Snap
Durron Butler (b. Maurice Durron Butler, 30 April 1967, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) was initally a drummer with a heavy metal band in his hometown. Later he joined the army and was posted to Germany where he became a bomb disposal expert. Whilst there he teamed up with Rico Sparx and Moses P. for several musical projects. After his discharge he returned to the States but went back to Germany to tour with the Fat Boys. German based producers Benito Benites (b. Michael Munzing) and John Garrett Virgo III (b. Luca Anzilotti), operating under pseudonyms, had put together a project they would call Snap!, after a function on a sequencing programme. Previously the producers had recorded widely in their Frankfurt studio, for their own label, Logic Records (whose former A&R man, Mark Spoon, is now part of Jam And Spoon). They also ran their own club, Omen. Notable successes prior to Snap included the 16-Bit Project (Where Are You and High Score) and Off's Electric Salsa, which featured Sven Vath as frontman and singer. They then recorded a song called The Power which was built from samples of New York rapper Chill Rob G.'s Let The Rhythm Flow. They added the powerful female backing vocals of Penny Ford, who had previously worked with George Clinton, Chaka Khan and Mica Paris, amongst others. Jackie Harris (b. Jaqueline Arlissa Harris, Pittsburgh, USA) was also credited for providing ‘guide’ vocals, and appeared in press interviews. The record was first released on the Wild Pitch label in America with the credit ‘Snap featuring Chill Rob G.’. However, after the first 30,000 sales problems with Chill Rob G. (b. Robert Frazier) began to manifest themselves and they sought a replacement. They chose Butler, who was now rechristened Turbo G. He had already recorded for Logic as back-up rapper for Moses P. Chill Rob G. was allowed to release his own version of The Power in America. Around the rest of the world a new cut, featuring Turbo G, topped the charts. To promote the record Ford and Turbo G. toured widely, before the former embarked on a solo career. She was replaced by Thea Austin. Throughout Benites and Garrett utilised Turbo G as the public face of Snap!, remaining shadowy figures back in their Frankfurt studio, which was now a hugely impressive complex. Though they continued to score collossal hits with Oops Upside Your Head and Mary Had A Little Boy, dissent had set in within their ranks. Turbo wanted more artistic imput, and hated Rhythm Is A Dancer the projected lead-off single for the band's second album. When a substitute, The Colour Of Love, crashed, the duo went ahead without his agreement. Their judgement was proved correct when Rhythm Is A Dancer became another international smash (the biggest selling UK single of the year). But by now the rift between the parties was irreconcilable. Turbo G had signed up for a solo career (debuting with I'm Not Dead on Polydor) while the Snap! single was still climbing in several territories. Austin too found herself a solo contract. The producers proved that they could survive without a front man when Exterminate, the first record not to feature Turbo G, became another million-seller.