Joe Public (band)
Encyclopedia
Joe Public is a new jack swing
group from Buffalo
, New York
. It consisted of lead singer and bass guitarist Kevin Scott, keyboardist and guitarist Jake Carter, percussionist and drummer Dwight "Mr. Dew" Wyatt and lead guitarist Joe "J.R." Sayles. They are best known for their hit
single "Live and Learn
," which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
in 1992.
in 1989.
The group is not to be confused with the music group Joe Public (same name and spelling), a 1970s recording artist, nor the group Joe Public, a present-day 5-piece band from England, nor to be confused with the band of the same name from Canada, a trio which has also released music on CD.
They released their debut album Joe Public
on Columbia Records
, which contained their hit single "Live and Learn", which became their only top forty hit
, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
. Their follow-up single
, "I Miss You" reached #55 on the same chart.
They hosted the "NBA Jams Music Video," a VHS
promotional release for the video game NBA Jam
that contained music video
s intercut with professional basketball
highlight footage. The video for "Live and Learn" is contained on it, as well as improvised live footage between video segments.
They later released their second studio album Easy Come, Easy Go in 1994, also under Columbia Records.
They continue to act as songwriters, writing the song "Keep It Comin" by Keith Sweat
in 1991 and also writing songs for Tyrese
.
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
group from Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It consisted of lead singer and bass guitarist Kevin Scott, keyboardist and guitarist Jake Carter, percussionist and drummer Dwight "Mr. Dew" Wyatt and lead guitarist Joe "J.R." Sayles. They are best known for their hit
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...
single "Live and Learn
Live and Learn (Joe Public song)
"Live and Learn" is a song by American new jack swing group Joe Public, released as the second single from their self-titled debut album, Joe Public.It was a success, peaking at #4 on the U.S...
," which reached #4 on the 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...
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....
in 1992.
Musical work
Joe Public evolved from the group Atension, signed to Island RecordsIsland Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 1989.
The group is not to be confused with the music group Joe Public (same name and spelling), a 1970s recording artist, nor the group Joe Public, a present-day 5-piece band from England, nor to be confused with the band of the same name from Canada, a trio which has also released music on CD.
They released their debut album Joe Public
Joe Public (album)
Joe Public is the self-titled debut album of American new jack swing group Joe Public. Released in 1992, it was their first album after signing with Columbia Records....
on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, which contained their hit single "Live and Learn", which became their only top forty hit
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
, peaking at #4 on the 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...
. Their follow-up single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "I Miss You" reached #55 on the same chart.
They hosted the "NBA Jams Music Video," a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
promotional release for the video game NBA Jam
NBA Jam
NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series, and was written entirely in assembly language. The main designer and programmer for this game was Mark Turmell...
that contained music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s intercut with professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
highlight footage. The video for "Live and Learn" is contained on it, as well as improvised live footage between video segments.
They later released their second studio album Easy Come, Easy Go in 1994, also under Columbia Records.
They continue to act as songwriters, writing the song "Keep It Comin" by Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
in 1991 and also writing songs for Tyrese
Tyrese
Tyrese Darnell Gibson , also known simply as Tyrese, is an American R&B singer, rapper, actor, author, former fashion model and MTV VJ. After releasing several albums, he transitioned into films, with lead roles in several Hollywood releases.-Early life:Gibson was born in Los Angeles, California,...
.
Albums
- 1992: Joe PublicJoe Public (album)Joe Public is the self-titled debut album of American new jack swing group Joe Public. Released in 1992, it was their first album after signing with Columbia Records....
#111 U.S.Billboard 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...
, #23 U.S. 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... - 1994: Easy Come, Easy GoEasy Come, Easy Go (Joe Public album)-External links:* at Allmusic...
Singles
- 1991: "Do You Everynite" #98 U.S.Billboard Hot 100The 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...
- 1992: "Live and LearnLive and Learn (Joe Public song)"Live and Learn" is a song by American new jack swing group Joe Public, released as the second single from their self-titled debut album, Joe Public.It was a success, peaking at #4 on the U.S...
" #4 U.S., #3 U.S. R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot 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,...
, #36 U.S. DanceHot Dance Club PlayThe Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... - 1992: "I Miss You" #55 U.S., #8 U.S. R&B
- 1992: "I've Been Watchin'" #54 R&B
- 1994: "Easy Come, Easy Go" #81 R&B
- 1994: "Thank You"