Alison Moyet
Encyclopedia
Alison Moyet is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her blues
y voice.
Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart, with two of the albums reaching number one. She has also achieved nine Top 30 singles and five Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart
.
town of Billericay
to a French
father and English mother. She grew up in the nearby town of Basildon
, where she attended Markhams Chase Junior School. Upon leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop assistant and trained as a piano tuner
. She was involved in a number of punk rock
, pub rock
and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Vandals
, the Screamin' Ab Dabs
, the Vicars and the Little Roosters (the latter featuring Gary Lammin formerly of Cock Sparrer
).
with former Depeche Mode
member Vince Clarke
. In the United States, the band became known as Yaz, as there was a record label in the region already operating as Yazoo Records
that presented trademark
issues. Yazoo had several hits, including "Only You
", "Don't Go
", "Situation
" and "Nobody's Diary
", and recorded two albums, Upstairs at Eric's
and You and Me Both
.
In 1983, Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form The Assembly
(another duo, this time with Eric Radcliffe
) and then Erasure
(a duo again, with Andy Bell
), Moyet signed to CBS
(in part because it had been Janis Joplin
's label), and began her solo career.
During mid-2008, Moyet reunited with Clarke as Yazoo for a series of live dates.
(titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf was produced by the record producing and songwriting team of Jolley & Swain
. The album was co-written by the duo and Moyet, with the exception of "Invisible
", which was written specifically for her by Lamont Dozier
. The record was a hit in Britain, reaching #1 in the album chart. Alf spawned three international hit singles, "Love Resurrection
" (UK #10), "Invisible
" (UK #21) and "All Cried Out
" (UK #8). In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved). In some European territories, a fourth single, "For You Only", was also released.
In 1985, Moyet performed at Live Aid
alongside Paul Young
, and later returned unscheduled to the stage (alongside Bob Geldof
, David Bowie
and Pete Townshend
) to provide vocals on "Let It Be
" when the microphone on Paul McCartney
's piano failed, leaving him unable to be heard. Moyet also released a single not featured on Alf, a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love", which climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart
(it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single).
Moyet had another big UK hit the following year with "Is This Love?
" (co-written by the Eurythmics
' David A. Stewart
, under the pseudonym Jean Guiot), followed in 1987 by her second LP, Raindancing
. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak in the Presence of Beauty
" and "Ordinary Girl
". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters
", which peaked at UK #4. The video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders
.
Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Hoodoo was released in 1991. The album sold respectably in the UK, and Moyet was nominated for a Grammy
for the single "It Won't Be Long
". However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists (including Aimee Mann
and the late Kirsty MacColl
), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.
Moyet's next album, Essex
(1994), was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name
" again featured Dawn French.
Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest hits compilation of Moyet's work. Singles
entered the UK charts at #1 and, following a UK tour, was re-issued as a double CD set which included "Live (No Overdubs)", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue, Singles charted again, this time in the Top 20.
Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, she recorded vocals for Tricky
, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene
, The Lightning Seeds, and King Britt
, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair
tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet
CD, and in 2002 The Essential Alison Moyet DVD.
In 1995, she sang back-up vocals with Sinéad O'Connor
for one of Dusty Springfield's last television appearances, singing "Where Is a Woman to Go?" on the music show Later With Jools Holland
.
In August 2002, Moyet was released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records
and released her first studio album in eight years. Hometime
was produced by The Insects
, who had also produced works by Massive Attack
and Madonna. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002, and resulted in a BRIT Awards
nomination for Best Female Vocalist, as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Hometime was certified Gold in the UK for sales in excess of 100,000 copies with little promotion.
Voice, a collection of cover version
s, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at #7. Scored and produced by Moyet's neighbour (and Academy Award winner) Anne Dudley
, the album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie". A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006. Voice was certified Gold in the UK within four weeks of its release.
In December 2006 Moyet signed a recording contract
with W14 Music, a Universal Music Group
imprint. The deal saw Moyet reunited with label head John Williams, who was her A&R
man for her last two albums, Hometime and Voice.
Moyet's album, The Turn
, was released on 15 October 2007, preceded by the single "One More Time" a week earlier. The album featured self-penned songs, including the three numbers she wrote for the stage play, Smaller in which she starred with Dawn French. For these songs, again Moyet worked alongside producer/songwriter and frequent Moyet collaborator Pete Glenister. The Turn debuted at #21 on the UK Albums Chart
on 22 October 2007. Alison left W14 shortly after the release of The Turn. Promotional videos for the tracks "One More Time", "Anytime At All", "The Man in the Wings" and "A Guy Like You" are on Youtube
and Moyet's Myspace
site.
Sony Music released Revisited: The Very Best of Alison Moyet on 19 October 2009. The track listing was compiled by Moyet including material from her seven solo albums. The 'deluxe' version of the album contained an extra disc, with re-recorded versions of older songs. In support of the release Moyet toured the UK and Ireland during November and December 2009.
Sony Music confirmed that Moyet's four solo albums (Alf, Raindancing, Hoodoo and Essex) were being digitally re-mastered and will include b-sides
and bonus material.
Alison is Jools Holland
's Special Guest throughout his UK Tour of the UK for 2010. Alison has contributed vocals on the latest Jools Holland album released 15 November 2010 on the song titled 'The Man That Got Away. The song was made famous by Judy Garland
.
Alison has confirmed that she is writing her new album with Guy Sigsworth. Alison confirmed on BBC 6 live her new album (8th solo album) will be released in 2012.
production of the musical Chicago
in 2001. She played the part of Matron 'Mama' Morton, and although initially planned to be a short run, it was extended to six months. In 2006, she appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a stint at London's Lyric Theatre
.
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
y voice.
Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart, with two of the albums reaching number one. She has also achieved nine Top 30 singles and five Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Early life
Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet was born in the small EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
town of Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
to a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
father and English mother. She grew up in the nearby town of Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
, where she attended Markhams Chase Junior School. Upon leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop assistant and trained as a piano tuner
Piano tuning
Piano tuning is the act of making minute adjustments to the tensions of the strings of a piano to properly align the intervals between their tones so that the instrument is in tune. The meaning of the term in tune in the context of piano tuning is not simply a particular fixed set of pitches...
. She was involved in a number of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, pub rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Vandals
The Vandals (UK)
'The Vandals' were a late 1970s English rock band from Basildon in South East Essex. Playing in the punk rock style, they are mainly notable for featuring vocalist Alison Moyet, 'Alf' as she was then known, who later found fame as half of 1980s synthpop act Yazoo. Another member was Robert...
, the Screamin' Ab Dabs
The Screamin' Ab Dabs
The Screamin' Ab Dabs were a 1980s rhythm and blues band from Essex, England, fronted by singer Alison Moyet and also featuring guitarist Andy Stevens and drummer Micky Ogden along with various bass players.....
, the Vicars and the Little Roosters (the latter featuring Gary Lammin formerly of Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer are a punk rock band formed in 1972 in the East End of London, England. Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, they are considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre...
).
Yazoo
Beginning her mainstream pop career in 1982, at the age of 21, she formed the electropop duo YazooYazoo (band)
Yazoo are a British synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex. They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s...
with former Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
member Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
. In the United States, the band became known as Yaz, as there was a record label in the region already operating as Yazoo Records
Yazoo Records
Yazoo Records is an American record label, founded in the late 1960s by Nick Perls. It specializes in early American blues, country, jazz, and other rural American genres ....
that presented trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
issues. Yazoo had several hits, including "Only You
Only You (Yazoo song)
-Track listing:7": Mute/7 MUTE 20 # "Only You" - 3:10# "Situation" - 3:447": Sire/9 2-98447 # "Only You" - 3:10# "Winter Kills" - 4:0112": Mute/12 MUTE 20 # "Only You" - 3:10# "Situation" - 5:20CD: Mute/CD MUTE 20...
", "Don't Go
Don't Go (Yazoo song)
"Don't Go" is the second single taken from the British New Wave band Yazoo's debut album, Upstairs at Eric's. Released in the UK in July of 1982, the song peaked at #3 on the UK singles chart, becoming Yazoo's second top five hit. In the US, where the band was known as Yaz, the song was their...
", "Situation
Situation (song)
"Situation" is the title of a 1982 single by the British synthpop band Yazoo. The song was originally released in the UK as the B-side to Yazoo's debut single, "Only You", which went to number two on the UK Singles Chart. Released as a single in its own right in the U.S., the song peaked at number...
" and "Nobody's Diary
Nobody's Diary
"Nobody's Diary" is a song recorded by British synthpop band Yazoo. It was released as the only single from their 1983 album, You and Me Both. The song was written by Yazoo vocalist Alison Moyet and produced by the band and Eric Radcliffe....
", and recorded two albums, Upstairs at Eric's
Upstairs at Eric's
Upstairs at Eric's is Yazoo's first album produced by the band and E.C. Radcliffe with assistance from Daniel Miller. It reached # 2 in UK and # 92 in US...
and You and Me Both
You and Me Both
You and Me Both is the second, and final, album released by British synthpop duo Yazoo in 1983. As was their debut, the record was produced by Yazoo members Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet along with E.C. Radcliffe...
.
In 1983, Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form The Assembly
The Assembly
The Assembly were a synthpop project formed in 1983 in Basildon, England by:* Vince Clarke * Eric Radcliffe...
(another duo, this time with Eric Radcliffe
Eric Radcliffe
Eric Radcliffe is a recording engineer and producer who worked with New Wave and synthpop bands in the early 1980s in Basildon, England...
) and then Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
(a duo again, with Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
), Moyet signed to CBS
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(in part because it had been Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
's label), and began her solo career.
During mid-2008, Moyet reunited with Clarke as Yazoo for a series of live dates.
Solo career
In 1984, Moyet released her debut solo album AlfAlf (album)
Alf is the debut solo studio album of British singer/songwriter Alison Moyet, her first since leaving 80s electro-pop duo Yazoo...
(titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf was produced by the record producing and songwriting team of Jolley & Swain
Jolley & Swain
Steve Jolley and Tony Swain were a successful pop musician, songwriting and record production duo in the United Kingdom in the early to mid-1980s, producing some of the top artists and songs of the era....
. The album was co-written by the duo and Moyet, with the exception of "Invisible
Invisible (Alison Moyet song)
"Invisible" is a song recorded by Alison Moyet in 1984, written by Lamont Dozier , from her album Alf....
", which was written specifically for her by Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
. The record was a hit in Britain, reaching #1 in the album chart. Alf spawned three international hit singles, "Love Resurrection
Love Resurrection
"Love Resurrection" is a pop song written by English singer-songwriter Alison Moyet and producers Jolley & Swain for Moyet's debut studio album Alf . Released as the album's first single in June 1984, it reached number 10 in the UK...
" (UK #10), "Invisible
Invisible (Alison Moyet song)
"Invisible" is a song recorded by Alison Moyet in 1984, written by Lamont Dozier , from her album Alf....
" (UK #21) and "All Cried Out
All Cried Out
"All Cried Out" is a song by English singer-songwriter Alison Moyet. It was written by Moyet and producers Jolley & Swain for her debut studio album Alf...
" (UK #8). In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved). In some European territories, a fourth single, "For You Only", was also released.
In 1985, Moyet performed at Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
alongside Paul Young
Paul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
, and later returned unscheduled to the stage (alongside Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
) to provide vocals on "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
" when the microphone on Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's piano failed, leaving him unable to be heard. Moyet also released a single not featured on Alf, a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love", which climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single).
Moyet had another big UK hit the following year with "Is This Love?
Is This Love? (Alison Moyet song)
"Is This Love?" is a song performed by the English singer Alison Moyet and co-written by Moyet and Jean Guiot. The name Jean Guiot is a false one given by Dave Stewart who actually co-wrote and produced the song...
" (co-written by the Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
' David A. Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
, under the pseudonym Jean Guiot), followed in 1987 by her second LP, Raindancing
Raindancing
Raindancing is the title of the second solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album includes four single releases; "Is This Love?" , "Weak in the Presence of Beauty", "Ordinary Girl" and "Sleep Like Breathing", a duet with David Freeman of the band The Lover Speaks...
. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak in the Presence of Beauty
Weak in the Presence of Beauty
"Weak in the Presence of Beauty" is a song written by Michael Ward and Rob Clarke which was first released by their band, Floy Joy, in 1986. The song was later covered by singer Alison Moyet in 1987 and became a hit for her.-Floy Joy version:...
" and "Ordinary Girl
Ordinary Girl (Alison Moyet song)
"Ordinary Girl" is vocalist Alison Moyet's second single of 1987 from the album Raindancing.The single failed to enter the UK top 40, peaking at #43 for a total of four weeks, the first single of Moyet's to fail the top 40 at the time...
". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters
Love Letters (song)
"Love Letters" is a 1945 popular song with music by Victor Young and lyrics by Edward Heyman. The song appeared, without lyrics, in the movie of the same name, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song for 1945....
", which peaked at UK #4. The video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders
French & Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
.
Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Hoodoo was released in 1991. The album sold respectably in the UK, and Moyet was nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for the single "It Won't Be Long
It Won't Be Long (song)
"It Won't Be Long" is vocalist Alison Moyet's first single of 1991 and first single from Moyet since 1987, four years earlier. The song was the lead single from the album Hoodoo....
". However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists (including Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
and the late Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.
Moyet's next album, Essex
Essex (album)
Essex is the title of the fourth studio album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album is named after the artist's native Essex, England and includes the singles "Falling" , "Whispering Your Name", "Getting into Something" and "Ode to Boy II".Essex was again a source of controversy for the...
(1994), was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name
Whispering Your Name
"Whispering Your Name" is vocalist Alison Moyet's first single of 1994 and second single from the album Essex.The single became Moyet's eighth single to enter the UK top 40 but also her last to date, peaking at #18 for a total of seven weeks...
" again featured Dawn French.
Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest hits compilation of Moyet's work. Singles
Singles (album, Alison Moyet)
Singles is the title of the greatest hits album of singer Alison Moyet, released in 1995. The album includes two previously unreleased tracks, Moyet's version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Solid Wood", as well as a number of hits from the singer's stint in 80s electro-pop band...
entered the UK charts at #1 and, following a UK tour, was re-issued as a double CD set which included "Live (No Overdubs)", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue, Singles charted again, this time in the Top 20.
Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, she recorded vocals for Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
, The Lightning Seeds, and King Britt
King Britt
King Britt is an American DJ and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.King Britt is his actual legal name.- 1987: Tower Records Years :...
, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It...
tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet
The Essential Alison Moyet
The Essential Alison Moyet was essentially a third re-release of Singles, the 1995 greatest hits album of recordings by singer/songwriter Alison Moyet...
CD, and in 2002 The Essential Alison Moyet DVD.
In 1995, she sang back-up vocals with Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
for one of Dusty Springfield's last television appearances, singing "Where Is a Woman to Go?" on the music show Later With Jools Holland
Later with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
.
In August 2002, Moyet was released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
and released her first studio album in eight years. Hometime
Hometime (album)
Hometime is the title of the fifth studio album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet.There is a gap of almost eight years between the release of Essex, the singer's previous studio album, and Hometime; this was caused by a dispute between the singer and Sony Music Entertainment, her former record...
was produced by The Insects
Startled Insects
Startled Insects was a British New Wave instrumental jazz group. Their music was a unique mix of experimental synthesizer textures and ethnic rhythms.-History:...
, who had also produced works by Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
and Madonna. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002, and resulted in a BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
nomination for Best Female Vocalist, as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Hometime was certified Gold in the UK for sales in excess of 100,000 copies with little promotion.
Voice, a collection of cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at #7. Scored and produced by Moyet's neighbour (and Academy Award winner) Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
, the album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie". A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006. Voice was certified Gold in the UK within four weeks of its release.
In December 2006 Moyet signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with W14 Music, a Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
imprint. The deal saw Moyet reunited with label head John Williams, who was her A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man for her last two albums, Hometime and Voice.
Moyet's album, The Turn
The Turn (album)
The Turn is the title of the seventh solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album includes the singles "One More Time" and "A Guy Like You" as well as three tracks first written and performed in 2006 for stage play Smaller, in which Moyet starred with comedienne and...
, was released on 15 October 2007, preceded by the single "One More Time" a week earlier. The album featured self-penned songs, including the three numbers she wrote for the stage play, Smaller in which she starred with Dawn French. For these songs, again Moyet worked alongside producer/songwriter and frequent Moyet collaborator Pete Glenister. The Turn debuted at #21 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on 22 October 2007. Alison left W14 shortly after the release of The Turn. Promotional videos for the tracks "One More Time", "Anytime At All", "The Man in the Wings" and "A Guy Like You" are on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Moyet's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site.
Sony Music released Revisited: The Very Best of Alison Moyet on 19 October 2009. The track listing was compiled by Moyet including material from her seven solo albums. The 'deluxe' version of the album contained an extra disc, with re-recorded versions of older songs. In support of the release Moyet toured the UK and Ireland during November and December 2009.
Sony Music confirmed that Moyet's four solo albums (Alf, Raindancing, Hoodoo and Essex) were being digitally re-mastered and will include b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and bonus material.
Alison is Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
's Special Guest throughout his UK Tour of the UK for 2010. Alison has contributed vocals on the latest Jools Holland album released 15 November 2010 on the song titled 'The Man That Got Away. The song was made famous by Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
.
Alison has confirmed that she is writing her new album with Guy Sigsworth. Alison confirmed on BBC 6 live her new album (8th solo album) will be released in 2012.
Theatre
Moyet made her stage debut in the London West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
in 2001. She played the part of Matron 'Mama' Morton, and although initially planned to be a short run, it was extended to six months. In 2006, she appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a stint at London's Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
.
Personal life
Moyet's first marriage, to hairdresser Malcolm Lee, with whom she has a son, Joe, ended in divorce. A short-lived relationship, with tour manager Kim McCarthy, produced a daughter, Alex, and her present marriage, to teaching assistant David Ballard, resulted in a daughter, Caitlin.Discography
- 1984: AlfAlf (album)Alf is the debut solo studio album of British singer/songwriter Alison Moyet, her first since leaving 80s electro-pop duo Yazoo...
- 1987: RaindancingRaindancingRaindancing is the title of the second solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album includes four single releases; "Is This Love?" , "Weak in the Presence of Beauty", "Ordinary Girl" and "Sleep Like Breathing", a duet with David Freeman of the band The Lover Speaks...
- 1991: Hoodoo
- 1994: EssexEssex (album)Essex is the title of the fourth studio album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album is named after the artist's native Essex, England and includes the singles "Falling" , "Whispering Your Name", "Getting into Something" and "Ode to Boy II".Essex was again a source of controversy for the...
- 2002: HometimeHometime (album)Hometime is the title of the fifth studio album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet.There is a gap of almost eight years between the release of Essex, the singer's previous studio album, and Hometime; this was caused by a dispute between the singer and Sony Music Entertainment, her former record...
- 2004: Voice
- 2007: The TurnThe Turn (album)The Turn is the title of the seventh solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album includes the singles "One More Time" and "A Guy Like You" as well as three tracks first written and performed in 2006 for stage play Smaller, in which Moyet starred with comedienne and...
- 2012: {New Album Tba}
External links
- Alison Moyet's official website
- [ Biography on Allmusic]