This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2024) |
EMF | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England |
Genres | Alternative rock, alternative dance, indie rock |
Years active | 1989–1997, 2001–2002, 2007–2009, 2012–present |
Labels | Parlophone |
Members |
|
Past members |
|
Website | www |
EMF are an English alternative rock band from Cinderford, Gloucestershire, who came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During their initial eight-year run, from 1989 to 1997, the band released three studio albums before a hiatus. Their first single, "Unbelievable", reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, [1] and was a number 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their debut album, Schubert Dip , went to number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. [1] In April 2022, EMF released their first album of new material in 27 years, Go Go Sapiens.
All the members of the band were relatively well known in the Forest of Dean music scene before forming EMF in Cinderford in October 1989. Keyboard and sampler player Derry Brownson had formed a band called Flowerdrum but left to join bass guitarist Zac Foley, drummer Marc Decloedt, DJ Milf, and singer James Atkin as EMF. Ian Dench was the last to join, having already tasted moderate success as a guitarist for Apple Mosaic. The name EMF is an initialism of Epsom Mad Funkers, a name taken from a fan club of the band New Order in 1989. [2]
The band's music has been classified as indie rock. [3] They toured the UK in 1990 with Stereo MCs. [4]
In 1990, their debut single "Unbelievable" topped the charts in many countries around the world, reaching number 1 in the U.S. in July 1991. The single featured sampled utterances from comedian Andrew Dice Clay. In 1991, EMF released their debut album Schubert Dip which went to number 3 in the UK. [1] The name was explained by songwriter Ian Dench, as "If ever I'm short of a chord sequence, I nick one from Schubert." [5] Successful singles from the album included "I Believe", "Children", and "Lies". "Lies" included a voice sample of Mark Chapman, John Lennon's murderer. Yoko Ono, Lennon's wife, achieved an injunction, and a modified version was included in future pressings. [6]
In 1992, EMF returned with the Unexplained EP (including a cover version of "Search and Destroy") and later Stigma , their second album. Both of these releases did poorly in the charts. The singles released were "Getting Through", "They're Here", and "It's You".
Also in 1992, EMF appeared on the Red Hot Organization's dance compilation album Red Hot + Dance , contributing "Unbelievable (The Hovering Feet Mix)". The album attempted to raise awareness and money in support of the AIDS epidemic, and all proceeds were donated to AIDS charities.
EMF's third album, Cha Cha Cha , was released in 1995 and featured the singles "Perfect Day" and "Bleeding You Dry". In the same year, EMF teamed with comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and recorded "I'm a Believer", a cover of The Monkees song. [6] This single reached No. 3 in the UK singles chart. [1]
Following the release of the Afro King single (which failed to do well), the band split up for the first time. However, all members of the band continued to play music. Ian Dench formed the indie rock band Whistler, which was active from 1998 to 2000. James Atkin formed the big beat trio Cooler and Derry Brownson formed the alternative rock trio LK. Zac Foley became the bass player for Carrie.
In 2001, EMF played a reunion gig in London. They also released a greatest hits album: Epsom Mad Funkers: The Best of EMF .
Zac Foley died on 3 January 2002 at the age of 31, due to an overdose of non-prescribed drugs. [7] Following his death, EMF played just four more gigs in late 2002 before splitting again.
In 2007 the band reformed to play a one-off gig at the Scala in King's Cross, London, on 18 December. The place of Foley was taken by Richard March, formerly of Pop Will Eat Itself and Bentley Rhythm Ace.[ citation needed ]
In 2008 EMF played the Portsmouth Festival on 9 October and supported Carter USM at Birmingham Academy and London's Brixton Academy in November that year.[ citation needed ]
In May 2009 EMF announced that due to personal issues, the band would not be doing any more shows in the near future, thus ending their second reunion.[ citation needed ]
In 2012, they reformed to play at the inaugural festival Lakefest in Tewkesbury, alongside Levellers and Dodgy, on 18 and 19 May. The band welcomed new bassist Stevey Marsh during this show. For the first time, they performed every track from the album Schubert Dip in order to coincide with the 21st anniversary re-release. [8] [9] The band headlined at the Westbury Festival on 25 August 2012. [10] In December 2012 the band played Schubert Dip and Stigma from start to finish at the Gloucester Guildhall. The show was recorded and sold as a live Blu-ray/DVD titled Videodrome: Long Live the New Flesh.[ citation needed ]
On 1 October 2016 the band headlined Indie Daze in London.[ citation needed ]
In 2020, the band released a career-spanning vinyl box set titled From Us to You. It contained all the full-length albums remastered, and a fourth disc containing unreleased demos and non-album tracks. On 1 April 2022, the band released an all-new material album, titled Go Go Sapiens. Its first single, "Sister Sandinista", was released 1 March 2022. They also embarked on a short UK tour in early April 2022. [11] [12]
Since 2010 James Atkin has taught music at Holy Family Catholic School in Keighley, West Yorkshire [18] and is a touring member of Bentley Rhythm Ace. As of June 2020, he has released four solo albums including Circadian Rhythms (2023), Popcorn Storm (2019) and A Country Mile (2014). [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
Year | Album | UK [1] | AUS [24] [25] [26] | NZ [27] | US [28] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Schubert Dip | 3 | 44 | 8 | 12 |
1992 | Stigma | 19 | 143 | — | — |
1995 | Cha Cha Cha | 30 | — | — | — |
2022 | Go Go Sapiens | — | — | — | — |
2024 | The Beauty and the Chaos | — | — | — | — |
Year | Album |
---|---|
2001 | Epsom Mad Funkers: The Best of EMF |
2020 | From Us to You |
Year | Title | UK [1] | AUS [26] [29] | IRE |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Unexplained EP | 18 | 136 | 16 |
Title | Year | UK [1] | AUS [24] [30] [26] | BEL (FL) [31] | GER [32] | IRE [33] | NLD [34] | NZ [27] | SWI [35] | US [36] | US Alt [37] | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Unbelievable" | 1990 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Schubert Dip |
"I Believe" | 1991 | 6 | 54 | 32 | 26 | 2 | 28 | 35 | 6 | — | 10 | |
"Children" | 19 | 49 | — | 40 | 5 | — | 39 | 18 | — | 26 | ||
"Lies" | 28 | 159 | — | 99 | 18 | — | — | — | 18 | 27 | ||
"They're Here" | 1992 | 29 | 195 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | Stigma |
"It's You" | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Perfect Day" | 1995 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cha Cha Cha |
"Bleeding You Dry" (UK promo only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"I'm a Believer" (with Reeves and Mortimer) [38] | 3 | 186 | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | singles only | |
"Afro King" | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Incredible" | 2001 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Best of EMF: Epsom Mad Funkers |
"Let's Go" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Sister Sandinista" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Go Go Sapiens |
"Crime of Passion" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Sparks and Flashes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Hello People" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Beauty and the Chaos |
Year | Title |
---|---|
1991 | Smoke the Banger (VHS) |
2013 | Long Live the New Flesh (Blu-ray & DVD) |
Schubert Dip is the debut album by British rock band EMF, released on Parlophone Records on 7 May 1991. It features the worldwide hit single "Unbelievable" which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The name of the album is a pun on the name of the popular sweet sherbet dip and the 19th-century composer Franz Schubert.
Bentley Rhythm Ace (BRA) are a British electronic music act formed in Birmingham in 1995, originally consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March.
Toploader are an English rock band from Eastbourne, East Sussex, formed in 1997, with over two million album sales and several top-20 hits both home and abroad. Their debut album, Onka's Big Moka, sold over one million units and peaked in the top five of the UK Albums Chart, where it remained for six months; it earned them four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards. They are best known for their 2000 cover of King Harvest's US hit "Dancing in the Moonlight", which became a global hit for them. Their second album, Magic Hotel, reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. The band broke up in 2003, after the release of their second album, but they reformed in 2009 and remain active as of 2025.
"Penny & Me" is a song written and performed by American pop-rock band Hanson, produced by Hanson and Danny Kortchmar. It was released as the first single from the band's third commercial studio album, Underneath (2004), on February 23, 2004. The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, number 28 on the Irish Singles Chart, and number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top 40 in Italy and was a minor hit in Germany and the Netherlands.
Stigma is the second studio album by English alternative band EMF, released in 1992. It yielded two UK hit singles: "They’re Here" and "It’s You".
Unexplained EP is an extended play (EP) by English band EMF. One of the tracks on the EP is a cover of Iggy & the Stooges' 1973 song "Search and Destroy". Released on 20 April 1992, the EP peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart, number 16 on the Irish Singles Chart, and number 10 on the Portuguese Singles Chart.
Since 1983, the American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers has released 13 studio albums, two live albums, 12 compilation albums, 11 video albums, five extended plays, 66 singles, and 53 music videos. To date, the band has sold over 120 million albums worldwide. According to the RIAA the Chili Peppers have 6× Multi-Platinum, 2× Platinum and 3× Gold albums in the US, totalling 27.5m. They also have 9x Multi-Platinum, 3× Platinum and 4× Gold singles too, totalling 40m. They have been nominated for 19 Grammy Awards, of which they have won 6. They have the most no.1 singles (15), the most cumulative weeks at no.1 (91) and most top-10 songs (28) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
The American boy band New Kids on the Block has released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, one EP, thirty-two singles, and five video albums. As of 2005, they had sold more than 17.5 million albums in the United States alone and to date, over 80 million records worldwide.
"Unbelievable" is a song written and recorded by British band EMF, originally appearing on their debut album, Schubert Dip (1991). It was released as a single in the UK in October 1990 by Parlophone, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart on 1 December 1990. It was the 30th-best-selling single of 1990 in the UK, and a top 10 hit also in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. In the United States, "Unbelievable" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 in 1991. The song was produced by Ralph Jezzard, and contains samples of US comedian Andrew Dice Clay and a Black Panther Party member shouting "What the fuck?" Its music video was directed by Josh Taft.
The discography of A-ha, a Norwegian synthpop/rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, eight compilation albums, six box sets, ten extended plays, and fifty singles. This list does not include solo material or other projects recorded by A-ha band members.
"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues.
Ian Alec Harvey Dench is an English songwriter and musician. He is the guitarist and principal songwriter for EMF, who scored a major international hit reaching number 1 in the United States with "Unbelievable" in 1991. It was voted one of BBC Radio 2's 'Greatest Guitar Riffs'.
Carrie were a British-based rock music band, featuring the former Levitation and Some Have Fins singer/guitarist Steve Ludwin, ex-EMF bass player Zac Foley, guitarist Dennis Dicker, and Australian drummer, Bruce Pawsey. Their sound was characterised by a juxtaposition of glossy production and multi-layered harmonies with often dark lyrical material. The band's name derived from the Star Wars actress, Carrie Fisher.
The American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake has released six studio albums, two compilation albums, three extended plays, and 52 singles. Timberlake started his music career in 1995, as a member of boy band NSYNC. Following the group's hiatus in 2002, he released his solo debut studio album, Justified, in November that same year. The album was a commercial success and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and additionally topped the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Justified earned multiple multi-platinum certifications, including a triple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and a sextuple platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It produced four singles: "Like I Love You", "Cry Me a River", "Rock Your Body" and "Señorita"; all performed well commercially, with two of them becoming top 5 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and top two hits on the UK Singles Chart. "Rock Your Body" also reached number one in Australia.
Robyn Loau is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. From 1991 to 1994, she was lead singer of pop group Girlfriend, before leaving the group to become the face and voice of world music project Siva Pacifica. Loau launched her solo career in 1997 with the Adamski produced single "Sick with Love".
"I Believe" is a song by British band EMF, released as the second single from their first album, Schubert Dip (1991). The song was released as a single in January 1991 in the UK following their big hit "Unbelievable". The song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the song was the band's third single, reaching number 10 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The accompanying music video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.
Rüfüs Du Sol is an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt.
The Holy Family Catholic School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form serving the parishes and communities in and around the districts of Keighley, Haworth, and Skipton in West Yorkshire, England.
American rapper Juice Wrld released five studio albums, eleven extended plays, two mixtapes, 46 singles, and two promotional singles. Three of the albums were released posthumously.
Fontaines D.C. are an Irish post-punk band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums) and Carlos O'Connell (guitar).