Daz Sampson
Encyclopedia
Darren "Daz" Sampson is a British dance music
producer, musician and singer-songwriter.
Up until 2006, when he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
, Sampson was best known for his commercial dance music, often reworkings of older songs as a solo act (Daz Sampson, DJ Daz) and as a member of various formations, Bus Stop
, Rikki & Daz
, Barndance Boys
, Uniting Nations
.
" featuring Carl Douglas
that sold 250,000 copies.
Chris Moyles
, broadcaster with BBC Radio 1
responded to a letter from Sampson by championing his records on the station inviting him for comedy moments on his radio show.
In this period, Sampson formed Rikki & Daz
with John Matthews (aka Ricardo Autobahn
, hence "Rikki") of the Cuban Boys
. Their 2002 single "Rhinestone Cowboy (Giddy Up Giddy Up)" featuring a new vocal from country music legend Glen Campbell
reached No.12 in the UK. The pair continued to work together under various names, including The Barndance Boys (for the minor hit single "Yippie I Oh") and DJ Daz ("The Woah Song", a remake of Baltimora
's Tarzan Boy
). Matthews also co-wrote Sampson's Eurovision song "Teenage Life
".
In 2004, Sampson returned to the Liverpool dance music and he formed a partnership with producer Paul Keenan under the name Uniting Nations
and released "Out of Touch" a remake from Hall & Oates
hit and selling 100,000 copies of the single in the United Kingdom becoming a European massive hit. Other big hits included "You And Me" (reached No.15 in the UK) proving yet another hit in Europe and "Ai No Corrida" that reached No.18 also in the UK. Smash Hits
readers and T4 viewers voted Uniting Nations "Best Dance Act" at the last ever Pollwinners Party in 2005.
show Making Your Mind Up
with the song "Teenage Life
", written and produced with his long-time collaborator John Matthews. The song entered the UK Singles Chart
on 14 May 2006.
The accompanying dance routine involved 4 young women dressed as schoolgirls, dubbed The Sampsonites, which led to criticism from some sections of the media due to the apparently inappropriate sexuality of his performance of his Eurovision entry. In his defence, he was quoted as saying "the teenage girl dancers were fully clothed ... there was no sexual innuendo".
As a result of winning Making Your Mind Up, he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
on 20 May 2006 in Athens
, but only 10 of the 39 eligible countries voted for Sampson and his total score was 25 points, placing him 19th out of the 24 acts (winning act Lordi
, from Finland
, amassed 292 points). When asked before the event whether Finland could win, he replied "No way. They're way too scary." Sampson professed to have great confidence that he would win the Eurovision, dismissing previous contestants for not having enough respect for the competition and having poor quality songs.
Despite saying that previous contestants' songs failed simply because they were not good enough, and not because of political voting, following the contest he claimed to have been "the victim of a touch of neighbourly voting".
Although he finished low down the rankings in the Eurovision Song Contest, he enjoyed success in the British charts. "Teenage Life
" entered at number 13 in the UK Top 40. In the week following the contest, the publicity he had gained from this exposure helped his single to climb to number 8 in the UK chart, reaching the highest chart position of any Eurovision song since Precious
peaked at number 6 with "Say It Again
" in 1999. Sampson claims that his performance may have raised the popularity of Eurovision in the UK, while others say "The peak audience would appear to be mainly due to audience switchover from the Prince's Trust charity concert broadcast on ITV1" – in any case the 2006 contest claimed to have attracted half the UK TV audience, and led to the highest viewing figures in the UK in Eurovision history. The viewing figures were in fact only 1/3 of those achieved consistently in the 1970s when the show was regularly amongst the top 20 shows for the entire year.
show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!. However he has not, as of 2010, appeared on the show.
He also claimed that he would be performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
, and although he had said earlier that he would not try to represent the United Kingdom again, and saying that he had been asked to perform for another country. However, later he announced that the BBC decided it was too soon for him to enter again, but he would be welcome in a few years time. Still he presented the song entitled "Do A Little Dance" but it did not make British Eurovision: Your Decision shortlist of songs for consideration.
On 22 April 2007, Sampson released a new download only single release in support of his football team Stockport County. The song by Daz Sampson and the Cheadle Enders is titled 'The County Song' (Jim Gannon
's Army Goes Marching On). (UK#182) The song pays tribute to Stockport County's football league record of nine consecutive wins without conceding a goal. The song namechecks several Stockport County players including Anthony Elding
, Adam Griffin
and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey
not to mention former player and current manager Jim Gannon
. On the occasion, with Sampson donating part of the proceeds from the single to the Stockport County Supporters Trust, the trust made him its first-ever life member in recognition of his efforts.
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
producer, musician and singer-songwriter.
Up until 2006, when he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
, Sampson was best known for his commercial dance music, often reworkings of older songs as a solo act (Daz Sampson, DJ Daz) and as a member of various formations, Bus Stop
Bus Stop (band)
Bus Stop were a British dance act best known for their single "Kung Fu Fighting", which reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1998. The song sampled the original vocals by Carl Douglas, the original being a UK #1 hit in 1974, with added rap verses. The group then released three further...
, Rikki & Daz
Rikki & Daz
Rikki & Daz, was a pop music duo, formed in 2002 by John Matthews and Daz Sampson. John Matthews of the Cuban Boys fame, and also known as Ricardo Autobahn became Rikki in the duo. He teamed up with Sampson, named just Daz in the duo and went on to release the single, "Rhinestone Cowboy ", a take...
, Barndance Boys
Barndance Boys
The Barndance Boys was a musical formation made as a country and folk novelty act in 2003. It was the brainchild of John Matthews to collect band kids in a fun band churning dance music...
, Uniting Nations
Uniting Nations
Uniting Nations are a British dance act who formed in 2004. The act achieved chart success across Europe. It was composed of Paul Keenan and Daz Sampson with Jinian Wilde on vocals for "Out of Touch", "You and Me" & 11 of the 12 tracks on the One World album . Craig Powell was the frontman of the...
.
Career Before Eurovision
Sampson has been in various groups, most notably Bus Stop (with Graham Turner, Mark Hall, Liam Midson and Marlon Cooper). Bus Stop had four UK hits, the most successful being "Kung Fu FightingKung Fu Fighting
"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song written by Jim Brusatto and Vivian Hawke performed by Carl Douglas, and composed and produced by Biddu. It was released as a single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and eventually rose to the top of the British and American charts, in addition to...
" featuring Carl Douglas
Carl Douglas
Carl Douglas is a former Jamaican-born, UK-based, singer, best known for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which hit number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 27 November, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Selling Single...
that sold 250,000 copies.
Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
, broadcaster with BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
responded to a letter from Sampson by championing his records on the station inviting him for comedy moments on his radio show.
In this period, Sampson formed Rikki & Daz
Rikki & Daz
Rikki & Daz, was a pop music duo, formed in 2002 by John Matthews and Daz Sampson. John Matthews of the Cuban Boys fame, and also known as Ricardo Autobahn became Rikki in the duo. He teamed up with Sampson, named just Daz in the duo and went on to release the single, "Rhinestone Cowboy ", a take...
with John Matthews (aka Ricardo Autobahn
Ricardo Autobahn
John Matthews better known by his stage name Ricardo Autobahn is an English producer, songwriter and musician.Matthews is a member of the bands Spray and the Cuban Boys, who are most famous for their "pass off" UK Christmas hit "Cognoscenti Vs. Intelligentsia"...
, hence "Rikki") of the Cuban Boys
Cuban Boys
The Cuban Boys are a British band and production team, currently composed of Skreen B and Ricardo Autobahn; the band formerly also included B.L. Underwood and Jenny McLaren . Their music is characterised by fast electronic beats, heavy reliance upon samples and the repetition of the words "The...
. Their 2002 single "Rhinestone Cowboy (Giddy Up Giddy Up)" featuring a new vocal from country music legend Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
reached No.12 in the UK. The pair continued to work together under various names, including The Barndance Boys (for the minor hit single "Yippie I Oh") and DJ Daz ("The Woah Song", a remake of Baltimora
Baltimora
Baltimora were an Italian New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane , Maurizio Bassi , Giorgio Cocilovo , Claudio Bazzari , Pier Michelatti and Gabriele Melotti...
's Tarzan Boy
Tarzan Boy
"Tarzan Boy" is the title of a song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track...
). Matthews also co-wrote Sampson's Eurovision song "Teenage Life
Teenage Life
"Teenage Life" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was sung by Daz Sampson in English.On 4 March 2006, Sampson had won the BBC show Making Your Mind Up with the song "Teenage Life", which was written and produced with John Matthews from the Cuban Boys, who were...
".
In 2004, Sampson returned to the Liverpool dance music and he formed a partnership with producer Paul Keenan under the name Uniting Nations
Uniting Nations
Uniting Nations are a British dance act who formed in 2004. The act achieved chart success across Europe. It was composed of Paul Keenan and Daz Sampson with Jinian Wilde on vocals for "Out of Touch", "You and Me" & 11 of the 12 tracks on the One World album . Craig Powell was the frontman of the...
and released "Out of Touch" a remake from Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
hit and selling 100,000 copies of the single in the United Kingdom becoming a European massive hit. Other big hits included "You And Me" (reached No.15 in the UK) proving yet another hit in Europe and "Ai No Corrida" that reached No.18 also in the UK. Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
readers and T4 viewers voted Uniting Nations "Best Dance Act" at the last ever Pollwinners Party in 2005.
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
On 4 March 2006, Sampson won the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Making Your Mind Up
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 by Daz Sampson with the song "Teenage Life". He finished in 19th place with 25 points.-National final:...
with the song "Teenage Life
Teenage Life
"Teenage Life" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was sung by Daz Sampson in English.On 4 March 2006, Sampson had won the BBC show Making Your Mind Up with the song "Teenage Life", which was written and produced with John Matthews from the Cuban Boys, who were...
", written and produced with his long-time collaborator John Matthews. The song entered 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 ...
on 14 May 2006.
The accompanying dance routine involved 4 young women dressed as schoolgirls, dubbed The Sampsonites, which led to criticism from some sections of the media due to the apparently inappropriate sexuality of his performance of his Eurovision entry. In his defence, he was quoted as saying "the teenage girl dancers were fully clothed ... there was no sexual innuendo".
As a result of winning Making Your Mind Up, he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
on 20 May 2006 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, but only 10 of the 39 eligible countries voted for Sampson and his total score was 25 points, placing him 19th out of the 24 acts (winning act Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
, from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, amassed 292 points). When asked before the event whether Finland could win, he replied "No way. They're way too scary." Sampson professed to have great confidence that he would win the Eurovision, dismissing previous contestants for not having enough respect for the competition and having poor quality songs.
Despite saying that previous contestants' songs failed simply because they were not good enough, and not because of political voting, following the contest he claimed to have been "the victim of a touch of neighbourly voting".
Although he finished low down the rankings in the Eurovision Song Contest, he enjoyed success in the British charts. "Teenage Life
Teenage Life
"Teenage Life" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was sung by Daz Sampson in English.On 4 March 2006, Sampson had won the BBC show Making Your Mind Up with the song "Teenage Life", which was written and produced with John Matthews from the Cuban Boys, who were...
" entered at number 13 in the UK Top 40. In the week following the contest, the publicity he had gained from this exposure helped his single to climb to number 8 in the UK chart, reaching the highest chart position of any Eurovision song since Precious
Precious (band)
Precious were a British girl group, comprising Louise Rose, Anya Lahiri, Sophie McDonnell, Kalli Clark-Sternberg and Jenny Frost. They first achieved fame as the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest and went on to become a moderately popular act until they decided it was time to go their own...
peaked at number 6 with "Say It Again
Say It Again (Precious song)
"Say It Again" was the United Kingdom entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, written by Paul Varney and performed by girl band Precious.The song was performed 5th on the night of the contest, following Croatia's Doris Dragović with "Marija Magdalena" and preceding Slovenia's Darja Švajger with...
" in 1999. Sampson claims that his performance may have raised the popularity of Eurovision in the UK, while others say "The peak audience would appear to be mainly due to audience switchover from the Prince's Trust charity concert broadcast on ITV1" – in any case the 2006 contest claimed to have attracted half the UK TV audience, and led to the highest viewing figures in the UK in Eurovision history. The viewing figures were in fact only 1/3 of those achieved consistently in the 1970s when the show was regularly amongst the top 20 shows for the entire year.
Career following Eurovision
After performing at the Eurovision Song Contest, Sampson revealed plans to become a TV presenter, and claimed that "I have already been approached to appear on a celebrity reality show but I can't really say much about it – other than the fact it is set in Australia." This could be seen as an allusion to the popular ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!. However he has not, as of 2010, appeared on the show.
He also claimed that he would be performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
, and although he had said earlier that he would not try to represent the United Kingdom again, and saying that he had been asked to perform for another country. However, later he announced that the BBC decided it was too soon for him to enter again, but he would be welcome in a few years time. Still he presented the song entitled "Do A Little Dance" but it did not make British Eurovision: Your Decision shortlist of songs for consideration.
On 22 April 2007, Sampson released a new download only single release in support of his football team Stockport County. The song by Daz Sampson and the Cheadle Enders is titled 'The County Song' (Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
's Army Goes Marching On). (UK#182) The song pays tribute to Stockport County's football league record of nine consecutive wins without conceding a goal. The song namechecks several Stockport County players including Anthony Elding
Anthony Elding
Anthony Lee Elding is an English footballer, currently playing as a striker for Conference National side Grimsby Town....
, Adam Griffin
Adam Griffin
Adam Griffin is a professional footballer who currently plays for Conference North side Hyde.He started his career at , having loan spells with , and . After a successful loan at Stockport, he was signed on a permanent basis in 2006...
and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey
Wayne Hennessey
Wayne Robert Hennessey is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers as a goalkeeper.-Early career:...
not to mention former player and current manager Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
. On the occasion, with Sampson donating part of the proceeds from the single to the Stockport County Supporters Trust, the trust made him its first-ever life member in recognition of his efforts.
Singles
| Year | Artist/Group | Song | 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 ... |
UK Download Chart | Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Rikki & Daz Rikki & Daz Rikki & Daz, was a pop music duo, formed in 2002 by John Matthews and Daz Sampson. John Matthews of the Cuban Boys fame, and also known as Ricardo Autobahn became Rikki in the duo. He teamed up with Sampson, named just Daz in the duo and went on to release the single, "Rhinestone Cowboy ", a take... |
"Rhinestone Cowboy" | 12 | - | 16 | Originally by, and featuring Glen Campbell Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show... |
| 2003 | Barndance Boys Barndance Boys The Barndance Boys was a musical formation made as a country and folk novelty act in 2003. It was the brainchild of John Matthews to collect band kids in a fun band churning dance music... |
"Yippie I Oh" | 32 | - | - | |
| DJ Daz | "Jump Jump (Van Halen song) "Jump" is a song by the American rock group Van Halen. It is the only single the group released in their career to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was released in 1984 as the second track on the album 1984... " |
- | - | - | Originally by Van Halen Van Halen Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart... |
|
| "Woah Song" | - | - | - | Originally by Baltimora Baltimora Baltimora were an Italian New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane , Maurizio Bassi , Giorgio Cocilovo , Claudio Bazzari , Pier Michelatti and Gabriele Melotti... and titled "Tarzan Boy Tarzan Boy "Tarzan Boy" is the title of a song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track... " |
||
| 2004 | Uniting Nations Uniting Nations Uniting Nations are a British dance act who formed in 2004. The act achieved chart success across Europe. It was composed of Paul Keenan and Daz Sampson with Jinian Wilde on vocals for "Out of Touch", "You and Me" & 11 of the 12 tracks on the One World album . Craig Powell was the frontman of the... |
"Out of Touch Out of Touch "Out of Touch" is a 1984 song by Hall & Oates. This lead single from their 1984 album Big Bam Boom was their last Billboard Hot 100 number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1984... " |
7 | - | - | Originally by Hall & Oates Hall & Oates Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."... |
| 2005 | "You and Me" | 15 | - | - | ||
| Ai No Corrida Ai No Corrida (song) "Ai No Corrida" is a song written by Chaz Jankel and Kenny Young, first recorded in 1980 and featuring on Chaz Jankel's self-titled debut album for A&M Records.- Interpretation :... |
18 | - | - | |||
| 2006 | "Music In Me" | - | - | - | ||
| Daz Sampson | "Teenage Life Teenage Life "Teenage Life" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was sung by Daz Sampson in English.On 4 March 2006, Sampson had won the BBC show Making Your Mind Up with the song "Teenage Life", which was written and produced with John Matthews from the Cuban Boys, who were... " |
8 | 11 | - | UK Eurovision entry | |
| 2007 | "Do a Little Dance" | - | - | - | Download only | |
| "The County Song (Jim Gannon's Army Goes Marching On)" |
182 | 17 | - | Download only | ||
| Uniting Nations | "Do It Yourself" | - | - | - | ||
| 2008 | "Pressure Us" | - | - | - | Featuring Lucia Horn | |