Young Disciples

Young Disciples was a British / American acid jazz band, formed in London in 1990 by Carleen Anderson (vocals and keyboards), Marc Nelson (bass, guitar and organ) and Femi Williams (percussion and programming).

Their most famous hit was the single, "Apparently Nothin'" (Talkin' Loud, 1991), which helped launch Anderson's solo career when the band split up.

History

The group formed in July 1990 after the American born Anderson and her young son, Bobby Anderson of Fortune Drive, relocated to London, and met with Nelson. They signed to Talkin' Loud records and released their first single "Get Yourself Together". This was followed by "Apparently Nothin'", which became a #13 hit for the group and brought them to national attention. An album quickly followed, "Road to Freedom" (1991) and prompted their record company to cash in on the success of their single by releasing a remixed version "Apparently Nothin"' the following year.

The group were part of the burgeoning acid jazz scene, according to the book "The Techno Primer"setting "the tone for this movement", [cite book | title = The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music Styles | first = Tony | last = Verderosa | coauthors = Rick Mattingly | publisher = Hal Leonard Corporation | date = 2002 | isbn = 0634017888 | page = 34 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=VT7_x7m-RWcC&pg=PA34&dq=%22Road+to+Freedom%22+%22Young+Disciples%22&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3uzjAuAxKTHVSaP5F9Y7MbUAvYTg] but also maintained links with the British hip hop genre, with many up and coming rappers of the day recording with them - MC Mell'O', Outlaw Posse and Masta Ace all guested on tracks over their career. The group also remixed tracks for other artists, although in reality this was usually either Nelson or Williams or both.

The "Road To Freedom" Album was recorded at Solid Bond Studios (Paul Weller's personal studio) with guests such as: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Mick Talbot, Paul Weller, Steve White, Max Beesley, and IG Culture. This album serves as the blueprint for the "Neo-Soul" genre in the coming years.

Anderson left the group in 1992, using the success of "Apparently Nothin"' to earn herself a solo recording contract with the larger Virgin Records company. Following this, the group disbanded, although the name was still used for remix production for many years. Nelson and Williams continued to work behind the scenes in the music industry.

In 1999, a new version of "Apparently Nothin" was released with Carleen Anderson and The Brand New Heavies.

References

Discography

* "Road to Freedom"

External links

* [http://www.carleenanderson.net/ Carleen Anderson's website]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Young+Disciples Discogs' Young Disciples page]
* [http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/young_disciples/bio.jhtml VH1's Young Disciples page]