Nightcrawlers

Nightcrawlers functions as a Scotland-rooted electronic dance project built around house DJ, producer, and vocalist John Reid. Emerging in the opening years of the 1990s, Reid secured an early Top Ten placement on the U.S. dance singles chart with the genre-blending single “Push the Feeling On,” a track that maintained its reach through repeated reinterpretations over the following decades, notably via Marc Kinchen’s remixing and through sampled appearances in recordings by Rihanna and Pitbull. Reid joined forces with English DJ Riton in 2021 to craft a fresh take on the song, releasing “Friday” that features Mufasa and Hypeman; the result became a major hit throughout Europe, the U.S., and Australia. In addition to fronting his own releases, Reid works as a songwriter, supplying material for Westlife, Rod Stewart, and Tina Turner.

Born September 6, 1963, in Glasgow, Reid launched Nightcrawlers after an extended stretch on the DJ circuit, seeking to translate his soul and funk leanings into pop contexts. The act put out the single “Living Inside a Dream” in 1992 without commercial impact, and success arrived only when “Push the Feeling On” earned that Top Ten ranking on the U.S. dance singles chart. Marc Kinchen reshaped the track with his “Dub of Doom” remix, which reached number 22 on the U.K. singles chart in 1994. Reid partnered closely with Kinchen on the subsequent four singles, all carrying Kinchen remixes: “Surrender Your Love” (U.K. number seven), “Don't Let the Feeling Go” (U.K. number 13), “Let's Push It” (U.K. number 23), and “Should I Ever (Fall in Love)” (U.K. number 34). The set of tracks formed the core of Reid’s debut album, 1995’s Let’s Push It. “Never Knew Love” surfaced in 1999 yet failed to chart. “Push the Feeling On” received another remix and re-release, this time via RCA and Rosabot, and entered the U.S. dance charts at number one. Its lasting draw extended into wider audiences, surfacing on Bob Sinclair’s remix of Rihanna’s 2008 hit “Don't Stop the Music” and within Pitbull’s 2009 single “Hotel Room Service.”

The next release, “Cryin' Over You,” arrived in 2011 and featured vocalist Taio Cruz. Another overhaul of “Push the Feeling,” credited to Glamrock Brothers and Sunloverz, appeared on the German and Swiss charts the following year. Reid wrapped the decade with The Nightcrawlers Soul Sessions EP, which included guest spots from Big Narstie and Russell Small.

British electronic producer Riton drew directly from “Push the Feeling On” for the 2021 single “Friday.” With Mufasa and Hypeman supplying vocals, the track spread virally across social media and climbed high on global charts.