Nu Shooz

Pop/soul /freestyle band Nu Shooz formed in 1979 in Portland, Oregon. Founded by vocalist Valerie Day and her husband, musician John Smith, Nu Shooz was initially a 12 member band. Nu Shooz independently released Can’t Turn It Off, their debut album, in 1982. With a leaner line-up, they released their sophomore album, Tha’s Right, in 1985. The album featured the single “I Can’t Wait”, which was a local hit in Portland. At the time, the band were unable to secure a major label record deal, but a remixed version of “I Can’t Wait” was released in the Netherlands and became a hit. Based on the overseas reaction to the single, Atlantic Records offered the band a contract and released the remixed version of the song in the U.S. The single spent 15 weeks on the Top 40 in 1986, peaking at Number 28. However, it rose to Number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Atlantic Records released the album Poolside, which also featured the band’s second hit “Point of No Return”, which also landed in the Top 40. The album reached Number 35 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Nu Shooz was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1987, losing to Bruce Hornsby & the Range. The following year, Nu Shooz released their second major label album, Told You So, which featured the hit singles “Should I Say Yes?” and “Are You Lookin’ for Somebody Nu”. The album didn’t achieve the same success as Poolside, although it did reach Number 93 on the Billboard 200. The band released the single “Time Will Tell” in 1992, but the scheduled album Eat & Run was shelved. The band left Atlantic Records and maintained a low profile for nearly two decades. However, Day and Smith formed a jazz-oriented side project called Nu Shooz Orchestra. They released the album Pandora’s Box in 2010. Two years later, Nu Shooz returned to their 1980s roots and released the album Kung Pao Kitchen. In 2016, they released the album Bagtown.

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