Urban Dance Squad - Deeper Shade of Soul
“Deeper Shade of Soul” is a famous song by the Dutch band Urban Dance Squad, released in 1989 on their debut album Mental Floss for the Globe . The song, which is a unique blend of rock, hip-hop, funk, and jazz, was an international breakthrough for the band. It combines live instrumentation with samples and rap vocals, a style that was innovative at the time and made Urban Dance Squad the pioneers of the genre.
The song was best known in the United States, where it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. It includes a sample of “A Deeper Shade of Soul” by Ray Barretto , a 1968 Latin jazz song, adding to the track's unique sound. Urban Dance Squad was able to appeal to a wide audience with this song and it is still considered a classic of alternative music of the time.
Fun Facts:
- “Deeper Shade of Soul” was one of the first international successes for a Dutch band in the US charts.
- The genre mixture of rock, rap, and funk made Urban Dance Squad a groundbreaking act in the crossover of different musical styles.
With this song, they laid the foundation for other alternative bands that wanted to push the boundaries of genres in the 90s.
