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The Brand New Heavies | |
|---|---|
 The Brand New Heavies live at Leverkusener Jazztage in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Ealing, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | Simon Bartholomew Andrew Levy Angela Ricci |
| Past members | Carleen Anderson N'Dea Davenport Ceri Evans Sulene Fleming Siedah Garrett Lascelles Gordon Dawn Joseph Jan Kincaid Honey Larochelle Ross Kilpatrick Nicole Russo Jaye Ella Ruth Sy Smith |
| Website | Official website |
The Brand New Heavies are an English band formed in 1985, consisting of Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy, and Jan Kincaid. After the addition of N'Dea Davenport in 1990, the group experienced mainstream success and pioneered a new genre called acid jazz.
The Brand New Heavies released their debut self-titled album in June 1990. The album was reissued in 1991 with newly recorded vocals by American singer-songwriter N'Dea Davenport, a new addition to the lineup. The album's singles "Never Stop", "Dream Come True", and "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" became a success with the latter two charting in UK Top 25. Their breakthrough success came with the release of their third album Brother Sister in April 1994, which peaked at number 4 on UK Albums Chart and became certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album's lead single "Dream On Dreamer" charted in the top 20 in several different countries, including peaking at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Davenport departed from the group and was replaced with American singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett. The group released their fourth album Shelter in April 1997 to commercial success, achieved another certified platinum album by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Garrett departed from the group in 1998 and was replaced by Carleen Anderson.
After Anderson's departure in 2000, the group experienced a decline in mainstream popularity after being fronted by several session singers including Sy Smith and Nicole Russo before Davenport's return in 2006. The group released Get Used to It in June 2006, followed by their live album Live in London in 2009. In April 2013, they released their album Forward, an album featuring vocals by Davenport and new addition Dawn Joseph. The group hired Dawn Joseph as their featured vocalist, ultimately releasing Davenport from the group. Following the release of the album Sweet Freaks (2014), Joseph and Jan Kincaid departed from the group. Sulene Fleming toured with the group from 2016 to 2018, before being replaced with Angela Ricci.
The Brand New Heavies have sold over 2.5 million records worldwide and regarded as one of the leading bands in the genre of acid jazz.