Various Artists - 12 Inch Lovers 12 (2LP) [541]

Format: 2x12".

Features music from: Borai & Denham Audio, Smoke City, Chris Raven, Grooveyard, Dave Swayze, Joe Goddard, Just A Man, Teddy Pendergrass

Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, always highly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have become a reference and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 11 and 12, they surprise once again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have either never been released on vinyl or are very hard to get. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are indispensable for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics.

SAMPLER 12

A1) Borai & Denham Audio - Make Me (original release 2023)
Released in 2023 by the British label Room Two Records (catalogue R212001) on twelve-inch vinyl, Make Me combines high-energy breakbeat, house, and speed garage, with a clear use of Amen breaks, a rumbling sub-bass, and sharp rave sounds. At the heart of the track is an instantly recognizable mid-eighties vocal hook, taken from Donna Allen - Serious (1986). The result feels like a nineties rave anthem wrapped in a modern sound.

The original twelve-inch edition quickly became a highly sought-after piece and received a limited repress on pink vinyl in 2025. This track, initially released only on orange vinyl in 2023, was officially re-released once all samples were cleared. It has all the ingredients of a future classic, a true underground anthem for fans of modern UK rave and jungle energy.

A2) Smoke City - Mr. Gorgeous (and Miss Curvaceous) (Mood II Swing Vocal Mix) (original release 1997)
Originally released in 1997 on Smoke City’s album Flying Away. The Mood II Swing remix, produced by the New York duo John Ciafone and Lem Springsteen (also producers of Ultra Naté - Free), takes the song straight to the dance floor with a smooth groove, soulful vocals, and a hypnotic and deep flow.

The iconic line “Cool and calm, Mr Gorgeous…” remains intact, while the remix amplifies the band’s original Latin and trip hop influences with that characteristic late-nineties house atmosphere. The result is a timeless club favorite, almost nine minutes of pure vibe (the Mood II Swing Vocal Mix lasts 9 minutes and 20 seconds), adored by DJs looking to add a soulful touch to their house sets.

Released by Jive Records, the track received high praise. Music Week highlighted its “tight ay ay ay hook” and noted that the Mood II Swing and Hyperspace remixes made it a standout track. The original version reached number one in Italy in 1997, and the Mood II Swing remix has since achieved cult status in the Belgian scene and beyond, as the perfect blend of soul and dancefloor energy.

B1) Chris Raven - I Know You Love Me Too (Bruce Norris Remix) (original release 1997)
Christian Raabe, known as Chris Raven, is a German producer who stood out in the late nineties progressive trance scene.

The Bruce Norris Remix of I Know You Love Me Too (Additive Records, catalogue 12AD 027) first appeared in late 1997 and was officially released in early 1998. The remix builds a euphoric atmosphere with a beautiful melody, dreamy pads, and powerful drums, all typical of the progressive trance sound of that era.

The track gained additional attention when it appeared on Sasha and John Digweed's Northern Exposure 3: Expeditions in 1999. Many fans discovered it there (especially the Van Bellen remix), helping to solidify I Know You Love Me Too’s cult status within the progressive and trance community.

B2) Grooveyard - Mary Go Wild (original release 1996)
One of the most recognizable and iconic tracks in the history of Belgian and Dutch underground house is undoubtedly Mary Go Wild, released in 1996 by EC Records. It quickly became the defining anthem of the rave scene in the Netherlands and Belgium.

With a raw groove around 133 BPM, four-to-the-floor drums, and the hypnotic vocal sample “Mary… go wild!”, this track ignited dancefloors in the nineties. Producer Jeroen Verheij, also known as Secret Cinema (author of the classic Timeless Attitude), perfectly captured the raw energy of the European house movement of that era.

Today, Mary Go Wild remains a symbol of pure rave power, a timeless anthem that, as one collector on Discogs commented, “still works on any dancefloor.” The original editions on EC Records and subsequent releases on Blanco Y Negro are highly sought after, and the track remains a staple in retro house and classics sets.

C1) Dave Swayze - Last Flight To Paris (original release 2000)
Dave Swayze, known for his classic Goldwave, has several hidden treasures, and Last Flight To Paris is undoubtedly one of them. Released in November 2000 by the Belgian label Yeti Records, it is a subtle blend of trance and progressive house. It stands out for its emotional melody, a dreamy build-up, and powerful percussion, built on progressive trance foundations but with the warmth and groove of house.

At the time, Last Flight To Paris was widely played by progressive trance DJs and quickly became a cult favorite among vinyl collectors of the genre. Original editions on Yeti Records are now extremely rare and highly coveted. The mix of emotion, euphoria, and timeless energy makes it a hidden gem from the 1999 and 2000 trance era.

C2) Joe Goddard - Music Is The Answer (Hot Since 82 Remix) (original release 2017)
This remix by Hot Since 82 (Daley Padley, from Barnsley in northern England) for Joe Goddard's Music Is The Answer is partly inspired by the original classic Celeda - Music Is The Answer (Danny Tenaglia Remix). It was released in February 2017 as a digital exclusive via Domino Records.

Hot Since 82 transformed the original version — a vocal house track by Joe Goddard, a member of Hot Chip — into a deep, grooving track with a warm, enveloping bassline. Joe Goddard's (featuring SLO) soulful vocals take on a melancholic tone in this remix, creating a modern classic full of emotion and rhythm.

The remix became a club favorite throughout 2017 and 2018, supported by major names in the tech house scene and played at festivals worldwide. Interestingly, this very popular version had never been released on vinyl, which increased its cult status. Music Is The Answer (Hot Since 82 Remix) was a digital classic for years, until now, finally available in this long-awaited vinyl edition.

D1) Just A Man - I’m Sorry (Original Club Mix) (original release early 2000s)
Just A Man, a French project formed by brothers Hervé and Nicolas Subrechicot. Their track I’m Sorry is an emotionally charged house track that perfectly captures the atmosphere of early 2000s clubs.

Released in 2003, it combines soulful male vocals with a warm, rhythmic production that blends UK garage and classic house influences. The Original Club Mix (6 minutes and 14 seconds) gradually builds to a powerful and uplifting climax, sustained by rich chords and an irresistible groove.

Although it went somewhat unnoticed at the time, it is considered by connoisseurs to be a hidden gem, a perfect balance between melody and groove. The twelve-inch vinyl (RKG / Motor Music, 2003) is now hard to find and highly prized among house and vinyl collectors.

I’m Sorry embodies the pure sound of early 2000s vocal house: heartfelt, funky, and danceable, with that unmistakable touch of UK garage, even more evident in the G Box Garage Club Remix included on the same EP. An unfairly underrated track that has always been a timeless classic since the early days of 12 Inch Lovers.

D2) Teddy Pendergrass - Life Is A Song Worth Singing (Jamie Jones Remix) (original release 2019)
In 2019, Jamie Jones breathed new life into this classic soul track by Teddy Pendergrass with a contemporary house rework. The remix was released in March 2019 as part of the digital EP Mixmag Presents: Teddy Pendergrass - The Remixes, launched in honor of the documentary If You Don’t Know Me, about the rise of Teddy Pendergrass, the first African-American male artist to achieve five consecutive platinum albums in the United States during the seventies.

Jamie Jones remained true to the feel-good essence of the 1978 original but enveloped it in a modern club sound, with pulsating synthesizers, a warm groove, and a four-to-the-floor foundation perfect for Teddy’s powerful and unmistakable voice.

The result is a soulful and captivating house track that connects past and present without losing the emotional power of Pendergrass’s performance.

Despite its enormous popularity on the international scene — where it became a favorite among DJs who enjoy combining soul with house — this remix had never been released on vinyl. Until now, with its long-awaited appearance on 12 Inch Lovers Sampler 12.