Artist Spotlight Week #2 - Nitzer Ebb - Control I'm Here

Continuing the week long Nitzer Ebb Artist Spotlight.

In 1988, Doug and Bon set out to record "the perfect electronic album", resulting in the LP Belief. Preceded by the classic club track 'Control I'm Here', their second album, Belief, was released in 1989 and was co-produced by Flood (Depeche Mode, U2),who went on to produce their next 3 albums and remix other tracks. The band was now down to a core duo of Harris and McCarthy, with Julian Beeston on drumming duty. Two further singles 'Hearts & Minds', (which will be featured tomorrow) and Shame were released in 1989 with extraordinary remixes from Daniel Miller and William Orbit. The band was asked to be the opening act for labelmates' Depeche Mode's Music For The Masses tour (European Leg).

Taken from the original 12" single on Geffen 21111
Control I'm Here (Command Control Confront Mix) - 6:43
Song charted on January 14, 1989. Spent 10 weeks on the chart and reached # 14

Wrecks-N-Effect - New Jack Swing

Wrecks-N-Effect originally comprised of then adolescent; Aqil Davidson, Brandon Mitchell, Markell Riley, and Keith "K.C." Hanns. They were formed around 1988 with their first release being an eponymous EP of six tracks for Atlantic Records. This EP included the singles "Go For What You Know", "Let's Do It Again" (which sampled The Staple Singers hit song), and a self-titled track sampling Jimmy Castor's "Bertha Butt Boogie". They received little promotion from Atlantic however, and, with the help of one-time manager and alleged gangster Gene Griffin, jumped ship for the Motown Label

When they released their self-titled debut album the following year, "K.C." had left and the group had become a trio. Wrecks-N-Effect was then produced by Teddy Riley (brother of Markell Riley), and rapper/producer Redhead Kingpin. This debut LP reached #16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #103 on Billboards Top 200 LP chart.

The single "Juciy", off this LP, met a similar fate. However, the follow-up, "New Jack Swing" becoming a #1 single on the Rap Chart. This release also landed them their first Dance Chart single. (The first of two...guess what the second was) Mitchell was killed in a shooting incident shortly after its release in 1990.

Taken from the original 12" single on Motown 4654
New Jack Swing (Original 12" Version) 5:27
Song charted on November 25, 1989. Spent 2 weeks on the chart and reached #48.