SWV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| SWV | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Sisters With Voices | |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Genre(s) | R&B, New jack swing, Hip hop soul, Dance | |
| Years active | 1990 – 1998 2005 – present |
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| Label(s) | RCA | |
| Members | ||
| Cheryl "Coko" Clemons Tamara "Taj" Johnson Leanne "Lelee" Lyons |
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SWV, also known as Sisters With Voices, is an American female R&B trio from New York that formed as three school friends in 1990: Cheryl "Coko" Gamble-Clemons (born June 13, 1974), Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George (born April 1974), and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons (born July 17, 1973). They were a hugely successful group of the 1990's, dominating the R&B charts with a slew of hits.
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[edit] Career
All three girls began getting their singing in church at a young age. Brian Alexander Morgan took notice of a demo tape the trio had created. He was one of the main producers responsible for the making of their debut album, It's About Time, released in 1992. The album went double platinum within its first year of release. SWV's series of top 10 hits on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart made them one of the most successful and popular urban groups of the 1990s.
Their first single, "Right Here", was released in the autumn of 1992. It peaked at #13 on the R&B chart, but the hit follow-up single, "I'm So Into You", is what caused them to become a commercial force among urban fans. The two singles were followed by the biggest hits of their career, "Weak" ( later sung by Jojo )and "Right Here/Human Nature" (a remix of their first single featuring samples of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature", produced by New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley) Also Right Here (Human Nature) contains a small rap performed by a young and then unknown Pharrell Williams.. "Weak" became their only single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it stayed for 2 weeks while "Right Here (Human Nature)" peaked at #2. The fifth single, "You're Always on My Mind" was another top ten R&B hit. In December 1993 the band was nominated for 11 Billboard Music Awards, going to win 3 of the nominations.
In the spring of 1994, SWV contributed the old school radio version of "Anything", featuring Wu-Tang Clan to the soundtrack of the movie Above the Rim; it became another hit single. Their remix EP, The Remixes, was unleashed the same year and reached gold status by the end of the year. In the summer of 1995, they lended their vocals to Blackstreet's top 40 hit "Tonight's The Night".
The trio returned in 1996 with a sophomore album, New Beginning, and had another #1 R&B hit with the song "You're The One" and follow-up single "Use Your Heart" was a Top 10 R&B hit. The album was followed by next single, "Can We" produced by Timbaland and Missy Elliott, which appeared on the Booty Call soundtrack. Then they released a third album Release Some Tension in 1997, which featured a bevy of guest appearances by rappers Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Snoop Dogg, and E-40. Release Some Tension contained the hits "Someone" and "Rain" (another Top 10 R&B Hit). Later that year, they released a Christmas album titled A Special Christmas.
SWV disbanded in 1998 and Gamble moved on to continue with a solo career. Her solo debut, Hot Coko, was released in 1999, but the album and its main single, "Sunshine," which was dedicated to Coko's firstborn son, Jazz, did not receive much commercial attention. The compilation Greatest Hits was released in 1999.
[edit] Personal Life
Taj is married to former Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans football player Eddie George and recently gave birth to a baby boy, Eriq Michael George. Coko's son Jazz was from a previous relationship with Butterfly of the Hip Hop group Digable Planets. She is now married to producer Mike Clemons and the couple had a son named Jalen together.
[edit] Reunion and latest happenings
SWV has officially reunited and will release a new album soon. They performed in their first live performance in eight years at Los Angeles urban radio station KKBT 100.3 "The Beat"'s summerjam concert on August 20, 2005. They also appeared on the 2006 New Jack Reunion Tour and in 2007 they served as one of the opening acts for New Edition in Augusta, Georgia.
Meanwhile, Coko, now a gospel singer, has signed with Light Records, a division of Artemis Records. Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino and Lil Mo collaborated with Coko on her second album called Grateful.[1] Her first single "Clap Your Hands" hit radio airwaves on many urban gospel radio stations in August 2006. The album itself was released October 31, 2006.[2]
According to SWV's MySpace page, we should expect a new SWV album sometime in 2007. The album is set to stab the UAC charts/audiences, because they want this album to have a more "Mature" feel then their last effort(s)
The girls were recently featured in the new XXL spin-off magazine "XXL Hip-Hop Soul" where they discussed single releases from their groundbreaking debut album It's About Time. In the interview, lead singer Coko mentioned that the group would no longer perform sexually-explicit songs such as "Downtown" and "Can We" anymore out of a new respect for her beliefs as a Christian.[3]
[edit] Trivia
- In October 2004, "I'm So Into You" appeared in popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on R&B, Soul radio station CSR 103.9.
- Coko was the prominent background singer in Will Smith's Grammy-winning song "Men in Black".
- Brian Alexander Morgan originally wrote the song [Weak] for R&B Soul Sister Chante Moore, but shyed out on giving it to her, because he had a serious crush on her.
- SWV has made cameo appearances in videos such as Lil Kim's "Ladies Night" and Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".
- The Vocals for SWV's "Rain" were recorded the same day that Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" video was filmed.
- The prominent bass line in "Rain" is taken from the Jaco Pastorius track "Portrait of Tracy" on his self-titled album.
[edit] Voice
- Coko (First Soprano) Seventh octave range
G#2-G#7 (Capable of singing high notes of the seven octave range like in her song downtown and hymn melody.)
- Taj (Spinto Mezzo-Soprano) three-octave vocal range
B#3-B#5
- Lelee (Low Soprano/High Alto) three octave vocal range
C#3-C#5
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- It's About Time (1992) Pop #8 / R&B #2 (6x Platinum Worldwide)
- The Remixes (EP) (1994) Pop #92 / R&B #9 (Gold)
- New Beginning (1996) Pop #9 / R&B #3 (Quadruple Platinum Worldwide)
- Release Some Tension (1997) Pop #24 / R&B #5 (Double Platinum)
- A Special Christmas (1997) R&B #85
- Greatest Hits (1999)
- Best of SWV (2001)
- Platinum and Gold Collection (2003)
- Encore Collection (2004)
- TBA (2007)
[edit] Solo Albums
[edit] Coko
- Hot Coko (1999) R&B #14 / Pop #68 [4]
- Grateful (2006) R&B #40 / Indie #21
[edit] Singles
- 1992 "Right Here" #92 US #16 R&B
- 1992 "I'm So Into You" #6 US #2 R&B #17 UK (Gold Single)
- 1993 "Weak" #1 US #1 R&B #33 UK (Platinum Single)
- 1993 "Right Here/Human Nature"/"Downtown" #2 US #1 R&B #3 UK (Gold Single)
- 1994 "You're Always On My Mind" #54 US #8 R&B
- 1994 "Anything" #18 US #4 R&B #1 DMMS #24 UK
- 1996 "You're the One" #5 US #1 R&B #13 UK (Gold Single)
- 1996 "Use Your Heart" #22 US #6 R&B (Produced By Chad Hugo & Pharrell Williams (The Neptunes)
- 1997 "It's All About U" #61 US #32 R&B #36 UK
- 1997 "Can We" #75 US #31 R&B #1 RA #18 UK
- 1997 "Someone" #19 US #5 R&B #34 UK (Gold Single)
- 1998 "Rain" #25 US #7 R&B
[edit] Solo Singles
[edit] Coko
- 1999 "Sunshine" #70 US #19 R&B
- 2006 "Clap Your Hands"
- 2006 "I Get Joy"
[edit] Awards & nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1993 | American Music Award nomination for Favorite New Artist - Pop / Rock |
| 1993 | American Music Award nomination for Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Soul / Rhythm & Blues |
| 1993 | American Music Award nomination for Favorite Album - Soul / Rhythm & Blues ("It's About Time") |
| 1993 | American Music Award nomination for Favorite New Artist - Soul / Rhythm & Blues |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award Win for Top Hot 100 Singles Artists - Duos/Group |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award Win for Top R&B Artists - Duos/Group |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award Win for Top R&B Singles Artists - Duos/Group |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Pop Artists - Duo/Group |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top New Pop Artist |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot 100 Singles Artist |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot 100 Airplay Track for "Weak" |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Artist |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top New R&B Artist |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Album Artists - Duos/Group |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Singles Artist |
| 1993 | Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist |
| 1994 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Singles Artists - Duos/Group |
| 1994 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Artists - Duos/Group |
[edit] References
- ^ Bonner, Gerald. Grateful Album Review. GospelFlava.com.
- ^ Interview with Coko: A New Beginning. GospelFlava.com.
- ^ The Black Shakespeare Chronicles — The Rebirth of Coko. GospelCity.com (January 23, 2007).
- ^ Coko Chart History. Billboard.com.
