Carroll Thompson
Encyclopedia
Carroll Thompson is an English
lovers rock
singer, best known for her work in the 1980s.
. In the mid-1970s, she began working as a backing singer at several recording studios after auditioning for Frank Farian
's Sugar Cane group. Eventually, Thompson embarked on a solo career, with early successes in the shape of lovers rock
singles "I'm So Sorry" (produced by the now London-based Leonard Chin
) and "Simply In Love", which both topped the reggae chart in 1981, the same year seeing the release of her debut album. She won two GLR
Reggae Awards in 1982, for Best Female Performer and Best Song (for "Hopelessly In Love"). In 1983, she won further awards, again winning Best Female Performer at the GLR awards. She also recorded duets with Sugar Minott
("Make It With You") and Trevor Walters ("Love Won't Let Us Wait"), as well as continuing with regular solo reggae chart hits.
After the mid-1980s, her releases dwindled. Her fortunes revived in 1990 when she provided lead vocals on a version of Diana Ross
's "I'm Still Waiting", recorded with Aswad and Courtney Pine
, which was a minor UK Singles Chart
hit. She also enjoyed minor chart hits that year with Movement 98's "Joy & Heartbreak" and "Sunrise". In 1992 her "Let the Music Play" was included on the soundtrack to the film The Crying Game
, and in 1993, she worked with Neil "Mad Profesor" Fraser
on the album The Other Side Of Love. Carroll is married to the Radio 5 Live presenter Dotun Adebayo
.
Thompson has worked as session singer with Michael Jackson
, Stevie Wonder
, Natalie Cole
, Pet Shop Boys
, Robbie Williams
, Boy George
, Maxi Priest
, Sting, Billy Ocean
, Chaka Khan
, Aswad, and M People
. She is also the co-founder (with Adebayo) of Colourtelly, Britain's first black interest internet TV station.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
singer, best known for her work in the 1980s.
Biography
Thompson sang in school and church choirs as a girl, but initially studied for a career in pharmacyPharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. In the mid-1970s, she began working as a backing singer at several recording studios after auditioning for Frank Farian
Frank Farian
Frank Farian , is a German record producer and songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music industry...
's Sugar Cane group. Eventually, Thompson embarked on a solo career, with early successes in the shape of lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
singles "I'm So Sorry" (produced by the now London-based Leonard Chin
Leonard Chin
Leonard Chin aka Santic, is a Jamaican reggae record producer. After first working as a car mechanic, he then trained as a photographer and worked for the Gleaner company...
) and "Simply In Love", which both topped the reggae chart in 1981, the same year seeing the release of her debut album. She won two GLR
GLR
GLR can refer to:* BBC London 94.9 * GLR parser* The great lakes region of Africa.* The initials of George Lincoln Rockwell....
Reggae Awards in 1982, for Best Female Performer and Best Song (for "Hopelessly In Love"). In 1983, she won further awards, again winning Best Female Performer at the GLR awards. She also recorded duets with Sugar Minott
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
("Make It With You") and Trevor Walters ("Love Won't Let Us Wait"), as well as continuing with regular solo reggae chart hits.
After the mid-1980s, her releases dwindled. Her fortunes revived in 1990 when she provided lead vocals on a version of Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
's "I'm Still Waiting", recorded with Aswad and Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
, which was a minor 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 ...
hit. She also enjoyed minor chart hits that year with Movement 98's "Joy & Heartbreak" and "Sunrise". In 1992 her "Let the Music Play" was included on the soundtrack to the film The Crying Game
The Crying Game
The Crying Game is a 1992 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
, and in 1993, she worked with Neil "Mad Profesor" Fraser
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
on the album The Other Side Of Love. Carroll is married to the Radio 5 Live presenter Dotun Adebayo
Dotun Adebayo
Oludotun Adebayo MBE is a Nigerian-born, British-based radio presenter, writer and publisher. He is best known for his work on Up All Night on BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as the obituary programme Brief Lives.- Early life :...
.
Thompson has worked as session singer with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
, Sting, Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Aswad, and M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. She is also the co-founder (with Adebayo) of Colourtelly, Britain's first black interest internet TV station.
Albums
- Hopelessly in Love (1981) Carib Gems (UK Indie AlbumsUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#22) - Carroll Thompson (1983) Carousel
- The Other Side of Love (1993) Ariwa
- Collectively (1998) Boot Street
- The Ultimate Collection
- Love Songs Victor
- Flying (2008) Victor