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Us3

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This article is about the band. For the highway route, see U.S. Route 3.

Us3
OriginLondon, England
Years active1992–2014
LabelsBlue Note
Us3
MembersGeoff Wilkinson
Past membersMel Simpson (1993–95)
Vocalists:
Rahsaan Kelly (1993–95)
Kobie Powell (1993–95)
Tukka Yoot (1993–95, 2013)
KCB (1996–99, 2013)
Shabaam Sahdeeq (1996–99)
Michelob (1999–2001)
Alison Crockett (1999–2002)
Reggi Wyns (2003–05)
Mpho Skeef (2003–05)
Akil Dasan (2005–07, 2013)
Gaston (2005–07)
Adeline (2007)
Brook Yung (2009)
Sene (2009)
Oveous Maximus (2011)
Akala (2011)
Websiteus3.com

Us3 were a British jazz rap group founded by London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson in 1992.

The name was inspired by Us Three, a Horace Parlan album produced in 1960 by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records.[1] Us3's debut album, Hand on the Torch, used samples from Blue Note songs produced by Lion.

History

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In the early 1990s, London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson produced two recordings under the name Us3. The first was 1990's "Where Will We Be in the 21st Century", a limited-edition white label 12" release. It drew the attention of independent label Ninja Tune, resulting in NW1's 1991 12-inch single "The Band Played The Boogie", featuring UK rapper Born 2 B.[2] It sampled a dancefloor tune of the burgeoning jazz dance scene, Grant Green's "Sookie Sookie", originally released on Blue Note Records.

After London's Kiss FM added "The Band Played The Boogie" to its playlist, Blue Note Records threatened to sue Wilkinson for unapproved use of the sample. Instead, Wilkinson convinced Blue Note executives to sign him to make more music featuring Blue Note samples.

So Wilkinson established Us3 with production partner Mel Simpson.[2] One of the resulting demos, recorded in March 1992, was "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", featuring UK trumpeter Gerard Presencer.[2] It sampled Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island".[2] Two years later, it entered the US top ten and was included on Hand on the Torch, the first Blue Note album to achieve platinum status (1,000,000 sales) in the US.

More touring followed, but personnel changes within Blue Note's owner, Capitol Records, allowed Wilkinson to leave and sign to Sony, working with the A&R executive that initially signed him in 1992.[citation needed]. Blue Note samples were not included and two new vocalists joined the group: rapper Michelob, and singer Alison Crockett. However, before the album was complete, a major personnel change at Sony left Us3 in limbo.[citation needed].

After winding up Us3 in 2014, Wilkinson went on to specialise in producing film and library music.[3]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions
UK
[4] 		AUS
[5] 		AUT
[6] 		GER
[7] 		NLD
[8] 		NZ
[9] 		SWI
[10] 		US
[11] 		US
R&B/HH
[12]
Hand on the Torch 1993 40 51 11 29 81 28 21 31 21
Broadway & 52nd 1997 93 90 28 80 91 39 48 — 90
An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place 2001 — — — — — — — — —
Questions 2004 — — — — — — — — —
Schizophonic 2006 — — — — — — — — —
Say What!? 2007 — — — — — — — — —
Stop. Think. Run. 2009 — — — — — — — — —
Lie, Cheat & Steal 2011 — — — — — — — — —
The Third Way 2013 — — — — — — — — —

Singles

[edit]
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak positions Album
UK
[4] 		AUS
[13] 		AUT
[6] 		BEL
(FL)
[13] 		GER
[7] 		NLD
[8] 		NZ
[9] 		SWI
[10] 		US
[14] 		US
R&B
[15]
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" 1992 — 32 3 24 22 18 16 7 9 21 Hand on the Torch
"Tukka Yoot's Riddim" 1993 34 — 24 — 97 — 28 26 — —
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (UK reissue) 23 — — — — — — — — —
"I Got It Goin' On" 1994 52 — — — — — 39 — — —
"Eleven Long Years" — — — — — — — — — —
"Come on Everybody (Get Down)" 1997 38 — — — — — — 49 — — Broadway & 52nd
"I'm Thinking About Your Body" — — — — — — — — — —
"You Can't Hold Me Down" 2001 94 — — — — 98 — — — — An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place
"Get Out" 2002 174 — — — — 97 — — — —
"Say You Belong to Me" 2007 — — — — — — — — — — Say What!?
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

References

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  1. ^ Hand on the Torch booklet remark by Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records
  2. ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 357. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  3. ^ "Composer - Geoff Wilkinson". MediaTracks. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Official Charts Company: Us3". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  5. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 290.
  6. ^ a b "Discographie US 3". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Us3 – German Chart". offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Discografie US 3". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Discography US 3". charts.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  10. ^ a b "US 3 – Cantaloop". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of March 12, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  12. ^ Peaks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart:
  13. ^ a b "US 3 – Cantaloop". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Us3 – US Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Us3 – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2014.

Other sources

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