WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Nu Shooz

Nu Shooz just couldn’t wait to have a hit single. They finally got one in 1986, but that was it.

Husband and wife duo Valerie Day and John Smith, born in Oregan, USA, formed the Pop/R&B production team Nu Shooz in 1979, originally with twelve people, but over the years this dwindled to just the two of them. They released their debut single, “I Can’t Wait”, in 1982, but this and subsequent singles as well as their first two albums were not commercially successful. It was a remix of “I Can’t Wait” in 1986 that finally broke radio and then MTV that scored them a hit single, making it to the top ten in over twenty countries worldwide, including the US, where it peaked at No.3 and sold over 500,000 copies, and the UK, where it went to No.2.

This new mix was included on their third studio album, “Poolside”, which went top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic and achieved Silver and Gold status around Europe and in Canada. Sadly, there were no more smashes as the follow up, “Point Of No Return”, did not do as well, and Nu Shooz scored just one more notable release with “Are You Looking For Somebody Nu?” in 1988, which made No.2 on the US Dance chart. Valerie and John now work as a duo and have released albums into the 2010’s, their most recent being “Bagtown” in 2016. The couple also play small, intimate gigs across the US from time to time.