Who was behind C+C Music Factory?
C+C Music Factory was a dance music project from the 90s. The C+C in the name stands for the surnames of producers Robert Clivillés and David B. Cole (see video). These two guys founded the project in 1989 and signed rapper Freedom Williams and singer Martha Wash , among others . Together, they created the huge hit “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” in 1990. The debut single was a huge success, reaching number one in the charts in many countries. But do you know the story behind it?
Where did you put "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"?
This was none other than Martha Wash from The Weather Girls , who had a worldwide hit in 1982 with “It’s Raining Men”.
Robert Clivillés produced and wrote the instrumental track that later became “Gonna Make You Sweat.” He originally offered the vocals to hip-hop trio Trilogy , but they declined, so he decided to use the song for his own project, C+C Music Factory . Martha Wash had previously recorded several demos for David Cole , so she was also hired for the demo for “Gonna Make You Sweat.”
The song was actually intended for another artist, or at least that’s what David Cole and Robert Clivillés told her . In a 2017 interview, Martha Wash explained in a 2017 interview that she had major problems with the hook: “When I sang the hook of the song, I thought it was too high. It was like I was reaching for the ceiling, trying to hit the notes. ‘Damn, that’s high,’ I thought, and basically screamed at the top of my lungs.” What became of the other alleged singer was never explained to Martha Wash . Nor was she even told whether she actually existed.
But the music video didn't feature Martha Wash, but Zelma Davis. What happened?
Although Martha Wash sang the song, the music project C+C Music Factory decided to feature another woman in the music video: Zelma Davis . She lip-synced Martha Wash ‘s part and was even credited for it in the video credits. Martha Wash’s name, however, was not found after the music video or in the song credits. This could be because Martha Wash didn’t want to join C+C Music Factory afterward, wanting to focus on her solo career as an R&B artist.
C+C Music Factory then decided to include Zelma Davis as a vocalist and promptly included her in the credits. Martha Wash, however, didn’t like this at all! In 1991, she filed a lawsuit against Robert Clivillés and David Cole in Los Angeles Superior Court . She accused both producers and the record company Sony Music Entertainment of fraud, misleading packaging, and commercial appropriation.
The guys from C+C Music Factory initially refused to negotiate the video’s credits and royalties. Ultimately, the dispute was settled, and the parties reached an out-of-court agreement. MTV had to add a disclaimer to the music video crediting Martha Wash for the vocals and Zelma Davis for the visuals. She was also officially credited as the lead singer on the album.
