Heat You Up (Melt You Down)

Shirley Lites' Heat You Up (Melt You Down) is a blazing proto-electro and proto-house classic from 1983. Mixed by Nick Martinelli and David Todd, its slamming combination of drum machines, synths, dub effects and Lites' powerful, soulful vocals still sounds fresh.

Straddling disco, boogie and hi-NRG, the track pairs swooning synths and restless guitar with sensuous tom-toms and strange, shifting basslines. Martinelli and Todd's “Melt Down Mix” refashions these elements into a silvery, fluid counterpart that anticipates the sounds of techno and house.

West End Records helped shape the sounds of the Paradise Garage and Studio 54. Led by co-founder Mel Cheren, its roster drew on soul, R&B, gospel and funk, leaving an enduring influence on disco and the dance music that followed.