When speaking to Marshall Jefferson – the American producer responsible for the legendary late eighties house track, ‘Move Your Body’ – with his warm, thick Chicago accent, you might be surprised to hear that these days, he’s an adopted Mancunian. ‘I was living in London in Chelsea, paying £3500 a month for a studio apartment,’ he says. ‘I visited some friends in Manchester and saw it was a lot cheaper, then moved in 2006. Now I’m living in Prestwich, a very nice neighbourhood.’
But as one of the original architects of the house music genre, Jefferson living in Manchester also completely makes sense. ‘The crowds are just enthusiastic to house now as when I started,’ he says. ‘The only difference is that in the ’90s, you had a lot of hits: there are no hits anymore. There’s thousands of new songs every day. You can’t just hop in the music business one day and come up with a hot song because nobody will ever hear it – and they’ll forget it, because nobody’s played it twice.’
This month, Jefferson is heading over to Leeds to play the 30th anniversary party of Love To Be, the established house music party series. ‘Certain people just do great events, they have it down to a science – Love To Be is one of them,’ he says. Ahead of the night, he talks us through his favourite spots in his adopted hometown of Manchester.
Eat
‘My area is home to a lot of Orthodox Jewish people and you can get the best kosher at Shefa Mehadrin: fresh food, breads, duck eggs. It’s kinda expensive, but worth it. Otherwise, I like a Five Guys – American-style – but I know you can get that everywhere. I always go for a cheeseburger, with whatever toppings I want on it.’
Drink
‘If you wanna go out, go to Gorilla lounge on Whitworth Street. I’ve played there several times – New Year’s Eve 2020 was a highlight – and it always has good sound. If you have a good sound system, you just know you it’s going to be a good night. The backstage area is very intimate and the crowd is always enthusiastic.’
See
‘A good idea is to walk up to Heaton Park, where they host Parklife festival every year. You’ve also got the Hacienda Classical parties every two months or so, usually at at Castlefield Bowl, where they play all the hits. It’s a 50 to 70-piece orchestra playing house music and is just the best thing ever.’
Do
‘It’s always a good idea to go to Printworks, a complex with food and drink and a small cinema. There’s a really good Japanese-Korean style restaurant and it’s in walking distance to the Gorilla lounge.’
Love to Be’s 30th anniversary is on February 10 at Mint Warehouse, Leeds. Get tickets here.
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