Nu Shooz are a dance music group fronted by Portland, Oregon husband-and-wife duo John Smith and Valerie Day. Nu Shooz originally released "I Can't Wait" as a single in Winter 1985 on Poolside Records. The original recording was done at "Cascade Recording" in Portland in Fall 1984. "I Can't Wait" was a big hit on Portland radio stations and got the attention of Atlantic Records who signed them. Atlantic had Nu Shooz re-record "I Can't Wait" and issued the new version in February 1986.