RS: What musically were you working on at that time?
Screamin’ Rachael: I was doing my own label at the time called Screamin’ Gold and had a pretty big hit in Europe with another artist that I had signed to the label, called Jared and the song “Fly So High.” Because of that I was out in France for Midem and I ran into Larry, who asked me to come back to Chicago and record for Trax. I told him I would do it if he would make me President of the company. I always loved house and I saw the scene around me in New York kind of crumbling in a very negative way and it was for me time to change.
RS: So, I’m going back in your history, back in 1984 you got your first single…
Screamin’ Rachael: Right.
RS: Twenty years later comes your debut album.
Screamin’ Rachael: Well, this really isn’t my debut album, because I have had albums out in Europe. It is my American debut though, because I did an album for Teldec in Germany and I did one for Miracle in France. But truly, but it is my American debut, so that part’s correct.
RS: What about 2004 makes is the perfect year for your American debut?
Screamin’ Rachael: I think because house is back. I think the spirit never really never died and I think the love is really back. Just recently, I went on Jeannie Hopper’s show. Do you know her show in New York?
RS: Of course, Liquid Sound Lounge on WBAI.
Screamin’ Rachael: Yes. So when I was on her show a few months ago, we did a pledge drive for her with Trax CDs. Here we are in New York and I’m getting so much love from New Yorkers, calling in, and we raised $13,000 for that station in two hours. So to me it was the love, the outpouring of all these New Yorkers who were like, Screamin’ Rachael, the real house music from Chicago. So I think it’s a timing thing. Maybe because we were kids when we started, we had some growing up to do and maybe along the way, we kind of lost ourselves, but now I think we’re all back and we’ve found ourselves. Plus there's so many great new people that I’m working with. I think it’s an exciting time for house.
RS: Where did the idea for the first single “Don’t Make Me Lonely” come from?
Screamin’ Rachael: It’s a wild story. It is a cover of a song that was done in Italy and then sent to me. Actually, it was more of a demo that was sent to me. I found so much of myself in it, that I had to record it and work with it. Some people weren’t sure if it was really a good song, but I believed in it. I feel it and it really touched me. I am really glad that I recorded it because so many people have written that it touched them
