Tuesday, 31 August 2021

N-Joi/Saffron

N-Joi is an English rave / techno band formed in 1989 by Nigel Champion and Mark Franklin. Their early material was highly influential in the UK rave scene, with many bands inspired by their sound and live performance. Republica vocalist Saffron (Samantha Spracking, Jun 3) started her career by performing live with the band. N-Joi is mainly remembered for the piano track "Anthem" from that period. They also scored two #1 hits on the US Dance chart with "Mindflux" (only released in US) in February 1992 and the remixed "New Anthem" in March 1996.
Saffron went on to become lead singer for the elctronica group, Republica are best known the "Ready to go". However, their biggest hit in the UK was "Drop dead gorgeous", which reached #7 in 1997.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Mar 1991   23	Adrenalin (EP)
Apr 1991    8	Anthem
Feb 1992   12	Live In Manchester (Parts 1 + 2)
Jul 1993   33	The Drumstruck (EP)
90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Mar 1997   13	Ready To Go
May 1997    7	Drop Dead Gorgeous
Oct 1998   20	From Rush Hour With Love

What happened next?
In 2006, N-Joi returned to the top of the Official UK Dance Chart with a set of remixes of their biggest hit "Anthem". Saffron left Republica in 2001 but rejoined in 2008.

Monday, 30 August 2021

Nightcrawlers

Nightcrawlers is a house music project, assembled by Scottish born (Sep 6) producer, DJ and vocalist John Reid. The debut single "Living Inside a Dream" was not a success but the 1992 dance song "Push the Feeling On" fared much better. In its original release, the song reached #7 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and briefly crossed over to pop radio, peaking at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Push The Feeling On" was then remixed by Mark Kinchen (MK), an American producer, who totally reinvented the track, stripping down the song to edited vocal samples, creating an unusual sounding track. MK's "Dub Of Doom" mix in 1992, was heavily played underground for a number of years in the UK, and reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1994 when commercially released. It was then re-released with new mixes in early 1995, making UK #3 and #1 on the UK Dance chart. MK continued to remix the Nightcrawlers singles with "Surrender Your Love" (UK #7, also UK Dance #1), "Don't Let The Feeling Go" (UK #13), "Let's Push It" (UK #23) and "Should I Ever (Fall in Love)" (UK #34). MK also worked closely with John Reid on the Nightcrawlers album "Let's Push It", repeatedly remixing tracks to his trademark sound.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Oct 1994   22	Push The Feeling On
Mar 1995    3	Push The Feeling On (remix)
May 1995    7	Surrender Your Love
Sep 1995   13	Don't Let The Feeling Go
Jan 1996   23	Let's Push It
Jul 1996   30	Keep On Pushing Your Love (featuring Alysha Warren)
Aug 1996   34	Should I Ever (Fall In Love)

What happened next?
In 2004, thanks to new remixes of the track, Nightcrawlers's "Push The Feeling On" re-entered the U.S. Dance chart, this time reaching #1. In 2021, the MK remix of "Push the Feeling On" was sampled by British producer Henry 'Riton' Smithson, who had teamed up with social media stars Mufasa and Hypeman to record the track, called "Friday" and was credited as Riton X Nightcrawlers featuring Mufasa and Hypeman. It reached #4 in February 2021.

Sunday, 29 August 2021

Nicki French

Nicki French is an English dance singer. Best known for the 1994 dance version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", which reached the UK Top 5 and #2 in the States. It reached #1 in a number of countries including: Brazil, Canada, Japan and Spain. The dance version was a #1 on Canada Dance chart for 2 weeks in August 1995.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Jan 1995    5	Total Eclipse Of The Heart

What happened next?
Nicki French went on to represent the UK in the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest with "Don't Play That Song Again". It reached #34 in the UK chart. She has become a bit of fixture in Eurovision scene, co-hosting the London Eurovision Party. She has made numerous roles in musicals and pantomime. "Haunted Heart" was her most recent release in 2020.

Saturday, 28 August 2021

New Order

New Order is an English band formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris after the demise of Joy Division. New Order's integration of post-punk with electronic and dance music made them one of the most acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s.
They continued their success into the 1990s, starting by making a football song actually cool when they teamed up with England Football Team for the UK chart topper "World in Motion", which included a rap from John Barnes in 1990. They followed up with a UK #4 hit "Regret" which with "World" reached #1 on the US Dance chart. Remixes of "True Faith" and "Blue Monday" were released in 1994 and 1995. The latter reaching #1 on the UK dance chart.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Jun 1990    1	World In Motion
Apr 1993    4	Regret
Jul 1993   22	Ruined In A Day
Sep 1993   13	World (The Price Of Love)
Dec 1993   22	Spooky
Nov 1994    9	True Faith (remix)
Jan 1995   21	Nineteen63
Aug 1995   17	Blue Monday (2nd remix)

What happened next?
New Order released the single "Be a Rebel" 5 years after their previous release in September 2020. A music video for the single, directed by NYSU, premiered on YouTube on December 2. IN 2021, New Order announced their plans to release a live album and concert film of their 2018 show at London’s Alexandra Palace, directed by Mike Christie. Entitled Education Entertainment Recreation (Live at Alexandra Palace), it will be released on May 7.

Friday, 27 August 2021

New Atlantic/Berri

New Atlantic was an English rave band from Southport created by Cameron Saunders and Richard Lloyd. They are best known for their hit "I Know", which reached UK #12 in March 1992. The song crossed over to the United States, where it reached #15 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in June 1992. They would produce Berri's UK top 5 hit, a dance cover of Elkie Brooks' "Sunshine after the rain" (originally written by Ellie Greenwich).
Berri (Rebecca Sleight) is an English singer. Along with "Sunshine after the rain", she had another top 20 hit with "Shine like a star".

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Feb 1992   12	I Know
Nov 1994   26	The Sunshine After The Rain New Atlantic / U4EA featuring Berri
Sep 1995    4	The Sunshine After The Rain
Dec 1995   20	Shine Like A Star

What happened next?
In 2000, Berri recorded the dance track "Do U Believe" with Plasma. In 2014, Berri provided vocals to "The Perfect Kiss" for Mono Life. In 2017, Berri returned to the stage appearing at the 'Return to the 80s and 90s' festival in Leicester in August 2017. Afterwards, she worked with a number of bands, including Degrassi, hailing from Tooting Bec. Berri also performed and recorded as part of the folk duo The Raggy Anns.
Cameron Saunders more recently has been a part of the group, The Young Punx.

Neneh Cherry

Neneh Mariann Cherry (nee Karlsson) or just Neneh Cherry is a Swedish born (Mar 10) singer. She is from a very successful family with jazz trumpeter Don Cherry as step-father and Eagle- Eye Cherry as a step brother and of course her daughter Mabel successful right now. After the success of her debut album "Raw Like Sushi" and its lead single "Buffalo Stance", she had a top 25 hit in the UK with a reworking of Cole Porter's "I've got you under my skin" from the "Red Hot + Blue" AIDS fundraising album. Her second album, "Homebrew", featured the songs "Money Love" and "Buddy X". Her biggest hits came from collaborations with Youssou N'Dour on "7 seconds" reaching #3 in the UK and her only #1 in the UK to date was with Cher and Chrissie Hynde with Eric Clapton on "Love can build a bridge" in 1995. Her third album, "Man" served up another UK Top 10 in "Woman". In 1999, Dreem Teem remixed and produced a 1999 version of "Buddy X"

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Sep 1990   25	I've Got You Under My Skin
Oct 1992   23	Money Love
Jun 1993   35	Buddy X
Jun 1994    3	7 Seconds (Youssou N'Dour featuring Neneh Cherry)
Mar 1995    1	Love Can Build A Bridge (Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton)
Aug 1996    9	Woman
Dec 1996   38	Kootchi
Nov 1999   15	Buddy X 99 (Dreem Teem vs Neneh Cherry)

What happened next?
Neneh Cherry is still recording to this day. Her last solo effort was "Kong" in 2018 from the album, "Broken Politics". She was featured artist on the Avalanches' "Wherever you go".

Wednesday, 25 August 2021

Naughty By Nature

Naughty By Nature is an American hip hop trio consisting of Treach (Anthony Criss), Vin Rock (Vincent Brown), and DJ Kay Gee (Keir Lamont Gist). Originally their were named "The New Style". They are best known for the hits "O.P.P." and "Hip Hop Hooray". "O.P.P." sampled the Jackson 5's "ABC" reached #6 on the US chart. Naughty By Natures settled out of court when Tony D accused them of stealing a sample from his album "Music Makes You Move". "Hip Hop Hooray" reached the top 20 in the UK and #8 in the States. Its video was directed by Spike Lee and featured cameos by their mentor, Queen Latifah, Eazy-E, Run-D.M.C., and Da Youngstas.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Jun 1992   35	O.P.P.
Jan 1993   22	Hip Hop Hooray
Nov 1993   20	Hip Hop Hooray (remix)
Apr 1995   23	Feel Me Flow

What happened next?
Kay Gee left in Naughty By Nature late 2000. In 2001, "Here comes the money" was used as the ring entrance theme for WWE's Shane McMahon. The group disbanded in 2002. In May 2006, Kay Gee reunited with Treach and rejoined Naughty by Nature at a concert at B.B. King's nightclub. They released couple more projects, "The mixtape" and seventh album, "Anthem Inc". Vin Rock fell out and left in 2013 but returned in 2015. On May 2, 2019, the Mixtape Tour commenced in Cincinnati, OH. Performers on this tour include Naughty by Nature, Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany, with New Kids on the Block being billed as the headline performers.