"Needin' U" is a

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

record written and produced by

David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1962) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Ma ...

, under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

David Morales Presents The Face. The track's retail release was on

Manifesto Records Manifesto Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California that has released records by Dead Kennedys, Tim Buckley, Cinerama, Concrete Blonde, Cranes, The Czars, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Lilys, The Rugburns, Sing-Sing, Ken S ...

in the summer of 1998, but it had been available to DJs several months prior on various house

record labels A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

. The song quickly became a big hit in the

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

scene and would go on to become its artist's biggest hit and a house music

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

Background

Morales originally created "Needin' U" as a

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

, resulting from his experimenting with various samples over a three-hour period, which he never intended to release to the public. However, following positive reactions from fans and other DJs after Morales started including the track in DJ sets, he decided to release it commercially.

Production and samples

The track was made featuring samples from

The Chi-Lites The Chi-Lites (, ) are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Forming at Chicago's Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group's original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones, ...

' "My First Mistake" and Rare Pleasure's "Let Me Down Easy", which had previously been sampled as the backbone of UK band Spearmint's single, 'A trip into space', released earlier the same year. It has been suggested that Morales may have been prompted to the Rare Pleasure original by Spearmint's sampling. In light of Morales' roots as a DJ and producer in the New York house scene and as both Let Me Down Easy and My First Mistake were Paradise Garage classics remixed and played by Larry Levan, there seems to be a quite good chance though that Morales had knowledge (also) of the Rare Pleasure original unrelated to Spearmint's single. The rather short time (for production standards in house music and for US DJs at that time) between the release of Spearmint's and Morales' single and that the former was primarily a hit in the UK speak further against the claim that A Trip Into Space inspired Morales to make use of the Rare Pleasure sample for a house track. The Morales record became an overnight classic and introduced him into mainstream airplay.

Remixes and alternative versions

There are a variety of remixes and alternative versions of "Needin' U" - some official, some not. The majority of these different versions were produced by

himself. The most noteworthy of these being the 10-Minute extended version "Boss Anthem Mix" and a shorter mix with less of a vocal element entitled "Need-A-Dub". In addition to these versions which offer a slight variation on the original version, a remix by Albert Cabrera titled "One Rascal Mix" was also produced. In addition, the single was re-released in 2001 with a brand new

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production i ...

version of the song featuring the British electronic music vocalist

Juliet Roberts Juliet Roberts (born 6 May 1962) is a British jazz, Rock music, rock, Soul music, soul and house music singer of Grenada, Grenadian descent. Career Roberts was born in London, England. She originally recorded as Julie Roberts in 1982, and per ...

. This new version, with original lyrics and vocals was titled "Needin U II" New releases of the single also included a new remix - "Dark Face Dub" which was also produced by

Morales Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer * Alvaro Morales (disambiguation), several people * Amado Morales (born 1947), Puerto Rican javelin thrower * Bartolomé Mo ...

Charts

"Needin' U"

"Needin' U II"

Certifications

References

1998 songs 1998 singles Songs written by David Morales American house music songs {{1990s-single-stub