Break 4 Love

"Break 4 Love"
Single by Raze
ReleasedDecember 1987
Recorded1987
GenreHouse
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Vaughan Mason
  • Keith Thompson
Producer(s)Vaughan Mason
Raze singles chronology
"Caught U Cheatin'"
(1987) 		"Break 4 Love"
(1987) 		"Let It Roll"
(1989)
"All 4 Love (Break 4 Love 1990)"
Single by Raze
ReleasedJanuary 27, 1990
Recorded1989
Genre
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Erique Dial
  • Robert Gordon
  • J Grant
  • Vaughan Mason
Producer(s)
  • Erique Dial
  • Vaughan Mason
Raze singles chronology
"Let It Roll"
(1990) 		"All 4 Love (Break 4 Love 1990)"
(1990) 		"Can You Feel It"
(1990)

"Break 4 Love" is a song written, produced and recorded by Vaughan Mason, the principal member of American house music group Raze, the song's original credited performer. The song, the group's only significant US hit, featured vocals by Keith Thompson and Vaughan Mason, as well as sexual sound samples by Erique Dial. The single peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1988.[1] It is still considered a classic of the early house music genre.

The song interpolates "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" (1987) by The Castle Beat.[2]

Versions

Original 1988–1989 versions

  • "Break 4 Love" (Drop the Panties) – a.k.a. Caught in the Act Mix – spoken vocals by Vaughan Mason
  • "Break 4 Love" (Radio Vocals) – a.k.a. English Mix, English Version, Vaughan Mason 12" Mix – sung vocals by Keith Thompson
  • "Break 4 Love" (Instrumental)
  • "Break 4 Love" (Spanish Fly) – spoken vocals by Jeanette Fraginals
  • "Break 4 Love" (Spanish Mix) – similar to Spanish Fly, but no break
  • "Break 4 Love" (French Mix)
  • "Break 4 Love" (Italian Mix)

All of these versions run approximately 5:25 and feature sexual vocalization samples by Erique Dial. A 3:18 edit of the English Mix was used as the 7" single version.

Commercial performance and reissues

"Break 4 Love" reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart in 1988.[3] It has since been remixed, re-recorded and reissued on several different independent dance music labels, the most significant of which, "All 4 Love (Break 4 Love 1990)" which featured Lady J and The Secretary of Entertainment and produced and co-written by Erique Dial climbed to number 30 in the UK in early 1990.[3] Further releases of "Break 4 Love" remixes were released in the UK in 1994 and 2003. The 1994 release reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the UK Dance Singles Chart,[3][4] and the 2003 release at number 64 on the singles chart.[3]

Impact and legacy

British drum and bass DJ and producer Fabio chose "Break 4 Love" as one of his top 10 tracks in 1996, saying, "This was one of the first breakbeat tracks. It used the break to roll the track along. A really sexy track, it always gets people going mad—it's got energy."[5]

"Break 4 Love" can be heard in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the in-game radio station SF-UR, which also features other house music songs by different artists.

Track listing

  • Original Grove Street 12-inch single
  1. "Break 4 Love" (Drop the Panties)
  2. "Break 4 Love" (Instrumental)
  3. "Break 4 Love" (Spanish Fly)
  4. "Break 4 Love" (Radio Vocals)

Charts

The Collaboration version

"Break 4 Love"
Single by Peter Rauhofer + Pet Shop Boys = The Collaboration
A-side"Home and Dry"
B-side"Remixes"
ReleasedNovember 20, 2001
Recorded2001
GenreDance
LabelStar 69
Songwriter(s)Vaughan Mason
Producer(s)
  • Peter Rauhofer
  • Pet Shop Boys
Peter Rauhofer singles chronology
"Do It Properly"
(1999) 		"Break 4 Love"
(2001)
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk"
(2000) 		"Break 4 Love"
(2001) 		"Home and Dry"
(2002)

"Break 4 Love" was covered by Peter Rauhofer and Pet Shop Boys, released under the name "Peter Rauhofer + Pet Shop Boys = The Collaboration". The single was not released in the United Kingdom and did not chart there. The song can be found on the US bonus disc of the Pet Shop Boys album Release and as a B-side to CD 2 of their single, "Home and Dry".

The single did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, but it peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart,[1] and peaked at number 51 on the US Hot Singles Sales chart.

Track listings

  • US 12-inch single: Star 69
  1. "Break 4 Love" (USA Club Mix)
  2. "Break 4 Love" (Friburn and Urik Tribal Mix)
  3. "Break 4 Love" (Mike Monday's Kit Kat Dub)
  4. "Break 4 Love" (The Classic Mix)
  • US CD single part 1: Star 69 (CD12172)
  1. "Break 4 Love" (UK Radio Mix)
  2. "Break 4 Love" (US Radio Mix)
  3. "Break 4 Love" (Classic Radio Mix)
  4. "Break 4 Love" (Friburn and Urik Tribal Mix)
  5. "Break 4 Love" (USA Club Mix)
  6. "Break 4 Love" (Mike Monday Kit Kat Dub)
  7. "Break 4 Love" (Classic Club Mix)
  8. "Break 4 Love" (Ralphie's Dub for Love)
  • US CD single part 2: Star 69 (CD12192)
  1. "Break 4 Love" (Laroz and Amdursky Mix)
  2. "Break 4 Love" (Friburn and Urik Hi-Pass Mix)
  3. "Break 4 Love" (Michael Moog Club Mix)
  4. "Break 4 Love" (Richard Morel's Pink Noize Club Mix)
  5. "Break 4 Love" (Sunshi Moriwaki's 2 Step Remix)
  6. "Break 4 Love" (Michael Moog Dub)

Charts

Chart performance for "Break 4 Love"
Chart (2001) Peak
position
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[11] 1
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[12] 6
US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[13] 51

References

  1. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 213.
  2. ^ "House Hunting #2 – The Castle Beat". TheRansomNote. 19 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Raze: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  5. ^ "Jock On His Box" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). July 20, 1996. p. 5. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ "Raze Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  7. ^ "Raze Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  8. ^ "Raze Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  9. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). August 20, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  10. ^ "The RM Club Chart of the Year" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). December 24, 1994. p. 10. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "Peter Rauhofer Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  12. ^ "Peter Rauhofer Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "Peter Rauhofer Chart History (Hot Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020. [dead link]