ESG (band)

ESG
ESG at the 2004 All Tomorrow's Parties festival
Background information
Origin	The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	No wave, post-punk, funk, post-disco
Years active	1978–1985 1991–2007 2008–present
Labels	99, Factory, Soul Jazz, Universal Sound, ESG Records
Past members	Renee Scroggins Marie Scroggins Valerie Scroggins Deborah Scroggins Nicole Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas Chistelle Polite Leroy Glover Tito Libran David Miles

ESG (Emerald Sapphire & Gold) is an American post-punk band that emerged from the South Bronx, New York City, in the early 1980s. Trouser Press called it "one of the most dynamic bands that New York could offer at the top of the '80s." ESG has been influential across a wide range of musical genres, including hip hop, post-punk, disco, and dance-punk. The band's track "UFO" is one of the most sampled songs in history.

The band originally consisted of the Scroggins sisters, Renee (vocals), Valerie (drums), Deborah (bass) and Marie (congas, vocals) and friend Tito Libran (congas, vocals). A later incarnation of the band consisted of sisters Renee (guitar, vocals), Marie (percussion, vocals), and Valerie (drums), along with David Miles (guitar), Leroy Glover (bass), Chistelle Polite (vocals), Nicholas Nicholas (vocals/percussion) and Nicole Nicholas (bass/vocals). ESG's music is centered on complex polyrhythms, a funky bass and pop-flavored guitar.

During their first incarnation, the group signed with 99 Records and the self-titled 1981 EP of three live (recorded at Hurrah) and three studio songs, the latter produced by English post-punk producer Martin Hannett. A 7" of "You're No Good" was released by Factory Records in the UK. 1982's ESG Says Dance to the Beat of the Moody EP continued in a similar vein, as did their first album, 1983's Come Away with ESG. Renee Scroggins retains the rights to ESG's new music and publishing.

The group's work had become popular, mainly among hip-hop artists searching for samples, with such acts as TLC, the Wu-Tang Clan, Kool Moe Dee, the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr, Junior Mafia, Tricky, Jay-Dee, as well as indie rockers like Unrest and Liars all sampling the group. The group addressed this issue on the 1992 12" EP Sample Credits Don't Pay Our Bills. The album, ESG Live!, was released in 1995 and featured both old and new material.