People Like Us (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = People Like Us


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Background = group_or_band
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Origin = South-Africa
Genre = Eurodance Hi-NRG
Years_active = 1985 – 1988
Label = Passion Music
Skratch Music
EMI Music
Associated_acts = Shiraz
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Current_members = Cindy Dickenson
Angie Gold
Paul Crossley
Terry Owen
Robin Hogarth
Hilton Rosenthal
Bobby Summerfield
Peps Cotummaccio
Grant Fisher
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People Like Us was a South-African Hi-NRG band from the mid 1980's who had success with their song 'Deliverance'.

Early Careers

Producers Paul Crossley and Terry Owen were working with another South-African male group Shiraz (band) and were looking for a female voice for their new project. Then one night, at the Johannesburg night-club Bella Napoli's, they saw Cindy Dickenson performing and they knew that her voice was exactly what they were looking for. They soon recorded several songs in the studio, and released their first single 'Midnight Lover' under the watchful eye of legendary music executive Hilton Rosenthal who would later produce albums like 'Graceland' for Paul Simon and who was also the manager for South-African outfit Juluka and Savuka. Another important figure in the creative process was Giuseppe 'Peps' Cotummuccio a musician who was part of the group Syndicate with Cindy Dickenson and co writer, producer and mixer ‘Bobby Summerfield’ who currently has his own music company in LA, Summerfield Music,Inc. 'Midnight Lover' received a good response on the club scene and opened the door for further expansion.

Deliverance

Then in 1987 their song 'Deliverance' was released. This would be the song to make them well known in the clubs of Europe and elsewhere where Hi-NRG and Eurodisco songs were still the favourite music styles pumping out of the speakers. People didn't at first know that 'People Like Us' were a South African outfit and expected them to be from the UK. In South Africa the song was only played on the radio after in was released in the UK and imported back to South Africa. The song 'Deliverance' caused quite a stir under some church leaders in pre-democratic ultra conservative South Africa due to the songs lyrical content. The debut album was released titled 'Deliverance' and featured further tracks including 'Hiroshima', 'Restless Hearts' and 'Reincarnation (Coming back for love)'. Enquiries about ‘People Like Us’ came from all over the world and a tour of the UK was launched. Then disaster struck when at the height of their popularity Paul Crossley died of a possible AIDS related illness. Subsequently ‘People Like Us’ bringing homage to Crossley covered the Shiraz song ‘Fighting For Our Lives’. His death had serious repercussions as Paul Crossley was the main driving force of the band and this dampened the future progression of the band. During that period leading up to Crossley’s death the situation between Cindy, Terry and Paul soured and Cindy decided not to be involved with future albums. Cindy also fell pregnant with her son Danny and performing would take a back burner for the next couple of years.

Resurrection

During 1988 Terry Owen teamed up with another South African alumni Robin Hogarth for the work on the next album. Hogarth would go on to win two Grammy Awards for his producing work on albums in 2007 and 2008. Angie Gold who was known for her hit ‘Eat You Up’ would become the new voice of ‘People Like Us’ and recorded songs including 'Resurrection' and ‘Two To Tango’. She also recorded the ballad ‘Prayer For You’ which was originally co-written by Cindy Dickenson. The later work of 'People Like Us' could not live up to the original success of 'Deliverance' and some might speculate it was because of the untimely death of Paul Crossley or the departure of Cindy Dickenson. Another reason might be the rapid change in dance music during that time especially in Europe from a Hi-NRG and Eurodisco driven sound to the more American influenced House music style that would soon concur the dance music world.

Biography of Cindy Dickenson

Cindy was born in the UK and received professional training from the age of ten as a soprano at The Manchester School Of Music under Professor Campbell from BBC Radio.She worked with various bands all over the UK and also got involved with song writing.She came to visit her sister in South Africa and enjoyed it so much that she decided to stay. Whilst there she got an agent, which got her signed at RPM Records. She soon released a rock orientated single ‘Love Stealer’ which had on the B-side one of her own compositions called ‘You make me fee like a women’. With that song she won a Sarie Award (South African equivalent to the Grammies). The group Syndicate, with band member Peps Cotummaccio, approached her to join them and they were soon touring Cape Town for six months and also travelled to Italy, England, Greece, Portugal and Mexico for performances. They released the single ‘Don’t Go Into Town’.She also travelled on the passenger cruise ship the QE2 as the singer for the Harry Bence Orchestra for six months, which travelled from the UK to America.Paul Crossley and Terry Owen then became involved with her on ‘People Like Us’ and recorded several songs for which she received very little money and nothing was signed officially. Later after the initial success of ‘People Like Us’ this would become one of the topics that would tore the relationships of the band to an irreconcilable situation. After the birth of her son Cindy took a break from the industry and later became involved with other projects including ‘Strutt’ with Denise Ostler and Helena Muir. ‘Strutt recently also included a male singer David who came from Cindy’s singing school ‘Reach For The Stars Voice Training Academy’, of which she is the director. Cindy Dickenson is currently living in Durban, South Africa where her husband is the radio DJ Dave Guselli on East Coast Radio.

Albums

People Like Us – Deliverance

(LP & Cassette – 1987)

Side 1
# Hiroshima
# Reincarnation
# Fighting For Our Lives

Side 2
# Deliverance
# Midnight Lover
# Restless Hearts

People Like Us - People Like Us

(Compilation CD including some of their old songs plus the new Angie Gold tracks - 1988)

# "Resurrection" - feat Angie Gold
# "Heart In The Night" – feat Angie Gold
# "Deliverance" – feat Cindy Dickenson
# "Fight For You" – feat Angie Gold
# "Hiroshima" – feat Cindy Dickenson
# "Love Will Survive" – feat Cindy Dickenson
# "Two To Tango" – feat Angie Gold
# "Midnight Lover" – feat Cindy Dickenson
# "Prayer For You" – feat Angie Gold

References and links

* [http://www.robinhogarth.com/Robin_Hogarth.html#grammy Robin Hogarth's Grammy Awards]
* [http://www.wowlyrics.com/read.php?wow=2038822 Lyrics of 'Deliverance']
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Hilton+Rosenthal Hilton Rosenthal's Profile]
* [http://www.talkingleaves.com/articles/rosenthal.html Hilton Rosenthal's work with Paul Simon]
* [http://www.summerfieldmusic.com/clients.html Bobby Summerfield's Profile]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Angie+Gold Angie Gold's Profile]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKOWtd6fjiE Video of Deliverance on Youtube]