The Beatmasters are a British electronic music group who enjoyed success in the late 1980s with four Top 20 singles. They also produced and remixed records for many other artists. Recorded in 1986 and released the following year, the single "Rok da House" with The Cookie Crew, ranked #5 in the UK, is one of the earliest examples of hip house, a subgenre of house dominated by rap vocals. Further hits for The Beatmasters include "Burn It Up", sung by 1960s stalwart P.P. Arnold (#14), "Who's in the House" with MC Merlin (#8) and "Hey DJ!/Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)" (#7), sung by Betty Boo. These hits, plus "Warm Love" with Claudia Fontaine (#51), were collected on the debut album Anywayawanna (1989), charted at #30 and followed by Life & Soul (1991), featuring "Dunno What It Is About You" (with Elaine Vassell, #43) and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (with JC-001, #62). 2004 saw the release of the compilation Anywayawanna - The Best of the Beatmasters. Also known as remixers, The Beatmasters have worked with The Shamen, Marc Almond, Pet Shop Boys, Blur, Roachford, Naomi Campbell, Moby, Aswad, Eternal, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Scooch and Girls Aloud. For want of a new title, the band has turned to production.
