Culture Beat

Last updated

Culture Beat
Culture Beat.jpg
Jacky Sangster of Culture Beat, 2007
Background information
Origin Frankfurt, Germany
Genres Eurodance [1] [2]
Years active1989–present
Members
  • Frank Fenslau
  • Peter Gräber
  • Jacky Sangster
  • MC 4T
Past members

Culture Beat is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Torsten Fenslau. The act has gone through a number of lineup changes over the years; they achieved the most success whilst fronted by singer Tania Evans and rapper Jay Supreme. Their 1993 single "Mr. Vain" was a number-one hit in eleven European countries, [3] and the act claims to have sold more than 10 million records worldwide. [4]

Contents

Biography

Origins and formation

Torsten Fenslau, who initially had a desire for becoming an architect, had been working as a DJ at the Frankfurt nightclub Dorian Gray since 1982 (and remained for 11 years), when in 1989 he decided to form Culture Beat with his friends Jens Zimmermann and Peter Zweier. [3]

1989–1991: Horizon

Their first single, the track "Der Erdbeermund", with a spoken vocal in German by Jo van Nelsen, peaked at number 11 on the German singles chart. [5] Versions in English and French were also released (titled "Cherry Lips" and "Les lèvres cerises", respectively). An instrumental version was also played in clubs in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 55.

Shortly afterwards, Culture Beat recruited American, New Jersey-born rapper Jay Supreme and singer Lana Earl to front the act. While the second single "I Like You" reached number 22 in the Netherlands, their fourth single "No Deeper Meaning" managed to reach as high as number 4 in the Netherlands and number 3 on the Canadian RPM Dance Chart. [6] They released their first album, Horizon , in 1991 which went with only minor success.

1993–1994: Serenity and international success

Lana was replaced by British singer Tania Evans in 1993, and the act took a harder Eurodance sound. "Mr. Vain" became their biggest hit to date, reaching number one in 13 countries including Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. [7] It was also their first mainstream hit in the United States, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified three times Gold in Germany for selling over 750,000 units, it also managed to reach a Gold status in several other countries including US. [8] [9]

Subsequent singles "Got to Get It" and "Anything" were also pan-European hits, and their second album Serenity was awarded at the ECHO award for being the Best-selling German Act Abroad, with more than two million copies sold. [10] This also got Torsten Fenslau nominated in the same year at the Echo for being the Best Producer of the Year, who also walked away as a winner. [10]

On 6 November 1993, Culture Beat's founder Torsten Fenslau was killed in a car accident in Messel (district of Darmstadt) aged 29. [3] [7] His brother Frank took over the act as a manager.

1995–1996: Inside Out

The group returned the act in 1995 with a third album called Inside Out , [7] preceded by a single of the same title "Inside Out" which reached number 5 in Germany and number 32 in the UK. A total of four singles were released from the album. Inside Out is the latest album released by Jay Supreme and Tanya Evans. This is also the first album not produced by Thorsten Fenslau.

1997–1998: Major changes and Metamorphosis

In 1997, Frank Fenslau decided to take Culture Beat in a different musical direction diverging the act from the Eurodance sound into a more commercial pop sound. He also replaced Tania with Kim Sanders, who had previously scored a hit with "Impossible" by Captain Hollywood Project. Jay Supreme remained with the act for a short time after Tania's departure, but during recording of the next album he decided to leave the group and the few rap vocals on the next album were produced by rapper Next Up. Although, in 1998, the album Metamorphosis managed to reach number 12 at home, it was a minor chart success as it remained in the top 20 of the album chart for only four weeks, and spent overall 10 weeks appearing on the chart. [11]

2001–present: Singles and present status

Three years later, Jacky Sangster replaced Kim as the fourth female lead singer for Culture Beat. The single called "Insanity" was released in 2001 which flopped in Germany; however, reached number 1 in Israel. [7] In 2003, to commemorate ten years since the release of the group's biggest hit, a new version of "Mr. Vain" was issued in Germany and reached number 7 in the singles chart. In 2004, a Greatest Hits package was released ahead of a planned new album with Jacky as vocalist called "Obsession", but was canceled before "Can't Go on Like This (No No)" was released. This single had minor success as well. "Your Love" was released in 2008, and is Culture Beat's most recent single to date. Jacky and a male rapper known by the stage name MC 4T (according to the official website) have performed as Culture Beat since 2003 and continue to perform at different 90's revival venues around the world.

In January 2013, a compilation album was released, "The Loungin' Side of", which contains acoustic and lounge versions of hits taken from Inside Out and Metamorphosis. [12]

Band members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
GER
[13] 		AUS
[14] 		AUT
[15] 		FIN
[16] [17] 		NLD
[18] 		NOR
[19] 		SWE
[20] 		SWI
[21] 		UK
[22]
Horizon
  • Released: 8 March 1991
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: CD, cassette, vinyl
—150———————
Serenity
  • Released: 2 June 1993
  • Label: Dance Pool
  • Formats: CD, cassette, vinyl
857212104813
Inside Out
  • Released: 3 November 1995
  • Label: Dance Pool
  • Formats: CD, cassette, vinyl
22—343391——27—
Metamorphosis
  • Released: 19 June 1998
  • Label: Columbia
  • Formats: CD, cassette, vinyl
12——————37—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Compilation albums

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
GER
[13] 		AUS
[14] 		AUT
[15] 		BEL
(FLA)
[30] 		FRA
[31] 		NLD
[32] 		SWE
[20] 		SWI
[21] 		UK
[22] 		US
[33]
"Der Erdbeermund"198911———————55—Horizon
"I Like You"199030164—40—22——96—
"Tell Me That You Wait"1991—180————————
"No Deeper Meaning"—126—30—5————
"Mr. Vain"199311113121 [upper-alpha 1] 117Serenity
"Got to Get It"4771102574—
"Anything"41235461575—
"World in Your Hands"1994185720294213—2920—
"Adelante"——————————
"Inside Out"199556210144630231132—
  • BVMI: Gold [8]
Inside Out
"Crying in the Rain"19968—1414—45231629—
"Take Me Away"26—3915—48243352—
"Walk the Same Line"64—3830——40———
"Pay No Mind"199827—37———————Metamorphosis
"Rendez-Vous"53—38—88—48———
"You Belong"77—————————
"Insanity"200166—————————Singles only
"Mr. Vain Recall"20037—8——66304651—
"Can't Go on Like This (No No)"2004——————————
"Your Love"2008——————————
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"2017——————————
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Mr. Vain Remix" peaked at number 10 in Switzerland. [34]

Related Research Articles

Mel and Kim were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Melanie died of cancer in January 1990 at the age of 23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Alban</span> Swedish musician (born 1957)

Alban Uzoma Nwapa, better known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian-born Swedish musician and producer with his own record label, Dr. Records. His music can best be described as Eurodance/hip-hop reggae in a dancehall style. He has sold an estimated 16 million records worldwide and is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit "It's My Life", from the album One Love.

<i>R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece</i> 2004 studio album by Snoop Dogg

R&G : The Masterpiece is the seventh studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Doggystyle Records, making its first on Star Trak Entertainment and Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place from November 2003 to September 2004 in each of several recording studios. The album's production was handled from The Neptunes, The Alchemist, Lil Jon, Hi-Tek, Warryn Campbell, and L.T. Hutton, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technotronic</span> Belgian electronic music project

Technotronic was a Belgian electronic music project formed in 1987 by Jo Bogaert, best known for the 1989 single "Pump Up the Jam", which features vocals by Ya Kid K. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Later that year, the single was followed by Pump Up the Jam: The Album, which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200. They achieved further success with the singles "Get Up! " and "Move This". Technotronic went on to release the albums Body to Body (1991) and Recall (1995).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy Shop</span> 2005 single by 50 Cent featuring Olivia

"Candy Shop" is the second single by rapper 50 Cent from his second commercial album, The Massacre (2005). It features Olivia and was written by 50 Cent and the song's producer, Scott Storch. The single was released through Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.

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

The discography of the British punk rock band the Clash consists of six studio albums, two extended plays, two live albums and 31 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When I'm Gone (Eminem song)</span> 2005 single by Eminem

"When I'm Gone" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his first greatest hits album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). It was released on December 6, 2005, the same day as the album was released, as the lead single.

<i>Serenity</i> (Culture Beat album) 1993 studio album by Culture Beat

Serenity is the second studio album by German Eurodance band Culture Beat, released in 1993. It includes the single "Mr. Vain", which topped the charts across Europe and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Vain</span> 1993 single by Culture Beat

"Mr. Vain" is a song by German musical group Culture Beat, released in April 1993 by Dance Pool as the lead single from the group's second studio album, Serenity (1993). The song was written by Steven Levis, Nosie Katzmann and Jay Supreme, and produced by Torsten Fenslau. Tania Evans is the lead vocalist and Supreme is the rapper. The female part of the lyrics describes the narcissist title character Mr. Vain, while the rap embodies his selfish desires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power (Snap! song)</span> 1990 song by Snap!

"The Power" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released as their debut single. It was released on 3 January 1990 as the lead single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song reached number one in Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and Zimbabwe, as well as on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, "The Power" managed to reach number two for one week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Get It (Culture Beat song)</span> 1993 single by Culture Beat

"Got to Get It" is a song by German group Culture Beat from their second studio album, Serenity (1993). The song was written by Nosie Katzmann, Jay Supreme, Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweier, and produced by Fenslau. The lyrics describes the feeling of not getting over someone you once were in love with, hence the refrain Got to get it, got to get it out of my head. It was released as the second single from the album on 13 September 1993 by German label Dance Pool and was a hit in most European countries, peaking at number-one in both Belgium and Finland. The single was also a top-five hit in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. In the UK, the US and Canada, the song peaked at number one on the dance music charts. Its music video was directed by Martin Person and filmed in Denmark and Portugal, telling the story of two lovers breaking up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anything (Culture Beat song)</span> 1993 single by Culture Beat

"Anything" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group Culture Beat, released in December 1993 by Dance Pool as the third single from the group's second album, Serenity (1993). Written by Nosie Katzmann with Jay Supreme, Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweie, the song was very successful on the charts in Europe. It reached the top five in at least nine countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by Matt Broadley and filmed in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World in Your Hands</span> 1994 single by Culture Beat

"World in Your Hands" is a song by German Eurodance group Culture Beat, released in March 1994 by Dance Pool as the fourth single and the last one marketed in almost all countries in Europe from their second album, Serenity (1993). As for other Culture Beat's singles, a CD maxi entirely composed of remixes was added among the available media a short time after. The ballad is written by Nosie Katzmann with Jay Supreme, Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweie. It was a top-10 hit in Finland and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 20. Its music video was directed by Matt Broadley and filmed in Sweden.

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

The discography of Irish boy band Boyzone contains seven studio albums, nine compilation albums, one singles box set, thirty singles and ten video albums.

Raynford Avery Humphrey, better known by his stage name Preme, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition for his guest appearances on the 2011 singles "Alone Again" by Alyssa Reid and "Invincible" by Hedley. The songs peaked at numbers 11 and nine respectively on the Canadian Hot 100. He signed with RCA Records to release his debut extended play Dear Summer EP (2014), which contained the singles "DnF", "Chickens" and "We Them Niggas".

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

English recording artist Olly Murs has released seven studio albums, twenty-five singles and twenty one music videos on recording labels Epic and Sony subsidiary Syco. Olly rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after being a contestant on The X Factor during its sixth series, ultimately finishing in second place on 12 December 2009. During his time on the show, Murs appeared on the number-one charity single "You Are Not Alone" alongside the other finalists. His debut single, "Please Don't Let Me Go" was released on 27 August 2010—where it became his second number-one single and first as a solo artist. The accompanying album, Olly Murs was released on 26 November, where it debuted at number two, and was preceded by the number four single "Thinking of Me" on 19 November. The singles "Heart on My Sleeve" and "Busy" were also released from the album on 27 March and 27 May 2011—peaking at number twenty and forty-five in the UK respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crying in the Rain (Culture Beat song)</span> 1996 single by Culture Beat

"Crying in the Rain" is a song recorded by German Eurodance band Culture Beat, released on 12 February 1996 by Dance Pool as the second single from their third studio album, Inside Out (1995).. It was co-written by band members Tania Evans and Jay Supreme with Doug Laurent and Robert Gerding, and produced by Laurent. The single charted in many countries, reaching its best chart positions in Hungary, Germany and Denmark, where it was a top-10 hit. "Crying in the Rain" also reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart. The music video for the song was directed by Oliver Sommer and filmed in Hong Kong, China. A CD maxi-single containing remixes was also released under the name "Crying in the Rain Remixes".

<i>The Heist</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Macklemore LLC, distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced, self-recorded and self-released by the duo, with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release, the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Without Me (Eminem song)</span> 2002 single by Eminem

"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 13, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Der Erdbeermund</span> 1989 single by Culture Beat featuring Jo van Nelsen

"Der Erdbeermund" is a song recorded by German Eurodance band Culture Beat. It was released in 1989 by CBS and Epic as the band's debut single from the studio album, Horizon (1991). Written by Torsten Fenslau with Jens Zimmermann and Nosie Katzmann after words by François Villon, it features a spoken vocal in German by Jo van Nelsen. "Der Erdbeermund" peaked at number 11 on the West German singles chart and number 48 on the Eurochart Hot 100.

References

  1. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. p. 107. ISBN   978-0-7535-0427-7. Euro-dance sensations created by Torsten Fenslau (d. November 1993, Darmstadt, Germany) in 1989 by putting together the more visual duo of Jay Supreme and Tania Evans.
  2. ↑ Tulich, Katherine (12 November 1994). "Concert Action Is Up Down Under: Global Tours Discover The Wonderful World of Oz". Billboard . Vol. 106, no. 46. p. 66. ISSN   0006-2510.
  3. 1 2 3 Weinert, Ellie (26 March 1994). "Echoes Honor Torsten Fenslau". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 13. p. 60. ISSN   0006-2510.
  4. ↑ "Culture Beat – Official Website". Culture-beat.com (in German). Archived from the original on 9 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Charts – Zeitraum: 15.01.1990 – 21.01.1990" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Top 40: Culture Beat - No Deeper Meaning". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Culture Beat mit ihrem Hammer-Hit Mr.Vain". P2News (in German). Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Culture Beat)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Gold & Platinum – Culture Beat". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Die Preisträger" (in German). ECHO. 1994. Archived from the original on 5 July 2009.
  11. ↑ "Culture Beat: Metamorphosis (Longplay)". Musicline.de. Archived from the original on 24 November 2004.
  12. ↑ "The Loungin' Side of Culture Beat" (in German). Amazon.de . Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Discographie von Culture Beat". Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  14. 1 2 Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
  15. 1 2 "Discographie Culture Beat" (in German). Austrian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "Discography Culture Beat". Finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  17. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  18. ↑ "Discografie Culture Beat". Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Discography Culture Beat". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  20. 1 2 "Discography Culture Beat". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  21. 1 2 "Artist: Culture Beat". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  22. 1 2 "Culture Beat". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  24. 1 2 "Certified Awards". BPI. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Sweden's certification-database 1987-1998" (PDF). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2009.
  26. 1 2 "Gold & Platin". IFPI Austria. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "Kulta- ja platinalevyt: Culture Beat". IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  28. 1 2 "Awards: Culture Beat". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  29. ↑ "SNEP Les Certifications: Culture Beat". SNEP . Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop 50 Singles – Culture Beat". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  31. ↑ "Discographie Culture Beat" (in French). Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  32. ↑ "Culture Beat charts" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 100. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  33. ↑ "Culture Beat – Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  34. ↑ "Culture Beat – Mr. Vain (Remix)". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
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.