Steve "Silk" Hurley

Steve W. "Silk" Hurley (born November 9, 1962),[1] also known as J. M. Silk (for "Jack Master Silk"), is an American club DJ, house music producer, and songwriter.

"Steve Hurley" redirects here. Not to be confused with Steve Harley.
Steve "Silk" Hurley
Background information
Birth nameSteven W. Hurley
Also known as
  • Steve Hurley
  • J. M. Silk
  • Jack Master Silk
  • Voices of Life
  • The Voices of Life
  • SilkMix.com
Born (1962-11-09) November 9, 1962
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
GenresHouse
Occupation(s)
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • remixer
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active1983–present
Labels
WebsiteSteve "Silk" Hurley

From 1985 to 1988, he had four top-10 singles on the US Dance chart, including the number-one hit "I Can't Turn Around", all released in collaboration with Keith Nunnally as J. M. Silk. With "Jack Your Body" (number 25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play),[2] he topped the UK Singles Chart in January 1987 as a solo artist,[3] while one of his later compositions, "Work It Out" from 1989, brought him his fifth top-10 record on the US Dance chart (at number three). To date, Hurley's last charting single is "The Word Is Love (Say the Word)", also known as "Silk's Anthem of Life" by The Voices of Life, which peaked at number 26 in 1997 in the UK.

Hurley is a four-time Grammy Award nominee; two times as Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical (in 1999 and 2000),[4][5] and twice for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical (in 2002 and 2003).[6][7]

Early life

Hurley studied engineering at Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy (originally named Lindblom Technical High School)[8] in Chicago, Illinois, and later at junior college but dropped out by 1981 to concentrate on his music career full-time.[9]

Career

Hurley gained worldwide fame as a DJ on the Saturday Night Live Ain't No Jive Dance Party on WBMX in Chicago in the mid 1980s.[1] Hurley's mixing style is different than the usual radio or club house DJ (such as Tony Humphries on WRKS in the early 1990s), since his style of mixing incorporates not only beatmatching, but advanced techniques only done by hip hop DJ's or turntablists such as scratching, beat juggling, cutting, needle dropping and back spinning. He released songs under the stage name of Steve "Silk" Hurley and, with vocalist Keith Nunnally, had many hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart as J. M. Silk, including "I Can't Turn Around," which hit number one in 1986.[10]

His song "Jack Your Body" was also a hit on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number one for two weeks in January and February 1987.[11] This was the UK's first house music chart topper,[11] achieving the number one spot with the distinction of never having been played on BBC Radio 1 other than on chart shows.[12] In spite of "Jack Your Body"'s success, Hurley has had no further singles (under his own name) reach the UK charts, thus condemning him to one-hit wonder status.[11] In 1988, he released an album titled Work It Out Compilation on Atlantic Records.

Hurley also worked as a prominent remixer, re-working tracks for Madonna, Michael Jackson, CeCe Peniston, New Order, Black Box, En Vogue, Janet Jackson and Inner City.[9]

Hurley was nominated for a Grammy Award as Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical in 1998 and 1999,[4][5] and for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical in 2002 and 2003.[6][7]

Hurley's remixes could be heard on The Tom Joyner Morning Show every Tuesday and Thursday morning during the last half of the second hour of the nationally syndicated morning show, which originated from Dallas, Texas.

Controversy

Steve Hurley vs Farley Keith

In 1986, WBMX DJ and house music producer Farley Keith had stunned the Chicago community when he hit the top-10 of the UK Singles Chart with "Love Can't Turn Around," released under the alias Farley "Jackmaster" Funk. Hurley claimed the track was a blatant theft of one of his own productions, and the two stopped speaking to each other.[9] At that time, Farley Keith shared an apartment with Hurley, who came up with a cover of an Isaac Hayes' disco record, called "I Can't Turn Around", from 1975. Before Hurley could arrange to have the record licensed for overseas distribution, Keith produced his own version of the song, keeping much of Hurley's instrumental arrangement, dropping the rest of Hayes' original lyric, while Vince Lawrence supplied new words. The final result officially became the first ever Chicago house record to reach the music charts.[13] Ironically, Hurley's version topped the US Dance chart and the producer later got his satisfaction by trumping Keith's success with the number one hit "Jack Your Body".

Discography

Albums
Year Title Artist(s)
1987 Hold on to Your Dream
  • Release date: 1987
  • Record label: RCA Records
  • Formats: LP, CS
 J. M. Silk
1989 Work It Out Compilation Steve "Silk" Hurley

Singles
Year Title Alias Peak chart positions Certifications Album
IT
[14]		 UK
[11][15][16]		 US Dance
[10][17]		 Hot Dance Singles Sales
1985 "Music Is the Key" J. M. Silk — — 9 18 The House Sound of Chicago
1986 "Shadows of Your Love" J. M. Silk featuring Steve "Silk" Hurley — — 3 40 Hold on to Your Dream
"I Can't Turn Around" (by Isaac Hayes) J. M. Silk — 62 1 9
"Jack Your Body" Steve "Silk" Hurley — 1 25 37
1987 "Let the Music Take Control" J. M. Silk — 47 2 8
"She's So Far Away" J. M. Silk — 80 — —
"Heart of Passion" J. M. Silk — — — —
"Cry of the Lonely" J. M. Silk — — 50 —
1988 "All in Vain" J. M. Silk — — — — Jack Trax: The Fifth Album
"It's Percussion" Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring M-Doc — — — —
1989 "Work It Out" Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring M-Doc — — 3 17 Work It Out Compilation
"Chain of Fools" Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Risse — — — —
"Cold World" Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Jamie Principle — — 22 36
1991 "Seasons of Love"[A] Keith Nunnally — — — —
1992 "Melody" Steve "Silk" Hurley — — — —
1997 "The Word Is Love (Say the Word)" The Voices of Life featuring Sharon Pass 15 26 — —
2000 "Dubs from the Dungeon Vol.1" Steve "Silk" Hurley — — — —
2002 "Don't Give Up" The Voices of Life featuring Gordon Chambers — — — — Non-album single
2003 "Stop Playin'" SilkMix.com vs. 2 Live Crew — — — —
"Runnin' Away" The Voices of Life featuring Sharon Pass — — — —
2014 "Classic" Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Javante — — — —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that region.
Notes
  • A ^ Steve Hurley was credited as one of backing vocalists on the Keith Nunnally's debut solo single. The other names were Sharon Pass, Kym Sims and Manny Mohr.

Music awards and nominations
Award Nominations Wins

ASCAP Awards

 3 3

Grammy Awards

 4 0
ASCAP Award[14]
Grammy Award[14]
Year Nominated work(s) Award Result
1999 "If You Could Read My Mind (Silk's Uplifting Vocal)" by Stars on 54
"If You Could Read My Mind (Silk's House on 54 Mix)" by Stars on 54
"Nobody Else (Silk's House Revival)" by CeCe Peniston
"Special Love (Silk's Special House Mix)" by Jestofunk feat. Jocelyn Brown
"Where You Are (Silk's Old Skool Mix)" by Rashaan Patterson
"The Word Is Love (Silk's Anthem 7)" by The Voices of Life		 Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical[4][5] Nominated
2000 "Go Down Moses (Silk's Spiritual Anthem)" by Kelly G feat. Sharon Pass
"He Loves Me 2 (Silk's 12" Mix)" by CeCe Peniston
"Higher (Silk's Journey to Heaven Mix)" by Vernessa Mitchell
"Jack Your Body 2000 (Silk's Y2K Mix)" by Steve "Silk" Hurley
"Rollercoaster (Silk's Uplifting Extended Mix)" by B*Witched
"Yeah Get Down (Silk's Disco Dub of Life)" by Maurice Joshua presents The Reunion Project		 Nominated
2002 "Soul Shakedown (Silk's Downunder Mix)" by Bob Marley Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical[6][7] Nominated
2003 "What About Us? (SilkMix.Com Mix)" by Brandy Nominated
Other Awards[14]

See also

References
  1. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 669. ISBN 9780195313734.
  2. "Steve "Silk" Hurley Chart History". Billboard.
  3. "STEVE 'SILK' HURLEY | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
  4. "41st Grammy Award Nominations, 1999". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  5. "42nd Grammy Award Nominations, 2000". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  6. "44th Grammy Award Nominations, 2002". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  7. "45th Grammy Award Nominations, 2003". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  8. "5 Magazine : Steve "Silk" Hurley: Smooth As Ever". January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  9. Bush, John. "'Steve "Silk" Hurley, Bio". AllMusic. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  10. "J.M. Silk Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  11. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 263. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  12. Rogers, Jude (January 19, 2017). "How Jack Your Body began house music's squelching electronic revolution". The Guardian. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  13. "Love Can't Turn Around by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk – Songfacts". Songfacts.com.
  14. "'Steve "Silk" Hurley's Biography'" (PDF). Home.comcast.net. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  15. "JM SILK - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  16. "VOICES OF LIFE - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  17. "Songs written by Steve "Silk" Hurley Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  18. "Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
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