MARRS (stylised M, A, R, R, S) were a 1987 recording collective formed by the groups

A.R. Kane A.R. Kane (sometimes AR Kane or A.R.Kane) was a British musical duo formed in 1986 by Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala. After releasing two early EPs to critical acclaim, the group topped the UK Independent Chart with their debut album '' 69'' (1988 ...

and

Colourbox Colourbox were an English electronic musical group on the 4AD label, releasing a number of records between 1982 and 1987. The band was formed by brothers Martyn and Steve Young, Ian Robbins, and vocalist Debbion Currie. Currie and Robbins left ...

, which only released one commercial disc. It became "a

one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...

of rare influence" because of their international hit " Pump Up the Volume", which was their only single.

History

MARRS started in 1987 as an intended collaboration between the groups

and

, with additional input from DJs Chris "C.J." Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell. However, instead of working together, the two groups ended up recording a track each, then turning it over to the other for additional input. Of the two pieces completed, one, "Anitina", was an A.R. Kane track with drum programming by Colourbox's Steve Young. The other, "Pump Up the Volume", was a propulsive Martyn Young track constructed largely of samples, including one of A.R. Kane's guitars. The record was released under the alias MARRS, an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

derived from the forenames of the five 4AD artists involved in the project: Martyn Young (from Colourbox), Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala (from A.R. Kane), Russell Smith (an associate A.R. Kane member and founder of

Terminal Cheesecake Terminal Cheesecake are an English alternative rock band, originally formed by Gary Boniface (formerly of The Purple Things and The Vibes), Russell Smith (formerly of A.R.Kane and MARRS), Mick Parkin and John Jobbagy (also from The Vibes and P ...

), and Steven Young (from Colourbox). The ostensibly double A-sided

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

"Pump Up the Volume" / "Anitina", released on 4AD in the UK, was to be the sole MARRS release. Only "Pump Up the Volume" gained significant attention and airplay and went on to be a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, as well as a top-ten hit in several other countries. ("Anitina" was listed on the UK chart after several weeks, but a note on the actual chart explained that "Anitina" was listed at the record company's request, "without significant evidence of consumer interest" in the track). "Pump Up the Volume" was released on 4th & B’way/

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

in the US. Because of legal issues, some of the samples used in the original UK release of the song were removed and replaced in the US release. It was nominated for the 1989

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011. *In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental *From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance ...

, but lost out to "Close-Up" by

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

. In September 1987, MARRS announced that it would not issue a follow-up release. Colourbox would never reform, while A.R. Kane would continue with a hiatus period from 1994 to 2015. Group member Steven Young died on 13 July 2016.

Discography

*1987: " Pump Up the Volume" / "Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance)" (4AD AD 707) Aus, NLD, UK, US, US Dance Club Play

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marrs Musical groups from London English electronic music groups 4AD artists Island Records artists Acid house groups Hip house music groups Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups disestablished in 1987