World Clique
Deee-Lite
1990
Album Summary
World Clique is the debut album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, which was released in 1990. The album's first single, "Groove Is in the Heart", was a top-five success on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well as a No. 1 hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Three subsequent singles also hit the top ten on the U.S. dance chart, including "Power of Love/Build That Bridge", which also hit No. 1, and "Good Beat". Guest artists on the album include Bootsy Collins, Q-Tip, Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker. When World Clique was released on compact disc, two bonus tracks were added to the album: "Deee-Lite Theme" and "Build the Bridge". "E.S.P." contains a sample of actor Bela Lugosi from the 1934 film The Black Cat.
WikipediaA Scooby Doo episode in which Fred, Velma and Daphne follow a trail of day-glo, pheremones and good beats, only to find it's led them to each other and their coming of age in the post-disco era. They then Scooby Screw each other with reckless abandon and dance their way through the emotions they don't yet understand, gabbing on the way home about the power of love and the groove in their hearts. Zoo-zoo-wah, indeed!
This turned from 4 to 5 stars when the "I'd probably put it on again" criteria I use for a 4 rating turned into "I actually put it on again more than once later in the week." It's jam. It's a vibe. And I'm into it.
This thing is so vibrant, artists spend years chasing the highs of “groove”
In the late 80s, most folks my age looked with horror at the psychedelic looks and sounds of the late sixties and early seventies. Tangerine, avocado, lemon, tomato: these colors (not foods) filled thrift stores because no one wanted them. Most of my peers were in Goth Black or Eco Earth Tones. Gloomy Grunge was fighting its way into the mainstream. Austin Powers and the Brady Bunch movie were some years away. "Groove is in the Heart" hit me like a truck. It was so fun and so groovy (and we weren't allowed to say groovy anymore), and when I saw the video I swooned. These weren't things we heard and saw. Sampling and mixing sounds at a level such as this was brand new, and on top of that it was catchy and made you want to move! And then the video! Glorious color and movement! Finally something made for me! It would be hard to judge how creative and innovative this album was at the time just listening to it today. This was one of the first CDs I bought when I finally got a player. I may have overplayed it in the 90s, so that I didn't really revisit it after that. It was really fun to listen to the whole thing again for the first time in a couple of decades. Sure, there's a nostalgia element to my rating, but that's one of the reasons I'm here.
Sweetly optimistic 90's. Refreshing, from having been raised on '00s cynicism.
World Clique grew on me in a shocking way - shocking because it didn't break 90's-dance-album form. Instead, it revealed itself as a better and better project over the runtime. My only theoretical explanation is how well sound-designed the tunes are. The samples move through space in a way that most produced pop does not. This is extra-impressive since the songs are house-minimal. And beyond the theoretical I can only say that I bounced more and more as I listened.
This cheap cake filled with repetitive lyrics and terrible puns is surprisingly enjoyable. It's fun, the beats and the hooks are nice, and it's very '90s.
Sounds pretty dated and i can't say i love just sitting down and listening to a whole album of dance music. these tracks are all pretty goofy, but i can tell that a lot of them would be really fun to dance to. last song with the animal noises is pretty annoying.
En ce mardi matin de defaite footballistique, mon humeur etait des plus deplorables. Néammoins, le generateur me fasait une belle promesse en me servant sur un plateau le groupe Deee-Light, aux lettres non sans rappeler les plus belles heures de la voix de nez. Quelle ne fut pas ma deception à l'écoute de cet album, ou les principes fondamentaux de la voix de nez ne sont absolument pas respectés. Deee-Light fait honte a toute une frange de l'industrie musicale, choisissant volontairement un nom de scène faisant référence à l'univers de la nasalité, sans pour autant proposer une performance en adéquation avec les attentes. La quantité d'air insuflée entre les parois nasales de la chanteuse principale est grandement insuffisante, Dee-Light n'est tout simplement pas digne de son nom.
I quite enjoyed this actually, although besides 'Groove is in the heart' there aren't really (m)any other memorable songs.
When I bought this album as a 26 year old I was more than half convinced that guitar based pop was all but dead. The charts were filled (aside from the usual dross) with thinly-disguised, floor-filling paeans to hedonism and disco biscuits and any references to "love" we're usually code for getting twatted with a load of gurning strangers in a field just outside the M25. It didn't really work out that way, I suppose, which is probably for the best. Anyway, it's an absolute age since I've played this record and I'm surprised at how housey it is. Sure enough, as well as locating precisely where groove is, it also defines "love" as a neo-hippyish shared, no doubt chemically-induced, experience. I'd have had no problem with that back in the day but I find it slightly irritating and dated these days. I know, I know... I'm getting old. To be fair, I enjoyed it a lot more than I've let on so far. Aside from the housey piano riffs and hedonistic pseudo-philosophising, there's also plenty of playful and inventive use of break beats and samples and Lady Miss Kier radiates star quality - it's just that I'm not 26 any more and I don't care about this sort of music half as much as I used to.
The question foremost in my mind going into this album was “Is there more to it than ‘Groove Is in the Heart’?” And the answer is a resounding no. That track is the sole bright spot on this album - a funky throwback that sounds like nothing else on this record and was a huge hit around the globe (the fact that it had an eye popping, candy colored music video probably didn’t hurt). The rest of the album unfortunately sounds like bog standard late 80’s/early 90’s electronic/dance music with the occasional strangeness (“Who Was That?” being a prime example of the latter) thrown in. I am someone who tries to find the silver lining in things however - and I’ve got to hand it to “1,001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die” for this - the preponderance of electronic/dance albums I’ve gotten so far has moved me from someone who thought it wasn’t a genre for them to someone who knows that it isn’t a genre for them.
What a surprise. I knew the hit but didn't expect the album to be so good
Of course I’m very familiar with “Groove is in the Heart”, but I was surprised to see that this album was already in my music library. So apparently I have listened to this some time ago. It’s hard to believe this is from 1990. The album is a lot of fun with groovy music to match the groovy cover. Great listen!
A fun and funky blast from my past. It's been a while since I listened to this album but it is still very enjoyable.
All-time favorite. This album raised me in a couple ways, probably. Lady Miss Kier an all-time legend. All three Deee-Lite albums rock
Wow. An album I disliked to start and it grew on me . Upbeat and quirky. I loved it
Do I want to hear a whole album by the "Groove Is in the Heart" people? I mean sure, that's a great song. And ... yep, a fun listen. Surprisingly good (and goofy) throughout.
Every morning I check the genre of the album of the day to see if it’s a workout album or a “dishes and laundry” album. This is a fantastic workout album and a great way to start the day. Nothing but great beats, catchy hooks and positive energy. You could put it on at a party and listen to it front to back. Definitely putting this one in high rotation.
Bit sickly sweet but not as bad as LL Cool J. Fkn great example of my favourite bell sound in Smile On. WOAH alright came out of nowhere with the verging on 90s trance break, me likey. Ooft coming in real nice with Groove is in the Heart - one of the ultimate Rics tunes. Hard not to give it a five just because of that. Never fully appreciated Q Tip in it either, possibly a perfectly constructed song. Alright this went from what I thought was going to be all sickly sweet to deep, dark, dirty and weird ver quickly and I loved it. Build the Bridge is some real out there shit.
Groove Is in the Heart obviously a hit. Had no idea who it was by or that Q-Tip had a feature. Lots of bouncy beats here, just makes me want to dance. Familiar piano riff on Good Beat... is that sampled in some other song? Same thing in Try Me On... I'm Very You.
Production: 16/20 Songwriting: 13/20 Innovation: 15/20 Bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 17/20 =76 Cracking album!
Hilarious album cover and groovy beats. A full album got to be a bit much and some of the music is painfully 90s but that doesn't stop this from being a jam.
A fun fun album that I had never listened to completely before. Groove is in the heart is great but there are a number of tracks worthy of praise as well. I'm going 4 stars
Fun and warm. Captures that New York dance club feeling really well. Groove is in the heart is a standout in many ways. Like the heavy infusion of soulful elements throughout.
Part late 80s/early 90s New York House and garage, part funk and part hip-hop, ‘World Clique’ is a clever, fun and accomplished debut record. Featuring serious star power in Q-Tip, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker (amongst others) making unexpected but great contributions, it’s the little record that could and the ultimate New York party record of its era.
Gostei. Mistureba bacana, gostei principalmente das músicas com uma pegada House. De fato soa como um álbum de uma época específica. 7/10
A dance party that still sounds just as crazy and futuristic today. Fun, with quite an impressive guest list for a group making their debut. At times a little cheesy. Something that only really could have come out in the early 90s and gained traction. Favorite tracks: "Deee-Lite Theme", "Groove Is In the Heart"
Super fun album! I put it on for a party after hearing and it really makes a lively environment. Disco vibes. One of the songs I recognized from a Fergie song that was sampled.
did not expect to see deee-lite knocking about on an album based list, but who knew they had anything else other than one of my all time favourite tracks. did some wikipediafiling and what a fucking mad bunch. american, ukrainian and japanese raised korean making music from new york that to me sounds like it came from the british house scene. not actually a bad album, nice to hear some 90s dance every now and then.
Another of those classic albums that has so many memories tired up in it for me. Still such a ground breaking and more importantly fun album.
When I loaded up the 1001 page for the day, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't seeing things. It's Deee-Lite! This is an album that my family and I used to jam to together and it's always been a guilty pleasure of mine to go back to from time to time.
I can't really think of a better name for this group. They truly are delightful. Dee-Lite was such a breath of fresh air in 1990. Nothing else sounded like them. Between the campy style and the out of this world bricolage of sounds, I think a lot of people treated them as a novelty or just didn't know what to do with them. But musically, Dee-Lite is no joke. Their blending of live playing and samples is so effortless and creative. Their collaboration with Q-Tip and funk masters like Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, and Maceo Parker adds a depth you don't always get in club/house music, not to mention some serious musical street cred. Dee-Lite really captured in a bottle this club-centric energy that was so fresh at that time. The music is colorful, exuberant, groovy and soulful. It has a playful sense of humor, but not a whiff of irony. This is earnest and optimistic in a way that music hasn't been in a really long time. It's a real mood lifter and so much fun to listen to. Their subsequent albums lacked the same fire, but World Clique is a classic. Fave Songs: Groove Is in the Heart, Power of Love, Good Beat, What Is Love?, Deep-Ending, Who Was That?, Build the Bridge
Groove Is In The Heart is a stone cold classic - everyone knows that! The rest of the lp is not quite that standard, but thats forgiven as nothing could really top G.I.I.T.H.
This album was somewhat less interesting than I hoped, but it also comes from that period when electronic music was just on the cusp of technological advances that would make it a lot more interesting. Overall the album is good, with a lot of fun disco-style beats matched to more modern electronic instruments. In some ways it reminds me of the Jamiroqaui album I got on this list, but less mature because of the earlier era. It seems like this album crawled so that Jamiroquai could walk on moving sidewalks. Worth a listen despite the fact that it is a bit dated 4/5
I liked this a lot! I love dance music and am not picky about it, but I do particularly love early 90s dance like this. How great is "What is Love"?! If you told me it was recorded yesterday, I'd believe it. I don't love Lady Miss Kier's voice, so this album drops from a 5 to a 4.5 for me.
Fun stuff. Only really listened to a few songs from this band but the whole album was a joy to listen to.
So I assumed they were one hit wonders, but no, an actual album of decent commercial house. I was a little bit young for the entire album but look at the talent on this - Maceo, Bootsy & Fred! And this is so polished and easy to listen on. Still hard not to have a little jiggle to Groove In The Heart!
I know I am in the minority but I love this album. I think this record launch an entirely new genere of music with house and DJ beats.
Groove is indeed in the heart. A record that was seen as trendy and inconsequential at its time but it stood the test of time well. The tracks that weren't hits are also very solid and funky. Good hearing.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Good beat, Groove is in the heart, Who was that
When Deee-Lite released the single "Groove is in the Heart", it was everywhere. I think that they had a second single, but I can't remember what it was. Besides the one single I remember, the rest of World Clique was new to me. This album was a happy surprise. The music was fun and interesting. If Deee-Lite truly never made it out of being categorized as a one-hit-wonder, it's a shame. I'd listen to this album again.
This was fire. Jungle dance beats galore. This is absolutely oozing early 90s vibes, and I was just soakin it in. GROOVE IS IN THE HEAAAAAAAAAAARRRRT
*Me pulling up the album cover*: oh christ wtf is this nightmare *me within the first 20 seconds of track 1*: 🤩🕺🏼✨ this spoke to both my soul and booty and I loved it
Pure 90s dance joy. Fun and happy, evoking such a specific time and place. I know that hip hop's origins are several years before this, but this specific album feels like such a transition. It's halfway between disco and hip hop in the perfect way. Can't go full five; it becomes a bit repetitive. Would need to revisit.
Of the ecstacy scene of the early 90s, this stands next to the mondays as the finest. Killer beats, crisp production and an immense appetite for originality lead to this being a gripping listen, even if a couple of the album tracks aren't as brilliant as standalone tracks as Groove Is In The Heart. A great record.
Not a genre of music I generally listen to (unless I'm out dancing), but this had some good funky grooves. Definitely found myself moving to the beat. 3 stars.
hmm. tällä oli hetkensä, mutta sisältää myös ei-niin-hyviä 90 luvun juttuja.
Groove is in the heart slaps. Everything else is solid, but seems like typical 90's hip-hop to the ears of this listener who, granted, is not well-versed in the genre.
listened next day due to super bowl. interesting old hip hop. gets better as it goes on
This was so fun! Definitely would dance to it. The beginning gets a 4+, maybe 3.5 overall.
These guys were fun to watch on MTV back in the day. They had a cool black-light vibe, that stood out from the rest of the new wave pop at that time. Solid beat music, with the one stand out track “Groove is in the Heart”. Good background music or club tunes. Solid 3.
There is a reason Groove is in the Heart has 110 million more streams than any other song on the album. Def caught lightning in the bottle there. The single song is enough to get it onto the list but not to get it higher than a 3
Dull songs but interesting melodies. There's always something missing.