THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

501-Black Box-Ride on Time.

1989-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 3.15. Having listened to music for approximately 50 years, I can succinctly remember those rare occasions when I knew I was hearing something fresh and new that hadn’t been done before. This song hailed the start of the musical genre that would become known as ‘Italian House’ music.

Black Box were formed in 1988 by the Italian music producers Daniele Davoli, Valerio Semplici, and Mirco Limoni. As well as achieving nine UK top 40 singles, they have also charted on two other occasions, as ‘Starlight’ in 1988, with ‘Numero Uno (UK Number 9,) and as ‘Mixmaster in 1989 with ‘Grand Piano’ (UK Number 9.) There have also been two studio Albums,’Dreamland,’in 1989, and the less successful ‘Positive Vibration’ in 1995.

‘Ride on Time’ spent six weeks at Number 1 in the UK in 1989, and was later added to Black Box’s debut Album ‘Dreamland,’ the song, the group, and the Album are among the most controversial in all of this countdown. Daniele Davoli had visited New York and purchased a 12-inch acapella of the 1980 Disco hit ‘Love Sensation’ by Loleatta Holloway (1946-2011,) which was written by Dan Hartman (1950-1994.) (see also best songs 1012.) Back in Italy, and using the newly invented ‘Akai S900’ sampler, he created the first version of ‘Ride on Time,’ using the ‘Love Sensation’ vocals. The three music producers then added piano chords, and additional vocal samples to create the track.

‘Ride on Time’ was released without the samples being cleared by ‘Salsoul Records’ which owned the rights to ‘Love Sensation,’ leading to long legal battles over royalties. Dan Hartman the writer of ‘Love Sensation’ was happy to settle for a third of the royalties, leading Davoli to call him ‘A true gentleman,’ as he could have asked for far more. ‘Love Sensation’s’ singer Loleatta Holloway’ was never paid for her vocals, as the sample was owned by ‘Salsoul Records.’ Davoli said that he regretted not meeting Holloway before her death in 2011, and would like to apologise ‘For how messy things got.’After the initial legal action was taken, Black Box were forced into reissuing ‘Ride on Time’ with rerecorded vocals. The identity of the singer was kept quiet, as she was about to launch her own career, the vocalist was Heather Small, who would go on to great success with ‘M People,’ and also as a solo artist.

Nine songs were produced for the ‘Dreamland’ Album, and six were sung by Martha Wash, who had previously found success as a backing singer with ‘Sylvester,'(see also best songs 162) and also as one half of ‘The Weather Girls.’ Wash had been told by Black Box that she was only recording ‘demos,’ and her vocals were to be used as a guide for another singer, but when the Album came out it was her voice on the recordings. Wash successfully sued, which has led to all vocal credits becoming mandatory on Album, and music video’s ever since.Further controversy occurred when ‘Ride on Time’ was performed on shows such as ‘Top of the Pops,’ as Black Box hired French model Katrin Quinol to mime the vocals. Although it was a common practise in Italy, at the time it was heavily frowned upon in America, and in the UK.

In the song ‘Love Sensation’ Holloway sings the lyrics ‘right on time,’ but Davoli whose English was very limited at that time, thought she was singing ‘ride on time,’ hence the songs title.

‘Let me tell you what to do. You’re such a hot temptation, you just walk right in, walk, walk, walk right in.’