Black Box

Black Box scored one of the most enduring dance-pop hits of the early ‘90s with “Everybody Everybody”, a song whose organ bass, slinky breakbeats and gospel-influenced vocals are today synonymous with the era’s house/R&B crossovers. From the group’s soulful sound, one might have assumed they hailed from New York or Chicago; in fact, the group’s core production team of Daniele Davoli, Valerio Semplici and Mirko Limoni were Italian, with extensive credits in the Italo-house scene stretching back to the mid-’80s. They formed Black Box in 1989, bringing on French model Katrin Quinol as their public face and American singer Martha Wash as the voice of many of their early hits. Black Box’s 1989 debut single, “Ride On Time”, set the tone for the outfit’s jubilant take on piano house, becoming the UK’s best-selling single of the year in the process. In 1990, “Everybody Everybody” and the group’s debut album, Dreamland, confirmed Black Box’s place alongside groups like Soul II Soul and C+C Music Factory at the forefront of house music’s worldwide explosion.