C C Music Factory Music Group

Three months after the Milli Vanilli pop scandal, lip-syncing remains a live issue in the record business. Anyone short on evidence need look no further than the hottest dance-pop hit of the season: C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat." The million-selling song has topped the pop, dance and R&B charts in recent weeks, thanks in part to veteran R&B singer Martha Wash's dynamic "Everybody dance now" vocal hook.

"Gonna Make You Sweat" may have been the title of C+C Music Factory's breakthrough hit last year, but it also could be the battle cry of Martha Wash, the singer whose spine-chilling exhortation everybody dance now was a key reason for the record's success. Wash was paid for the recording session, but didn't receive credit or royalties for the performance.

Call it the Grammy syndrome. The voting for the prestigious, peer-awarded Grammys doesn't close for another week and a half, so perhaps it's not surprising that at the American Music Awards ceremony Monday at the Shrine Auditorium, several winners of the nationally televised popularity contest felt strangely compelled to defend their honor, sounding less like champions than campaigners still on the trail.

Call it the Grammy syndrome. The voting for the prestigious, peer-awarded Grammys doesn't close for another week and a half, so perhaps it's not surprising that at the American Music Awards ceremony Monday at the Shrine Auditorium, several winners of the nationally televised popularity contest felt strangely compelled to defend their honor, sounding less like champions than campaigners still on the trail.

Techno-pop troupe C+C Music Factory won five of the six trophies for which it was nominated, and Natalie Cole's collection of her late father's biggest hits, "Unforgettable," was named favorite adult contemporary album at Monday night's 19th annual American Music Awards. C+C was the clear crowd favorite.

"Gonna Make You Sweat" may have been the title of C+C Music Factory's breakthrough hit last year, but it also could be the battle cry of Martha Wash, the singer whose spine-chilling exhortation everybody dance now was a key reason for the record's success. Wash was paid for the recording session, but didn't receive credit or royalties for the performance.

Techno-pop troupe C+C Music Factory won five of the six trophies for which it was nominated, and Natalie Cole's collection of her late father's biggest hits, "Unforgettable," was named favorite adult contemporary album at Monday night's 19th annual American Music Awards. C+C was the clear crowd favorite.

Three months after the Milli Vanilli pop scandal, lip-syncing remains a live issue in the record business. Anyone short on evidence need look no further than the hottest dance-pop hit of the season: C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat." The million-selling song has topped the pop, dance and R&B charts in recent weeks, thanks in part to veteran R&B singer Martha Wash's dynamic "Everybody dance now" vocal hook.