Frankie Knuckles (born January 18, 1955 in New York City and died March 31… Read Full Bio ↴Frankie Knuckles (born January 18, 1955 in New York City and died March 31, 2014 in Chicago) was a DJ, producer and remix artist. He has earned the appellation "The Godfather of House."

While studying Textile Design at FIT in Manhattan, Knuckles began working as a DJ. He played soul, disco and R&B at The Continental Baths (1968) with fellow-DJ Larry Levan. Shortly after this, he began to gain notoriety and played at Better Days. When the Warehouse opened in Chicago in 1977 he was invited to play on a regular basis. He continued DJing there until 1982, at which point he started his own club, The Power Plant. When business difficulties caused it to fold, he moved back to NYC, and was the featured resident DJ at The World, and also had numerous subsequent residencies, including The Choice.

It was around this time that he began to immerse himself in producing, remixing and recording. His career really took off as a result. His earliest remixes include First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder" and Jago's "I'm Going To Go". As house music gained momentum, pioneering producer Chip E. took Frankie under his tutelage and produced Frankie's first recording, "You Can't Hide", featuring vocalist Ricky Dillard. Then came more production work, including Jamie Principle's "Baby Wants to Ride", and later, "Tears (feat. Robert Owens)" with Satoshi Tomiie.

Knuckles did a number of popular Def Classic Mixes with John Poppo as sound engineer. Knuckles partnered with David Morales on Def Mix Productions. With several important original productions and remixes to his name, by the early 1990s, Knuckles was becoming a well-known name in the increasingly popular house music genre.

In 1991, Knuckles' debut album Beyond the Mix, released on Virgin Records, contained "The Whistle Song". The Def Classic Mix of "Change" by Lisa Stansfield done around this period also featured the whistle like motif. Another track from the album, "Rain Falls" featured vocals from Lisa Michaelis. Key remixes from this time include his rework of the Electribe 101 anthem "Talking With Myself" and "Where Love Lives" by Alison Limerick. 8,000 copies of the album had sold by 2004.

When Junior Vasquez took a sabbatical from Manhattan's The Sound Factory, he took over and launched a successful run as resident DJ until Vasquez made his return, at which point Knuckles became the resident DJ at The Sound Factory Bar. Knuckles remained part of the underground scene. Knuckles won the 1997 Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical.

Knuckles continued to work as a remixer through the 1990s and into the next decade, reworking tracks from Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Eternal and Toni Braxton. He released several new singles, including "Keep on Movin'" and a re-issue of an earlier hit "Bac N Da Day" with Definity Records. In 1995, he released his second album titled Welcome to the Real World. By 2004, 13,000 copies had sold.

In 2004, he released a thirteen track album of original material - his first in over a decade, entitled A New Reality, which was critically well received. In October 2004 "Your Love" appeared in the videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on house music radio station, SF-UR. On 19 September 2005, Knuckles was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievement as a DJ.

Knuckles is featured in the 2006 documentary film, The UnUsual Suspects - Once Upon a Time in House Music by Chip E., and the 2005 documentary film, Maestro by Josell Ramos.

Workout
Frankie Knuckles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't need no man to make me understand
What I'm livin' for is waiting on the dancefloor
I don't know 'bout you, but I know what to do
All I need is room to show you what i'm living for

BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY!

Workout - in the mornin'

Workout - in the evenin'
Workout - take me higher

Workout - do it baby
Workout - make me crazy
Workout - lift me higher

Here's the way it goes and baby you should know
All I'm livin for is waiting on the dancefloor
Rhythm is my life, the music makes me high
Look into my eyes, it'll should me what you're living for

If you wanna party

And you wanna party
Do you wanna party with me?

Overall Meaning

The title of Frankie Knuckles's song "Workout" gives the impression that it's a song about exercise and staying fit, but the lyrics lean more towards the dance floor than the gym. The song is upbeat and promotes the idea of dancing as a form of exercise. The opening lines of the chorus, "Workout - in the mornin', Workout - in the evenin', Workout - take me higher" advocate for the idea of working out on the dance floor instead of the gym to reach new heights.

The singer of the song is a lone woman who doesn't need a man to show her what to do, she knows what she's living for, and that's waiting on the dance floor. The lyrics suggest that dancing is a crucial part of her life, and she's always waiting for an opportunity to shake off her worries, loosen up a little, and dance the night away. The repeated chant of "BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY!" adds an extra layer of excitement to the song and encourages the listener to get up and dance too.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't need no man to make me understand
I can understand things on my own without needing a man's help

What I'm livin' for is waiting on the dancefloor
I am eagerly waiting on the dancefloor for what I truly live for

I don't know 'bout you, but I know what to do
While I am aware of my own capabilities, I am unsure of yours

All I need is room to show you what i'm living for
I require sufficient space to express and show you what I am living for

Workout - in the mornin'
I perform a workout routine in the morning

Workout - in the evenin'
I perform a workout routine in the evening

Workout - take me higher
My workout routine imbues me with a sense of high or elevated morale

Workout - do it baby
Performing a workout routine is desirable, and I encourage others to join me in doing so

Workout - make me crazy
My workout routine makes me feel thrilled or excited to the point of craziness

Workout - lift me higher
Performing a workout routine elevates my spirits or emotional state

Here's the way it goes and baby you should know
I will enlighten you on how things work, and you ought to be aware of them

All I'm livin for is waiting on the dancefloor
The whole meaning of my existence is waiting on the dancefloor, and nothing else

Rhythm is my life, the music makes me high
Rhythm is an essential part of my life, and music has the power to uplift my state of mind

Look into my eyes, it'll should me what you're living for
If you look deep into my eyes, you can realize and understand what you are living for, based on my passions or beliefs

If you wanna party
If you want to smile, dance, and generally enjoy yourself

And you wanna party
If you still want to smile, dance, and generally enjoy yourself

Do you wanna party with me?
Are you interested in celebrating, grooving, and overall enjoying yourself with me as a partner?

Contributed by Tyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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