Michael Gray and Barbara Tucker revisit the 1994 Strictly Rhythm classic “I Get Lifted”, bringing one of soulful house music’s enduring anthems firmly into 2026.
Some house records simply refuse to disappear. Originally released in 1994, “I Get Lifted” became part of the fabric of the Strictly Rhythm era, with Louie Vega and Ron Carroll behind a record whose uplifting spirit has remained synonymous with soulful New York house ever since.
Now, more than three decades later, two genuine house music heavyweights come together to give “I Get Lifted” a new lease of life.
Michael Gray takes control of the production, wrapping the song in the kind of warm, uplifting sound that has become his calling card. Bright keys sit above a driving soulful house groove, balancing the spirit of the original with enough contemporary weight to make this feel entirely at home on today’s dancefloors.
At the centre of it all is Barbara Tucker.
Few vocalists are as intrinsically connected to house music as Tucker, whose extraordinary career stretches through Strictly Rhythm, King Street, Defected and countless defining records and collaborations. Unsurprisingly, she attacks “I Get Lifted” with the energy, soul and personality the song demands.
It’s a pairing that makes complete sense. Gray has spent decades demonstrating an instinctive understanding of disco and soulful house, while Tucker represents the very New York club culture from which records like “I Get Lifted” emerged.
Importantly, this isn’t an attempt to completely reinvent the record. The familiar feel-good character remains intact, but Gray gives it a polished 2026 makeover, with a fuller groove and uplifting musicality designed for modern sound systems.
There will always be a place on a dancefloor for house music that simply makes people feel good, and “I Get Lifted” has been doing precisely that for more than 30 years.
In the hands of Michael Gray and Barbara Tucker, it’s ready to do it all over again.
Release Date: 21st August 2026, Traxsource pre order here.
Label: Fool’s Paradise
Catalogue: FP055
Format: Digital