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From the Vault...
08/20/2000
#695 |
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info
Club Nouveau
"Life, Love And Pain"
© Warner Bros. Records
Year of Release: 1986
Rating:
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track listing
Jealousy
Why You Treat Me
So Bad
Lean On Me
Promises Promises
Situation #9
Heavy On My Mind
Let Me Go
Pump It Up (Reprise)
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Club Nouveau
"Life, Love And Pain"
The name Club Nouveau may not be a household name, but they had a #1 song
that was a remake of a famous 1970s hit (which also reached #1), Bill Withers'
"Lean On Me." The remake song from their album, 1986's Life, Love
And Pain features 1980s funk.
The opening track, "Jealousy" kicks off a funky Mission:
Impossible intro, as the rest of the song kicks in a funky beat, as in
Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative." A similar groove line as heard in
Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait" is in "Why You Treat Me So Bad." (I
vaguely remember this tune getting some heavy radio airplay...)
The remake of "Lean On Me" has the familiar slow piano intro as
heard in Bill Withers version, however once the main verses appear, the beat
is changed to a funky-type rhythm. Even though this song did reach #1 in
1987 for 2 weeks, Bill Withers' original version is much better of the two.
(Withers' version reached #1 in 1972 for 3 weeks.)
"Promises Promises" is very weird. It's funky, and the vocals
are dreary. It's almost a song that even though its not a novelty song in a
sense, but the atmosphere of the song could be heard on a Dr. Demento show.
"Situation #9" is a basic funk rhythm song, as heard in most pop
R&B tunes of the day in the 1980s, comparing to such groups as Zapp, and Kool
& The Gang. "Heavy On My Mind" is a fairly pop/R&B number, but not as
funky or Heavy.
"Let Me Go" is a beautiful ballad that can easily fit the style of
a group that would later surface in the 1990s: Boyz II Men. "Pump It Up"
(Reprise) is just another remix version of "Lean On Me"; as it has
a more funky and rap approach. This one you just may want to avoid; it's very
unbalanced, and ends abruptly.
The common sound of 1980s funk, Rhythm & Blues best describes Club Nouveau's
Life, Love And Pain. If you enjoy the early years of Bobby Brown, Kool
& The Gang, or basic Rhythm & Blues funk, this album may be entertaining for
you. The only reason why this album would be brought was the fact that their
version of "Lean On Me" reached #1, and probably one of few songs that
would get regular radio airplay. (Probably the other two songs would be
"Why You Treat Me So Bad" and "Let Me Go." For those three songs,
I doubt if Club Nouveau had any other future releases after Life, Love &
Pain, and the questions remain: (1) Whatever happened to Club Nouveau,
and (2) Is there a Club Nouveau Greatest Hits? If Club Nouveau
"disappeared" after 1986, the answers would be: (1) Gone, (and maybe
forgotten), and the answer to the second question would be "No."
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Warner Bros. Records
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