Matt Bianco

Last updated

Matt Bianco
Mark Reilly of Matt Bianco.jpg
Mark Reilly of Matt Bianco performing in June 2014
Background information
OriginUnited Kingdom
Genres
Years active1983–present
Labels
MembersMark Reilly
Past members
Website mattbianco.com

Matt Bianco are a British band formed in 1983, performing sophisti-pop, jazz-funk and Latin-flavoured music. From around mid- to late-80s, the group scored a number of internationally charting singles, including "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", "Whose Side Are You On?", "Half a Minute", "Yeh Yeh" and "Don't Blame It on That Girl".

Contents

The group's name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for the main member and front man Mark Reilly. According to the group, however, Matt is in fact "a made up spy, a secret agent; we loved spy TV themes and film scores; we were really into that 60s spy movie image". [5] [6] Initially, the line-up included Danny White and Basia Trzetrzelewska, who left the band to focus on Basia's solo career, but rejoined Matt Bianco briefly in mid-2000s.

History

Early years

Matt Bianco was formed in 1983 by Mark Reilly (vocals), Danny White (keyboard), Kito Poncioni (bass) – all of whom had just left art pop group Blue Rondo à la Turk – and Polish vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska. [7] Basia had performed in a short-lived band called Bronze alongside Danny, having answered their ad placed in Melody Maker . [5] [8]

The group was pictured as a quartet for their first single "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", although Poncioni only played on the non-album B-side "Big Rosie". He dropped out of the group entirely before the recording of their first album Whose Side Are You On? , released through WEA in August 1984, although he received a co-writing credit on the track "Half a Minute". The album spawned five UK and European hits, including "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", "Half a Minute", "Sneaking Out the Back Door", "More Than I Can Bear" and the title track. [7] It made the top 3 in Germany and number 1 in Austria. In the UK, it reached the top 40 and would earn a gold certifcaton. Despite the success, Trzetrzelewska and White left the group in 1985 so that Trzetrzelewska could pursue an international solo career under the mononym Basia. [7]

Reilly-Fisher duo years

Following Danny and Basia's departure, Jenni Evans joined the band as the new female singer, and Mark Fisher became songwriter, producer, and keyboard player. [7] This line-up recorded the Matt Bianco album, which was released in 1986. [7] It spawned the hit "Yeh Yeh", a cover of Georgie Fame's song, which reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart [7] and number 7 in Germany, and the moderately successful second single "Just Can't Stand It".

The band's sound changed considerably with the addition of Fisher, who contributed a more contemporary sound, compared to that of the early Matt Bianco. [7] The use of synthesizers increased notably: Yamaha's DX-7 can be heard providing the slap bass in most songs, but the choice of noted studio musicians remained consistent, with Ronnie Ross being the most prominent example. After the first album with the new line-up, they took a 13-piece band on to a European tour that saw them perform in front of an audience of more than 250,000 attendees in total. Jenni Evans left the group shortly after the recording of the self-titled album and was not replaced.

Matt Bianco was now a household name in Europe, and Warner Brothers sought to market them in the United States. They hired Gloria Estefan's husband and producer Emilio Estefan to produce a few songs, and recorded their third album, Indigo , with the Estefan productions being chosen as singles. 1988's "Don't Blame It on That Girl" and "Good Times" only made a moderate impact. [7] However, "Wap Bam Boogie", an album track originally on the B-side of the first single (and which did not involve Estefan in any capacity), did well on the dance charts. [9] This pushed the joint single release of "Don't Blame It on That Girl"/"Wap Bam Boogie" up to number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, [7] making it Matt Bianco's most successful single in that territory. It was also a top 10 dance hit in the US. [10] Their first greatest hits album, entitled The Best of Matt Bianco , was released in 1990 and made the UK top 50. "Wap Bam Boogie" was then released as an A-side single to promote the compilation and achieved a minor chart success in the UK.

The band's fourth studio album, Samba in Your Casa , was released in 1991 by Warner Brothers. It was not a commercial success, though one of its singles, a cover of "What a Fool Believes" by Kenny Loggins, reached number 23 in Ireland. Reilly and Fisher split from their record company and started recording albums in their own studios to subsequently offer them for release to independent distributors worldwide. They scored contracts with ZYX Music and Intercord in Europe, and Victor Entertainment in Asia, but failed to sign on with another major label. Their fifth album, Another Time Another Place , was first released only in Japan in 1993, and in other territories the following year. It was not a commercial success, but the lead single "Our Love" was a minor chart success in Germany.

While the band's success in Europe somewhat waned, they would develop a loyal fan base in Asia, particularly in Japan. Their 1997 album World Go Round reached number 23 there, [11] and the lead single "Sunshine Day" was a moderate dance hit in the US. [10] In 1998, the band released A/Collection exclusively in Japan – a compilation featuring a number of remakes of their stand-out album tracks plus remixes of a few of their hits. It was another top 40 seller there, and the 2000 studio album Rico peaked at number 48. [11] After over 15 years of recording and touring together, Reilly and Fisher split amicably.

2003–2015: Reunion of the original trio and beyond

In 2003, initiated by a mutual friend, Basia Trzetrzelewska and Danny White joined Mark Reilly to reform the original Matt Bianco line-up; original bassist Kito Poncioni had died in the late 1990s. Now again a trio, Matt Bianco signed to EmArcy Records and released the album Matt's Mood in spring 2004, named after one of their early instrumental tracks. The album featured adult contemporary/jazz numbers, in the spirit of their first LP. It was a moderate chart success internationally. The following year, the band embarked on a world tour, which included stops in the UK, Japan, and the United States. Following the tour, Trzetrzelewska and White left Matt Bianco again to reinvigorate Basia's solo career. Reilly reunited with Fisher, and Matt Bianco were back as a duo.

After signing with earMUSIC, a division of Edel, the band released studio albums HiFi Bossanova and Hideaway in 2009 and 2012, repectively.

2016 onwards

Mark Reilly (without Mark Fisher) released a collaborative album with New Cool Collective in 2016, The Things You Love, credited to "Matt Bianco (Mark Reilly) Meets New Cool Collective". It featured nine new tracks and a re-recording of "Don't Blame It on That Girl". Fisher died on 12 December 2016. [12] Reilly carried on under the Matt Bianco moniker, and released a new album, Gravity, in 2017. [13] In October 2017, Cherry Red Records re-issued their album Matt Bianco in a 2-CD deluxe edition format, having re-issued a similarly packaged version of Whose Side Are You On? in June 2016.

November 2020 saw the release of a second collaboration album with New Cool Collective, High Anxiety. [14] In June 2022, Matt Bianco released a double album The Essential Matt Bianco. Re-imagined, Re-loved, which featured new versions of 15 of their classic songs plus 15 remixes and special versions.

Band members

Current members
Past members

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeh, Yeh</span>

"Yeh, Yeh" is a Latin soul song written as an instrumental by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick, and first recorded by Mongo Santamaría on his album Watermelon Man! in 1963. Lyrics were written for it shortly thereafter by Jon Hendricks of the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basia</span> Polish singer-songwriter

Barbara Stanisława "Basia" Trzetrzelewska, better known mononymously as Basia, is a Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist noted for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music.

<i>Matts Mood</i> 2004 studio album by Matt Bianco

Matt's Mood is the tenth studio album by the British band Matt Bianco, released in 2004 by Universal and distributed by the EmArcy label.

<i>London Warsaw New York</i> 1990 studio album by Basia

London Warsaw New York is the second solo studio album by Polish-born singer–songwriter Basia, released in February 1990 by Epic Records. It spawned one of Basia's biggest hits, "Cruising for Bruising".

<i>Time and Tide</i> (Basia album) 1987 studio album by Basia

Time and Tide is the debut studio album by Polish singer-songwriter Basia, released by Epic Records in 1987. The album includes the hit singles "Promises", "New Day for You", and the title track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basia discography</span>

The discography of Polish-born singer-songwriter Basia consists of five solo studio albums, two live albums, seven compilations, and thirty-one singles. The artist has also released one video album and numerous music videos. Commercially, Basia's most successful period were the years 1987–1994 when she was signed to Epic Records. Her best-selling single reportedly is 1990's "Cruising for Bruising" from London Warsaw New York which in turn is her most successful album. The singer has enjoyed biggest commercial success in the US, Japan, France, and her native Poland.

<i>Whose Side Are You On?</i> 1984 studio album by Matt Bianco

Whose Side Are You On? is the debut album by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1984. For this album, Matt Bianco was a trio of Basia Trzetrzelewska (vocals), Mark Reilly (vocals), and Danny White (keyboards).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter White (musician)</span> English jazz musician and composer

Peter White is an English musician and composer who plays guitar, piano, accordion and harmonica. He is known for his 20-year collaboration with Al Stewart.

<i>Matt Bianco</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Matt Bianco

Matt Bianco is the second album by the British band Matt Bianco, released in 1986 through WEA. For this album, the band's line-up comprised vocalist Mark Reilly and musician Mark Fisher. Jenni Evans sings backing vocals on nearly every track, but was not listed as an official band member.

<i>Samba in Your Casa</i> 1991 studio album by Matt Bianco

Samba in Your Casa is the fourth studio album by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1991 by East West Records.

<i>Indigo</i> (Matt Bianco album) 1988 studio album by Matt Bianco

Indigo is the third album by British band Matt Bianco, released in July 1988 through WEA.

<i>The Sweetest Illusion</i> 1994 studio album by Basia

The Sweetest Illusion is the third solo studio album by Polish singer-songwriter Basia, released on 28 April 1994 by Epic Records. The record spawned the hit "Drunk on Love".

<i>Another Time Another Place</i> 1993 studio album by Matt Bianco

Another Time Another Place is the fifth studio album by the British band Matt Bianco, originally released by JVC-Victor in 1993 only in Japan. The following year, it was released in Germany by ZYX Music.

Blue Rondo à la Turk was an early 1980s British musical ensemble, whose music featured elements of salsa, pop and cool jazz. The group placed two songs on the UK Singles Chart, but is perhaps better known in retrospect for launching the careers of several players who went on to form the sophisticated jazz/Latin/samba/pop group Matt Bianco.

<i>Butterflies</i> (Basia album) 2018 studio album by Basia

Butterflies is the fifth studio album by Polish singer-songwriter Basia, released in 2018 by Shanachie Records. It is her first studio album in nine years since 2009's It's That Girl Again.

"Time and Tide" is a song by Polish singer Basia from her first solo album, Time and Tide, released in 1987. The song remains one of her biggest hits to date.

"Prime Time TV" is a song by Polish singer Basia released in 1986 as her debut solo single. It was included on her first album Time and Tide in 1987. The track was written by Basia, Danny White, and Peter Ross of Immaculate Fools, and produced by Danny and Basia.

"Promises" is a song by Polish singer Basia from her debut studio album Time and Tide, released in 1987. The track was written by Basia Trzetrzelewska, Danny White, and Peter Ross of Immaculate Fools. It was produced by Danny and Basia, and is a samba-influenced jazz-pop song. The single was first a minor hit in the UK in January 1988. In 1989, "Promises" charted in the USA, where remixes of the song by Justin Strauss were released on a 12" maxi single.

"New Day for You" is a song by Polish singer Basia from her debut album Time and Tide released in 1987.

"Half a Minute" is the fourth single by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1984. It was written by band members Mark Reilly, Danny White and Kito Poncioni. The song was included on Matt Bianco's debut album Whose Side Are You On?. It is the only song on the album entirely performed by the vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska.

References

  1. ↑ Bartleet, Larry (13 July 2015). "15 Hilarious And Calamitous Appearances By Musicians on Kids TV Shows". NME . Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Matt Bianco - Songs, Music Videos, Albums, MP3s, Albums and Pictures". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Matt Bianco set to perform". People's Post. 14 November 2013. p. 12. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Collar, Matt. "Matt Bianco | Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio". AllMusic . Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 ":: MATT BIANCO :: Biography". emarcy.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2004. Retrieved 11 March 2005.
  6. ↑ Graham K Smith (25 February 1984). "Welcome Matt" (PDF). Record Mirror . p. 11. Retrieved 7 September 2024– via World Radio History.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 331. ISBN   1-85227-969-9.
  8. ↑ Paul Sinclair (25 June 2013). "From Matt Bianco to Basia: The story of "Time and Tide"". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Top Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 2 July 1988. p. 16. Retrieved 2 October 2024– via World Radio History.
  10. 1 2 "Matt Bianco | Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  11. 1 2 "マット・ビアンコのアルバム売上TOP3作品" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Matt Bianco Member Mark Fisher Dies". Diffuser.fm. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  13. ↑ Graham Clark (25 September 2017). "Album Review: Matt Bianco - Gravity". The Yorkshire Times . Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  14. ↑ "MATT BIANCO & NEW COOL COLLECTIVE - HIGH ANXIETY". Horizons Music. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Matt Bianco - en norsk biografi". Musikalske.net (in Norwegian). Retrieved 18 March 2020.
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.