Supergroup The Syncopation Rebels (Martha Johnson, Mark Gane, Chloe Kay, Alex Exists, John Orpheus) Reimagine Goldfrapp’s “Number 1”
Choosing a song to put your own signature or stamp on can be daunting. One often has to walk the line between not being a mirror image of the original but not going overboard and completely renovating the arrangement. For the highbrow pop supergroup known as The Syncopation Rebels, they’ve walked that line perfectly with a stunning cover of Goldfrapp’s “Number 1.” It’s guaranteed to leave you putting the song in rotation if not on a loop.
The group, consisting of Toronto-based Martha and the Muffins’ members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane, British-born and British-based vocalist Chloe Kay (formerly of electronic duo This Sound Will Save You), Toronto-based musician Alex Exists (The Nursery, The Ruby Spirit) and Trinidad-born, Kitchener, Ontario-based hip-hop/Afrobeat artist and author John Orpheus, have outdone themselves here. While Goldfrapp’s version released in 2005 is fueled by its synth groove, The Syncopation Rebels’ “Number 1” ups the ante by upping the tempo.
“My initial reaction after hearing the original version by Goldfrapp was that we should speed up the tempo and vary the underlying chord structure a bit, which helped with the dynamics and arrangement,” Gane says. “The unique tonalities and personalities of the singers really helped to add different colours to the song as well.”
“This track radiates that unmistakable Bolan-esque cool, capturing the carefree energy of summer nights when you and your partner feel on top of the world,” Exists adds. “It’s a bold, unapologetic love anthem about showing someone they’re your number one and you’d do anything to prove it. It’s a song made for those moments when love feels invincible.”
“Number 1” shines thanks to the shimmering, summery feel and cavity-inducing structure. The female/male dual vocals throughout bring to mind bands like Stars, Roxette, and The Human League as Johnson, Gane, Orpheus, Exists and Kay all provide vocals to the jewel with a chorus that’s pure synth-pop heaven. As Johnson says, Exists added “his cool crooner voice,” Orpheus “sang his verse with warmth and richness” while she “added a layer of temptation to my delivery” of the suggestive lyrics. “We all circled around the mic for the choruses, putting a cherry on top of this sundae song. When Chloe sang her haunting contribution in her home studio in the UK, it lifted the song into another plane.”
Gane also provides electric guitar, while Exists adds piano and acoustic guitar. Mike Schlosser (who produced, recorded, and mixed “Number 1”) played keyboards, bass, electric guitars, and percussion, and added programming while Joel Jeschke played drums. “Number 1,” written by Alison Goldfrapp and William Owen Gregory and from Goldfrapp’s Supernature album, was recorded this past summer at Edmonton’s Little Noise and Toronto’s Revolution Recording. Reuben Ghose mastered the track at Toronto’s Mojito Mastering.
“Number 1” is the second release by The Syncopation Rebels who formed for Popguru Sound & Vision’s silver anniversary. With the members having worked together in various combinations over the years, Schlosser, a JUNO-nominated producer, had previously worked with Orpheus, Exists, and Kay. From there Johnson and Gane, who also worked with the other members over the years, were invited to participate in the group (which originally included Sam Casey, who Kay replaced). The Syncopation Rebels’ cover of Bowie’s “Sound And Vision,” released in October 2023, garnered over half a million YouTube views.
A video for “Number 1” was produced by Moon Real Media and directed by Agata Waclawska and features three riders on Vespas and the group members in different locales. But for now, The Syncopation Rebels will have to resign themselves to the fact they’ve enhanced an already brilliant song whose title will mirror its chart placement.