C+C Music Factory

C+C Music Factory

23 songs 4 albums

David Cole and Robert Civilles met while both working at a New York underground club. Before forming C & C Music Factory, they were primarily remixers, co-writers, producers and artist managers – having worked with Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Fleetwood Mac, Grace Jones, Seduction and others.

Cole & Civilles decided to launch their own music project with an ever-changing cast of vocalists. When an artist they were managing turned down the song “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”, the duo decided to use it as their first single. They recruited a janitor from Quad Recording Studio who was learning to become an assistant engineer named Freedom Williams to perform the raps, and hired ex-Weather Girls singer Martha Wash for the female vocals – but credited them to Zelma Davis. Davis also appeared in the song’s video. Wash later sued for being uncredited in the song and its video.

The song became an international smash, reaching the top 5 in nine countries (taking the top position in five of them). Their debut album was released a month after the single and it reached #2 in the US, #8 in the UK and the top 30 in six other countries.