Michael Gray's ‘The Weekend’ has become more than just a seminal clubbing anthem. ‘The Weekend’ has become a soundtrack for many a night out, an evergreen, life anthem for a whole generation, a record that has stayed popular since the naughties through its sheer brilliance and been brought back to the attention to a new generation through social media like TikTok. Now with a new home on Dutch label, Altra Moda Music, the worldwide dance hit has had new life breathed into it with remixes from the legendary MousseT, UK’s Low Steppa, Berlin’s Mat.Joe and a new live strings/dance version from Michael himself. As Michael goes on to say in his own words:
“I have been working with live strings and horn sections a lot recently and it occurred to me to try ‘The Weekend’ as a totally different concept while keeping the integrity of the original…and it worked! I got chills when I first heard Stephen Hussey's (Soul to Soul) arrangement. I think it makes Shena’s lead vocal (and Xavier’s BV's) sound so good! I asked friends Mousse T, Low Steppa & Mat.Joe if they would like to have a go at remixing it and they all delivered awesome versions. When I made the record back in 2004 I didn’t realise how much this record would endure and appeal to younger and younger generations in its original form alone. I still get a buzz, particularly when I see DJ’s such as Claptone and Low Steppa playing it to huge crowds. Radio play has been amazing over the years too. It makes me smile that there are thousands of TikTok videos to it as well!”
