The Labels & The Sound

Trax Records and DJ International pressed the records that spread house out of Chicago — cheaply, prolifically, on warped vinyl — from Marshall Jefferson and Adonis to Steve "Silk" Hurley’s chart-topping "Jack Your Body".

Part of Chicago House

24 moments in this segment.

1. 1985 — Chip E. — "Time to Jack". Chip E.’s "Jack Trax" EP helped name the "jack" sound of early Chicago house.
2. 1985 — Chip E. — "Jack Trax". The EP that helped name the "jack" sound of early Chicago house.
3. 1985 — DJ International Records. Rocky Jones’ DJ International was Trax’s great rival, releasing era-defining house and breaking it internationally.
4. 1986 — Darryl Pandy — "Love Can’t Turn Around" (live). Darryl Pandy’s gospel-house vocal performance that stunned UK TV.
5. 1986 — The Housemaster Boyz — "House Nation". A foundational, chant-driven Chicago jack anthem.
6. 1986 — Adonis — "We’re Rocking Down the House". A classic Adonis Trax record.
7. 1986 — Adonis — "No Way Back" (1986). One of the toughest, most enduring early Chicago house records.
8. 1986 — Farley "Jackmaster" Funk — "Love Can’t Turn Around". One of house music’s first big UK hits, with Darryl Pandy’s huge vocal.
9. 1986 — J.M. Silk — "Music Is the Key". Steve "Silk" Hurley and Keith Nunnally’s soulful early house.
10. 1986 — Steve "Silk" Hurley — "Jack Your Body" (1986). Steve "Silk" Hurley’s "Jack Your Body" hit #1 in the UK in early 1987 — the first Chicago house record to top a national chart anywhere.
11. 1986 — Adonis — "No Way Back". Also Buy: Adonis - Do It Properly (The JackerZ Delight) Project 218, 1 of 100 × Adonis is back! 40 years after 'No Way Back' ignited Acid House, the Chicago legend brings it full circle. This is the final run of our collaboration, pink or tie dye, a hundred made across both colourways, individually numbered and that's it. If you missed out on the white or the black t-shirts, this is your chance. Made for the summer festival season.
12. 1986 — Adonis — "No Way Back" (1986). Adonis’ "No Way Back" on Trax is one of the toughest, most enduring early Chicago house records.
13. 1987 — Sterling Void — "It’s All Right". Later covered by Pet Shop Boys — a house standard.
14. 1987 — Joe Smooth ft. Anthony Thomas — "Promised Land". The original vocal of the gospel-house anthem.
15. 1987 — Kenny "Jammin" Jason — "Can U Dance". A Hot Mix 5 DJ’s essential jack track.
16. 1987 — Liz Torres — "Can’t Get Enough" (1987). A Chicago house vocalist on Jes Say / State Street.
17. 1987 — Joe Smooth — "Promised Land" (1987). A gospel-tinged house anthem covered worldwide.
18. 1987 — Le Noiz — "Wanna Dance". A Chicago house record on the DJ International orbit.
19. 1987 — Risqué III — "Essence of a Dream". A deep, hypnotic Chicago record.
20. 1987 — Master C & J — "Face It". State Street / Trax — raw early Chicago house.
21. 1987 — Mr. Lee — "Pump Up Chicago". Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Pump up Chicago · Mr. Lee
22. 1988 — Liaisons D — "Heartbeat". A DJ International vocal-house record.
23. 2017-06-15 — Trax Records. Larry Sherman’s Trax Records pressed house cheaply and prolifically — on recycled, often warped vinyl — spreading the Chicago sound far and wide despite its rough quality and notorious royalties.
24. 2018 — Who started Trax Records?. Vince Lawrence on co-founding the house sound and Trax Records.