Experience Unlimited
Encyclopedia
Experience Unlimited is a Washington, D.C.
-based go-go band that enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory "Sugarbear" Eliot, the group has had a fluctuating membership over the years, but they have maintained a fairly loyal following. The band's biggest hit was 1988's "Da Butt" which charted at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also featured in the movie School Daze
, was ranked #489 on Blender Magazine
s "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" and #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s. In the hourly intros for the latter program, Sugarbear says he is proud to be a one-hit wonder.
Experience Unlimited experienced a resurgence in the mid to late nineties by partnering with legendary Jazz, gospel, pops and gospel session singer Maiesha Rashad while performing under the name Maiesha and The Hip Huggers featuring E.U. Maiesha and The Hip Huggers have headlined events and concert venues such as BB King's Blues Club and Grill, D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Black Family Reunion and D.C.'s Stone Soul Picnic and Unifest.
Formed in the early 70's by Charles stephenson-Experience Unlimited Band and Show recorded their first album which included Gregory Elliott-bass, Clarence Smith-saxophone, Donald Fields-Lead Guitar, Donna M Taylor-vocalist on "People", Melva Adams-Vocalist, Greyland Hunter-Trombone, Micheal-Keyboards, Phil Harris-horn, Anthony-Drums and Wayne Davis who coached the vocals at the studio recording in Falls Church, Virginia. the album truly was before their time and became a spiritual awakening for the group who had the opportunity to perform for authoratative figures and gain experience in learning about people and different cultures. Chris Curle from channel 7 news did a report on the group after their turbulent rise from rags to becoming mature. The first released album did not fair well but is truly an accomplishment far beyond the bands imagination. Most of the band members are now settled and are raising their families but continue the unity in the community.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based go-go band that enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory "Sugarbear" Eliot, the group has had a fluctuating membership over the years, but they have maintained a fairly loyal following. The band's biggest hit was 1988's "Da Butt" which charted at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also featured in the movie School Daze
School Daze
School Daze is a 1988 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell-Martin...
, was ranked #489 on Blender Magazine
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
s "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" and #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s. In the hourly intros for the latter program, Sugarbear says he is proud to be a one-hit wonder.
Experience Unlimited experienced a resurgence in the mid to late nineties by partnering with legendary Jazz, gospel, pops and gospel session singer Maiesha Rashad while performing under the name Maiesha and The Hip Huggers featuring E.U. Maiesha and The Hip Huggers have headlined events and concert venues such as BB King's Blues Club and Grill, D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Black Family Reunion and D.C.'s Stone Soul Picnic and Unifest.
Studio albums
- Experience Unlimited (1976)
- Future Funk (1982) Unifest
- E.U. Live: Two Places at the Same Time (1986)
- Go Ju Ju Go (1987)
- Rock Yuh Butt (1988)
- Livin' Large (1989) U.S. #158, U.S. R&B #22
- Cold Kickin' It (1990) U.S. R&B #92
- Make Money (1996)
Formed in the early 70's by Charles stephenson-Experience Unlimited Band and Show recorded their first album which included Gregory Elliott-bass, Clarence Smith-saxophone, Donald Fields-Lead Guitar, Donna M Taylor-vocalist on "People", Melva Adams-Vocalist, Greyland Hunter-Trombone, Micheal-Keyboards, Phil Harris-horn, Anthony-Drums and Wayne Davis who coached the vocals at the studio recording in Falls Church, Virginia. the album truly was before their time and became a spiritual awakening for the group who had the opportunity to perform for authoratative figures and gain experience in learning about people and different cultures. Chris Curle from channel 7 news did a report on the group after their turbulent rise from rags to becoming mature. The first released album did not fair well but is truly an accomplishment far beyond the bands imagination. Most of the band members are now settled and are raising their families but continue the unity in the community.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles | US Hot Dance Club Play | US R&B Singles | ||
| 1988 | "Da Butt '89" | 35 | 4 | 23 | 1 |
| 1989 | "Buck Wild" | - | 47 | - | 7 |
| "Livin' Large" | - | - | - | 63 | |
| "Taste of Your Love" | - | - | - | 4 | |
| 1990 | "I Confess" | - | - | - | 27 |