Class Action (band) explained

Class Action Phreek
Origin:	New York City, U.S.
Years Active:	1978–1983
Past Members:	Christine Wiltshire Leroy Burgess Patrick Adams Stan Lucas Ken Mazur

Class Action and Phreek were disco and post-disco musical projects. The original Phreek comprised Christine Wiltshire, Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams, Stan Lucas, Ken Mazur and others.^[1] Class Action was directed by Larry Levan and featured Christine Wiltshire as vocalist. Both groups are best known for their club hit "Weekend", written by James Calloway and Leroy Burgess. The 1983 version was remixed by Morales and Munzibai and Larry Levan and produced by Bob Blank and Lola Blank.

History

The song "Weekend" was originally recorded on Atlantic Records by Patrick Adams' studio group Phreek of which Wiltshire was a member.^{[2] [3]} The song was heavily played by Larry Levan yet it was commercially unavailable so it did not enter any charts.^[4] In the early 1980s, William Socolov, the co-owner of Sleeping Bag Records, invited Levan to make a new version of "Weekend". This version, recorded by the studio group Class Action, which also featured Wiltshire, became more successful than the original version, peaking at No. 49 on the British pop chart^{[4] [5]} and No. 9 on the Billboard Dance chart.^[6]

Discography

Phreek

Albums

• 1978: Patrick Adams Presents Phreek (Atlantic)

Singles

• 1978: "Weekend / "Have a Good Day" (Atlantic)
• 1978: "Weekend / "May My Love Be with You" (Atlantic)
• 1983: "Weekend" (original version) (Atlantic)

Class Action

Singles

• 1983: "Weekend" (Sleeping Bag)

Track listings

Phreek version

12" single	Side A: "Weekend" (James Calloway, Leroy Burgess) – 8:12 Side B: "Have a Good Day" (Patrick Adams, Venus Dodson) – 5:44 Mix: Issy Sanchez (A), Patrick Adams (B) Producer: Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams

Class Action version

12" single	Weekday Side: "Week End" (Vocal) – 9:38 "Week End" (Dub) – 8:34 Weekend Side: "Week End" (Vocal) – 8:21 "Week End" (Acapella) – 3:03 Mix: Sergio Munzibai, John Morales (A1, A2, B2), Larry Levan (B1) Written by: James Calloway, Leroy Burgess Producer: Bob Blank, Lola Blank

Chart performance

Year	Title	Label	Peak chart positions
1978	"Weekend"		align=center	―	align=center	―
1983	"Weekend"		align=center	9	align=center	49

Legacy

• The Canadian group Killer Bunnies used the opening lyrics from "Weekend" as the basis for their 1997 single "I Can't Take the Heartbreak", which peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart that same year.
• The song is featured in the 2006 video game , on the Paradise FM radio station.^[7]
• In 1988, the song was covered by Todd Terry Project. This version also appeared in the 2004 video game , on the SF-UR radio station.^[8]
• In 2004, Class Action's version was reissued on the Warlock record label.

Notes and References

1. Production notes on Phreek' records issued by Atlantic Records.
2. Book: Lawrence, Tim. 2003. Love saves the day: a history of American dance music culture, 1970-1979. registration. Duke University Press, 2003. 0-8223-3198-5. 356.
3. Feb 5, 1983. Billboard. 95. 51. Nightclubbing. 0006-2510.
4. Book: Lawrence, Tim. 2009. Hold on to your dreams: Arthur Russell and the downtown music scene, 1973-1992. registration. Duke University Press, 2009. 978-0-89820-160-4. 226.
5. Web site: Class Action - full Official Chart History. Official Charts Company. 2011-08-30.
6. Web site: Class Action Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography. Music VF. 27 September 2021.
7. Web site: The Music of GTA: Vice City Stories . IGN. 27 September 2021. 26 October 2006.
8. Feb 26, 1983. CMJ New Music Monthly. 29. 6. Nightclubbing. 1074-6978.