Off-Shore (band)

Off-Shore
Origin	Germany
Genres	Eurodance
Years active	1990–91
Labels	CBS
Past members	Jens Lissat Peter Harder

Off-Shore was a German production duo who had a top ten hit in the UK singles charts in 1991.

History

The duo was made up of Jens Lissat, who was also a member of the band Interactive, ^[1] and Peter Harder, ^[2] the owner of the Try Harder Studio in Hamburg. ^[3]

In December 1990, the duo released their first single under the Off-shore name, "I Can't Take The Power", via CBS Records; it took heavy samples from Jocelyn Brown's "Love's Gonna Get You", which was also sampled by Snap! on "The Power", and "Weekend" by Class Action. ^[4] The single entered the UK singles charts just before Christmas, and, after the Christmas record market had faded away, it rose into the top ten, peaking at number 7 in late January, ^[5] and earning the duo an appearance on Top of the Pops. ^[6]

The cut did not make the German charts, but peaked at number 77 in the Dutch singles chart in April 1991. ^[7]

The single also peaked at number 11 on the Irish singles chart, ^[8] with the duo competing with itself in the Irish music market, as they had released a single for the Christmas market, "Alleluia", released under the name Prayers. The single consisted of a sample of a Gregorian chant over a Christmas Mass, ^[9] but it did not chart, and was not released in the UK.

The duo only released one other single under the name, "I Got A Little Song" (with Elaine Jackson on vocals and N. O. "Kenny" Nwoke on rap), ^[10] on CBS sub-label Dance Pool Records, ^[11] which spent a week at number 64 in the UK charts the following year. ^[12]

References

1. "Interactive". TheAudioDB. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
2. Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004. Hammersmith: Collins. p. 567.
3. Billboard (1981). 1981–82 International Recording Equipment and Studio Directory. Broadway, NY: Billboard Publications. p. 74.
4. "Off-Shore > I Can't Take the Power". Who Sampled. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
5. "I Can't Take The Power". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
6. "10/01/1991". BBC. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
7. "Off-Shore". Dutchchart. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
8. "Search the charts". Irish charts. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
9. Carr, Eamon (4 December 1990). "Rockin' to holy sounds". Dublim Evening Herald: 11.
10. Credited on single sleeve and label.
11. "Dance Pool". Soundamental. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
12. "I Got A Little Song". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2025.