The U-Krew

Last updated
The U-Krew
Also known asThe Untouchable Krew
Origin Portland, Oregon, United States
Genres new jack swing
Years active19841990
Labels Enigma Records
Past membersKevin Morse (deceased 2014)
Larry Bell (deceased 2011)
LavellAlexander
James McClendon
Hakim Rashad Muhammad

The U-Krew was an American R&B/hip-hop music quintet from Portland, Oregon, that saw its greatest success in 1990. [1] The members of the U-Krew were Kevin Morse (lead vocals), Larry Bell (producer, keyboard/drum programmer), Lavell Alexander (turntables), James McClendon, and Hakim Rashad Muhammad (rap vocals). They were originally billed as The Untouchable Krew when they were formed in October 1984. [1]

After shortening their name to The U-Krew, the band released its only album in 1989, eponymously titled The U-Krew on Enigma Records. The album peaked at number 93 on the Billboard 200 and included the hit singles, "If U Were Mine" and "Let Me Be Your Lover", which reached number 24 and number 68 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. [1] Enigma Records folded in 1992.

Their song "Ugly" was featured in the cult sci-fi film, I Come in Peace . Hakim Rashad Muhammad and James McClendon became simply Hakim & J-Mack in 1996. In 1999, they released an album titled, Playalistic on the Portland, Oregon, based Lucky Records.

In October 2012, the U-Krew was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, where the four remaining members did a brief performance of their hit songs.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cracker (band)</span> American rock band

Cracker is an American rock band, formed in 1990 by lead singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. The band's first album Cracker was released in 1992 on Virgin Records; it included the single "Teen Angst ", which went to #1 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. The band's follow-up, the 1993 album Kerosene Hat included the hit songs "Low", "Get Off This", and "Euro-Trash Girl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After 7</span> American band

After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who named the group and helped them get a record deal with Virgin Records in 1988. After 7 released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1989, which spawned three singles "Heat of the Moment", "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop". "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" were No. 1 R&B hits and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Takin' My Time, released in 1992, also went platinum and contained the R&B hit medley "Baby, I'm for Real/Natural High". After 7's Gold-selling 1995 album Reflections was their last album before the group disbanded in 1997. The album included the R&B hit "'Til You Do Me Right. Years later the group resumed touring with Jason Edmonds, son of Melvin Edmonds, replacing his father. Melvin rejoined the group for their successful 2016 comeback album Timeless, which featured 3 adult R&B top 10 hits "Runnin' Out", "I Want You" and "Let Me Know".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry McGuire</span> American singer-songwriter

Barry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit "Eve of Destruction". He later pioneered as a singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throwing Muses</span> American alternative rock band

Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enigma (German band)</span> German musical project

Enigma is a German musical project founded in 1990 by Romanian-German musician and producer Michael Cretu. Cretu had released several solo records, collaborated with various artists, and produced albums for his then-wife, German pop singer Sandra, before he conceived the idea of a new-age, worldbeat project. He recorded the first Enigma studio album, MCMXC a.D. (1990), with contributions from David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. The album remains Enigma's most successful, helped by the international hit single "Sadeness ", which sold twelve million units alone. According to Cretu, the inspiration for the creation of the project came from his desire to make a kind of music that did not obey "the old rules and habits" and presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Wilson (rock musician)</span> American guitarist (born 1954)

Nancy Lamoureux Wilson is an American musician. She rose to fame alongside her older sister Ann as a guitarist and backing and occasional lead vocalist in the rock band Heart.

The Rembrandts are an American alternative rock duo, formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for the song "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom Friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Vinton</span> American singer (born 1935)

Stanley Robert Vinton is an American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One of his most popular songs is "Blue Velvet" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, No. 1 in Canada, and number 2 in the UK in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technotronic</span> Belgian electronic music project

Technotronic was a Belgian electronic music project formed in 1987 by Jo Bogaert, best known for the 1989 single "Pump Up the Jam", which features vocals by Ya Kid K. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The single and was followed by the album of the same name which was released the same year and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200. They achieved further success with the singles "Get Up! " and "Move This". Technotronic went on to release the albums Body to Body (1991) and Recall (1995).

<i>MCMXC a.D.</i> 1990 studio album by Enigma

MCMXC a.D. is the debut studio album by the German musical project Enigma, led by Romanian-German musician Michael Cretu. It was released in Europe by Virgin Records on 3 December 1990, and in the United States by Charisma Records on 12 February 1991. Cretu became fascinated with mixing archaic sounds with modern music after producing German pop singer Sandra's song "Everlasting Love", for which he experimented with Gregorian chant. Following Michael Cretu and Sandra's marriage in 1988, Michael developed the idea of the musical project Enigma and recorded the album over the course of eight months in 1990 at A.R.T. Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawyer Brown</span> American country music band

Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller, Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard, Bobby Randall, Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), and Jim Scholten. The five musicians were originally members of country singer Don King's road band, but chose to stay together after King retired in 1981. After competing on the television competition series Star Search and winning that show's grand prize, they signed to Capitol Records in 1984. The band recorded for Capitol between then and 1991, and for Curb Records between 1991 and 2005, except for a short time in 2003 when they were signed to Lyric Street Records. Duncan Cameron, formerly of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, replaced Randall in 1991, and Shayne Hill replaced him in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadeness (Part I)</span> 1990 single by Enigma

"Sadeness (Part I)" is a song by German musical project Enigma, released in October 1990 as the lead single from their first album, MCMXC a.D. (1990). It became an international hit, reaching number one in 14 countries. In the United States, the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on both the Dance Club Play and 12-inch Singles Sales charts. A sequel to the song, "Sadeness (Part II)" featuring Anggun, was released on Enigma's eighth studio album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Thayer</span> American guitarist

Thomas Cunningham Thayer is an American musician. He was the lead guitarist and a vocalist for the hard rock band Kiss from 2002 to 2023. He was also lead guitarist for the band Black 'n Blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return to Innocence</span> 1993 single by Enigma

"Return to Innocence" is a song by German musical group Enigma, released on 4 January 1994 by Virgin as the lead single from the group's second album, The Cross of Changes (1993). It reached number one in over 10 countries, peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, and entered the top five in several other countries. "Return to Innocence" was the project's biggest hit in the United States, reaching number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Julien Temple directed its accompanying music video, which received heavy rotation on European music channels.

D Train was an American duo that had hits on the Billboard magazine Dance and R&B charts during the first half of the 1980s. Three of their singles also reached the top 30 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Murray</span> American rapper from New York

Keith Omar Murray is an American rapper from New York. He is best known for being a member of the hip hop group Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and fellow Long Island native Erick Sermon. The group released their debut album, El Niño in 1998.

Black 'N Blue is an American glam metal band from Portland, Oregon. The current members are lead vocalist Jaime St. James, bassist Patrick Young, drummer Pete Holmes, and guitarists Brandon Cook and Doug Rappoport. The band is best known for their song "Hold On to 18" from their eponymous debut studio album, Black 'n Blue, released in August 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will You Love Me Tomorrow</span> 1960 single by the Shirelles

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song with words by Gerry Goffin and music composed by Carole King. It was recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the first by an African-American all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. It has since been recorded by many other artists including a 1971 version by co-writer Carole King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Time Frequency</span>

The Time Frequency (TTF) are a Scottish electronic dance music group, founded by Jon Campbell in early 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don and the Goodtimes</span> American garage rock band

Don and the Goodtimes were an American garage rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 1964. Fronted by Don Gallucci, former keyboardist of the Kingsmen, the group made a name for itself in the Northwest rock scene performing in a similar style as their contemporaries the Wailers and the Sonics. Over time, Don and the Goodtimes honed their vocal harmonies and earned two hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967, including their biggest hit "I Could Be So Good to You". The band released their album, So Good, and later experimented with psychedelia under the moniker Touch before disbanding in 1969.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 350. ISBN   0-7535-0252-6.