Keep On Movin'

Soul II Soul is a collective led by the Londoner Jazzie B (real name: Beresford Romeo). He started out as a DJ, taking sound systems to clubs and other venues to supply the music. Later, he started making his own songs with various musicians he brought into the fold. "Keep On Movin'" is an uplifting song he wrote during a difficult time in his life. He was running a nightclub in London that the police were trying to shut down. "We had to stand our ground and keep on movin'" he said in the Billboard Book Of #1 R&B Hits.

The vocals were supplied by Caron Wheeler, a second generation Caribbean woman living in Britain. She also sang on Soul II Soul's next single (also their biggest hit), "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)," before embarking on a solo career. Wheeler released two albums with mixed results and had some success with the single "Livin' In The Light" from her first solo long player, which hit #53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the UK Singles Chart.

The track is built on a sample of a drum break from the 1975 Graham Central Station song "The Jam" that Soul II Soul slowed down and looped, with piano, bass and strings layered on top. This beat became Soul II Soul's signature sound - they used the same slowed-down sample on "Back To Life." This dubby, jazzy, laid-back groove became the backbeat for dozens of similar-sounding songs by other artists. Jazzie B told Mojo (November 2013) that they were looking for a sonic balance of something straight off their sound system but with a glossy pop mix. "'Keep On Movin' had all our own feel from the sound system specials on it, but it had been polished up with that pop sheen so it would be acceptable on the radio," he said. "That sound defined Soul II Soul and where we stood – it had everything in it, the beats we were known for, hooks for the radio, a melody you could follow and lyrics that meant something to many." "It summed up our dances," Jazzie added, "which had an atmosphere that was edgy enough to get that sound system vibe, but nobody was going to feel threatened by everything."