The Jacking Zone
Dictionary.com lists thirty different definitions of the word jack and UrbanDictionary.com has nearly 60 entries. However, if you read all of them you would be more than slightly hazy about what exactly all the Chicagoans were hyping through house music in the mid-80's. Farley Jackmaster Funk, Chip-E's Time To Jack, Jackin' the House...those four letters were nearly a necessity for early house records. What are they talking about? I suppose it's a sound synonymous with early Chicago house...and that sound makes you jack. The concept of "jacking your body" makes sense to me if i listen to the rigid yet somehow arousing drum machine patterns. This track should help you understand. Just don't confuse it with one of the many other meanings of the word, such as self-pleasuring, stealing, a premigratory young male salmon or absolutely nothing (as in jack shit).
Risqué Rhythum Team was K-Alexi, Mr. Lee (above) and Mitchbal. Each of them had extensive contributions to this particular definition of jack. The Jacking Zone was released on Chicago Connection Records in 1986. Presumably it is about some sort of area where lots of jacking took place.
Posted by safetyscissors | 9 comments
Labels: Early House, Jack, Risqué Rhythm Team
July 27, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Hey Matthias. Great to hear from you again! Just wanted to say hi and thanks for the track.
July 27, 2008 at 4:22 AM
I'd like to think that jacking is associated with the overuse of snare drums. e.g adonis - no way back style.
July 27, 2008 at 12:29 PM
woah! robot hustle and i were just talking about "jack" last night at taqueria san jose after mezzanine!! downloadin now...
July 27, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Nice, thank you Matthew for popping our house cherry! We will be jacking around here in the future. What kind of drum machine is that? The cowbell (the same as Acid Trax I think) is incredible.
July 28, 2008 at 3:02 PM
Jack Attack
July 29, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Sickness! Kudos to those that run this site! K-Alexi is the man! Pls join our private rare vinyl mp3 blog. It has mainly jazz and funk cuts and some videos. email myrarevinyl at gmail dot com for an invite :)
July 14, 2009 at 7:49 AM
that bassline is taken from Manhattan Transfer - Twilight Zone
October 12, 2010 at 1:52 AM
I love this tune and this blog. I just stumbled across it whilst looking for this tune and now Im hooked. From what i have read so I'm intrigued and I have stumbled across loads of other tracks that I love on here. Keep it up. I bet your dj nights are amazing. If only I lived in Cali!! Lovely to find xxx
February 17, 2011 at 2:35 PM
Hi You All,
Jackin' refers to a specific Dance Move that was done in Chicago called Jackin'. It was very sexual and involved generally 2 people (or more!) with couples (often two men or women) grinding their pelvis' together. That's it's first incarnation, later on, people have evolved it differently often even referring to the music itself as Jack.
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