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Absolute are a British music production team responsible for a number of hits in the 1990s and the 2000s.
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Absolute are a British music production team responsible for a number of hits in the 1990s and the 2000s.
Formed in 1988 by University of Bristol friends Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins, Absolute initially existed under the name ‘Bristol Bassline Productions’. They remixed artists such as Biz Markie and the Chimes.[ citation needed ] Purportedly, their radical remix of "Take Me" by Everything but the Girl (the 'Clifton Remix') in 1989 inspired Massive Attack to begin working with Tracey Thorn, eventually resulting in the writing of the track "Protection".
In 1991, they underwent a name change to Absolute, which was initially a band/songwriting project spawning two singles, "Don't You Wanna Be Mine" (1991) and "Introduce Me to Love" (1992) on Rhythm King Records, the latter featuring vocals by John Paul Barrett. Following the singles, they ventured into the world of dance remixes and achieved critical acclaim for their work for artists such as Lisa Stansfield, Melanie Williams, the Nightcrawlers, James Taylor Quartet and Al Green.
Pete Evans of Big Life Management approached the pair offering representation. Evans was considering branching out on his own and with the help of Simon Fuller formed Native Management with Absolute as his initial signing. In the 1990s, Tracy Ackerman joined the songwriting duo as a regular writing partner.
In order to have the pair focus on songwriting, Simon Fuller offered the band a publishing contract through BMG Music. Around this time, Absolute were introduced to a new girl group called ‘Spice’, by BMG Publishing's Mark Fox. Informing Fuller of the girls they had found, Absolute asked if he would consider managing them. A period of songwriting commenced and eventually Virgin Records signed the band, now known as Spice Girls.
The first album Spice was released in November 1996 leading to a BRIT nomination for Best Producers. Also in 1996, following an approach by Alan Pell of Polydor Records, the duo wrote the theme tune to the new Mr. Bean movie – a song which would be recorded by Irish pop group Boyzone. The song "Picture of You" went on to win the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in a Film in 1997. [1]
The subsequent Spice Girls album Spiceworld also had various involvement from the duo who also at the time continued their development of singer/songwriter Shernette May. Their next project (also for Virgin Records) was the writing and production of the second studio album by Kavana. It was at this time that the pair relocated to Italy. During this period, they were contacted by Geri Halliwell, informing them of her decision to leave the Spice Girls and to ask if they would consider writing and producing her solo project. Upon returning to the UK, Watkins and Wilson began working on the project, leading to the May 1999 release of Schizophonic . Their involvement with Halliwell continued across her future albums although to a lesser extent.
In 1999, the pair were asked to contribute songs for Tina Turner's Twenty Four Seven album, working with artists such as Bryan Adams, eventually writing and producing three tracks.
Watkins and Wilson also produced and wrote the second international album of the Polish artist Edyta Górniak, which was released in 2002 in Poland as Perła and in 2003 as Invisible in other European countries.
All in all the duo have produced and written no less than seven UK No. 1 singles, one U.S No. 1 single, 20 UK top 10 singles and sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide. [2]
In the 2000s, they continued to write and produce music for British pop artists including Will Young, Darius, Atomic Kitten, Girls Aloud, Gareth Gates, Jamelia, Gary Barlow, Andy Abraham, S Club 7, Keisha White and Shaznay Lewis.
In 2006, their song "Do I Make You Proud" was performed by Taylor Hicks, [3] winner of American Idol 2006. In 2008, their song "Even If" was chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ; Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ; Emma Bunton ; Geri Halliwell ; and Victoria Beckham. With their "girl power" mantra, they redefined the girl-group concept by targeting a young female fanbase. They led the teen pop resurgence of the 1990s, were a major part of the Cool Britannia era, and became pop culture icons of the decade.
Geraldine Estelle Horner is an English singer, songwriter, author and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. Their slogan "girl power" was most closely associated with Halliwell, and her Union Jack dress from the 1997 Brit Awards also became an enduring symbol. Halliwell left the Spice Girls in 1998, citing exhaustion and creative differences, but rejoined when they reunited in 2007.
"Viva Forever" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, Spiceworld (1997). The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, while production was handled by the latter two. It is a pop ballad with Spanish-style elements. The song's theme is about a summer romance during a holiday vacation, while the lyrics discuss past experiences or memories. It was released as the album's fourth and final single on 10 July 1998 by Virgin Records.
"Who Do You Think You Are" is a song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s dance-pop, and has a nu-disco-style beat that resembles the music of the late 1970s. Its lyrics are about the superstar life, and how someone can get trapped in the world of fame.
Spiceworld is the second studio album by English girl group the Spice Girls, released on 1 November 1997 by Virgin Records. Its music incorporates dance-pop music and production. The album became a commercial success worldwide, lengthening the so-called "Spicemania" of the time. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 190,000 copies and shipped 1.4 million copies in two weeks. The album also reached number one in 13 countries, while peaking inside the top three in Australia, Canada, France, Switzerland and the United States. Spiceworld has sold over 14 million copies worldwide, making it one of the world's best-selling albums by a girl group.
"It's Raining Men" is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album, Success (1983). It was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 1982, through Columbia Records and CBS Records International. Paul Jabara wrote the song in collaboration with Paul Shaffer, and produced the song in collaboration with Bob Esty. "It's Raining Men" is a Hi-NRG and post-disco song that incorporates elements of R&B, soul, and 1970s-style electronic dance music. Its lyrics describe an excitement and enjoyment of many different types of men.
Schizophonic is the debut studio album by pop singer Geri Halliwell. The album was released after her split from popular girl group the Spice Girls. The term schizophonic is a portmanteau of the Greek words schizo and phonic ("sound"), and also seemingly a play on the word "schizophrenic" and the musical term "schizophonia". This was the first solo album released by a Spice Girl.
"2 Become 1" is a song by the English girl group the Spice Girls. Written by the group members, together with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, Spice (1996). "2 Become 1" is a pop ballad that features instrumentation from a guitar, an electronic keyboard and string instruments. The lyrics focus on the bonding of two lovers, and also address the importance of contraception. Its Big TV!-directed music video, which features the group performing against time-lapse footage of Times Square in New York City, was completely shot against a blue screen at a studio in London. The backdrop was later superimposed.
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster is the second studio album by British singer Geri Halliwell, released on 14 May 2001 by EMI Records. Following the commercial success of her solo debut album Schizophonic two years before, the singer began working on its follow-up with producers such as Gregg Alexander, Rick Nowels, Stephen Lipson, as well as previous collaborators, the duo Absolute. The album's artwork depicting Halliwell on roller skates, holding onto the back of a car, was criticised by road safety organisations, who said the singer was setting a wrong example to children.
"Too Much" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, Spiceworld (1997). The group members co-wrote the song with its producers, Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriting and production duo known as Absolute—while the group was shooting scenes for their film Spice World.
"Stop" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, Spiceworld (1997). The group co-wrote the song with its producers, Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins of the Absolute production duo, during the filming of the film Spice World.
"Goodbye" is a song recorded by British girl group Spice Girls. It was written by the group, Richard Stannard, and Matt Rowe, while it was produced by the latter two. The song became the group's first song without the vocals of Geri Halliwell. It was released by Virgin Records on 8 December 1998 and was later included on their third studio album Forever (2000). "Goodbye" is a pop ballad that lyrically consists of the group's farewell to a friend, specifically Halliwell. The lyrics were also seen, by the media and fans alike, as the group's end, although the idea was dismissed by the members.
"Lift Me Up" is a song recorded by English singer Geri Halliwell for her debut solo album, Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell, Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, whilst produced by the latter two, who are known collectively as Absolute. "Lift Me Up" was released as the album's third single on 1 November 1999, by EMI. It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart, winning the chart battle against fellow Spice Girls member Emma Bunton's "What I Am" by 33,000 copies. To promote the single, Halliwell performed the song on Top of the Pops, Pepsi Chart, Musica Si and National Lottery.
"Look at Me" is a song by British singer Geri Halliwell, who recorded and released it after leaving Spice Girls. Written and composed in collaboration by Halliwell, Paul Wilson, and Andy Watkins, it was released on 10 May 1999 as the first single from Halliwell's debut solo album, Schizophonic. It peaked at number one in New Zealand, number two in the United Kingdom, and number three in Australia and Ireland. To promote the single, Halliwell performed the song on Top of the Pops, Party in the Park, Wetten Dass, Tickled Pink, Tapis Rouge, Musica Si, Festival Bar 1999, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Graine de Star and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"Mi Chico Latino", is a song recorded by English singer Geri Halliwell for her debut solo album Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell, Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, whilst produced by the latter two, who are known collectively as Absolute. "Mi Chico Latino" was released as the album's second single on 16 August 1999 by EMI Records. It is a Latin pop song which is centred on a lost love theme. The song was written by Halliwell in order to pay homage to her mother, who has Spanish background, whilst it also has a number of Spanish lyrics.
"Scream If You Wanna Go Faster" is a song by British singer Geri Halliwell from her second album of the same name (2001). It was released on 30 July 2001 as the second single from the album by EMI Records. Written by Halliwell and Rick Nowels on the day of her first recovery meeting for bulimia, she described the song as "the things I did to avoid staying still and deal with my seemings". It is Halliwell's most rock-based song to date, and was inspired by her listening to Led Zeppelin the previous summer as encouraged by close friend Robbie Williams. The song samples Apollo 440's song "Stop the Rock".
The discography of Geri Halliwell, an English pop music singer, contains three studio albums, nine singles, and ten music videos. In 1999, Halliwell launched her solo career and released her debut album Schizophonic, with the lead single "Look at Me", produced by Absolute "Look at Me" would go on to sell over one million copies worldwide followed by further number ones at the UK Singles Chart "Mi Chico Latino", "Lift Me Up" and "Bag It Up". "Look at Me" was released to radio in the United States in late 1999, receiving limited airplay. With only a radio single, Schizophonic debuted at number forty-two on the Billboard 200 before dropping out within the next month. The album was eventually certified Gold, distributing over 500,000 copies. "Mi Chico Latino" did not have a big impact on American radio, and no further singles from Schizophonic or albums were released in the United States.
"Step to Me" is a song by the British pop group the Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Eliot Kennedy and produced by Absolute. This song was included on the Japanese edition of the Spice Girls' second album, Spiceworld.
Tracy Ackerman is a British singer and songwriter. She works with several other British songwriters including Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson of Absolute and Mark Taylor.
"Half of Me" is a song by British singer-songwriter Geri Halliwell. It was released on 25 October 2013 by Sony Music Australia. The song marked as Halliwell's first single release in eight years since her 2005 single "Desire".
