Yello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music.

Band history

In 1983, Yello received substantial media attention with the release of "I Love You" and "Lost Again". Perón left the band in 1983 to start a solo career. With their 1983 album ''You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess'', the band began a working relationship with Ernst Gamper, whose "corner cut" logo would represent them for three albums, and who would design covers for the group beyond the demise of this logo.

Meier is also a filmmaker, having written and directed the films ''Jetzt und Alles'' and ''Lightmaker'' as well as most of Yello's music videos. Additionally, Meier produces his own wine on his ranch.

In 2005, Yello re-released their early albums ''Solid Pleasure'', ''Claro Que Si'', ''You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess'', ''Stella'', ''One Second'', and ''Flag'', all with rare bonus tracks, as part of the Yello Remaster Series.

A documentary on Yello, ''Electro Pop made in Switzerland'', directed by Anka Schmid, was premiered at the Riff Raff cinema in Zürich in September 2005.

Yello was commissioned to produce music for the launch of the Audi A5 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007 and for the Audi A5 commercial in May 2007.

Musical style

The music is composed by Boris Blank, who considers himself a perfectionist. When the tracks are mostly finished, Dieter Meier adds the vocal parts when fitting.

In popular culture

Yello's music has been popular in the TV, advertisement and movie industries.

The single "Oh Yeah" became famous after being featured in the American movies ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''The Secret of My Succe$s'', ''She's Out of Control'', ''K-9'', the short film ''5 Men and a Limo''. The song is used on ''The Simpsons'' as the theme for the Duffman character. "Oh Yeah" is used as the soundtrack in the game ''Gran Turismo 4'', where it is played after a failed license test, and in the television advertisements for Irn-Bru featuring "Raoul". A short excerpt of "Oh Yeah" is also used in the South Park episode "Hell on Earth 2006", namely in the making of the Ferrari cake scene. It also featured prominently in commercials for Twix candy bars and the Austin Metro, and was used extensively in commercials for the now defunct New Zealand department store, DEKA. "Oh Yeah" also appeared in Season 4 of ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' in the episode 'Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack'. The characters Charlie and Mac were singing the song and referred to it as 'Day Bow Bow'.

The song "Tied Up" was used in the opening credits of the 1990 film "Opportunity Knocks". A piece of the song "The Race" was also used in a scene in the film.

The song "Desire" featured in the 1989 TV movie/pilot "Nick Knight"

The band did the entire background score for the 1990 action-comedy ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.''

The songs "Desire", "Tied Up", and "Otto Di Catania" were used in the 1991 film ''Dutch''.

The song "Tied Up" was used in the 1989 film "She-Devil".

The song "Oh, yeah" was used in a movie K9 and also in an episode "kak vse" of a Russian TV journal "Eralash".

The songs "Desire", "Moon on Ice", and "Call It Love" were used in seasons 3 and 4 of the TV series ''Miami Vice''.

A Chilean contest and music TV program for teenagers called "Extra Jóvenes" - that lasted from the late 1980s through most of the 1990s - used the song "Tied Up" as the program's intro and for its respective advertisements.

Another single, "The Race", is well known in Germany as the theme music to the 1980s pop show ''Formel Eins'', and was also used in the movie ''Nuns on the Run''. It is also featured in ''The Cutting Edge'' as the music for the main skaters' short program. "The Race" is also featured in the ''Pink Panther'' movie of 2006. Moreover, it has been heavily used by Eurosport and numerous car related programs, as well as the theme music for a British television commercial advertising Scalextric. For many years, the BBC television programme Grandstand used the music to accompany the introduction and what's on.

Yello created the soundtracks for the British comedy film ''Nuns on the Run'' and the American movie ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'', and recorded a version of "Jingle Bells" for the film ''The Santa Clause''. A small fraction of the song "Lost Again" was used in the movie ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles''.

Swiss car firm Rinspeed produced the "Yello Talbo" concept car in 1996 in association with the group.

In 1995, Yello composed the soundtrack for Manga Video's UK version of the anime movie ''Space Adventure Cobra'' released in 1982 in Japan. The soundtrack consists of "Drive/Driven", "Daily Disco", "Rubberbandman", "Do It", "Of Course I'm Lying", "Suite 909", "How How", "Night Train", "Fat Cry", "Hawaiian Chance", "Sweet Thunder", "Poom Shanka", "Blue Green", and "Dr. Van Steiner". In addition to these tracks, there were others done exclusively for the movie that would later be reused and become the song "Beyond Mirrors" on Yello's 1997 album ''Pocket Universe''.

In 2009 the online music store Beatport held a contest allowing producers to remix two of the band's most popular songs, Bostich and Oh Yeah. Meier and Blank chose three remixes from each song to be released on Yello's label Tiger Records.

Discography

Studio albums

Other albums

References

External links

Category:Musical groups established in 1979 Category:Dance musical groups Category:Techno music groups Category:Swiss electronic music groups Category:Swiss New Wave musical groups Category:Synthpop groups Category:Vertigo Records artists

Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE (born 8 January 1937), is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the mid-1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century". In the US, in particular, she is best known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films ''Goldfinger'' (1964), ''Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971), and ''Moonraker'' (1979), and is a UNESCO Artist for Peace.

Birth to 1959

As a preteen attending Moorland Road School, Bassey's strong voice was noticed by teachers and students alike, though without encouragement: "...everyone told me to shut up. Even in the school choir the teacher kept telling me to back off till I was singing in the corridor! [A classmate] recalled her singing 'Can't help lovin' that man of mine' from ''Showboat'' with such feeling that she made [their] teacher uncomfortable." After leaving Splott Secondary Modern School at the age of 14, Bassey first found employment packing at a local factory while singing in local public houses and clubs in the evenings and weekends.

In 1953, Bassey signed her first professional contract, to sing in a touring variety show ''Memories of Jolson'', a musical based on the life of Al Jolson. She next took up a professional engagement in ''Hot from Harlem'', which ran until 1954. By this time Bassey had become disenchanted with show business, and had become pregnant at 16 with her elder daughter, Sharon—the father has not been identified— so she went back to waiting tables in Cardiff.

In 1955, a chance recommendation to Michael Sullivan, a booking agent, put Bassey firmly on course for her destined career. He saw talent in Bassey, and decided he would make her a star. She toured various theatres until she was seen by Jack Hylton whose interest in her put her firmly on the road to stardom. He invited her to star in Al Read's ''Such Is Life'' at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. During the show's run, Philips A&R; and record producer Johnny Franz spotted her on television, was impressed, and offered her a recording deal. Bassey recorded her first single, entitled "Burn My Candle", and Philips released it in February 1956, when Bassey was 19. Owing to the suggestive lyrics, the BBC banned it, but it sold well nonetheless, backed with her powerful rendition of "Stormy Weather". Further singles followed, and in February 1957, Bassey had her first hit with "The Banana Boat Song", which reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. During that year, she also recorded under the direction of American producer Mitch Miller in New York for the Columbia label, producing the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread" b/w "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying". She then travelled to Las Vegas to make her American stage début at El Rancho Vegas. In mid-1958, she recorded two singles that would become classics in the Bassey catalogue. "As I Love You" was released as the B-side of another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea"; it did not sell well at first, but after a chance appearance at the London Palladium things began to pick up. In January 1959, it reached No. 1 and stayed there for four weeks. It thus became the first number 1 single by a Welsh artist. Bassey also recorded "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" at this point, and while "As I Love You" raced up the charts, so too did this record, with both songs being in the top three at the same time. A few months later, Bassey signed to EMI's Columbia label, and the second phase in her recording career had begun.

1960 to 1979

In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her only U.S. Top 40 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit with the title song of the James Bond film, ''Goldfinger''. The single peaked at No. 8, while the original soundtrack of ''Goldfinger'' hit No. 1 in the U.S. that same year. Also in 1965, she sang the title track for the spoof James Bond film ''The Liquidator'', and had a Top 20 live album recorded during a sell-out run at London's ''Pigalle''.

From 1964 onwards the "Goldfinger" single had a lasting impact on her career: writing for the sleeve notes of Bassey's ''25th Anniversary Album'', Clayton (1978) notes that: "Acceptance in America was considerably helped by the enormous popularity of ("Goldfinger")...But she had actually established herself there as early as 1961, in cabaret in New York. She was also a success in Las Vegas...'I suppose I should feel hurt that I've never been really big in America on record since "Goldfinger"...But, concertwise, I always sell out.'..." This was reflected in the fact that Bassey had only one solo LP to reach the Top 20 in a US chart (R&B;, ''Live at Carnegie Hall''), and she was technically a one-hit wonder, making only one appearance in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, "Goldfinger". But in the aftermath of "Goldfinger" her UK sales started to falter as well: only two of her singles would enter the UK Top 40 until 1970. She had signed to United Artists, and her first album on that label, 1966's ''I've Got a Song for You'', spent one week on the chart; from there until 1970, only two albums would chart, one of those a compilation. In 1967 came the release of one of her best-known singles "Big Spender", although it charted just outside the UK Top 20.

Bassey started living as a tax exile in 1968, and was not permitted to work in Britain for almost two years. Also in 1968, at the Sanremo Festival in Italy, she performed "La vita", an Italian song by Bruno Canfora and Antonio Amurri, with some lyrics re-written in English by Norman Newell for her performance. Her version of the song with chorus sung in Italian became a Top 40 hit on the Italian chart, and Bassey recorded several songs in Italian, some appearing on a 1968 Italian album titled ''La vita''. (Later, Newell would write English lyrics for the rest of "La vita", and the result was "This Is My Life".) But her UK sales continued to suffer.

Bassey's UK comeback came in 1970, leading to one of the most successful periods of her career. In this year, she returned to the UK with a record breaking run of performances at the ''Talk of the Town'' nightclub. Also in that year, she released the album ''Something'', which showcased a new Bassey style, a shift from traditional pop to more contemporary songs and arrangements (the single of the same name was more successful in the UK charts than the original Beatles recording - the only artist to have achieved this), though Bassey would never completely abandon what had been her forte, standards, show tunes, and torch songs. "Something" was also a Top 10 U.S. hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles of this period included top ten hits "For All We Know" (1971) and "Never Never Never" (1973) – the latter reaching the Top 10 in the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart, the UK Top 10 and and number one in Australia and South Africa. The success of "Something" (single No. 4, album No. 5) spawned a series of successful albums on the UA label, including ''Something Else'' (1971), ''And I Love You So'' (1972), ''I Capricorn'' (1972), ''Never Never Never'' (1973), ''Good, Bad but Beautiful'' (1975), ''Love, Life and Feelings'' (1976), ''You Take My Heart Away'' (1977) and ''Yesterdays'' (1978). Bernard Ighner wrote and duetted with Bassey for the track "Davy" on the ''Nobody Does It Like Me'' album (1974). Additionally, two of Bassey's earlier LPs entered the charts, 1967's ''And We Were Lovers'' (re-issued as ''Big Spender''), and 1962's ''Let's Face the Music'' (re-issued as ''What Now My Love''). Two compilations, ''The Shirley Bassey Singles Album'' (1975) and ''25th Anniversary Album'' (1978) both made the UK top three: ''The Shirley Bassey Singles Album'' her highest charting album at number two and earning a gold disc, and ''25th Anniversary Album'' going platinum.

Between 1970 and 1979, Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart. In 1976, Bassey starred in the six-episode ''The Shirley Bassey Show'', the first of her television programs for the BBC, followed by a second series of six episodes in 1979. The final show of the first series was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1977. The series featured guests including Neil Diamond, Michel Legrand, The Three Degrees and Dusty Springfield; filmed in various locations throughout the world as well as in the studio. In 1978, Bassey pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly "after shouting abuse in the street and pushing a policeman". Bassey closed out the decade with her third title theme for the Bond films, ''Moonraker'' (1979).

1980 to 1999

In 1994 EMI released the five-CD box set ''Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959 – 1979''. The accompanying booklet opened with a poem by Marc Almond. In 1996, Bassey collaborated with Chris Rea in the film ''La Passione'', appearing in the film as herself and releasing the single "'Disco' La Passione". The remix of this single proved a major club hit throughout Europe, though charting just outside the UK top 40. Bassey released a new recording the following year, "History Repeating", written for her by the Propellerheads and scoring a No. 1 on the UK Dance Chart, and No. 10 on the US Dance Chart. It was also a top ten hit in Italy. The liner notes of the Propellerheads' album ''Decksandrumsandrockandroll'' included the lines "We would like to extend our maximum respect to Shirley Bassey for honouring us with her performance. We are still in shock ..." Bassey celebrated her 60th birthday in 1997 with two open-air concerts, at Castle Howard and Althorp Park, and another TV special. The resulting live album ''The Birthday Concert'' received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. On 7 October 1998 in Egypt, Bassey performed for a benefit at an open air concert close to the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid.

In the 1998 film ''Little Voice'', Bassey was one of three central figures along with Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, and Bassey's track "Goldfinger" featured in the movie. Jane Horrocks, the lead actress in the film, went on to impersonate Bassey both on record and television, as well as during a UK tour.

In 1998 Bassey was sued in a breach of contract case by her former personal assistant, who also accused Bassey of hitting her and making an ethnic slur. Bassey won the case. The episode was lampooned by Alexander Baron in his one-act play, ''The Trial of Shirley Bassey''.

The following year, she performed the official song for the rugby World Cup, "World in Union", with Bryn Terfel at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, wearing a gown designed on the Welsh flag. Their single made the Top 40, and Bassey contributed two more songs to the official album ''Land of My Fathers'', which reached No. 1 on the UK compilations chart, and went silver.

2000 to date

Two popular ''Audiences with Shirley Bassey'' have aired on British television, one in 1995 that attracted more than 10 million viewers in the UK, with the most recent in 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June the same year, culminating at Wembley. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel Faenol Festival in North Wales broadcast by BBC Wales.

Marks & Spencer signed her for their Christmas 2006 James Bond-style television advertising campaign. Bassey is seen in a glamorous Ice Palace singing a cover version of Pink's song "Get the Party Started", wearing an M&S; gown.

"The Living Tree", written, produced and originally recorded by the group Never the Bride, was released as a single on 23 April 2007, marking Bassey's 50th anniversary in the UK Singles Chart – and the record for the longest span of Top 40 hits in UK chart history. A new album, ''Get the Party Started'', was subsequently released on 25 June 2007 and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 6. The single of the title song reached No. 3 on the U.S. Dance Chart. The same year, Bassey performed "Big Spender" with Elton John at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2007, Bassey performed in ''Fashion Rocks'' in aid of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.

She was rushed to hospital in Monaco on 23 May 2008 to have an emergency operation on her stomach after complaining of abdominal pains. She was forced to pull out of the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute concert because of her illness. A biography, ''Diamond Diva'', was published in 2008. In 2009 her granddaughter appeared on ''The X Factor''.

In 2009, Bassey recorded the album, ''The Performance'', with James Bond composer David Arnold as co-producer (with Mike Dixon). A number of artists wrote songs expressly for Bassey, including Manic Street Preachers, Gary Barlow, KT Tunstall, Pet Shop Boys, Nick Hodgson of the Kaiser Chiefs, John Barry and Don Black.

Bassey headlined at the BBC Electric Proms on 23 October 2009, in her only full live set of 2009.

In November 2009, she performed several of the new songs from ''The Performance'' on various TV shows: ''The Graham Norton Show'', ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' and as the guest singer on ''Strictly Come Dancing''.

Bassey performed at the Rainforest Foundation Fund 21st Birthday concert at Carnegie Hall, New York City on 13 May 2010.

On 30 March 2011, Bassey performed at a gala celebrating the 80th birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev. She also performed at the Classical Brit Awards in 2011, singing "Goldfinger" in tribute to John Barry.

On 21 May 2011, Bassey became the godmother of P&O; Cruise's latest ship Adonia at the naming ceremony in Southampton, England.

On 20 June 2011, Bassey sang "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger", accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, at the John Barry Memorial Concert the Royal Albert Hall in London.

On 29 September 2011, the BBC broadcast a 70 minute drama, entitled ''Shirley'', depicting Bassey's early life and career. Ruth Negga played the title role.

Personal life

Kenneth Hume (died 1967), a gay film producer, whom she married in 1961. The couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1965, in the wake of the singer's affair with actor Peter Finch. Bassey then announced to the press that she and Finch would not be marrying, telling the press, "It simply wouldn't work out. Just now I am not ready for marriage to anyone. I feel I have to be free". A year later, Hume sued the actor and another man, John McAuliffe, for being "indiscreet" with the singer. Both Finch and McAuliffe were cited as co-respondents in the Hume-Bassey divorce. For her part, Bassey was named as co-respondent in 1965 when Finch's wife, South African actress Yolande Turner, divorced the actor.

Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Rome, Italy. Bassey and Novak were married from 1968 until they divorced in 1979. Novak served as Bassey's manager throughout this time. With Novak she adopted her grand-nephew, Mark.

The fathers of Bassey's two daughters, Sharon Bassey (aka Sharon Novak, born 1954) and Samantha Bassey (aka Samantha Novak, born 1963) are unknown. However, Bassey's first husband suggested that Samantha, born during the couple's marriage, was the result of an affair between Bassey and Peter Finch. In 1965, according to an article in ''Jet'', "There is a big dispute in London over who is the father of tempestuous singer Shirley Bassey's baby. Although one-time boy friend English actor Peter Finch agreed that the child may not belong to Shirley's divorced husband, Kenneth Hume, Finch insists it does not belong to him ... "

In 1985, Samantha Novak, age 21, was found dead in the River Avon in Bristol, England. Bassey has always maintained that the death of her daughter was not a suicide. On 24 March 2010, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they were undertaking fresh inquiries into the death of Novak, and specifically claims that the convicted killer Michael Moffat was involved in her death. However, in October 2010 it was reported that the investigation came to an end and concluded that there "is no evidence of any criminal act involved" in Novak's death.

Bassey's granddaughter Tatjana Novak-Kimsey, daughter of the singer's one-time estranged son, Mark Novak, was a contestant on ''The X Factor''. (In a 2009 interview, Bassey stated that she and her son had reconciled).

Bassey has four grandsons through her daughter, Sharon Novak.

Bassey currently resides in Monte Carlo.

Awards and achievements

|event=Best Female Singer – TV Times}} |event=Best Female Singer – TV Times}} |event=Best Female Entertainer – American Guild of Variety Artists}} |event=Best Female Singer – Music Week}} |event=22-day British tour to mark twenty years as a recording artist}} |event=EMI Award for twenty years as a recording artist – UK}} |event=Best British Female Solo Artist in the previous 25 years – BRIT Award}} |event=Golden Rose of Montreux nomination for ''The Shirley Bassey Show''}} |event=Walk of Fame, Star Boulevard – plaque unveiled in Rotterdam}} |event=CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire}} |event=Showbusiness Personality of the Year – Variety Club of Great Britain}} |event=Grammy nomination – ''The Birthday Concert'' (recorded live at Althorp Park)}} |event=Longest run by a solo artist (ten shows) – Royal Festival Hall, London}} |event=Légion d'Honneur – France}} |event=Madam Tussaud's waxwork unveiled in London (second model in Las Vegas)}} |event=DBE – Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire}} |event=Most Successful British Female Singer – Guinness Book of Records}} |event=Outstanding Contribution to Music – National Music Awards, UK}} |event=Lifetime Achievement Award (inaugural award) – Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year Awards}} |event=100 Great Black Britons, Bassey voted into the top ten}} |event=Artist for Peace Award – UNESCO}} |event=Avenue of Stars – plaque unveiled in London}} |event="Goldfinger" – United Artists single (1964) inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame}}

Discography

Bibliography

See also

References

External links

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Black British musicians Category:Brit Award winners Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Singers awarded knighthoods Category:People from Cardiff Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Welsh female singers Category:Welsh people of Nigerian descent Category:British expatriates in Monaco

Field Music are a band from Sunderland, England who formed in 2004. The band's core consists of brothers David and Peter Brewis (who at one time played drums for fellow Sunderland band The Futureheads), with Andrew Moore. Their line-ups have at times featured members of both Maxïmo Park and The Futureheads. Previous incarnations include The New Tellers and Electronic Eye Machine.

History

In an interview with BBC 6 Music in April 2007 the band claimed they were intending to split once the promotional engagements for ''Tones of Town'' were completed in June 2007.

We basically want to do things that aren't classed as 'Field Music indie band'. We're not going to be a band for a bit. But Field Music aren't going to be over because we've already got a bank account under the name, so we'll just continue as a company. It's time to go and do some real work.

Field Music has in fact confirmed that the band has not split. On their official website the band members address the issue and reassure fans as they are still a band, they simply wish it to be known that the band is a by-product of their existence, not their reason for it.

David Brewis released an album as School of Language in February 2008 through Memphis Industries (in the UK and Ireland) and Thrill Jockey Records (in the US and Europe), while Peter Brewis recorded an album under the name The Week That Was which was released on 18 August 2008, also with Memphis Industries.

In an interview with Stereogum in July 2009, the band confirmed that they had reunited (minus Andrew Moore) and were busy recording a third Field Music record. The 20 tune album, titled 'Field Music (Measure)' was released through Memphis Industries in February, 2010 (Feb. 15 in the UK, Feb. 16 in the US).

Field Music have been celebrated as one of the few bands to transcend and outlast the short-lived ''NME''-generated "post-punk revival" of the mid-noughties. Describing the band as "a truly artful proposition in the pseud-filled landscape of contemporary Brit art-rock", music blog ''The Fantastic Hope'' puts this down in part to their "un-self-conscious anti-fashion stance", arguing that Field Music's "wayward pop from the fringes of academia is one of the most worthwhile ways in which rock//indie/guitar music/white pop/whatever might evolve".

The band was chosen personally by Belle & Sebastian to perform at their second Bowlie Weekender festival presented by All Tomorrow's Parties in the UK in December 2010.

Their fourth album, ''Plumb'', was released on February 13, 2012. It was preceded by the song "(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing", available as a free download from their website.

In an interview with Songfacts.com, legendary guitarist and producer Al Kooper said that Field Music is his favorite new band.

Discography

Albums

Albums as "School Of Language" (David Brewis)

Albums as "The Week That Was" (Peter Brewis)

Other

Singles

References

External links

Category:English indie rock groups Category:People from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear