What You Need
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Duane
Harden: What He Needs
Duane Harden, known as the vocalist on two recent dance hits - "You Don't Know
Me" by Armand van Helden and "What You Need" by Powerhouse has given Ray
the short interview via email. You can read the interview here.
Ray: What was your role in making of "You Don't Know Me", the record
credited to Armand van Helden?
Duane: I wrote and sung ALL the lyrics to "You
Don't Know Me". Armand sampled the music and arranged the vocals in the right places,
mixed it down, and put released the track on Armed Records.
Ray: The intro to full version of the song suggests, it
might have gay theme...
Duane: No, the song is not about being gay. It's
actually about Armand. He and I have been friends since like '92 when I was in school in
Boston. He was a very well-known DJ and being in the spotlight caused problems for his
personal life. He used to always complain about people being in his personal life, causing
problems between him and his girlfriend.
 So when I was asked by him to write a
song I had to write something that I know he could identify with. He's very picky when it
comes to lyrics.
Ray: Did "You Don't Know Me" have any success in
the US? Was it even released there?
Duane: The song has gone as high as #2 in the
Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart. It is due for national chain store release on May 25th.
Armed Records is expecting that the single will do quite well. We will keep our fingers
crossed.
Ray: Aren't you afraid that the success of YDKM might be
an one-off? I don't think it's easy to get rich thanks to dance music...
Duane: Yes. And although "What You Need"
has a great response I'm still cautious. But my deal with EMI Music Publishing gave me
enough money where it was condusive for me to quit UPS.
Ray: What do you, personally, think about the MP3 format?
Duane: Hey. It takes money away from the music
industry. Once the technology is in place where units and royalties can be accounted for
MP3, then it will be a good format.
Ray: What music do you listen to?
Duane: Anything on the radio. I prefer hip-hop,
R&B, and salsa/merengue.
Ray: What do you think about the recent movement that
turns house music from being diva orientated to the male vocalists? (you, Phats'n'Small,
Stardust all had top 3 hits in the UK; Danny Tenaglia's "Music Is The Answer"
only scored about number 30) Is it a new movement?
Duane: Someone just told me on yesterday that I
broke the ground for male artist to return to prominence in the dance scene. What a
compliment....
Ray: Do you feel that Powerhouse "What You
Need", being less successful than Armand's track, simply didn't get the attention it
deserved?
Duane: No. I thank that when "You Don't Know
Me" released in Jan of this year the competition wasn't that stiff and so it was
quiet easy for the track to go to #1. When Powerhouse release you had acts like Backstreet
Boys, Boyzone, Shania Twain, Geri Haliwell, etc. releasing as well. These are house hold
names and for a no-name dance act to compete with these pop acts I was quite amazed that
it even entered at #13. What happens during this time of the year is that everyone who's
going to release - releases so that their records are out for the summer. You do not
release during the summer. If you miss the pre-summer rush then you have to wait until
September. The reason why there wasn't that many releases out during January was because a
lot of record companies do not like to release right after the Christmas season when
people don't have money left over to buy records.
Also, the fact that "You Don't Know Me" was on a major label (ffrr) and the
Powerhouse track was on an independent (Defected) has a lot to do with it. Majors are a
lot larger and stronger machine when it comes to promoting and getting the record in the
major retail chains. So considering all the circumstances I think Defected did an
excellent job and I'm very happy with #13.
Hey, I've only wrote/recorded two songs and they've both have been Top 20. How many
dance male artist can say that? So I'm very proud. I just hope I can keep the momentum up.
Ray: What are you doing now?
Now I'm working on my third release which is a duet with a female artist. It's called
"Love Me or Leave Me". In fact, I'm going to the studio to record it as soon as
I finish answering my emails. The plan if the track comes out good is for it to be my
summer release.
But as always I have my little tape recorder with me everywhere I go and I'm recording
song ideas all the time as they pop into my head. However, these days I've been in a sort
of Pop and R&B mood.
Ray: Can we expect the full Duane Harden solo album, or
will you only be a featured person on other people's recordings?
Duane: Yes. The plan is to have the "Duane
Harden" solo album probably titled "World of Dreams" named after my
brother's inspirational song due out in the Fall.
Ray: What will the music sound like, more dance music or
R&B?
Duane: Well, Strictly Rhythm is a dance label so
the album will be dance. They do not promote or market R&B material.
Ray: Thank you!
Powerhouse featuring Duane Harden latest single, What You Need is available now
on Defected label
Source: Ray, obviously
- May '99
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Powerhouse feat. Duane
Harden - What You Need
This is the second song to feature Duane Harden in recent months,
the first being the massive Armand Van Helden track "You Don't Know Me". It has
a fast dance beat to it, with Duane's brilliant vocals over the top. With several big
singles being released in the next couple of weeks, this will find it hard to hit No. 1 -
but watch out for Duane, he's going to be big.
(Lee Knowles)
Source: UKMIX - May 10th Reviews
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duane
harden
AN EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH THE MAN BEHIND THE VOICE FROM ARMAND VAN HELDEN'S
'YOU DON'T KNOW ME' & POWERHOUSE'S 'WHAT U NEED'
By Claire Morgan
'You don't even know me', as that well known song goes. But chances are,
if you don't already know the man behind that upstanding, indignant vocal, you soon will.
His name is Duane Harden. The soulful curve of his vocal style - which hovers gracefully
between byron Stingil's butterfly falsetto and Michael Watford's preacherman bellow -
elevated Armand Van Helden's meaty anthem. 'You Don't Know Me',
to chart-topping form back in February. Not merely a featured vocalist, Duane was also
responsible for co-writing the song, including that irresistible lyrical chorus hook,
which became his first commercially-released project. When you discover that he achieved
this after just one year in the music business and that his Top of The Pops performance
was only his fifth live performance ever, you realise that this is one remarkable young
man.
Now with the smae, seemingly effortless ease, he's dashed off his second single as
writer/vocalist entitled 'What You Need'. Another collaboration, this time with celebrated
Stateside DJ/producer Lenny Fontana under the name Powerhouse, the single was a neck ahead
in the annual Most Hammered Tune at the Miami Winter Conference contest. out in the US on
Strictly Rhythm 9who've wisely just signed Duane to a world-wide artist deal), the cut has
been netted by UK's Defected Records for domestic release. Radio playlisting has rapidly
followed, bringing that certain airborne hum of expectancy fizzing in its wake. The smart
money is definitely on another chart entry. A high one. And Duan's reation to suddenly
finding himself in the golden glow of limelight? Well, initiially, not so hot. At our
first meeting, when 'You Don't Know Me' was crowning the
charts, he was a bewildered man who had been unexpectedly thrust to centre stage, at a
physical low ebb due to flu and experiencing some mild mental trauma - the kind you get
when the music business bares its nasty vampire teeth right yer face. "This
was supposed to be a hobby of mine!" he half-protested about his musical
actvities.
"It's supposed to be my stress reliever. I don't know music. I don't
know the producers who are hip because I don't follow all that stuff. I don't like all the
industry parties. I'm just a computer guy who likes to go a club!' At the time,
the hobby was just beginning to get out of control and competing for precedence with his
well paid computer job at UPS, apost he swore he wouldn't abandon in a hurry, having
grafted hard to climb a few steps up the corporate ladder and gain a certain degree of
financial comfort. However, just a couple of months down the line, the post-Armand,
post-Miami Computer Guy is in the process of being morped into duane Harden: artist,
writer and card carrying dance biz celebrity. At our second meeting, he had acquired a
manager and was in the process of negotiating a fat publishing deal, anabling him to give
up his job in August to concrete on music, although he sounds a tad wistful about it all: "Everybody
at UPS has been so supportive, they said I should just take the change. But I feel kinda
bad, 'cos they've done so much for me."
This tweak of remorse is touching, especially since most people newly possessed of
a large publishing advance would probably march straight into head office to gleefully
impart the news, maybe even tell the boss where to stick his job, and march straight out
again without a backward glance. But delve a little more into duane's background and the
motivating forces behind his need for security become apparent. If you were being acidly
cynical you could say that his life story reads like a PR's rags-to-0riches dream:
German-born (his father was in the military), but raised in the southern US as a Baptist,
he worked his way tenaciously out of poverty by attending night school as well as high
school, plus holding down a job in a hotel to help support his disabled mother. The death
of his much-cherised brother was a life-shaking trauma which Duane re-modelled into a
source of inspiration. After winning a place at Boston University, fate guided him into
the hands of local DJ Armand Van Helden. Although music was a talent he discovered
relatively late ("I just didn't have time for anything when I was in high
school. I didn't even have time for friends!"), once the bottle had been
uncorked, the ideas started flowing out as if some talent reservoir had suddenly been
un-dammed. "You could ask me to write a song right now and I'd do it in 15
minutes," he says with enthusiasm rather than conceit.
"Songwriting to me is the easiest part. It's nothing, to me, to write verses and
choruses. Some people will give you all these constraints when you write - they don't like
this, they don't like that. But no matter what kind of constraints you give me, I can
still write. I try to get into your head and find out what you want. I can take anything
basic and put something on top of it. That's easy for me."
He then goes on to explain that 'You Don't Konw Me'
was basically a guide vocal he sang raw (no headphones, no fussing tape ops) over a sample
loop in Van Helden's studio whilst the big A was out at dinner. Subsequently, Armand
didn't want to lose that unselfconscious edge and refused to let him re-sing it. It was
similar deal with Lenny Fontana, who
submitted a song a Strictly Rhythm which
struck A&R guru Gladys Pizarro as a musical blueprint that would take flight with
Duane's input. Cut a studio, with Lenny at the desk, and Duane in his first grown-up vocal
booth, complete with pop-guard and headphones ("They call them cans, you
know," he says brightly). Ech time the song came quickly and easily.
"The music just tells me what to do," he says.
But he pushes the modesty boat out just a little too far when he says that
he can't sing. Oh yes, terrible voice. Can't sing a note. Right. Despite his declarations
to contrary, a lingering suspicion remains that Duane takes a certain amount of pleasure
in his newly acquired status as prince of the dancefloor as so many doors are suddenly
opening right in front of him. If the music rocket really blasts off, then I wonder if
he'll find time to continue his other creative activities such as the two books he's been
writing, one a kind of self-help, the world according to Duane-style manual called 'The
Balancing Act', and the other afable on the universal quest for love called 'Me'. Will he
be able to perform his monthly duty with the US Naval Reserves, the discipline and
physical demands of which he finds a helpful aid to concentration and focus?
One element, however, from his life as Computer Guy will remain constant: his bond
with musical partner Moises Modesto. Before Armand or Lenny or any of that, there was
Duane and Moses of Modu Productions (now looking at an exciting future on the beefy
shoulders of that publishing deal), and when Duane speaks of his partner, you know he
means it. "Moses is ten times more talented than me, but he is so supportive
of what's happening to me at the moment. he's there for me and I'm right there for him. I
depend on Moses for a lot. He keeps me gournded, keeps me sane."
M. Modesto ws undoubtedly there in spirit later that night as Duane made his debut
performance at the Ministry of Sound. Erick Morillo was having a birthday party, with the
Subliminal crew all fown in for the occasion. Gladys Pizzaro was also there, with assorted
Strictly Rhythm and Defected people. If he was nervouos, Duane didn't
show it. Especially when he got out there and launched into the militant stomp of 'What
You Need' with crowd-winning gusto, accapella'd the end of ''You
Don't Know Me' long after the DAT ran out and then sang happy birthday to Erick. The
crowd joins in, everyone felt all aglow, you know the form. It's Duane thing. Amazing
stuff for a guy who can't sing, wouldn't you say?
Source: DJ Magazine - no38/vol2 24
apr-7 may 99 - pg. 46-47
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DUANE HARDEN - YOU DON'T
REALLY KNOW HIM
...but you'll be dancing to his love song every Saturday night. He's the man behind Armand
Van Heldens' 'You Don't Really Know Me' and now he ain't working as a waiter in a cocktail
bar, get it? Stevie Kerr checks ou the man who refused to be put baack down too.
So there...
Who's gonna be the man in 1999? Well, you don't really know him. But after this,
you will... Duane Harden is a name that, at present, only those in the
music industry will recognise, a fact which is both unbelievable and unfair. For duane is
the man who brought the words and voice to the intergalactic massive hit, 'You Don't Even
Know Me'. Yet he didn't receive any credit or recognition for such an achievement. Who
gets the name check? Armand Van Helden, of course. To be fair to Armand,
he did do at least 15 mintues of pre-production before he fell asleep!
Here, Duane gives us the low down on the creation of one of the finest house
records of the decade, and he provides us with an insight into his next track.
"I'm just a club kid, not one of those people who stands at the DJ box and
spots the records, nor am I the first to ask somebody what a particular track is. to me, a
track has got to sound good, and if it does, I'll dance to it," reveals Duane.
What better way to get into a musical career than to spend all night, every night,
out on the tiles. Errm, except he hasn't done that. Oh no! He's been sitting at his desk
programming computers for one of the largest delivery companies in the world, UPS
(spot the free plug). The fact that he now has a highly sought after contract with USA
label, Strictly Rhythm, is actually a complete fluke, not on its merits,
but more in its acquisition. Basically, it wsan't planned and he doesn't need the money.
Anybody who works a three day week, has a Masters Degree, and a platinum AMEX,
is not going to join and insecure industry like the music business, after all.
"I understand what I'm getting into if I join the biz," confesses Duane.
"You can be here today, gone today!"
So what drives Duane into such a line of work, then?
"It's a really good opportunity for me. I love performing live to an audience.
It's so much more satisfying than studio work."
And luckily for Duane, with his contract in the bag, working nine to five may no
longer be necessary. "UPS have been really good to me. They've basically told me to
grab any opportunity that comes my way, and, if my music career doesn't work out, then
I'll be welcomed back."
Great news indeed...
Has Duane ever done any live performances in the UK?
"At the moment, I'm in the UK every weekend. I fly out on Thursdays, do a few
gigs on Fridays and Saturdays, and come home on Sundays to get back to work on Monday,
tired but happy."
Is Duane's busy schedule the reason why he's giving up his well paid day job?
"I guess so. yeah, I definitely couldn't keep this life style up for much
longer. I think I'd run out of entergy. Then again, I would much rather be busy. I get
bored easily when I'm not busy."
How does Duane feel about the sucess of 'You Don't Even know Me'? "I don't
think I got the credit I deserved for the work I did. Even though i wrote the words in one
night, after hearing the track that Armand had sampled, it still came from a certain vibe
which I picked up from the music. I tend to work like that. When I hear something I like,
the words come quickly to me. So I just went with my first reaction and stuck with that
first rendition. At the time I was conscious of the fact Armand wanted something a
bit more off the wall. He didn't want a traditional love song. So I kinda picked up
on what he was going through with the people in the music industry who were giving him a
hard time, and I just came up with the words. We did it in one night. I went to his house
and he played me some tracks which I didn't really take to, then he played me a sample
form another track, looped it, and went for a sleep. I listened to it for a while, got
into the vibe, wrote the words and sung them. When Armand woke up, he played the vocals
and he loved them, instantly. He felt they were perfect for the song. I said I would come
back and re-record them the next day, but he refused. He like the way they were, dirty and
imperfect. so that's the way they stayed to this day. That kind of freaked me out at
first, because I know I could do them better. But he was determined to stick with the
roughness and I gotta say he was right."
There you have it, the definitive guide to making amazing house music. Go down your
mate's house, put on an old K-Tel compilation album, make up a song, and
record it onto your hi-fi. Fall asleep, wake up, take it to your local record label,
and have a world-wide hit. What could be simpler than that?
In truth, however, a statement like that might dimish the impact Duane and Armand
have grought to not only dance floors, but millions of cars and houses around the UK.
Their work is of an incredibly skillful nature. To have the vision and the ability to
produce it so readily shows a touch of genius.
Although we may be coming to the end of the sotry, it is, in fact probably the
beginning. For as I speak, Duane's next sing;e, 'What You need', with Lenny
Fontana, has already been one of the biggest tracks at this year's Miami
Music Conference, having been signed to the UK label Defected
and placed on Radio One's A list. However, the real irony is that the
unsuspecting public haven't a clue who Duane Harden is, which gives him a real advantage
in one respect.
"It's gonna to be kinda cool to have two records on the radio at the same
time," says Duane. "Because of the way the other track was marketed, not using
my name, then I'll get away with it. At a gig, last weekend, a girl came up to me at the
end of my performance and said, 'well done for impersonating Armand so well'. I nearly
lost it. I told her it was me who wrote and sung the song and she got all apologetic about
it. I felt bad after that."
This story does so succinctly sum up the curious phenomenon that is Duane Harden.
With his new track, full of gospel style vocals and glorious disco grooves, the man won't
be able to hide his talent any more. One thing's for sure, you will definitely know him.
Eventually.
Source: Wax - May 1999 - p. 46
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DUANE
HARDEN
The voice on 'You Don't Know Me'
'You Don't Know Me' was Duane Harden's first amjor
foray onto UK dancefloors. The final version was recorded in only one night, chez
Van Helden. "Armand went out to dinner, I wrote the song then fell asleep on the
couch," Harden recalls. "I woke him at 4.30am to sing it to him." Allthough
he'sa self-confessed "computer geek" (with a BSc in Computer Engineering and MA
in Inforamtion Management), Duane plans to leave his programming job in June to
concentrate on music. Having recently signed to Strictly
Rhythm as both artist and songwriter, everybody is soon going to know who Duane Harden
is. GC
Source: mixmag - May 1999 - p. 143
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DANCE TRAX
The Lond-based label will follow this with "I Go What You Need" by Powerhouse
Featuring Duane Harding on May 3. Licensed from New York-based Strictly Rhythm,
wich released the track April 6, "I Got What You Need" wickedly samples the
Originals' "Down to Love Town," while also providing that Harden is
(thankfully) here to stay. Richard F. and Full Intention provide all the
necessary ingredients for the perfect Saturday-night fever.
Source: Billboard - Dance Artsits & Music - April 17, 1999 - p. 24
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Like A Virgin
UPS computer programmer Duane Harden has gone from house fan to having a gold record on
his wall. Story Darren Ressler Photography Jerome Albertini
Life fucking sucks sometimes. The pain, the pressure, the sheer drama of it all.
Enter vocalist Duane Harden, the voice and wordsmith behind Armand Van Helden's deep house
masterpiece "You Don't Know Me", to save the day.
Surfacing at the end of '98, the inspirational accept-me-for-who-I-am-or-fuck-off anthem
not only revived the deeper end of the dancefloor, it also served as Harden's first-ever
commercial effort. (Oh, did we forget to mention that the song entered the U.K charts at
number-one?)
Harden, who hails from Savannha, GA, met Van Helden while attending Boston
University. A regular at Van Helden's residency at the Loft, the two became friendly, lost
touch, then later ran in to each other and talked about doing a track together. "You Don't Know Me" came about after a marathon
three-night recording session at Van Helden's crib. After writing the song in 15 minutes,
Van Helden placed the track on loop, then fell asleep as Harden sang his ass off before
leaving to go to work.
And that's the magic of Duane Harden's story. Unlike many of his peers, he isn't a
starving artist who finally earned success. A well-paid comuter programmer for UPS by day,
singing and writing songs is just a pastime. "I'm not a musician, I'm a club kid who
likes to sing and chant with his friends at Body & Soul", says Harden, 27, who
holds a Master's degree in Information Management. "Music is just a hobby, and now
everybody and their mother is calling me to do music with them."
Now lightning has the potential to strike twice for this overnight success.
Pwerhouse's 'What You Need," his new collaboration with Lenny Fontana, has a huge
buzz, leading Strictly Rhythm to sign harden as both an artist and in-house songwriter.
But what if it all ends tomorrow? Harden says he wouldn't have any hard feelings. "I
don't do anything with the intent to be a hit. I write songs about what's on my mind at
the moment," he offers. "Besides, unlike a lot of artists who become successful,
I'm probably the only one who's not planning to quit his day job any time soon."
Powerhouse's "What You Need" is out now on Strictly Rhythm
Source: mixer - April 1999 - p. 39
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Powerhouse
featuring Duane Harden - What You Need (Defected)
|
Single of the Week
POWERHOUSE Feat. DUANE HARDEN
WHAT YOU NEED
(DEFECTED)
After the phenomenal success of 'You Don't Know Me',
everyone and his dog went ballistic over the vocal talents of one Duane Harden. On this
occasion Duane has lent his immense vocal talents to front Lenny Fontana's Powerhouse, and
from a limited amount of acetates 'What You Need' soon became the number one priority for
a hell of a lot of Djs, including myself. Although the track originally hails from Strictly Rhythm, it's the Defected copy that's been driving dancefloors wild
(yes, it's another Single Of the Week for Defected - this is getting silly). Alongside
Lenny Fontana's Original Mix with its powerful live bassline, stunning guitars and Duane's
unforgettable vocals, Full Intention have graced us with several mixes: one Power Mix that
has all the elements from their 'I Love Ameria' release, and two dubs that are strong
enough to leave you begging for more. Richard F rounds this doublepack off with his own
blend of funky fused house, one mix being an endless groove with Duane's chopped up vocals
thrown together in an unusual quirky fashion, and a floor-filling Vocal Dub with a string
pattern that just lifts the track higher and higher. All the mixes are so good that it's
impossible to decide which is the strongest. Surely one of the worthies Singles Of The
Week ever.
***** (anthem)
Huggy Bear Queen
Source: Update - Issue 577 29th march -
4th April 1999
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We've actually had POWERHOUSE
FEATURING DUANE HARDEN's "What You Need" (Strictly Rhythm) since November,
though it's also not coming out until April. Duane Harden is also
the guy who's singing on Van Helden's "You Don't Know Me".
This time he has hooked up with Lenny Fontana, used a disco sample again and come up with
a great song and a great production. It is going to be massive, this one. I'm
a big time Lenny Fontana fan. He's
alsyas very real, not mechanical. You'll always find some live stuff in there and he
keeps the music real.
Source: Muzik Magazine - Zoo Experience with Bobbi - April 1999
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| Jaxx
go down well at Miami Conference  Basement Jaxx emerged as one of the most talked
about acts at the ninth annual Winter Music Conference in Miami as US
labels close in for their signature.
Although there was no Stardust equivalent
this year, the XL act head dotmusic's Top 10
most talked about tracks at the event. They are:
1. Basement Jaxx - Rendez-Vous
2. Basement Jaxx - Red Alert
3. Duane Harden - What You Need
4. Pete Heller - Big Love
5. Danny Tenaglia - Be Yourself
6. Nielle - It Feels Like
7. Harry "Choo Choo" Romero - Just
Can't Get Enough
8. Romanthony - Hold On
9. Novy vs Eniac - Pump It
10. Moloko - Sing It Back (Boris Dlugosch mix)
Source: www.dotmusic.com -
March '99 News
Top of Page |
Selected & reviewed by Michael Morley
Powerhouse feat.
Duane Harden
"What You Need"
(US Strictly Rhythm)
The voice behind Van Helden's triumphant "You Don't
know Me". Duane Harden, lays down a more intense style while still hitting
the highs to show what a vocal talent he is. Though this sico stomper snorts and
flares, he could use a more imaginative musical accompaniment.
***
Source: Muzik Magazine - February 1999
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