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 It contained the minor hit, the Carole King-penned song "You've Got a Friend" that was originally made famous by James Taylor.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.
Keep Together
The Brand New Heavies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things tend to block up my mind
Stop me from Living how I want to live
I've been working so hard
Trying to play the right card
Haven't had the time to
Do the things I needed to
Why am I feeling so blue
This feeling isn't new
I should have listened to the
Words my friends would say
They'd say when times are rough you
Know you've got hold on hold on
Sometimes when you feel like giving up
You know you've got to keep together keep together keep together
And I know when thing get kind of rough
You know you've got to keep together keep together keep together
I know it's happened before
trouble it knocked at my door
It filled my head with things
I didn't seem to understand
Bad luck it followed me to
whatever I would do
I seemed to ruin all things
I wanted most of all
Why am I feeling so blue
this feeling isn't new
I should have listened to the words my friends would say
they'd say
When times are rough you know you've got to hold on hold on
'Cause everywhere that you go and everything that you do
Situations they will try to get the better of you
Whatever happens to you this time you've got to hold on to it hold on
Baby now
The lyrics to The Brand New Heavies' song "Keep Together" describe the difficulties and challenges that we face in life. The songwriter talks about feeling blocked and unable to live life the way they want to because they've been working so hard and haven't had time for themselves. They also mention feeling blue and experiencing trouble in the past that they didn't understand. In spite of these challenges, the songwriter encourages listeners to keep going and hold on when times get tough.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of sticking together and not giving up when things get rough. The songwriter mentions the support of friends who encouraged them during difficult times and emphasizes the importance of holding on when things seem impossible. The lyrics suggest that with perseverance and support from others, we can overcome the obstacles we face in life.
Overall, "Keep Together" is an uplifting song that encourages listeners to keep going and stay strong in the face of adversity. The lyrics remind us that we all face challenges in life, but we can overcome them by sticking together and never giving up.
Line by Line Meaning
Life ain't so easy sometimes
Life can be challenging and difficult at times.
Things tend to block up my mind
Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by thoughts that cloud my mind.
Stop me from Living how I want to live
These thoughts are preventing me from living my life on my own terms.
I've been working so hard
I have been putting in a lot of effort.
Trying to play the right card
I have been trying to make the right decisions.
Haven't had the time to
I have not been able to find the time to
Do the things I needed to
Do the things that I needed to take care of.
Why am I feeling so blue
I'm feeling sad and down.
This feeling isn't new
I have felt this way before.
I should have listened to the
I wish I had paid attention to the
Words my friends would say
Advice that my friends would offer.
They'd say when times are rough you
My friends would say that in challenging times
Know you've got hold on hold on
It's important to hold on and persevere.
Sometimes when you feel like giving up
There are moments when it feels like giving up is the only option.
You know you've got to keep together keep together keep together
In those moments of wanting to give up, it is crucial to stay focused and strong.
And I know when thing get kind of rough
I am aware that when things get particularly difficult
You know you've got to keep together keep together keep together
It is essential to keep moving forward and stay committed to the task at hand.
I know it's happened before
I have faced similar challenges in the past.
Trouble it knocked at my door
Problems have come to me.
It filled my head with things
These challenges made me think of negative things.
I didn't seem to understand
I didn't understand what was happening.
Bad luck it followed me to
I have had a streak of misfortune.
whatever I would do
No matter what actions I took.
I seemed to ruin all things
I felt like I was messing everything up.
I wanted most of all
The things that were most important to me.
Cause everywhere that you go and everything that you do
No matter where you go or what you do
Situations they will try to get the better of you
There will always be situations that try to defeat you.
Whatever happens to you this time you've got to hold on to it hold on
No matter what happens, it's important to persevere and not give up.
Baby now
Emphasizing the urgency and importance of persevering and holding on.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blackcosmos
Timeless lyrics. 'Brother Sister' is a masterpiece!
khalfani321
Love this one. Woke up thinking of this album. Brought back lots of memories. Now to turn my son on to this album 🙂
Tsvetan Dudulov
This song brings me to another, peaceful place in an Island 🏝️ with a wonderful view and careless people full of joy and good vibes, dancing with the ocean waves and moon light!
Samuel turk Turk
They were before there time. With all the depression anxiety and bipolar in the world, this the music we need to hear
Tsvetan Dudulov
@Samuel turk Turk l agree!
Neish
SO UNDERRATED! 😢
storm8y
Yeah...
Kim7000000
Timelessly inspirational. Keep together, y'all, no matter what!
MrsCampbell Soup
Damn this song got me through a Lot of Rough Times! !! It reminded me wtf I was!! Hell yeah!
Alfred Frazier
Lost my job 1year ago. This song Help me out!!!! Found a New1 makin More!