C+C Music Factory

History

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

David Cole and Robert Clivillés became friends when they both performed at the New York City club Better Days (Clivillés as DJ and Cole as keyboardist) in the late 1980s. In 1987, Clivillés and Cole formed a short-lived house music group called 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican, which 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). 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, whose title track and lead single peaked at no. three on Billboards dance chart. In September 1989, the female group Seduction released their debut album, Nothing Matters Without Love, which was entirely produced by Clivillés and Cole. The record became certified Gold in the United States.

1989–1992: C+C Music Factory and ''Gonna Make You Sweat''

In 1989, Clivillés and Cole released a single called "Get Dumb! (Free Your Body)" under the moniker the Crew, featuring rapper Freedom Williams. The same year, the duo formed the group C+C Music Factory, In December 1990, C+C Music Factory released their debut album, Gonna Make You Sweat, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboards Top 200 Albums chart. The lead single, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", which featured rapping by Williams and uncredited lead vocals by Martha Wash, became an international hit and peaked at No. 1 on Billboards Hot 100. The single went on to sell over a million copies in the United States, becoming certified Platinum. The success of the single bolstered the album's success, helping it achieve multi-platinum status for sales exceeding five million copies in the US.

In 1991, the group released two top-ten singles, "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" and "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." (inspired by a phrase uttered periodically by late-night talk show host Arsenio Hall), both of which became certified gold in the US. In August, the album's final single, "Just a Touch of Love", which included vocals by Davis, earned the group their fourth number-one dance hit. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1992 musical comedy film Sister Act. In 1992, C+C Music Factory embarked on their first international tour. During certain legs of the tour, Deborah Cooper, a backing vocalist from their album, was hired as a lead vocalist for specific concert venues as Davis was awaiting green card clearance. Also in 1992, the group released the single "Keep It Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)", featuring Cooper and rapper Q-Unique on vocals. It became their fifth song to top the Billboard dance chart and was also featured on the soundtrack of the comedy horror film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, released that year. By the end of 1992, the group had earned a total of four American Music Awards, including one for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group.

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. In August 1994, the group released their second album, titled Anything Goes!, which performed poorly on 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. 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. The same year, a compilation 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", featuring singer Scarlett Santana, which was included on DJ Bill Coleman's compilation album Remixxer. 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 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. 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 December 11, 1991, Wash filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Clivillés and Cole, charging the producers and their record company, Sony Music Entertainment, 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 Davis (who lip-synched Wash's vocals in the official music video) for "visualization" to the "Gonna Make You Sweat" music video.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Singles

Notes

• A ^"I Found Love" and "Take a Toke" were released as a double A-side in the UK, charting at number 26 in February 1995.

References

References

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