David Kenneth Eng’s formidable music business career spans over two decades and three continents. His experience includes being a musician, songwriter, producer, mixing engineer and label owner. He is responsible for selling over 20 million records worldwide and has earned 13 gold and platinum RIAA awards.
Eng, born on NYC's upper west side, first entered the music scene as a young guitarist and songwriter in New York City's late-1970s "No Wave" punk rock scene. Eng played in numerous bands, most notably Dorian Zero, and would often share cramped stages and dressing rooms with the likes of Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads and former NY Dolls David Johansen and Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, in such legendary rock clubs as CBGBs and Max's Kansas City.
In 1980, Eng, seeking to expand his musical base to also include producing and engineering, founded Bayside Sound Recording Studios in the borough of Queens in New York City. Over the next few years he would produce his No Wave peers including Walter Lure (co-frontman of Thunders' Heartbreakers), Howie Pyro (D Generation, Danzig), Eric Carr (Kiss) and in his 1980s lounge lizard persona, David Johansen as Buster Poindexter.
Eng co-produced with the legendary producer Jimmy Miller (The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton’s Blind Faith, Plasmatics and Steve Winwood’s Traffic) on various projects and co-produced with the legendary latin producer Sergio George (Tito Puente, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez) on various projects.
In addition to Eng's own forays as a producer, Bayside Sound also became one of the most sought after studios in NYC's then burgeoning hip-hop scene. During several periods in the 1980s, 10-percent of Billboard's r&b chart toppers (there were not yet rap or hip-hop charts) were recorded at Bayside Sound. These chart toppers James Brown, Salt N Pepa, Kid N Play, Full Force, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Eddie Palmieri, Najee, Whodini, Dana Dane, MC Shan, Marley Marl, MC Search, UTFO, Sweet Tee, Kwame, The Real Roxanne, The Weather Girls, Latoya Jackson, Chubb Rock, Todd Terry, Chaka Khan, Michael Peters (Michael Jackson’s choreographer) and even baseball great Daryl Strawberry.
Concurrently, Bayside's rock clients also continued to grow and included such luminaries as Kiss, Anthrax, Marshall Crenshaw, Bobby ”Monster Mash” Pickett, Elliot “Simon Says” Chiprut.
In 1984, Eng first cracked the Billboard charts as producer and co-songwriter of the Paula Anderson's (Atlantic Records) dance hit, "Four Year Battle." The following year, Eng established himself as a hip-hop pioneer as co-producer of "Inspector Gadget" by the Bad Boys. It was the first Billboard-charting rap song to incorporate a television theme song and trail blazed the fusion of hip-hop and TV/pop culture--a style that is still going strong in the 21st century. In the later '80s, Eng also produced 12:41, the first recordings of Kris Parker and DJ Scott LaRock, who would later go on to international renown as KRS-One/Boogie Down Productions, Red Alert, Jazzy Jay, MC Search, Earth Wind and Fire's Jessica Cleaves and then 'New Kid on the Block,' Marky Mark (aka 21st century Hollywood leading man Mark Wahlberg). Following these successes, Eng was one of an elite crew of producer/songwriters to be handpicked by Quincy Jones' partner Clarence Avant (who also manages Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and is a former Chairman of Motown Records) to co-produce and write songs for Avant's first hip-hop venture, the LA-based rapper Kid Flash's debut album, "He’s In Effect," released in 1988 on Tabu /Columbia Records.
In the early 90s, Eng, in partnership with Steve Salem, formed the management and record company, Motor Jam Records, whose records were distributed by Warner Elektra Records. With this new enterprise, Eng would achieve his first international hit, when he discovered the Canadian pop/reggae phenomenon Snow. In 1993, with Eng as manager and executive producer, Snow soared to the top of the charts with the album, "12 Inches of Snow" whose single, "Informer" held the prestigious .. 1 spot on Billboard's American pop charts for a staggering seven weeks. Snow would go on to sell over five millions records worldwide. In the 1999 Guinness Book of Records Snow was listed as having the most successful reggae single in the U.S. history. Eng and Motor Jam would return to the Billboard charts many times in the 90s with, among others, the renowned grunge rockers Dog Society and Collision, hip-hoppers Half Pit Half Dead, pop rockers Pilot Jones and the Miami-based house artist, Dominica, whose 1996 hit, "Gotta Let You Go" also became a million-seller in Europe. Eng followed this with a succession of international projects. He opened a second branch of Bayside Sound Recording Studios in Toronto, Canada (where he managed Juno Award-nominated dance artist Belinda and a team of hit producers), and also created a base in Kingston, Jamaica. In Jamaica, he co-managed such artists as Spanner Banner and Chaka Demus & Pliers, who recorded the international 1992 hit, "Murder She Wrote," produced by renowned reggae producers Sly & Robbie (Black Uhuru). In the mid-90s, Eng executive produced what would become Jamaica's unofficial anthem and biggest selling single ever, the all-star remix of Snow's “Anything For You” featuring Beanie Man, Buju Banton, Nadine Sutherland and produced by Tony Kelly (Shaggy, Sean Paul).
As the new Millennium approached, Eng sought to broaden his artistic horizons and to deepen his personal and spiritual roots by establishing a base in Asia--an interest that was first piqued when Eng extensively toured the continent with Snow in the mid-90s. Following personal and professional travels throughout Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China ,Singapore and Malaysia, Eng finally settled in Bangkok, Thailand in 1996, where he quickly established Dimsum Entertainment. Dimsum's first venture was “Fun Fun Fun” a million album seller for the Thai hip-hop artist, Joey Boy. This was followed by an album by Boyd Kosiyabong, Thailand's most ubiquitous songwriter whose songs have long dominated the Thai charts also selling millions, and Jack Sucarom's "Revolution of Love," another Thai chart topper.
Eng then return back to the United States to joined AV8 Records (largest urban vinyl company in the USA) and Eightball Records (international club dance label) in New York as a consultant and adviser.
During the same year Eng brought Dimsum Entertainment back home to his native New York City to record and promote asian artists for the international market. Venus Butterfly, an all Asian female garage rock band is the first major project he is currently developing and producing. The band will be promoted through Renegade Nation where Eng is a consultant, advisor and heads the Asian international department.
Renegade Nation was founded by rock icon and Sopranos star Little Steven Van Zant who hosts a syndicated radio show called Underground Garage, which is syndicated on over 150 radio stations across the U.S., Canada, England and Singapore. Eng and his partners Michael Epstein (My Father’s Place and WLIR) and Jimmy Wee (former Singapore WEA President) are currently promoting Underground Garage globally. Renegade Nation also has two channels on Sirius satellite radio which broadcasts 24 hours a day and promotes and organizes rock festivals, concerts, tours, television shows and battle of the bands.
Currently Eng and Alex Ewen (co-founder of Underground Garage) formed Road Warrior Entertainment to produce televsion shows and concerts for the reggae and asian markets. The first release will be
"Snow in Jamaica".
David Kenneth Eng brings together a vast music business experience garnered from all over the world and makes music truly a universal language.
Discography info at: http://www.discogs.com/artist/David+Eng |
