S'Express
Encyclopedia
S'Express were a British
dance music
act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house
genre.
"Theme from S'Express
", based on Rose Royce
's "Is It Love You're After", was also one of the earliest recordings to capitalize on a resurgence of sampling
culture and went to number one in the United Kingdom
as well as the Hot Dance Club Play
chart in the United States (also scraping into the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
at #91).
/producer
and remix
er Mark Moore
. In 1989, the group released its debut album, Original Soundtrack
, which featured a line-up of Mark M (Moore, noise engineer), Michellé (microdot clarinet and vox), Mark D (trumpet, noise, boogie factor), Jocasta (hi-hat hairspray, background vox), and Pascal (Pascal Gabriel
, noise engineer). The album consisted of slightly longer versions of S-Express's "Theme" and its follow-up hits "Superfly Guy" (UK #5) and "Hey Music Lover" (UK #6), along with an album's worth of new compositions. Singer Billie Ray Martin
also appeared on several tracks on its debut.
By the release of the second album Intercourse, the act was reduced to a duo of Moore with new vocalist and DJ Sonique
. Although not as successful as its debut, Intercourse spawned several mid-charting UK singles and club hits, most notably "Nothing to Lose", co-written with Martin Gordon
, as were several other tunes on the record. Sonique, already a successful DJ, eventually embarked on a solo career and produced one of the biggest pop
and club hits of the late 1990s ("It Feels So Good
"). Moore went on to release many singles, remixes and albums on his own and also formed the band Needledust.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of acid house, Mark Moore resurrected S'Express from the "cryogenic chamber", and released a song on the French Kitsune record label called "Stupid Little Girls."
Mark Moore has also remixed Client
, Soft Cell
, and the B-52's
.
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...
dance music
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...
act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
genre.
"Theme from S'Express
Theme from S'Express
"Theme from S-Express" is an acid house song by English dance music band S'Express from their album Original Soundtrack. It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in dance music history and is notable for introducing acid house culture to the UK's charts....
", based on Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
's "Is It Love You're After", was also one of the earliest recordings to capitalize on a resurgence of sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
culture and went to number one 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...
as well as the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart in the United States (also scraping into the U.S. 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...
at #91).
Biography
The main player in the act was DJDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
/producer
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...
and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
er Mark Moore
Mark Moore
Mark Moore is a British dance music record producer and DJ. He was founder of the pop/sampling pioneers S'Express, and runs the London nightclubs, 'Electrogogo' and 'Can Can'.-Biography:...
. In 1989, the group released its debut album, Original Soundtrack
Original Soundtrack (album)
Original Soundtrack is the debut album by English dance music act S'Express. It was predominantly written and produced by S'Express mastermind Mark Moore along with Mark McGuire...
, which featured a line-up of Mark M (Moore, noise engineer), Michellé (microdot clarinet and vox), Mark D (trumpet, noise, boogie factor), Jocasta (hi-hat hairspray, background vox), and Pascal (Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
, noise engineer). The album consisted of slightly longer versions of S-Express's "Theme" and its follow-up hits "Superfly Guy" (UK #5) and "Hey Music Lover" (UK #6), along with an album's worth of new compositions. Singer Billie Ray Martin
Billie Ray Martin
-Career:Billie Ray Martin has had dance and pop hits in various collaborations and as a solo artist. Initially a guest singer for S'Express , she went on to work with the electronic/pop/house-music group Electribe 101. The group's only album was Electribal Memories because it disbanded...
also appeared on several tracks on its debut.
By the release of the second album Intercourse, the act was reduced to a duo of Moore with new vocalist and DJ Sonique
Sonique (artist)
Sonia Clarke , known more commonly by her stage name Sonique, is a British singer, musician and disc jockey. She is well known for her successful career in dance music. She was the lead vocalist on two S'Express singles. She won the 2001 BRIT Award for British female solo artist...
. Although not as successful as its debut, Intercourse spawned several mid-charting UK singles and club hits, most notably "Nothing to Lose", co-written with Martin Gordon
Martin Gordon
Martin Gordon is an English musician, who plays bass guitar and piano.-Biography:Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up Hitchin, Hertfordshire...
, as were several other tunes on the record. Sonique, already a successful DJ, eventually embarked on a solo career and produced one of the biggest 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...
and club hits of the late 1990s ("It Feels So Good
It Feels So Good
"It Feels So Good" is the second single by singer, DJ Sonique, first released in 1998 , and then again in 2000, where it spent three weeks at number one in the UK in May of that year...
"). Moore went on to release many singles, remixes and albums on his own and also formed the band Needledust.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of acid house, Mark Moore resurrected S'Express from the "cryogenic chamber", and released a song on the French Kitsune record label called "Stupid Little Girls."
Mark Moore has also remixed Client
Client (band)
Client are an English electronic musical group from London. They are most popular in Germany where they have had limited commercial success...
, Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
, and the B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
.
Albums
- 1989 Original SoundtrackOriginal Soundtrack (album)Original Soundtrack is the debut album by English dance music act S'Express. It was predominantly written and produced by S'Express mastermind Mark Moore along with Mark McGuire...
- (Rhythm King, LEFT CD8)- UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
#5 - 1991 IntercourseIntercourse (S'Express album)Intercourse is the second studio album by English dance music act S'Express. For this release, S'Express was basically Mark Moore and Sonique with a variety of guest vocalists and musicians. It was originally released in the US in 1991 with a UK / European release following shortly afterwards...
- (US, Sire, 9 26520-2) (UK, Rhythm King / Epic, 468567 2) - 1998 Ultimate S'ExpressUltimate S'ExpressUltimate S'Express is a compilation album by English dance music act S'Express. Released in 1998, it comprises tracks from 1989's debut album Original Soundtrack and the US version of the 1991 follow-up album Intercourse. The foldout booklet contains a short uncredited essay with some errors made...
- (Camden / BMG, 74321 603402) - 2004 Themes from S'Express - the Best Of - (BMG, 82876 581972)
Singles
| Year | Title | 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 ... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
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... |
U.S. 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... |
U.S. dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Theme from S'Express Theme from S'Express "Theme from S-Express" is an acid house song by English dance music band S'Express from their album Original Soundtrack. It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in dance music history and is notable for introducing acid house culture to the UK's charts.... " |
1 | 11 | 2 | 91 | 1 | Original Soundtrack |
| "Superfly Guy" | 5 | 35 | 13 | - | 2 | ||
| 1989 | "Hey Music Lover" | 6 | - | 29 | - | 6 | |
| "Mantra for a State of Mind" | 21 | - | - | - | - | Intercourse | |
| 1990 | "Nothing to Lose" | 32 | - | - | - | 9 | |
| 1991 | "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, Forget 'Em" | 43 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1992 | "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em / Let It All Out EP" | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1996 | "Theme from S'Express - The Return Trip"1 | 14 | 42 | - | - | - | — |
| 2008 | "Stupid Little Girls"2 | - | - | - | - | - | — |
- 1 remixes by Tony De VitTony De VitTony De Vit was a British club DJ, Producer and Remixer and one of the most influential of his generation. He was credited with helping to take the "Hard house" and fast "Hard NRG" sounds out of the London gay scene and into mainstream clubs...
, Aquarius and Carl CraigCarl CraigCarl Craig is a Detroit-based producer of techno music, and is considered to be one of the most important names in the Detroit second generation of techno producers and DJs...
available in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , 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...
through Central Station Records (also released in the UK and Europe), and accredited to Mark Moore presents S'Express. - 2 released on download and 12" vinyl only.
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart