Dead or Alive were an English pop band who released seven studio albums from 1984 to 2000. The band formed in 1980 in Liverpool and found success in the mid-1980s, releasing seven singles that made the UK Top 40 and three albums in the UK Top 30. At the peak of their success, the line-up consisted of Pete Burns (vocals), Steve Coy (drums), Mike Percy (bass), and Tim Lever (keyboards), with the core pair of Burns and Coy writing and producing for the remainder of the band's career due to Percy and Lever exiting the group in 1989. Burns died in 2016; with the death of Coy in 2018, the band ended.
Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV reality TV show Popstars in February 2001, the first UK series of the international Popstars franchise. The group, who were signed to Polydor Records, originally consisted of Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, and Noel Sullivan.
Monrose was a German pop girl group, first established in November 2006. Formed on the fifth installment of the German adaption of the international television talent show Popstars, the trio consisted of singers Mandy Capristo, Senna Gammour, and Bahar Kızıl. They were signed to Starwatch Music and released their debut album Temptation in December 2006. It achieved major success throughout Central Europe, selling more than a 600,000 copies combined and produced two singles, including number-one breakthrough hit "Shame" and "Even Heaven Cries".
Girl Thing were a British–Dutch girl group, consisting of members Jodi Albert, Michelle Barber, Anika Bostelaar, Linzi Martin, and Nikki Stuart. They were formed in 1998 by Simon Cowell and were originally intended to rival the Spice Girls, but their success was minor and short-lived before disbanding in 2001.
"Pure and Simple" is a song by British pop group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was a cover of the original version recorded three years earlier by British-Dutch girl group Girl Thing, who were dropped from BMG before the song was given to Hear'Say. It was written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes, and Betty Boo. The song was released on 12 March 2001 as the lead single from Hear'Say's debut studio album, Popstars (2001). The B-side is a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water".
"The Way to Your Love" is the second single from British pop group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars. The song was written and produced by Norwegian production team StarGate and was released as the second and final single from Hear'Say's debut studio album, Popstars (2001), on 25 June 2001.
"No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)" is a song by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes and Liz Winstanley for the group's third studio album, Pure (2003), while production was helmed by Nik Hafemann along with Arno Kammermeier, Peter Hayo, and Walter Merziger who are credited under their production moniker Perky Park. The mid-tempo pop track incorporates minor pop rock and soft rock elements; the song's instrumentation includes drums and guitars. Lyrically, it deals with picture-perfect illusions in a relationship.
"Shame" is a song by all-female German pop group Monrose, recorded for the band's debut studio album, Temptation (2006). It was written by Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley and Andrew Murray, while joint production was helmed by British production teams Jiant and Snowflakers. Set against a heavy drum pattern and computerized synths sounds, "Shame" is a piano ballad arranged as a mid-tempo with pop and R&B influences. The song's lyrics are about the breakdown of a relationship with a man, with the protagonist blaming her own mistakes, including her ongoing call for independence, for their separation.
Temptation is the debut studio album by German girl band Monrose. It was released by Starwatch Music on 8 December 2006 in German-speaking Europe, following the band's formation on Popstars – Neue Engel braucht das Land, the television talent show's fifth season. Pre-recorded with all six Popstars finalists throughout October and November 2006, the majority of the album was produced by Popstars jury member Dieter Falk. Additional collaborators include Jiant, Jonas Jeberg, Toni Cottura and Mozart & Friends.
Destiny is the fourth regular studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on 13 April 2007 in German-speaking Europe. A comeback release, it marked the return of No Angels after the group had gone into hiatus in autumn 2003, which allowed each member to launch solo careers. Primarily produced by production duo Twin, with additional contribution from Jiant, Max Martin, Adrian Newman, and Thorsten Brötzmann as well as several new producers, it was the first album to feature No Angels's third lineup, excluding original band member Vanessa Petruo.
"Strictly Physical" is a song by German pop girl group Monrose. It was written by British musicians Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley, Obi Mhondera, Christian Ballard, and Andrew Murray and recorded by the trio for their same-titled second studio album (2007). Production was helmed by Mhondera along with duo Hawes and Kirtley as well as duo Ballard and Murray under their production monikers Jiant and Snowflakers. A dark and spooky, synthesizer–driven contemporary R&B record, it contains lyrics that reference to a celebration of sexual lust and conquest, leading up to a desire to get physical with a love interest.
Strictly Physical is the second studio album by all-female German pop trio Monrose. It was released by Starwatch Music in association with Cheyenne Records and Warner Music on 21 September 2007 in German-speaking Europe and on 8 October 2007 in parts of Eastern Europe. Released only nine months after its best-selling predecessor Temptation (2006), the album took Monrose's work further into dance and electro music, featuring main production by Danish producers Remee, Thomas Troelsen, and Peter Biker, as well as British composers from production collectives Jiant, and Snowflakers.
"What You Don't Know" is a song by all-female German pop band Monrose. It was written by American songwriter Billy Mann along with Swedish musicians Mattias Lindblom and Anders Wollbeck and recorded for the band's second studio album, Strictly Physical (2007). Production on the track was helmed by Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley, Obi Mhondera, and Andrew Murray from British production teams Jiant and Snowflake. A guitar-led pop ballad was released as
Tim Hawes is an English born songwriter, record producer and music publisher who has achieved in excess of ten million record sales including five number one singles. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Ivor Novello award for songwriting. Hawes is known for his work with the Spice Girls, Five, Hear'Say, Sugababes, Mutya Buena, Monrose, Aaron Carter, No Angels, Cinema Bizarre, Aggro Santos, Jimmy Blue and Stefanie Heinzmann.
Peter Edward Kirtley is an English songwriter, record producer and music entrepreneur. He has produced over 200 records worldwide with sales exceeding 15 million and 100 million streams, including seven number-one hit singles worldwide, tracks on seven number-one albums, eight UK top-ten hits and thirty-five top-forty hits in Europe. He has written and/or produced for artists such as Tiësto, the Sugababes, Armin Van Buuren, Hear'Say, Newton Faulkner, Mutya Buena, Boyzone, Peter Andre, Lee Ryan, Heather Small, Kim Wilde and Alexander O'Neal. His production collaborations include Ryan Tedder, Guy Chambers and Stargate and metaverse music collaborations include Izzy Bizu and Nina Nesbitt.
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. Ackerman has written for artists including Geri Halliwell, Cher, Boyzone, Tina Turner and Will Young.
HitClips is a digital audio player created by Tiger Electronics that plays low-fidelity mono one-minute clips of usually teen pop hits from exchangeable cartridges. It first launched in August 2000 with 60-second microchip songs featuring Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Sugar Ray. The following year songs by Destiny's Child, Backstreet Boys, Dream, and Pink were additionally released. There is a version for young children called KidClips. Tiger Electronics had licensing agreements for HitClips with popular major record labels including Atlantic Records, Jive Records/Zomba Label Group, and Capitol Records. HitClips was first promoted by McDonald's, Radio Disney, and Lunchables. By June 2002, HitClips players and music disks combined had sold more than 20 million units.
Popstars is a reality music competition series that was broadcast on ITV in early 2001. It was the first British series of the international Popstars franchise and was billed as a documentary on the formation of a modern pop group. The programme began with audition rounds of aspiring singers performing covers of classic songs before a panel of judges. The best performers were selected to come to London for further rounds of auditions. Over the weeks, the judges eliminated various singers from the auditions until just a few singers were left in contention. In the final weeks, five contestants were chosen by the judges to form the new pop group Hear'Say. The programme then showed the group recording and promoting their first single, documenting their first ventures into the music industry.
Ladylike is the fourth and final studio album by German pop trio Monrose. It was released by Starwatch Music in association with Cheyenne Records and the Warner Music Group on 11 June 2010 in German-speaking Europe. Conceived during a hiatus which allowed each member to launch solo projects, production of the album began in mid-2009. Unlike their previous material, recording of Ladylike was not rushed, with sessions also taking place in New York City. Monrose reteamed with frequent collaborators Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes, and Obi Mhondera to work on the album, while upcoming producers such as Tuneverse and Alexander Geringas were also consulted.
Popstars is the debut album by British pop group Hear'Say, formed through the ITV television show Popstars. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2001. Hear'Say worked with a number of British and Scandinavian producers, including Stargate, and Quiz & Larossi. The album drew comparisons to similarly co-ed pop groups such as S Club 7 and Steps.
