Inner City
Electronic dance act Inner City punctured the UK mainstream with huge hits such as Big Fun and Good Life, derived from their platinum-selling debut album Paradise. The pairing was formed by producer Kevin Saunderson and vocalist Paris Grey in 1987 – Saunderson being one third of Detroit techno pioneers ‘The Belleville Three’. Inner City’s success was startling but brief, topping the US Billboard dance charts five times in two years.
Moving into the ’90s, Inner City’s soulful house style saw limited success. Grey retired from the band to be replaced by Tommy Onyx, while Saunderson moved deeper towards other projects, DJing and running his KMS label. However, when son Dantiez began producing tracks alongside vocalist Steffanie Christi’an, Saunderson reactivated the band. The 2017 single Good Luck, written by Dantiez under Saunderson’s guidance, is only a taste of what’s to come.
Kevin, you were actually an American footballer before becoming a DJ and producer…
Kevin: “I was playing American Football at Eastern Michigan University. After my first year, I gave it up because the coach who recruited me got fired and the new coach came in and didn’t really take to me. In parallel I was starting to DJ and create music, so it was easy for me to walk away. Music was my only other passion outside of sports, so I put all my effort and energy into my new love.”
Did you have a clear message behind the concept for the name Inner City?
Kevin: “I wasn’t very political. I was from an inner city area and just thought that the name made sense. I wanted it to be known where I came from and I guess it was the perfect name for what I was trying to do. It was about being uplifting too. It wasn’t about being poor or the tough part of it, but making people happy and bringing joy to them.”
Did you leave it to Paris Grey to write the lyrics on those early albums?
“I’d leave
