HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Matt Bianco are a British band that were formed in 1983. They are mainly known for their success in the mid-1980s and their jazz, Latin-flavoured music. The group's name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for the main member and front man Mark Reilly. According to the group, however, Matt is in fact "a made up spy, a secret agent; we loved spy TV themes and film scores".


Early years

Matt Bianco was formed in 1983 by Mark Reilly (vocals), Danny White (keyboard), Kito Poncioni (bass) – all of whom had just left art pop group
Blue Rondo A La Turk Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obse ...
– and vocalist
Basia Trzetrzelewska Barbara Stanisława Trzetrzelewska (Polish: , born 30 September 1954), better known as Basia, is a Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist noted for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music. She began singing professionally in various Polish ban ...
. The band called itself "Bronze" before settling on the name Matt Bianco in 1983. The group was pictured as a quartet for their first single (" Get Out of Your Lazy Bed"/"Big Rosie"), although Poncioni only played on the non-album B-side "Big Rosie". He dropped out of the group entirely before the recording of their first album ''
Whose Side Are You On? ''Whose Side Are You On?'' is the debut album by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1984. For this album, Matt Bianco was a trio of Basia Trzetrzelewska (vocals), Mark Reilly (vocals), and Danny White ( keyboards). The album contains the b ...
'' (1984), although he received a co-writing credit on the track "Half A Minute". The album spawned several UK and European hits, including "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", "More Than I Can Bear", "Half a Minute" and "Sneaking Out The Back Door". The album made the top 3 in Germany and number 1 in Austria. The title track was not a hit in the UK, although it was a minor hit in Canada and Australia. In 1984, whilst promoting ''Whose Side Are You On?'', the group appeared on the children's TV show ''
Saturday Superstore ''Saturday Superstore'' is a British children's television series that aired on BBC1 from 2 October 1982 to 18 April 1987. It was shown on Saturday mornings with presenters including Mike Read, Sarah Greene, Keith Chegwin, and John Craven. The s ...
'', and during a live phone-in, a caller named Simon Roberts said, "hello, Matt Bianco €¦you're a bunch of wankers." This moment of profanity has become infamous in the history of children's television in the UK. However, this incident did not stop the band appearing on subsequent
BBC Children's #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
TV programmes. Trzetrzelewska and White formed a romantic relationship, and left the group soon after the first album so that Trzetrzelewska could pursue an international solo career. Jenni Evans became the new female singer, and
Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 â€“ 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...
became songwriter, producer, and keyboard player. This line-up recorded the ''
Matt Bianco Matt Bianco are a British band that were formed in 1983. They are mainly known for their success in the mid-1980s and their jazz, Latin-flavoured music. The group's name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for th ...
'' album, which was released in 1986. The hit "
Yeh Yeh "Yeh, Yeh" (in some territories released as "Yeah, yeh, yeh") is a Latin soul tune that was written as an instrumental by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick, and first recorded by Mongo Santamaría on his 1963 album ''Watermelon Man!'' Lyrics were ...
", a cover of Georgie Fame's hit, reached number 13 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, and number 7 in Germany.


Reilly-Fisher duo years

With the addition of
Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 â€“ 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...
, the sound changed considerably.
Fisher Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...
, a keyboardist, composer and studio wizard, contributed a more contemporary sound, compared to that of the early Matt Bianco. The use of synthesizers increased notably:
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
's
DX-7 The Yamaha DX7 is a synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1989. It was the first successful digital synthesizer and is one of the best-selling synthesizers in history, selling more than 200,000 units. In the early 1980 ...
can be heard providing the slap bass in most songs, but the choice of noted studio musicians remained consistent with
Ronnie Ross Albert Ronald Ross (2 October 1933 – 12 December 1991) was a British jazz baritone saxophonist. Life Born in Calcutta, India, to Scottish parents, Ross moved to England in 1946 and was educated at the Perse School in Cambridge. He beg ...
being the most prominent example. After the first album with the new line-up, they took a 13-piece band on to a European tour that saw them perform in front of an audience of more than 250,000 attendees in total. Jenni Evans left the group shortly after the recording of the group's self-titled album and was not replaced. Bianco was now a household name in Europe, and
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
sought to market them in the United States. They hired
Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...
's husband and producer
Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban Americans, Cuban-born American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria ...
to produce a few songs, and recorded their third album, ''
Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
'', with the Estefan productions being chosen as singles. 1988's "Don't Blame it on That Girl" and "Good Times" only made a moderate impact. "Wap-Bam-Boogie", an album track originally on the B-side of the first single, which did well on the dance charts, pushed the joint single release up to Number 11 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, making it Matt Bianco's most successful single. Their first
Greatest Hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
, entitled '' The Best of Matt Bianco'', collecting their greatest hits from 1983 to 1990, was released in 1990 and made the UK Top 50. Another studio album was released in 1991 by Warner Brothers, the fractured ''
Samba in Your Casa ''Samba in Your Casa'' is the fourth recording studio, studio album by British Pop music, pop/Jazz music, jazz/Soul music, soul/Dance music, dance music ensemble, band Matt Bianco, released in 1991 in music, 1991. It was their first long playing ...
'', the fourth
long-playing The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
by the group. Reilly and Fisher then split from their record company and went freelance. From then on, they recorded their albums in their own studios, and then offered them to independent distributors worldwide. They scored contracts with
ZYX Music ZYX Music GmbH & Co. KG is a German record label that was founded in 1971 by Bernhard Mikulski. It is one of the most successful German record labels of the 1980s and 1990s. Until 1992, the label's name was Pop-Import Bernhard Mikulski. The labe ...
and Intercord in Europe, and
Victor Entertainment , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...
in Asia, but failed to sign on with another major label. The next albums did not sell well in Europe, but they created a loyal fan base in Japan and the rest of Asia. The albums '' Another Time Another Place'', '' Gran Via'', ''World Go Round'', ''A/Collection'' (not a greatest hits album, but more of a
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
, compiling a number of
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
s of Matt Bianco's stand-out album tracks plus
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 ...
es of a few of their hits), ''Rico'', and ''Echoes'' sold well enough for a comfortable lifestyle in the South-East of England. After twenty years recording and touring, the two split amicably.


2003 - 2015; reunion of the original trio and beyond

Initiated by a mutual friend, Basia and Danny White joined with Mark Reilly to reform the "original" Matt Bianco, in 2003, signing to the Emarcy label. Original bassist Kito Poncioni, who only played on one Matt Bianco track before leaving the band in 1984, had died in the late 1990s. In 2004, Matt Bianco released the album ''
Matt's Mood ''Matt's Mood'' is the 2004 "temporary comeback" album by UK outfit Matt Bianco, released for Universal, and distributed by the Emarcy label. The album makes heavy use of Danny White and Basia Trzetrzelewska's signature harmonies. The two rej ...
'', the name from one of their most popular early
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
tracks. The album featured adult-contemporary/jazz numbers, in the spirit of their first album. The following year, they embarked on a world tour, which included stops in the UK, Japan, and the United States. Following ''
Matt's Mood ''Matt's Mood'' is the 2004 "temporary comeback" album by UK outfit Matt Bianco, released for Universal, and distributed by the Emarcy label. The album makes heavy use of Danny White and Basia Trzetrzelewska's signature harmonies. The two rej ...
'', Basia and White left Matt Bianco again to reinvigorate the Basia brand. Reilly reunited with Fisher, and Matt Bianco were back as a
duo Duo may refer to: Places *Duo, West Virginia, an unincorporated community and coal town in Greenbrier County, West Virginia *Duo, Tampere, a shopping centre in Hervanta, Tampere, Finland * DUO, a twin-tower development in Singapore Arts, enterta ...
. Three
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
s were marketed between 2005 and 2008, including ''The Best of Matt Bianco – Volume 2'', containing many of the Asian tracks, which were so far only available in Germany for European fans, and the re-release of the original 1990 '' The Best of Matt Bianco'', featuring their European hits from 1983 to 1990. In May 2009 Fisher and Reilly released their first album as a duo for eight years in Europe, the UK, and Japan. With ''HiFi Bossanova'' the band secured a recording contract with
Edel Music Edel is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Abraham Edel (1908–2007), North American philosopher and ethicist * Alfred William Edel (c. 1930–2005), American television news presenter * Apoula Edel ...
in Europe and continued their co-operation with JVC-Victor in Japan which in November 2012 bore fruit again with the release of their latest album ''Hideaway''.


2016 onwards

Mark Reilly (without Mark Fisher) recorded a collaborative album with New Cool Collective in 2016. ''The Things You Love'' featured nine new tracks and a re-recording of "Don't Blame it on That Girl"; the collaboration was billed to "New Cool Collective/Matt Bianco (Mark Reilly)".
Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 â€“ 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...
died on 12 December 2016. The official Matt Bianco site made it clear that Reilly intended to carry on under the "Matt Bianco" banner, indicating that a new album was in the process of being recorded. This (''Gravity'') was released in 2017. In October 2017,
Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
re-issued their album ''Matt Bianco'' in 2CD Deluxe Edition format, having re-issued a similarly packaged version of ''Whose Side Are You On?'' in June 2016. November 2020 saw the release of a second collaboration with New Cool Collective, ''High Anxiety''. In June 2022 Matt Bianco released 2CD ''The Essential Matt Bianco. Re-imagined, Re-loved''. It featured new latin flavoured 2022 versions of 15 Matt Bianco classics - preceded by the singles "More Than I Can Bear 2022", "Matt's Mood 2022" and "Wap Bam Boogie 2022" - plus 15 re-mixes and special versions.


Discography

*''
Whose Side Are You On? ''Whose Side Are You On?'' is the debut album by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1984. For this album, Matt Bianco was a trio of Basia Trzetrzelewska (vocals), Mark Reilly (vocals), and Danny White ( keyboards). The album contains the b ...
'' (1984) *''
Matt Bianco Matt Bianco are a British band that were formed in 1983. They are mainly known for their success in the mid-1980s and their jazz, Latin-flavoured music. The group's name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for th ...
'' (1986) *''
Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
'' (1988) *''
Samba in Your Casa ''Samba in Your Casa'' is the fourth recording studio, studio album by British Pop music, pop/Jazz music, jazz/Soul music, soul/Dance music, dance music ensemble, band Matt Bianco, released in 1991 in music, 1991. It was their first long playing ...
'' (1991) *'' Another Time Another Place'' (1994) *''Gran Via'' (1995) *''World Go Round'' (1997) *''Rico'' (2000) *''Echoes'' (2002) *''
Matt's Mood ''Matt's Mood'' is the 2004 "temporary comeback" album by UK outfit Matt Bianco, released for Universal, and distributed by the Emarcy label. The album makes heavy use of Danny White and Basia Trzetrzelewska's signature harmonies. The two rej ...
'' (2004) *''Hifi Bossanova'' (2009) *''Hideaway'' (2012) *''Gravity'' (2017) *''High Anxiety'' (2020) *''The Essential Matt Bianco. Re-imagined, Re-loved'' (2022)


See also

*
Sophisti-pop __NOTOC__ Sophisti-pop is a subgenre of pop music which developed out of the new wave movement in the UK during the mid 1980s. The term has been applied retrospectively to describe acts who blended elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish p ...


References


External links

*
Detailed discography
{{Authority control 1983 establishments in England British soul musical groups Jazz-funk musicians Musical groups established in 1983 Sophisti-pop musical groups