Deee-Lite | |
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Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active |
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Labels | Elektra |
Past members | Lady Miss Kier Towa Tei DJ Dmitry DJ Ani |
Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's single "Groove Is in the Heart," which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, World Clique (1990), was a top-ten hit in multiple countries. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 55th most successful dance artists of all time. [2]
The band began in 1986 as a duo in New York City with Lady Miss Kier (born Kierin Magenta Kirby) primarily on vocals and Supa DJ Dmitry (born in Ukraine as Dmitry Brill) as the DJ, and then became a trio when Korean-Japanese Jungle DJ Towa Tei joined the group in 1988.
Initially, Kier and Dmitry performed their songs monthly in numerous downtown NYC nightclubs from 1986 onwards. [3] In 1987, Kier bought the Akai S900 sampler, which influenced their sound tremendously. [4] She also bought a Casio FZ-series sampler, which was used almost exclusively on their first album. Indeed, sampling played such an important role that they named their production company "Sampladelic". [5] From the band's inception, Kier designed the posters and club invites and was also the graphic designer for all three albums and 12" singles. [6] The band played in both hip-hop and house clubs, [7] and both gay and straight clubs, including Wigstock [8] and opening for Native Tongue Movement's De La Soul and Jungle Brothers. As described in Rolling Stone , "they were drawing vivid, multiracial, pan-sexual crowds...". Part of the band's appeal was its inclusiveness, as noted by Mademoiselle magazine "as a group, they're a festival of individuality; as a band, they're a party anyone can attend". [7] In these early years, their live shows garnered a steady following and attracted Towa Tei as a fan.
Thereafter, Towa sent Kier and Dmitry a bedroom DJ tape he had made and they realised he, like them, also enjoyed a fusion of funk and techno. Towa and Dmitry began jointly programming the band's computer. Although Towa did not play any instruments, he was a record collector and added samples. They invited him to join the group in 1988 and together the three produced their first album. [9] Kier wrote all the lyrics and melodies, and also asked Bootsy Collins to join in sessions. [10] Dmitry played guitar, keyboard, and bass, and Towa gathered samples for fill-ins and grooves. [11] Bootsy Collins introduced them to The Horny Horns, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper, and Bernie Worrell. Collins also helped assemble their touring band. [12] Together the trio produced the first and second Deee-Lite albums under their production company Sampladelic.
In 1990, the group released their first album, World Clique . It was preceded by their debut single "Groove Is in the Heart", which became a number one hit in Australia and on the US Dance chart. The song features vocals from Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest as well as the bass guitar loop sampled from the Herbie Hancock song "Bring Down The Birds" and additional vocals by funk musician Bootsy Collins. In 1992, they released the politically-charged second album Infinity Within . The album failed to chart as high as their debut, but they still scored two Top 10 dance hits in the US with "Runaway" and "Pussycat Meow".
Towa ultimately did not join the other two on their world tours, for which they had a nine-piece band, as he preferred to start working on the second Deee-Lite album (Infinity Within), from the comfort of his own home where his records and samples were located. [13] As told to MTV News, "...a reason I left Deee-Lite was that I hated the touring—playing the same songs over and over again every night," Towa said. "I'm not that type of person. I don't like being in front of the people". [14] After extensive touring, Kier and Dmitry were not given tour funding for the second album, Infinity Within, as promised by the Warner contract. [11] After the release of their second album, Kier and Dmitry wondered if their sound was losing touch with the dancefloor and began writing the dancefloor album Dewdrops in the Garden . [14] At the time, the creative differences were strong between Towa and the other two members of Deee-Lite. As told to MTV News by Towa, "When I made a big decision to take a break," Towa said, "I started to listen to different types of music again—bossa nova, soundtracks. I started getting materials that went beyond the Deee-Lite concept. For me it fit, but for them it didn't really fit". [14] Prior to the release of the group's third album, Dewdrops in the Garden, Towa abruptly left the band (appearing only on the track "Call Me") and was replaced by DJ Ani. Kier was determined to keep the band together and offered Towa to remix a song of his choice so he'd have a presence on the third Deee-Lite album. [15] Even with a roster change and minimal record label support, Deee-Lite still managed to tour for one year after the release of the album, even selling more copies than their second release. In 1994, Kier and Dmitry's turbulent relationship came to an end and so did the group. [16]
In total, the group scored six number-one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart over the five years they were together. In the years after the band's break-up, financial problems due to bad management [6] impacted both Kier and Dmitry—however, they survived and are still in business as writers, producers and DJs. Kier is still primarily a singer, songwriter, and DJ, having traveled all over the world and performed on numerous albums with internationally acclaimed artists. She is often regarded as a style "icon" by publications such as Vogue [17] for her distinctive style of dress and continual influence on the international fashion scene. Dmitry continued working as a DJ, from Hong Kong to Jerusalem, and from Berlin's Love Parade to Brazil's Rock In Rio. He was given a DJ of the year award in Ibiza, and has remixed with post editing by Marty Munsch on several versions, for many artists including Arthur Russell, Jungle Brothers, Sinéad O'Connor, Ziggy Marley, Nina Hagen, Ultra Naté, and others. He collaborated with Julee Cruise (of Twin Peaks /David Lynch fame) to release the album My Secret Life . Dmitry is currently based in Berlin where he continues to DJ, compose, produce, and re-mix. Towa Tei has recorded several albums as a solo artist, and was featured in the Japanese supergroup METAFIVE. In a 2011 interview, Tei dismissed the chances of Deee-Lite reforming, citing the creative and personal differences that prompted him to depart. [18]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||
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US [19] | AUS [20] [21] | CAN | NZ | UK | |||
World Clique | 20 | 33 | 15 | 30 | 14 | ||
Infinity Within |
| 67 | 117 | — | — | 37 | |
Dewdrops in the Garden |
| 127 | 140 | — | — | — |
Title | Album details |
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Dewdrops in the Remix |
|
Sampladelic Relics & Dancefloor Oddities |
|
The Very Best of Deee-Lite |
|
The Elektra Years |
|
Groove Is in the Heart |
|
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [20] | CAN [23] | GER [24] | IRE [25] | NED [26] | NZ [26] | SWI [26] | UK [27] | US [28] | US Dance [28] | ||||||||||
1990 | "Groove Is in the Heart" / "What Is Love?" | 1 | 15 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 1 | World Clique | |||||||
"Power of Love" | 47 | 82 | 43 | 21 | 47 | 19 | — | 25 | 47 | 1 | |||||||||
1991 | "E.S.P." | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | ||||||||
"How Do You Say...Love" | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | |||||||||
"Good Beat" | 105 | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | 53 | — | 1 | |||||||||
1992 | "Runaway" | 112 | 70 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 45 | — | 1 | Infinity Within | |||||||
"Thank You Everyday" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | — | — | |||||||||
"Pussycat Meow" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | |||||||||
1994 | "Party Happening People" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | Dewdrops in the Garden | |||||||
"Picnic in the Summertime" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | |||||||||
"Bring Me Your Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |||||||||
"Call Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |||||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Towa Tei is a Japanese artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa was a member of Deee-Lite, from the US label Elektra Records in 1990 and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart". He made his solo debut with the album Future Listening! in 1994. He has since relocated from New York to rural Nagano prefecture in Japan.
Infinity Within is the second studio album by American house and club/dance group Deee-Lite. Released in 1992 on Elektra, the second album, through its lyrical content, instrumentation, and overall tone, showcases the band's political activism as a more literal part of the music than on their debut album, World Clique (1990).
World Clique is the debut album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, which was released in 1990. The album's first single, "Groove Is in the Heart", was a top-five success on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well as a No. 1 hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Three subsequent singles also hit the top ten on the U.S. dance chart, including "Power of Love/Build That Bridge", which also hit No. 1, and "Good Beat".
Club House were an Italian Italo house band formed in Italy in 1983. The group consisted of Carl Fanini, Gianfranco Bortolotti, Hidalgo Serra, and Silvio Pozzoli.
"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American dance band Deee-Lite, released in August 1990 by Elektra as their debut and lead single from their first album, World Clique (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in many countries, reaching number-one in Australia and on both the Canadian RPM and US Billboard dance charts. Today it is widely recognized as a classic of its genre. It was accompanied with a psychedelic 60s-themed music video.
"GBI (German Bold Italic)" is a song by Japanese music producer Towa Tei from his second studio album Sound Museum (1997). The song features vocals by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono. Tei produced the song and co-wrote it with Minogue. It was released as a single in Japan by Elektra, Akashic, and East West Records on September 10, 1997, featuring several remixes and an original typeface designed by Hiro Sugiyama and the design team Enlightenment. A year later, Arthrob and East West Records distributed the single in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Kierin Magenta Kirby, known professionally as Lady Miss Kier, is an American singer, songwriter and DJ. Lady Miss Kier was the vocalist for the band Deee-Lite. She supports causes such as LGBTQ rights, women's rights, human rights, the environmental movement, the anti-war movement and the get out the vote movement.
Dewdrops in the Garden is the third and final studio album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, released in August 1994 via Elektra Records. The album saw the group move away from the overtly political lyrical content of the previous album, shifting into themes of dance and intimacy with a heavier lean into psychedelic music.
"Find a Way" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, the first single from their fifth album The Love Movement. The New York Times' Ben Ratliff wrote that "Find a Way" "innocently wonders about the point at which friendship spills over into sex."
The Polyester Embassy is the only album by Australian band Madison Avenue, released in Australia on 2 October 2000 by Vicious Grooves.
Future Listening! is the debut studio album by Japanese music producer Towa Tei, released on October 21, 1994 by For Life Music. It is Tei's first release after his departure from Deee-Lite. The album was released in the United States on April 25, 1995 by Elektra Records.
Wigstock: The Movie is a 1995 documentary film focusing on Wigstock, the annual drag music festival that had been held New York City's East Village through the 1980s and 1990s. The film presents a number of performances from the 1994 festival, including Crystal Waters, Deee-Lite, Jackie Beat, Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery, Joey Arias, Freddie Pendavis, and the Dueling Bankheads. The film also captures a performance by RuPaul at the height of his mainstream fame during the 1990s.
Play with Bootsy is an album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was originally released in 2002 by East-West Records, which is distributed by the Warner Music Group in Germany and by Warner Music-Japan. It was later released in the U.S. by Thump Records. The album represents Bootsy's 12th studio album. The album features a number of prominent rappers/musicians including Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Daz, Bobby Womack, Chuck D, Kelli Ali and Lady Miss Kier from Deee Lite.
"Power of Love" is a song recorded, written and produced by New York City–based house and dance music group Deee-Lite. It was released in 1990 as the second single from their debut album, World Clique (1990). Overseas, it peaked at number 19 in New Zealand, number 21 in Ireland and number 25 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the single went to number 54 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the Dance Club Songs chart, "Power of Love" was the group's second number-one hit, where it remained at the top for two weeks. The vocals from the single would be used in another single that also reached number-one on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1991, "Deep in My Heart" by Club House.
"Runaway" is a song recorded, written and produced by New York City-based group Deee-Lite, released on May 28, 1992 by Elektra Records as the lead single from their second studio album, Infinity Within (1992). It is the group's fourth single to top the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In Europe, the song was a top-10 hit in Greece and a top-20 hit in Finland, as well as peaking at number nine on the UK Dance Singles Chart and number 12 on the European Dance Radio Chart. The music video for "Runaway" was directed by American filmmaker and artist Gus Van Sant.
"Call Me" is a song recorded and produced by the American-based group Deee-Lite. It was released by Elektra Records as the fourth single of the group's third studio album, Dewdrops in the Garden (1994), and their sixth and final single to reach the number one position on the US Billboard dance chart, during the week ending February 4, 1995.
"Bring Me Your Love" is a song recorded and produced by American-based group Deee-Lite, which was released in May 1994 by Elektra Records as the second single of their third and final studio album, Dewdrops in the Garden (1994). The single was issued as a 12-inch white vinyl and sampled "The Children's Song" by Eddie Harris.
This is the discography of American musician Bootsy Collins.
The solo discography of Japanese musician Towa Tei and his side project Sweet Robots Against the Machine includes 11 studio albums, two compilation albums, two soundtracks, three extended plays and nine singles. Towa Tei came to fame in 1990 as a member of the American house group Deee-Lite in 1990, and released his debut solo album Future Listening! in 1994.
Metafive was a Japanese band that consisted of Yukihiro Takahashi, Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, Towa Tei, Tomohiko Gondo, and Leo Imai.
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