Soul II Soul - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) ft. Caron Wheeler

What this video is

Released 30 May 1989 on Virgin Records, 'Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)' arrived at the apex of the London sound-system scene's transition into global commercial consciousness. Soul II Soul, founded by Jazzie B, had built their collective identity through club nights at the Africa Centre in Covent Garden before their debut album 'Club Classics Vol. One' channelled that community energy into a studio format.…

Why it matters

A foundational text of British R&B and the late-1980s UK club-dance crossover, 'Back to Life' demonstrated that groove-led, community-rooted British Black music could achieve global chart dominance without adopting American production templates. Its influence on the UK garage, neo-soul, and…

The director

Big TV! is the directing partnership of Monty Whitebloom and Andy Delaney, active from the late 1980s onward. Andy Delaney is a Goldsmiths College graduate. Together they made dozens of music videos and commercials, with notable credits including Seal's…