Together - Hardcore Uproar (12" Original Version)

Together - Hardcore Uproar (Original Version) / 12 Inch Extended Version

Suddi Raval's distinctive vocal style is central to the success of this track and is also the reason it exists.

Raval met bandmate Jon Donaghy at The Haçienda in Manchester after Donaghy heard him say “La-la-la-live on stage!” - a line from Roxanne Shante’s Live On Stage - in the same style. Donaghy immediately spun round and asked Raval if he wanted to make a record with him.

The pair were also regulars at the legendary Blackburn raves of 1989, often referred to as the hardcore uproar due to the sound of the crowd at peak moments - hence the title of this track.

Raval and Donaghy recorded the crowd sounds for Hardcore Uproar at an infamous rave in Nelson, East Lancashire. With permission from the organisers, they arrived with their recording equipment, only for the event to be raided by police. The organisers were arrested, but Raval and Donaghy managed to escape with their equipment - and the crucial crowd recordings - intact. Some say this was the last of the great Blackburn raves.

In the studio, Raval and Donaghy combined the live recordings and Raval's vocal with electronic elements inspired by The End, a 1983 Dutch scratching Italo disco track based on John Carpenter's theme for the film Assault on Precinct 13. Donaghy, a fan of Carpenter, used this as the foundation for Hardcore Uproar's chord sequence.

The track's introduction also features a sample from Star Wars - “more powerful than you can possibly imagine” - spoken by Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Hardcore Uproar was initially released as a white label 12-inch single and distributed to club and rave DJs. The ambition was simply to have a track played at The Haçienda, with no real commercial expectations.

Suddi Raval recalled the excitement when it happened: “We really wanted to hear Hardcore Uproar in The Haçienda. Our Star Wars intro started playing. We ran to the dancefloor to dance to our own tune. It was the first time we’d heard it out and we couldn’t believe it.”

Hardcore Uproar went on to become one of the biggest rave tracks of 1990, dominating dancefloors and spending six weeks in the UK Top 40, peaking at number 12.

Tragically, a year later, Donaghy and his girlfriend Emma MacManus were killed when their motorbike was struck from behind by a holiday courier vehicle whose driver failed a breath test. Donaghy and Raval had been in Ibiza to play a late summer festival alongside acts such as 808 State, Two For Joy, and Dream Frequency.

Suddi and others organised a special event called Harmony at The Haçienda to celebrate Jon and Emma's lives. DJs including Sasha and Jon Da Silva played, with proceeds donated to charity. A reunion also took place the following year.

Beyond his continued involvement in music, Raval built a successful career as a video game sound designer, contributing to numerous titles, including the LEGO games of the 2010s.

He also authored A Brief History of Acid House, a coffee table book covering the history and legacy of the genre.

Featured here is the full-length Original Version of Hardcore Uproar.

The 12-inch single also includes a seven-inch edit and a dub version.

Year: 1990 Label: FFRR Cat no: FX 143