Song:Unbelievable
Album:ESPN Presents Jock Jams Vol. 1
Here's a song that shows the value of a good hook. Unbelievable topped the charts in 1991. And though EMF is long forgotten, the hook remains popular mostly as a sports anthem. The members of EMF were all veterans of the Cinderford, England music scene. They formed in 1989. EMF stands for Epsom Mad Funkers though it is rumoured that it started out as profanity. Lead singer James Atkin, guitarist Ian Dench, keyboardist Derry Brownson, bassist Zac Foley and drummer Mark Decloedt only played four concerts before they signed with EMI Parlophone in England and Capitol in the US. At first they were criticized as being too similar to Jesus Jones. But the two bands were good friends. So EMF was doing well on the dance charts on both sides of the Atlantic when Unbelievable topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. It was a worldwide hit. The spoken word heard in the background is a sample of comedian Andrew Dice Clay. The song has lived on as a sports anthem especially by the Cleveland Indians. ESPN and Tommy Boy released a series of Jock Jam CDs in the mid-90s and you can get Unbelievable on volume one. EMF split up after their 1995 CD Cha Cha tanked. Ian Dench went on to work for singer Amanda Ghost. EMF reunited in 2001 and played a few gigs. Zac Foley died of a drug overdose in 2002. They reunited again in 2007 and played a couple of shows and then announced in 2009 that there would be no further EMF shows. But the Unbelievable hook lives on forever. Here's the video for Unbelievable by EMF.
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