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Biography
Infobox musical artist | | name = Yazoo| image = Yazoo Yaz.jpg| caption = Yazoo performing in Germany in 2008| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias = Yaz| origin = Basildon , Essex , England, UK | genre = New wave music|New Wave Synthpop Electropop Dance music|Dance | years_active = 19811983, 2008, 2011| label = Mute Records Sire Records|Sire / Reprise Records|Reprise / Warner Bros. Records | associated_acts = Alison Moyet Depeche Mode The Assembly Erasure | website =| current_members = Alison Moyet Vince Clarke | past_members = Yazoo (also known as Yaz in the United States ) is a United Kingdom|British synthpop duet (music)|duo from Basildon , Essex, England|Essex . They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s. Formed in late 1981 by former Depeche Mode songwriter Vince Clarke (synthesizer) and Alison Moyet (vocals), Yazoo were signed to Mute Records in the United Kingdom and (as "Yaz") to Sire Records in the United States.
Yazoo's debut single " Only You (Yazoo song)|Only You " backed with " Situation (song)|Situation ", was released on 15 March 1982 and rose to number two in the UK charts. Yazoo released two successful studio albums, '' Upstairs at Eric's in 1982 and You and Me Both in 1983. Shortly after, Moyet and Clarke decided to break up. Moyet pursued a solo career while Clarke went on to form Erasure , another synth pop duo. Yazoo reunited in 2008 with a tour in Europe and the United States and the release of a four-disc box set.
Though the band's initial run was short-lived, Yazoo continues to influence and inspire many of today's bands, including LCD Soundsystem , Shiny Toy Guns , Blaqk Audio ,Citation | publication-date = 13 October 2007 | title = Still inspiring after all these years | url= http://books.google.com/? id=ow4EAAAAMBAJ& pg=PA93& lpg=PA93#v=onepage& q= | periodical = Billboard (magazine)|Billboard | publisher = Nielsen Business Media | page = 93 | volume = 119 | issue = 41 | author1 = Nielsen Business Media, Inc | date = 2007-10-13 Hercules and Love Affair , La Roux and Gil Mantera's Party Dream .citation needed|date=February 2010
History
Yazoo was formed in late 1981 by Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet in Basildon , Essex , England.Citation | last = Strong | first = M. C. | year = 1998 | title = The Great Rock Discography | publisher = Giunti | page = 935 | isbn = 8809215222 Clarke was previously the main songwriter and keyboard player for Depeche Mode , who also came from Basildon and who at that point had recorded one album and three singles for Mute Records , including the hits " New Life (song)|New Life " and " Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)|Just Can't Get Enough ".Citation | last = Crouse | first = Richard | year = 2000 | title = Big Bang, Baby: Rock Trivia | publisher = Dundurn Press | page = 225 | isbn = 0888822197 The name 'Yazoo', according to Moyet, came from the labels of old blues albums: Yazoo Records .Citation | last = Miller | first = Jonathan | year = 2004 | title = Stripped: Depeche Mode | publisher = Omnibus Press | page = 128 | isbn = 1844494152 Yazoo was signed to Mute Records in the United Kingdom and to Sire Records in the United States. Yazoo's initial foray into the US was disastrous when they received a £3.5 million lawsuit threat over the band's name. Yazoo renamed to Yaz for the US market because the name was already in use by a small American rock band.
Yazoo's debut single " Only You (Yazoo song)|Only You " backed with " Situation (song)|Situation ", was released on 15 March 1982 and rose to number two in the UK.Citation | last = Miller | first = Jonathan | year = 2004 | page = 568 Yazoo's next single, " Don't Go (Yazoo song)|Don't Go ", was released on 3 July 1982 and hit number three, and became popular on MTV in the United States.Citation | year = 2004 | title = MTV Yearbook: 1982 | publisher = MTV | url = http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/? id=1535819& vid=102962 | accessdate = 25 May 2008 They continued their successful streak with their first album, '' Upstairs at Eric's , which went platinum in Britain. The band received favourable reviews for their pioneering sound. Clarke and Moyet toured briefly, while releasing a stopgap single, "The Other Side of Love".
The duo's second (and final) album, You and Me Both , yielded more success, hitting the top of the UK charts, and featuring the hit single "Nobody's Diary".Citation | last = Warwick | first = Neil | last2 = Kutner | first2 = Jon | last3 = Brown | first3 = Tony | date = August 2004 | title = The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums | publisher = Omnibus Press | edition = 3rd | page = 32 | isbn = 1844490580 Commercial success in the US was initially not as strong. Both "Situation" and "Only You" were released as singles and airplay and peaked at #73 and #67 respectively. Despite the modest chart success of those singles and of ''Upstairs at Eric's (which reached #92 on the album chart) word of mouth helped to eventually push the album to platinum status for sales of over one million copies by 1989, seven years after its release.
Shortly before the release of You and Me Both , Clarke and Moyet announced they were to go their separate ways.
Break up and legacy
Moyet signed to Columbia Records and began her successful solo career after leaving Yazoo.Citation | last = Rees | first = Dafydd Rees, | last2 = Crampton | first2 = Luke | publication-date = September 1991 | title = Rock Movers & Shakers | publisher = ABC-CLIO | page = 195 | isbn = 0874366615 | year = 1991 Clarke recorded a single with producer Eric Radcliffe and The Undertones|Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey as The Assembly , and another with vocalist Paul Quinn. Around this time, Clarke also produced " The Face of Dorian Gray (single)|The Face of Dorian Gray " for his friend and singer Robert Marlow . Clarke then started the synth pop group Erasure with vocalist Andy Bell (singer)|Andy Bell .
Mute Records released a remixed version of "Situation" as a single in 1990 which was moderately successful, reaching #14 on the charts. A compilation entitled Only Yazoo& nbsp; The Best of was released in 1999, and was preceded by a re-release of Yazoo's debut single, "Only You", featuring a new remix of the title track and several more of "Don't Go". The band's output was bookended with yet another release of "Situation", accompanied by many remixes. Clarke was tapped to remix Moyet's 1994 single, "Whispering Your Name" and with Erasure, Clarke and Moyet tried to record her single "This House" as a duet. This project never came to surface, because Sony Music Entertainment would not permit it.Citation needed|date=June 2008 The band's songs have appeared in a number of films and television shows. In 1988, "In My Room", "Ode to Boy", and "Only You" were used in the film The Chocolate War (the adaption of the book of the same title). "Only You" was used in the film Napoleon Dynamite , the BBC television series The Office (UK TV series)|The Office , and the film '' Can't Hardly Wait ''; a cover version of "Only You" by Joshua Radin was used in 2007 in a J. C. Penney commercial; "Don't Go" appeared in the BBC series '' I'm Alan Partridge and was used in the film Tango and Cash . The song "Situation" was used in the 1990 TV movie Exile'' and was also used in a Nintendo commercial highlighting the classic edition of the Game Boy Advance SP and the classic NES games ported to it. In 2007, "Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)" was used in The Sarah Silverman Program episode " List of The Sarah Silverman Program episodes|Not Without My Daughter ".Citation needed|date=June 2008 Antony Hegarty , lead vocalist in Antony & The Johnsons , talked with Terry Gross in February 2009 about recording the debut self-titled Hercules & Love Affair album. He said he'd been asked by New York based DJ Andy Butler to join the project and that the objective was or became "Let's sound as much like Yazoo as we can .... We loved Yazoo." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=100162285 Audio interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, via NPR 2-3-09.
Reunion 2008
In December 2007 Side-line announced that Mute plans to reissue both albums as remastered versions. The band would also plan a live gig to promote the re-releases.Citation | publication-date = 18 December 2007 | title = Yazoo reunion for reissue albums and first live gig in 25 years | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=27901_0_2_0_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 The promotional tour received moderate television coverage including a performance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross broadcast on 16 May 2008, a prime time BBC chat show.Citation | title = BBC One Programmes& nbsp; Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Series 14, Episode 17 | publisher = BBC | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bbwg4 | accessdate = 25 May 2008
The news was confirmed later on including extra details.Citation | publication-date = 21 January 2008 | title = Yazoo to release 'In Your Room' 4 disc box set + first dates reunion tour announced | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=28603_0_2_0_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 In Your Room (Yazoo album)|In Your Room , a four-disc box set featuring the stereo remasters and 5.1 mixes of the albums ''Upstairs at Eric's and You and Me Both'' next to a disc with B-sides and remixes was released in 2008. Add to this a DVD featuring an exclusive short film with new interviews from Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet and the videos for "Don't Go", "The Other Side Of Love", "Nobody's Diary", "Situation (1990)" and "Only You (1999) as well as several original appearances on BBC".
The release has been followed by the 'Yazoo Reconnected: Live' tour. Currently, 18 dates have been announced, starting in Copenhagen on 26 May.Citation | publication-date = 22 February 2008 | title = Yazoo announces more European dates for 'Yazoo reunion Reconnected Tour' | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=29494_0_2_1_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 The first three dates of the US tour saw Yazoo performing in Oakland , Los Angeles, and Chicago. Yazoo wrapped up the final two dates of the US tour by returning to New York City for the first time since October 1982. A limited edition vinyl 12" with new dance mixes was also to be released to promote the boxset.Citation | publication-date = 5 March 2008 | title = Yazoo aka Yaz adds US live dates + new dance mixes | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=29818_0_2_6_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 Citation | publication-date = 7 April 2008 | title = Track list Yazoo 4 disc box set 'In Your Room' announced | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=30622_0_2_0_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 A video was released in late April 2008 in which Clarke and Moyet discuss Yazoo's first single "Only You".Citation | publication-date = 23 April 2008 | title = Exclusive Yazoo Video Clip | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=31090_0_2_0_C | accessdate = 25 May 2008 In an interview with Side-Line Magazine, Clarke announced that a live CD was also planned. The recordings were planned to take place during the band's two upcoming performances in London.Citation | publication-date = 30 May 2008 | title = Yazoo& nbsp; It wasn't a well keened out marketing ploy! | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/interviews_comments.php? id=32146_0_16_0_C | accessdate = 27 May 2008
No live DVD is planned though.Citation | publication-date = 23 June 2008 | title = No live DVD from Yazoo's 'Reconnected' reunion tour | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=32860_0_2_0_C | accessdate = 27 May 2008
The 10 July concert Yazoo played at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California has been recorded to be re-aired on Richard Blade's Sirius Radio Show.Citation | publication-date = 22 July 2008 | title = US Yazoo concert to be broadcasted on satellite radio | periodical = Side-Line | url = http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php? id=33889_0_2_1_C | accessdate = 22 July 2008
A live album , Reconnected Live , of their successful European and North American 'Reconnected Tour' was released 27 September 2010. http://www.yazooinfo.com/news.html Yahooinfo.com
Discography
Infobox Artist Discography|Artist = Yazoo |Image = |Caption = |Studio = 2 |Live = 1 |Compilation = 2 |Video = |Tribute = |EP = 2 |Singles = 10 |Miscellaneous= |Music videos = |B-sides = |Soundtrack = |References = The discography of Yazoo includes two studio albums, one live album, two compilations , two extended plays and ten singles.
Studio albums
Year
Album details
Chart peak positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
UK Citation
CAN
GER
NZ
SWE
US
1982
'' Upstairs at Eric's
Released: 23 August 1982
Labels: Mute Records , Sire Records
2
49
14
9
11
92
British Phonographic Industry|UK : Platinum" http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved on 2011-11-19. Note: User needs to enter "Yazoo" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
1983
You and Me Both
Released: 4 July 1983
Labels: Mute, Sire
1
33
15
1
4
69
UK: Gold
Compilation albums
Year
Album details
Chart peak positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
UK
GER
US
1999
Only Yazoo - The Best of Yazoo
Released: 6 September 1999
Labels: Mute
22
2008
In Your Room
Released: May 26, 2008
Labels: Mute
Live albums
Year
Album details
Chart peak positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
UK
GER
US
2010
Reconnected Live
Released: 27 September 2010
Labels: Mute
Singles and EPs
Year
Song
Chart peak positions
Album
UK
AUS
GER
NLD
US
US dance
1982
Only You "
2
7
72
67
''Upstairs at Eric's
Don't Go "
3
6
4
2
1
Situation " 1
16
73
1
" The Other Side of Love "
13
35
25
1983
" Nobody's Diary "
3
17
18
1
You and Me Both
"Walk Away From Love" 2
1990
"Situation '91"
14
36
46
1999
"Only You" (1999 remix)
38
Only Yazoo & ndash; The Best of Yazoo
"Situation '99" 3
1
"Don't Go '99 3
16
2008
'' Nobody's Diary EP 4
100
In Your Room
Reconnected EP 4
"" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that region.
1 Netherlands and US-only single
2 Japan-only single/promo single
3 Ineligible for UK Singles Chart
4 12" vinyl and digital download EP
Singles with British Phonographic Industry|BPI Sliver Certification: Only You (Yazoo song)|Only You , Don't Go (Yazoo song)|Don't Go , Nobody's Diary
Awards
1983 BRIT Awards - Best British breakthrough actCitation
| last = Gregory | first = Andy | year = 2002 | title = International who's who in popular music | publisher = Routledge | page = 97 | isbn = 1857431618
See also
List of number-one dance hits (United States)
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
Reflist
External links
Commons category
http://www.yazooinfo.com/ Official Yazoo page
Yazoo DEFAULTSORT:Yazoo Category:Brit Award winners Category:British musical duos Category:British New Wave musical groups Category:Electronic music duos Category:English dance music groups Category:English electronic music groups Category:Music in Essex Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1983 Category:Musical groups established in 1981 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2008 Category:Mute Records artists Category:Sire Records artists
