C+C Music Factory was an American musical group formed in 1989 by David Cole and

Robert Clivillés Robert Manuel Clivillés (; born July 30, 1964
from

Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory, released by Columbia Records on November 18, 1990, as the lead single from their debut album, '' Gonna Make You Sweat'' (1990). The song is su ...

", "

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 February 13, 1991, as the second single from their debut album, '' Gonna Make You Sweat'' (1990). The song was a success in the US, reaching ...

", " Things That Make You Go Hmmm...", " Just a Touch of Love", and "Keep It Comin'". The band stopped recording in 1996, following Cole's death. In 2010, C+C Music Factory reformed with Eric Kupper replacing Cole. Original member

Freedom Williams Frederick Brandon "Freedom" Williams (born February 13, 1966) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter, who gained fame as the lead rapper on C+C Music Factory's biggest hits. Career Born in Brooklyn in 1966, Williams went to school to becom ...

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, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

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

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

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

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

, 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 honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...

. In December 2016, ''Billboard'' named them the 44th-most successful dance act.

History

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

David Cole and

Robert Clivillés Robert Manuel Clivillés (; born July 30, 1964
from

In 1987, Clivillés and Cole formed a short-lived

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

group called 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican. The group also included David Morales (who, like Clivillés, was a resident DJ at Better Days) and Chep Nuñez. They released two minor hit singles, "Do It Properly" (1987) and "So Many Ways (Do It Properly Part II)" (1988).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. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

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 The 28th Street Crew was a short-lived house-music group featuring David Cole and Robert Clivillés, who previously used the alias The Done Properly Posse! In 1989, the group released a single and album (the latter of which was titled ''I Need ...

. 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 In sexuality, seduction means enticing someone else into sexual intercourse or Human sexual activity, other sexual activity. Strategies of seduction include conversation and Sexual script theory, sexual scripts, paralanguage, paralingual featur ...

released their debut album '' Nothing Matters Without Love'', 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.

1989–1992: 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

and

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

n singer/dancer

Zelma Davis Zelma Davis is a Liberian-born American singer-songwriter. She is primarily known for her number-one dance hits "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." and "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" with C+C Music Factory, as well as for her presence as the o ...

. In December 1990, C+C Music Factory released their debut album '' Gonna Make You Sweat'', 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, "

", which featured rap vocals by Freedom Williams and uncredited lead vocals by

Martha Wash Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the The Weather Girls, Two Tons O' Fun, along with Izora Armstead, as they sang b ...

, became an international hit and peaked at number one on ''Billboards

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

. 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 a late-night talk show, '' The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Comi ...

), both of which became certified Gold status in the United States. In August 1991, the album's final single, " Just a Touch of Love", which featured vocals by Davis, was released and earned the group their fourth number-one dance hit. The song was also featured on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

of the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

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

''. 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 f ...

, 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)", featuring Cooper and rapper

Q-Unique Anthony Quiles (born June 27, 1972), better known by his stage name Q-Unique, is an American rapper, record producer and a member of rap group Arsonists and the hard rock band StillWell. He also contributed vocals for dance/hip-hop group C+C ...

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 called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...

film ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

''. 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 distinct works 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. Three-part works that are considered components of ...

. 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", 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 January 24, 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, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasionally ...

. 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 Eric Kupper 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 iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

(June 1, 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. "

" 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

, 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

in the music video, Wash attempted to negotiate with Clivillés and Cole for sleeve credits and royalties, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. On December 11, 1991, Wash filed a lawsuit in the

Los Angeles Superior Court The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the California Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The Superior Court operates 36 courthouses throughout the county. Curr ...

against Robert Clivillés and David Cole, charging the producers and their record company,

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

, 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 MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

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" and "Take a Toke" were released as a

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

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 Dance-pop groups American electronic music groups American pop 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