- Definition of Sound
-
Definition of Sound was a London-based dance-music group, consisting of Kevin Clark and Don Weekes, working with musicians Rex Brough (aka The Red King) and latterly, Mike Spencer. Their second and fourth singles, "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" (1991) and "Moira Jane's Café" (1992) were in the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] The group also had several songs enter the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, including "Moira Jane's Café," which hit #1 in 1992.[2]
Contents
Career
Weekes, who had recorded with Coldcut's Matt Black, and was briefly a member of X Posse, was impressed with Clark's skills and soon the two were working together on material.[3] The group recorded a demo and, under the name Top Billin', released two underground hits, "Naturally" and "Straight From the Soul" on the Dance Yard record label.[3] This led to a recording contract with Cardiac/Charisma/Virgin Records and its first album, Love and Life: A Journey With the Chameleons, and single, "Now Is Tomorrow".[3] Love and Life: A Journey With the Chameleons was named hip hopp album of the year by Record Mirror and had glowing reviews in Billboard, The Source, and other Stateside publications.[3] The group's second album, The Lick, got buried under record-label takeovers, and Clark and Weeks signed a deal with Mercury and started making its third album, Experience (1996).[3] According to the NME it was "like the delayed hit of a powerful drug."[3]
Although they had no Billboard Hot 100 entries, the song "Now Is Tomorrow" (a #10 dance hit) climbed to #68 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1991. Vocal duties on this single and some album tracks were handled by singer, Elaine Vassel.
After recording its fourth and final album for MCA/Universal, which was ultimately never released, the group split up. Initially, the final members Clark, Weekes, and Spencer continued as a songwriting remix and production team. Clark went on to a career as a A&R manager for Parlophone and eventually Universal. He has worked with Beverley Knight, Jamelia, Tracie Spencer, Freestylers, Betty Boo and Beats International. His later career saw a move into music publishing with Clarkmusic. Mike Spencer went onto have successful a career producing, amongst others, Jamiroquai, Kylie Minogue Alphabeat and Newton Faulkner . Weekes, after the release of a solo album, left the music industry.
Discography
Albums
- Love and Life: A Journey With the Chameleons (1991)
- The Lick (1992)
- Experience (1996)
Singles
- "Dream Girl (1991)
- "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" (1991) - UK #12, U.S. Dance #28
- "Now is Tomorrow" (1991) UK #39, U.S. Dance #10
- "Moira Jane's Cafe" (1992) UK #27, U.S. Dance #1
- "What Are You Under" (1992) UK #68, U.S. Dance #4
- "Can I Get Over" (1992) #61
- "Boom Boom" (1995) UK #33
- "Pass the Vibes" (1995) UK #17
- "Child" (1996) UK #48
[1] [2] Don worked with Jamelia,beverly knight and the free stylers not kevin.
Music video
- "Child" Directed by Dani Jacobs
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of Peel sessions
References
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 148. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards
- ^ a b c d e f "Biography by Ed Hogan". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p14993. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
- ^ Allmusic.com - Discography
Categories:- British electronic music groups
- British dance music groups
- Mercury Records artists
- Charisma Records artists
- MCA Records artists
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