Fingers, Inc. - It's Over

UN - 110

A perfect example of how the last post’s song wound up all over early Chicago house is this track by Fingers Inc.  Although the prominent bassline and keyboard riff were taken directly from the First Choice original, this song is not simply influenced by Let No Man Put Asunder nor is it a cover version.  It’s more of an “answer song” directed at the woman in the original song.  Answer songs (extremely popular in the 60’s) had a brief resurgence in underground music in the mid eighties beginning with the Roxanne Wars in NY Hip Hop which began in 1984.  This song was released in 1985 but like many Chicago releases of this period, it had a lot of play in clubs long prior to ever being pressed.

Fingers Inc. was a loose group of artists typically including Robert Owens or Ron Wilson but centered around keyboardist/producer Larry Heard.  The vocalist here is Robert Owens who was responsible for several other big hits from the period including Bring Down the Walls and I’ll Be Your Friend.  He recorded under his own name as well as with various groups.

Likewise, Larry Heard’s prolific output was released under a variety of names: Fingers Inc., Mr. Fingers, Fingers, The It, and even simply Larry Heard.  As time went on Larry’s “Fingers” persona produced more and more instrumental music but much of his early stuff is like this record with soulful male vocals and production focused on melody in contrast to other artists’ tracks of the time focused on rhythm.  That’s not to say he didn’t know how to produce a great beat!  While Heard was certainly capable of rocking the house (the acid-influenced Washing Machine was HUGE as was Mystery of Love), he was probably better known for his ethereal and hypnotic synth arrangements (Beyond the Clouds, What About This Love).  The It's-Over versions on this record's B-side give a hint of the densely layered and soulful synths that would become Larry Heard's trademark in time.

Larry Heard was a frequent collaborator and produced tracks for artists on almost every Chicago label.  Unlike many of his contemporaries from the mid-eighties Chicago House scene, Larry Heard continued to produce and release music on a consistent basis into the new century.   His output has slowed since 2005 but he continues to pop up and his tracks continue to make it onto playlists.

Track List
Side A
It's Over (Dub)
It's Over

Side B
All-Over
All-Over (Accapella)
All-Over (Dub)

Side A&B