Lola’s Theme — The Shapeshifters
Named after a record collection, sung by a gospel singer and opened by a Johnnie Taylor sample: how The Shapeshifters’ debut went to No. 1 in the UK in 2004.
- Debut single by The Shapeshifters, Simon Marlin and Max Reich; UK release on 12 July 2004.
- Vocals by Cookie; samples of Johnnie Taylor and Anthony White.
- No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart; nominated for Best British Single at the 2005 Brit Awards.
“Lola’s Theme” went straight to No. 1 in the UK in July 2004, a debut single from a new house act. The Shapeshifters, Simon Marlin and Swedish producer Max Reich, built it from a soul intro, a gospel voice and a title borrowed from a record collection.
Whose theme?
Lola was Simon Marlin’s wife. The track’s working title came from her record collection, and it stuck. Marlin and Reich, a producer from Gothenburg, released it as The Shapeshifters, first on Nocturnal Groove, before it was licensed to Positiva.
Johnnie Taylor and Cookie
The intro comes from Johnnie Taylor’s 1982 R&B hit “What About My Love”, re-recorded for the track by Mark Summers at Scorccio Sample Replays. A vocal phrase comes from Anthony White’s 1994 song “Love Me Tonight”. For the full release, soul singer Cookie, of the London Community Gospel Choir, sang the vocal and added verses. The writing credits list Marlin, Reich, Karen Poole, Fulvio Perniola, Gianni Bini and Patrick Moten.
No. 1 and beyond
Released in the UK on 12 July 2004, “Lola’s Theme” topped both the UK Singles Chart and the UK Dance chart, then reached No. 1 on the US Hot Dance Airplay chart that October. It finished 2004 at No. 21 on the UK year-end chart, was nominated for Best British Single at the 2005 Brit Awards and is certified double platinum in the UK. The video was shot at George Irvin’s Funfair in Kingsbury, London, with the duo, Cookie, Norman Jay and Lola herself handing out candy floss.
It was the lead single from the duo’s debut album, Sound Advice. The follow-ups “Back to Basics” and “Incredible” reached No. 10 and No. 12, and “Sensitivity”, featuring Chic, No. 40 in 2006.
The remixes
The single came with a strong remix package: an Eric Prydz mix, vocal and dub mixes by Victor Calderone, Norman Jay’s Good Times vocal mix and ATFC’s Jive for Jezebel mix. Reich stepped away in 2017 and Marlin has carried on as The Shapeshifters alone; in July 2024 the name appeared on ArrDee’s “Different”, which samples the track. Marlin released the album Let Loose in 2022 and “On The Way Up”, featuring 79.5, on Glitterbox Recordings in August 2026.
On the floor it is a singalong with a proper house groove underneath. For more vocal house from the 2000s, read about “Need to Feel Loved” by Reflekt and “Fade” by Solu Music.
FAQ
Who sings Lola’s Theme?
Cookie, a soul and gospel singer from the London Community Gospel Choir, who recorded the vocal and added verses for the full release.
Who is Lola in Lola’s Theme?
Lola was Simon Marlin’s wife; the track’s working title came from her record collection. She appears in the video handing out candy floss.
What does Lola’s Theme sample?
The intro of Johnnie Taylor’s 1982 song “What About My Love”, re-recorded by Mark Summers at Scorccio Sample Replays, and a vocal phrase from Anthony White’s 1994 “Love Me Tonight”.
