Preluders
Encyclopedia
The Preluders were an all-female
band from Germany
and Albania
, formed in 2003 during the third season of the international television talent show Popstars - Das Duell
. Originally a quintet
and later a quartet
, the group eventually became a trio
. After a relatively unsuccessful period since 2004 the three remaining girls disbanded amicably without any kind of media circus in fall 2006. Preluders is formed by 5 girl-members from Germany
and Albania
(The Duel). The concept of the programme was to produce a boyband and a girlband who would be rivals and compete for winning the third installment of the reality television program. Following the success of the No Angels
and Bro'Sis
, 12,000 applicants attended auditions in five German cities in hopes of being selected for the show. Judged by rapper Sabrina Setlur
, choreographer Detlef "D!" Soost, and producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
, 27 out of 46 contestants made it from the local recall shows to Orlando, Florida
to get trained in singing, dancing, and fitness.
While the judges continued eliminating two or three boys and girls each week, a small group of finalists remained, and in the end four girls were chosen to make the band: Anh-Thu Doan, Miriam Cani, Rebecca Miro, and Tertia Botha from England
eventually formed the Preluders. While the show continued tracking the development and struggles of the new girlband and the final four members of Overground
, the judges decided to add a fifth member to both groups after failed recording sessions. Selecting from the group of semi-finalists, they chose powerful-voiced Anne Ross
to 'complete' the Preluders – and their promotional debut single, a remake of R.E.M.'s 1991 hit "Losing My Religion
".
After three weeks of touring and promotional appearances across Germany, the season's finale was held on Wednesday, November 3, 2003. However, the girls failed to poll enough votes via telephone voting, and lost by scoring 48% against Overground.
. The Fahrenkrog-Petersen produced pop
song debuted at number one on the German singles chart
and reached the top five in Austria
, and Switzerland
, eventually receiving a gold
certification for more than 150,00 copies sold. On November 24, 2003 Girl In the House was released. While the album failed to chart within the top ten on the Austrian singles chart, it debuted at number two in Germany
, and number three Switzerland
, succumbing to Overground's successful debut album It's Done. In early 2004 the group followed-up with the album's second single "Bal Privé", a summer-lite pop song with French
and English language
vocals, and James Bond music
inspired "Hotter Than You Know", a previously unreleased record. Contrary to expectations both songs sold relatively weak, and peaked outside the top 20 on the charts.
In summer of the same year the Preluders began recording their minor succeeded second album Prelude to History
, a retro album, fitted with cover version
s and a few new records. The album's first single was a double A-side, consisting of a remake of Katrina and the Waves
' 1985 hit song "Walking on Sunshine
", and a re-recorded version of Christina Milian
's Kim Possible
theme song, "Call Me, Beep Me". While the single failed to reach the top 50 in Austria and Switzerland, it became the band's third consecutive single released not to enter the German
top twenty with a peak position of number 24. "Do You Love Me
", the album's second single, even undercut this success with a low entry at number 50 only.
In the following months the band continued touring throughout Germany, occasionally performing on festival
s and TV shows. Although the quintet made plans to release a third album together, Tertia Botha was the first member to leave the band because of a longer recovery process after a sudden car crash in June 2005; she was soon followed by Rebecca Miro. Miriam Cani, Anh-Thu Doan, and Anne Ross remained as a trio and prepared the release of their new single "Never Before" after signing with Edel Records. However, in December 2005 Ross also decided to leave the project, and as a result the release was cancelled.
In March 2006 original band members Cani and Doan welcomed a new bandmate, Patricia "Trish" Sadowski. The trio soon began recording new songs, including "I Want Your T.I.M.E.", which would become the trio's only release in July 2006, and peaked at a disappointing number 92 on the German singles chart. After months of rumors, the Preluders eventually disbanded without any kind of media circus in fall 2006.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
band from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, formed in 2003 during the third season of the international television talent show Popstars - Das Duell
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
. Originally a quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
and later a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
, the group eventually became a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. After a relatively unsuccessful period since 2004 the three remaining girls disbanded amicably without any kind of media circus in fall 2006. Preluders is formed by 5 girl-members from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
Formation
The Preluders were formed in September 2003 in front of millions of viewers on the ProSieben programme Popstars - Das DuellPopstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
(The Duel). The concept of the programme was to produce a boyband and a girlband who would be rivals and compete for winning the third installment of the reality television program. Following the success of the No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
and Bro'Sis
Bro'Sis
Bro'Sis were a multicultural R&B group from Germany, formed in 2001 in the second installment of the television talent show Popstars. Originally a sextet, the group eventually became a quintet, selling more than 2.2 million albums and singles worldwide...
, 12,000 applicants attended auditions in five German cities in hopes of being selected for the show. Judged by rapper Sabrina Setlur
Sabrina Setlur
Sabrina Setlur , formerly known as Schwester S., is a German rapper, songwriter, Hebbar Iyengar and occasional actress...
, choreographer Detlef "D!" Soost, and producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen is a keyboard player and songwriter, known for his work with the German rock group Nena.Born in Berlin he first played in a band called "Vanguard"in 1977 - 1979 with bassist Sven Bode, Guitarist Fritz... and drummer Didier, composing an amazing Rock Opera. Concerts...
, 27 out of 46 contestants made it from the local recall shows to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
to get trained in singing, dancing, and fitness.
While the judges continued eliminating two or three boys and girls each week, a small group of finalists remained, and in the end four girls were chosen to make the band: Anh-Thu Doan, Miriam Cani, Rebecca Miro, and Tertia Botha from England
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...
eventually formed the Preluders. While the show continued tracking the development and struggles of the new girlband and the final four members of Overground
Overground
Overground, a boy group from Germany, was the result of the third season of the international television sensation Popstars - Das Duell, a precursor to the Idol shows.- Formation :...
, the judges decided to add a fifth member to both groups after failed recording sessions. Selecting from the group of semi-finalists, they chose powerful-voiced Anne Ross
Anne Ross
Anne Ross is a German singer.She was a member of the German pop girl group Preluders. After Preluders disbanded, she and Manel Filali teamed up to form the duo Milk & Honey.-External links:*...
to 'complete' the Preluders – and their promotional debut single, a remake of R.E.M.'s 1991 hit "Losing My Religion
Losing My Religion
"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
".
Recording career
On November 17, 2003, the Preluders released "Everday Girl", the first single taken from their studio album Girls In the HouseGirls in the House
Girls in the House is the debut studio album by German/Albanian pop group Preluders, released on November 24, 2003 on Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Records...
. The Fahrenkrog-Petersen produced pop
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...
song debuted at number one on the German singles chart
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
and reached the top five in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, eventually receiving a gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification for more than 150,00 copies sold. On November 24, 2003 Girl In the House was released. While the album failed to chart within the top ten on the Austrian singles chart, it debuted at number two in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and number three Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, succumbing to Overground's successful debut album It's Done. In early 2004 the group followed-up with the album's second single "Bal Privé", a summer-lite pop song with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
vocals, and James Bond music
James Bond music
The James Bond series of films from EON Productions has had numerous signature tunes over the years, many of which are now considered classic pieces of cinematic music...
inspired "Hotter Than You Know", a previously unreleased record. Contrary to expectations both songs sold relatively weak, and peaked outside the top 20 on the charts.
Prelude to History
Prelude to History is the second studio album by German pop group Preluders, released on September 27, 2004 on Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Records. It was entirely co-produced by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and Gena Wernik and included a collection of cover versions of songs from the 1960s, 1970s,...
, a retro album, fitted with 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 and a few new records. The album's first single was a double A-side, consisting of a remake of Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
' 1985 hit song "Walking on Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
", and a re-recorded version of Christina Milian
Christina Milian
Christine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
's Kim Possible
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
theme song, "Call Me, Beep Me". While the single failed to reach the top 50 in Austria and Switzerland, it became the band's third consecutive single released not to enter the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
top twenty with a peak position of number 24. "Do You Love Me
Do You Love Me
"Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat...
", the album's second single, even undercut this success with a low entry at number 50 only.
In the following months the band continued touring throughout Germany, occasionally performing on festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s and TV shows. Although the quintet made plans to release a third album together, Tertia Botha was the first member to leave the band because of a longer recovery process after a sudden car crash in June 2005; she was soon followed by Rebecca Miro. Miriam Cani, Anh-Thu Doan, and Anne Ross remained as a trio and prepared the release of their new single "Never Before" after signing with Edel Records. However, in December 2005 Ross also decided to leave the project, and as a result the release was cancelled.
In March 2006 original band members Cani and Doan welcomed a new bandmate, Patricia "Trish" Sadowski. The trio soon began recording new songs, including "I Want Your T.I.M.E.", which would become the trio's only release in July 2006, and peaked at a disappointing number 92 on the German singles chart. After months of rumors, the Preluders eventually disbanded without any kind of media circus in fall 2006.
Albums
- Girls in the HouseGirls in the HouseGirls in the House is the debut studio album by German/Albanian pop group Preluders, released on November 24, 2003 on Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Records...
(2003) #2 GER - Prelude to HistoryPrelude to HistoryPrelude to History is the second studio album by German pop group Preluders, released on September 27, 2004 on Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Records. It was entirely co-produced by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and Gena Wernik and included a collection of cover versions of songs from the 1960s, 1970s,...
(2004) #40 GER
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
AT | CH | ||||
| 2003 | "Losing My Religion Losing My Religion "Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due... " ¹ ² |
— | — | — | Girls in the House | |
| 2003 | "Everyday Girl" | 1 | 5 | 4 | Girls in the House | |
| 2004 | "Bal Privé" | 28 | 37 | 60 | Girls in the House | |
| 2004 | "Hotter Than You Know" | 21 | 49 | 53 | Non-Album-Track | |
| 2004 | "Walking on Sunshine Walking on Sunshine (song) "Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,... /Call Me, Beep Me Kim Possible Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the... " |
24 | 54 | 68 | Prelude to History | |
| 2005 | "Do You Love Me Do You Love Me "Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat... " |
50 | — | — | Prelude to History | |
| 2006 | "I Want Your T.I.M.E." | 91 | — | — | Non-Album-Track | |
Notes:
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