A London acid jazz trio that gave Carleen Anderson her start

In the summer of 1990, an American singer and her young son arrived in London. Carleen Anderson, born in the United States, soon met bassist Marco Nelson, and with percussionist and programmer Femi Williams they became Young Disciples. They signed to Talkin' Loud Records, a label at the heart of the new acid jazz scene.

Their first single, “Get Yourself Together,” reached No. 68 in the UK in October 1990. The next one made the difference. “Apparently Nothin',” released in 1991, climbed to No. 13 and brought them national attention. The debut album Road to Freedom followed that year and reached No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart. A remixed version of “Get Yourself Together” appeared too, and in 1992 the group added “Apparently Nothin' (The Re-Rub)” to the benefit compilation Red Hot + Dance, which raised money for AIDS charities.

The album was recorded and mixed at Solid Bond Studios, Paul Weller's personal studio, with guests including Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Mick Talbot, Paul Weller and Max Beesley. The group also kept ties to British hip hop, and rappers such as MC Mell'O', Outlaw Posse and Masta Ace appeared on its tracks. In practice, the remixes the group made for other artists were usually the work of Nelson, Williams or both.

The story was short. Anderson left in 1992, using the success of “Apparently Nothin'” to win a solo contract with Virgin Records, and the group disbanded, although the name lived on for remix production for years. Nelson and Williams stayed in the industry behind the scenes. In 1999 a new version of the hit was released with Anderson and the Brand New Heavies, a nod to a track that had clearly stuck around.