Biography
Jesse Saunders earned recognition for his involvement in the pair of recordings that first brought Chicago house music to vinyl in the early 1980s, even though others had driven more of the genre’s initial development. As a member of Z Factor he wrote and produced the 1983 Mitchbal Records single “Fantasy.” He then launched Jes-Say Records later that year and issued “On and On,” the track most often identified as the first house record. Although DJs and producers had already been making reel-to-reel mixes for club play, this became the earliest pressed example. Saunders retained his stature in Chicago after departing for the West Coast by 1986 under a major-label production contract, well before house music reached worldwide prominence. On the coast he concentrated on R&B-leaning work such as Jesse’s Gang while also supplying remixes and production for assorted pop artists.
Raised on Chicago’s south side, Saunders began accumulating records in childhood and started DJing in high school alongside his brother. The two performed at area high schools, where Saunders assembled pause-button megamixes drawn from funk and disco collections. After encountering Frankie Knuckles’ sets at the Warehouse, he gravitated toward disco-oriented material; although he attended the University of Southern California for a year, he returned during the summer of 1981. Increasing attendance at his parties eventually secured him slots at the large venue called the Playground. When a bootleg megamix disappeared from his crate, he decided to recreate the material with his own drum machine and synthesizers, producing the track “Fantasy.” Members of the local electro group Z Factor heard it and recruited him, resulting in the single’s 1983 release on Mitchbal Records, which belonged to one bandmember’s father.
“Fantasy” stood as the first vinyl document of the production techniques DJs such as Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy employed in clubs and was therefore labeled the original house record. Using its instrumental bed, Saunders recorded “On and On” later that year for his newly established Jes-Say label; the single became a club favorite and prompted numerous other producers to pursue their own releases. Moving beyond the raw approach of “On and On,” he refined his sound on subsequent records including “Funk You Up” and Z Factor’s “I Am the D.J.”
Although he contributed to the first major house crossover success—Farley Jackmaster Funk’s 1986 hit “Love Can't Turn Around”—Saunders had already left Chicago before the next wave of local releases appeared. Carrying a DGC Records agreement, he relocated to the West Coast later in 1986 and recorded the album Center of Attraction under the name Jesse’s Gang. The project made little impact, yet Saunders built a reputation as a remixer for artists such as Paula Abdul, Smokey Robinson, George Clinton, and Mavis Staples. In 1997 he released Chicago Reunion, which included appearances by fellow Chicago house figures Marshall Jefferson, Adonis, Armando, DJ Pierre, and Tyree Cooper.
Raised on Chicago’s south side, Saunders began accumulating records in childhood and started DJing in high school alongside his brother. The two performed at area high schools, where Saunders assembled pause-button megamixes drawn from funk and disco collections. After encountering Frankie Knuckles’ sets at the Warehouse, he gravitated toward disco-oriented material; although he attended the University of Southern California for a year, he returned during the summer of 1981. Increasing attendance at his parties eventually secured him slots at the large venue called the Playground. When a bootleg megamix disappeared from his crate, he decided to recreate the material with his own drum machine and synthesizers, producing the track “Fantasy.” Members of the local electro group Z Factor heard it and recruited him, resulting in the single’s 1983 release on Mitchbal Records, which belonged to one bandmember’s father.
“Fantasy” stood as the first vinyl document of the production techniques DJs such as Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy employed in clubs and was therefore labeled the original house record. Using its instrumental bed, Saunders recorded “On and On” later that year for his newly established Jes-Say label; the single became a club favorite and prompted numerous other producers to pursue their own releases. Moving beyond the raw approach of “On and On,” he refined his sound on subsequent records including “Funk You Up” and Z Factor’s “I Am the D.J.”
Although he contributed to the first major house crossover success—Farley Jackmaster Funk’s 1986 hit “Love Can't Turn Around”—Saunders had already left Chicago before the next wave of local releases appeared. Carrying a DGC Records agreement, he relocated to the West Coast later in 1986 and recorded the album Center of Attraction under the name Jesse’s Gang. The project made little impact, yet Saunders built a reputation as a remixer for artists such as Paula Abdul, Smokey Robinson, George Clinton, and Mavis Staples. In 1997 he released Chicago Reunion, which included appearances by fellow Chicago house figures Marshall Jefferson, Adonis, Armando, DJ Pierre, and Tyree Cooper.
Albums
Singles
