Back to Love — The Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies’ 1994 single with N’Dea Davenport, and the club mix by Haçienda DJ Graeme Park that gave the song a life in house sets.
- Single from The Brand New Heavies’ 1994 album Brother Sister, sung by N’Dea Davenport.
- Released in the UK on 23 May 1994 on FFRR; No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart.
- Remixed for clubs by Haçienda resident Graeme Park, credited as the “GP Club Mix”.
“Back to Love” started as an acid jazz band’s soul single and found a second life in house clubs. The Brand New Heavies released it in 1994 with N’Dea Davenport on vocals. Graeme Park’s club mix is often named as the band’s best-known remix.
The band and the album
The Brand New Heavies formed in Ealing, west London, in 1985: Simon Bartholomew, Jan Kincaid and Andrew Levy, first under the name Brother International. In 1987 they took their new name from James Brown’s title “Minister of New Super Heavy Funk”, and in 1989 they moved to Eddie Piller’s Acid Jazz Records, where they helped shape the genre. N’Dea Davenport joined as lead singer in 1990.
Brother Sister came out in spring 1994 on Delicious Vinyl. It reached No. 4 on the UK albums chart and went platinum. It was Davenport’s last album with the band before she left to finish a solo record; she rejoined about ten years later.
The single
“Dream On Dreamer” led the album and reached No. 15 in the UK. “Back to Love” followed as a UK-only single on 23 May 1994, on FFRR. It entered the chart on 11 June at No. 27, peaked at No. 23 the following week and spent six weeks in the chart. The UK CD singles carried Opaz radio and club versions and a DJ Duke mix.
Graeme Park’s mix
Graeme Park, born in Aberdeen on 4 August 1963, came to house music behind the counter of the Nottingham record shop Select-a-Disc and DJed at the Garage club in Nottingham. In 1987 he joined Mike Pickering at the decks of the Haçienda in Manchester, where he stayed until the club closed in June 1997. In 1991 he finished runner-up to Danny Rampling in DJ Magazine’s first Top 100 DJs poll.
His version of “Back to Love”, credited as the G. Park Mix or GP Club Mix and running about seven and a half minutes in its club form, recast the song as a house record. It has appeared on DJ-mixed compilations such as Club for Life Reflective, and in 2023 it sat on the remix disc of the best-of Never Stop (London Records), next to remixes of other Heavies singles by Masters at Work and Brothers in Rhythm.
In the mix
The full GP Club Mix is the version to look for: at over seven minutes, it gives a DJ room to mix in and out. For more vocal house from the same years, read about “Show Me Love” by Robin S and “Free” by Ultra Naté.
FAQ
Who sings Back to Love by The Brand New Heavies?
N’Dea Davenport, the band’s lead singer on the 1994 album Brother Sister.
When was Back to Love released?
As a UK single on 23 May 1994. It peaked at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1994.
Who is Graeme Park?
A DJ born in Aberdeen in 1963 who played at the Haçienda in Manchester from 1987 until the club closed in 1997.
Where can I find the Graeme Park mix?
It is credited as the “GP Club Mix” or “G. Park Mix”, and appears on the 2023 best-of Never Stop, released by London Records.
