Club Nouveau
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2008) |
| Club Nouveau | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sacramento, California |
| Genres | R&B, dance, new jack swing, pop |
| Years active | 1986–1990 |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records (1986–1990) |
Club Nouveau is an R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and Valerie Watson. Additional members include James L. Richard II, Kevin Irving, David Agent, Walter Phillips, and Mario Corbino. The band's name (French for "New Club") was changed from its original incarnation, Jet Set, to exploit the breakup of the Timex Social Club. The group was signed by Warner Bros. Records, on which Club Nouveau released its first three albums.
Contents |
History [edit]
From its debut album, Life, Love, and Pain, which was released in 1986, the group scored four consecutive hits: "Jealousy" (essentially an answer song responding to Timex Social Club's hit "Rumors"), "Situation #9," a cover of Bill Withers's "Lean on Me," and "Why You Treat Me So Bad." The latter was interpolated by the Luniz on that group's hit single "I Got Five on It" and subsequently by Puff Daddy on "Satisfy You." The latter two both made it to #2 on the Billboard R&B chart the next year, with "Lean on Me" becoming a big Billboard Hot 100 hit. "Jealousy" also made an appearance on the soundtrack of the film Modern Girls.
Foster and McElroy soon left to form their own production team and focus on working with other acts. Prater, who had performed the lead vocals on "Lean on Me", eventually left as well to pursue a solo career. The replacements were David Agent and Kevin Irving.
The group's next albums—beginning with Listen to the Message—were laced with an evolving social consciousness, though the later albums were not as successful commercially as the group's debut. Notable recordings include a dancehall-influenced version of the gospel classic "Oh, Happy Day" from the album A New Beginning.
As of 2011, the current Club Nouveau roster consists of Jay King, Valerie Watson English, and Samuelle Prater, (vocals), with James L. Richard II, (guitar, keyboards, vocals).
Thump Records issued a greatest hits compilation album, and Club Nouveau occasionally regroups to record. The band also recorded a song for the Who's That Girl soundtrack called "Step by Step." Club Nouveau's version of "Lean on Me" won a Grammy award.[1]
Discography [edit]
Studio albums [edit]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
Record label | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [2] |
US R&B [2] |
AUS [3] |
CAN [4] |
GER [5] |
NL [6] |
NZ [7] |
||||
| 1986 | Life, Love & Pain | 6 | 2 | 90 | 13 | 65 | 69 | 9 |
|
Warner Bros. |
| 1988 | Listen to the Message | 98 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | Under a Nouveau Groove | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | A New Beginning | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | JVK |
| 1995 | Everything Is Black | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rip-It |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||||||||
Compilation albums [edit]
- The Collection Volume 1 (1998, Lightyear)
- Club Nouveau's Greatest Hits (2001, Thump)
- Share Your Love: The Ballad Collection (2004, Classic Nouveau)
- Ballads & Love Songs (2004, Thump)
Singles [edit]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [2] |
US R&B [2] |
US Dan [2] |
AUS [3] |
AUT [9] |
CAN [4] |
GER [5] |
IRE [10] |
NL [6] |
NZ [7] |
SWI [11] |
UK [12] |
|||
| 1986 | "Jealousy" | — | 8 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 80 | Life, Love & Pain |
| "Situation #9" | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Lean on Me" | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |
| "Why You Treat Me So Bad" | 39 | 2 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Heavy on My Mind" | — | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Envious" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Listen to the Message | |
| "For the Love of Francis" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "It's a Cold, Cold World!" | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989 | "No Friend of Mine" | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Under a Nouveau Groove |
| "Under a Nouveau Groove" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Oh Happy Day" | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | A New Beginning |
| 1993 | "When Will You Come Back to Me?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | "Ghetto Swang" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Everything Is Black |
| 1995 | "Let It Go" (featuring Thrill Da Playa of the 69 Boyz) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | "What Kind of Love (Secret Rendezvous)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Collection Volume 1 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||||||||||||
See also [edit]
- Club Nouveau Official Facebook Page
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
References [edit]
- ^ "Bill Withers Biography". Billwithers.com. pp. 8th Paragraph;Last Sentence. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
- ^ a b c d e "US Charts > Club Nouveau". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Club Nouveau". RPM. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ a b "GER Charts > Club Nouveau". Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ a b "NL Charts > Club Nouveau". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ a b "NZ Charts > Club Nouveau". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ "US Certifications > Club Nouveau". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ "AUT Charts > Club Nouveau". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ "IRE Charts Search > Club Nouveau". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ^ "SWI Charts > Club Nouveau". Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ "UK Charts > Club Nouveau". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
