John Rocca became known first as a dance music performer, remixer, and record producer. During the early 1980s, Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first band, Freeez. After his first self-funded and self-released effort, "Keep in Touch", a No. 49 hit in the UK Singles Chart, his next effort, "Southern Freeez" was a chart success in various other countries in Europe, reaching No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 1983, one of the first records to use digital sampling, "IOU", featured Rocca's falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play, and had popular music chart success across the world spending three weeks at number 2 in the UK.