Chaka Demus & Pliers

Biography

Chaka Demus & Pliers are a Jamaican reggae duo made up of deejay Chaka Demus (born John Taylor) and singer Pliers (born Everton Bonner), known for their hits "Tease Me×Tease Me1992 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Tease Me4:062She Don’t Let Nobody4:063Nuh Betta Nuh Deh3:594Bam Bam4:045Friday Evening3:566Let’s Make It Tonight3:547One Nation Under a Groove4:188Tracy3:499Sunshine Day3:5410Murder She Wrote4:0411Roadrunner4:0412I Wanna Be Your Man3:5413Twist and Shout3:5914Gal Wine3:34" and "Murder She Wrote×Murder She Wrote1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Murder She Wrote4:042Murder She Wrote (version)4:043Santa Barbara3:294Santa Barbara (version)3:26". As a duo, they enjoyed more commercial success with mainstream pop fans after their collaboration began in the early 1990s than either had in their previous solo careers.

Career

Both artists were established musicians when they teamed up in 1991 after performing together in Miami, both having worked as solo artists, and Pliers as a duo with Pinchers. Their early hits together included "Gal Wine", recorded for producer Ossie Hibbert. They went on to work with a string of producers, including Ranking Joe, Jah Screw, Prince Jammy, and Mafia & Fluxy, with several of their most successful single tracks included on their debut album Gal Wine (1992).
They appeared at Reggae Sunsplash in 1992, and the following year broke through to international success with "Tease Me×Tease Me1992 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Tease Me4:062She Don’t Let Nobody4:063Nuh Betta Nuh Deh3:594Bam Bam4:045Friday Evening3:566Let’s Make It Tonight3:547One Nation Under a Groove4:188Tracy3:499Sunshine Day3:5410Murder She Wrote4:0411Roadrunner4:0412I Wanna Be Your Man3:5413Twist and Shout3:5914Gal Wine3:34", which was in the UK Singles Chart for three months in 1993, peaking at No. 3 in July. They followed this with a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "She Don't Let Nobody×She Don't Let Nobody31 August 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1She Don't Let Nobody3:492She Don't Let Nobody (Sax Version)4:013Tracy3:504She Don't Let Nobody (Dub Mix)4:28" and a cover (with collaboration of Jack Radics) of the Top Notes' "Twist and Shout×Twist and Shout1 December 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Twist and Shout (Straight mix 2)4:012Rhythm Killer4:233Twist and Shout (dub Vox)4:104Twist and Shout (version)4:07", which topped the UK Singles Chart in early 1994, the duo becoming the first Jamaican act to top the chart in 8 years, and the first to have three consecutive top five hits on the chart. They had further UK hits with "I Wanna Be Your Man" (No. 19) and "Gal Wine" (No. 20), with six hit singles in all taken from their album, Tease Me. The re-release of Tease Me also charted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in 1994, going on to receive gold certification, selling more than 500,000 copies.
In 1996, they signed to Island Records and released the album For Every Kinda People×For Every Kinda People1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Every Kinda People4:022We Pray4:073Boom Smilin’4:024Witness Stand4:005Posse Come Jump Around4:046In the Mood5:087What’s the Move4:098Searching3:599Man Smart, Woman Smarter4:1810Hurry Up & Come3:5911Comin’ Home3:5912War a Gwaan3:57.
They performed at Sunsplash again in 2004 and 2008, and released the album Help Them Lord×Help Them Lord2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1It Hot3:372Help Them Lord4:193Don't Be Cruel4:004Lap Top3:415Miss Five3:406Love On The Carpet4:027Her Love Is Burning3:578Crime After Crime3:469Uprising3:5810Bonafide Big Up3:5611A Little Love3:5612Pon Mi Guard4:0213Walk Away From Trouble4:1414Never Gonna Stop3:45 in 2001.
In 2007, Chaka Demus & Pliers recorded "Need Your Lovin", which was released on vinyl on Explorer Records. This song was a hit on the Jamaican chart.
On 18 November 2007, Chaka Demus & Pliers performed "Murder She Wrote×Murder She Wrote1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Murder She Wrote4:042Murder She Wrote (version)4:043Santa Barbara3:294Santa Barbara (version)3:26" alongside Alicia Keys at the 2007 American Music Awards. In the summer of 2008, they performed at the annual Detroit Caribbean Festival. Their latest album So Proud×So Proud2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1So Proud4:002Need Your Loving4:203Treat Her Right4:084Riding in the Front3:545Bounce It3:356Happy Say Yea3:517Bounce It (Reggaton mix)4:078Turn Me On4:499Treat Her Right4:1810So Proud4:0211Afromantic Girl6:5212It's You, It's You3:2713Back Against the Wall4:0114Bounce It (Reggaton mix)3:5115Frontline4:4016Say My Name4:5417Man a Lion4:49 was released on 6 October 2008.
In July 2013, Chaka Demus & Pliers performed at the BET Awards show in the reggae segment alongside Dawn Penn, Beenie Man and Elephant Man.

Albums

Gal Wine Wine Wine (1992), Greensleeves
Bad Mind (1992), Pow Wow
Ruff This Year (1992), RAS
Tease Me (1993), Mango (also released as All She Wrote) – UK No. 1 (BPI: Platinum), NZ No. 6, AUS No. 45, US Reggae Albums No. 7
For Every Kinda People (1996), Island – US Reggae Albums No. 14
Consciousness a Lick (1995), Melodie
Dangerous (2000), Fuel 2000
Help Them Lord (2001), RAS
Trouble and War (2003), Prestige
Back Against the Wall (2005), Explorer
Back Off the Wall, Nocturne
So Proud (2008), AGR/Universal
Compilations

Gold (1992), Charm
Chaka Demus & Pliers (1992), Charm
Unstoppable 1986-1992 (1996), Emporio
Murder She Wrote (2000), Spectrum
Dancehall Dons (2001), Recall
Ultimate Collection (2002), Hip O
Dancehall Classics (2004), Rhythm Club
Run the City (2006), Dynamic
On Top of the World (2008), Dynamic