{{Infobox album | name = ESG | type = ep | artist = ESG | cover = ESG - ESG cover.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|1981}} | recorded = 1980 | venue = | studio = | genre = Funk | length = | label = 99 | producer = Martin Hannett, Ed Bahlman | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = ESG Says Dance to the Beat of Moody | next_year = 1982 }} '''''ESG''''' is the debut EP by American rock band ESG. It was released by 99 Records in 1981. The EP received positive reviews from music critics. "Moody" became popular with house DJs, and "UFO" came to be one of the most sampled tracks in hip hop music.
==History== Ed Bahlman discovered ESG while serving as the judge for a talent show and became the band's unofficial manager.<ref name="reynolds-272">Reynolds 2006, p. 272.</ref><ref name="krimper-sfbg">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfbg.com/2012/02/28/unidentifiable-dance-grooves-esg |title=The unidentifiable dance grooves of ESG |last=Krimper |first=Michael |date=March 2, 2012 |website=San Francisco Bay Guardian |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref> Tony Wilson from Factory Records approached the band after a performance at Hurrah on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and three days later they began recording with Martin Hannett.<ref name="krimper-sfbg"/> They recorded "Moody" and "You're No Good" in the first take. Hannett had three minutes left on the master tape, so he had the band record "UFO".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/funksters_esg_write_another_chapter_in_their_south_bronx |title=Funksters ESG Write Another Chapter in their South Bronx Story |last=Benson |first=Denise |year=2006 |website=Exclaim! |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref> The recordings helped bring Bahlman's focus to the band.<ref name="krimper-sfbg"/> On December 3, 1980, he recorded ESG's performance at Hurrah, which became the B-side for ''ESG''. Bahlman formed a partnership with Factory so that his 99 Records label could release the EP in 1981.<ref name="reynolds-272"/> By July, they made a second pressing of the record.<ref name="sacks-billboard">{{cite magazine |last=Sacks |first=Leo |date=July 11, 1981 |title=Closeup |magazine=Billboard |volume=93 |issue=27 |page=70}}</ref>
The band's name—and the EP's title—stands for emerald, sapphire, and gold. Emerald and sapphire are Valerie and Renee Scroggins' birthstones, and gold refers to the record certification.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tomtommag.com/2009/06/the-awesomely-undulating-slog-of-valerie-scroggins/ |title=The Awesomely Undulating Slog of Valerie Scroggins |last=Katzman |first=Adam |date=June 18, 2009 |website=Tom Tom Magazine |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref> The blue, green, and yellow cover artwork was adapted for ESG's 2000 compilation ''A South Bronx Story''. The artwork for its 2015 Record Store Day release of ''The Moody EP'' is loosely based on the ''ESG'' cover. Lead vocalist Renee criticized the adaptation, saying it looked like someone had "puked it on a canvas".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/04/20/esg-sickened-by-artwork-of-record-store-day-release-on-fire-records/ |title=ESG 'sickened' by artwork of Record Store Day release on Fire Records |date=April 20, 2015 |website=Fact |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref>
''ESG'' is a minimalist take on funk music, removing brass, saxophone, and synthesizers to leave vocals, bass, and percussion. It was received positively by music critics. Robert Palmer called it one of 1981's "freshest records".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Palmer |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Palmer (American writer) |date=May 5, 1982 |title=Anger Gone, Graham Parker Is Back |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/05/arts/the-pop-life-anger-gone-graham-parker-is-back.html |journal=The New York Times |page=C23 |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref> For ''Billboard'' magazine, Leo Sacks wrote that "the beauty of this album is that it is so natural, so kinetic, and so compelling."<ref name="sacks-billboard"/> ''The New York Times'' placed ''ESG'' second on its list of the best EPs and cassettes of 1981,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Palmer |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Palmer (American writer) |date=December 30, 1981 |title=A List of the Year's Best, Including Albums, Singles, and EP's |journal=The New York Times |page=C9}}</ref> and ''The Village Voice'' placed the EP third on its Pazz & Jop critics' poll.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres81.php |title=The 1981 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll |last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |date=1982 |website=The Village Voice |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref>
==Songs== {{Listen | filename = ESG - Moody sample.ogg | title = "Moody" | description = "Moody" became an early influence on house music. | pos = right }} "Moody" was released off of ''ESG'' as the band's debut single. A 12-inch remix single followed, and both versions found popularity at clubs in New York and London.<ref>Sarig 1998, p. 177.</ref> Because of the single's release through Factory, many New York DJs assumed ESG was a London-based act.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Beta |first=Andy |date=September 13, 2006 |title=Get Purely Physical |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-09-05/music/get-purely-physical/full/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095303/http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-09-05/music/get-purely-physical/full/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |journal=The Village Voice |volume=51 |issue=37 |page=86 |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref> Paradise Garage listed the song in its top 50 all-time tracks.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Rubin |first=Mike |date=September 2000 |title=ESG: ''A South Bronx Story'' |journal=Spin |volume=16 |issue=9 }}</ref> It became a foundational track for the emerging house music scene.<ref name="reynolds-272"/> House producer Chip E. used the song's bassline for his 1985 single "Like This".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Walters |first=Barry |date=November 1986 |title=Burning Down the House |journal=Spin |volume=2 |issue=8 |page=60}}</ref> Swedish producer Christian Falk covered "Moody" with Neneh Cherry on his 1999 album ''Quel Bordel'' and released a second version with singer Kenny Bobien.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 18, 2000 |title=The Dance Trax: Hot Plate |magazine=Billboard |volume=112 |issue=12 |page=33}}</ref>
"UFO" is inspired by the conclusion of Steven Spielberg's ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', where government officials communicate with an extraterrestrial craft using music. Renee wrote the song imagining what would happen if a UFO had instead landed in the housing projects.<ref name="krimper-sfbg"/> "UFO" has since been sampled in over 560 songs, becoming one of the most sampled tracks in hip hop music.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/20/esg-leeds-brudenell-review |title=ESG – review |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=January 20, 2014 |website=The Guardian |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name="chan-sfe">{{cite web |url=http://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/esg-embarks-on-final-funky-fete/Content?oid=2195466 |title=ESG embarks on final funky fete |last=Chan |first=Julia B. |date=February 26, 2012 |website=The San Francisco Examiner |access-date=June 13, 2015 |archive-date=June 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615104751/http://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/esg-embarks-on-final-funky-fete/Content?oid=2195466 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ESG did not receive royalties for the sampling for around 20 years. The band referenced this with the title of its 1992 EP ''Sample Credits Don’t Pay Our Bills''.<ref name="chan-sfe"/>
==Track listing== All songs written by ESG.
# "You're No Good" # "Moody" # "UFO" # "Earn It" # "ESG" # "Hey!"
==Personnel== Credits adapted from ''ESG'' liner notes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1428076-ESG-ESG|title=ESG – ESG (Vinyl)|access-date=22 December 2021|website=Discogs.com}}</ref> ;ESG * Renee Scroggins – lead vocals, guitar * Deborah Scroggins – bass, backing vocals * Marie Scroggins – congas, backing vocals * Valerie Scroggins – drums, backing vocals
;Additional musicians * Tito Libran – congas
;Production * Martin Hannett – production <small>(1–3)</small> * Ed Bahlman – production <small>(4–6)</small> * Gina Franklyn – artwork, sleeve design
==Notes== {{Reflist|30em}}
==References== * {{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |authorlink=Simon Reynolds |year=2006 |title=Rip It Up and Start Again |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-303672-6 }} * {{cite book |last=Sarig |first=Roni |year=1998 |title=The Secret History of Rock |publisher=Billboard Books |isbn=978-0-8230-7669-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/secrethistoryofr00sari }}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|55271|name=ESG}}
{{ESG}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1981 debut EPs Category:99 Records EPs Category:Albums produced by Martin Hannett