Song:Unbelievable
Album:Jock Jams Vol. 1
The 1990 chart topper Unbelievable clearly shows the value of a great hook. Though perceived as a one hit wonder, EMF did have a second chart hit from their 1991 debut CD Schubert Dip. They had a much longer run in England. Unbelievable is probably their only memorable song. EMF were from Gloucestershire, England and all were veterans of the Manchester music scene. EMF is short for Epsom Mad Funkers. They came together after touring with DJ Milf EMF in 1989. Lead singer James Atkin, bassist Zac Foley and drummer Mark Decloedt were joined by former Flowerdrum keyboard player Derry Brownson and former Apple Mosaic guitarist Ian Dench. The group's music is a mix of rock and electronic music elements along with sampling. If they remind you of Jesus Jones (Right Here Right Now), the two bands are close pals. Unbelievable was their first single. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 and was a worldwide hit. That "Ohhh" you hear at the start of each verse is a sample of comedian Andrew Dice Clay. The CD Schubert Dip reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 200 and the single Lies reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their follow up albums did OK in England but did not sell in the US. When a band's first single has an incredibly catchy hook, sometimes it's tough to follow that with anything. I guess they couldn't figure out how to repeat that success. EMF split up in 1995 and have reunited a couple of times. But Unbelievable has remained fresh in people's minds because of its use in various media and especially as a sports anthem. That's why I recommend this various artists CD Jock Jams. It puts Unbelievable in the proper context. Zac Foley died of a drug overdose in 2002. Ian Dench is currently A & R VP of Epic Records and has written songs for Beyonce and Jordin Sparks. But he may not be there much longer as his boss and long time pal Amanda Ghost was fired last week. So if you're familiar with Unbelievable now you know more about EMF. Here's the video for Unbelievable by EMF.
No comments:
Post a Comment