Club Nouveau
Encyclopedia
Club Nouveau is a contemporary 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 album
s.
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
.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
-pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that was formed by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
/performer
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club
Timex Social Club
The Timex Social Club was an American R&B/Hip hop group, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing movement.-History:Originally...
. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater
Samuelle
Samuelle Pratter, known simply as Samuelle, is an American R&B singer who is a former member of the R&B group, Club Nouveau. He released his first and only solo album entitled, Living in Black Paradise on October 30, 1990 on Atlantic Records, which reached number 37 on the Billboard R&B Albums...
, and Valerie Watson. Additional members include James L. Richard II, Kevin Irving, David Agent, Walter Phillips, and Mario Corbino. The band's name (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, on which Club Nouveau released its first three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s.
From its debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Life, Love, and Pain, which was released in 1986, the group scored four consecutive hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
: "Jealousy" (essentially an answer song
Answer song
An answer song is, as the name suggests, a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. It is also known as a response song. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s through 1950s...
responding to Timex Social Club
Timex Social Club
The Timex Social Club was an American R&B/Hip hop group, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing movement.-History:Originally...
's hit "Rumors
Rumors (Timex Social Club song)
"Rumors" is a 1986 song by Bay Area based R&B/funk music group Timex Social Club from their debut album Vicious Rumors. was a hit in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop charts and number thirteen on the UK charts, in addition to topping the U.S....
"), "Situation #9," a cover of Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
's "Lean on Me
Lean on Me (song)
"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
," and "Why You Treat Me So Bad
Why You Treat Me So Bad
"Why You Treat Me So Bad" is a 1987 single by Club Nouveau from its 1986 album Life, Love & Pain. The basic melodic hook of the song is taken from a hit by Club Nouveau member Jay King's previous project as producer, Timex Social Club...
." The latter was interpolated
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
by the Luniz
The Luniz
The Luniz were an American platinum-selling rap duo from Oakland, California, formed by the rappers Yukmouth and Numskull. They released an internationally successful hit in 1995 entitled "I Got 5 on It", two versions of which appeared on their album Operation Stackola...
on that group's hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
"I Got Five on It" and subsequently by Puff Daddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
on "Satisfy You." The latter two both made it to #2 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
the next year, with "Lean on Me" becoming a big Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit. "Jealousy" also made an appearance on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Modern Girls
Modern Girls
Modern Girls is a 1986 comedy film. The film is directed by Jerry Kramer and stars Virginia Madsen, Daphne Zuniga and Cynthia Gibb.- Plot Summary :Three girls, Margo, Kelly, and Cece are roommates living in Los Angeles and enjoying the night life....
.
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
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
include a dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
-influenced version of the gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
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
Thump Records
Thump Records is a record label specialized in freestyle music, Latin music and hip hop music. They are probably best known for their rap and R&B Old School compilations, as well as their Low Rider compilations.-Artists on Thump Records:* Adolfo...
issued a greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, and Club Nouveau occasionally regroups to record. The band also recorded a song for the Who's That Girl
Who's That Girl (soundtrack)
Who's That Girl is a soundtrack album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from the film of the same name, and was released on July 21, 1987 by Sire Records. It also contains songs by her label mates Scritti Politti, Duncan Faure, Club Nouveau, Coati Mundi and Michael Davidson...
soundtrack called "Step by Step."
Club Nouveau's version of "Lean on Me" won a Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
Albums
- Life, Love & PainLife, Love & Pain-Reception:Released late 1986 with production by Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy and Jay King. This album would chart number one on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and number six on the Billboard Pop Albums charts. Lead by the hit single a cover of the Bill Withers classic, "Lean on Me" Number...
(1986) #2 R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop AlbumsTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, #6 PopBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... - Listen to the Message (1988) #44 R&B, #98 Pop
- Under a Nouveau Groove (1989) #39 R&B
- A New Beginning (1992) #80 R&B
- Everything Is Black (1995)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dan |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
NZ | |||||
| 1986 | "Jealousy" | — | 8 | 38 | 80 | — | Life, Love & Pain | ||
| "Situation #9" | — | 4 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1987 | "Lean on Me Lean on Me (song) "Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of... " |
1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||
| "Why You Treat Me So Bad Why You Treat Me So Bad "Why You Treat Me So Bad" is a 1987 single by Club Nouveau from its 1986 album Life, Love & Pain. The basic melodic hook of the song is taken from a hit by Club Nouveau member Jay King's previous project as producer, Timex Social Club... " |
39 | 2 | 22 | — | — | ||||
| 1988 | "Heavy on My Mind" | — | 42 | — | — | — | |||
| "It's a Cold, Cold World!" | — | 34 | — | — | — | Listen to the Message | |||
| 1989 | "No Friend of Mine" | — | 12 | — | — | — | Under a Nouveau Groove | ||
| 1992 | "Oh Happy Day Oh Happy Day "Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th century hymn. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching US #4 and UK #2 on the pop charts... " |
— | 45 | — | — | — | A New Beginning | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||