Nu Shooz
In April 1985 Valerie Day, John Smith, and their band NU SHOOZ, released the five-song EP ‘Tha’s Right!’. Acting on a dare from a local music writer, Gary Bryan of Portland Oregon’s KKRZ put the song “I Can’t Wait” on the air. Listener reaction was strong and immediate- the kind of response known in radio jargon as ‘Instant Phones.’
But this was no overnight sensation. By the time the whole world heard about the Soul band from Oregon, they’d spent seven years onstage, four hours a night, four or five nights a week. So, when their spotlight moment came, the Shooz could get up and play.
By the end of the year “I Can’t Wait” was a regional hit. But the song really took off when it was remixed by Dutch DJ Peter Slaghuis. Atlantic Records signed the band in January 1986. “I Can’t Wait” eventually reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other hits followed. NU SHOOZ was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 1987.
What a long, strange, beautiful trip it's been.
Fast forward to the present…
After a lengthy hiatus from the world of pop/funk and soul, Valerie and John revived the Nu Shooz sound and are back on the road playing to 80s fans around the globe.