IN 1988, house music crashed into the top ten with S’Express’ Theme From S’Express leading the charge. Based on a sample from an old disco hit (Rose Royce’s Is It Love You’re After), the UK outfit’s track was, for many, their first taste of what was to become known as acid house and the Summer Of Love kicked off with a big smiley face – a blatant drug reference to ecstasy. Dance music was never the same again.
Although S’Express, fronted by DJ/remix boffin Mark Moore and backed by producer whiz Pascal Gabriel, never again captured those lofty chart numbers, they continued to churn out club hits for some time before being put into a cryogenic chamber of sorts. For some 20 years, they only peeped out occasionally on obscure Japanese dance labels.