Marcella Woods is the voice behind some of the most recognisable anthems from the golden era of dance music, including Beautiful, Liberation (Fly Like An Angel) and El Niño.
In this episode of the Dexter Jones Podcast, Marcella tells the incredible stories behind those records, including how Liberation was recorded in just 20 minutes and how the vocal for Beautiful was nailed on the very first take.
Marcella also takes us back to the clubs that shaped her, from Bagley's and Strawberry Sundae to Freedom and The Fridge, and explains how a chance introduction eventually led her to Matt Darey and a string of records that would become part of dance music history.
But Marcella's story hasn't stopped there.
Now in her 50s, she's taken on an entirely new challenge: becoming a DJ. After just six hours of intensive training before her first gig, she's gone on to play festivals and events, finding herself handing over the decks to artists including Mauro Picotto, Dave Pearce and Signum.
We also talk about why dance vocalists haven't always received the recognition they deserve, Marcella's extraordinary classical musical background, the realities of balancing music with family life, and why she's still every bit as passionate about dance music today.
A brilliant conversation with one of the voices behind the soundtrack to a generation.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Liberation Was Recorded in 20 Minutes
00:18 Marcella Woods & The Story of Beautiful
02:35 From Vocalist to DJ
04:37 Bagley's & The Golden Era of Clubbing
07:12 Marcella's New Life Behind the Decks
09:56 Hearing Your Own Voice on a Dancefloor
10:49 Do Dance Vocalists Get Enough Recognition?
12:14 Singing vs DJing
14:09 Nine Gigs a Weekend
15:53 Could Beautiful Be a Hit Today?
17:24 Marcella's Classical Music Background
19:03 The Truth About El Niño & Beautiful
20:21 Liberation: 20 Minutes to Record a Classic
22:08 How Marcella Became a Recording Artist
25:03 Family, Touring & Music as an Escape
27:30 Classical Training Meets Dance Music
29:34 What DJing Has Taught Marcella
