‘Nobody believed I sang it’: how Move Your Body blew dancefloors away

‘It was the 80s version of going viral’ … Marshall Jefferson in 1986; he was credited as the sole singer, despite Curtis McClain’s vocals. Photograph: Bob Berg/Getty Images

Marshall Jefferson, songwriter, producer

I first heard the term “house music” in Chicago in 1983 when I was working at a post office. There was this girl there who dressed crazy, with her hair different colours. She said she was going to the Music Box, where they played “house music”. I went along and the bass was so loud it physically moved you back a couple of inches. I got into house from that point on. Jesse Saunders made the first house record – 1984’s On and On – but lots of us thought we could do better.