Michael Gray ‘The Weekend’ | The Making Of ’00s Dance Anthem

This is the story behind one of the ’00s most recognisable dance tracks, Michael Gray’s ‘The Weekend’.

Gray tell us how ‘The Weekend’ was once a forgotten project on his hard drive, originally inspired by Oliver Cheetham’s ‘Get Down Saturday Night’.

The original version of the track used a simple vocal hook, which when pressed up as a white label took Ibiza by storm in summer 2003.

Subsequently given an official release with expanded vocals, ‘The Weekend’ challenged the likes of Beyoncé and Eminem in the UK charts. Gray also tells us of his awkward Top of the Pops experience, the iconic music video, and how the track is still championed today by some of the world’s biggest DJs.

Electronic music history is rich with unforgettable and timeless classics like these. In our Making Of A Dance Classic series, DJ Mag explores the tales behind some of the world’s favourite tracks, told by the people that made them. You can watch the episode above, and subscribe to DJ Mag’s YouTube channel for more exclusive content here.

Check out more in this Originals with General Levy, Crystal Waters, Ultra Naté, Faithless, and more, here.