Chapter & Rowetta

Scandalously, the world of dance music is littered with tales of singers — especially black women singers — not greeting their fair dues. Martha Wash, Robin S, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Brown, Loleatta Holloway and others were all victims of unscrupulous record labels and producers in the 80s and early 90s, not being credited on records — and, perhaps even more importantly, often not being paid.

Rowetta, singer with notorious Manchester indie-dance band the Happy Mondays, has also had her fair share of not being credited — or paid — for her vocals. Most notably, it took her years to be credited for the ‘Reach Out’ and ‘Be’ tracks that she wrote the lyrics for and sang, years of campaigning and battling in order to receive what was owed to her.

This isn’t the case any longer. Now hugely accepted within the house music scene, Rowetta always makes sure she is credited for tunes these days. After all, isn’t a vocal often the most important part of a track?

‘Sweet Release’ by Chapter & Rowetta is a house track designed for when you want to lose yourself on the dancefloor, letting yourself go with maximum expression. The words of the legendary Rowetta, house music diva and self-styled Queen Of Manchester (alongside DJ Paulette), lift the track to exultant heights, sitting atop the top-notch burbling production by Chapter, aka Scott Gray from Ibiza party-starters Melon Bomb. Debuted at Pikes in Ibiza earlier this summer, ‘Sweet Release’ is another fresh single on Jack Said What. Let yourself go.