Band formed by Bromfield and Simpson

The band was formed by Rahsaan “Ras” Bromfield and Noel Simpson who were students at the Barbara Speake Stage School in the London neighbourhood of Acton . They rapped and danced at school assemblies. Jade Jones was brought into the band when Bromfield and Simpson heard him sing a high note. Andrez Harriott, a student at Sylvia Young Theatre School , was recruited after he and Jones performed together in the musical play Carmen Jones . Coreé Richards was asked to join the band after he was heard singing at a bus stop. The band sent a demo tape of a cover version of the Jackson 5 song “Anything” to Jazz Summers of Big Life Records in early 1995. Damage made inroads into the UK Singles Chart and the second single ” Love II Love ” reached number 12 while the follow-up, ” Forever “, charted at number 6 during the Christmas period. “Forever” was also notable for being both the first song that Steve Mac and Wayne Hector wrote together, and the song that caught the ear of Simon Cowell and effectively led to Mac becoming the chief songwriter-producer for Cowell’s subsequent projects.