Jamie Principle
He wrote “Your Love” as a poem for his girlfriend and recorded it on a four-track at home. Frankie Knuckles did the rest.
- Chicago singer, songwriter and producer, born 5 July 1960.
- His 1984 song “Your Love” is recognised as one of the first house records.
- Many of his early records came out credited to Frankie Knuckles.
House music had love songs almost from the start, and many of the first ones came from Jamie Principle. A Chicago kid with a four-track recorder, he wrote “Your Love” in 1984 — and watched it become one of the defining records of the genre, long before it was even released.
A poem on a four-track
The lyrics of “Your Love” began as a poem Principle wrote for his girlfriend at the time, Lisa Harris. He added music and recorded it at home on a four-track. A friend, Jose Gomez, passed a tape to Frankie Knuckles, who played it again and again at The Power Plant. For more than a year the song lived only in the clubs, copied from tape to tape by fans, before Persona Records released it as a 12-inch.
In Frankie Knuckles’ shadow
Through the 1980s, Principle’s music kept coming out, often credited to Knuckles: “Baby Wants to Ride”, “Bad Boy”, “Rebels”, “Waiting on My Angel”, “I’m Gonna Make You Scream”. The partnership shaped the sound of Chicago house; the credits did not always reflect who wrote and sang the songs. For more of Knuckles’ story, read about “Tears”.
The 1990s and beyond
In the early 1990s Principle reached the Billboard dance charts in his own name: “Cold World” with Steve “Silk” Hurley (whose “Jack Your Body” was another Chicago landmark), “You’re All I’ve Waited 4”, and the album The Midnite Hour in 1992. He co-wrote CeCe Peniston’s “I’m Not Over You”. In 2004 “Back N Da Day”, an acknowledged collaboration with Knuckles, went to No. 1 on the US dance chart.
A new generation found him through Gorillaz: he features on “Sex Murder Party” (2017) and, alongside Snoop Dogg, on “Hollywood” (2018). In 2020 he released “Lonely2live” with Felix da Housecat.
Why he matters on the floor
Principle brought songwriting and a real voice to a scene built on drum machines. Play “Your Love” today and the arpeggio still does what it did in 1984. Keep digging with Marshall Jefferson and “Acid Tracks” by Phuture.
FAQ
Who wrote Your Love?
Jamie Principle wrote and recorded “Your Love” in 1984, from a poem he had written for his girlfriend. Frankie Knuckles’ plays at The Power Plant made it famous.
When and where was Jamie Principle born?
On 5 July 1960, in Chicago, Illinois.
Has Jamie Principle worked with Gorillaz?
Yes. He features on “Sex Murder Party” (2017) and, with Snoop Dogg, on “Hollywood” (2018).
