Schubert Dip
1991Parlophone
The debut. Unbelievable is a global hit. I Believe and Children show the range.
EMF
All Artists
Alternative Dance / Indie Rock
EMF
Unbelievable is one of the most recognisable British singles of the early 1990s. EMF were better than their one-hit reputation suggests.
Forest of Dean, EnglandFormed 1989Active
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Biography
EMF
EMF formed in the Forest of Dean in 1989, James Atkin's energetic vocals and the band's alternative dance sound giving them a quality that was immediately distinctive. They signed to Parlophone and released their debut single 'Unbelievable' (1990) — a song of extraordinary energy that became a global hit.
'Unbelievable' reached number one in both the UK and the US — a rare achievement for a British debut act. 'Schubert Dip' (1991) was the debut album — 'I Believe', 'Children', and 'Lies' were all strong singles. The album showed a band capable of real melodic invention beyond their breakthrough single.
EMF have continued to perform and have reformed several times. Their debut album holds up well — the energy and melodic invention of the best songs have never dated. 'Unbelievable' remains one of the most recognisable British singles of its era.
My Take
Unbelievable was a huge dance hit — number 1 in the US — and something I only recently found out for sure: that famous "Ohhh!" is sampled from American comedian Andrew Dice Clay. My own connection to the song is a funny one. I'd met Jesus Jones a number of times, and one night one of the guys told me he wasn't too happy with EMF — he said they'd turned up at a lot of Jesus Jones's early shows and borrowed plenty of their sound and stage presence. Watch both bands' keyboard players live and you'll see what he meant.
Discography
The Albums
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