Maximilian Lenz, a.k.a. Westbam, was born 1965 in Münster, Germany. His synonym is a homage to Afrika Bambaataa, thus "Westphalia Bambaataa". He started his career as a DJ in 1983 in his birth city Münster. In 1984 he moved to Berlin where he released his first record called '17 - This Is Not a Boris Becker Song'. Westbam played at the first Love Parade in 1989 at Ku'damm Berlin. Around that time, the DJ culture made a breakthrough in Germany. After several records he released his first album named The Cabinet. In 1991, he organised the first Mayday rave in Berlin. With over 5000 people, it was the biggest techno party in Germany at the time. Since then, Mayday has been vital to the German techno scene. Westbam is still an organiser of the party, and he is also a part of Members of Mayday, the producer of the Mayday-Anthems.
In 1993, he played a number of rave events in the United Kingdom including Obsession Passion at the Sanctuary in Milton Keynes.
Gabriele Susanne Kerner, a.k.a. Nena, was born in 1960 in Hagen, Germany. Nena's stagename is derived from her family nickname, based on the Spanish word 'nena' slang for 'niña', or 'little girl', at the age of three, while on a vacation to Spain with her parents. Her musical career began in the summer of 1979 when guitarist Rainer Kitzmann offered her a position as the lead singer in his band, The Stripes. The group had a minor hit with the song 'Ecstasy', but never achieved mainstream success, and soon disbanded.
In 1981 Nena and her then-boyfriend Rolf Brendel moved to (West)Berlin, where they met Carlo Karges, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen and Jürgen Dehmel. Together they formed the band Nena. In 1982 they released their first single, 'Nur geträumt' (Only dreamt), which became an instant hit in Germany.
Nena rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song '99 Luftballons', re-recorded in English as '99 Red Balloons'.
With the re-recording and subsequent release of some of her old songs, her career re-emerged in 2002. In 2007, she co-founded the school 'Neue Schule Hamburg'.
Talking of school: in 2002 at the time of the re-launch of her career, Nena met Westbam, whom was by now the most influential DJ in the German metropolis. Together they recorded Oldschool Baby.
From the minute I met Justin, I knew this kid possessed a certain confidence that only a star could have. He was born a star. He knew what he wanted to accomplish; all he had to do was get everyone else to believe it. Now, looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he's accomplished far exceeds anybody's expectations of him. What's interesting and will keep the world watching is that at the same time he's having this incredible success, he's like any other kid living a normal life. It's like our vocal coach "Mama" Jan Smith tells us: You gave up normality a long time ago for spectacular — not many people can be that, so enjoy it. And you know what? Stay tuned, because his story will get even better.
40. Prince William and Kate Middleton, 41. Joe Scarborough, 42. Blake Lively, 43. Hillary Clinton, 44. Muqtada al-Sadr, 45. Anwar al-Awlaki, 46.
Kim Jong Un, 47. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, 48. Hassan Nasrallah, 49. Nathan Wolfe, 50. Oprah Winfrey, 51. Sergio Marchionne, 52. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 53. Felisa Wolfe-Simon, 54. Esther Duflo, 55. Rain, 56. Larry Page, 57. Mia Wasikowska, 58. David Cameron, 59. John Lasseter, 60. Maria Bashir, 61. Mukesh Ambani, 62. Chris Colfer, 63. Major General Margaret Woodward
There are a lot of people in this world who can sing and play the piano and guitar. Hell, I sing and play the piano and guitar. But there's something different about Bruno Mars. He has a musicality, a presence in his voice that I've never heard from anyone else.
Bruno, 25, is part of this new wave of musicians who can do everything: sing, play, write, produce. When he performs live, nothing is prerecorded or fudged. It's a straight-up, classic performance. That's so rare these days. We needed only two sessions to record "Nothin' on You." But when we perform live is when you really see our chemistry in action. And I can't even tell you how many times he's made my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Bruno is hilarious. You can see it in the hit song "F--- You," which he wrote for Cee Lo Green. That's him; that's his sense of humor.
Bruno has so many things open to him now, so many doorways he can walk through. Even I don't know what he'll be up to next.
65. David and Charles Koch, 66. Hung Huang, 67. General David Petraeus, 68. Matt Damon and Gary White, 69. Cecile Richards, 70. George R.R. Martin, 71. Marine Le Pen, 72. Grant Achatz, 73. Feisal Abdul Rauf, 74. El Général, 75. Jamie Dimon, 76. Heidi Murkoff
When I was 11, my older brother was really into Sting. I used to steal all of his CDs out of their cases, sneak them to my room and listen to them. I remember hearing "Seven Days" for the first time — the song is in 5/4 time — and thinking, Who is this pop star who writes in such a hip time signature? I didn't yet know that Sting, 59, played jazz or worked with jazz greats like Kenny Kirkland.
Sting's songwriting is what I'm most inspired by when I think about my own endeavors. He's found the perfect balance of being able to write very avant-garde songs that are accessible to people who wouldn't otherwise consider themselves jazz fans. My music doesn't sound like Sting's, and it never will. But I hope to have his bravery when it comes to writing songs that mainstream audiences can access.
I have to admit that as I made my way to meet Mark for the first time, I didn't really know what to expect. We were meeting for a business lunch to discuss working on a project together. As he entered, he seemed pretty much as one would assume: good-looking, a commanding presence, and a casual swagger that can only be associated with true confidence. But what began to unfold as I talked to him was a sincere conversation that brought forth his deeper character. He was insightful, instinctual and extremely funny. My favorite thing about Mark, 39, is that he is genuine. He shares his true self through his work, through his philanthropic efforts and through his commitment to all of his endeavors. Mark never shies away from the truth. I have seen firsthand the way he puts people at ease with his honesty, because people will always respond to truth. Mark is a powerhouse. He has a work ethic that is incomparable. He is where he is because of his hard work, his talent and his sheer force of will. I have no doubt that he can and will accomplish anything he sets his mind to. I can't wait to see what's next.
In 1976, I wondered why TIME didn't have a triumphant Patti Smith on its cover. The '70s were a time of expansion and progressive thought birthed in the upheaval of the '60s, and this single gesture would have locked in Coolness! Progress! Forever! ... at least in the mind of one Midwestern teenage music fan struggling to imagine his future. But in 1980 the country lurched backward to a time that resembled a cartoon '50s, the effects of which resonated for decades.
In 2011 we face a new era of sweeping changes combatting an even deeper cynicism and intolerance. With Just Kids, her memoir of her friendship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti, 64, reminds us that innocence, utopian ideals, beauty and revolt are enlightenment's guiding stars in the human journey. Her book recalls, without blinking or faltering, a collective memory — one that guides us through the present and into the future. Patti Smith, cover of TIME, 2011?
Nick Terranova & Austin Leeds, a.k.a. Starkillers, hail from Los Angeles, California. Nick began his career in music at a young age. He was first introduced to electronic music while growing up in New York City. Just like me when I lived over in the Big Apple for a very brief period, he would spend his nights at the world famous night - Limelight - listening to DJs as they made the dance floor come alive. He loved the control that the DJ had over the dance floor, amazed how the DJ could put people in such a state of mind that the they could shut off the music for minutes at a time only to hear people scream for more. Not long after Nick took up DJing and moved to Los Angeles.
Though not classically trained on piano, Nick started composing his own music and through strong will and determination, he managed to pick up the production aspect very quickly. Working in clubs like Arena and Does Your Mamma Know as a promoter and DJ, he thought moving from LA to Las Vegas might bring him more opportunity in the music and club scene. In Las Vegas he was joined by Alex, his brother and partner at the time. Together they started working for various clubs on the strip. Nick continued his music production and thought he would also try some singing. As time progressed, Nick felt there was a time for a new challenge and change of scenery. It was time to pack up and move to South Beach, Miami.
In Miami Nick continued to DJ, though it was in Miami where Nick was discovered in a night club and joined the Latin cross over group The Rio Boys, now known as The 5th Vision. He enjoyed the energy he experienced for performing for crowds of people at concerts, but to him the feeling did not compare to the environment that was created by the DJs at Limelight. He continued to tour with his group and after long thought, he needed to regroup and refresh which led him to Chicago where he began work Aura.
While living and working at Aura in Chicago, Nick got a call from his brother Alex who was still living in Las Vegas. Alex was working for a promoter and informed him of his brother’s talent. The promoter wanted Nick to audition as RA in The Luxor and off went Nick to perform. The promoter was impressed by Nick’s sound and felt it would be and was the next big thing in the Vegas club scene. The night of his audition, the promoter offered him a residency at the newest and biggest club on the west coast at the time: C2K in the Venetian. Nick began his career with C2K in 1999 and played at C2K five nights a week for crowds as big as 4,000 people. In July of 2000 the club was closed due to unfortunate circumstances. Nick started to work on his production and voice. He spent most of the next two years producing and working on projects for companies which in turn took him the big city of San Francisco.
After Moving to San Francisco, Nick Launched his first independent record label, Teknarok. Teknarok got major publicity in the dance music world. It was the spark that ignited Nick’s relationships in the music industry. Teknarok’s first release sold 3000 copies which is unheard of for a label with no distribution. Soon, and due to irreconcilable differences with prvate investors, Nick sold off Teknarok, but as they say, when one door closes another one opens: Nick, Alex, and their good friend Chris Vierra teamed up in 2002 to launch TerraTraxx Records. They came in contact with Mac Zimms. A relationship was established and Mac agreed to start producing for their label. A month later TerraTraxx was signed to Alpha Magic/BMG.
Starkillers - Discoteka (2006)
NL#54
Lyrics:
Deep in the discoteka
These beats can make you wetta
I have the sex you want
I have the sex to flaunt
I rock my body hard
In this place to be
I make it hot dirty sexy
Can you please me
You sexy ladies
And nasty boys
Oh freaky freaking
To the robot noise
I wanna to rock your body
Body rocking to the beat
Electric rhythm
Pumping discoteka all over me
I rock my body hard
In this place to be
I make the beat go boom papi
Husband-and-Wife team John Smith & Valerie Day from Portland, Oregon (US) were Nu Shooz. They released four albums during the 1980s, but it was their third album which brought them global attention. Talk about transatlantic co-operation... :
Nu Shooz originally released the single I Can't Wait in Portland in April 1985 on Poolside Records. The original recording was done at Cascade Recording in Portland in the fall of 1984. The track was a big hit on Portland radio stations at the time, but they were turned down by every major label. A copy of the song made it to the Netherlands, where it was remixed by Peter Slaghuis. This version is known as the 'Dutch Mix.' The remix came back into the US as an import on Dutch label Injection Records. It was this version that got the attention of Atlantic Records, which signed the band to a contract in January 1986.
The song's American chart run coincided with that of a Stevie Nicks song also titled 'I Can't Wait', a rare incidence of two different songs with the same title charting at the same time. The extended mix contains more samples, such as 'c'mon!' from Madonna's 'Into the Groove', and takes the pitchshifting of the chorus even further, creating an eventual pitchdown at the ending.
According to Billboard in 2009, I Can't Wait plays somewhere on earth every eleven minutes.
Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait (1986)
UK#2, DE#2, US#3, NZ#3, CH#4, NL#9, IT#9, IRL#10, AT#16, FR#24
Iva Davies and Keith Welsh met in Sydney in 1977 to form the band Flowers, predecessors of what became known worldwide as Icehouse. They met as Iva was cleaner at a squash court managed by Keith's mother. The band built up a strong following as a live act around the pub circuit, providing distinctive cover versions of songs by Roxy Music (this is, where I think 'Hey Little Girl' get it's distinctive Bryan Ferry feeling), David Bowie, Lou Reed, T-Rex, Ultravox and Brian Eno. After signing to the independent Regular Records label, Flowers released their debut single in 'Can't Help Myself' in May 1980, which hit the Australian Top 10. This was followed by their debut album Icehouse, which reached AUS#4 on the National albums chart and became one of the year's biggest selling albums in Australia. Two other single releases ('We Can Get Together' and 'Walls') from the album also hit the Top 20.
In early 1981, Flowers signed to Chrysalis Records for European, Japanese, UK and US releases; and changed their name due to legal restrictions and to prevent confusion with a Scottish group The Flowers. Their last performance under the name Flowers was on 27 June 1981 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, they chose the name of their album to become known as Icehouse.
As Icehouse, the band spent the second half of 1981 touring the UK, Canada and the US; whilst Chrysalis released most of their Flowers material under the name Icehouse.
The single 'Icehouse' was released in Europe and created some interest in the UK. It had been written by Iva when he lived at 18 Tryon Road, Lindfield, in an old, cold flat of a two-storey mansion - across the street was a dishevelled house which had its lights on all night peopled by short-term residents. Iva later learned it was a half-way house for psychiatric and drug rehab patients. Icehouse split up late in 1981, Keith Welsh later becoming manager of Australian bands Do-Ré-Mi and Boom Crash Opera.
In January the following year Iva recorded Primitive Man as a solo project, it was co-produced with Keith Forsey, who had worked with Giorgio Moroder and later worked with Simple Minds. Released in August 1982 as an Icehouse album, Primitive Man reached AUS#3 and provided their international breakthrough single Hey Little Girl.
The track was re-released in 1997 to much success on the dancefloors in Europe.
One of my favourites songs of the 1980s comes courtesy Fox The Fox, a Dutch Disco-Funk formation founded by Bert Tamaela and Sylhoutte Musmin in 1981. Unfortunately the group could not successfully follow up on their track Precious Little Diamond, which was released in 1984.
Fox The Fox - Precious Little Diamond (1984)
1984: DE#5, NL#11, FR#15
1986: UK#86
Patrick Hernandez was born 1949 in Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, to a Spanish father and a half-Austrian/half-Italian mother. Growing up in the 1960s, he became interested in music. He toured dancehalls and ballrooms of southern France with a number of groups over the next decade. Patrick met his music partner Hervé Tholance, an arranger, guitarist & vocalist, during that period. The two formed a duo and started achieving local success backing French musicians such as Francis Cabrel, Laurent Voulzy, and the French group Gold.
In 1978, Patrick met producer Jean Vanloo and, with disco music at its peak, signed a recording contract. Hernandez went to Waterloo, Belgium to work on songs to record. After working for about a year, an album was released November that year.
The first single that was released was the disco song Born to Be Alive. Its success was immediate: the track spread throughout Europe, where it hit #1 in France in April 1979 and remained there until July. By then, the US had caught on, and after some remixing, the track was released, peaking at #1 in the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and crossed over to US#16, selling over one million copies in the US alone.
By year's end, Born To Be Alive had racked up 52 Gold and Platinum from more than 50 countries worldwide.
While touring the US, Patrick was accompanied by Vanloo and his friend Jean-Claude Pellerin. Vanloo and Pellerin held auditions in New York that spring for dancers to accompany him on his worldwide tour. The chosen dancers included a young Madonna.
Patrick's follow-ups to Born to Be Alive did not fare as well.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Hernandez toured and had occasional appearances on other artists' albums in Europe. Another remix of the track appeared in the nightclubs in 1987. Since its release, Born to Be Alive has sold more than $25 million worldwide.
Patrick Hernandez - Born To Be Alive (1979)
FR#1, IT#1, DE#1, AT#1, SWE#1, NOR#1, AUS#1, NZ#1, BE#1, CAN#1, CH#5, UK#10, NL#12, US#16, BRZ#32
Rohan Heath was the driving force behind the Urban Cookie Collective, having worked before with Yargo and A Guy Called Gerald.
The group's original vocalist was Diane Charlemagne, who co-wrote some of their tracks with Rohan, and now works with Moby. The other main members were Simon Bentall, Peter Samson, Johnny Jay, Mark Hadfield & Neil Claxton. Guest rappers occasionally took part in the studio.
Rohan had learned classical piano and decided on a career in music after abandoning a PhD at University of Vermont. After a tour of Japan supporting the Happy Mondays, he left A Guy Called Gerald. He later joined Together a band created by Manchester's Haçienda regulars Suddi Raval and Jon Donaghy. Together's single "Hardcore Uproar", made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1990. After a brief stint with Eek A Mouse, Rohan created the Urban Cookie Collective, a bunch of Manchester-based record producers songwriters and musicians.
They achieved their major breakthrough in 1993 with 'The Key The Secret'. After a subsequent remix it was picked up by the Pulse 8 record label. The track entered the UK chart twice more in 1996 and 2005 in remixed formats.
The band remain active and still maintain a busy concert schedule.
The Urban Cookie Collective was a solid staple in my musical orientation between 1993 and 1995, often dancing with then on stage in London clubs.
Urban Cookie Collective - The Key, The Secret (1993)
UK#2, NL#2, AUS#4, DE#5, AT#7, CH#7, SWE#23, NZ#31
Danny Harrison (one half of currently successful remix duo Moto Blanco) and Danny Matlock (who also released under the alias Congress back then) collaborated as Nush in 1994. Their track 'U Girls' was part of my essential clubbing soundtrack at the time. In London it was simmering underground for a long time before hitting the mainstream shelves. Although not as commercially successful with the creatures of the day, it made up for it amongst the worshippers of the night, circulating around dancefloors in various mixes for months on end, which in turn led to several more flawed attempts to make it cross-over into pop charts.
I loved it.
Jake Williams, a.k.a. JX, found huge success in clubland of 1993 following a recording contract with Hooj Choons, the dance label du jour in the UK back then. The track ran up a massive following before being released, charting in the mainstream the year after and; even higher with a re-release in 1995. The success led him to being chosen as the remixer for dance tracks of the time. Jake also produces as Rex The Dog, the alias under which he has worked with artists ranging from Depeche Mode and Madonna to The Prodigy, Mylo and Röyksopp.
JX - Son Of A Gun (1995)
1994: UK#13, NL#38
1995: UK#6, AUS#6
Fedde Le Grand from Utrecht, Netherlands, started out early, becoming a DJ as teenager. He is one of the brainsehind the Sneakerz concept, creating the formula: different venues with three areas throughout the Netherlands, all with their own sound, and a chance given to upcoming talent performing together with famous DJs. Sneakerz started off at 'De Rechter' in Eindhoven and it has grown into one of the most popular clubbing nights('Panama' in Amsterdam, 'T Paard van Troje' The Hague or Sneakerz@The Beach in Scheveningen and Bloomingdale).
Besides DJing and organising club nights, Fedde has been producing since 2001. With the release of Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit Fedde became known to the world. At the end of the Summer 2006 the track won the award '#1 summer anthem of Ibiza'. At the Winter Music Conference in Miami Fedde took home three International Dance Music Awards: Best Breakthrough Solo Artist, Best Breaks/Electro Sound and Best Underground House Track. He also won two Danish Deejay Awards and the Australian MTV Award.
Eminem’s Detroit based hip-hop crew D12 created a vocal version over 'Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit’ released early 2007.
The music video is directed by Marcus Adams. It features a Kubrick type of science lab where gynoid technicians (Aimee Bramall, Emma Wharton, Lauren Ridealgh and Anchelique Mariano) create multiple androids (Spanish dance student Arran García). For every android they create they test its reaction to the gynoids stripping, the first android has a meltdown, the second flirts with a male doctor (a cameo of Fedde le Grand) instead of looking at the girls. The third time it works, but he discovers that he is a robot instead of human so he escapes, causing a system shutdown protocol to be activated, shutting down everything including him and the gynoids. The video was filmed in the vacant offices of what used to be the headquarters of the Safeway supermarket chain at Hayes/Hillingdon, London. The building in which the android is built was the mainframe operations room, refurbished by the supermarket before its demise, at an estimated £5 million. The rest of the video is shot in the building, known as Safeway 2, formally holding IT functions. It is now used by Rackspace hosting.
Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up for Detroit (2006)
UK#1, ES#1, FIN#1, HUN#1, RUS#1, IRL#3, NL#4, DK#5, AUS#8, BE#14, FR#34, SWE#44, DE#78
Alessandro Alfonso Fortunato 'Alex' Gaudino, born in Salerno, Italy, began his music career in 1993 at Flying Records and UMM. In 1998, and with the support of the well-known Italian record company TIME, Alex founded his own label, RISE Records, which quickly produced a string of hit records with artists such as The Tamperer, Black Legend and Robbie Rivera, earning him a nomination for Best European A&R at the 2000 European Music Awards in London. But his international breakthrough came with a track released in Italy in December 2006 and worldwide four months later, in March 2007. It dominated the European charts that summer. Initially recorded in 2003 and entitled 'Destination Unknown', he worked with Crystal Waters, took her vocals and created an artful splicing, matching the vocals with the saxophone riff of Rune's 'Calabria', which was recorded the same year.
Coincidently and totally apt, the track popped up on the shuffle function of my iPod two years later, at a week's getaway to the stunningly beautiful shores of Southern Italy. It made the holiday.
Crystal Waters hails from Philadelphia, US. At 11 she began writing poetry and took her writing seriously enough to be inducted into the American Poetry Society when she was 14, the youngest person ever to receive that honour. She studied business and computer science at Howard University and her creative work dropped off as she found less time for it. After earning her college degree in 1985, Crystal worked as a computer technician, making a living that would support her two children. Waters first approached the music world in 1987 as a behind-the-scenes worker, writing demos for a production team known as the Basement Boys, securing a writing contract with Mercury Records in 1989 and began penning songs for recording artists. She wrote 'Gypsy Woman' for Ultra Nate and recorded a demo cut herself. The producers were so taken by her rendition that they drew up a recording contract with her for that one song, never passing it on to Ultra Nate. Crystal's next releases were promoted only in the dance music markets, but she made an unexpected mainstream comeback in 1994 when the song '100% Pure Love'. Also, as a side project, Crystal Waters wrote and voiced a single called 'Right and Exact' under the alias Chrissy Ward in 1998. In 2007 she agreed for Alex to marry up her 'Destination Unknown' with Rune's 'Calabria' to produce one of the more memorable dance tracks.
The music video for Destination Calabria was directed by Eran "Rani" Creevy and produced by Ben Pugh for Ministry of Sound. It features female dancers in green marching band costumes, pretending to play various instruments in a seductive manner, with choreography by David Leighton. In some scenes, seemingly hundreds of the dancers are seen at once, but these are simply the original eight replicated many times using digital imagery.
Chrystal herself does not appear in the video, with some of the marching band members miming her lyrics.
I left my job my car and my home
I'm leavin for a destination
I still don't know,
Somewhere nobody must have beauties at all
And if u like us
You can follow me - so lets go:
Follow me and lets go
To the place where we belong and leave our troubles at home
Come with me
We can go to a paradise of love and joy
A destination unknown
Now I won't feel thoses heavy shoulders no more
My life got better now I finally enjoy
Yes all the people wanna come here and so
Come on and join us you can do that now lets go:
Follow me and let's go
To the place where we belong and leave our troubles at home
Come with me
We can go to a paradise of love and joy
A destination unknown
We left the city - the pollution - the crowd
The air is clear here oceans blue I love that sound
Where happy on this destinatin we found
And if you want us you can follow me. Lets go:
Follow me and lets go
To the place where we belong and leave our troubles at home
Come with me we can go to a paradise of love and joy
A destination unknown
John Rocca made his living selling Jazz and Funk record imports in London of the 1970s. Little wonder then that through this influence he shacked up with Andy Stennet, Peter Maas, Paul Morgan and Everton Mcalla to form Freeez, one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s. Their track 'I.O.U.' was written, produced and mixed by Arthur Baker(known then for his work with Afrika Bambaataa). It was used for the 1984 breakdance movie Beat Street. I remember 'I.O.U.' for both, being a big hit at school discos and by watching Beat Street about 24 times on the big screen.
Don't you worry, I won't suddenly get all religious on you, but there is a track that is really quite beautiful. You may remember it from 1988 when Ofra Haza took Europe by storm with it - it stayed 9 weeks at DE#1 in the summer that year...
But it dates back much further than this: 'Im Nin'alu' (אם ננעלו) is a Hebrew poem by Shalom Shabazi (שלום שבזי) and was written in the 17th century, when he was a well-respected Rabbi in what is now the state of Yemen.
The poem starts 'Im nin'alu daltei n'divim - daltei marom lo nin'alu. El Chaiiiiiii....' (If the doors of the wealthy are locked, the doors of Heaven will never be locked. The living God.)
Ofra Haza first sang this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on IBA's General Television in 1978. The remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, is the one that hit the charts ten years later. The single sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first World Music recordings to cross over to mainstream Pop. Even though Ofra's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday.
In 1997 she re-recorded the track for her album Ofra Haza, produced by Frank Peterson of Enigma and Gregorian.
Since then, the track has been covered - and most of all sampled - endless times: Rap duo Eric B. & Rakim used it in their single 'Paid In Full', Snoop Dogg used the same sample on his remake of 'Paid In Full' titled 'Paper'd Up'. Canadian band Delerium sampled the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask' from their 1989 album Faces, Forms & Illusions.
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black. The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho. In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single 'The Queen of Tel Aviv', which was credited to C&N Project Feat. Ofra Haza. Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs 'Im Nin'alu' on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah. Part of the song appears in Madonna's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind (2009) with vocals by Rachel Valfer.
And - in 2009 Panjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.
Ofra Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, the multi-lingual Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. The music, too, fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat.
Ofra Haza died on 23 February 2000 at the age of 42, of AIDS-related pneumonia. While the fact of her HIV infection is now generally acknowledged, the decision by the major Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz to report about it shortly after her death caused controversy in Israel.
If there be no mercy left in the world,
The doors of heaven will never be barred.
The Creator reigns supreme, and is higher
than the angels
All, in His spirit, will rise
By His nearness, His life-giving breath
flows through them.
And they glory in His name
From the moment of genesis,
His creations grow,
Captivating and more beautiful.
The wheel in his circle thunders
Acclaiming His Holy name
Clothed in the glory of His radiance,
The six-winged cherubs surround Him,
Whirling in His honor
And with their free wings sweetly sing,
Together, in unison
Rabbi Shalom Shabazi - Im Ninalu (Yemen, 17th Century)
Nickolas Ashford (from South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (from The Bronx,NY) met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1963.
After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Josie Jo Armstead as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trio's songs 'Let's Go Get Stoned' gave Ray Charles a US#1 in 1966.
That same year Ashford & Simpson joined Motown where their best known songs included 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' - a track they wrote for Diana Ross with them on background vocals - and 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing'.
But Ashford & Simpson are best known for their track 'Solid'. The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ashford & Simpson - Solid (1984)
US#29, UK#42
Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (1970)
Sasu Ripatti, born 1976 in Oulu, Finland, has many aliases: Vladislav Delay, Sistol, Conoco and - Luomo.
Sasu's characteristic traits within his music are deep, bubbling synth-bass lines, fractured percussion - often placed freely within the music, long delay repetitions of various sounds, syncopated use of vocal samples, and complicated digital effect processing techniques. An outstanding example is his 2003 release 'Tessio'.
The music of Luomo stretches taut lines between shadowy experimentalism and shining club aspirations of the dancefloor. Full of dark chasms and dangerous sharp edges, the restless experimentation and bitter-tenderness in Luomo’s songs have shattered and reformed expectations of Pop. Tracks like 'Tessio' became the foundation of what was soon known as Microhouse.
But the tropes and vocals made it clear that Sasu is drawing on a wider range of influences: not only Glitch, but also Dub, Trip-Hop, Chicago House, Soul and Disco. Luomo presents each element — icy reverb, stuttering rhythms and brittle synth stabs with crossover Pop appeal that was picked up by major labels.
What makes Luomo different from his other release synonyms, aside from a more overt Pop orientation, is the extensive, sensitive use of vocal samples from a variety of collaborators: all Luomo albums owe much to processed feminine voices, particularly that of Finnish jazz singer Johanna Iivanainen, a vocalist renowned for her timbral and poetic singing. Pensive and polished, rich and sensual, 'The Present Lover', which is the album containing 'Tessio', uses the voice of Johanna Iivanainen, along with that of Antye Greie (AGF), his East German girlfriend.
His creative arrangements have also come to fruition in his fourth Luomo album, 'Convivial' in 2008. It sees Luomo at his most upfront and extrovert, embracing more overt Pop motives than ever, and features vocal collaborations with not only Iivanainen, but a spectrum of artists, ranging from Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, which offers a touch of glam, to Chicago House producer Robert Owens. A new Luomo album is due to be released! :-)
Luomo - Tessio (2003)
Lyrics:
I guess you turn me on,
When you're gone,
For me it didn't go wrong,
we just made another song.
Off getting it alone,
Never asking if for long,
It's just that the world ain't enough,
And it never was for the two of us.
Baby, it's ok.
I guess you made me warm,
When you do the hum,
Making everybody come,
Getting creative with your charm.
I tried to be all yours,
Over line ain't answering your calls,
Don't say it's false,
I'm only following my thoughts.
Baby it's ok,
We'll make it better,
Baby, I, I'll survive,
Without these women in my life.
May 1977: LaDonna Andrea Gaines, a.k.a. Donna Summer, released her album I Remember Yesterday, produced by Giorgio Moroder. The album contained tracks which should represent several decades of the 20th century: 'I Remember Yesterday' represented the 1940s, 'Love's Unkind' the 50s and 'Back in Love Again' the 60s. The album concluded with the then futuristic 'I Feel Love'.
As with Donna's four previous albums, different record labels distributed her work in different nations. Some of the labels chose to release the ballad 'Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over)' as the first single, with 'I Feel Love' as the B-side, but the impact of the song was so huge that it was soon released internationally as a standalone A-side.
Previous disco tracks had usually been backed by an acoustic orchestra, while 'I Feel Love' was the first ever track to use an entirely synthesized backing track, which would later help develop the music genres Dance and Techno. The repetitive vocals over the backing track helped make the song a massive hit. It finally gave Donna the follow-up 'Love to Love You Baby'.
'I Feel Love' put Donna Summer firmly in her place as the leading female artist of Disco.
The track is so genius that it has been covered endless times, from likely artists such as Blondie, Jimmy Somerville & Marc Almond and Madonna to such unlikely groups as he Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Finnish Psychadelic Rock band Kingston Wall.
Blatant samples of the basic bass track were used by Cher ('All Or Nothing' in 1998) and Moloko ('Sing It Back' in 1999).
Last Year, Gucci ran a TV advertising campaign video, directed by Chris Cunningham, for their scent Flora, which used the song in a trace version.
Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)
UK#1, AT#1, NL#1, CH#2, NZ#2, DE#3, SWE#5, US#6, NOR#8, FR#33,
Blondie - I Feel Love (1979)
Bronski Beat & Marc Almond - I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me (1985)
Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Rollo Remix) (1995)
Vanessa Mae - I Feel Love (1997)
Cher - All Or Nothing (1998)
Moloko - Sing It Back (1999)
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - I Feel Love (live album 2004)
Madonna - I Feel Love (live 2006)
Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Gucci 'Flora' Advertising Campaign) (2010)
video directed by Chris Cunningham
Just after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the East German economy collapsed, widely expected as it happens, but hindsight can be a beautiful - as well as ugly - thing, eh?!!
Searching for a job was the equivalent to searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Left with few options, I looked further than the immideate (i.e. 200 miles) surroundings of my home town Rostock and outside the box (i.e. what else can I do?) and found - wahey! - a job as an apprentice in a hotel in the deepest Bavaria - the PLB, officially known as the Prinz Luitpold Bad in Hindelang, near Oberstorf, the most southern community in Germany. I left my parent's home on 9 August 1990 and cut right across my Fatherland.
Life was hard on an apprentice's wage, but better than sitting around at home on the dole.
My school-English was enormously beneficial - I could hold conversations about the Communist Party, the Anti-Nuclear-Movement - and various other enthralling topics...
To cut a long story short, I soon befriended these foreign workers, mostly English-speaking students on their 'Year Out' between A-Level and University. We had lots of parties in the staff building called 'Freiheit'(Freedom) just behind.
That was the time I learned my real English. Two, three months and the language was there - but Boy! - wasn't learning the sense of humour difficult! (it poses a challenge to this very day, LOL).
Anyway, the parties we had were fantastic; this is when I first learned about 'Indie' and 'Madchester'. These tracks will stay in my memory forever...
'How Soon Is Now' was written by Johnny Marr one afternoon in June 1984. Johnny posted a rough demo of the track in the mail to Morrissey. The following morning Morrissey arrived and laid down his vocals, culling lyrics from various works in progress in his notebook in the process. According to John Porter, their producer at Rough Trade records, he completed his vocals in two takes.
The song contains only one verse which is repeated twice, plus a chorus and a bridge. The story is about someone who can't quite deal with his shyness. Two lines of the lyrics are well known in pop culture:
'I am the son, and the heir, of a shyness that is criminally vulgar. I am the son and heir, of nothing in particular' and the chorus: 'I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does'.
During recording, Johnny created an oscillating guitar effect that plays throughout the song. After a break, they added a few overdubs to the track, including a slide guitar part that gave the song real tension.
When Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis first heard the track, he felt it was too unrepresentative of The Smiths' sound to be released as a standalone single in it's own right. Despite pressure from John Porter to save the song for a later single release as an A-side, 'How Soon Is Now?' was included as B-side on the 12" single release of 'William, It Was Really Nothing' in August 1984. John's thoughts were 'They totally threw it away, wasted it'. But almost immediately night-time British radio picked up on the song, and by autumn it had become the most-requested track. Thus, it was subsequently included on The Smiths' compilation album Hatful of Hollow, released at the end of the year.
Due to the popularty, Rough Trade decided to re-released it as an A-side in the UK in January 1985. The 12" vinyl included a new instrumental track, 'Oscillate Wildly'. Although the track was considered something of a Smiths' classic by now, the re-release only managed to rise to UK#24, probably because everybody already had it.
Following the acquisition of the Rough Trade catalogue by Warner Bros. 'How Soon Is Now?' was issued - again - as a single in the UK in September 1992, which reached UK#16.
The track was covered numerous times, in the spectrum of musical genres ranging from metal-like versions (Quicksand & Meatmen) to out-right pop (t.A.T.u). Some of the versions were used as theme by TV programme Charmed. The famous guitar-riff was also sampled by Soho, under endorsement by The Smiths'. All of the version to find here. Enjoy :-)
Hardly anyone knows him by his real name Johann - or Hans - Hölzel , but when you say Falco, then most ears prick up in recognition. Born 19 February 1957 in Vienna, Austria, and died - far too early - just before his 41st birthday in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Unbelivable but true: he is the first and only artist to date whose principal language was German to score a number-one hit in the United States - with 'Rock Me Amadeus', even Nena's 99 Red Balloons did not achieve that. He has sold 40 million albums and 20 million singles, which makes him one of the best selling Austrian singers ever.
Falco began to show signs of unusual musical talent very early. As a toddler, he was able to keep time with the drumbeat in songs he heard on the radio. He was given a baby grand piano for his fourth birthday; a year later, his birthday gift was a record player which he used to play music by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, and the Beatles. At age five, he auditioned for the Vienna Music Academy, where it was confirmed that he had perfect pitch.
He entered the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977, but left after one semester to 'become a real musician'. For a short time, he lived in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band and exploring the club scene. When he returned to Vienna he decided on his stage name Falco in tribute to the East German ski jumper Falko Weißpflog (he changed one letter to make the name more international).
Falco's first hit was 'Der Kommissar' from the 1982 album Einzelhaft (Soliary Confinement). A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the US. But the song would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions: British rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called 'Der Kommissar' (with uh-oh and alles klar Herr Kommissar the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to US#5 (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top40.
That same year, Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics under the title 'Deep In The Dark' on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer (Young Romans) failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success outside of Austria and Germany (where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career: Falco recorded 'Rock Me Amadeus' inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986.
'Jeanny', the third release from his third album Falco 3, was highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of Jeanny was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., though it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
The following years were somewhat his decline: he went on a World Tour, sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen, 'Body Next to Body' and released another album, Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood) but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
His 1992 comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug (Night Flight) was very successful in the German speaking territories, but failed to chart internationally.
Falco died of severe injuries from a collision with a bus on the road linking the towns of Villa Montellano and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, which was later dismissed. At the time of his death, he was planning a comeback.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
Depeche Mode formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, England - although their origins date back to 1977, when schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Vince on vocals and guitar and Andrew on bass.
Vince then played guitar in 'Ultravox rip-off band' The Plan in 1979 with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith, while Martin Gore played guitar in acoustic duo Norman & The Worms with school friend Philip Burdett on vocals. Marlow, Gore, and Paul Redmond formed a band called The French Look.
In March 1980, Vince, Martin and Andrew formed a band called Composition of Sound. Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Vince and Andrew switched to synthesizers. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Vince heard him perform at a local scout hut jam session, singing to a rendition of David Bowie's 'Heroes' - and Depeche Mode were born.
When explaining the choice for the new name, taken from a French fashion magazine, Dépêche Mode, Martin Gore said: 'It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that.'
Martin recollects that the first time the band played as Depeche Mode was a school gig in May 1980. The band made their recording debut in 1980 on the Some Bizzare Album with the song 'Photographic', which was later re-recorded for their debut album Speak & Spell.
While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, London, Depeche Mode were approached by Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records, who was interested in them recording a single for his label. The result of this verbal contract was their first single, recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981:
Dreaming of Me (1981) - US#47, UK#57 - non album single release (no video)
Encouraged by this, the band recorded their second single:
New Life (1981) - UK#11, IRL#22, US#29 - Speak & Spell
The next single was a relentlessly upbeat piece of synthpop, which became the band's first UK Top10 hit and it remains one of their best known songs. It was also the first Depeche Mode song to get a music video and is the only one of the band's videos to feature Vince Clarke. Depeche Mode's debut album, Speak & Spell, was released in November 1981 and peaked at number ten on the UK album charts:
Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (1981) - Speak & Spell
AUS#4, UK#8, SWE#14, IRL#16, US#26
During the touring and promotion for Speak & Spell, Vince began to voice his discomfort at the direction Depeche Mode were taking and, in November 1981, he was leaving the band. He joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo and, later, the duo Erasure with Andy Bell. Initial talk of continuing to write material for Depeche Mode amounted to nothing. Vince offered them the track 'Only You, but they declined. It went on to become a UK Top3 hit for Yazoo.
In late 1981, they placed an anonymous advertisement in British music mag Melody Maker looking for another musician. Alan Wilder from Hammersmith, West London was hired in early 1982 initially on a trial basis as a touring member. In January 1982, the band released:
Depeche Mode - See You (1982) - A Broken Frame
UK#6, IRL#9, DE#44
The tour that followed the release of the single saw the band playing their first shows in North America. Two more singles were released ahead of the band's second studio album:
Depeche Mode - The Meaning of Love (1982) -A Broken Frame
UK#12, IRL#17, SWE#16, DE#64
Depeche Mode - Leave in Silence (1982) - A Broken Frame
IRL#13, SWE#17, UK#18, DE58
Depeche Mode began work on their second album in July 1982. Daniel Miller informed Alan that he was not needed for the recording of the album, as the band wanted to prove that they could succeed without Vince Clarke.
A Broken Frame was released that September and the following month the band set off on their second tour of 1982. A non-album single was released in January 1983, and was the first Depeche Mode track to be recorded with Alan:
Depeche Mode - Get the Balance Right! (1983) - non album single release
UK#13, IRL#16, US#31, DE#38
For their third album, Construction Time Again, Depeche Mode worked with producer Gareth Jones, at John Foxx's Garden Studios and at Hansa Studios in West Berlin. The album saw a dramatic shift in the group's sound: by sampling the noises of everyday objects, the band created an industrial sound.
Along with the music, Martin's songwriting was also rapidly evolving, focusing increasingly on political and social issues. An example of the new sound was on the first single, a commentary on the perceived greed of multinational corporations:
Depeche Mode Everything Counts (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#6, CH#8, IRL#15, SWE#18, DE#23, AT#26, IT#32
In September 1983, to promote Construction Time Again the band launched a concert tour all over Europe.
Depeche Mode - Love in Itself (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#21, IRL#27, DE#28
In their early years, Depeche Mode had only really attained success in Europe and Australia, however this changed in March 1984 when they released:
Depeche Mode- People are People (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#1, IRL#2, UK#4, CH#4, US#13, SWE#15, IT#20, AUS#25
The song was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics and also charted in the US charts in mid-1985. The song had then become an anthem for the LGBT community. In September 1984, Some Great Reward was released.
In contrast to the political and environmental subjects addressed on the previous album, the songs on Some Great Reward were mostly concerned with more personal themes such as sexual politics...
Depeche Mode - Master and Servant (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#2, SWE#7, CH#8, UK#9, IT#27, FR#34, US#49, AUS#89
... adulterous relationships...
Depeche Mode - Lie To Me (1984)
...and arbitrary divine justice...
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984) - Some Great Reward
IRL#8, UK#16, CH#19, DE#22, AUS#87
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984)
********** RARE 8 min version! *********
Also included was the first Martin Gore ballad. 'Somebody' was released as a double a-side with 'Blasphemous Rumours' and was the first single with Martin on lead vocals:
Depeche Mode - Somebody (1984) - Some Great Reward
was the flip-side of Blasphemous Rumours
In October 1985, Mute Records released a compilation, The Singles 81>85, which included the two non-album singles 'Shake the Disease' (one of my personal favourites of Depeche Mode) and 'It's Called a Heart'.
Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease (1985) - Singles 81->85
DE#4, SWE#5, CH#6, IRL#9, FR#13, UK#18, IT#29
Depeche Mode's musical style shifted again in 1986 with the release of 'Stripped', and its accompanying album Black Celebration. Retaining their sampling and the industrial sound, the band introduced an ominous, highly atmospheric and textured sound. Martin's lyrics also took on darker tone and became more pessimistic. 'New Dress' would mark the last time he attempted the kind of overt social commentary.
Depeche Mode - Stripped (1986) - Black Celebration
DE#4, CH#8, CH#9, IT#14, UK#15
Depeche Mode - A Question of Lust (1986)
DE#8, CH#12, IRL#13, SWE#17, UK#28
The music video for 'A Question of Time' was the first to be directed by Anton Corbijn, beginning a working relationship that continues to the present day. He has directed a further 19 videos (the latest being 2006's 'Suffer Well') and has also filmed some of their live performances and designed stage sets and album and single covers.
Depeche Mode - A Question of Time (1986)
DE#4, CH#9, IRL#10, UK#17, SWE#18, FR#29
Music for the Masses saw further alterations in the band's sound. David Bascombe was called to assist with the recording sessions. In making the album the band largely eschewed sampling in favour of more synth experimentation. While the chart performance of the singles the next three singles 'Strangelove', 'Never Let Me Down Again' and 'Behind the Wheel' were somewhat disappointing in the UK, they scored high in Canada, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. The album also achieved the long awaited breakthrough in the US, which would be eternally manifested by the final concert of the their promotional tour at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena - see my previous post - a concert I would do or give anything for to attend again in time travel. The '101' live album and documenary was the result. I could watch it over - and over - and over - and over, again. Orgasmic!
