The Lil Louis & The World 12” Remix Set was a series of 12” inch vinyl singles that was issued as a 3 record set for I Called U which was released by FFRR in the United Kingdom during the year of 1989. This series of singles contained different mixes of I Called U, blackout, and French Kiss. All of the songs mentioned were phenomenal house hits in the UK. The Lil Louis & The World 12” Remix has that classic early Chicago house sound. Each single from this record set had the following caption: Collect All 3 Mixes For A Complete Set.
Everysong which came from this 3 record set was written, produced, arranged, and mixed by Lil Louis for 7 Days Productions and Diamond Records. ℗© 1989 Diamond Recordings
12 INCH No. 1 was the first single from this 3 record set and had come with a "Limited Edition Free Remix Master Sleeve". The catalog code for this vinyl single was FFRR – FX 123 and FFRR – 886 831-1
I Called U (Original Mix) is the first song on the A Side of this vinyl. I Called U (But You Weren't There) is a hilarious electronic song that uses a house soundscape. A piano accompanies the house soundscape along with a saxophone. An Afro-centric percussion ensemble is used. Djembe, shakers, conga, and bongos are used. The vocals are what make the song unique along with the Afro-centric percussion which is used.
The song is about an ex-lover trying to get back into Lil Louis’ life by stalking him. She continuously calls him over the phone. She gets into his business by stalking him every chance. Some call this song the “ballad of the psycho ex-girlfriend”. The vocals are what make the song unique. The song is definitely something that the guys can definitely relate to.
The song begins with a telephone ringing. Lil Louis picks up the telephone to answer whoever is calling. A man in the back asks Louis if that is another prank call. Read the lyrics below.:
Lil Louis: Hello....hello?
Man in the background: Louis, is that another crank call?)
Lil Louis: No, I know who it is.
*Lil Louis hang up the telephone*
Apparently an ex-lover is stalking Lil Louis wondering about his whereabouts. It is a female who calls him again. She questions where did he go. Her response was “I called you but you weren’t there.” . Lil Louis tells her “I was out taking care of business.” . She proceeds to tell him she was following him in her blue car. She asks “Why can’t we start again?”
Lil Louis clearly does not want anything to do with her. If you listen closely to her vocals over the phone, she sounds as if she were drunk. Some call this song the “ballad of the psycho ex-girlfriend”.
I Called U (But You Weren't There) charted at #16 on the BillBoard in the UK in January 1990 and at #23 in Ireland in January 1990. I Called U (But You Weren't There) also charted at #48 on the BillBoard in Belgium in March 1990. The song was a hit in several European countries in 1990.
I Called U (0898 Mix) Is much similar to the original mix but with different instrumentation arrangements and percussion selection. The tempo and pitch are preserved from the original mix.
Blackout (Phase 1) aka Blackout (Phase I) is also known as The Lights Go On and Phase 1: The Lights Go On
Blackout by Lil Louis was released as a promo on vinyl in 1989 by FFRR and Epic to promote his From The Mind Of Lil Louis album that would be later released that year. Blackout has a very deep house sound mixed with electronic music. This song was played around the world in nearly every club and at every party back in 1989. Its uplifting vocals are what really energize the song. The song Blackout utilizes a time signature of 4|4.
However Lil Louis gets in touch with his religious side by quoting some scriptures from the Christian Old Testament book. Such as mentioning The Lord is my shepherd from Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms.
The first verse quotes the beginning of from the Christian Old Testament and Book of Psalms.
[Verse 1]
The Lord is my shepperd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leaded me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
He leaded me in a path of righteousness
For His name's sake
Yeah
Though I walk to the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me
Thy rod and thy staff comfort me
Thou preparest a table before me, in the presence of my enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup's runneth over
Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the House of the Lord
Forverer
In the middle of the song is where Genesis 1:1-10 is quoted. Revelation 6:12 is quoted as well. These are the scriptures listed below.
[Genesis 1:1-10]
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth
And the earth was without form and void
And darkness was above the face of the deep
And the spirits of God moved upon the face of the waters
And God said "let there be light", and there was light
[Revelation 6:12]
And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal
And Lord there was a great earthquake
And the sun became black a sackcloth of hair
And the moon became as blood
And the stars of heaven fell to the earth even as
A fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together
And every mountain and island were moved out of their place
The message at the end of the song tells us to seek out the truth. The message at the end of the song is “The truth is now, don't wait, too late to wake up” .
12 INCH No. 2 was the second single from this 3 record set. The catalog code for this vinyl single was FFRR – FX 123 and INT 886 869-1. Only 1 song was included on each side.
The Saxy Mix of I Called U uses a jazz instrumental over an ensemble of saxophones. The jazzy vibe adds to the mix of the sexiness in this Lil Louis song. Lil Louis is a genius when it comes to instrumentation arrangement. He can do no wrong when it comes to production.
Blackout (Phase 2) aka Blackout (Phase II) is also known as Phase 2: The Night The Club Lights Went Out, The Lights Went Out, and The Night The Club Lights Went Out. This version is known as Blackout (Phase 2: The Night The Club Lights Went Out).
Much of the entirety of this song is played in reverse order. That includes the lyrics, beats, and sound effects. Except for the occasional vocal samples. The song uses an interesting house soundscape. To sum it all up… Blackout (Phase 2) is basically Blackout (Phase 1) revisited.
12 INCH No. 3 was the last single issued for this 3 record set which had come with 3 songs as 12 INCH No. 1 had. The catalog code for this vinyl single was FFRR – FX 123 and FFRR – 886 871-1.
The Over The Edge Mix of I Called U uses a wide variety of instruments. Lil Louis is a genius when it comes to instrumentation arrangement and production. This version of I Called U is known as I Called U (Over The Edge Mix).
French Kiss (Jazz Mix) is a much more smooth jazz infused version of the international club hit French Kiss. The saxophone used in this song helps give away that jazzy vibe. The beginning of the song has a woman speaking French. More orgasmic sound effects are added to the mix than the original.
The last for 12 INCH No. 3 was French Kiss (Full Length U.S. Mix). French Kiss (Full Length U.S. Mix) is the full vocal version of French Kiss. Not too many get to hear this version often due to the rarity of finding this song.
I rate this single 5/5*****!!
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