"Promised Land"
UK CD single
Single by Joe Smooth
from the album Promised Land
Released1987
Genre
LabelD.J. International
Songwriter(s)Joe Smooth
Producer(s)Joe Smooth
Joe Smooth singles chronology
"Promised Land"
(1987)		 "I'll Be There"
(1988)
Music video
"Promised Land" on YouTube

"Promised Land" is a 1987 single by American producer and DJ Joe Smooth, featuring Anthony Thomas and is one of the most widely acclaimed house classics.

Background and release

Smooth got the idea for "Promised Land" while he was on tour in Europe with Farley "Jackmaster" Funk. He saw how well house music was received in Europe and wrote "Promised Land" with inspiration from classic Motown songs. He was determined to write a classic song with the same type of spirit.[1] Smooth gained international acclaim with the release of the track. It spoke of how humans, as brothers and sisters, should unite in love and thrive in paradise. Dance music was very popular in the underground culture in Chicago at that time and "Promised Land" became a big club-hit. Originally released in 1987, it peaked at #56 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1989 following the Top 40 success of a cover version by The Style Council.[2] It has been covered several times since its release.

In October 2004, "Promised Land" appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Within the game, the song could be heard playing on the fictional House Music radio station SF-UR.

Impact and legacy

In 1995, British DJ Graham Gold picked "Promised Land" as one of his favourite songs, saying, "I got it in '89 when I wasn't known for playing house. It's one of those wicked emotional records where the lyrical and musical content is so uplifting that you never get tired of hearing it."[3] Also British hardhouse and trance music record producer Jon the Dentist chose it as one of his favourites same year, adding, "It's got uplifting vocals. I hate singing but I'm always singing along when I play it. I'm sure people are thinking, who's that prat in the DJ box. It's what deep house should be all about."[4]

In 1996, Mixmag ranked the song number 20 in its "100 Greatest Dance Singles Of All Time" list, adding, "There's Someday and Strings of Life and Chime and Keep On Moving, but the one record that, for me, sums up the excitement of that period of music more than any other is the incredible spiritual burst of optimism that is Joe Smooth's Promised Land."[5]

In 1998, DJ Magazine ranked it number 4 in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes".[6]

In 2018, Mixmag listed it as one of "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever".[7]

Track listing

12", US (1987)
  1. "Promised Land" (Club Mix)
  2. "Promised Land" (Underground Mix)
  3. "Promised Land" (Radio Mix)
7" single, UK (1988)
  1. "Promised Land" (Radio Mix)
  2. "Promised Land" (Underground Mix)
12", West Germany (1988)
  1. "Promised Land" (Club Mix) – 5:07
  2. "Promised Land" (Underground Mix) – 4:10
  3. "Promised Land" (Freestyle Mix) – 5:07
12" single, UK (1988)
  1. "Promised Land" (Club Mix) – 5:08
  2. "Promised Land" (Underground Mix) – 4:11
  3. "Promised Land" (Freestyle Mix) – 5:10

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 56

Cover versions, samples and remixes

The Style Council released a cover of the song in 1989.[8] Along with the track, "Can You Still Love Me", "Promised Land" was the group's only entry on the US dance chart, where it peaked at number nineteen. The song also reached No. 22 on the Irish Singles Chart.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "Joe Smooth's Promised Land". standardhotels.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 510. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ "Jock On His Box: Graham Gold" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1995-01-07. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  4. ↑ "Jock On His Box: Jon the Dentist" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1995-11-11. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time". ravehistory.homestead.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  6. ↑ "DJ Magazine Top 100 Club Tunes (1998)". discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  7. ↑ "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever". Mixmag. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  8. ↑ Reed, J. (2009) Paul Weller: My Ever Changing Moods, Omnibus Press: London
  9. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 248.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
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