxi-single, Goldie Presents Metalheads – "Inner City Life" (1994)
  1. "Inner City Life" (Radio Edit) – 3:50
  2. "Inner City Life" (Full-Length) – 7:00
  3. "Inner City Life" (4 Hero Mix Pt. 1) – 8:24
  4. "Inner City Life" (Roni Size Instant Mix) – 5:47
  • CD-single, Goldie – "Inner City Life" (1995)
  1. "Inner City Life" (Original Version) – 7:00
  2. "Inner City Life" (Peshay Mix) – 9:41
  3. "Inner City Life" (Doc Scott Mix) – 8:14
  • 12"-single, Goldie vs. Rabbit in the Moon – "Inner City Life" (The Remixes) (1996)
  1. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Vocalic City) – 11:20
  2. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Escape from Vocalic City) – 7:58
  3. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Return to Vocalic City) – 7:06
  • Maxi-single, Goldie – "Inner City Life" (The Remixes) (1996)
  1. "Inner City Life" (Original Edit) – 3:13
  2. "Inner City Life" (Baby Boy's Edit) – 3:34
  3. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit's Short Attention Span Edit) – 4:20
  4. "Inner City Life" (Goes to Miami Mix) – 5:39
  5. "Inner City Life" (4 Hero Mix Pt. 1) – 8:22
  6. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Vocalic City) – 11:20
  7. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Escape from Vocalic City) – 7:58
  8. "Inner City Life" (Peshay Mix) – 9:40
  9. "Inner City Life" (Baby Boys) – 6:49
  10. "Inner City Life" (Rabbit in the Moon's Return to Vocalic City) – 7:06

Charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[39] 88
UK Singles (OCC)[40] 49
UK Dance (OCC)[41] 6
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[42] 47
UK Singles (OCC) 39
UK Dance (OCC)[43] 17
UK R&B (OCC)[44] 6

Cover versions, samples and remixes

  • German jazz band [Re:jazz] covered "Inner City Life" on their 2004 album, Point of View.
  • English rapper Wiley sampled "Inner City Life" on his song "I Need to Be" from the 2008 album, See Clear Now.
  • Aaron Jerome and his musical project Sbtrkt sampled the song on the song "Timeless", in 2009.
  • It was sampled on "Strictly (Kassem Mosse 'Need to Feel edit' remix)" by Commix in 2010.
  • British band Hackney Colliery Band covered "Inner City Life" on their 2013 album, Common Decency.
  • British DJ Om Unit sampled "Inner City Life" on his song "Parallel" from the 2014 album, Inversion.
  • Goldie remastered the song in 2017.[45]
  • In 2020 Goldie announced a project on 25 years of project with interviews, archives, re-masters, remixes and re:jazz version.[46]

References

  1. ↑ "Goldie presents Metalheads — Inner City Life". Melody Maker. 19 November 1994. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Diane Charlemagne, Vocalist for Moby, Urban Cookie Collective and Goldie, Dies at 51". billboard.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "What is the greatest dance track of all time?". mixmag.net. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Goldie". redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (19 June 2013). Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. ISBN 9781136783173. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Inner City Life by Goldie feat. Diane Charlemagne". whosampled.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Robinson, Nick (19 November 1994). "On A&R" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Goldie Presents Metalheads Inner City Life". YouTube. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Goldie – The Alchemist: The Best of 1992-2012". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Flick, Larry (28 September 1996). "Dance Trax: 'The Way It Is' Changes Color Under Chameleon" (PDF). Billboard. p. 30. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Turner, Ben (1 December 1995). "Dance CDs of the year". p. 20. The Guardian.
  13. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (5 November 1994). "Stone free". Melody Maker. p. 46. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  14. ↑ Manning, Sarra (26 November 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Phillips, Dom (3 December 1994). "On The UK Groove Scene" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 9. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Jimenez, Maria (26 November 1994). "Groovemix: Short Grooves" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 8. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Beevers, Andy (5 November 1994). "Market Preview: Dance - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  18. ↑ Howe, Rupert (1 August 1995). "Albums" (PDF). Muzik. p. 67. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  19. ↑ Howe, Rupert (26 November 1994). "Groove Check". NME. p. 19. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Kessler, Ted (29 October 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 48. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  21. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (23 October 1994). "Tales from the dark side". p. 7. The Observer.
  22. ↑ Beatnik, Brad (22 October 1994). "Hot Vinyl - Tune of the Week" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  23. ↑ Hamilton, James (12 November 1994). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  24. ↑ Aaron, Charles (May 1995). "Singles Review". Spin: 100. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  25. ↑ Danielsen, Shane (11 December 1995). "CD Guide > Electronic > Goldie: Timeless". p. 13. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  26. ↑ "Goldie – Inner City Life (1994)". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  27. ↑ "Goldie - Inner City Life (Official Remastered HD Video)". YouTube. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  28. ↑ "Rocklist.net...Mixmag lists".
  29. ↑ "Jock On His Box" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 20 July 1996. p. 5. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  30. ↑ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2011) [2010]. "10,001 Songs You Must Hear...". 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-84403-684-4.
  31. ↑ "The 15 Best Songs From the Electronica Era". Complex. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  32. ↑ "What is the greatest dance track of all time?". mixmag.net. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  33. ↑ "50 Best '90s Songs". Time Out. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  34. ↑ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  35. ↑ "A history of modern music: Dance". The Guardian. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  36. ↑ "30 Tracks That Shaped Dance Music Over the Last 30 Years". BBC. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  37. ↑ "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  38. ↑ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michaelangelo; Shaffer, Claire (22 July 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  39. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 27 November 1994 - 03 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  40. ↑ "GOLDIE PRESENTS METALHEADS". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  41. ↑ "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (04 December 1994 – 10 December 1994)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  42. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 05 November 1995 - 11 November 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  43. ↑ "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (05 November 1995 – 11 November 1995)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  44. ↑ "Official UK R&B Singles Chart (05 November 1995 – 11 November 1995)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  45. ↑ "Goldie - Inner City Life (2017 Rebuild / Burial Remix)". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  46. ↑ Middleton, Ryan. "Goldie Announces 'Timeless' 25 Year Capsule With Interviews, Remixes, Archival Footage, Remastered Vinyl & More". Magnetic Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
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