The music community is paying its respects to John Reid, the soulful vocalist, DJ, producer, songwriter and founder of Nightcrawlers, who died Monday, June 16th at the age of 61.
The Glasgow-born artist, who had enjoyed success as a DJ and vocalist under the name Robinson Reid, formed the Nightcrawlers in the early ’90s.
With the release of “Push The Feeling On”, Nightcrawlers landed an enduring house hit that still sounds fresh today.
The track was released in 1992, then, thanks to an MK mix and the support of DJs and major club play over a three-year period, the song “came back with a bang and topped charts around the world,” reads a statement on Reid’s official website.
In the UK, the track peaked at No. 3 on the Official UK Singles Chart in 1995, and logged 22 weeks on the top 100.
With Reid at the mic, Nightcrawlers also climbed into the UK top 10 in 1995 with “Surrender Your Love,” reaching No. 7. Other top 40 hits included 1995’s “Don’t Let The Feeling Go” (No. 13), and 1996 releases “Let’s Push It” (No. 23) and “Should I Ever Fall In Love” (No. 34)
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The Nightcrawlers allowed Reid “to get his ‘House’ head on and indulge in his love of dance music,” according to his biog. Their 1995 collection Let’s Push It pushed to No. 14 on the Official UK Albums Chart.
“The whole thing is a blur. I don’t think I was quite prepared for what happened. I think that happens to a lot of artists where you go from being an anonymous person in the street to being this person who everybody knows,” Reid recounted of the aftermath of those mid-90s hits for an interview published in the UK’s Blues & Soul.
“The funniest thing was the surreal moments that happened like I’d walk into a Subway shop and “Push The Feeling On” is playing and I’m standing there while the guy’s making my sandwich and inside I’m dying to say “that’s me singing!” I know if I say anything he’ll just laugh at me and have me removed from the premises.”
Reid finally released a solo remix project in 2018, Soul Sessions, which leads off with the standout disco cut “All Night Long”.
The collection was recorded with live musicians for sonic, soulful warmth, and was produced by produced by Michael J. McEvoy and Ernie McKone, both greats of the soul and jazz worlds.
Another smash dropped in 2021, with Nightcrawlers contributing to “Friday” with Riton featuring Mufasa & Hypeman, a party anthem that went to No. 4 in the UK and blew up on dance radio and clubs everywhere.
As a songwriter, Reid worked with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, Westlife, Tina Turner, Leona Lewis, and Keith Urban.
“We had the honour of managing John in the years leading up to his solo album release,” reads a statement from 1 2 One, the full-service management, production and publishing company. “We first connected with him at a songwriting camp in Denmark, and instantly clicked. From then on, we travelled with John across Europe, on song camps creating unforgettable music. John had a warm, magnetic personality, unmatched talent, and a deep sense of humour that endeared him to everyone who knew him.”
The late music man “was heavily involved in Bad Boys Inc career as both writer and backing singer,” comments Matthew James Pateman, a member of the British boy band. “Most of you will know him as the voice behind the huge Nightcrawlers hit – ‘Push The Feeling’. He wrote ‘Whenever You Need Someone’ for BBI as well as ‘More To This World’, ‘Take Me Away’, ‘Love Here I Come’ and ‘Change Your Mind’. Gone far too soon.”
