ESG
Related: 99 Records - New York - No Wave - dance music
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ESG - A South Bronx Story (2000) - ESG [Amazon.com] [Amazon.com [FR] [DE] [UK]
Profile
ESG are a band from the South Bronx, New York, USA. The band consists of four sisters; Maria Scroggins (congas, vocals), Renee Scroggins (guitar, vocals), and Valerie Scroggins (drums).
ESG have been influential in a wide range of musical genres, including hip hop, post punk, disco, and dance-punk.
An art-funk ensemble from the South Bronx, ESG was formed by sisters Renee, Valerie, and Marie Scroggins, all of whom handle vocals and percussion, and friend Leroy Glover (bass). ESG's music is centered around the sisters' complex polyrhythms, with atmosphere supplied by bass and pop-flavored guitar. During their first incarnation, the group signed with 99 Records and issued a debut self-titled EP in 1981 that featured three live and three studio songs, the latter produced by the legendary Martin Hannett (Joy Division, etc.). 1982's ESG Says Dance to the Beat of the Moody EP continued in a similar vein, as did their first full-length album, 1983's Come Away With ESG. ESG disbanded shortly thereafter, but unexpectedly re-formed in the early '90s, heralding their comeback with a self-titled 1991 compilation of previously released material. The group's work had become popular among hip-hop artists searching for samples, with such acts as TLC, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, and indie rockers Unrest all making use of ESG beats; the group addressed this issue on the 1992 12" EP Sample Credits Don't Pay Our Bills. ESG Live! appeared in 1995, featuring both old and new material. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESG_%28band%29 [Mar 2006]
Four Sisters
Who would have imagined that four sisters and a pal from the South Bronx would emerge as one of the most dynamic bands that New York could offer at the top of the '80s? (Or that they would pop up again in 1987...) Mixing a solid combination of dub, chant and beat, ESG--simply drums, bass and vocals--virtually stole the cosmic show with one of their earliest releases, a six-song EP with a live side and a phenomenal studio side recorded under the hand of British producer Martin Hannett. The first release is said to be a 7" on Factory records, ( a-side "You're No Good", b-side "Moody" & "UFO"), produced again by Martin Hannet.
99 Records
Their second EP, produced by 99 Records head Ed Bahlman, is not quite as crisp as the debut, but no less enjoyable, a brilliant synthesis of rhythm and restraint. To say the following album stayed in a similar vein and improved little over live shows of the same material would be to damn a fine record with faint praise. ESG offers bouncy funk instead of funk pretensions and elegant simplicity in place of mere primitivism.Haçienda and Paradise Garage
They were flown in to play the opening night of Factory's Haçienda in Manchester and Larry Levan got them to play the closing night of the Paradise Garage in New York.
-- John S.P. Walker, Mark FleischmannStanding in Line
From All-Music Guide: "It certainly wasn't by design that the South Bronx-based group ESG affected post-punk, No Wave, hip-hop, and house music. They opened for Public Image Ltd. and A Certain Ratio, they released records on the same label as Liquid Liquid, they had their music sampled countless times, and they became a play-list staple at '70s dance clubs like the Paradise Garage and the Music Box. The group's only aspiration was to play their music." AMG doesn't list this single in their discography, though, because it's too darn rare -- credited to "ESG II" and self-released on the Scroggins sisters' "Emerald Sapphire and Gold Records" label. I think it's from about 1983-'84. "Bam-Bam Jam" is the song to check for on this 12", with the same simple but heavy drum-and-bass groove of their better-known tracks like "Moody" or "UFO" (the one with that ubiquitous siren-noise sample). Three other solid tracks round out the single -- "A New Day," "Standing in Line" and "Crash." --dfroish on ebay.comDiscogs
CDs
- ESG - A South Bronx Story [Amazon US]
Early eighties New York No Wave. Compilation on Soul Jazz records. Moody is the track and the bassline you all know.
ESG - A South Bronx Story Track listing: 1. You're no good 2. Moody 3. UFO 4. It's alright 5. Moody (spaced out) 6. Tiny sticks 7. My love for you 8. Come away 9. Dance 10. Parking lot blues 11. Chistelle 12. About you 13. Erase you 14. Get funky 15. Hold me right 16. I can't tell you what to do