The group came up with the Heavies name after signing their first record contract, borrowing from a liner note on a James Brown single declaring the artist "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk". As The Brand New Heavies they gained a cult following in the London club scene and soon signed to Cooltempo as acid jazz replaced rare groove in clubs. The band issued a debut recording for Eddie Piller's Acid Jazz label in 1990 with Jay Ella Ruth as lead singer.
A single, "Got to Give", came out on Cooltempo before the Brand New Heavies signed to Acid Jazz Records and released Brand New Heavies to critical acclaim. The band signed to a division of Chrysalis Records in the UK, and American distribution was picked up by influential label Delicious Vinyl, and N'Dea Davenport (who had signed an artist development deal with Delicious Vinyl) joined the group. A revamped version of the first album with vocals by N'Dea Davenport was then released, and the singles "Dream Come True", "Never Stop" and "Stay This Way", all with Davenport on lead vocals, became hits on both sides of the Atlantic, with the latter becoming a music video directed by Douglas Gayeton that saw heavy rotation on MTV.
The group's appearance with MC Serch (formerly of 3rd Bass) and Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) at a performance in New York City, inspired the group to incorporate elements of hip hop music. Their next album was the critically acclaimed Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1, which included collaborations with Guru of Gang Starr and The Pharcyde, among others, but lacked any female vocals.
While under management by Colin Lester's and Ian McAndrew's Wildlife Entertainment, The Brand New Heavies released Brother Sister (1994) which was the last album for a while with N'Dea Davenport, who had left to complete her solo album (which she had put on hold to join the Heavies). The album spawned more singles, though one of them, a cover of Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis", was popular only in the UK because it was not included in the US version of the album.
Siedah Garrett joined the group for their next album, Shelter (1997). It contained the minor hit, the Carole King-penned song "You've Got a Friend" that was originally made famous by James Taylor. Again, though, this song did not appear on the US version of the album. The album also contained the hit "Sometimes". The remix of "Sometimes" included the rap vocals of Q-Tip from Tribe.
The Brand New Heavies then released their greatest hits album, Trunk Funk - The Best of The Brand New Heavies (2000) with Carleen Anderson on vocals for some newly recorded songs, followed by the Japan only album We Won't Stop (2003) featuring a variety of vocalists and Allaboutthefunk (2004) featuring British singer Nicole Russo on vocals.
In April 2006, the Brand New Heavies reunited with N'Dea Davenport and former label Delicious Vinyl. A new album, Get Used to It was released on June 27 2006 via Starbucks and more traditional music retail outlets. The album was recorded in New York and London; and the lead single "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" was issued in early May. The single was notable for being one of very few late releases to feature the trademarked "A Tom Moulton Mix", as the legendary disco pioneer had been asked to contribute mixes. Later that year, their song "Jump 'N' Move" was featured on the soundtrack for the 2006 computer animated feature film, Happy Feet, and the in-game soundtrack for 2004's NBA Live 2005. The band toured at the end of 2006.
After the release of a live CD Live at the Indigo2 in late 2008, the Brand New Heavies announced they would be releasing a new album in 2009 with N'Dea Davenport on vocals.
Forever
The Brand New Heavies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People come and people go
acting happy just for show
Think they do but they don't know
What it is to see love grow
Living life so all alone
Hiding feelings better shown
Than what I have with you
Far and wide I looked for you
Many nights just feeling blue
You told me that you felt it too
Before you came my way
Now I have you by my side
Nothing left for me to hide
Set to face the coming tide
Of what the future brings
Need you baby need you baby
I need you baby right now
The lyrics of The Brand New Heavies' song Forever is a beautiful declaration of love and commitment. The singer expresses their love for someone and states that they will love this person forever. The song also touches on the theme of loneliness and the struggle to find love before finally meeting the person they are singing about.
The first verse begins by highlighting the transitory nature of relationships. People come and go, and many put on a façade to mask their true emotions. The singer asserts that these individuals do not know what it is like to see love grow, indicating a depth of relationship that stretches beyond the superficial. The second half of the verse is dedicated to the theme of loneliness. The singer acknowledges that they had been living life alone, hiding their true feelings. However, they now have someone special in their life whom they cherish above anything else.
The chorus reiterates the notion that the singer will love this person forever. The second verse delves into the journey the singer embarked on before finding love. They express their search for love and the feeling of desolation before finally finding someone who felt the same. The final line of the verse speaks of the future and the singer's readiness to face whatever it brings now that they have found the love of their life.
Overall, the lyrics paint a heartwarming picture of an unbreakable love between two individuals who have struggled on their journey to find each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Forever I will love you forever
I will love you for an infinite amount of time without end
People come and people go
Individuals may enter and exit our lives
acting happy just for show
Acting as if one is blissful, when in actuality, they are not
Think they do but they don't know
People believe they comprehend a situation, but they truly don't
What it is to see love grow
How it feels to witness the development of a loving relationship
Living life so all alone
Existing without the companionship of others
Hiding feelings better shown
Suppressing emotions that ought to be expressed
Nothing better could I own
There is nothing of greater value than what I possess
Than what I have with you
Referring to the exceptional relationship shared with the person being addressed
Far and wide I looked for you
I searched for you in distant and varied locations
Many nights just feeling blue
I experienced numerous nights of melancholy emotions
You told me that you felt it too
Referring to the mutual attraction and interest in a romantic connection
Before you came my way
Prior to meeting the person being addressed
Now I have you by my side
Currently in a relationship with and supported by the person being addressed
Nothing left for me to hide
There are no secrets or concealed emotions left
Set to face the coming tide
Prepared to confront whatever the future may bring
Of what the future brings
The uncertain nature of what will happen in the future
Need you baby need you baby
Emphasis on the importance of the person being addressed in the singer's life
I need you baby right now
A current and necessary need for the person being addressed
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAN KINCAID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ZenarchersLair
Gives me chills hearing this again. Deep favorite, incredible jam. Beautiful showcase for N'Dea's killer voice.
TheDistrict644
Love the Heavies from the very beginning. I’m from the states and when they first came over, they stayed at a hotel I worked at in the early 90’s. That decade of artists was special and they were a part of it for sure. Dream come true and Neva stop we’re two of my favs.Diamond District ! Shout out to the Heavies!! Savoy!
allseeingi
One of their best , strings , drums , guitar and those vocals , perfectly harmonious.
Aisha Ellis
Been in repeat all day🎼✨❣️
Natty
One of their best tunes unjustly slept on mainly because A&R didn't select it for the single release that it deserved to be
Aisha Ellis
They 😴
Raider
Bringing back some 90's gold✌
Berenice Kiamany
Fantástico! !
Rubens Lima
Berenice, bote fantastico nisso.
Berenice Kiamany
The Brand New Heaves is beautiful!!!!