Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 UK chart-topper and US top five hit "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", and "Keep On Movin'" which reached number five in the UK and number 11 in the US. They won two Grammy Awards, and have been nominated for five Brit Awards—twice for Best British Group.
The group initially attracted attention as a sound system some years earlier run by founder Jazzie B, playing at nights including their own at the Africa Centre, London.
By 1988, the official lineup was recognized as Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Nellie Hooper, Simon Law, Doreen Waddell, Rose Windross, Daddae, Aitch B, and Jazzie Q. The group released their first single "Fairplay", with Rose Windross on lead vocals and which was recorded at the Africa Centre. where the collective hosted a regular Sunday night residency. The song charted at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart, whilst their follow-up single "Feel Free", which featured Doreen on lead vocals charted at number 64.
The weekly club night having grown ever more popular, moved to the much larger The Fridge Nightclub in Brixton, South London, where it would remain well into the 1990s. The collective used the venue to test their musical composites on the dance floor. Together with an eclectic mix of “Funki Dredd" – 'A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a lovin' race!' – themed club classics that combined British, Caribbean, African, and African American influences. On one memorable night in 1988 the residency hosted a 'PA' (Personal Appearance) by the nascent N.W.A. who were briefly in the UK promoting Straight Outta Compton. No one who was there quite realized the enormity of what they were witnessing, but the knowledgeable crowd certainly rose to the occasion.
Arguably Soul II Soul at The Fridge did as much to cement club culture and lay the visual and musical template for the 90's legal rave scene, and EDM explosion of the new millennium as The Haçienda in Manchester, and the Second Summer of Love in the UK & Ibiza.
Jazzie B and several other members of the group became involved in the local pirate radio station movement. Jazzie B even hosted his own show on KISS-FM
In March 1989, the group released their breakthrough single "Keep on Movin'", featuring Caron Wheeler on lead vocals. The song became a worldwide success and sold over one million copies in the United States of America. The following month, the group released their first album Club Classics Vol. One. The album peaked at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and sold over four million copies worldwide. The group continued their success with the single "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", the song charted at number 1 on the UK Singles chart. The single went on to win the group their first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1990.
In late 1989, Waddell and Windross departed from the group. Marcia Lewis, a cousin of Jazzie B, joined the group. The single "Get a Life", which featured Lewis on lead vocals, charted at number 3 on the UK Singles chart. The song also sold over 60 thousand copies in the United Kingdom. Lewis' debut performance came on Top of the Pops when she performed alongside Caron Wheeler and Jazzie B.
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Get a Life" Trevor Beresford Romeo, Hayden Maclaren Browne 3:42
2. "Love Come Through" Romeo, Michael McEvoy, Lamya Almugheira 4:30
3. "People" Romeo, Browne 4:55
4. "Missing You" Romeo, Simon Law, Kym Mazelle 5:24
5. "Courtney Blows" Romeo, Browne 4:33
6. "1990 A New Decade" Romeo, Tony Campbell 4:01
7. "A Dream's a Dream" Romeo, Law 5:37
8. "Time (Untitled)" Romeo, Browne 6:05
9. "In the Heat of the Night" Romeo, Browne 3:39
10. "Our Time Has Now Come" Romeo, Browne, Campbell 3:57
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