Beatmasters

Last updated

The Beatmasters
Origin London, England
Genres House, hip house, dance-pop
Years active1986–present
Labels Rhythm King
SBK
EMI Records
London Records
ARS Entertainment Belgium Loverush Digital
Sire/Warner Bros. Records

The Beatmasters are an English electronic music group who gained success in the UK in the late 1980s with four top 20 hit singles. They then went on to produce and remix records for many other artists. [1] The group's string of chart hit singles include "Burn It Up", "Hey DJ! (I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing)", "Who's in the House" (featuring Merlin) and "Rok da House". The latter, having been recorded in 1986, is one of the earliest examples of hip house and most likely the first song of the genre. Hip house is a subgenre of house music which features rap vocals performed over a house rhythm track.

Contents

Their initial success brought comparisons with pop record producers Stock Aitken Waterman, [2] but the Beatmasters cited rival producers Coldcut as their major competitor. [3]

Formation

Manda Glanfield and Paul Carter (both regulars on the London club scene) were working in the TV commercial jingle industry where they were introduced to third member, Richard Walmsley. Signing to the burgeoning record label Rhythm King, they joined labelmates Bomb the Bass and S'Express in regularly appearing in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during 1988 and 1989.

The group had seven UK chart singles, including the No. 14 hit "Burn It Up", which featured P. P. Arnold and "Rok da House" with the Cookie Crew, which was their first and biggest hit, peaking at No. 5 in early 1988. Another notable single was "Hey DJ - I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing" / "Ska Train", which introduced the rapper/singer Betty Boo to the general public and gave the group a No. 7 chart hit in 1989. [4]

They released two albums under the Beatmasters moniker: Anywayawanna (1989) and Life & Soul (1992). [5] These albums were later repackaged on BMG Records under the title Anywayawanna – The Best of the Beatmasters (2004).

Carter and Glanfield forged a successful writing, remixing and production career. Their first success as a duo came in 1991 with a reworking of the re-released Shamen single "Move Any Mountain/Progen91" which charted at No. 4. In 1992, production work commenced on the Shamen album Boss Drum , which included the singles "LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)", "Phorever People" and the highly controversial "Ebeneezer Goode" - the latter spending a month at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. [6]

They went on to write, produce and remix for many other artists including Marc Almond, Pet Shop Boys, Blur, Roachford, Betty Boo, Naomi Campbell, Adam Rickitt, Moby, Aswad, Eternal, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Scooch and Girls Aloud. Still working, the Beatmasters continue to produce dance, pop and rock music.

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum
UK
[9] 		IRE NED BEL
(FLA) 		FRA GER
[10] 		AUS [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] NZ
1987"Rok da House" (featuring The Cookie Crew)517153235—377 Anywayawanna
1988"Burn It Up" (featuring P. P. Arnold)141554———16524
1989"Who's in the House" (featuring MC Merlin)8154540——137—
"Hey DJ!/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing) (featuring Betty Boo) / Ska Train"7171435—938810
"Warm Love" (featuring Claudia Fontaine)512479———117—
1991"Dunno What It Is About You" (featuring Elaine Vassell)43———————Life & Soul
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (featuring JC-001)62—————93—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Selected productions

Selected remixes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardfloor</span> German electronic music duo

Hardfloor is a German electronic music duo, consisting of Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker. Their most famous track is "Acperience 1" and chosen by Feargal Sharkey as one of his 'Inheritance Tracks' when interviewed on UK's BBC Radio 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Boo</span> English singer, songwriter and pop rap artist (born 1970)

Alison Moira Clarkson, better known as Betty Boo, is an English singer, songwriter and rapper. She first came to mainstream prominence in the late 1980s following a collaboration with the Beatmasters on the song "Hey DJ/I Can't Dance ". Between 1990 and 1992 she had a successful solo career, which spawned a number of chart-placing singles, most notably "Doin' the Do", "Where Are You Baby?", and "Let Me Take You There".

Afrodiziak was a British singing group composed of Caron Wheeler, Claudia Fontaine, and later Naomi Thompson, that was active in the 1980s. As a duo, Wheeler and Fontaine were best known for performing backing vocals on the Jam's final single "Beat Surrender" in 1982 and Elvis Costello's 1983 album Punch the Clock, especially its lead single, the international hit "Everyday I Write the Book".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shamen</span> Scottish electronic dance music band

The Shamen were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter Stephenson joined shortly after to take over on keyboards from Angus. Several other people were later in the band. Angus then teamed up with Will Sinnott, and together they found credibility as pioneers of rock/dance crossover. When rapper Mr. C joined, the band moved on to international commercial success with "Ebeneezer Goode" and their 1992 Boss Drum album.

<i>Sound of the Underground</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Girls Aloud

Sound of the Underground is the debut studio album by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, formed through the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals. It was released in Ireland on 23 May 2003, in the United Kingdom and Europe on 26 May 2003, and reissued on 17 November 2003 through Polydor. Girls Aloud worked with a variety of musicians and producers on Sound of the Underground, which was largely inspired by 1980s music. Comparisons were made with artists such as Bananarama, The Bangles, Blondie and Spice Girls.

Renegade Soundwave were an electronic music group. Formed in London in 1986, the group originally consisted of Gary Asquith, Carl Bonnie and Danny Briottet. Their debut LP Soundclash was released in 1990 on Mute Records. It featured the UK top 40 hit "Probably a Robbery" and dancefloor favourite "Biting My Nails".

<i>Boss Drum</i> 1992 studio album by The Shamen

Boss Drum is the Shamen's 1992 album, released a year after the death of bassist Will Sinnott. It features their hit UK number one single "Ebeneezer Goode". Critics gave the album positive feedback and the album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry in December 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behind the Wheel</span> 1987 single by Depeche Mode

"Behind the Wheel" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album's third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom, number six in both Switzerland and West Germany, also entering the US Billboard Hot 100 as its predecessors.

The She Rockers were a female hip hop group from London, featuring Donna 'She Roc' McConnell, Antonia 'MC Aurra' Jolly, Dupe Fagbesa and Alison Clarkson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebeneezer Goode</span> 1992 single by The Shamen

"Ebeneezer Goode" is a song by Scottish electronic music group the Shamen which, heavily remixed by the Beatmasters, became their biggest hit when released as a single on 24 August 1992. The group's original version featured on the vinyl edition of their fifth album, Boss Drum.

Rhythm King Records Ltd was a British independent record label, founded in the mid-1980s by Martin Heath, Adele Nozedar, DJ Jay Strongman and James Horrocks. It was based in Chiswick, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump (For My Love)</span> 1984 single by the Pointer Sisters

"Jump (For My Love)" is an electro-pop song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released on April 11, 1984, as the third single from their tenth studio album Break Out (1983). The song hit the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, R&B, and Dance charts, and it was the best-selling American dance single of 1984, sold as a trio of songs including "I Need You" and "Automatic". The song features June Pointer on lead vocals and scored global chart success.

Richard West, known as Mr. C, is an English house music DJ, producer and rapper. He was the resident DJ at the early acid house "RIP" nights at Clink Street, London, and later was the co-owner/co-founder of London's The End nightclub.

"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playin'" is a 1968 funk-soul single by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Move Any Mountain</span> 1991 single by the Shamen

"Move Any Mountain" is a song by Scottish electronic music group the Shamen, first released under the title "Pro›gen". With an official remix by the Beatmasters, the song was re-released in the UK in summer 1991 and was their first top-10 single, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It was included on the band's second album, En-Tact (1990), and is also their only top-40 hit in the US, where the song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phorever People</span> 1992 single by the Shamen

"Phorever People" is a song by Scottish electronic dance music band the Shamen. It features vocals by singer Jhelisa Anderson and was released in December 1992 as a single from their fifth album, Boss Drum (1992). The single topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and was another hit for the group in the UK, going to number five on the UK Singles Chart. It also became a top-10 hit in Denmark and Ireland, while reaching the top 20 in Austria, Finland, France and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)</span> 1992 single by the Shamen

"LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)" is a song by Scottish band the Shamen with vocals by Jhelisa Anderson. Having been remixed by the Beatmasters, it was the first single taken from their fifth album, Boss Drum (1992). Released in July 1992, it achieved success in Finland, where it reached number one, Sweden, where it peaked at number four, and the United Kingdom, where it rose to number six. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "LSI" peaked at number 16. Its music video was directed by Mathew Glamorre. The CD single also contains a remix of "Make It Mine", a song from the En-Tact album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doin' the Do</span> 1990 single by Betty Boo

"Doin' the Do" is a song by English singer, songwriter and pop-rap artist Betty Boo. The song is included on her debut album, Boomania (1990), and was released as a single in May 1990. It reached the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

<i>Anywayawanna</i> 1989 studio album by The Beatmasters

Anywayawanna is the debut studio album by English dance and electronic music group The Beatmasters, released in 1989 on the Rhythm King record label. It should not be confused with their 2004 compilation album, Anywayawanna – The Best of The Beatmasters, which features similar artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destination Eschaton</span> 1995 single by the Shamen

"Destination Eschaton" is a song recorded by Scottish band The Shamen, released in August 1995 by One Little Indian as the first single from the band's sixth album, Axis Mutatis (1995). The song features vocals by American guest vocalist Victoria Wilson James and was a hit in several countries in Europe, peaking within the top 10 in Finland (6) and Scotland (9). In the UK, it peaked at number 15 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 13 August 1995. In the US, "Destination Eschaton" reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by German director Nico Beyer and William Latham. It features the band performing aboard a spaceship.

References

  1. ↑ "The Beatmasters - Free Music Downloads, Videos, CDS, MP3s, Bio, Merchandise and Links". Archived from the original on 1 November 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  2. ↑ IMO Records. "The Beatmasters Biography" Archived 4 September 2012 at archive.today , IMO Records , London, Retrieved on 25 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Record Mirror magazine, "20 Facts You Didn't Know About the Beatmasters", 12 August 1990
  4. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 50. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 52. ISBN   1-85227-969-9.
  6. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 493. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  7. ↑ "Delighted to say that after many years of co-conspiring with dance music pioneer Paul Carter I am now officially the other half of dance music stalwarts The Beatmasters" - Pete Brazier". Facebook.
  8. ↑ "Official Charts Company: Beatmasters". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Beatmasters - German Chart". charts.de. Retrieved 3 April 2014.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 18. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  12. ↑ "Week commencing 13 February 1989" . Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "Week commencing 12 June 1989" . Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Week commencing 12 February 1990" . Retrieved 11 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.