Racey
Encyclopedia
Racey was a British
pop
group
, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare
, by singer
Phil Fursdon and Clive Wilson. The group was formerly known as Alive 'n' Rockin.
singles
in the United Kingdom
, South Africa, Australia
and New Zealand
. The only album they made under the original lineup was their 1979 debut album Smash and Grab, selling about 500,000 copies world
wide.
The band's hits were either written
and/or produced
by Mike Chapman
and Nicky Chinn
. They scored with several hits such as "Lay Your Love on Me" and "Some Girls". Another Chinn-Chapman song, "Kitty", was reworked and released by Toni Basil
as "Mickey
" in 1982; that song reached Number one on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
and Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
in early 1982.
members Chris Norman
and Pete Spencer and was released in 1978. Their second single, "Lay Your Love on Me", was the group's first hit single, peaking at No.3 in late 1978/early 1979. The third single, "Some Girls", was written for the American band Blondie
, for whom Mike Chapman also produced, but was instead given to Racey as a follow-up to "Lay Your Love on Me". The band then parted company with Chinn and Chapman after the album was released and although they continued to play and tour they released only a few more singles that did not match their previous successes.
player. (Miller died of cancer
on 6 May 2003.) Several albums and CD
s with re-recordings of the original hits as well as new material are available from both of the present day versions of the group.
Richard Gower appeared in the Countdown Spectacular
2 concert series in Australia
between late August and early September 2007. He sang 2 songs, "Lay Your Love On Me" and "Some Girls".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, by singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Phil Fursdon and Clive Wilson. The group was formerly known as Alive 'n' Rockin.
Career
Over their original tenure as a band Racey scored a series of hitHit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, South Africa, 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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The only album they made under the original lineup was their 1979 debut album Smash and Grab, selling about 500,000 copies world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
wide.
The band's hits were either written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and/or produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Mike Chapman
Mike Chapman (record producer)
Mike Chapman is an Australian born record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s...
and Nicky Chinn
Nicky Chinn
Nicky Chinn born Nicholas Barry Chinn, 16 May 1945, London, UK) is a British songwriter and record producer. Together with Mike Chapman he had a long string of hit singles in the UK and US in the 1970s and early 1980s, including several number-one records...
. They scored with several hits such as "Lay Your Love on Me" and "Some Girls". Another Chinn-Chapman song, "Kitty", was reworked and released by Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
as "Mickey
Mickey (song)
"Mickey" is a 1982 U.S. new wave song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty", it was first recorded by UK popular music group Racey during 1979...
" in 1982; that song reached Number one on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Number 2 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 ...
in early 1982.
Hits
Racey's first single, "Baby It's You", was penned by SmokieSmokie (band)
Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...
members Chris Norman
Chris Norman
Chris Norman is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie, an English glam rock band from Bradford, which found success in Europe in the 1970s....
and Pete Spencer and was released in 1978. Their second single, "Lay Your Love on Me", was the group's first hit single, peaking at No.3 in late 1978/early 1979. The third single, "Some Girls", was written for the American band Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, for whom Mike Chapman also produced, but was instead given to Racey as a follow-up to "Lay Your Love on Me". The band then parted company with Chinn and Chapman after the album was released and although they continued to play and tour they released only a few more singles that did not match their previous successes.
Break up
The band formally split in 1985, and since then two separate groups named Racey exist, one featuring band member Richard Gower and the other featuring Clive Wilson, Phil Fursdon and Pete Miller, the original bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player. (Miller died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 6 May 2003.) Several albums and CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s with re-recordings of the original hits as well as new material are available from both of the present day versions of the group.
Richard Gower appeared in the Countdown Spectacular
Countdown Spectacular
The Countdown Spectacular is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series Countdown.-Countdown Spectacular:...
2 concert series 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...
between late August and early September 2007. He sang 2 songs, "Lay Your Love On Me" and "Some Girls".
The Reissue of Smash and Grab
In May 2009 the reissue of Racey's Smash And Grab album was available on a double CD through 7Ts Records, a division of Cherry Red Records in London. It included the original 1979 album along with all other recordings made for RAK Records between 1978 and 1982. Included is a booklet with all the original album artwork, extensive sleeve notes by Steve Thorpe and many pictures of the original single sleeves from UK and foreign releases. It was completely remastered by Tim Turan of Turan Audio in Oxford.Singles
- "Baby It's You" (1977)
- "Lay Your Love on MeLay Your Love on MeNot to be confused with Lay All Your Love on MeLay Your Love on Me is a pop song by the British pop group Racey and their second single release. The song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, produced by Mickie Most and released 1978 on the RAK Records label.Kikki Danielsson covered the song...
" (1978, UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#3) - "Some GirlsSome Girls (Racey song)Some Girls is a pop song by the British pop group Racey and it is their third single release. The song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, produced by Mickie Most and released 1979 on the RAK Records label....
" (1979, UK #2) (1979, South Africa #1) - "Boy oh BoyBoy Oh BoyBoy oh Boy is a pop song by the British pop group Racey and it is their fourth single release. The song was written by Glo Macari and Roger Ferris, produced by Mickie Most and released 1979 on the RAK Records label....
" (1979, UK #22) (1979, South Africa #2) - "Such a NightSuch a Night (Racey song)Such a Night is a pop song by the British pop group Racey and it is their fifth single release. The song was written by D. Most, S. Glen and M. Burns, produced by Mickie Most and released 1979 on the RAK Records label....
" (1980) - "Rest of My LifeRest of My Life (Racey song)Rest of My Life is a pop song by the British pop group Racey and it is their sixth single release. The song was written by R. Scott and S. Wolfe, produced by Mickie Most and released 1980 on the RAK Records label....
" (1980) - "Runaround SueRunaround Sue"Runaround Sue" is a pop song, originally a US No. 1 hit for the singer Dion during 1961. The song ranked No. 342 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".-Original recording:...
" (1980, UK #13) - "Shame" (1980)
- "Little Darlin'" (1981)
- "There's A Party Going On" (1981)
- "Not Too Young To Get Married" (1982)
- "Cry Cry Time" (1996)
Albums
- Smash And Grab (1979)
- Some Girls (1995)
- Say Wow! Greatest and Latest (1996)
- Lay Your Love on Me (1996)
- Best of Racey (2003)
- The Best of Racey (2006)
- Smash And Grab (2009 double CD reissue)