Robson & Jerome

Last updated

Robson & Jerome
OriginEngland
Genres Pop
Years active1995 (1995)–1997 (1997)
Labels
Past members Robson Green
Jerome Flynn

Robson & Jerome were an English pop duo active in the mid-1990s, consisting of actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn. They rose to prominence via the British television series Soldier Soldier .

Contents

The duo's musical catalogue was composed entirely of covers. Their version of "Unchained Melody" stayed at number 1 for 7 weeks on the UK Chart, [1] selling more than 1.8 million copies and becoming the best-selling single of 1995. They had two further number-one singles, produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken – "I Believe" (1995) and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1996) [2] – and two number-one studio albums. A pair of compilation albums followed.

Music career

In a November 1994 episode of the UK television drama series Soldier Soldier , Dave Tucker and Paddy Garvey, played by Robson Green and Jerome Flynn respectively, performed "Unchained Melody" as an impromptu duo The Unrighteous Brothers after the entertainment failed to appear at a wedding. [3] [4] Their performance triggered a big response from the audience and ITV was inundated by people looking to buy the song. Simon Cowell was alerted to the interest shown by the public, and pursued the two reluctant actors (and later Robson's mother) for the next four months to record the song, to the extent that Robson Green threatened legal action to stop Cowell harassing them. [5] The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record a Righteous Brothers-type version of the song as a duo. Cowell enlisted music producers Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, with whom he had worked many times before, to produce the single.

Their cover of "Unchained Melody" was released as a double A-side single with White Cliffs of Dover. It immediately reached No. 1 and stayed there for seven weeks, and became the best-selling song of 1995 in the UK. It was also the best-selling song of the 1990s, until it was over-taken by "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. It remains one of the country's best-selling singles. [6] Their two follow-up singles, "I Believe" released later in the year, and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" released in 1996, also reached No. 1 on their release, and they became the first act in UK chart history to have their first three singles going straight in at number one. [7]

Their first album, the self-titled Robson & Jerome , was released in November 1995 and became the best-selling album of the year, [8] and the second album from 1996, Take Two , was equally successful. Robson & Jerome would eventually sell 7 million copies of the albums released, and 5 million copies of the three singles released. They decided to quit despite being offered £3 million for a third album by Cowell. [9]

Popularity and criticisms

Robson & Jerome were popular but music critics argued that they lacked artistic merit. Stephen Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic wrote that they "offered nothing new musically", and said that: "such grand success made them the target of derision for much of the music press, who criticized the duo's manufactured, polished covers of pop and rock classics as nostalgia mongering...Robson & Jerome became the target of a number of attacks." [10]

The duo also attracted criticism after it emerged that they did not sing parts of their recordings, which were patched with uncredited vocalists to achieve higher and steadier notes than they could achieve. Session singer Des Dyer (formerly of the band Jigsaw) made the allegation that his was the voice on the record, and contacted RCA and a newspaper. Although Stock obtained a court injunction to stop Dyer from making the allegation, the head of BMG John Preston decided to pay Dyer £75,000 at Simon Cowell's behest, money that was then deducted from Stock's royalties. [11] In 2008, Stock admitted that the vocals were "assisted" by session singers, explaining: 'Des Dyer was brought in to assist with the Jerome part – because his voice and Jerome's were similar...The Robson part was done by a totally different singer and the high note was a totally different guy.' [12] Stock added that both Robson and Jerome did contribute vocals: "they are singing on the record without a shadow of a doubt". [13]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
UK
[14] 		AUS
[15] 		NZ
[16] 		SCO
[17] [18]
Robson & Jerome
  • Released: November 1995
  • Label: RCA
174—1
Take Two
  • Released: November 1996
  • Label: RCA
1—141
  • UK: 4× Platinum [19]
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
UK
[14] 		SCO
[20]
Happy Days:
The Best of Robson & Jerome
  • Released: November 1997
  • Label: RCA
2050
Love Songs
  • Released: April 2000
  • Label: BMG
——
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[21] 		IRE
[22] 		NLD
[23] 		SCO
[24] [25] [26]
1995"Unchained Melody" / "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover"12—1 Robson & Jerome
"I Believe" / "Up on the Roof"13451
1996"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" / "Saturday Night at the Movies" / "You'll Never Walk Alone"17—1 Take Two
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Cowell</span> English reality television judge, television producer and music executive (born 1959)

Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent (2007–present), and the American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013) and America's Got Talent (2016–present). Cowell founded the British entertainment company Syco in 2005, as well as its now-defunct predecessor, Syco Music in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Stock (musician)</span> English songwriter, record producer (born 1951)

Michael Stock is an English songwriter, record producer, musician, and member of the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. He has written and/or produced 18 No. 1 records in America and the UK, over a hundred top-40 hits and is recognised as one of the most successful songwriters of all time by the Guinness World Records. As part of Stock Aitken Waterman in the 1980s and 90s, he holds the UK record of 11 number one records with different acts. In the UK Singles Chart he has written 54 top-ten hits including 7 number ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unchained Melody</span> 1955 song by Alex North and Hy Zaret

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Flynn</span> English actor and singer (born 1963)

Jerome Patrick Flynn is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier, Bronn in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, Bennet Drake in Ripper Street, and Banner Creighton in the Paramount+ western series 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robson Green</span> British actor, musician and presenter (born 1964)

Robson Golightly Green is an English actor, singer-songwriter, and television presenter.

The UK Singles Chart was first compiled in 1969. However the records and statistics listed here date back to 1952 because the Official Charts Company counts a selected period of the New Musical Express chart and the Record Retailer chart from 1960 to 1969 as predecessors for the period prior to 11 February 1969, where multiples of competing charts coexisted side by side. For example, the BBC compiled its own chart based on an average of the music papers of the time; many songs announced as having reached number one on BBC Radio and Top of the Pops prior to 1969 may not be listed here as chart-toppers since they do not meet the legacy criteria of the Charts Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Singles Chart</span> British singles sales chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-selling singles in the United Kingdom, based upon physical sales, paid-for downloads and streaming. The Official Chart, broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV, is the UK music industry's recognised official measure of singles and albums popularity because it is the most comprehensive research panel of its kind, today surveying over 15,000 retailers and digital services daily, capturing 99.9% of all singles consumed in Britain across the week, and over 98% of albums. To be eligible for the chart, a single is currently defined by the Official Charts Company (OCC) as either a 'single bundle' having no more than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes or one digital audio track not longer than 15 minutes with a minimum sale price of 40 pence. The rules have changed many times as technology has developed, the most notable being the inclusion of digital downloads in 2005 and streaming in July 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Becomes of the Brokenhearted</span> 1966 single

"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a hit single recorded by Jimmy Ruffin and released on Motown Records' Soul label in the summer of 1966. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the broken-hearted who had love that's now departed. The song essentially deals with the struggle to overcome sadness while seeking a new relationship after a breakup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The MacDonald Brothers</span> Scottish pop folk duo

The MacDonald Brothers, now performing as The Macs, are a Scottish pop folk duo from Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland, consisting of brothers Brian and Craig MacDonald. They first rose to prominence in the third UK series of television talent show The X Factor in 2006, and have since gone on to release four studio albums. Their debut studio album, self-titled The MacDonald Brothers was released in April 2007 to positive reviews. The album went on to top the charts in their native Scotland and also performed well on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 18.

<i>What My Heart Wants to Say</i> 2002 studio album by Gareth Gates

What My Heart Wants to Say is the debut album from the runner-up of the first series of Pop Idol, Gareth Gates. The album was released on 26 October 2002, almost a year after his success on the show. The album was produced by a team of well-known producers, including Steve Mac, Jewels & Stone, Mike Peden and Cathy Dennis. The album features a range of Gates' own material, as well as covers of some of his favourite songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Jackson</span> Musical artist

Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer. He finished first in the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008. Jackson's début album, Right Now (2008) finished the year as the 75th best-selling album in the UK, and included the singles, "Don't Call This Love", "Creative" and "Stargazing".

Syco Music, originally and formerly S Records, was a division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell, at the time in employment at Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), that was active from 2002 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Day</span>

Peter Day is an English recording/mixing engineer, record producer, and songwriter. Since the beginning of his musical career around 1987, he has been credited on numerous hit records from a diverse list of chart-topping artists that includes Kylie, Sybil, Bananarama, Lisa Scott-Lee, Jason Donavon, and Rick Astley. He is also known for his audio engineering with songwriting/ production trio SAW. This led to credits on esteemed records such as 'Band Aid II', which topped the UK singles charts for three weeks running. To date he is credited on 19 top ten hits; 8 of which reaching No. 1.

<i>Robson & Jerome</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Robson & Jerome

Robson & Jerome is the debut studio album by British singing duo Robson & Jerome. It was released in the UK in 1995 by RCA Records, and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was the Christmas number one album of 1995, and was the biggest-selling album of the year, with sales of 2,040,000. For almost 20 years, it held the record for selling 2 million copies in the UK in the fastest time, doing so in 42 days; in 2015, Adele surpassed the record when her album 25 took just 29 days to reach the landmark.

<i>Take Two</i> (Robson & Jerome album) 1996 studio album by Robson & Jerome

Take Two is the second album by English singing duo Robson & Jerome. It was released in 1996 by RCA Records and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was the Christmas number two album that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bars and Melody</span> British R&B/rap duo

Bars and Melody are a R&B and rap duo consisting of rapper Leondre Devries and singer Charlie Lenehan, who took part in the eighth series of Britain's Got Talent in 2014. During their audition, they were automatically sent into the semifinals of the competition after the head judge, Simon Cowell, pressed the golden buzzer. They ultimately finished in third place in the series. Their first single after the show, "Shining Star", was released on 30 July 2014, accompanied by the acoustic version of their song "Hopeful".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopeful (Bars and Melody song)</span> 2014 single by Bars and Melody

"Hopeful" is the debut single by British pop duo Bars and Melody. It is based on the lyrics and music of Twista's 2005 song "Hope", featuring Faith Evans. The song was released on 25 July 2014 through Syco Music. It debuted at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, with sales of 40,191.

Reggie 'n' Bollie are a Ghanaian music duo consisting of Reggie Zippy and Bollie Babeface. They formed in 2012 and are best known for finishing as runners-up on the twelfth series of The X Factor UK in 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "1995 The Number One Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "1996 The Number One Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  3. ↑ Jon Kutner (26 May 2010). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857123602.
  4. ↑ "BBC article on Unchained Melody" . Retrieved 24 March 2006.
  5. ↑ Chas Newkey-Burden (10 October 2009). Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography. Michael O' Mara Books. ISBN   9781843174455.
  6. ↑ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Number One Hits: Facts & Feats". UK Charts.
  8. ↑ Ross McG (17 June 2015). "What was the biggest selling album in 1995 Britpop Britain? The answer may surprise you". Metro.
  9. ↑ Chas Newkey-Burden (10 October 2009). Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography. ISBN   9781843174455.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Robson & Jerome: Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Tom Bower (2012). Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell. Faber & Faber Non Fiction. ISBN   9780571299386.
  12. ↑ Eames, Tom (21 January 2015). "Robson & Jerome celebrate 20 years: 10 things you might not know". Digital Spy.
  13. ↑ "Divers Articles De Presse". Robson and Jerome.
  14. 1 2 "UK Albums". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 237.
  16. ↑ "New Zealand Albums". charts.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Scottish Albums "Robson & Jerome"". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "Scottish Albums 'Take Two'". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Scottish Albums 'Happy Days'". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "UK Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  22. ↑ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Netherlands Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  24. ↑ "Scottish Singles 'Unchained Melody'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Scottish Singles 'I Believe'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Scottish Singles 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  27. 1 2 3 "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
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.