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 It contained the minor hit, the Carole King-penned song "You've Got a Friend" that was originally made famous by James Taylor.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.
Stay This Way
The Brand New Heavies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living with you in my life
Is like feeling the whole world's on my side
Putting a smile in the place
Where a tear used to run down my face
Feeling the sun on my head
Where a cloud used to follow instead
In a place where all my troubles depart
(chorus)
If our dreams are falling down to the ground
Let them fly
Let the rain keep falling down
Cause baby I'm high
Now it will fly now that we're together oh ho
Love is so high stay this way forever
Living with you in my life
Is like feeling the whole world's on my side
Putting a smile in the place
Where a tear used to run down my face
(chorus)
Our love…yeah!
Love will be here forever
I know that we'll stay together
Our love will be here forever
I hope that we'll stay together
The Brand New Heavies 1992 hit, Stay This Way, is a love song that elicits the feeling of hope and joy. The opening verses describe how the singer's life has changed since their lover entered their life, as they felt like the world was on their side. The song conveys how the love shared has lifted them up, and how it has replaced all their sadness with happiness. The lyricist employs metaphors such as rain to describe the ups and downs they might experience, but they ask their lover to stay with them despite the storms. They profess their love and explain how they hope their love will survive forever.
The chorus in "Stay This Way" conveys how the singer's lover makes them feel so elevated that even if their dreams fall apart or it rains down, they are not bothered as they are high on love. The song expresses that the singer's love for their partner is a never-ending story that they want to maintain forever. From the lyrics of this song, it is evident that they are deeply in love, and they believe that their love will stand the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Living with you in my life
Having you in my life is an experience I cherish every moment.
Is like feeling the whole world's on my side
It feels like life is smiling at me, showering me with good fortune.
Putting a smile in the place
You bring happiness and joy to my life, replacing sadness and sorrow.
Where a tear used to run down my face
You have helped me conquer my pain and wiped away my tears.
Feeling the sun on my head
My life is now brighter, happier and full of hope.
Where a cloud used to follow instead
The dark days are over, and I can now live a life full of brightness without any worries.
Singing a song in my heart
My heart is filled with joy, and I can't stop singing happy songs.
In a place where all my troubles depart
You have given me a peaceful place where all my problems vanish.
If our dreams are falling down to the ground
Even if we face challenges, we will stay strong and continue to dream.
Let them fly
Let our dreams soar high and create new paths for us.
Let the rain keep falling down
Even during tough times, we will stand tall and face the difficulties.
Cause baby I'm high
My love for you gives me strength and empowers me to overcome any obstacle.
Now it will fly now that we're together oh ho
As long as we are together, our dreams will come true, and we will fly high.
Love is so high stay this way forever
Our love is strong and pure, and we hope it continues to soar and never fades.
Our love…yeah!
We celebrate our love and how it empowers us to overcome all challenges.
Love will be here forever
Our love is not temporary, but it is everlasting.
I know that we'll stay together
I am confident and sure that we will be together always, through thick and thin.
Our love will be here forever
We have created a solid foundation of love, respect, and trust, which will last a lifetime.
I hope that we'll stay together
I pray that our love continues to evolve, grow and strengthen with each passing day.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
detroittwicefan313
N'Dea Davenport = one of the most underrated vocalists ever!! :)
Mauricio Calderon
underrated by who? She is one of the most recognized female voices within the acid jazz and hip hop jazz scene. She has work along with Jazzmatazz, Louie Vega, Bootsy Collins, and J Dilla! She is the Diva
Adam Gordon
Yeh she was dope AF 🔥🔥
Allaboutthetendrils
EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1BrotherMack
N'Dea kills it everytime, best lead singer the band has ever had.
Samuel Reid
I got this album when it came out (1990?) after hearing the radio hit "Dream On Dreamer". That was 23 years ago and I still listen to this album. There aren't many that stand that test of time and still get taken out and played. Every time I hear this song it takes me back to driving in my first car in summer, windows down and music up. Gas was 98 cents a gallon, smokes were $1.73 a pack and CD's were just becoming popular. My world was more innocent and the sun was warmer and more yellow.
Eric DeLoach
They don't make music like this anymore
Eric DeLoach
It's a classic
East NY NANA
WOW 😲.
4EverHisLady
You ain't the only one sister 🤣