EMF - Whatever Happened to The Band Behind 'Unbelievable?'

The tragic story of the band E.M.F. who lost their bassist and wrote the hit song 'Unbelievable'
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#EMF #unbelievable
I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.
This is a request I had from one of my subscribers. Side note guys and i don’t promote this enough. If you guys have topics you’d like to see us cover go use the link in the description box and submit as many ideas as you wish. Today let’s talk about whatever happened to the British group EMF. They undoubtedly had one of the biggest hits of the early 90s with unbelievable but fell off the radar afterwards and would soon be struck by tragedy. Stay tuned for the full story .
Hailing from the English region Forest of Dean vocalist James Atkin,; drummer Mark Decloedt, bassist ; Zac Foley, and keyboardist ; Derry Brownson would meet in school and play in different bands around the local music scene. They would come up with the monicker EMF which stood for Epsom Mad Funkers, a term that was coined by a writer of New Musical Express for fans of the band New Order. In the early 90’s as the band rose to prominence there was a lot of media coverage over what EMF stood for with
The washington post who profiled the band in 1991writing ‘The band officially claims it stands for "Epsom Mad Funkers." But if you follow the pop scene at all, you've heard another meaning: "Ecstacy Mother {expletive}", which you can hear in a rude, manic chant heard on the flip side of their hit single.” The band’s drummer would tell the paper "I think the latest one we've heard was 'Eat More Fruit,' " And there's some that I wouldn't like to repeat. I remember one show, a girl came up with a list,of a hundred different names she had made up. I'm sure the {British band} KLF get the same problem."
The four members would meet keyboardist and guitarist Ian Dench at a local battle of the bands contest. Dench proved to be the missing piece for the band as he had already been playing in the music scene for nearly a decade mostly in the group Apple Mosaic. Dench would drop out of his art program Oxford University to pursue music and soon learned that his run down home he lived in was next door to a serial killer named Fred West.
After Apple Mosaic fell apart, Dench would be dumped by his girlfriend who thought his prospects looked grim. He would recall to the Guardian. I hitched a lift home and the lorry dropped me on the M50. I remembered this cool kid called James that I’d met at Glos Music Co, who had kept saying: “You should come to the Forest of Dean. We’ve got this great band. We wear Afghan coats and play death metal.” I phoned him from a call box, 10 minutes later he arrived with Zac, we went out and got drunk and I didn’t go home for three days.
Dench who was older than the rest served as a type of father figure for the band and gave them a musical direction. Dench lived in the town of Gloucester, (Glaster) but his bandmates hailed from the small village of Cinderford. Dench suggested to the LA Times that some of EMF’s perspective and personality were tied to the isolation of their village life revealing “People in Gloucester (glaster) always say, ‘Oh, don’t go to Cinderford, funny people there, funny people.’ But they’re really kind of warm, friendly, energetic, drunken, mad people, inbred sort of. Some small community that’s kind of gone wild in the middle of these woods. That’s the most notable thing about the people in the band, is that they have that sort of oblivious energy, do their own thing. I think that’s one of the driving forces.”
After adding Dench to the lineup they would hold rehearsals at a clothing store owned by Brownsen. Brownsen would tell Seattle Times "We didn't sell a lot of clothes. It was just a good place to hang out, listen to records and get wrecked. I finally went bankrupt. So I had to do something else. We got the band, and it's been decidedly downhill ever since."
By the point Dench joined, the band already had a name with EMF, but hadn’t yet written any songs. One of the first sources of inspiration and the biggest song the group wrote would be their huge hit unbelievable. That girlfriend who broke up with Dench served as the inspiration behind the track with him telling the guardian One day, I was riding my bike home, still obsessed with this girl who had dumped me, and the idea just came to me: My dad was a classical guitarist, so I’d learned classic

[@rnrtruestories]

HERE'S THE VIDEO I DID ON JESUS JONES kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXepmn6metV9mck

[@LuciferEgyptianOsiris]

Don't let them catch people with talent a scientist experiment gets jealous

[@emftheband]

We are still very much alive and kicking and promoting our new album for the rest of the year!

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Keep going boys !!! Dont give up the dream...

[@andhenevercameback7117]

When I used to book bands, I came across a fellow by the name of Tim that would regularly play the venue I worked at. He was the nicest, most humble dude. We even got the chance to jam a little. Come to find out he used to play for you dudes. I was blown away. Unbelievable is a timeless classic that will be remembered forever. Can't wait to hear the new stuff.

[@emftheband]

shopemf-theband.com/ for our new album!

[@d2hickmott]

Hell YES get it!!!

[@magnuszetterqvist5936]

G string seems a bit flat. Just kidding! 👍😘🇸🇪

[@lloydangelripper8653]

And the singer for this band is now my music teacher at my school In Yorkshire England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@rhondajohnson8310]

That's really cool! I really loved this song!

[@kylehegedus5498]

LUCKY!!!!

[@JamesCraigWhoop]

Unbelievable That's awesome. Friend saw them and said they were insane

[@palazzo1113]

For real?! That's amazing!

[@lacaz212]

Far out!

[@BATMAN7666]

EMF & Jesus Jones Both huge at same time. 2 of biggest songs that year.

[@surfacingcom]

Right here, right now... A long time ago

[@Gobble_de_Goop]

Has he done a video on Jesus Jones yet?

[@JamesCraigWhoop]

JJ I liked Real Real Real and International Bright Young Thing

[@lee-daniels]

Surprised Jesus Jones wasn't bigger.

[@kirkericson2722]

I remember it well. To this day, I always think of those songs as two sides of the same coin. This video also made me think of the KLF's 3AM Eternal from around the same time.

[@marley67uk77]

Schubert dip is an excellent album, still listen to it regularly to this day..

[@jackjude]

Stigma is perhaps even better

[@theprogressingdrummer1631]

‘Unbelievable’ felt like guitar driven punk with some dance-pop sprinkles. It was so good.

[@vestanpance9461]

Pop Will Eat Itself are criminally underrated

[@johnennis4586]

Fuzz is a legend

[@jackjude]

A cut above EMF (although EMFs second album was very good)

[@richtygart6855]

I've always called bands like EMF, Jesus Jones, Toad the Wet Sprocket, They Might Be Giants and the Information Society "Limbo music" because they were bands that kind of got stuck in this weird limbo between the end of the eighties and just before the 90s grunge scene and everything that followed, took off.

[@djlespommes]

They were all ahead of their time. Pop music People at large weren't ready.

[@midnightwinefromda-wine-group]

Absolutely! I was age 14, loved this band and similar. Then I heard nevermind and pearl Jam 10, AIC, Soundgarden. Completely forgot about EMF after that

[@DEVOn.A.Skertic]

The whole album is a BRILLIANT piece of work.

[@floydsemlow8253]

Unbelievable 🤣🤣

[@soundofwetpaint]

This was great, I always tell people that they were more than a one hit wonder . I had SD, stigma and Cha Cha Cha all on tape. Also this and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin was heavy on rotation on my 90s upbringing

[@dublev78]

Happy is one of the most overlooked songs of the early 90’s. Neds was great.

[@birdiecahill6929]

I still love Ned's 💚

[@samhowie1632]

Happy was my crews anthem in 1991.

[@slavestudios47]

Ned's, Stuffies, Swervedriver, Mega City 4, Jesus Jones, Senseless Things.. spectacular bands 😎👍

[@ejenplitobarces]

Yes, they had a lot more great songs than just "Unbelievable"

[@ip7778]

i never understood why the Stigma album didn't go very well.It was epic and very innovative for 1992. Cha Cha Cha was not bad. I think it was unfair to compare their new stuff with unbelievable. James voice and singing style is very unique and he likes my favorite band The Cure!

[@sportssub]

They really rocked playing live..there was this funky punk attitude i loved it.

[@HuskerFox]

We used to sing "You're Microwaveable ohh!"

[@sotomayor4239]

SCHUBERT DIP is the best album of the 90's

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Sorry, but don't be fucking stupid 😆

[@fitfogey]

Adding Andrew Dice Clay audio in Unbelievable was genius.

[@superserial1]

Saw EMF at Numbers in Houston. It was the same week Unbelievable was at its peak. They played it twice in the same show. Great mosh pit.

[@Spooky_515]

I remember MTV was trying another British Invasion with EMF and Jesus Jones and another band whose name I can’t recall. Didn’t last as grunge blew up soon after

[@Reprodestruxion]

Babylon Zoo?

[@Reprodestruxion]

Primal scream?

[@ericaguilar1406]

Wasnt neds atomic dustbin the other one? There was a gap between madchester and britpop where a lot of these bands came and went

[@Spooky_515]

@@Reprodestruxion maybe I’d have to hear the song to know for sure. That was along time ago, when I first started watching MTV religiously lol

[@Jason_Maier]

@Bohdi Maybe you're thinking of Big Audio Dynamite II?

[@theincredulousr]

It's quite funny to see the Forest of Dean this way with pics of 'Mallards pike' lake and Cinderford town portrayed in the way I've seen so many american towns be part of rock stories. Having lived in the FoD all my life I can confirm it is not some rock meca but it is a lovely place to live.

[@pauljones8218]

cinderford had a bad name for lots of junkies and fights i lived close by to the town its cleaned up a bit now was always known as a bit of a dump of a town in the forest of dean i lived in coleford way back which is not much better some nice places to drive around the forest of dean its just the towns are a dive to live stuck back in time and some strange people that dont take much to outsiders also true foresters talk strange lingo glad to move on out from the forest if if wasnt for shoes on the prob got webbed feet

[@mydayis5]

I loved their 2nd album Stigma. Didn’t have many hits on it but it’s a better album than the first one. I still play it now!

[@JasonBerekLewis]

My favourite ever recorrd.

[@miguelsalami]

Great band glad to hear they are still together ❤

[@tonymcnamara9368]

Was only just thinking about EMF a couple of days ago. Had 'Unbelievable ' going round my head, bit of earworm. 😅

[@goudagirl6095]

Ah, great memories. Was very into this tune, as well as the whole Madchester thing at that time, I worked at a local 'new wave' radio station, love the music from that time!

[@undernaut]

I love the solo in that song.

[@samhowie1632]

I still have the Explained EP on CD. I love their cover of Search and Destroy. My favourite EMF song which I still play regularly.

[@michaelconnolly7681]

Excellent video. I loved EMF. There's so much here I never knew before. I loved Schubert Dip and especially their songs Children and Unbelievable.

[@audred]

The single ‘Perfect Day’ had an epic remix by Sank, who also did some heavy mixing for Killing Joke

[@robwalsh9843]

I had no idea that EMF came from a rural town. I always assumed they were from Manchester or London like the other so-called "baggy" bands.

[@waverlyking6045]

It reminds me something I read in Metallica's Garage, Inc. booklet. Lars said he liked the NWOBHM movement far more than what came out of a supposed cultural Mecca like Los Angeles. He said that there would be four or five bands out of the same small town in England and all of them had their own sound. The Los Angeles scene was oversaturated with bands that were all trying to be Van Halen. So, never underestimate what comes from rural England.

[@Oooo-bi7bi]

They are party heads. Like myself and a lot of folk in the UK at the time. But they made a banging tune , that defined the year. Everything Starts With an EMF.

[@ultrajazz5335]

I listened to EMF all throughout middle school. They had energy and were different from the other bands in the states. For me, at the time, it was my introduction to bands from Europe

[@uninvited5417]

Yeah, Unbelievable and Dip are the commercial successes, but Stigma was their finest hour musically.

[@williamcozart8158]

I did not know that the "OH" in that song was a sample of Andrew Dice Clay!

[@TheDizzleHawke]

Fun fact: Tom Jones covered Unbelievable.

[@popkidjo]

And I was at the filming , dancing on stage with my now husband!!

[@aprilmayem9820]

And Killdozer!

[@patrickrizzio7303]

These lads are truly complicated❤️🙏 The music is great

[@randylahey8207]

Every so often I hear this on the radio, great song. Reminds me of INXS a little bit..

[@karinnotkaren8991]

I was in my youth when they were popular and danced my arse off many nights a week at clubs all over Chicago. Best times of my life!

[@JaywalkingTheWorld]

Still gigging. Still great.

[@djvoid1]

Still making genuinely fantastic music

[@FRED-ed3qf]

James Atkin had a side project called Beauty School after EMF, released downloads enough for albums worth material. I like some of the music he releases now solo. "Radar" great single. Never saw them live but did see Jesus Jones which were band close to time and same scene.

[@RodLevitonMusic]

Love these vids. Thank you. James Atkins is still very active and I think that EMF also played a few gigs this year or are going to play....Saw "James" selling loads of EMF merch on FB recently too.

[@treysimmons7707]

You need to do one on Ned's Atomic Dustbin !!!!

[@andypaul999]

The B side of the 12 inch of Unbelievable had a song on it that explained the meaning of EMF.

[@cchavezjr7]

E, for ecstacy...M....lol

[@crazyman8472]

It’s unbelievable! I am unable to believe it! 😱

[@APRocksnyc]

Blasted this for the neighbors over the weekend.

[@v2vroth]

Loved this tune

[@josephcazzuto7198]

I remember buying the tape and only like unbelievable 😆

[@rocknrollanimal]

Awesome bro! thank you!

[@sichinook3793]

Still going- latest LP just released and gigging regularly.

[@charlieryan1736]

Thanks for another interesting video

[@aldopradillo4485]

EMF Lo mejor a inicios del techno que buenos tiempos.

[@davidhut3670]

The entire Schubert Dip album was awesome, really liking the dance/come on Eileen/grunch cross-over vibe of the new album The Beauty and the Chaos as well, especially new version of I'm a believer (2023).

[@flippinchoons]

you gotto do " ned's atomic dustbin, pop will eat itself and the Wonder stuff" all the same time period.

[@ScarrednCharred]

I don't understand why I was so hesitant to subscribe, appreciate your content.

[@jacobbirdy128]

One of my old school teachers in Gloucestershire is the drummers brother!

[@LeviBulger]

Eat My Fanny was always my favorite theory behind their name

[@djbrotherelectric]

I saw a reunion at a rave in new Orleans, good times

[@alexpervanoglu7420]

Ha. Not only am i old enough to know and love EMF but I sqatted a lanfill site just outside Cinderford. Never knew they were local to there. Great little town.

[@904PinballZine]

EMF was a poor man's POP WILL EAT ITSELF

[@mikewilson3581]

Now I'm having flashbacks of Inspiral Carpets and Carter The Unstopped Sex Machine.

[@lizscutt7899]

Du du duh I give you Sheriff Fatman!!!

[@jonmortermusic]

They are actually in with a shout of another chart topper

[@vaughnmild7563]

Do something on Urban Dance Squad.

[@samhowie1632]

I have Deeper Shade of Soul on cassette single.

[@mediaguy4037]

It’s hard to make it when you only have one song people want to hear.

[@robgrassby7742]

Hmmmmm not if your a fan of the band, play the full schubert dip album, your ears won't regret it! 👍

[@JoeinSeattle.]

The voiceover today does a great impression of you 👍🏼

[@Tully_23_32]

😂😂😂

[@acemechanical275]

I love any band that samples Andrew Dice Clay. The recurring “OOOHHHH!!!” In the song should be followed by, “Balls across the nose!!!”

[@joeymorvant161]

Love EMF!

[@ChrisCoombes]

This was useful. Thanks.

[@rollingsenton]

Saw these guys back in the day In salt lake city. They played Unbelievable twice in their set. Pop will Eat Itself opened. Got to hangout with both bands after the show, all very cool guys.

[@mjc4art]

Saw them at The Cameo Theater in South Beach. They started the show with “unbelievable” and ended the sow with it… they were good, just ind of one dimensional.

[@Bizzczar]

¡Jesus Jones, I totally forgot about that group! ¿What ever happened to that group?

[@FRED-ed3qf]

And just like that... EMF released 2 new albums in recent years. The latest diggin' it a lot.

[@22lilacsky]

Can you please cover the band The Lemonheads??? I thought they were very underrated and they were excellent song writer's.

[@Jezballz]

I have their 1st LP,awesome punk rock.

[@circleofstone3114]

@@Jezballz punk? 🤔 you sure about that?!?! 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@Jezballz]

@@circleofstone3114 Go listen to their 1st album from 1987.

[@Unitenotfight]

When I was like 11 in the mid 90s, at a wedding reception of people I had no idea who they were, I got talked into by my dad to jump on the DJ station since no one else seemed to be doing it. Looking through this massive collection of cassette singles, mostly of things I was unfamiliar with, I spotted “unbelievable “. Had to throw that on lol. Once I had the actual DJ finally stepped in, cut the song off half through, and didn’t play it again. What a hater. Fun side note, I caught the garter at that wedding as well as every other wedding I attended from the age of about 8 until I finally married myself. Had a collection of about 8 in total.

[@JaQuicker]

You married yourself?

[@richardrodriguesmoreira8124]

i love emf

[@robthebear2850]

I always thought EMF was a reference to Electro-Magnetic Force. Guess it wasn't that nerdy.

[@EssJayDM]

A.C. did the greatest cover of Unbelievable on Morbid Florist

[@worldsheaviestjamband93]

I have not heard of this group. I’ll make sure to look them up. I expect a fine upstanding group of young musicians with great musicianship.

[@jacobprice8048]

@@worldsheaviestjamband93 you are in for a treat 😆 🤣

[@allanvanuga9196]

Great video.

[@bigdaddy0614]

Did you edit out saying "Stigma" when referencing their second album?

[@rnrtruestories]

You guys are unbelievable...for requesting this band. Here's where to do video requests docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCQjTcPGrzUbG7H7t4toQehliwBS_Fcp78JeY_js4zZbX2jA/viewform

[@sichinook3793]

Now do Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wonder Stuff, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and the Stourbridge scene \m/

[@tbruck9947]

Unbelievable!

[@regulatedfreestylevideos]

dammit Ian, that Chicago house/Detroit techno would have been tight

[@gethroenteralastname2210]

Thought EMF like REM stands for nothing. Plus the following was also stated. "REM stands for nothing, but will lie down for anything." - Michael Stipe

[@felixmoonrocks7488]

Wow, Before watching this video I was going to comment for you to do KLF video and then you mentioned them in this video 😄 Please do a KLF video because they are Justified and Ancient 🙂

[@stornkolson]

These guys never pissed me off and I never knew that was goofy Andrew Dice Clay. Always 💯 RRTS

[@nobbycheeseman2915]

I wasn't too into Cha Cha Cha, though I did buy it on CD. It possibly could have been because I'd got so much into hard house by then, rather than the quality of the tracks on Cha Cha Cha, but Perfect Day was superb. The thing I couldn't understand was why Stigma didn't do as well as Schubert Dip (which I got the first issue of :-) ) It is a fantastic album. I think at one time it was my second most played album after Unknown Territory by Bomb The Bass. Listen to 'Arizona' for example and focus on the sound that comes in during the chorus. It just shows how they manage to blend guitars and synths to maximum effect and sometimes it can be a few listens before you notice everything in the track.

[@billybobkingston5604]

Was there for the rave days, great fun and some strange headaches

[@akita6195]

I saw a dateline with the drummer of Trixter I think. That would be kinda interesting to do

[@anthonybomberry9935]

That was unbelievable

[@pauleliot6429]

well done

[@TrillKump]

o god do I have to search for this song? Not certain I'm aware of this..... Sweaty Nipples in Portland, Oregon used to shout, "Unbelievable!" in one of their songs but that's all I know of EMF.... lol Do Sweaty Nipples!

[@GrimMetropolis]

Pop Will Eat Itself video!!!

[@sotomayor4239]

SCHUBERT DIP is the BEST ALBUM of the 90's

[@Damocles54]

I still like unbelievable. I used to build custom car stereo systems in college and unbelievable was always a fun song to test a system out from tweets to subs. Though i also liked, nay preferred, 3am eternal by KLF. Since you brought them up. THEY would be a great vid topic. If for no other reason than the very expensive bonfire lol

[@jamesjennings3726]

They're still touring and making music.

[@jibicusmaximus4827]

great band..

[@miguelteixeira4134]

They returned with a new banger of an album a month a go

[@sotomayor4239]

Schubert Dip is the best album of the 90's

[@jayoakes7874]

Unbelievable was like the demo for Crumbelievable

[@WorldFamousDJFish]

I just saw @emftheband in Detroit last week! They were fantastic!

[@davee.9906]

If Rick Rubin charged them for the Dice Clay sample he'd be the biggest hypocrite since the Beastie Boys used more samples then anyone.

[@humsat]

Live at the kubix festivals 2023 I'll b there

[@Cycopace]

Stigma is a very good album, there's a Faith No More vibe in it

[@TheMonolake]

Stigma still stands up today