[Show Notes] Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle

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Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle
Queue PointsOctober 26, 202600:23:56
Artist Deep Dives & Legacy,

Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle

DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray on Shannon's "Let the Music Play": Chris Barbosa's bedroom beat, the songwriter who couldn't take credit and the session singer on the hook.

The Big Picture

DJ Sir Daniel was eight and Jay Ray was six when Shannon's "Let the Music Play" came out of New York in 1983. On Show #247 they trace the record from Chris Barbosa's Bronx bedroom to No. 1 on Billboard's dance chart, No. 2 R&B and No. 8 on the Hot 100, and on to the sound that became known as freestyle. Along the way they tell the two stories behind the song: who wrote the lyrics, and who actually sings the hook. They end with the arena tours where freestyle fans still turn out, and a tribute to Barbosa, who died in 2024.

Show Notes

Editor's note: These show notes were developed using AI assistance and were subsequently reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by the Queue Points team to ensure accuracy and voice.

1983 New York on Friday Night Videos

Sir Daniel grew up without cable, so the latest videos came from Friday Night Videos on NBC and New York Hot Tracks. Among the Madonna, George Michael and Boy George clips came Shannon, a Black woman singing what he calls a "rhythm and romance" song. He remembers it on the radio of Mr. Francis, who drove him to and from school, and says it "had us in a chokehold for a cool six months." Jay Ray was playing his own 45s, first on a Fisher-Price record player and then on a mini stereo in his room.

"Fire and Ice": A Beat Built in the Bronx

The song started as "Fire and Ice," an instrumental demo Chris Barbosa made in his bedroom studio on gear his grandmother helped him buy: a Roland JX-3P, a TB-303, an MC-202 and a CR-8000. Barbosa told Red Bull Music Academy that "the drum sound on 'Let the Music Play' came from 'Looking for the Perfect Beat' by Arthur Baker," the record Baker produced with John Robie for Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. Producer Mark Liggett took the demo forward, and John "Jellybean" Benitez played it at the Funhouse before its release. Jay Ray argues the result "still sounds like the future." Sir Daniel adds a later echo: the dance break in Janet Jackson's 2001 "All for You" video briefly samples "Let the Music Play," alongside "Centipede," "The Pleasure Principle" and "Go Deep."

Who Wrote It, and Who Sings the Hook

Shannon, born Brenda Shannon Greene, was a student at York College and, by her account, "working full-time as a bookkeeper" when she auditioned for Liggett after a friend of his saw her rehearsing with a jazz ensemble. The song is credited to Barbosa and Ed Chisolm. Shannon has said the lyrics were written by Chisolm's sister, Ann Godwin, who was signed to Jobete Music, Motown's publishing company, and so gave her brother the credit. The second story: the "let the music play" hook is sung by session singer and guitarist Jimi Tunnell, and Shannon ad-libs around it. As Barbosa put it, "Part of the 'Shannon sound' was the sound of Jimi Tunnell, who is a man."

The Shannon Sound and Freestyle Today

The record's gated TR-808 and TB-303 bassline became known as "the Shannon Sound," later called freestyle. Sir Daniel hears hip hop at its root and a "tropicalness" in the music, and points to the freestyle tours that still draw crowds. Shannon has played those bills alongside Lisa Lisa, Exposé and Stevie B, and Freestyle Explosion lineups have also included The Cover Girls and J.J. Fad. The album Let the Music Play earned Shannon a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, at the 1985 Grammys, and Rolling Stone ranked the single No. 6 on its 2022 list of the 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time. Jay Ray closes on Barbosa and the people who heard something in that demo and were "pouring into that young man."

FAQ

Who sings the hook on "Let the Music Play"?

Session singer and guitarist Jimi Tunnell sings the "let the music play" line. Shannon sings the lead and ad-libs around it.

Who wrote "Let the Music Play"?

It is credited to Chris Barbosa and Ed Chisolm and was produced by Barbosa and Mark Liggett. Shannon has said Chisolm's sister, Ann Godwin, wrote the lyrics but couldn't take credit because she was signed to Jobete Music.

How did "Let the Music Play" chart?

It reached No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart in October 1983, No. 2 R&B, and No. 8 on the Hot 100 in February 1984. It was certified gold.

Did Shannon win a Grammy?

No. The album Let the Music Play earned her one nomination, Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, at the 1985 Grammys.

Does Janet Jackson sample "Let the Music Play"?

The "All for You" music video does, in its dance break. The record itself samples Change's "The Glow of Love."

The Ultimate Takeaway

"In this life you have a choice. You can either pick up the needle or you can let the music play." – DJ Sir Daniel

Bibliography & References

People & Places

Important References

Other References & Music

Images of Shannon in Germany 1984

Shannon in Darmstadt
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