D'Influence (also D-Influence and D*Influence) is a British
production team
A production team is the group of technical staff who produce a play, television show, recording, or film. Generally the term refers to all individuals responsible for the technical aspects of creating of a particular product, regardless of where ...
and
acid jazz band. Formerly of
The Echo Label
The Echo Label was a British record label started by Chrysalis Group in 1994, and linked with Pony Canyon in Japan. The Chrysalis Group were the original owners of Chrysalis Records, which they sold to EMI.
In 2005, The Echo Label recorded a ...
, they founded their own label, Freakstreet Records. Original members include
Kwame Kwaten
Kwame Amankwa Kwaten (born 13 May 1967) is a British manager, music consultant, musician and record producer. He owns an artist management and consultancy company called Ferocious Talent and is a co-founder of Cr8ing Vision, a non-profit compan ...
, Sarah-Ann Webb, Ed Baden-Powell, and Steve Marston.
Biography
D'Influence emerged in 1990 from the UK club scene. The group went on to issue their debut album titled ''
Good 4 We'' in August 1992. The album reached No. 7 on the ''
Blues & Soul
''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...
'' Top British Soul Albums chart. The song "Good Lover" from the LP got to No. 11 on the ''Blues & Soul'' Top British Soul Singles chart.
D'Influence later issued in 1995 their sophomore studio album, ''Prayer 4 Unity''. The album reached No. 17 on the
UK R&B Albums chart. A song off the album, "Midnite" reached No. 17 on the
UK R&B Singles chart.
The group went on to issue other hit singles such as "Hypnotize" (1997, UK No. 33) and "Rock with You" (1998, UK No. 30).
In 2017, the band regrouped for one-off concerts at various top London clubs and summer festivals in the UK. Reviewing their 'generation-spanning' set at Love Supreme festival, Mike Hobart of the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' praised "the slinky, bass-heavy grooves that sustained their success in the 1990s." He also proclaimed that D'Influence "last played a festival 17 years ago, their current revival coming about after a promoter saw... their annual get-together jam on Instagram. The band has lost none of its sass."
2018 saw further performances in the UK, Africa and Europe.
Other work
As a group, D'Influence have produced and remixed
hit single
A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
s for British pop and R&B artists such as
Mark Morrison
Mark Morrison (born 3 May 1972) is a British R&B singer. His single, "Return of the Mack", became a No. 1 or top 10 hit in several European countries in 1996. The song peaked at No. 2 in the United States the following year.
Career
Mark Mo ...
("
Return of the Mack
"Return of the Mack" is a song written and recorded by British R&B singer Mark Morrison, released as the third single from his debut album by the same name (1996). It topped the UK Singles Chart a month after its release, then became a Euro ...
"),
Shola Ama
Shola Ama (born 8 March 1979) is a British singer from London, who scored her biggest hits with "You Might Need Somebody" (1997), a cover of Randy Crawford's 1981 hit, " You're the One I Love" and "Still Believe" (1999) which was one of the fi ...
("
You Might Need Somebody
"You Might Need Somebody" is a song written by Tom Snow and Nan O'Byrne, and first recorded in 1980 by American singer and guitarist Turley Richards. The following year, American jazz and R&B singer Randy Crawford released her version which char ...
", "Much Love"),
Lighthouse Family
Lighthouse Family were a British musical duo that rose to prominence in the mid-1990s and initially remained active until the early 2000s. Singer Tunde Baiyewu and songwriter Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, a ...
("
Raincloud") and for
Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté Wyche (born March 20, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter who has achieved success on the pop charts with songs such as " Free", "If You Could Read My Mind" (as part of Stars on 54), and "Autom ...
("
New Kind of Medicine
"New Kind of Medicine" is a 1998 song by American recording artist Ultra Naté, released as the third single from her third album, '' Situation: Critical'' (1998). The radio version was remixed by British production team D'Influence. It was a top ...
"). They have also
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ed songs for
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
,
Tom Jones, American rapper
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
("
Wishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...
", ''
Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z''), and performed live with Icelandic singer-songwriter
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
(''
Later with Jools Holland
''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...
'').
Albums
*''
Good 4 We'' (1992)
*''Prayer 4 Unity'' (1995)
*''London'' (1997) –
UK No. 56
*''D'Influence Presents D-Vas'' (2002)
References
External links
*
"D'Influence" ''AllMusic.com''.
"D-Influence" ''SoulWalking''.
Acid jazz ensembles
British record production teams
Remixers
{{UK-record-producer-stub