C+C Music Factory was an American musical group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés. The group is best known for their five hit singles: " Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", "

Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll) "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory, released on March 3, 1991 as the second single from their debut album, ''Gonna Make You Sweat'' (1990). The song was a success in the US, reaching number ...

", " Things That Make You Go Hmmm...", "

Just a Touch of Love ''Just A Touch Of Love'' is the fourth album by the American funk band Slave, released in 1979. It was the band's second album with the vocals of Steve Arrington and Starleana Young. Vocalist Curt Jones joined the band at this time. The album ...

", and "Keep It Comin'". The band stopped recording in 1996, following Cole's death. In 2010, C+C Music Factory reformed with

Eric Kupper Eric Kupper is an American keyboardist, arranger, songwriter, remix artist, DJ, and record producer of French descent. Biography Eric Kupper began playing in bands in his formative years, and got his real start in the mid-1980s working as a keybo ...

replacing Cole. Original member Freedom Williams acquired trademark rights to the name in 2003 and still tours under that moniker.The Depressing Story of America's Favorite Pump-Up Jam

VICE A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

(October 4, 2016) C+C Music Factory have earned 35

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, trai ...

awards, including five ''Billboard'' Music Awards, five

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...

, and two

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...

. In December 2016, ''Billboard'' magazine ranked them as the 44th most successful dance artist of all time.

History

1987–1989: Early beginnings and The 28th Street Crew

David Cole and Robert Clivillés became friends when they both performed at the Better Days club (Clivillés as DJ and Cole as keyboardist) in the late 1980s. In 1987, Clivillés and Cole formed a short-lived

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began altering ...

group called

2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican was a short-lived house music group featuring David Morales and Robert Clivillés (Puerto Ricans), David Cole (Black), and Chep Nuñez ( Dominican). In 1987, they scored a hit in dance clubs with thei ...

. The group also included

David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1962) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Ma ...

(who, like Clivillés, was a resident DJ at Better Days) and

Chep Nuñez Chep Nuñez (1964December 8, 1990Chep Nuñez

2 Puerto Ricans, A Blackman And A Dominican

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

In 1989, they released their final single, "Scandalous", before disbanding. Following the breakup of their previous group, Clivillés and Cole continued to record music together under the name The 28th Street Crew. In mid-1989, the duo released an album titled ''I Need a Rhythm''. The album's title track and lead single, peaked at number three on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

's'' Dance chart. In September 1989, female group

Seduction Seduction has multiple meanings. Platonically, it can mean "to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty", or "to lead astray, usually by persuasion or false promises". Strategies of seduction include conversation and sexual scripts, paralingual ...

released their debut album ''

Nothing Matters Without Love ''Nothing Matters Without Love'' is the debut album released by the dance-pop group Seduction. Chart performance Released on September 25, 1989, the album was a hit, reaching No. 36 on the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart and No. 28 on the ''Billb ...

'', which was entirely produced by Clivillés and Cole. Under the brief management of Clivillés and Cole, the group's album became certified gold-status in the United States.

1989–1993: C+C Music Factory and ''Gonna Make You Sweat''

In 1989, Clivillés and Cole formed a new group known as C+C Music Factory. The group included Clivillés and Cole, in addition to rapper Freedom Williams and

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...

n model-turned-singer Zelma Davis. In December 1990, C+C Music Factory released their debut album ''

Gonna Make You Sweat ''Gonna Make You Sweat'' is the debut studio album by American musical production group C+C Music Factory, released in the US on December 18, 1990. Following on the success of contemporaries Black Box and Technotronic, ''Gonna Make You Sweat'' was ...

'', which peaked at number two on ''

's'' Top 200 Albums chart.C+C Music Factory , Billboard Chart History
. Billboard. Retrieved on February 1, 2019 The album's lead single, " Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", which featured rap vocals by Freedom Williams and uncredited lead vocals by Martha Wash, became an international hit and peaked at number one on ''Billboards Hot 100. The single went on to sell over a million copies in the United States, becoming certified platinum-status. Additionally, the single became number-one in five other countries. The success of the single also bolstered its parent album's sales, helping it achieve multi-platinum status for sales exceeding five million copies in the United States."C&C Music Factory" searchable database
RIAA. Retrieved on April 19, 2019 In 1991, the group released two top-ten singles, "

" and " Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." (inspired by a phrase uttered periodically by late-night talk show host

Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, '' The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Co ...

), both of which became certified gold-status in the United States. In August 1991, the album's final single, "

", was released and earned the group their fourth number-one dance hit. The song was also featured on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

of the

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

Sister Act ''Sister Act'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. ...

''. In the same year, C+C Music Factory embarked on their first international tour. During certain legs of the tour,

Deborah Cooper Deborah Cooper is an American professional dancer, musician, singer,backup singer, award-winning composer and entertainer, with several number one and top charting dance music and house music hits. Biography Early career Cooper started as a fe ...

, a backing vocalist from their album, was hired as a lead vocalist for specific concert venues as Zelma Davis was awaiting green card clearance. In 1992, the group released the single "

Keep It Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More) "Keep It Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)" is a song by American musical group C+C Music Factory featuring vocals by Q-Unique and Deborah Cooper. In the US, the single went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart ...

", featuring Cooper and rapper Q-Unique on vocals. The single became their fifth song to top the ''Billboard'' dance chart. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the

comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and spo ...

film '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. By the end of 1992, the group had earned a total of four

, including an award for "Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group".Winners Database, American Music Awards
American Music Awards. Retrieved on June 11, 2017

1994–1996: Subsequent releases and hiatus

In 1994, C+C Music Factory experienced a lineup change. Wash, who had just settled a lawsuit with the group, was asked to join as a full-time vocalist. Williams left the group to pursue a solo career and was replaced by the vocal trio

Trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wo ...

. In August 1994, the group released their second album, titled '' Anything Goes!'', which performed poorly on the Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. The lead single, "

Do You Wanna Get Funky "Do You Wanna Get Funky" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory featuring vocals from Martha Wash, Zelma Davis, and Trilogy. Released in July 1994 by Columbia as the lead single from the group's second album, '' Anything G ...

", which featured vocals from Davis, Wash, and Trilogy, became a success on the Billboard charts and earned the group their sixth number-one dance hit. The album also featured two minor hits, "Take a Toke" and "I Found Love". On 24 January 1995, David Cole died from

spinal meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion o ...

. Despite the death of one of their core members, C+C Music Factory embarked on another international tour. In November 1995, they released their self-titled third album. The record was released by Robert Clivillés using the C+C Music Factory name, though it did not feature any musical contributions from Cole, Davis, or Wash, but retained the vocal contributions of Trilogy. The album's lead single, "I'll Always Be Around", became their seventh number-one dance hit. The second single, "Don't Stop the Remix", was the group's final release before disbanding. In October 1996, Clivillés released an album of new material under the name Robi-Rob's Clubworld. That same year, a compilation album titled ''Robi Rob's Clubworld – House of Sound presents Clubworld Shut Up and Dance'' was released exclusively in Japan. The album contains past singles and unreleased material recorded by C+C Music Factory.

2010–2011: Comeback

C+C Music Factory reformed in 2010 with

replacing Cole. They released the song "Live Your Life", which featured singer Scarlett Santana, in early 2010, on a Bill Coleman's Remixxer Compilation album.Remixxer: Bill Coleman (Continuous Mix)
iTunes (June 01, 2010) In August 2011, Santana released the single "Rain", which was produced by C+C Music Factory (composed of Clivillés and Kupper credited as "CnC Music Factory").

Legacy

As of 1995, C+C Music Factory have accumulated a total of seven number-one dance songs. " Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was included in the top-ten VH1's "100 Greatest Dance Songs". In 2003, Freedom Williams acquired the federal trademark to use the name "C and C Music Factory" for live performances. Williams toured under that name until renewing his trademark to "C & C Music Factory" in 2014. As of 2014, Williams has owned the trademark rights for the name for all related efforts, not just live performances. Founding producer Clivillés has labeled this "the biggest insult in the world".

Lawsuits

In 1990, The Crew, a group composed of Clivillés, Cole, and Freedom Williams, released the single "Get Dumb! (Free Your Body)". The song featured an unauthorized sample of Boyd Jarvis' 1983 song "The Music Got Me". Jarvis filed a lawsuit against Cole and Clivillés as well as A&M Records.Jarvis v. A & M Records 827 F. Supp. 282 (D.N.J. 1993
UCLA
The court ruled in favor of Jarvis. Following the release of "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" in November 1990, C+C Music Factory was hit with a lawsuit by Martha Wash, whose vocals were uncredited on the chorus. The song used an edited compilation of vocal parts that Wash recorded in June 1990 for an unrelated demo tape. After discovering that the group was using Zelma Davis in the music video, Wash attempted to negotiate with Clivillés and Cole for sleeve credits and royalties, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. On 11 December 1991, Wash filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Robert Clivillés and David Cole, charging the producers and their record company,

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

, with fraud, deceptive packaging, and commercial appropriation. The case was eventually settled in 1994 and as a result of the settlement, Sony made an unprecedented request to MTV to add a disclaimer that credited Wash for vocals and Zelma Davis (who lip-synched Wash's vocals in the official music video) for "visualization" to the "Gonna Make You Sweat" music video.Martha Wash: The Most Famous Unknown Singer of the '90s Speaks Out
Rolling Stone. Retrieved on May 17, 2017

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Singles

Notes

Notes * A ^"

I Found Love "I Found Love" is a song recorded by English girl group Bananarama. The song was released as a promotional single only in Japan as a double-A-side with "Every Shade of Blue". Background The instrumental track was composed by Japanese dance p ...

" and "Take a Toke" were released as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

in the UK, charting at number 26 in February 1995.

References

External links

C+C Music Factory at Discogs.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:C and C Music Factory American house music groups American dance music groups Musical groups established in 1989 A&M Records artists Columbia Records artists MCA Records artists PolyGram artists Sony Music artists el:Ντέιβιντ Κολ