Tight Fit
Encyclopedia
Tight Fit are a British
pop
group
who had a number of hits
in the early 1980s, including a UK No.1 (for three weeks) with their cover version
of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight
" in 1982. The group had two completely different line-ups - the first (a group of session
singers
) in 1981 and a male/female trio
in 1982.
Ken Gold came up with the idea to record
a single
made up of a medley
of 1960s song
s. The medley trend was in full swing at this time, following the success of Starsound and their Stars on 45
singles. He put together a group of male/female session singers and released "Back to the 60s" under the group title, Tight Fit. The song became a hit in the summer and reached No.4 in the UK Singles Chart
. A follow-up, "Back to the 60s Part 2" was released soon after and also hit the UK
Top 40.
Later in the year record producer Tim Friese-Greene
recorded the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with another group of session singers. The song was released in early 1982 again under the title Tight Fit. The song gained instant attention and so a group was formed to front it. Dancer, singer and male model
Steve Grant was teamed up with female singers Denise Gyngell
and Julie Harris. The song reached No.1 in the UK for three weeks and the line-up were catapulted into sudden and unexpected stardom.
Satisfied that this line-up could actually sing in their own right, Friese-Greene produced their next single, "Fantasy Island" - a song which had been in the Dutch
Eurovision Song Contest
heats. The song, in a very similar vein to pop group ABBA
, also became a success and reached No.5 in May.
The group then set about recording an album
as well as rehearsing for their first tour. A third single was released in August. "Secret Heart" was not as big as a success as the previous two and stalled at No.41. The debut album was released soon after, but coincided with both Harris and Gyngell leaving the group. Both unhappy with their contract, they claimed that they were not receiving any royalties
from their hits and were being paid a paltry wage for their work. Swiftly two new female singers, Vicky Pemberton and Carol Stevens, were employed to take their place and the group released another single, "I'm Undecided" - a song from the album, with new vocals. The song failed to make the UK Chart and this signalled the end of Tight Fit's brief pop stardom. In an interview, Harris stated that the public did not take to the new line-up and had she and Gyngell been still with the group, it would have likely been a hit.
The following year, Tight Fit released one more single - a cover of Stephen Stills
' "Love The One You're With
". Under the banner, Steve Grant with Tight Fit, the song completely missed the chart and the group duly split-up.
album), under the name Julie and the Jems, and "Escargot a la Bongo" under the name Chopper Harris. Chopper Harris were contestants on The Freddie Starr Show Case and won their heat with the aforementioned song. They went on to come second in the final with the song "The Dolphin Dive". Gyngell teamed up with her two brothers
under the name, He, She, Him, and released a single "Try a Little Tenderness". Grant released some solo singles ("Conviction" (with Earlene Bentley) and "Run for Cover") and in 1986 joined a male three-piece group, Splash!. They released a single "Que-est ce que C'est", but like the others, also a failed to find any success. Grant's background was in musical theatre, to which he returned afterwards. In the 1980s he appeared in productions of On the Town and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and in the 1990s he appeared in productions of Kiss Me, Kate
and Miss Saigon
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
in London
, where he was a part of the cast at various stages between 1992 and 1999, when the production closed. Since 1999 he has lived partly in London and partly in Southern Spain. For a number of years there was a rumour that Grant had died, but this is untrue. It has been suggested that the rumour originated in a mix-up with the lead singer of Baltimora
(who died in 1995) due to the similarity of the image each portrayed in their most well-known hit.
s around Britain. In 2010 they are touring in a show called "Back to the Eighties", performing many well-known songs from the 1980s as well as their own hits. Steve Grant has also appeared with them at some gigs and with him, they are recording a new album for Sony Music, produced by Ross Alexander. Tight Fit are currently back in the recording studio. Recording new material as well as remixing some of their classic tracks (Fantasy Island) for a new album due to be released towards the end of August 2010 called "Now & Then". They filmed a program featuring the original members for the new series of "Pineapple Dance Studio's for SKY TV that aired in January 2011.
group formed in 1982, originally under the name Fallen Angel. They changed their name to Tight Fit in 1987. Members include original guitarist
Joe Locke, original lead vocalist Jane Bassett, guitarist Augie Miller, drummer
Jimi Ray (joined 1988), bassist
Jay Carr (joined 1989) and keyboardist
Tzer (Michael Tabaczka). Their official website is located here: Tight Fit Website.
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...
who had a number of hits
Hit 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...
in the early 1980s, including a UK No.1 (for three weeks) with their 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...
of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", also known as "Wimoweh" and originally as "Mbube", is a song recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including The Weavers,...
" in 1982. The group had two completely different line-ups - the first (a group of session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
singers
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...
) in 1981 and a male/female 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...
in 1982.
History
In 1981, record producerRecord 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...
Ken Gold came up with the idea to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a single
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...
made up of a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
of 1960s song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. The medley trend was in full swing at this time, following the success of Starsound and their Stars on 45
Stars on 45
Stars on 45 was a Dutch novelty pop act that was briefly very popular in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, the United States and Australia in the early 1980s. The group later shortened its name to Stars On in the U.S., while in the U.K. and Ireland it was known as Starsound...
singles. He put together a group of male/female session singers and released "Back to the 60s" under the group title, Tight Fit. The song became a hit in the summer and reached No.4 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 ...
. A follow-up, "Back to the 60s Part 2" was released soon after and also hit the UK
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...
Top 40.
Later in the year record producer Tim Friese-Greene
Tim Friese-Greene
Timothy Alan Friese-Greene is an English musician and producer. From 1983 to their breakup in 1992, he worked with the band Talk Talk. He currently releases solo albums under the name "Heligoland".-Producer:...
recorded the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with another group of session singers. The song was released in early 1982 again under the title Tight Fit. The song gained instant attention and so a group was formed to front it. Dancer, singer and male model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
Steve Grant was teamed up with female singers Denise Gyngell
Denise Gyngell
Denise Gyngell is a British singer, actress and model. She is most famous as a member of the early 80s pop group, Tight Fit. She later married record producer Pete Waterman.-Biography:...
and Julie Harris. The song reached No.1 in the UK for three weeks and the line-up were catapulted into sudden and unexpected stardom.
Satisfied that this line-up could actually sing in their own right, Friese-Greene produced their next single, "Fantasy Island" - a song which had been in the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
heats. The song, in a very similar vein to pop group ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, also became a success and reached No.5 in May.
The group then set about recording an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
as well as rehearsing for their first tour. A third single was released in August. "Secret Heart" was not as big as a success as the previous two and stalled at No.41. The debut album was released soon after, but coincided with both Harris and Gyngell leaving the group. Both unhappy with their contract, they claimed that they were not receiving any royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
from their hits and were being paid a paltry wage for their work. Swiftly two new female singers, Vicky Pemberton and Carol Stevens, were employed to take their place and the group released another single, "I'm Undecided" - a song from the album, with new vocals. The song failed to make the UK Chart and this signalled the end of Tight Fit's brief pop stardom. In an interview, Harris stated that the public did not take to the new line-up and had she and Gyngell been still with the group, it would have likely been a hit.
The following year, Tight Fit released one more single - a cover of Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
' "Love The One You're With
Love the One You're With
"Love the One You're With" is a 1970 single by folk rocker Stephen Stills. The first release off his first solo album Stephen Stills, it rose to the top twenty of the pop singles chart, peaking at No. 14....
". Under the banner, Steve Grant with Tight Fit, the song completely missed the chart and the group duly split-up.
After Tight Fit
Grant, Harris and Gyngell all tried to launch music careers outside Tight Fit following their departures. Harris released two singles in 1983: "123" (not the same song as "One Two Three" which she sang on the Tight FitTight Fit (album)
Tight Fit is a 1982 album by the British pop group Tight Fit.The album featured the No.1 single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as well as the top five hit "Fantasy Island". Tracks "Secret Heart" and "I'm Undecided" were released as singles also, but achieved less success. The album itself peaked at a...
album), under the name Julie and the Jems, and "Escargot a la Bongo" under the name Chopper Harris. Chopper Harris were contestants on The Freddie Starr Show Case and won their heat with the aforementioned song. They went on to come second in the final with the song "The Dolphin Dive". Gyngell teamed up with her two brothers
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
under the name, He, She, Him, and released a single "Try a Little Tenderness". Grant released some solo singles ("Conviction" (with Earlene Bentley) and "Run for Cover") and in 1986 joined a male three-piece group, Splash!. They released a single "Que-est ce que C'est", but like the others, also a failed to find any success. Grant's background was in musical theatre, to which he returned afterwards. In the 1980s he appeared in productions of On the Town and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and in the 1990s he appeared in productions of Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
and Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
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...
, where he was a part of the cast at various stages between 1992 and 1999, when the production closed. Since 1999 he has lived partly in London and partly in Southern Spain. For a number of years there was a rumour that Grant had died, but this is untrue. It has been suggested that the rumour originated in a mix-up with the lead singer of Baltimora
Baltimora
Baltimora were an Italian New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane , Maurizio Bassi , Giorgio Cocilovo , Claudio Bazzari , Pier Michelatti and Gabriele Melotti...
(who died in 1995) due to the similarity of the image each portrayed in their most well-known hit.
Today
In 2008, members Denise Gyngell and Julie Harris reformed Tight Fit with new male member Silvio Gigante as a touring band, playing nightclubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s around Britain. In 2010 they are touring in a show called "Back to the Eighties", performing many well-known songs from the 1980s as well as their own hits. Steve Grant has also appeared with them at some gigs and with him, they are recording a new album for Sony Music, produced by Ross Alexander. Tight Fit are currently back in the recording studio. Recording new material as well as remixing some of their classic tracks (Fantasy Island) for a new album due to be released towards the end of August 2010 called "Now & Then". They filmed a program featuring the original members for the new series of "Pineapple Dance Studio's for SKY TV that aired in January 2011.
Members
- Steve Grant (born 26 February 1960) (1982-1983, 2009-present (occasional performances))
- Denise GyngellDenise GyngellDenise Gyngell is a British singer, actress and model. She is most famous as a member of the early 80s pop group, Tight Fit. She later married record producer Pete Waterman.-Biography:...
(born 30 August 1961) (1982, 2008-present) - Julie Harris (born 15 August 1958) (1982, 2008-present)
- Vicky Pemberton (1982-1983)
- Carol Stevens (1982-1983)
- Richard Scarfe (1981)
- Martin PageMartin PageMartin Page is a musician, singer, bass player, session musician, and noted pop songwriter.Martin George Page was born at Southampton, Hampshire, England, September 23, 1959 to Alan Richard Page and Ruth Pamela Page...
(1981) - Brian Fairweather (1981)
- Silvio Gigante (2008-present)
Singles
- "Back to the Sixties" - (1981) - Jive RecordsJive RecordsJive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
- No. 4 - "Back to the Sixties Part 2" - (1981) - No. 33
- "The Lion Sleeps TonightThe Lion Sleeps Tonight"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", also known as "Wimoweh" and originally as "Mbube", is a song recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including The Weavers,...
" - (1982) - No. 1 {Sung by Roy Ward - City Boy} - "Fantasy Island" - (1982) - No. 5
- "Secret Heart" - (1982) - No. 41
- "I'm Undecided" - (1982)
- "Love The One You're WithLove the One You're With"Love the One You're With" is a 1970 single by folk rocker Stephen Stills. The first release off his first solo album Stephen Stills, it rose to the top twenty of the pop singles chart, peaking at No. 14....
" (1983) - "Fantasy Island" - (2010) (Promotional Only Almighty Remixes)
Albums
- Back to the Sixties - (1981) - Jive Records - No.38
- Tight FitTight Fit (album)Tight Fit is a 1982 album by the British pop group Tight Fit.The album featured the No.1 single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as well as the top five hit "Fantasy Island". Tracks "Secret Heart" and "I'm Undecided" were released as singles also, but achieved less success. The album itself peaked at a...
- (1982) - No.87
- Grant and Harris both appeared on the charity single, "Doctor in DistressDoctor in Distress (single)"Doctor in Distress" is a pop song related to the BBC television programme Doctor Who. It was released as an ensemble charity single in 1985.- Background :...
" by Who Cares (1985)
Confusion
The band is sometimes confused with an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
group formed in 1982, originally under the name Fallen Angel. They changed their name to Tight Fit in 1987. Members include original guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Joe Locke, original lead vocalist Jane Bassett, guitarist Augie Miller, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Jimi Ray (joined 1988), bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Jay Carr (joined 1989) and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Tzer (Michael Tabaczka). Their official website is located here: Tight Fit Website.