808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released their debut album Newbuild in September 1988 and secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State" was picked up by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies and charted for 11 weeks in the UK.
Gerald Rydel Simpson, better known as A Guy Called Gerald, is a British record producer and musician. He was an early member of the electronic group 808 State, contributing to their debut LP Newbuild (1988) and hit single "Pacific State" (1989). He also achieved solo success with his 1988 hit single "Voodoo Ray", which became a touchstone of Manchester's acid house scene and reached No. 12 in the UK charts. He embraced breakbeat production in the 1990s, with his 1995 album Black Secret Technology becoming a "much-touted candidate for 'best jungle album ever.'" He also ran the London-based independent record label Juice Box Records from 1991 to 1998.
Enjoy Yourself is the second studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, released on 9 October 1989 in the United Kingdom by Pete Waterman Entertainment (PWE), and in Australia on 6 November by Mushroom Records. In the United States, it was released in January 1990 by Geffen Records. Following the success of her self-titled debut album, Minogue reunited with the producers Stock Aitken Waterman, who produced and wrote nine of the album's ten tracks, in London in February 1989. The recording sessions took place there from February until July, coinciding with Minogue filming her first feature film The Delinquents.
Nicholas William Dennis Hodgson, also known as MC Tunes, is an English rapper from the Moss Side area in Manchester. His name was legally changed to Lockett in 1981, and he also goes by the name Nicky Lockett. Tunes played a significant role in the Madchester-music scene during the 1980s and 1990s. In his early career Tunes took niche music genres into the UK Singles Chart, whilst fronting 808 State, and later achieved cult status with the band Dust Junkys.
"Never Too Late" is a song written and produced by British production team Stock, Aitken and Waterman for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's second studio album, Enjoy Yourself (1989). Released on 23 October 1989, the song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Ireland, and number 14 in Australia. It was later rerecorded for Minogue's orchestral compilation album, The Abbey Road Sessions, in 2012. Writer Mike Stock says he deliberately composed the song with "old fashioned" lyrical themes, imagining it the style of a 1920s number.
Newbuild is the debut studio album by English electronic music group 808 State, released in September 1988 by Creed Records. It was the only album recorded with founding member Gerald Simpson, who departed shortly afterward for a solo career.
90 is the second studio album by British electronic music group 808 State, released on 4 December 1989 as their first album on ZTT Records. The album features the single "Pacific State", which reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1989. 90 was released in the United States as Utd. State 90, without "The Fat Shadow ", but with other bonus tracks.
ex:el is the third studio album by 808 State, released on 4 March 1991 by ZTT Records. In contrast to the band's previous work, the album features more catchy melodies and heavier acid techno beats and percussion, "embracing earlier flirtations with hip-hop and industrial music".
"Let Yourself Go" is the first 12" single by English electronic music group 808 State, released in 1988. The cover depicts a Matryoshka doll in the shape of a bear.
808:88:98 is a greatest hits album by English electronic music group 808 State. It was released on 18 May 1998 by ZTT Records.
The following is a comprehensive discography of 808 State, an English electronic music group.
Utd. State 90 is an album by the English electronic group 808 State. It was released on 11 June 1990 by Tommy Boy Records, Warner Bros. Records and ZTT Records. It is the group's US version of the Ninety album, and it features unique cover art and a longer, revised track listing.
"Love's About to Change My Heart" is the third single from Another Place and Time, the 1989 album by Donna Summer. The song was released on August 14, 1989 by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records. It was written and produced by British production team Stock Aitken & Waterman. Released as the second single in the US, the song was a hit on the dance charts, but failed to repeat the Top 40 success it enjoyed in Europe.
Gorgeous is the fourth studio album by the English electronic music group 808 State. It was released on 1 February 1993 by ZTT Records in the UK and Tommy Boy Records in the US. In October 2008, the album was reissued on ZTT Records and an additional bonus disc, containing 14 remixed tracks, including an unreleased edit of the song "Bombadin".
"Pacific" is a single by the English electronic music group 808 State, released in 1989. It exists in various mix versions known by different titles, such as "Pacific State" and "Pacific 202".
opti buk is a DVD by electronic music group 808 State which was released in 2002. Also included is a bonus album, State to State 2, which contains 8 unreleased tracks made between 1994 and 1998. The DVD has been deleted, and only archive copies may be available. The name of the DVD is derived from optical (opti) and book (buk).
808:90ptical is a video compilation by electronic music group 808 State which was released in 1991 on VHS. The videos are a mixture of the band's music videos, animated backgrounds while excerpts of tracks are played, and live footage recorded at "Re-live The Dream", Ku Club, Ibiza, Spain, in September 1990.
Forecast is a compilation album by the English electronic music group 808 State, released on 25 May 1993 by ZTT Records, exclusively in Japan. The album contains a collection of B-sides and remixes from the Gorgeous era.
"Offshore" is a song by English electronic music producer Chicane, released on 9 December 1996 by Xtravaganza as the lead single from his debut album, Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997). The song reached number five in the United States on Billboard's Dance Club Play chart, number 12 in Ireland and number 14 in the United Kingdom. A bootleg by Australian DJ Anthony Pappa was given an official release in 1997 titled "Offshore '97". This version peaked at number 17 in the UK.
Blueprint is a compilation of lesser know tracks and remixes made by the British electronic music group, 808 State. The album for initially released on 5 September 2011 digitally, but was released on CD 14 days later.
