Fly Life

In 1995, Virgin Records picked up and distributed Basement Jaxx's first single "Samba Magic".{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/basement-jaxx-mn0000142249/biography|title=Biography |last=Bush|first=John|work=Allmusic|publisher=|accessdate=15 September 2016}} After spending time remixing for Pet Shop Boys, Roger Sanchez and Lil' Mo' Yin Yang, they released their fourth extended play called EP3. A track from it, "Fly Life", is a house song with ragga, disco, proto-punk and UK garage influences.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/burning-down-the-house-that-basement-jaxx-built-92756.html|title=Burning down the house that Basement Jaxx built|last=Chapman|first=Anna|work=Independent|date=October 24, 2003|accessdate=June 14, 2016}} Its basis was "Live Your Life with Me", a single originally performed by vocalist Corrina Joseph in 1998, the singer whom they had been working with since the release of EP2 (1995) for their first attempts at making "proper songs". The duo's re-work of "Live Your Life with Me" added "euphoric synth" and "filtered brass stabs" with long-winded air horn throughout.{{cite book|last=Matos|first=Michaelangelo|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|date=November 2, 2004|page=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA46|accessdate=September 3, 2016|publisher=Simon & Schuster|format=Google Books|isbn=0743201698}}{{cite web|url=https://www.insomniac.com/media/classic-album-rewind-basement-jaxx-remedy|title=Classic Album Rewind: Basement Jaxx 'Remedy'|last=Glazer|first=Josh|date=July 25, 2014|accessdate=September 18, 2016|work=Insomniac Events|publisher=Insomniac Holdings, LLC}} Generally, Charles Aaron from Spin described the track as a "blaxploitation dubby" while Resident Advisor described it as "a more idiosyncratic, homegrown sound emerged in the edge-of-panic squeal."{{cite journal|last=Aaron|first=Charles|title=Blue Light in the Basement|date=September 1999|page=63|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bGjsvmNt8UgC&pg=PA63|accessdate=September 18, 2016|journal=Spin|publisher=Spin Media|format=Google Books|issn=0886-3032}}{{cite web |url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/basementjaxx/biography|title=Biography|work=Resident Advisor|publisher=Resident Advisor Limited|accessdate=15 September 2016}}

"Fly Life" received much acclaim from music critics. Colin Larkin described the track in Encyclopedia of Popular Music as a "club classic" and an "unusual blend of ragga and house." Andy Kellman from AllMusic stated the song, along with their first single "Samba Magic" are the only two examples of why their debut album was so heavily anticipated.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r735910 |title=The Singles - Basement Jaxx review|last=Kellman|first=Andy|work=AllMusic |accessdate=July 13, 2016}} Writing for The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Michaelangelo Matos called the song one of their "definitive mid-'90s club anthems". From the same publication, John Bush also agreed those two were their best tracks from 1994 through 1997, and marked them as his "Track Picks" on their compilation.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r547642 |title=Atlantic Jaxx Recordings: A Compilation|last=Bush|first=John|work=AllMusic| publisher=All Media Network, LLC|accessdate=September 18, 2016}} However, looking at the whole Basement Jaxx's catalogue, Anna Chapman from The Independent stated the "glittered" ragga and disco influences of "Fly Life" seemed to "come out of nowhere." French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles still highly praised it, commenting it was "finely crafted", with "the bass increased tension while the dance rhythm completely nailed on the dance floor." Joseph's vocals were also said to give a "disco aftertaste" to the song.{{cite web|url=http://www.lesinrocks.com/musique/yntht/single/basement-jaxx-fly-life/|title=Basement Jaxx - Fly Life|work=Les Inrockuptibles|author=Les Inrockuptibles staff(s)|publisher=Les Nouvelles Editions Indépendantes|accessdate=September 20, 2016}}

British publication Mixmag listed "Fly Life" at number 16 on their year-end list "Tunes of 1997" while house music label Defected Records voted the track as the Ibiza nightclub Space anthem of 1997.{{cite web |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mixmag.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216032013/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mixmag.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=16 February 2006|title=Rocklistmusic.co.uk - Mixmag|work=Mixmag|publisher=Rocklistmusic.co.uk|accessdate=September 18, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://defected.com/news/27-space-ibiza-anthems/|title=27 Years of Space Ibiza Anthems|date=May 25, 2016|website=Defected Records' website|accessdate=September 20, 2016}} The "Brix" Mix was later included in Pitchfork{{'s}} 2010 list of "twenty-five great remixes" of 1990s.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7856-a-feature-about-nothing-the-1990s-in-lists/?page=2|title=A Feature About Nothing: The 1990s in Lists|date=September 7, 2010|author=Pitchfork staff(s)|work=Pitchfork|accessdate=September 2, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/basement-jaxx-singles/|title = We Ranked Every Basement Jaxx Single (And They're Amazing)}}

"Fly Life" was released as a single on 19 May 1997 by their own record label Atlantic Jaxx and Multiply Records with distribution by The Total Record Company. The single cover features a giraffe, the picture which also appeared at their 1999 show at the Forum in London via a "vast dot-matrix screen".{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4719178/Jaxx-the-way-to-do-it.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226194159/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4719178/Jaxx-the-way-to-do-it.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 26, 2016|title=Jaxx the way to do it|last=Horan|first=Tom|work=Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited|date=December 3, 1999|accessdate=September 2, 2016}}

A few different formats of the single have been released in the United Kingdom and some other countries in Europe, including a CD version which was released in the United Kingdom via Atlantic Jaxx and in Denmark via Smart Records that includes the original mix of the track, a radio edit and an unedited version for the "Brix" mix with remixes from Roni Size, Erick Morillo and Curtis Jones; the UK vinyl single and cassette versions both have the "Brix" and Size's mix, while the vinyl one also added Morillo's and the original mix.

A promotional music video for the song was also released while it became their first charted single by debuting at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart on 31 May 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZoFNS4mbn0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SZoFNS4mbn0 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Basement Jaxx - Fly Life|website=YouTube|date=February 22, 2012|accessdate=September 20, 2016}}{{cbignore}} After that, the song fell down to number 41, dropped to number 67 on the week of 14 June and disappeared from the chart.

"Fly Life" later made its appearances on various DJ mixes, including the free mix cassette Beat Up the NME (1997) from music magazine NME which was compiled by British DJ Fatboy Slim; Junior Vasquez's live album Live, Vol. 2 (1998); later on Victor Calderone's mix album called E=VC² (1999); and on the mix album Soul of Man Presents: Y4K: Breakin' in tha House (2004). In 2009, "Fly Life Xtra" appeared on Paul Ritch's DJ set for BBC Radio 1 radio show Essential Mix.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/essentialmix/tracklistingarchive.shtml?20090613|title=Essential Mix - Paul Ritch|website=BBC Radio 1|publisher=BBC|date=June 13, 2009|accessdate=September 12, 2016}} The "Brix" mix also made its appearances on the 1999 coming-of-age film Virtual Sexuality and its soundtrack.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Sexuality-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B00000JXLJ|title=Virtual Sexuality soundtrack|accessdate=September 27, 2016|website=Amazon Music}}

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• UK and Europe maxi CD single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Basement-Jaxx-Fly-Life/release/19062|title= Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (UK CD)|accessdate=September 2, 2016|website=Discogs}}

1. "Fly Life" {{small|("Brix" Radio Edit)}} – 4:03
2. "Fly Life" {{small|("Brix" Mix)}} – 6:41
3. "Fly Life" {{small|(Roni Size "Flyzs" Mix)}} – 6:09
4. "Fly Life" {{small|(Erick "More" Dub)}} – 7:31
5. "Fly Life" {{small|(Cajmere "Green Velvet" Mix)}} – 7:39
6. "Fly Life" {{small|(Original Mix)}} – 6:33

• UK 12" single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Basement-Jaxx-Fly-Life/release/16047|title= Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (UK vinyl)|accessdate=September 4, 2016|website=Discogs}}

1. "Fly Life" {{small|("Brix" Radio Edit)}} – 4:03
2. "Fly Life" {{small|(Erick "More" Dub)}} – 7:31
3. "Fly Life" {{small|(Roni Size "Flyzs" Mix)}} – 6:09
4. "Fly Life" {{small|(Original Mix)}} – 6:33

• UK cassette single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Basement-Jaxx-Fly-Life/release/135187|title= Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (UK cassette)|accessdate=September 4, 2016|website=Discogs}}

1. "Fly Life" {{small|("Brix" Radio Edit)}} – 4:03
2. "Fly Life" {{small|(Roni Size "Flyzs" Mix)}} – 6:09

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• France 12" single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Basement-Jaxx-Fly-Life/release/1251537|title=Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (France vinyl)|accessdate=September 2, 2016|website=Discogs}}

1. "Fly Life" {{small|("Brix" Mix)}} – 6:41
2. "Fly Life" {{small|(Original Mix)}} – 6:33
3. "Fly Life" {{small|(Barefax Mix)}} – 5:14

• France 12" remixes single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Basement-Jaxx-Fly-Life-Remixes/release/1251546|title=Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (Remixes) (France Vinyl)|accessdate=September 2, 2016|website=Discogs}}

1. "Fly Life" {{small|(Cajmere "Green Velvet" Mix)}} – 7:39
2. "Fly Life" {{small|(Roni Size "Flyzs" Mix)}} – 6:09
3. "Fly Life" {{small|(Erick "More" Dub)}} – 7:31

• International digital and UK vinyl Fly Life Xtra EP

1. "Fly Life Xtra" {{small|(Original Mix)}} – 7:39
2. "Fly Life" {{small|(Switch Mix)}} – 6:09
3. "Fly Life" {{small|(Dub 3 By Mr. Dan & Raf Daddy)}} – 7:31

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Credits adapted from the CD single liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Fly Life (CD single)|others=Basement Jaxx|id=CDMULTY21|year=1997|type=Compact Disc liner notes|publisher=Multiply Records|location=United Kingdom}}

• Simon Ratcliffe (credited as "Ratcliffe") – producer, songwriter
• Felix Buxton (credited as "Felix B") – producer, songwriter
• Glamma Kid – vocals
• Corrina Joseph – vocals
• Alexia Cox – designer

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{{Basement Jaxx}}

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Category:1997 singles

Category:Basement Jaxx songs

Category:1996 songs

Category:Songs written by Simon Ratcliffe (musician)

Category:Songs written by Felix Buxton

Category:Multiply Records singles