girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
, consisting of Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington. They had two top-ten albums and seven consecutive top-ten singles, with chart-topping success on the UK Singles Chart as well as across Europe, Asia, Australasia and the US. The group had originally been a
quartet
In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments.
Classical String quartet
In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
with Zena McNally who left in January 2001.
The second line-up released their debut studio album '' Lickin' on Both Sides'' on 27 October 2001, which peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum.
The album featured the group's first five singles, all of which became UK Top 10 hits, including their debut single " Why?" with McNally and " All I Want". On 29 March 2003, following a hiatus, they released their second studio album ''
Eye Candy
Eye Candy may refer to:
* Himbo
Himbo, a portmanteau of the words ''him'' and ''bimbo'', is a slang term for an attractive but vacuous man. The first known use dates back to 1988.Scandalous", which peaked at No.2 on the United States Billboard Dance charts. The group announced in February 2005 that they would be splitting to pursue solo careers, owing to the demise of their record label Telstar Records. They released a greatest hits album on 25 April 2005 to coincide with their separation.
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
through Louise Porter, who was putting together a group for her production company Big Out Ltd. The two worked with Louise Porter for a couple of years before being joined by Tina Barrett to form a trio performing singing and dancing. They were named Face2Face, were unsigned, and all band members still worked day jobs. Barrett left to join S Club 7 after a successful audition for Simon Fuller and was replaced by Zena McNally and Su-Elise Nash. Their then producer David Brant (writer of their first two hit singles, " Why?" and "All I Want") introduced them via DJ Darren Stokes (TinTinOut) to Inferno Records (sub pop) A&R man Pat Travers, who went on to sign them to Telstar Records and changed their name to Mis-Teeq. After months of recording—including sessions with producers Norwegian duo
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
along with Brant (Vybrant Music), Ed Case, Blacksmith, Rishi Rich, and Ceri Evans—Mis-Teeq released their debut single in 2001, "Why?", a Latin-flavoured mid-tempo song co-written and produced by Brant. A garage
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 ...
by Matt "Jam" Lamont soon became a success in the underground UK garage scene, and as a result a second music video for the song was filmed and released. "Why" became a hit on the UK Singles Chart with a peak position of number eight. McNally decided to leave the line-up in January 2001 saying she felt unhappy about "an unbalance in the group".
2001–2002: ''Lickin' on Both Sides'', touring and hiatus
The three remaining members went on to release their second single "All I Want" in June 2001. It was co-written and originally produced by David Brant, and produced and remixed by Ceri Evans (also known as Sunship). The song topped the success of the trio's debut single, becoming a number 2 hit in the UK and simultaneously entering the top 30 of the
Australian singles chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. The group finally released their debut album '' Lickin' on Both Sides'' on 27 October 2001. It was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry on 7 September, 2001.
Nevertheless, Mis-Teeq saw instant international success with their Stargate-produced third single "One Night Stand". While the song peaked at number 5 on the UK singles chart, it also entered the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Denmark. In 2002, the band's fourth single, "B with Me", continued the group's remarkable sales with another top 10 entry in the UK; once again entering at number 5. The last release from ''Lickin' on Both Sides'' was a double A-side of "Roll on" and the Montell Jordan cover " This Is How We Do It", latter song being featured on the soundtrack for
Ali G
Alistair Leslie Graham, better known as Ali G, is a satirical fictional character created and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. A faux-streetwise poseur from Staines, Ali G speaks in rude boy-style Multicultural London English a ...
's 2002 film '' Ali G Indahouse''. This release entered the charts at number 7 on 29 June 2002. The band supported Shaggy on his UK tour in 2002.
2003–2005: ''Eye Candy'', international breakthrough and split
Returning from a short hiatus, Mis-Teeq released their second album, ''
Eye Candy
Eye Candy may refer to:
* Himbo
Himbo, a portmanteau of the words ''him'' and ''bimbo'', is a slang term for an attractive but vacuous man. The first known use dates back to 1988.Salaam Remi, singer
Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
, Delroy "D-Roy" Andrews and Jermaine Dupri and debuted at its peak position of number 6 on the UK Albums Chart"https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/20030406/7502" While ''Eye Candys sales failed to link on the sudden success of ''Lickin' on Both Sides'', pre-released lead single " Scandalous" became the group's most successful single by then: It reached number 2 in the UK and top 10 in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Denmark.
In June 2003, the album's second single "
Can't Get It Back
"Can't Get It Back" is a song by American recording group Blaque. It was written by Salaam Remi, Marlon Williams, and Hernst "StayBent" Bellevue, and band member Natina Reed for the group's second album, '' Blaque Out'' (2002). Production was he ...
" became the band's seventh and final domestic top ten single. Originally a remake of the same-titled unreleased Blaque single from 2002, Mis-Teeq and Telstar agreed not to use album version, instead releasing the alternate "Ignorants Radio Edit" as an official single version which entered the UK charts at number 8 on 12 July 2003. The song also was included on a Special Edition of ''Eye Candy'' which was released in December of the same year and spawned a third single with "Style". The song peaked at number 13.
" Scandalous" was released in the US in May 2004 (under another label, Reprise Records) and reached number 35 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in June, making it their only single to chart in the US. The song was featured as the theme of the film '' Catwoman'', starring
Halle Berry
Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mis ...
, in Summer 2004.
Also in 2004, Mis-Teeq began touring the US. After appearing on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel, Pepsi smash and Carson Daly, the girls had built up their fan base. Unfortunately in 2005, the demise of their record label Telstar left Mis-Teeq in a situation where they were unsure of where to go or what to do next. Following the major release of their third album ''Mis-Teeq'' and the single " Scandalous" in 2004, the band's record labelTelstar Records went bankrupt.
After the announcement of their split in 2005, they released a compilation album, ''Greatest Hits'', containing a new track, a cover of the Andrews Sisters 1940s song "Shoo Shoo Baby", and they were awarded a 2005
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...
Lady of Soul Nomination for Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo for their album ''Mis-Teeq''.
On 9 February 2011, it was reported that the group were in talks to reform for a comeback tour but this was denied by Dixon. Two years later, Dixon said that she would never rule out a reunion. In September 2014, Su-Elise stated in an interview with ''Fashion Plus Magazine'' that the group were in talks and were working on a reunion album.
Members
Alesha Dixon was the group's rapper, singer and joined in 1999, alongside Washington. She would also frequently take on second lead vocals on the group's records. However, she was best known for her distinct sounding rapping voice and usually sung live in performances for the group. Following the group's split, Dixon went on to embark on a highly successful solo career, releasing four studio albums to date and appearing on TV—firstly as a winning competitor and then as a judge on ''
Strictly Come Dancing
''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...
'' and currently on '' Britain's Got Talent''. As well as ''Strictly Come Dancing'', ''Walk the Line'' and ''Britain's Got Talent'', Dixon also hosts ''
Alesha's Street Dance Stars
''Alesha's Street Dance Stars'' is a competition aired on the CBBC Channel and presented by Alesha Dixon. The judges are Turbo, Kenrick Sandy and Lizzie Gough
Elizabeth Anne Gough (born 30 September 1984) is a British dancer, television judge, ...
'' on CBBC.
Su-Elise Nash, who joined the group in 1999, was the group's backing singer. Her vocals were rarely heard on the group's records. However, she added a lower register vocal to many of the group's harmonies, contributing to the group's sound. She was also a rapper, but only rapped on two of the group's records. Following the group's split, Nash has stayed out of the public eye and opened her own performing arts school after finishing her studies and earning a teaching qualifications.
Sabrina Washington was the group's lead singer and joined the group in 1999 alongside Dixon. Sabrina had a very strong voice and would also rap on occasion. Following the group's split, Washington appeared on '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2010, and launched her solo career the same year. As of 2013, Washington was working on her debut solo album.
Zena McNally joined the group in 1999 and released only one single with the group before leaving in 2001, owing to wanting to pursue her own solo career. She released two solo singles in 2003, and worked as a radio presenter; she is mostly known for co-presenting on
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
Eye Candy
Eye Candy may refer to:
* Himbo
Himbo, a portmanteau of the words ''him'' and ''bimbo'', is a slang term for an attractive but vacuous man. The first known use dates back to 1988.Mis-Teeq'' (2004)
* '' Mis-Teeq: Greatest Hits'' (2005)