East 17
Encyclopedia
East 17 are a pop
boy band
comprising Tony Mortimer
, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. Tony Mortimer is the group's frontman and primary songwriter. Formed in Walthamstow
, London
in 1991, the group have achieved eighteen Top 20 singles and four Top 10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy bands during the early to mid-1990s. The group went on to sell 20 million records worldwide. Their boy band style was unique occasionally blending rap and pop in songs such as "House of Love
", "Steam" and "Let It Rain
".
was promised a record deal after he showcased his own material. The deal was granted under the condition that he form a group, which was the format London Records
were looking for.
The group was named East 17 after the postcode
of their hometown, Walthamstow
. The original roles in the band were soon altered when Brian Harvey
, who was intended to be a back-up singer and dancer, was heard singing along during a recording session. He was duly promoted to lead vocalist. The group's other members are Terence Coldwell and John Hendy.
or rap-aligned group than rival boy band Take That
, as noted by Guy Adams of The Independent
;
East 17 scored twelve Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart
between 1992 and 1998. Their debut album, Walthamstow
, shot to #1 on the UK Albums Chart
. It featured a string of Top 20 singles, including "House of Love
" and "Deep". "It's Alright
" became a major success in Australia
, reaching #1 in early 1994 for seven consecutive weeks, and #3 in the UK in 1993. The lyrics to some of their songs, such as "Let It Rain", had political undertones, talking about war
, peace
, equality
, love
, and other political issues. Their popularity reached Mongolia
, particularly with the song "It's Alright", helped by music television channels, Channel V
and MTV
.
In 1994, upon the release of their second album, Steam
, they scored their only UK number-one single with "Stay Another Day
", which remained at the top for five weeks and was also that year's Christmas
number-one. Following the somewhat low-key release of the next album, Up All Night
, their drop in appeal became apparent compared to previous albums. The album's songwriting duties were split among the four members of the group, rather than Mortimer alone, although all of the singles released from the album were penned by him.
East 17 also appeared on the Childliners record The Gift Of Christmas, alongside acts such as MN8
, Boyzone
, E.Y.C.
, Sean Maguire
, Deuce
, Ultimate Kaos
, Let Loose
, Backstreet Boys
, Peter Andre
, Michelle Gayle
and Dannii Minogue
. In 1996, the group hit #2 with the track "If You Ever", a duet with the singer Gabrielle
.
The act went against the group's "boy band" image, and there was a huge media uproar, leading to questions being raised by John Major
in the House of Commons
. With the group's career and reputation tarnished by the affair, Harvey was swiftly sacked and Mortimer decided to leave several months later, due to creative differences between himself and the rest of the group. The band's split in 1997 has been described as "one of the greatest break-ups in pop history".
Coldwell and Hendy later reinstated Harvey and attempted a comeback in 1998 renaming the group "E-17" and landed a record deal with Telstar Records
after recording an album's worth of self-written material in their home studios. Their first single as E-17 was "Each Time," which reached #2 in the UK. But without Mortimer's songwriting influence, the group's initial success soon wavered, and after disappointing sales of the next single "Betcha Can't Wait" reaching number 12 in the charts, and their album Resurrection failing to make the UK Top 40 and not selling as much as the record company would have liked, the band were dropped by their label in 1999 and subsequently split up.
on the Top 20 single "Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)
", but returned to E-17 to perform numerous gigs on the nostalgia circuit with Coldwell and Hendy. On the ITV1
docusoap Redcoats, the group were shown performing at a gig that was held at Butlins
in Bognor
on a bill which also featured Keith Harris, whilst in 2005, Harvey, Coldwell and Hendy performed a gig in Mongolia. Harvey made the news in May 2005 when he accidentally ran himself over, and required surgical treatment. He suffered severe, life-threatening injuries as a result, falling into a coma for several weeks following the incident.
On 4 February 2006, Harvey appeared on the UK music television show CD:UK
, where he announced that East 17 might make a comeback with its four original members. In mid-February 2006, the group reformed, and played their first comeback concert on May 30 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London
. After reforming for the one-off gig, it was reported that East 17 had split up again, since Hendy was unable to fully commit to the band because his roofing business which took up a lot of his time. Friction also flared up again between Harvey and Mortimer, who were "involved in a punch-up", resulting in the latter's departure, with the remaining members continuing to perform as a three-piece at various club events.
A Channel 4
documentary, East 17: The Reunion, which charted the group's rise and fall, along with their subsequent attempt to re-launch, was broadcast in May 2007.
East 17 continued to perform as a three-member group without Mortimer. They played at the University of Strathclyde
on September 24, 2006, after DJ Colin Murray
was unable to attend. Since then, the group has performed in clubs around the UK as well as becoming regulars on the 1990s themed Butlins Big Weekends. A new single, "Fuck That" was due to be released in early 2008, but was ultimately cancelled.
The group performed at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival
on 25 June in the dance lounge minus Tony Mortimer. In November 2009, all four members of the band re-united again in aid of the Born Free Foundation
, performing two of their best known songs—"Deep" and "Stay Another Day"—for the Wild & Live! event at the Royal Albert Hall
. After the performance, the band agreed that it would be best if they never sang together again, however, according to a BBC Radio 2
interview with Zoe Ball
in December 2009, songwriter Tony Mortimer mentioned that the band are on 'talking terms' and are planning a comeback for 2010.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
comprising Tony Mortimer
Tony Mortimer
Anthony Michael "Tony" Mortimer is a British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper.-Career:Mortimer is a member of the 1990s, UK chart-topping boy band, East 17, with who had seven Top 10 singles and four hit albums between 1992 and 1997...
, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. Tony Mortimer is the group's frontman and primary songwriter. Formed in Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1991, the group have achieved eighteen Top 20 singles and four Top 10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy bands during the early to mid-1990s. The group went on to sell 20 million records worldwide. Their boy band style was unique occasionally blending rap and pop in songs such as "House of Love
House of Love (East 17 song)
"House of Love" is British boy band East 17's first single from its album Walthamstow, released in August 1992. It became a number-one hit in Sweden for six weeks and was a top ten hit in many other countries.-Background:...
", "Steam" and "Let It Rain
Let It Rain (East 17 song)
"Let It Rain" is a 1994 song by English pop boy band East 17. It was the fourth single from the album Steam and was released in April 1995. The song achieved a moderate success in many countries : it was a top ten hit in UK and a top 20 hit in the Netherlands, Norway, Australia and Ireland.-Track...
".
Formation
The band began in 1991 when Tony MortimerTony Mortimer
Anthony Michael "Tony" Mortimer is a British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper.-Career:Mortimer is a member of the 1990s, UK chart-topping boy band, East 17, with who had seven Top 10 singles and four hit albums between 1992 and 1997...
was promised a record deal after he showcased his own material. The deal was granted under the condition that he form a group, which was the format London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
were looking for.
The group was named East 17 after the postcode
UK postcodes
The postal codes used in the United Kingdom are known as postcodes. They are alphanumeric and were introduced by the Royal Mail over a 15-year period from 11th October 1959 to 1974...
of their hometown, Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
. The original roles in the band were soon altered when Brian Harvey
Brian Harvey
Brian Harvey is an English musician and formerly lead singer of pop band East 17.Harvey was born in Walthamstow, London, and attended Sir George Monoux School from 1988-90.-Career:...
, who was intended to be a back-up singer and dancer, was heard singing along during a recording session. He was duly promoted to lead vocalist. The group's other members are Terence Coldwell and John Hendy.
Peak of success (1992-1997)
Mortimer wrote the vast majority of the group's songs, which often contained rap verses vocalised by him to complement Harvey's more fluid R&B style vocals. The group was usually seen as a grittier, more political and hip-hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
or rap-aligned group than rival boy band Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, as noted by Guy Adams of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
;
East 17 scored twelve Top 10 hits 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 ...
between 1992 and 1998. Their debut album, Walthamstow
Walthamstow (album)
Walthamstow is the debut album by East 17. The album entered the charts at number 1 on 27 February 1993, and contained three UK Top 10 singles, including their debut single "House of Love" , third single "Deep" , and sixth single "It's Alright" .The album was certified as Platinum in the UK.-Track...
, shot to #1 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...
. It featured a string of Top 20 singles, including "House of Love
House of Love (East 17 song)
"House of Love" is British boy band East 17's first single from its album Walthamstow, released in August 1992. It became a number-one hit in Sweden for six weeks and was a top ten hit in many other countries.-Background:...
" and "Deep". "It's Alright
It's Alright (East 17 song)
Kim Wilde recorded a cover of the song in 2011 for her album Snapshots. It was released as a double lead single with "Sleeping Satellite", originally performed by Tasmin Archer, on 19 August 2011...
" became a major success in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, reaching #1 in early 1994 for seven consecutive weeks, and #3 in the UK in 1993. The lyrics to some of their songs, such as "Let It Rain", had political undertones, talking about war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, equality
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
, love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, and other political issues. Their popularity reached Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, particularly with the song "It's Alright", helped by music television channels, Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
In 1994, upon the release of their second album, Steam
Steam (East 17 album)
Steam is the second album by East 17. It was released in the UK on 13 October 1994.The US version of the album features the three Top 10 hits from their first album Steam is the second album by East 17. It was released in the UK on 13 October 1994.The US version of the album features the three Top...
, they scored their only UK number-one single with "Stay Another Day
Stay Another Day
"Stay Another Day" is an award-winning 1994 pop song recorded by British boy band East 17. It was released in late 1994 and became their first and only UK number-one single reaching Christmas number one, and also topped the charts in Sweden, Ireland and Denmark.-Background and release:"Stay Another...
", which remained at the top for five weeks and was also that year's Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
number-one. Following the somewhat low-key release of the next album, Up All Night
Up All Night (East 17 album)
Up All Night is the third album by East 17. It was released on 1 October 1995.The album was certified as Platinum in the UK.-Track listing:#"Innocent Erotic"#"Thunder"#"I Remember"#"Do U Still"#"Gotta Keep On"#"Ghetto"#"Looking For"#"Best Days"...
, their drop in appeal became apparent compared to previous albums. The album's songwriting duties were split among the four members of the group, rather than Mortimer alone, although all of the singles released from the album were penned by him.
East 17 also appeared on the Childliners record The Gift Of Christmas, alongside acts such as MN8
MN8
MN8 were an R&B group from the United Kingdom. They consisted of KG , G-Man , Kule T and Dee Tails .-Career:...
, Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, E.Y.C.
E.Y.C.
E.Y.C. was an American pop/R&B group. Its members were Damon Butler, Dave Loeffler and Trey McKay Parker.They scored six Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart before disbanding...
, Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he remained until 1992...
, Deuce
Deuce
Deuce, derived from French, refers to the number two and is commonly used to refer to the 2 in poker and other card games.Deuce may also refer to:-People:*Deuce McAllister, an American football player for the New Orleans Saints...
, Ultimate Kaos
Ultimate Kaos
Ultimate KAOS was a British boyband from the 1990s, who were formed by Simon Cowell. Its original members comprised the then 9 years old Haydon Eshun, Jomo Baxter, Jayde Delpratt, Ryan Elliott and Nick Grant.-Career:...
, Let Loose
Let Loose
Let Loose are a British pop/rock trio, featuring Richie Wermerling on lead vocals and keyboards, Rob Jeffrey on guitars and backing vocals, and Lee J Murray on drums, percussion and backing vocals.The band initially scored minor success...
, Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
, Peter Andre
Peter André
Peter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
, Michelle Gayle
Michelle Gayle
Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
and Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
. In 1996, the group hit #2 with the track "If You Ever", a duet with the singer Gabrielle
Gabrielle (singer)
Louisa Gabrielle Bobb is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night...
.
Decline (1997-1999)
In January 1997, Brian Harvey was engulfed in a drug-related controversy when he claimed that he had taken Ecstasy pills on a night out, stating in the press that "It's cool to take drugs" and claiming that Ecstasy "can make you a better person".The act went against the group's "boy band" image, and there was a huge media uproar, leading to questions being raised by John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. With the group's career and reputation tarnished by the affair, Harvey was swiftly sacked and Mortimer decided to leave several months later, due to creative differences between himself and the rest of the group. The band's split in 1997 has been described as "one of the greatest break-ups in pop history".
Coldwell and Hendy later reinstated Harvey and attempted a comeback in 1998 renaming the group "E-17" and landed a record deal with Telstar Records
Telstar Records
Telstar Records was a record label founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,000. It was founded as a specialist compilation marketing label and had hits with a range of compilation franchises such as the Deep Heat, Kaos Theory and 100% ranges...
after recording an album's worth of self-written material in their home studios. Their first single as E-17 was "Each Time," which reached #2 in the UK. But without Mortimer's songwriting influence, the group's initial success soon wavered, and after disappointing sales of the next single "Betcha Can't Wait" reaching number 12 in the charts, and their album Resurrection failing to make the UK Top 40 and not selling as much as the record company would have liked, the band were dropped by their label in 1999 and subsequently split up.
Life After East 17 (1999-2010)
In 2001, Harvey launched himself as a solo artist in a collaboration with Wyclef JeanWyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
on the Top 20 single "Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)
Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)
"Loving You " is the second single from Brian Harvey's debut solo album, Solo. The track is a collaboration with The Refugee Crew...
", but returned to E-17 to perform numerous gigs on the nostalgia circuit with Coldwell and Hendy. On the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
docusoap Redcoats, the group were shown performing at a gig that was held at Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
in Bognor
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
on a bill which also featured Keith Harris, whilst in 2005, Harvey, Coldwell and Hendy performed a gig in Mongolia. Harvey made the news in May 2005 when he accidentally ran himself over, and required surgical treatment. He suffered severe, life-threatening injuries as a result, falling into a coma for several weeks following the incident.
On 4 February 2006, Harvey appeared on the UK music television show CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
, where he announced that East 17 might make a comeback with its four original members. In mid-February 2006, the group reformed, and played their first comeback concert on May 30 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After reforming for the one-off gig, it was reported that East 17 had split up again, since Hendy was unable to fully commit to the band because his roofing business which took up a lot of his time. Friction also flared up again between Harvey and Mortimer, who were "involved in a punch-up", resulting in the latter's departure, with the remaining members continuing to perform as a three-piece at various club events.
A Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary, East 17: The Reunion, which charted the group's rise and fall, along with their subsequent attempt to re-launch, was broadcast in May 2007.
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
on September 24, 2006, after DJ Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
was unable to attend. Since then, the group has performed in clubs around the UK as well as becoming regulars on the 1990s themed Butlins Big Weekends. A new single, "Fuck That" was due to be released in early 2008, but was ultimately cancelled.
The group performed at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
on 25 June in the dance lounge minus Tony Mortimer. In November 2009, all four members of the band re-united again in aid of the Born Free Foundation
Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation is a conservation and animal rescue organization in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1984 as the "Zoo Check Campaign" by actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers along with their son Will Travers and four associates....
, performing two of their best known songs—"Deep" and "Stay Another Day"—for the Wild & Live! event at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. After the performance, the band agreed that it would be best if they never sang together again, however, according to a BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
interview with Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
in December 2009, songwriter Tony Mortimer mentioned that the band are on 'talking terms' and are planning a comeback for 2010.
A New Chapter (2010- )
Tony Mortimer returned to the lineup, with Coldwell and Hendy in 2010. Brian Harvey left as his commitment to the group was questioned by the rest of the group, as he has been missing rehearsals and cancelling gigs. In 2011 T-Mobile used the East 17 song "House of Love" in a Royal Wedding "spoof" commercial, bringing the group a new generation of fans. In April 2011 it was announced Blair Dreelan had joined the band. East 17 are set to perform their 'Back To The Future' tour in August and September 2011, along with a new single ("Secret of my life") and video by the band in July 2011. On 28 September 2011 Dreelan left the group due to contractual obligations. An album release sometime in Autumn 2011.External links
- East 17 - Official website
- East 17 Fan Site
- The Independent - On the Road with East 17