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Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard, March 15, 1962), better known by his former stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer-songwriter who came to fame with his album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, released in July 1987, which included the singles "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name". The album has sold over 14 million copies.

Early life[link]

Sananda Maitreya was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, in 1962. He grew up with his stepfather, Reverend James Benjamin Darby, a minister of the Pentecostal church; and Frances Darby, a gospel singer,^[1] teacher and counselor. Maitreya was known to childhood friends as Terry Darby. His family moved from New York to New Jersey to Chicago and then settled in DeLand, Florida, north of Orlando. A graduate of DeLand High School, he sang with the Modernaires, a show choir of high school.^{[citation needed]}

Maitreya trained as a boxer in Orlando and won the Golden Gloves lightweight championship. He received an offer to attend boxing school in the United States Army, but his stepfather insisted he go to college instead. Maitreya enrolled at the University of Central Florida but quit a year later, enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was posted at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and then served in the 3rd Armored Division, near Frankfurt, West Germany.^[1] He was formally discharged by the army in April 1983 after going absent without leave. While in West Germany, he also worked with the band The Touch, releasing an album of material called Love On Time (1984).^[2] It was later re-issued in 1989 as Early Works after his worldwide success as a solo artist. In 1986 he left West Germany for London, where he briefly played with The Bojangels, after which he signed a solo recording deal.

Fame as Terence Trent D'Arby [link]

Maitreya's debut solo album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, released in July 1987, is his best-known commercial work.^[2] The album, which produced hits like "If You Let Me Stay", "Wishing Well", "Dance Little Sister", and "Sign Your Name", sold over a million copies in the first three days of its release, and its sales have totalled over 14 million.^{[citation needed]} The album also earned him a Grammy Award in March 1988 in the category Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. In that same year, he earned a Soul Train Award nomination for Best New Artist.

His follow-up was the album Neither Fish Nor Flesh (1989).^[2]

It took four more years and a move to Los Angeles until his next project, Symphony or Damn (1993) was released. The record contained the singles "Delicate" and "She Kissed Me". It peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart.^[2]

In 1995, Maitreya released Vibrator which was followed by a very successful world tour.^[2]

During the 1990s, the relations between him and his record label Columbia Records became strained, eventually leading to his departure in 1996. He moved to Java Records for one year, during which he recorded Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return, which was not released. In 2000, he bought back the rights to his unreleased album and left the record company as well as his management team, Lippman Entertainment.^{[citation needed]}

In 1999, Maitreya collaborated with INXS to replace his friend, the late vocalist Michael Hutchence, so the band could play at the opening of facilities for the Sydney Olympics.

Later career as Sananda Maitreya[link]

He adopted a new name (but without the middle name), Sananda Maitreya, following a series of dreams in 1995. He legally changed his name six years later on October 4, 2001. He proclaimed in an interview^{[citation needed]} that "Terence Trent D'Arby was dead... he watched his suffering as he died a noble death", in what was perceived as an attempt to reinvent himself artistically and free himself from what he believed to be the oppressive nature of the record business.

In 2001, Maitreya moved back to Europe and Germany, resettling in Munich and starting his own independent record label, Treehouse Pub. The year also marked his first album release in six years, as the unreleased Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return became the album Wildcard. The album, which received a very warm critical welcome, was initially available for free through his website. It later gained a commercial release through a one-album distribution deal with Universal Music and then an with an independent release with the artist's own record label.

In 2002, Maitreya moved to Milan, Italy, and began working on his next project, Angels & Vampires - Volume I. The songs were initially released through Weedshare by chapters, allowing the fans to get a glimpse of the work as it evolved. On July 29, 2005, the fully mastered album was finally released through his webshop utilizing the mp3 format and then became also available in CD format.

In July 2005, Maitreya started working on Angels & Vampires - Volume II. He released each chapter online as he finished recording the songs. On April 29, 2006, he released the finished mastered album in his online shop. That was followed by the release of the 2CD limited edition of 'Angels & Vampires' at the end of 2007. In 2009, the album Nigor Mortis: A Critical Mass was released on his official website both as a CD and as Mp3. In 2010 he started the recording of his next project called The Sphinx, available in CD and mastered mp3 on the ecommerce of his official website. Its release was first in chapters and then as the full mastered project in the spring of 2011 at Zooathalon.com.^[3] At the official website the instrumental version of two of his studio albums has also been made available.^[4]

Since the early stages of his music career he has always written, composed, arranged and produced all his tracks. In his new studio albums such as Angels & Vampires and Nigor Mortis and The Sphinx he also played all instruments. He has been touring with his band The Nudge Nudge throughout Europe to present his new music which he calls Post Millennium Rock. In April 2011 the live album Confessions of a Zooathaholic, which contains select performances of the Post Millennium Rock Tour 2010, has been released in mp3 format.^[5]

Film career[link]

Maitreya has appeared in two films, and in the TV mini-series Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story in which he played the part of Jackie Wilson.

His music has been included on several movie and television soundtracks, notably his version of the theme song of 1991's Frankie and Johnny. One of his songs was featured prominently in the end credits of Beverly Hills Cop III, "Right Thing, Wrong Way", which he wrote and produced with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Another of his songs, "What Shall I Do?", was featured in an episode of the UPN television series Girlfriends. In 2007, three songs appeared on Judd Apatow's movie Knocked Up.

Collaborations[link]

Maitreya was featured on "A Stronger Man", a dance single by Everything but the Girl's Ben Watt. He also sang a duet with Des'ree on the single "Delicate" from the album Symphony or Damn. In 2008, Nathan Jay remixed the song "As Yet Untitled" on "This Land Is Still My Home", from the album Virtually. He did background vocals on Corey Hart's "Love and Money" track from his 1992 album Attitude & Virtue. With Miki Howard he recorded I Love Every Little Thing About You.

In 1996 he co-wrote with Hans Zimmer, produced and performed "Letting Go" for the film The Fan starring Robert De Niro.

Personal life[link]

This section requires expansion.

Maitreya resides in Milan, Italy with his family, where he continues to create music.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

As Terence Trent D'Arby

^[2]

As Terence Trent D'Arby / Sananda Maitreya

As Sananda Maitreya

Compilation albums[link]

As Terence Trent D'Arby

• 2002: Greatest Hits (2CDs)

As Terence Trent D'Arby now known as Sananda Maitreya

• 2006 - Collections

EPs[link]

As Terence Trent D'Arby

Singles[link]

As Terence Trent D'Arby

Featured in[link]

As Sananda Maitreya

• 2004: "A Stronger Man" (Ben Watt feat. Sananda Maitreya)

Other appearances[link]

See also[link]

• List of Number 1 albums from the 1980s (UK)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• BRIT Awards
• Grammy Awards of 1989

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Sananda Maitreya on Myspace
• Facebook Official Page
• Terence Trent D'Arby at Rolling Stone

Benjamin Brian Thomas Watt (born 6 December 1962, Barnes, London) is a British musician, DJ, and record producer, best known as one half of the duo, Everything but the Girl.

Family[link]

Watt is the son of British bandleader Tommy Watt and has four half brothers and sisters. He is the youngest of the family. Watt lives with his spouse and creative partner Tracey Thorn in Hampstead, North London. They met at Hull University in 1981 and after 28 years as a couple, in 2009, they married at the Chelsea Registry Office. They have twin daughters, Jean and Alfie, born in 1998, and a son, Blake, born in 2001.^[1]

Recording artist[link]

Watt began recording in 1981 on the indie label Cherry Red - and went on to make the album North Marine Drive, a collection of folk-jazz solo recordings in 1983. He then joined forces with vocalist Tracey Thorn. For 18 years they wrote and recorded together - creating nine studio albums as Everything but the Girl (EBTG), signing to Warners in 1984, and then Virgin in 1995. These albums and many of their singles achieved UK and US chart success, the song "Missing" reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1995. In the mid-nineties, the band shifted focus from alt-pop towards electronica, charting with Walking Wounded, Protection (with Massive Attack), Temperamental and other work.^[2]

In 1984 Watt and Thorn also guested as "Honorary Councillors" on The Style Council's official debut album Cafe Bleu. Aside from backing vocals and other musical duties Watt played lead guitar on the instrumental title track and Thorn sang lead vocals on 'The Paris Match'.

DJ and remixer[link]

Lazy Dog[link]

In 1998, Ben Watt established the London deep house Sunday club and compilation series, "Lazy Dog" with Jay Hannan. The tiny Notting Hill Arts Club in west London, hosted it twice-monthly and they attracted a cult following. Watt moved away from EBTG's mainstream eclecticism and into club-oriented dance music production, producing a string of dance remixes for Sade, Sunshine Anderson, Zero 7, Maxwell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Sandy Rivera. Lazy Dog ended on 16 May 2003 with a farewell closing party at their second home, The End, in central London. They made two compilation CDs from that time: Lazy Dog Volumes 1 and 2.^[3]

Buzzin' Fly[link]

In April 2003, Watt launched his own independent deep house and techno record label, Buzzin' Fly (named after the Tim Buckley song). It went on to foster the careers of young producer/DJs such as Justin Martin, Mademoiselle Caro & Franck Garcia and Rodamaal.^[4] The label hosted Watt's own club productions such as Lone Cat, Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass (with Estelle) and defining work from remixers such as Ame, Radio Slave, Charles Webster and John Tejada. Buzzin' Fly won Best Breakthrough Label in the House Music Awards in 2004 and Runner-Up Best British Label from DJ Magazine Awards in 2007 and 2008.^[5]

Neighbourhood and Cherry Jam[link]

Watt helped found and own the West London nightclubs Neighbourhood and Cherry Jam. From 2002 to 2005, under his creative direction, Cherry Jam hosted underground club nights, art exhibitions, the long-running spoken-word night Book Slam and The Libertines' official debut show. At Neighbourhood, Watt brought in artists such as Groove Armada and many international DJs to guest at his own in-house club nights, hosting Rough Trade Records 25th Anniversary and the inaugural House Music Awards. He resigned in June 2005.

2007-2010[link]

In 2007, Watt launched Strange Feeling Records, an alt-indie sub-label of Buzzin' Fly. Early signings included the critically acclaimed Copenhagen band, Figurines, and the Hungarian trio The Unbending Trees. In 2010 the label released and globally distributed the third solo album Love And Its Opposite by Watt's wife Tracey Thorn. Watt also hosts the weekly Buzzin' Fly Radio Show that recently broadcast its 150th edition. It has seen lengthy stints on both the Galaxy Network and the Kiss Network as well us several internet restreams and global syndications. Watt remains a central figure on London's club scene and continues to DJ internationally.

Writing[link]

Watt's autobiographical book, Patient (Penguin, 1996), details his battle with the rare life-threatening auto-immune disease (Churg-Strauss syndrome).^[6] Watt's website states that it was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Sunday Times Book Of The Year, Village Voice Literary Supplement Favorite Book of the Year, and was a finalist for the Esquire-Waterstones (UK) Best Non-Fiction Award.^[7]

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

• "Cant" (Cherry Red Records) - June 1981
• "Summer Into Winter EP" (Cherry Red Records) with Robert Wyatt - March 1982
• "Some Things Don't Matter" (Cherry Red Records) - February 1983
• "Lone Cat" (Buzzin' Fly]) - April 2003
• "A Stronger Man" with Sananda Maitreya (Buzzin' Fly) - Jan 2004
• "Outspoken Part 1" (Buzzin' Fly) - Jan 2005 (feat "Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass" with Estelle and "Attack, Attack, Attack" with Baby Blak
• "Buzzin' Fly Vol 2 EP" (Buzzin' Fly) - April 2005 feat "Le Boom" by Justin Martin remixes of "Lone Cat (Holding On)" by Justin Martin, and "Pop A Cap In Yo Ass" by Ben Watt featuring Estelle)
• "We Are Silver EP" (Buzzin' Fly) - April 2007 (includes "Old Soul" and "Lone Cat" remix)
• "Just A Blip" (Buzzin' Fly) - June 2007 (features on Buzzin' Fly Vol 4 Sampler EP)
• "Guinea Pig" (Buzzin' Fly) - Oct 2008

Album[link]

• North Marine Drive (Cherry Red Records) - February 1983

Compilations mixed by Ben Watt[link]

• Lazy Dog Vol. 1 (Virgin Records) with Jay Hannan - October 2000
• Back To Mine with Tracey Thorn as Everything But The Girl - May 2001
• Lazy Dog Vol. 2 (Virgin Records) with Jay Hannan - March 2002
• Buzzin' Fly Vol 1: Replenishing Music for the Modern Soul (Buzzin' Fly) - March 2004
• Buzzin' Fly Vol 2: Replenishing Music for the Modern Soul (Buzzin' Fly) - April 2005
• Inthemix.06 with Ivan Gough (Australian release; 2 CDs) - November 2006
• Buzzin' Fly Vol 3 (Buzzin' Fly) - June 2006
• Buzzin' Fly Vol 4 (Buzzin' Fly) - May 2007
• Buzzin' Fly - 5 Golden Years in the Wilderness (Buzzin' Fly) - June 2008

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Ben Watt's MySpace page
• Everything But The Girl official site
• Buzzin' Fly Records