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Nightcrawlers is a British-American house music project from Glasgow, Scotland and Chicago, Illinois, assembled by producer, DJ and vocalist John Reid (born 6 September 1963).

Career

Beginnings: 1992–1996

In the early 90s, the band Nightcrawlers was formed as a more soul and funk-influenced pop act and featured vocalist John Reid (who had some local success as a DJ and vocalist under the name Robinson Reid with acts like This Way Up in the late 1980s). The band signed to Island Records' 4th & Broadway record label and released their debut single "Living Inside a Dream", which failed to reach any commercial success. The band then decided to release a second single, "Push the Feeling On", which also failed to go Top 40 in its original acid jazz-styled version and so the band were dropped from Island records, splitting up not so long afterwards. However, "Push the Feeling On" found some success on the American dance scene and briefly crossed over to pop radio, resulting in a minor hit, peaking at No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent fifteen weeks on the chart (it peaked at No. 7 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart). Most of "Push the Feeling On" success is due to the B-side, a remix by Marc Kinchen, an American record producer who has had a number of hits in the UK charts under the name MK.

Kinchen essentially reinvented the track by stripping down the song to one vocal line out of the chorus and creating an unusual sounding track around it. His version, originally entitled 'MK's Nocturnal Dub' but more famously known as 'The Dub of Doom Mix', became heavily played on the underground scene for two years in the UK, eventually reaching No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1994 when it was commercially released. In 1995, MK created new mixes for the track and the single was once again re-released, this time licensed to London's ffrr dance label. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Nightcrawlers' biggest hit in the United Kingdom.

Reid then signed to BMG as a solo artist under the Nightcrawlers name, with his records being issued on the new Final Vinyl imprint through Arista Records. Reid released four further consecutive singles, all featuring remixes by MK. "Surrender Your Love" peaked at No. 7, "Don't Let the Feeling Go" peaked at No. 13, "Let's Push It" peaked at No. 23 and "Should I Ever (Fall in Love)" peaked at No. 34. In September 1995, Reid released an album containing all six singles he had previously released, using Lets Push It as the title. MK once again worked closely with Reid, repeatedly remixing tracks to his trademark sound. In 1996, Reid released a remixed version of the album, entitled The 12" Mixes: An Album of the Very Best Club Remixes. In the same year, Reid released the single "Keep Pushing Our Love" featuring soul singer Alysha Warren, which peaked at No. 30, intended to be the lead single from a second studio album. However, due to poor sales of the single, a second album never materialised.

Current work: 1999–present

In an attempt to revive Nightcrawlers, Reid released a single entitled "Never Knew Love" in 1999. However, it failed to achieve any commercial success and as such, no further releases appeared until 2004, when underground artists JCA and Rosabot released a collaborative remix single of Reid's hit "Push The Feeling On". It re-entered the U.S. Dance Chart, this time peaking at number 1. Elated with the success of the remixes, Reid once again began recording material for a possible second album. In 2011, the first single from the second album, "Cryin' Over You", was released in the United Kingdom and Germany. It features vocals from British singer Taio Cruz.

In 2018, John Reid released an EP titled The Nightcrawlers Soul Sessions, which included a soul version of "Push the Feeling On" and a version of the track with Big Narstie as a bonus. It also featured "All Night Long", which came with remixes by Russell Small of Freemasons and Phats & Small fame.

In 2021, the MK remix of "Push the Feeling On" was sampled by British producer Henry 'Riton' Smithson, who had teamed up with social media stars Mufasa and Hypeman to record the track, called "Friday". Credited to Riton X Nightcrawlers featuring Mufasa and Hypeman, the record was issued by Sony's Ministry of Sound Recordings and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 60 on 22 January 2021 and eventually reached the top 5.

After appearing in the video for "Friday", Reid went on to provide vocals on producer Kevin Christie's follow-up to "Rasputin" (a remix/revamp of the Boney M. song which he - Majestic - took into the Top 20 of the UK Singles chart). The new collaborative single was released by Ministry of Sound Records and called "Losing My Mind", with the artist credit typeset as Majestic X Nightcrawlers.

Solo work

Reid is a successful songwriter in his own right, having co-written a UK chart-topping single for Westlife ("Unbreakable"), Tina Turner's 1999 hit-single When the Heartache Is Over and also songs for Rod Stewart. He is a friend of Simon Cowell, and he co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis hit "A Moment Like This". He has worked as a songwriter for the Spanish singer Mónica Naranjo, with songs including "No Voy A Llorar", "If You Leave Me Now" and "Hotline", he also worked with Ian Levine, in "Whenever You Need Someone" (Bad Boys Inc), and tracks for Eternal, Gemini, Claire Richards for "My Heart Is Heading Home (This Christmas)" track and Optimystic.

Ross Campbell is currently a lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Discography

Studio albums

Remix albums

• The 12" Mixes (1996)
• Nightcrawlers Soul Sessions (2018)

Singles

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of Eurodance artists

References

1. "ArtistInfo".
2. "This Way up". Official Charts.
3. "Island Revamps 4th & Broadway Label, With LaTrice Burnette at Helm". Billboard.com. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
4. Aswad, Jem (17 November 2020). "Island Records Relaunches 4th & Broadway Label With LaTrice Burnette as President". Variety.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
5. "MK | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
6. "NIGHTCRAWLERS | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
7. ^ Nightcrawlers Biography, Muze Ltd. (Encyclopedia of Popular Music)
8. ^ "Nightcrawlers - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
9. "John Reid sets CD album release date". Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
10. "NightCrawlers & John Reid". 12one.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
11. "Riton & Nightcrawlers team up with viral stars on 'Friday' single". Sportplaylists.com. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
13. "Majestic". Sonymusic.co.uk.
15. "Majestic & Boney M | full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
16. "Sony Music UK - Ministry of Sound". Sonymusic.co.uk.
17. "Majestic and Nightcrawlers Unveils Their New Single 'Losing My Mind'". Themusicessentials.com. 6 August 2021.
18. "finnishcharts.com > Nightcrawlers in Finnish Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
19. ^ "hitparade.ch > Nightcrawlers in der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
20. "31 October 1992 (from 'The 76-100 pos. UK-Charts-Thread' thread on ukmix.org)". Retrieved 31 July 2017 – via Imgur. N.B. The Official Charts site does not display peaks between 76–100 for the period 13 April 1991 to 29 January 1994 inclusive.
21. "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > Nadanuf – Michael Nyman". zobbel.de. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
22. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 576. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
23. Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
    • Top 100 peaks to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
    • "Push the Feeling On": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 17 Mar 1996". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 31 July 2017. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
    • "Let's Push It": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 14 July 2015". Imgur.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
    • "Friday": "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
24. "austriancharts.at > Nightcrawlers in der Österreichischen Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
25. "Ultratop > Nightcrawlers in Ultratop Vlaanderen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
26. "Ultratop > Nightcrawlers dans l'Ultratop Wallonie" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
27. "lescharts.com > Nightcrawlers dans les Charts Français" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
28. German chart peaks:
    • "Push the Feeling On": "Nightcrawlers – Push the Feeling On (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
    • "Surrender Your Love": "Nightcrawlers feat. John Reid – Surrender Your Love (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
    • "Should I Ever (Fall in Love)": "Nightcrawlers – Should I Ever (Fall in Love) (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
    • "Push the Feeling On 2003": "Nightcrawlers – Push the Feeling On 2003 (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
    • "Push the Feeling On 2k12": "Glamrock Brothers & Sunloverz feat. Nightcrawlers – Push the Feeling On 2k12 (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
29. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Nightcrawlers' (from irishcharts.ie)". IRMA. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
30. "dutchcharts.nl > Nightcrawlers in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
31. "swedishchars.com > Nightcrawlers in Swedish Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
32. ^ "British certifications – Nightcrawlers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 May 2023. Type Nightcrawlers in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
33. "Top Singles (Week 17, 2021)". SNEP. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
34. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 19 March 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
35. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 24" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
36. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

External links

• Nightcrawlers discography at Discogs
• John Robinson Reid discography at Discogs
• "Nightcrawlers feat. John Reid" BBC

• Scottish house music groups
• Musical groups established in 1992
• Musical groups from Glasgow
• 1992 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Universal Music Group artists