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The Brand New Heavies

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(1985 – present)

The Brand New Heavies began in 1985 as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International.

The group came up with the Heavies name after signing their first record contract, borrowing from a liner note on a James Brown single declaring the artist “Minister of New Super Heavy Funk”. As The Brand New Heavies they gained a cult following in the London club scene and soon signed to Cooltempo as acid jazz replaced rare groove in clubs. The band issued a debut recording for Eddie Piller’s Acid Jazz label in 1990 with Jay Ella Ruth as lead singer.

A single, “Got To Give”, came out on Cooltempo before the Brand New Heavies signed to Acid Jazz Records and released Brand New Heavies to critical acclaim. The band signed to a division of Chrysalis Records in the UK, and American distribution was picked up by influential label Delicious Vinyl, and N’Dea Davenport (who had signed an artist development deal with Delicious Vinyl) joined the group. A revamped version of the first album with vocals by N’Dea Davenport was then released, and the singles “PlayDream Come True”, “PlayNever Stop” and “PlayStay This Way”, all with Davenport on lead vocals, became hits on both sides of the Atlantic, with the latter becoming a music video directed by Douglas Gayeton that saw heavy rotation on MTV.

The group’s appearance with MC Serch (formerly of 3rd Bass) and Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) at a performance in New York City, inspired the group to incorporate elements of hip hop music. Their next album was the critically acclaimed Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1, which included collaborations with Guru of Gang Starr and The Pharcyde, among others, but lacked any female vocals.
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Dream On Dreamer full track
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2 Play
Dream Come True full track
345
3 Play
Never Stop full track
306
4 Play
Stay This Way full track
303
5 Play
Back To Love full track
223
6 Play
Brother Sister full track
198
7 Play
180
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Have a Good Time full track
180
9 Play
BNH full track
165
10 Play
136
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Sometimes full track
130
12 Play
Forever full track
115
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Ride In The Sky full track
114
14 Play
Spend Some Time full track
92
15 Play
86
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Play Let's Do It Again (Jan Vs.… full track 5:21
Play All Fired Up (A TOM MOULTON… full track 5:51
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