EMF (band)
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| EMF | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Cinderford, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Years active | 1989–1995, 2001–2002 |
| Genres | Alternative Rock Alternative Dance Techno House |
| Labels | EMI / Parlophone |
| Members | James Atkin Ian Dench Zac Foley Derry Brownson Mark Decloedt |
EMF were a British dance band that came to prominence at the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s. The band came from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. Their first single, "Unbelievable" was a Number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and their debut album, Schubert Dip, went to number 3 in the UK Albums Chart.
The name "EMF" officially stands for "Epsom Mad Funkers," but there are unofficial alternatives, such as "Every Mother's Favourite," "Eat My Fetus," "English Mother Fuckers," and "Ecstasy Mother Fuckers" (the last of which occurred in a track called "EMF", a live version of which featured on the B Side of the single "Unbelievable"). The band was signed by EMI / Parlophone after a mere four gigs, without even being asked for a demo tape.
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[edit] Band members
- James Atkin (vocals, guitars), born James Saul Atkin, 28 March 1969, in Cinderford, Gloucestershire.
- Ian Dench (guitars, keyboards), born 7 August 1964, in Cheltenham.
- Zac Foley (bass), born Zachary Sebastian Rex James Foley, 9 December 1970, in Gloucester; Died on 2 January 2002.
- Derry Brownson (keyboards and samples), born 10 November 1970, in Gloucester.
- Mark Decloedt (drums), born 26 June 1967, in Gloucester.
[edit] Biography
They originally toured with D.J. Milf who now has his own band called Stateside and released music under the name Jose Sanchez. All the members were relatively well known in the local music scene before forming EMF in Cinderford, UK in October 1989.
Their music mixed light techno elements with rockier sounds - EMF regularly used samplers and sequencers. It has often been argued that EMF's music was influenced by Jesus Jones. In fact, the two bands formed a close relationship. Their music has also been counted as part of Madchester and indie dance. EMF were at the time also known for their baseball caps worn sideways, and the baggy shorts they wore.
In 1990, their debut "Unbelievable" topped the charts in many countries around the world, reaching the number one in the USA in 1991. The single features sampled utterances from comedian Andrew Dice Clay. In 1991 EMF released their debut album Schubert Dip which went to number 3 in the UK. The name was explained by songwriter Ian Dench, as "If ever I'm short of a chord sequence I nick one from Schubert."[citation needed] Successful singles from their debut included "I Believe," "Children," and "Lies." The last one turned controversial for including a voice sample of Mark Chapman, John Lennon's murderer. Yoko Ono achieved an injunction and a modified version was included in future pressings.
In 1992, EMF returned with an EP called Unexplained EP (including a cover version of "Search and Destroy") and later their second album Stigma, both of which did badly in the charts. The singles were "Getting Through," "They're Here," and "It's You." This has been explained with EMF's, lack of innovation past their first single, but also by the rise of Britpop. Until their 1995 album Cha Cha Cha EMF effectively disappeared from sight. This album featured the singles "Perfect Day" and "Bleeding You Dry." Both were highly acclaimed, but failed to sell well.
In summer 1995 EMF teamed up with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and recorded "I'm a Believer" (a cover song from The Monkees). This single sold better, but critics were less enthusiastic, stating desperation.[citation needed] The band then released Afro King which was by some regarded as a return to dance-pop origins, but the release failed to do well. After this, the band split for the first time, however, all members of the band continued to play music.
In 2001, EMF gave a reunion gig in London, UK. They also released a best of album Epsom Mad Funkers: The Best Of EMF.
The band's bass guitarist, Zac Foley, died on 2 January 2002, due to an overdose of non-prescribed drugs. He was aged 31. EMF played just four more gigs in late 2002, before deciding to split up for the final time.
In 2005, Kraft Foods used EMF's "Unbelievable" in their Kraft Crumbles advertisement campaign. The surviving members of EMF reconvened to re-record the tune. The original song's chorus, "It's unbelievable," was replaced with a more "crumble-centric" chorus, declaring "It's crumbelievable."
[edit] Discography
| Year | Albums | UK Chart | US Charts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Schubert Dip | 3 | 3 |
| 1992 | Unexplained EP | 18 | - |
| 1992 | Stigma | 19 | - |
| 1995 | Cha Cha Cha | 30 | - |
| 2001 | Epsom Mad Funker: The Best Of EMF | - | - |
| Year | Singles | UK Singles Chart | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Dance | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Unbelievable" | 3 | 1 | 3 | - | Schubert Dip |
| 1991 | "Lies" | 28 | 18 | 27 | - | Schubert Dip |
| 1991 | "I Believe" | 6 | - | 10 | - | Schubert Dip |
| 1991 | "Children" | 19 | - | 26 | - | Schubert Dip |
| 1992 | "Search and Destroy" | - | - | - | - | Unexplained EP |
| 1992 | "Getting Through" | - | - | - | - | Unexplined EP / Stigma |
| 1992 | "They're Here" | 29 | - | 27 | - | Stigma |
| 1992 | "It's You" | 23 | - | - | - | Stigma |
| 1995 | "Perfect Day" | 27 | - | - | - | Cha Cha Cha |
| 1995 | "Bleeding You Dry" | - | - | - | - | Cha Cha Cha |
| 1995 | "I'm a Believer" | 3 | - | - | - | Non-LP Track |
| 1995 | "Afro King" | 51 | - | - | - | Non-LP Track |
[edit] Trivia
- Pop / rock singer Brie Larson has made a cover version of their song "Unbelievable". The song gained a studio version, and Larson sang the song on her summer 2005 tour.
- Christian rock band Thousand Foot Krutch has made a cover version of their song "Unbelievable".
- Defunct British heavy rock band Skin made a slightly altered, but raunchier cover of "Unbelievable" for their "The Money" EP in 1994.
- New York–based comedy group Whitest Kids U Know has a sketch based on a fictional documentary (called "Unbelievable") about EMF.
[edit] References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
- Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7
- The Great Rock Discography - 5th Edition - ISBN 1-84195-017-3
- Guinness Rockopedia - ISBN 0-85112-072-5
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles lacking sources from June 2006 | All articles lacking sources | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Musical groups established in 1989 | Rock music groups | British electronic music groups | House music groups | Techno music groups | Alternative musical groups | English musical groups | 1990s music groups | Music and musicians from Gloucestershire | People from Gloucestershire | Forest of Dean
