Frankie Knuckles Playlists

Frankie Knuckles began DJing in New York City in 1971. He and Larry Levan, of Paradise Garage fame, were best friends. In 1977 Knuckles moved to Chicago and started spinning at the Warehouse, where he became famous for his selection of soulful and funky disco, music that became known as “house.” When the Warehouse owners doubled their entrance fee, Knuckles left and opened the Power Plant. (The Warehouse became the Music Box.) Before long, club-goers Jamie Principle and Jesse Saunders tried their hands at production, and the rest is history.

Below are tracklists of Knuckles club mixes I found online. Based on the evidence of these recordings, Knuckles made more edits than Ron Hardy, but they generally weren’t as radical. Also, in the early eighties Knuckles played a steady stream of underground NYC productions that were missing from Hardy’s sets.

As of this moment, all of the mixes referenced below are available from deephousepage.com.

5. frankie1.rm

1986-1987

1. Nightlife Unlimited: Peaches & Prunes (edit)
2. Chip E.: It’s House
3. House People: Godfather of House
4. Farley Jackmaster Funk: Farley Knows House
5. The It: Donnie
6. Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Relax (Sex Mix)
7. Al Di Meola: Sequencer [unreleased version?]
8. David Joseph: You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)
9. Mr. Fingers: Mystery Of Love

8. frankie2.rm

Warehouse, 1979?

1. Steve Harvey: Tonight
2. Rodney Franklin: The Groove
3. Roy Ayers Ubiquity: Running Away
4. Chaka Khan: I’m Every Woman
5. Stevie Wonder: Do Like You
6. The Trammps: Body Contact Contract
7. The Trammps: Love Epidemic
8. Two Tons of Fun: I Got the Feeling

41. frankiew.rm

Live at the Warehouse, 1982

1. Yello: Bostich
2. Forrrce: Keep on Dancing [bassline]
3. Taana Gardner: When You Touch Me
4. Billy Nichols: Give Your Body Up to the Music
5. Peech Boys: Don’t Make Me Wait
6. Sparque: Let’s Go Dancin’
7. Loose Joints: Is It All Over My Face (Male Version)
8. People’s Choice: Hey Everybody (Party Hearty)
9. Forrrce: Keep On Dancin’
10. Hi Voltage: Somewhere Beyond
11. Skatt Bros.: Walk The Night
12. D-Train: Keep On

59. frankie10.rm

Power Plant, 1984-1985

1. ? [rhythm track]
2. ?
3. ? [We like to party]
4. Wood, Brass & Steel: Funkanova
5. Crown Heights Affair: Far Out
6. The Originals: Down To Love Tow
7. Johnny Hammond: Los Conquistadores Chocolates
8. The Trammps: Disco Party (edit)
9. The Trammps: Disco Inferno
10. ? [Money in my pocket]
11. ? [Everybody Dance]
12. Giorgio Moroder: Harmony
13. ?
14. Tata Vega: I Just Keep Thinking About You Baby

85. frankie13.rm

Warehouse, 1977

1. Ecstasy, Passion & Pain: Touch and Go
2. Pam Todd and Love Exchange: Let’s Get Together
3. ?
4. Billy Frazier & Friends: Billy Who?
5. Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band: Cherchez La Femme
6. Loleatta Holloway: Hit and Run

128. franke84.rm

~1983-1984

1. [Never gonna give him up]
2. The Originals: Down To Love Town
3. ? (edit)
4. Persia: Inch by Inch (edit)

182. frankie105.rm

Live at the Power Plant, 1985

1. Jamie Principle: Your Love [demo?]
2. ?
3. Jackmaster Dick’s Revenge: Sensuous Man Goes Disco [unreleased version]
4. Double Exposure: My Love Is Free (Disco Madness Remix)
5. The Dells: No Way Back (edit)
6. Lenny Williams: Midnight Girl (edit)
7. Convertion: Let’s Do It
8. The Whatnauts: Help Is on the Way (break)
9. ? [Now that your love is here to stay]

194. frankie120.rm

Live at the Warehouse, 1979?

1. intro
2. The Whatnauts: Help Is on the Way (break)
3. ?
4. Rose Royce: Do Your Dance (edit)
5. Skyy: First Time Around

253. frankie702.rm

Live at the Warehouse, 1982

1. ?
2. Elektrik Funk: On a Journey (I Sing The Funk Electric)
3. Sharon Redd: Beat the Street
4. Jocko: Rhythm Talk

272. frankie847.rm

Live at the Power Plant, 1980s

1. Giorgio Moroder: E=MC²
2. Giorgio Moroder: I Wanna Rock You
3. Master C & J: In the City
4. ?
5. Frankie Knuckles: You Can’t Hide from Yourself
6. Carolyn Harding: Memories
7. Robert Owens: Bring Down the Walls
8. Farley “Jackmaster” Funk: Love Can’t Turn Around
9. Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes: The Love I Lost
10. Jamaica Girls: Need Somebody New

330. frankie1015.rm, 360. pplant2.rm

Live at the Power Plant, 1984

1. ? [Night’s all right]
2. ? [Love Hangover cover]
3. ? [My Love Is Free cover]
4. Loleatta Holloway: Runaway
5. ? [There’s a whole world out there for you]
6. ? [Send it out?]
7. ? [Don’t do it]

373. frankie108.rm

Live at the Power Plant, 1983

1. ?
2. The Maniacs: Sweet Ladies
3. ? [Newcleus?]
4. Pushe: Don’t Take Your Love Away
5. Sinnamon: Thanks To You
6. Fresh Band: Come Back Lover (Dub Mix)
7. Powerline: Double Journey
8. ?
9. ? [You know you want to do the dance]
10. Logg: You’ve Got That Something

561. frankiepp1984b.rm

Live at the Power Plant, 1984

1. First Choice: Let No Man Put Asunder [echo effects at beginning]
2. Lefturno: Out of Sight
3. Convertion: Sweet Thing
4. One Way: Shine on Me
5. ? [‘til you scream]
6. ?
7. MFSB: Love Is the Message/Martin Luther King Jr. acapella
8. Loleatta Holloway: Love Sensation

565. frankieknuckles1985rc.mp3 (frankieknuckles1985-)

Power Plant, 1985

1. MFSB: Love Is the Message
2. Love Committee: Law and Order
3. Love Committee: Just as Long as I Got You
4. The O’Jays: I Love Music (edit)
5. Goody Goody: It Looks Like Love
6. The Three Degrees: Dirty Ol’ Man
7. ? [I Love You, Yes I Do]
8. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Bad for Me
9. Kleeer: Keep Your Body Working
10. ?
11. Tia Monae: Don’t Keep Me Waiting

591. frankieanniv.rm

Power Plant 2nd anniversary, Dec. 1984 [same West End records mega-mix as in mix 41]

1. Inner Life: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
2. Kikrokos: Life Is A Jungle (edit)
3. Fantastic Aleems: Get Down Friday Night
4. Jackie Moore: This Time, Baby
5. ? [Let it go]
6. Jackson Five: Forever Came Today
7. David Joseph: You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)
8. Billy Nichols: Give Your Body Up to the Music
9. Peech Boys: Don’t Make Me Wait
10. Sparque: Let’s Go Dancin’
11. Loose Joints: Is It All Over My Face (Male Version)
12. People’s Choice: Hey Everybody (Party Hearty)
13. Forrrce: Keep On Dancin’

955. frankieknucklespowerplanta.mp3

Live at the Power Plant, 1980s

1. Farley “Jackmaster” Funk: Love Can’t Turn Around (Remix)
2. Jimmy “Bo” Horne: Spank/The Whispers: And the Beat Goes On [parts edited together]
3. First Choice: Let No Man Put Asunder (edit)
4. Visual: Somehow, Someway
5. South Shore Commission: Free Man (edit)
6. Phreek: Weekend
7. Phyllis Hyman: Old Friend
8. Fingers Inc.: A Path
9. Billie: Nobody’s Business

955. frankieknucklespowerplantb.mp3, 234. frankie129.rm [partial]

Live at the Power Plant, mid-1980s

1. Marshall Jefferson and On The House: Move Your Body
2. First Choice: Doctor Love
3. Billy Paul: Only the Strong Survive (edit)
4. Nick Straker Band: A Little Bit of Jazz
5. Master C & J: Dub It
6. Diana Ross: No One Gets the Prize (edit)
7. Ashford and Simpson: Found A Cure
8. ? [uses Bra bassline]
9. The Trammps: Disco Party (edit)
10. Farley “Jackmaster” Funk: Love Can’t Turn Around (Remix)

1040. frankieknucklespowerplant1983a.mp3

Live at the Power Plant, 1983

1. The Stranger: Shining Star
2. Montana Sextet: Who Needs Enemies (With a Friend Like You)
3. Klein & M.B.O.: Dirty Talk
4. Rare Essence: Disco Fever (edit) [samples over top]
5. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Bad for Me
6. Thelma Houston: I’m Here Again (edit)
7. Two Tons of Fun: I Got the Feeling
8. Yello: Bostich
9. Persia: Inch by Inch (edit)
10. First Choice: Let No Man Put Asunder (edit)

1040. frankieknucklespowerplant1983b.mp3

Live at the Power Plant, 1983

1. First Choice: Let No Man Put Asunder
2. Phreek: Weekend
3. NYC Peech Boys: Life Is Something Special (acapella)
4. Donna McGhee: It Ain’t No Big Thing [echo effects]
5. The Whatnauts: Help Is on the Way (break)
6. Loleatta Holloway: Hit and Run
7. Liquid Liquid: Optimo
8. Tommy B: Electronic Drums
9. Gichy Dan: Cowboys and Gangsters

Jacob Arnold, May 11, 2008 in Features: Playlists

tags: chicago frankieknuckles history house