Dewdrops In The Garden (2xLP) Deee-Lite

When one makes mention of Deee-Lite, the 90’s house-funk trio of Lady Miss Kier, and DJs Dmitry and Towa Tei, invariably their Billboard smash single “Groove Is In The Heart” (Off their 1990 studio debut World Clique) will come up, and for good reason. With its Herbie Hancock-sampling bassline, some classic rhymes from Q-Tip, and guest vocals by Parliament-Funkadelic legend Bootsy Collins, the song became an indelible classic of 90s music, a massive commercial hit for Deee-lite, (Reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100) and is widely considered one of the greatest dance songs of all time. Although a massive success for the group, “Groove Is In The Heart” led to some pigeonholing from critics and reviewers, who had specific expectations for future records.

Rather than deliver more of the same free-wheeling, breezy dance music of World Clique, Deee-lite took a more politically-minded approach with their second album,  spurred largely by front-woman Lady Miss Kier, who had a lengthy history of political activism prior to forming the group. 1992’s Infinity Within rendered several Dance-chart hit singles, but was not as commercially or critically lauded as its forebear.

Deee-lite were undaunted by their change in commercial fortune, regrouping with the addition of junglist DJ Ani, replacing the absent Towa Tei to record their third  record. 1994’s Dewdrops In The Garden was the result of their efforts, which struck  a remarkable balance between the celebratory grooves of World Clique,  and the social justice-driven Infinity Within. Lady Miss Kier had done a lot of world-traveling in the time between albums, and the material in Dewdrops was a  reflection of her experiences, applying a spirit of global togetherness to their  house-funk grooves.

Regrettably, Dewdrops In The Garden was not a commercial success, yet it still  managed to render its share of #1 Dance Chart singles; the atmospheric techno bounciness of “Bring Me Your Love”, and the spacious funk-house track “Call Me.”  Though Deee-lite would disband soon after Dewdrops In The Garden’s release, the record remains an unheralded favorite among dance music devotees for its coupling infectiously bright, and soulful melodies, with banging dance-floor grooves,  and unshakably optimistic vibes.

TRACKLIST:

A1. Say Ahhh…
A2. Mind Melt
A3. Buttersweet Loving
A4. River Of Freedom

B1. Somebody
B2. When You Told Me You Loved Me
B3. Stay In Bed, Forget The Rest
B4. Call Me

C1. Music Selector In The Soul Reflector
C2. Sampladelic
C3. Bring Me Your Love
C4. Picnic In The Summertime

D1. Apple Juice Kissing
D2. Party Happening People
D3. DMT (Dance Music Trance)
D4. What Is This Music?