Class Action (band)

{{Redirect-distinguish|Phreek|Phreaking|Freq (disambiguation){{!}}Freq|Freek (disambiguation){{!}}Freek|Freak (disambiguation){{!}}Freak}}

{{short description|Disco and post-disco musical projects}}

{{use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Class Action
Phreek

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| origin = New York City, U.S.

| genre = {{hlist|Garage house|post-disco}}

| years_active = 1978–1983

| label = {{hlist|Sleeping Bag|Atlantic}}

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members =

}}

Class Action and Phreek were disco and post-disco musical projects. The original Phreek comprised Christine Wiltshire, Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams, Stan Lucas, Ken Mazur and others.Production notes on Phreek' records issued by Atlantic Records. Class Action was directed by Larry Levan and featured Christine Wiltshire as vocalist. Both groups are best known for their club hit "Weekend", written by James Calloway and Leroy Burgess. The 1983 version was remixed by Morales and Munzibai and Larry Levan and produced by Bob Blank and Lola Blank.

History

The song "Weekend" was originally recorded on Atlantic Records by Patrick Adams' studio group Phreek of which Wiltshire was a member.{{cite book|first=Tim|last=Lawrence|year=2003|title=Love saves the day: a history of American dance music culture, 1970-1979|url=https://archive.org/details/lovesavesdayhist00lawr|url-access=registration|publisher=Duke University Press, 2003|isbn=0-8223-3198-5|page= [https://archive.org/details/lovesavesdayhist00lawr/page/356 356]}}{{cite magazine|date=Feb 5, 1983|magazine=Billboard|volume=95|page=51|title=Nightclubbing|issn=0006-2510}} The song was heavily played by Larry Levan yet it was commercially unavailable so it did not enter any charts.{{cite book|first=Tim|last=Lawrence|year=2009|title= Hold on to your dreams: Arthur Russell and the downtown music scene, 1973-1992|url=https://archive.org/details/holdontoyourdrea00lawr|url-access=registration|publisher=Duke University Press, 2009|isbn=978-0-89820-160-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/holdontoyourdrea00lawr/page/226 226]}} In the early 1980s, William Socolov, the co-owner of Sleeping Bag Records, invited Levan to make a new version of "Weekend". This version, recorded by the studio group Class Action, which also featured Wiltshire, became more successful than the original version, peaking at No. 49 on the British pop chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20413/class-action/|title=Class Action - full Official Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=2011-08-30}} and No. 9 on the Billboard Dance chart.{{cite web|title=Class Action Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Class+Action.art|website=Music VF|access-date=27 September 2021}}

Discography

=Phreek=

;Albums

  • 1978: Patrick Adams Presents Phreek (Atlantic)

;Singles

  • 1978: "Weekend / "Have a Good Day" (Atlantic)
  • 1978: "Weekend / "May My Love Be with You" (Atlantic)
  • 1983: "Weekend" (original version) (Atlantic)

=Class Action=

;Singles

=Track listings=

;Phreek version

class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="width: 400px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 12"
single

|

Side A:

  1. "Weekend" (James Calloway, Leroy Burgess) – 8:12

Side B:

  1. "Have a Good Day" (Patrick Adams, Venus Dodson) – 5:44
  • Mix: Issy Sanchez (A), Patrick Adams (B)
  • Producer: Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams

;Class Action version

class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="width: 400px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 12" single

|

Weekday Side:

  1. "Week End" (Vocal) – 9:38
  2. "Week End" (Dub) – 8:34

Weekend Side:

  1. "Week End" (Vocal) – 8:21
  2. "Week End" (Acapella) – 3:03
  • Mix: Sergio Munzibai, John Morales (A1, A2, B2), Larry Levan (B1)
  • Written by: James Calloway, Leroy Burgess
  • Producer: Bob Blank, Lola Blank

=Chart performance=

class="wikitable"
rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Title

! rowspan="2"| Label

! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions

width="40"| {{Small|US Dance
}}

! width="40"| {{Small|UK
}}

1978

| "Weekend" {{Small|(by Phreek)}}

| {{Small|Atlantic}}

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

1983

| "Weekend" {{Small|(by Class Action)}}

| {{Small|Sleeping Bag}}

| align=center | 9

| align=center | 49

Legacy

  • The Canadian group Killer Bunnies used the opening lyrics from "Weekend" as the basis for their 1997 single "I Can't Take the Heartbreak", which peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart that same year.
  • The song is featured in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, on the Paradise FM radio station.{{cite web|title=The Music of GTA: Vice City Stories |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/26/the-music-of-gta-vice-city-stories|website=IGN|access-date=27 September 2021|date=26 October 2006}}
  • In 1988, the song was covered by Todd Terry Project. This version also appeared in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the SF-UR radio station.{{cite journal|date=Feb 26, 1983|journal=CMJ New Music Monthly|volume=29|page=6|title=Nightclubbing|issn=1074-6978}}
  • In 2004, Class Action's version was reissued on the Warlock record label.

References

{{Reflist}}