Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb | |
|---|---|
 Nitzer Ebb live 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chelmsford, Essex, England, UK |
| Genres | EBM, industrial dance, electronic, industrial rock |
| Years active | 1982–1995, 2006-present |
| Labels | Mute Records Geffen Records (US) |
| Members | Bon Harris Douglas McCarthy David Gooday Simon Granger |
| Past members | Jason Payne Duc Nhan Nguyen Julian Beeston |
Nitzer Ebb (/ˈnaɪtsər ɛb, ˈnɪt-/) are a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals), Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums).
Early singles
The group released their demo Basic Pain Procedure in 1983,[1] but it was two years until they met PWL producer Phil Harding, who produced their 1985 debut single "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works?" and helped them set up their own label, Power Of Voice Communications. The band at the time was inspired by the post-punk scene and specifically acts like "Siouxsie and the Banshees, Killing Joke and Bauhaus who were having a big influence on us, in some ways stylistically but also in the energy that they gave".[2]
They released three more singles on their own label, "Warsaw Ghetto" (1985), "Warsaw Ghetto Remixes" (1986) and "Let Your Body Learn" (1986), before signing to Mute Records in 1986. The singles "Murderous" (1986) and "Let Your Body Learn" (1987) followed, building their reputation in the Industrial Rock, Electronic Body Music and Hard Beat scenes,[3] as well as making inroads into the developing Chicago House scene.[4]
"Join In The Chant" (1987) became part of the Balearic beat scene that influenced the UK acid house scene.[5][6]
International success
Their debut album That Total Age was released in 1987. Depeche Mode, longtime friends and label mates of the band, invited them to open for the European leg of their successful Music For The Masses Tour in 1987.[7]
David Gooday left after the tour and they completed their next album Belief (1989) as a duo. Mark 'Flood' Ellis became their new producer. They recruited Julian Beeston to assist them on their own world tour and he soon became a regular contributor both on and off stage.[3]
In 1989, they teamed up with German EBM pioneers Die Krupps to rerecord their 1981 single, "Wahre Arbeit - Wahrer Lohn" as "The Machineries Of Joy".[8]
The third Nitzer Ebb album Showtime, released in 1990, revealed a less confrontational sound. The single "Fun To Be Had" (1990) featured a remix by George Clinton[9] and was a hit on the US dance chart.
Their fourth album, Ebbhead (1991), showcased a more considered, orchestrated songwriting style, produced by Alan Wilder from Depeche Mode and Flood. They promoted the album with a global tour that took them from the southern US to northern Siberia.[3]
Their fifth album Big Hit (1995), featured a greater use of 'real' instruments, especially guitars and drums. McCarthy and Harris recruited a new third member, Jason Payne [percussion], to their main line-up, and also brought in John Napier [guitar, percussion] to assist with live performances.[3]
Big Hit was the final release by the band for almost 15 years. McCarthy was a regular collaborator with Alan Wilder's Recoil project and records with French electronic producer Terence Fixmer as Fixmer/McCarthy. Bon Harris relocated to Los Angeles where he became a successful producer and recorded as 13mg and as a member of Maven.
Recent years and reunion
Nitzer Ebb began work on new material in Los Angeles in early 2007, with a retrospective documentary still in the pipeline. During 2007, Nitzer Ebb continued its trend of replacing drummers as Kourtney Klein left the band to be replaced by Jason Payne. A first track, "Once You Say," with Depeche Mode songwriter Martin L. Gore on backing vocals, was played in June 2007 by Dave Clarke in his White Noise show on VPRO's 3 Voor 12.[10] This track, along with "Payroll," were debuted live as Nitzer Ebb played a handful of shows and festivals during 2007. These tracks are featured on Nitzer Ebb's newest album, Industrial Complex.
McCarthy and Harris reunited up with Jason Payne and producer Flood[11] to finish up the first new Nitzer Ebb record in over a decade. In the meantime, Fixmer/McCarthy released its second album in June 2008, Into the Night.
The band announced a US tour for fall–winter 2009 and were selected as the opening act of the January and February European and Russian dates of Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe in 2010.[12]
Influences and legacy
The single "Murderous" has been sampled by other electronic music acts, such as Information Society (on "Now That I Have You") and Kode IV (on "Success").
Band members
Members
- Bon Harris – programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals, bass (1982–present)
- Douglas McCarthy – vocals, guitars (1982–present)
- Jason Payne – drums (1992-1995, 2007–present)
Former members
- David Gooday – vocals, drums (1982-1987)
- Duc Nhan Nguyen – drums (1987-1988)
- Julian Beeston – drums (1989-1992)
Touring members
- David Lovering – drums (1994–1995)
- John Napier – guitars, percussion (1995)
- Kourtney Klein – drums (2006-2007)
Discography
Studio albums and EPs
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US |
SWE | ||||||||||||
| 1983 | Basic Pain Procedure
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1987 | That Total Age | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1988 | So Bright So Strong
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1989 | Belief | — | — | 30 | ||||||||||
| 1989 | The Machineries of Joy (EP) | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1990 | Showtime | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1991 | As Is (EP) | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1991 | Ebbhead | — | 146 | 42 | ||||||||||
| 1995 | Big Hit | 126 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Body of Work
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Body Rework
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2010 | Industrial Complex
|
— | — | 35 | ||||||||||
| 2010 | In Order
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2011 | Join in the Rhythm of Machines (EP)
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart, or albums not released in a particular territory. | ||||||||||||||
Soundtracks
- Saw IV "Payroll (John O Mix)" (2007)
- Grand Theft Auto IV "Let Your Body Learn" (2008)
- NCIS "Promises" (2009)
- Saw VI "Never Known" (2009)
- Saw VII "Promises" (2010)
- Castle "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2010)
- Tony Hawk: Ride (video game) "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2010)
- The Following "Murderous" (2013)
Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart[13] | US Dance | US Modern Rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works" | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "Warsaw Ghetto" | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "So Bright, So Strong" | - | - | - |
| 1986 | "Get Clean" | - | - | - |
| 1986 | "Murderous" | - | - | - |
| 1987 | "Let Your Body Learn" | - | - | - |
| 1987 | "Join In The Chant" | - | 9 | - |
| 1988 | "Control I'm Here" | 100 | 14 | 25 |
| 1989 | "Hearts And Minds" | - | 16 | - |
| 1989 | "Shame" | - | - | - |
| 1989 | "The Machineries Of Joy" (Die Krupps with Nitzer Ebb) | - | 25 | - |
| 1990 | "Lightning Man" | 97 | 14 | 28 |
| 1990 | "Fun To Be Had" | 99 | 5 | - |
| 1990 | "Getting Closer" | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Family Man" | - | - | 21 |
| 1991 | "I Give To You" | - | - | 27 |
| 1991 | "Godhead" | 56 | - | - |
| 1992 | "Ascend" | 52 | - | - |
| 1995 | "Kick It" | 75 | - | - |
| 1995 | "I Thought" | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "Cherry Blossom" | - | - | - |
B-sides and non-album tracks
| Song | A-side | Year |
|---|---|---|
| "The Way You Live" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "Crane" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "Cold War" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "So Bright, So Strong" | "Warsaw Ghetto" | 1985 |
| "Get Clean" | "Let Your Body Learn" | 1986 |
| "K.I.A." | "Control I'm Here" | 1988 |
| "Time Slips By" | "Hearts and Minds" | 1989 |
| "Backlash" | "Shame" | 1989 |
| "Who We Are" | "Lightning Man" | 1990 |
| "Out of Mind" | "Fun to Be Had" | 1990 |
| "Taken From Me (Servant Mix)" | "Fun to Be Had" | 1990 |
| "Lovesick" | 'As Is' EP | 1991 |
| "Come Alive" | 'As Is' EP | 1991 |
| "Higher" | 'As Is' EP | 1991 |
| "Stray Cat Blues" | "I Give to You" | 1991 |
| "Skintight" | "Kick It" | 1995 |
| "Dead & Gone" | "Kick It" | 1995 |
| "Friend (Brittle Mix)" | "I Thought" | 1995 |
| "Beats Me" | "I Thought" | 1995 |
| "Payroll (John O Mix)" | 'Saw IV' Soundtrack | 2007 |
| "Promises" | NCIS (The Official TV Series Soundtrack) | 2009 |
| "Never Known" | Saw VI Soundtrack | 2009 |
Music videos
- Murderous (1987)
- Let Your Body Learn (1987)
- Control I'm Here (1988)
- Hearts and Minds (1989)
- Shame (1989)
- The Machineries Of Joy (1989)
- Lightning Man (1990)
- Fun To Be Had (1990)
- Family Man (1991)
- I Give To You (1991)
- Godhead (1992)
- Ascend (1992)
- Kick It (1995)
- I Thought (1995)
Tributes
- Muscle and Hate - Nilaihah Records, (2005)
References
- ^ "Discography Demo Basic Pain Procedure". Nitzer-ebb.de. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Douglas McCarthy Interview". Documentaryevidence.co.uk. 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
Rollmann, Hans (8 October 2018). "Nitzer Ebb: Three Decades of Pounding Beats and Smashing Stereotypes". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018. - ^ a b c d "Biography". Nitzer-ebb.de. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Arnold, Jacob (4 September 2013). "Medusa's: Chicago's missing link". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Various – Balearic Beats - Vol. 1 - The Album". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Interview: Nitzer Ebb". Factmag.com. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Paoletti, Ariana (24 September 2013). "The Ebb and Flow of Nitzer Ebb". Thump.vice.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Discography Mute Records Machineries Of Joy". Nitzer-ebb.de. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Nitzer Ebb – Fun To Be Had (George Clinton Remix)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) delivers backing vocals on new Nitzer Ebb track 'Once You Say". Side-line.com. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Flood joins Nitzer Ebb to complete first album in a decade". Side-line.com. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "depeche mode dot com". Depechemode.com. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 396. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Official Nitzer Ebb Website
- Official Douglas J. McCarthy Website
- Nitzer Ebb discography at MusicBrainz
- Nitzer Ebb at Discogs
- Superb collectors site
- Body of Work Album and 2006 Concert Details
- "EBM back to NEP"-Party, Interviews and many more...
- SHOUT! Online interview with Nitzer Ebb (July 2006)
- SHOUT! Online interview with Bon Harris / Nitzer Ebb (May 2006)
- Interview with David Gooday (in Swedish)
- Pylon Records - Current label of Douglas J. McCarthy and Nitzer Ebb Re-issues
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