Green Velvet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green Velvet
Green Velvet performing at the 2012 Spring Awakening Music Festival
Background information
Birth name	Curtis Alan Jones
Also known as	Cajmere Geo Vogt Half Pint Curan Stone Gino Vittori
Born	(1968-04-26) April 26, 1968 (age 57) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	House techno
Occupation(s)	Singer record producer DJ
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Relief Cajual Music Man F-111 Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Get Real Claude VonStroke Carl Craig

Curtis Alan Jones, born on April 26, 1968, is a famous American DJ, singer, and music producer. He is best known by his stage name, Green Velvet. He also uses other names like Cajmere, Geo Vogt, Half Pint, Curan Stone, and Gino Vittori.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Curtis Alan Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, he listened to many types of music. These included blues, jazz, funk, and rock. In the mid-1980s, he discovered house music through the radio.

He started making his own music with simple equipment. He used a keyboard, a four-track recorder, and a drum machine. Jones studied chemical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After more studies, he moved back to Chicago in 1991.

Music Career and Success

In 1991, Curtis Jones began releasing his music. He used the name Cajmere for his early work. A year later, in 1992, he started his own record label called Cajual Records.

Early Hits and Record Labels

In 1992, he released a song called "Brighter Days" with Dajae. This song became very popular. It reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. That same year, he released another hit song, "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator)". This song is often called "Percolator".

"Percolator" was recorded at Playroom Recording Studio. Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the "20 Best Chicago House Records" in 2014. Mixmag also included it in their "20 Best US Rave Anthems of the '90s" list in 2019. In 1993, he started another record label, Relief Records.

Becoming Green Velvet

In 1995, Curtis Jones released a song called "Flash". For this song, he used his new stage name, Green Velvet. "Flash" was a huge success. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Billboard included "Flash" in their "10 Essential '90s Rave Jams" list in 2019. Mixmag also featured it on their "20 Best US Rave Anthems of the '90s" list.

Albums and Collaborations

Green Velvet's first full album, Constant Chaos, came out in 1999. He released more albums over the years. These include Whatever (2001), Walk in Love (2005), and Unshakable (2013).

In 2014, he started a new project called Get Real. He teamed up with another DJ named Claude VonStroke. Their first songs, "Mind Yo Bizness" and "Snuffaluffagus", were released in 2016. They released another song, "Jolean", in 2019.

In 2015, Green Velvet worked with Carl Craig on an album called Unity. DJ Mag has called Green Velvet a very important person in both house and techno music.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Constant Chaos (1999)
• Whatever (2001)
• Walk in Love (2005)
• Unshakable (2013)
• Unity (2015) (with Carl Craig)

Notable Singles

• "Brighter Days" (1992) (as Cajmere, with Dajae)
• "Percolator" (1992) (as Cajmere)
• "Flash" (1995) (as Green Velvet)
• "The Stalker" (1996) (as Green Velvet)
• "Answering Machine" (1997) (as Green Velvet)
• "La La Land" (2001) (as Green Velvet)
• "Bigger than Prince" (2013) (as Green Velvet)
• "Suga" (2015) (as Green Velvet, with Technasia)
• "Mind Yo Bizness" / "Snuffaluffagus" (2016) (as Green Velvet, with Claude VonStroke)
• "Jolean" (2019) (as Green Velvet, with Claude VonStroke)