CLUB NOUVEAU

Club Nouveau came together in Sacramento during 1986 with a roster that included Jay King, Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Pratter, and Valerie Watson. Jay King, the creative force behind Timex Social Club’s 1986 hit “Rumours,” launched King Jay Records to support the new ensemble. The group specialized in disco-flavored funk numbers and scored four consecutive hits spanning 1986 and 1987: “Jealousy,” “Situation #9,” a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” and “Why You Treat Me So Bad.” The final pair each climbed to the number-two spot on the R&B charts. In 1988, however, at the peak of their success, McElroy, Pratter, and Foster departed and were replaced by David Agent and Kevin Irving. Subsequent recordings issued on Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. failed to maintain that momentum, and the band ultimately disbanded.