The Dolly Rockers
Encyclopedia
The Dolly Rockers are an English
girl group
from London
, Leeds
and Manchester
. The group currently consists of Lucie Kay, Sophie King and Daniele Owen. They first became known when they competed in UK talent show The X Factor
in 2006, making it through to the "judges' houses" stage, however they were then not chosen to go through to the live shows. However, in 2009 the group received an unexpected amount of airplay with one of their songs and became instant celebrities, receiving coverage in British tabloids and feuding with other pop groups. They were signed with EMI
Parlophone
, and worked with hit songwriters Ray Hedges
and Nigel Butler. Their sound has been called "Wonky Pop
" and "drunk disco", and they have described themselves as "the pop equivalent of Marmite
."
. They formed the Dolly Rockers after this band failed. The name comes from a vintage clothing company. After The X Factor, they worked with Hedges and Butler for a year and a half, recording material in Jersey while still working in their day jobs. They say that "A lot of people who have been on X Factor try to capitalise on the connection. We're trying to put it behind us."
's 1981 hit "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rockstar", which was heavily promoted by BBC Radio 1
DJ Scott Mills
. The song became so popular so quickly, helped in part by a video shot on the London Underground
, that EMI decided to rush the single as a download. A new single, "Gold Digger," was physically released on 30 August. This song heavily samples "Stool Pigeon" by Kid Creole and the Coconuts
and "Wordy Rappinghood
" by The Tom Tom Club. The video is similar to their first video "Je Suis Une Dolly". It was shot at the River Island shop on Oxford Street. It premiered through Parlophone
's YouTube channel on 24 July. Lucie Kay left the band in December 2009, and was replaced by Daniele Owen. In August 2010, Kay rejoined the band, and Challinor was excused from The Dolly Rockers. The band say that have signed a US record deal with RedWalk Productions (A RedOne venture with Charlie Walk) and will start working on material for their debut album in mid to late 2011. Recently the girls released several new songs to YouTube
which they perform acoustically - namely Spin the Bottle
and Merry go Round.
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...
girl group
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...
from 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...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The group currently consists of Lucie Kay, Sophie King and Daniele Owen. They first became known when they competed in UK talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2006, making it through to the "judges' houses" stage, however they were then not chosen to go through to the live shows. However, in 2009 the group received an unexpected amount of airplay with one of their songs and became instant celebrities, receiving coverage in British tabloids and feuding with other pop groups. They were signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, and worked with hit songwriters Ray Hedges
Ray Hedges
Ray Hedges from Surrey, England is a songwriter and record producer.Ray Hedges has had over 60 top 20 singles and albums including 6 UK No 1’sas producer and or writer with many on his own record labels....
and Nigel Butler. Their sound has been called "Wonky Pop
Wonky Pop
Wonky Pop was a term used to describe a loose grouping of musical acts that played what the BBC called "quirky, catchy and credible pop", rooted in the eccentric side of 1980s pop music, which was briefly popular in the late 2000s...
" and "drunk disco", and they have described themselves as "the pop equivalent of Marmite
Marmite
Marmite is the name given to two similar food spreads: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand...
."
Career beginnings
The band members met after successfully auditioning for a girl band, Innocence, advertised in The StageThe Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
. They formed the Dolly Rockers after this band failed. The name comes from a vintage clothing company. After The X Factor, they worked with Hedges and Butler for a year and a half, recording material in Jersey while still working in their day jobs. They say that "A lot of people who have been on X Factor try to capitalise on the connection. We're trying to put it behind us."
Current band
The band got signed to EMI in 2009 and hit the mainstream in with the single "Je Suis Une Dolly", based on Bill WymanBill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
's 1981 hit "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rockstar", which was heavily promoted by 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...
DJ Scott Mills
Scott Mills
Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1...
. The song became so popular so quickly, helped in part by a video shot on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, that EMI decided to rush the single as a download. A new single, "Gold Digger," was physically released on 30 August. This song heavily samples "Stool Pigeon" by Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Kid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created and led by August Darnell. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular "American and Latin American, South American, Caribbean, Trinidadian, Calloway" and conceptually inspired by the big band era...
and "Wordy Rappinghood
Wordy Rappinghood
"Wordy Rappinghood" is a song by the American band Tom Tom Club. The song was the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Tom Tom Club. It uses part of the 1971 Rolf Harris song "A Ram Sam Sam". In the United States, the song was released as a double a-side with "Genius of Love" and topped...
" by The Tom Tom Club. The video is similar to their first video "Je Suis Une Dolly". It was shot at the River Island shop on Oxford Street. It premiered through Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
's YouTube channel on 24 July. Lucie Kay left the band in December 2009, and was replaced by Daniele Owen. In August 2010, Kay rejoined the band, and Challinor was excused from The Dolly Rockers. The band say that have signed a US record deal with RedWalk Productions (A RedOne venture with Charlie Walk) and will start working on material for their debut album in mid to late 2011. Recently the girls released several new songs to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
which they perform acoustically - namely Spin the Bottle
Spin the bottle
Spin the Bottle is a party game in which several players sit/stand/kneel in a circle. One player spins a bottle and must kiss the person to whom the bottle points, who then spins the bottle in turn...
and Merry go Round.
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak positions |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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 ... |
|||||||
| 2009 | "Gold Digger Gold Digger (Dolly Rockers song) "Gold Digger" is the debut single by English girl group Dolly Rockers. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2009 and physically the day after... " |
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