Precious Pop Pearls: The Story Behind Soul II Soul – “Back to Life”
While house music spread across Europe like wildfire and danceable synthpop dominated the charts, a British collective conquered the world with a unique sound. Soul II Soul produced a timeless record with their second single, “Back to Life,” blurring the lines between soul, reggae, house, and hip hop. The track was more than a summer hit. To fully appreciate the impact of “Back to Life,” it must be placed in the context of 1989. It was a year when dance music dominated global charts, but the approach was very different from previous years. House music had crossed over from Chicago and Detroit and gained a strong foothold in Europe. Italian producers created piano house tracks that filled clubs, with Black Box’s “Ride on Time” becoming the UK’s best-selling single of the year.
Technotronic from Belgium scored with “Pump Up The Jam,” a straightforward house track that defined early nineties dance-pop crossovers. Lisa Stansfield released “All Around the World,” a British soul record referencing Barry White and bridging American R&B traditions with a British interpretation, much like Soul II Soul. Janet Jackson’s “Miss You Much” showed how new jack swing dominated the US charts with its hip hop-influenced production and fast tempos. In this context, “Back to Life” sounded different. It had the danceable quality of house but without aggressive kicks and high BPMs. It carried the soul of R&B but without the polished production of American contemporaries. Its use of breakbeats and samples placed it in the hip hop tradition, yet the vocals and melodies were purely soulful. Dub effects and reggae influences gave it an unmistakably British identity. Soul II Soul had created a sound that drew from many sources yet sounded entirely unique.
Soul II Soul
The roots of Soul II Soul lie deeply embedded in the British soundsystem tradition, a phenomenon originating in Jamaica and brought to the UK by Caribbean immigrants. Trevor Beresford Romeo, better known as Jazzie B, grew up in North London as the youngest son in a family where all the brothers had their own soundsystems. At thirteen, he started his own reggae soundsystem, and three years later, he laid the foundations for what would become Soul II Soul alongside Philip Harvey.
In the 1980s, Jazzie B developed the concept of Soul II Soul as more than just a band. It was a movement, a lifestyle brand with the slogan ‘A happy face, a thumpin’ bass, for a lovin’ race’. They organised club nights that became the laboratory where Soul II Soul forged their unique sound. They tested dubplates, experimented with effects, and refined their mix of styles. Jazzie B had learned from London soul DJs like George Power and combined these influences with the soundsystem culture of his upbringing. By the time “Keep on Movin” was released in March 1989, Soul II Soul had a core lineup. Besides Jazzie B, the collective included producer Nellee Hooper, DJs Daddae and Jazzie Q, rapper Aitch B, and singers Rose Windross and Doreen Waddell. For “Keep on Movin’,” they brought in Caron Wheeler, an experienced backing singer who had worked with Elvis Costello and Phil Collins.
Back to Life
“Back to Life” originally appeared on “Club Classics Vol. One” as an a cappella version. Caron Wheeler sang her lyrics almost unaccompanied, with drums entering only at the end. It was a beautiful showcase of her vocal power, but commercially not an obvious single. Only after the success of “Keep on Movin” did Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper decide to rework it into a full production.
The new version retained the unforgettable hook while receiving a complete arrangement. The production combined breakbeats from Graham Central Station’s “The Jam” with boom-bap drum programming on the TR-808 and TR-909. Over this, strings from the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra created a unique fusion of British reggae tradition and American soul. Wheeler wrote new verses that complemented the extended production, fully utilising her improvisational skills.
The lyrics of “Back to Life” carry a deeper meaning than the surface party vibe suggests. Wheeler later revealed the song was about a near-death experience she had undergone. She was literally brought back to life and felt frustration at returning to earthly reality. The line ‘However do you want me, how, however do you need me?’ was originally addressed to her creator but sounded romantic in the production’s context. This layering gave the track an extra dimension that continues to intrigue listeners.
Released as a single on 30 May 1989, “Back to Life” received overwhelmingly positive reactions. In the UK, it immediately hit number one and stayed there for four weeks, displacing Jason Donovan’s “Sealed With A Kiss.” It became the fifth best-selling single of 1989 in Britain, with over 560,000 copies sold. In the US, it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped both the Dance Club Play and R&B charts.
In continental Europe, “Back to Life” was also a phenomenon. It reached number one in the Netherlands and Luxembourg and topped the Eurochart Hot 100. The top ten positions followed in Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and West Germany. Its global impact was unprecedented for a British act operating so clearly outside the mainstream. The single earned gold certifications in Canada and Sweden, silver in the UK, and platinum in the US.
George Michael
When George Michael launched his Cover to Cover tour in 1991, he deliberately selected a setlist full of covers that had inspired him. The tour was an artistic statement after the commercial success of his second solo album, “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1”. Michael sought to shed the image of a male model and focus purely on the music. Instead of performing his own hits, he paid tribute to the artists who had shaped him.
“Back to Life” fit perfectly. The track represented the British urban soul movement to which Michael felt closely connected. During shows in the UK, Brazil, Japan, Canada, and the US, he performed his interpretation of Wheeler’s classic. The setlist also included covers of Stevie Wonder, Seal, Curtis Mayfield, and many others, all artists fundamental to the DNA of soul music.
Michael’s version was never officially released, but bootlegs and live recordings circulated among fans. His vocal interpretation gave the track a different dimension, his distinctive timbre and timing adding a unique twist to the melody. Including it in his setlist underscored Soul II Soul’s impact on the British music scene, proving the UK could create its own form of soul without copying American templates.
Recognition from George Michael was only one of many. In 2019, American singer Hilary Roberts recorded a new version of “Back to Life,” which reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart thirty years after the original. Roberts admitted she had initially been intimidated by Wheeler’s powerful original but ultimately gave the song her own interpretation. Remixes from Andrew Wilson, Richard Cutmore, Perry Twins, and Wideboys brought the track to a new generation of dancers.
Club Classics Vol. One
The album “Club Classics Vol. One” was more than a collection of singles. It was a manifesto of what Soul II Soul stood for. The opener “Keep on Movin” set the tone with its extended groove and Wheeler’s expressive vocals. “Fairplay,” the single that started it all with Rose Windross on vocals, showcased the minimalist electro-funk sound developed at the Africa Centre. “African Dance,” an instrumental track that won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, combined African rhythms with London house beats.
The closing track, “Jazzie’s Groove,” was effectively a manifesto. Jazzie B declared in spoken word what Soul II Soul was: we’re a sound system, an amalgamation of good dance music. That modest description underplayed the impact. The album redefined British soul, laying the foundation for trip-hop with its spacious production and relaxed tempos. It foreshadowed the Afroswing movement that exploded thirty years later. It mapped a route from reggae sound systems to the mainstream, influencing garage, jungle, and dubstep.
Awards followed. At the 1990 Grammy Awards, Soul II Soul won two statuettes. “Back to Life” won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, while “African Dance” took Best R&B Instrumental Performance. They also won accolades at the American Music Awards, British DMC Dance Awards, and Soul Train Awards. For a group that started with soundsystem parties in 300-person clubs, the transformation was remarkable.
Get A Life
Although “Back to Life” became their biggest hit, it is impossible to talk about Soul II Soul without mentioning “Keep on Movin”. The track that heralded their breakthrough contained all the elements that made the collective great. Fully written by Jazzie B, the production featured deep basslines, a piano motif, and Caron Wheeler’s emotive vocals. At over six minutes in the album version, it allowed the groove to breathe and evolve.
The message of “Keep on Movin” was simple but powerful: persevere, keep moving, be patient. It was the philosophy Soul II Soul had followed in their years of underground growth. Now, with success, they passed it on to listeners worldwide. Wheeler’s voice rose and fell with natural expressivity, never sounding forced. The drum swing, drawn from hip hop breakbeats, gave the track an irresistible head-nodding quality.
The influence of “Keep on Movin” on the British music scene was immense. Its laid-back tempos and spacious production became templates for trip-hop producers like Massive Attack and Portishead. Nellee Hooper, Soul II Soul’s co-producer, would later produce Massive Attack’s “Blue Lines” and Björk’s “Debut,” albums that further expanded electronic music boundaries. Seeds planted at the Africa Centre grew into a new direction in pop music.
Following the success of “Back to Life,” turbulent years ensued for Soul II Soul. By late 1989, Doreen Waddell and Rose Windross left. Caron Wheeler departed in early 1990 to pursue a solo career, releasing two albums that left her mark on British soul. Jazzie B brought in new singers, including his cousin Marcia Lewis, Kym Mazelle, Lamya, and later Charlotte Kelly. The second album, “Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade,” reached number one in the charts and included the hit “Get a Life.”
Changing line-ups became a constant in Soul II Soul’s history. Jazzie B viewed the collective as a dynamic movement where different vocal talents could contribute. This led to interesting music but also declining commercial success outside the UK. The third album, “Volume III Just Right” (1992), and “Volume V Believe” (1995) explored jazz-funk and ambient electronic sounds, respectively, but did not match the success of the first two albums.
In 1997, “Time for Change” experimented with dub and electronic elements and showed a shift towards rave tempos. Without label support, the commercial failure led to Soul II Soul’s dissolution in 1998. Jazzie B cited creative differences and frustrations over label backing, compounded by line-up instability throughout the 1990s.
The reunion came in 2007 at the Lovebox Festival, where Caron Wheeler rejoined. The 2010 reunion tour featured Wheeler, Charlotte Kelly, Kym Mazelle, and other members performing across the UK. Since then, sporadic performances have taken place, with Wheeler and Kelly alternating as lead vocalists. In 2016, the live album “Origins: The Roots of Soul II Soul” was released, featuring a recording of “Back to Life” with Wheeler.
Recognition of Soul II Soul’s contribution to British music history came in various forms. In 2008, Jazzie B received an Order of the British Empire for services to music, becoming the first soundsystem figure honoured by the Queen. That same year, he won the Ivor Novello Award for Inspiration, recognised as the man who gave British black music its own soul. In 2012, Soul II Soul received the PRS for Music Heritage Award with a special plaque at The Electric in Brixton, and in 2013, a statue of Jazzie B was unveiled in Finsbury Park, the park where he had played, played football, and run his soundsystem as a child. The symbolism was powerful.
The track was performed during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, a moment when the UK showcased its cultural heritage to the world. That choice was significant. Among The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie, Soul II Soul represented a distinctly British sound emerging from London’s multicultural melting pot. It acknowledged that black Britons’ contribution to pop music was fundamental to the national identity. A happy face, a thumpin’ bass, for a lovin’ race. In four minutes and forty seconds, the song encapsulated what Soul II Soul stood for: positivity, groove, and inclusivity. In 1989, it was needed, and it remains relevant today. That is why “Back to Life” is more than a nostalgic memory. It is a timeless gem that continues to shine.
