More Info on Soul II SoulSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Refimprove|date=April 2009Infobox musical artist |name = Soul II Soul|image =|caption =|background = group_or_band|origin = London , United Kingdom |genre = Contemporary R& B|R& B , British soul , New jack swing |years_active = 19881997, 2009present|label =|website = http://www.soul2soul.co.uk/startpage/ Official website|current_members = Jazzie B Caron Wheeler Simon Law Daddae Nellee Hooper |past_members = Rose Windross Victoria Wilson James Doreen Waddell (deceased) Lamya (deceased) Melissa Bell (singer)|Melissa Bell Soul II Soul are a United Kingdom|British musical ensemble|group that was created in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 United Kingdom|UK chart-topper and U.S. Top 5 hit, " Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) ".
Career
The group initially attracted attention as a sound system (DJ)|sound system , playing records at house and street parties (where their clothing style, dubbed "Funki Dred," started a line of clothing). Founded by Jazzie B and featuring a changing roster of other musician s - notably Nellee Hooper , Simon Law , Phillip ' Daddae ' Harvey and Caron Wheeler - Soul II Soul's experiments in music-making of their own resulted in the Dubplate|dub plate "Fairplay," which secured them a recording contract with Virgin Records .
Their first single (music)|singles in 1988 failed to make the United Kingdom|UK Top 40 , but the group went on to commercial success in 1989 with the singles " Keep on Movin' (Soul II Soul song)|Keep on Movin' " and " Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) ", which topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, and was the fifth best-selling single in the UK that year. Both tracks, which featured Wheeler on vocals, were taken from their debut album Club Classics Vol. One which reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified music recording sales certification|triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry . In July 1989, the United Kingdom|British music magazine, NME , reported that Soul II Soul had to pull out of their scheduled live appearance on BBC Television 's Top of the Pops television program|programme , following a dispute with the programme's television producer|producer .cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 458 | id= CN 5585
The group also had some success in the United States , where "Back To Life" reached the Top 10 and was certified platinum, and the album (renamed as Keep On Moving for the US market) reached the Top 20 and sold over two million copies. The group also won two Grammy Award s; Best R& B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Back To Life", and Best R& B Instrumental for "African Dance".
Their follow-up album, Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade , yielded two Top 10 hits, "Get A Life" and "A Dream's A Dream", the latter featuring vocals by Victoria Wilson James . This album also reached number 1, and was certified platinum by the BPI, and reached the Top 30 in the US where it was certified gold. In April 1990, Soul II Soul got three US Soul Train awards.cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 469 | id= CN 5585 The band had one more Top 10 in 1992 with "Joy", taken from their third album Vol. III: Just Right , which itself peaked at number 3 and was certified gold by the BPI. However, by this time the band's commercial success was in decline.
Their greatest hits compilation album , Volume IV: The Singles 88-93 , was released in late 1993 and peaked at number 10. Soul II Soul reached Volume V of their series of albums for Virgin in 1995, which peaked at number 13. They then moved to Island Records and released two more albums in 1997, Volume VI Time for Change and the remix album @REMIX.or.jp , but these failed to chart. The group then virtually disbanded for some years, but reformed for various live dates in the 2000s.
In 2002, Doreen Waddell , a former singer with Soul II Soul living in Hove , died after being hit by three cars while fleeing from a shoplifting incident. The 36-year-old, who left a 4-year-old son, sang some lead vocals on Soul II Soul's 1989 Club Classics Vol. One album.
The daughter of former member Melissa Bell, Alexandra Burke , was the winner of the 2008 series of the UK television talent contest The X Factor (UK Series 5)|The X Factor and has since gone on to a successful music career of her own. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7782054.stm BBC.co.uk News.bbc.co.uk On 2 December 2008, a radio programme about Soul II Soul was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 .
The Soul II Soul Sound System featuring Caron Wheeler toured Australia nationally in February 2009. They played the Playground Weekender Festival near Sydney , New South Wales . Soul II Soul performed live at the Yasalam free concerts in conjunction with the 2009 Formula 1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebrations in October 2009.
Discography
Albums
Year
Album
UK cite book
U.S.
AUS
1989
Club Classics Vol. One / Keep On Movin
1
14
38
1990
Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade
1
21
9
1992
Volume III Just Right
3
88
17
1993
Volume IV The Classic Singles 88-93
10
-
-
1995
Volume V - Believe
13
-
-
1997
Time for Change
-
-
-
Singles
Year
Single
Peak chart positions
Album
UK
AUS cite web
US
US R& B
US Dance
NLDStichting Nederlandse Top 40, Hitdossier
1988
"Fairplay"
63
9
Club Classics Vol. One / Keep On Movin
"Feel Free"
64
1989
" Keep on Movin' (Soul II Soul song)
5
11
1
1
6
" Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) "
1
45
4
1
1
1
"Jazzie's Groove"
6
3
"Get a Life"
3
38
54
5
9
3
Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade
1990
"A Dream's a Dream"
6
27
85
19
3
10
"People"
44
3
16
"Missing You"
22
29
39
1992
"Joy"
4
41
14
15
Volume III Just Right
"Move Me No Mountain"
31
33
29
"Just Right"
38
1993
"Wish"
24
Volume IV The Classic Singles 88-93
1995
"Love Enuff"
12
Volume V - Believe
" I Care "
17
1996
"Keep on Movin'" (remix)
31
Non-album song
1997
"Represent"
39
Time for Change
"Pleasure Dome"
51
"" denotes releases that did not chart
| first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 907908 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3
Other appearances
Year
Song
Album
1991
" Kiss the Girl "
Simply Mad About the Mouse
See also
List of number-one dance hits (United States)
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.soul2soulstore.com/ Soul II Soul clothing
DEFAULTSORT:Soul 02 Soul Category:British electronic music groups Category:British rhythm and blues musical groups Category:British dance music groups Category:British soul musical groups Category:Grammy Award winners
da:Soul II Soul de:Soul II Soul nl:Soul II Soul ja:???·II·??? pl:Soul II Soul pt:Soul II Soul fi:Soul II Soul
Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Soul II Soul
