Thursday, 15 April 2021

De'Lacy

De'Lacy was an American house music group consisting of percussionist De'Lacy Davis, bassist/keyboard Gary Griffin, drummer/backing vocalist Glenn Branch and lead vocalist Rainie Lassiter. They are best known for the song, "Hideaway" which spent 1 week at #1 on UK Dance Chart in September 1995.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Sep 1995    9	Hideaway
Aug 1996   19	That Look
Feb 1998   21	Hideaway 1998

What happened next?
De'Lacy disbanded towards the end of the 90s. In 2008, De'Lacy returned when connecting with songwriter and record producer Marco Gee. "Bodyswerve" was produced. The group continues to record with music producers in the UK and US. Davis has become activist against police brutality and educate those who have experienced resulting trauma. He wrote Black Cops Against Police Brutality: A Crisis Action Plan.

Wednesday, 14 April 2021

Deep Forest

Deep Forest is a French group originally consisting of Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez. They helped popularise the so-called "Global Pop" (World Music), ambient music combined with ethnic sounds. Their song "Sweet Lullaby" was their biggest hit.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Feb 1994   10	Sweet Lullaby
May 1994   20	Deep Forest
Jul 1994   28	Savanna Dance
Jun 1995   26	Marta's Song

What happened next?
Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet stopped working together after their 2004 soundtrack for the Japanese film 'Kusa No Ran'. In 2008, Eric released his own 'Deep' album under the name Deep Projects. Eric followed up with two more solo world fusion albums in 2013, Deep India and Deep Africa, which were released as 'Deep Forest Eric Mouquet'. Eric Mouquet has composed and produced for different artists including Josh Groban on "Closer" and "Awake". Michel Sanchez's last album was "The man and the machine" in 2015.

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

Deee-Lite

Deee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group comprising of Lady Miss Kier (Kier Kirby), Russian Super DJ Dmitry (Dmitry Brill) and Japanese Jungle DJ Towa Tei (Chung Dong-hwa). Together they are best known for "Groove is in the heart which spent 3 weeks at #1 on both the Canada and US dance chart. They also reached #2 in the UK in August 1990*.
There is a big asterisk here as Deee-Lite should have at least shared the #1 spot (Mid-week chart ITV chart show had them as #1. On 9th September 1990, they tied in sales with the official #1 Steve Miller Band's "The Joker". There was an odd ruling that gave the #1 to the song that increased its sales during the week. An unfair ruling for Deee-Lite because it didn't favour the more chart established song and because sales momentum was with the Steve Miller band, Deee-Lite were very unlikely to be #1 the following week. Mysteriously, 8 more copies were added to Steve Miller Band to attempt end the debate.
Deee-Lite were very successfully on the US Dance chart scoring a total of 6 #1s: "Power of Love" (January 1991), "Good Beat" (June 1991), "Runaway" (July 1992), "Bring me your love" (August 1994), "Call me" (February 1995).

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Aug 1990    2	Groove Is In The Heart / What Is Love
Nov 1990   25	Power Of Love / Deee-Lite Theme

What happened next?
For the third album, "Dewdrops In The Garden", Deee-Lite received little support from their label and due to creative differences Towa left the band and DJ Ani (real name: Ani Schempf) was enlisted. However, the album and tour, the band ultimately disbanded. Lady Miss Kier still performs but also write songs and DJs. She is very much a fashion icon and they have been nods from some fashion heavyweights including Thierry Mugler, Kenzo, Jeremy Scott, Elle, Vogue and Glamour. Towa is producing music and last know track was "Brand new emo" in 2017. He has also established his own creative company, hug inc, which, among other things, manufactures his trademark sunglasses. Brill worked with Julee Cruise (who herself had a hit with "Falling" in 1990) on the album, "Secret Life" in 2011.

Monday, 12 April 2021

Deborah Cox

Deborah Cox is a Canadian born (July 13) singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She perhaps be best known for the songs "Sentimental" and "Who do u love" from her self-title debut album. The latter was her first US Dance #1 in March 1996. She have 3 more US Dance #1s with "Things just ain't the same" (1997), "Nobody's supposed to be here" (1998) and "It's over now" (1999).

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Nov 1995   34	Sentimental
Feb 1996   31	Who Do U Love

What happened next?
Deborah Cox has had continued success especially on the US Dance chart where she has had no less than 13 #1 hits (up to 2020). In December 2016, Billboard magazine listed her the 22nd in the the 100 Top Dance Club Artists of All Time. Deborah Cox mixed recording music with theatre performance and the odd peice of acting. She has been in Broadway in "Aida", "Jeykll and Hyde", "The Bodyguard" and "Josephine". In February 2020, Cox starred opposite Roger Guenveur Smith in the BET+ television thriller Influence, an adaption of Carl Weber's same-tited 2018 novel, portraying a big-name celebrity singer accused of killing her husband. Also in 2020, she appeared as a guest host in an episode of Canada's Drag Race and started webseries titled COXtales with Deborah Cox during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Sunday, 11 April 2021

Dawn Penn

Dawn Penn is a Jamaican reggae singer who is best known internationally for the 1994 hit "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" Dawn started her career recording rocksteady singles including "You don't love me" (1967). In 1992, she performed the song with Steely and Clevie on an anniversay show for Studio 1. From that, a new version was put together and the rest is history.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Jun 1994    3	You Don't Love Me (No No No)

What happened next?
In 2011, Dawn Penn released a music video for the song "City Life", directed by Antoine Dixon-Bellot. On 30 June 2013, Penn performed "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" at the BET Awards. In 2014, The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra released the single "Bangarang" featuring Penn on lead vocals, and she appeared in the official video to accompany the single. Penn joined the Ska Orchestra on stage to perform the track, on Halloween night 2013, at The Jazz Café in London's Camden Town. Penn also appeared with Thompson and backing singer Darren Fordham on Jools Holland's 2013/14 Hootenanny and again at the Glastonbury Festival in 2014. "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" has been sampled and covered by the many artists notably by Rihanna with Vybz Kartel on her 2005 album "Music of the Sun".

Saturday, 10 April 2021

David Morales

David Morales is an American born (Aug 21) DJ, master mixer and record producer. He released a number of tracks in his own name with "Needin' u", which presented the face being his biggest hit in the UK. This made #1 on the dance charts in both UK (August) and USA (September) in 1998. His work with the Bad Yard Club earned them 2 US Dance #1s with "Gimme Luv (Eenie Meenie Miny Mo)" and "The Program" in 1993.

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Jul 1993   37	Gimme Luv (Eenie Meenie Miny Mo)	(David Morales with The Bad Yard Club)
Aug 1996   35	In De Ghetto	(David Morales with The Bad Yard Club featuring Crystal Waters & Delta)
Aug 1998    8	Needin' U	(David Morales presents The Face)

What happened next?
David Morales has racked up well over 500 mixes for artists including Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Eric Clapton, Seal, Pet Shop Boys, U2, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston, and Jamiroquai. Morales is considered to be one of the first so-called superstar DJs and has performed at many clubs around the globe. Morales also contributed to radio shows and released DJ mix compilations. Morales was an owner of Stereo nightclub located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. As a resident DJ, he played many 16 hour "La Vie en Stereo" sets, which happened monthly for 9 years. David has been a judge on “Top DJ”, a national television show broadcast on Italia 1, and was a model for Italian clothing designer Iceberg.

Friday, 9 April 2021

David Bowie

David Robert Jones (better known as David Bowie) is a legendary English born (Jan 8) pop/rock singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. In the 1990s, he probably best known for the song "Jump they say", which was the only top 10 in the UK amongst the 11 Top 40 hits he had. He collaborated with both Al B Sure on "Black tie white noise" and Lenny Kravitz on "Buddha of Suburbia".

90 Hits (Discography):
Date	   UK	Song
Apr 1990   28	Fame (remix)
Mar 1993    9	Jump They Say
Jun 1993   36	Black Tie White Noise (featuring Al B Sure!)
Oct 1993   40	Miracle Goodnight
Dec 1993   35	Buddha Of Suburbia (featuring Lenny Kravitz)
Sep 1995   35	The Hearts Filthy Lesson
Dec 1995   39	Strangers When We Meet / The Man Who Sold The World (live)
Mar 1996   12	Hallo Spaceboy
Feb 1997   14	Little Wonder
Apr 1997   32	Dead Man Walking
Oct 1999   16	Thursday's Child

What happened next?
David Bowie was inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. He continued to have critical success with the release of such albums as "Hours", "Heathen", "Reality", "The Next Day" and "Blackstar". His biggest single in this time was "Where are we now?" which reached UK#6 in 2013. David died of liver cancer in his New York City apartment, 10 January 2016.
On this sad day that Prince Philip, husband to the Queen of England passed away, it is interesting to note, Bowie decline a knighthood in 2003, considering it to be a waste of time.