Soul II Soul are a British
musical collective
Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared.Liisa Ladouceur"Collegjthk ctive Souls" ''This Magazine'', November/December 2004. The concept is distinct from th ...
formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven "
Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four "
Back to Life". They have won two
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 ...
s, and have been nominated for five
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
—twice for Best British Group.
[Soul II Soul BRITS Profile](_blank)
. BRIT Awards Ltd. Retrieved 26 January 2013
Career
1988–1989: Beginnings and club classics
The group initially attracted attention as a
sound system some years prior to 1988 run by founder
Jazzie B, playing at nights including their own at the
Africa Centre, London
The Africa Centre, London was founded in 1964 at 38 King Street, Covent Garden, where over the years it held many art exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and a variety of cultural events, as well as housing a gallery, meeting halls, restaurant, b ...
.
By 1988, the official lineup was Jazzie B,
Caron Wheeler,
Nellie Hooper,
Simon Law
Simon Law (born 28 May 1961, in Luton, England) is a producer, keyboardist and songwriter for Soul II Soul.
Career
Law is an original member of Soul II Soul. The band had a #1 UK hit single with "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", where h ...
,
Doreen Waddell
Doreen Tess Waddell (10 July 1965 – 1 March 2002), also known by her stage name Do'reen, was a singer who worked with Soul II Soul, The KLF
The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) a ...
,
Rose Windross
Rose Windross originally began as a singer and songwriter in the UK reggae scene. She recorded her first album, ''Just Rose'', on the Ital Records label when she was still at school.
Windross both wrote and recorded Soul II Soul's first single " ...
,
Daddae
Phillip Harvey (born 28 February 1964, London, England), known as Daddae Harvey or only Daddae, is an English guitarist, percussionist and keyboardist formerly with Soul II Soul. He was one of the founding members of the group and co-wrote some of ...
, Aitch B, and Jazzie Q.
They released their first single, "Fairplay", with Rose Windross on lead vocals, recorded at the Africa Centre.
where the collective hosted a regular Sunday-night residency. The song charted at number 63 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 ...
, while their follow-up single "Feel Free", which featured Doreen on lead vocals, charted at number 64.
The weekly club night, having grown ever more popular, moved to the much larger
The Fridge Nightclub in
Brixton
Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...
, South London, where it would remain well into the 1990s. The collective used the venue to test their musical composites on the dance floor. Together with an eclectic mix of “Funki Dredd" – "A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a lovin' race!" – themed club classics that combined British, Caribbean, African, and African American influences. One night in 1988, the residency hosted a personal appearance by the nascent rap group
N.W.A
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...
. who were briefly in the UK promoting their album ''
Straight Outta Compton''.
At
The Fridge nightclub, Soul II Soul helped cement club culture and lay the visual and musical template for the 1988
Second Summer of Love
The Second Summer of Love was a late 1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties. Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it lasted into the summer of 1989, when e ...
in the UK and Ibiza. Together with the nascent UK Dance Music movement originating both there and at venues like
The Haçienda
The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, North West England, which became famous during the Manchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was run by the record label Factory Records.
The club opened in 1982, eventually ...
in Manchester, and
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
in Liverpool and on to the massive 1990s legal
rave scene at club nights, venues and festivals all across the UK, Ibiza and Europe. Ultimately leading to the global
electronic dance music (EDM) explosion of the new millennium. A plaque now commemorates the collective's significant influence on the original venue, which closed in 2010 but which was subsequently renamed and reopened as the
Electric Brixton
The Fridge was a nightclub in the Brixton area of South London, England, founded, in 1981, by Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington, who had run the Roxy during punk music's heyday in 1977. The Fridge closed on 17 March 2010 and has no ...
During the late 1980s Jazzie B and several other members of the group became involved in the local
pirate radio
Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license.
In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially ...
station movement. Jazzie B hosted a show on
KISS-FM
KISS-FM (99.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in San Antonio, Texas. It airs an mainstream rock format and is owned by Cox Media Group. The studios and offices are located on Datapoint Drive in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas ...
.
In March 1989, their label released the group's single "
Keep on Movin', featuring Caron Wheeler on lead vocals.
The song became a success and also sold over one million copies in the US. The following month, the group's first album ''
Club Classics Vol. One'' was released.
The album peaked at number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and sold over four million copies worldwide. The group's next single, "
Back to Life", became their biggest hit, hitting the top five on the US Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles chart. The single went on to win the group their first
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 R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes:
*From 1967 to 1968 the ...
in 1990. The group would continue to see some UK success but "Back to Life" would be the second and last US hit for the group.
In late 1989, Waddell and Windross departed from the group. Marcia Lewis, a cousin of Jazzie B, joined the group. The single "
Get a Life", which featured Lewis on lead vocals, charted at number three on the UK Singles chart. The song also sold over 60 thousand copies in the United Kingdom. Lewis' debut performance came on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' when she performed alongside Caron Wheeler and Jazzie B.
1990: ''Volume II A New Decade'' and lineup changes
In early 1990, Wheeler officially left the group to pursue her solo career. To fill out the group's dynamic, Jazzie B turned to a few singers he had performed with in the past. This led to the brief addition of
Kym Mazelle
Kym Mazelle (born Kymberly Grigsby; August 10, 1960) is an American singer. She is regarded as a pioneer of house music in the United Kingdom and Europe. Her music combines R&B, soul, funk, house music, dance, and pop. She is credited as " The ...
,
Lamya
Lamya Al-Mugheiry (30 October 1973 – 8 January 2009), better known as her mononym Lamya, was a Kenyan-born English singer-songwriter and record producer. She rose to fame in the early 1990s as one of the lead singers of R&B group Soul II Soul, ...
, and
Victoria Wilson-James
Victoria Wilson-James is an American-born British singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she performed in various theatre plays and musicals as a teenager. Following the release of her debut single "I Want You ...
to the new lineup. With a new official lineup, the group released their second album, ''
Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade'', which peaked at number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
The album's second single "
A Dream's a Dream", which features Victoria Wilson James on lead vocals, performed success on the chart. The album's third single "
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
", featuring Lewis on lead vocals, garnered moderate success on the charts but managed to achieve success on the
Dance charts. The album's final single "
Missing You", featuring Kym Mazelle on lead vocals, also performed well on the charts.
In the mid-1990s, the group toured throughout the United Kingdom. One of their concerts at
Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
was recorded live and released in September 1990, titled ''
A New Decade: Live from Brixton Academy''. After the conclusion of the tour, Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lewis left the group to pursue solo careers.
1991–1993: ''Volume III Just Right'' and another lineup change
In 1991, Soul II Soul was in need of lead vocalists for the recording of their third album. During recording sessions, Jazzie B recruited guest singers
Richie Stephens
Richard Stephenson (born 5 December 1966), better known as Richie Stephens is a Jamaican R&B, dancehall and reggae singer and producer.
Biography
Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica, ,
Kofi,
Penny Ford
Penny Ford (also known as Pennye Ford, born June 11, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she rose to fame in the 1980s after signing a recording contract with T ...
, Rick Clarke, along with the re-addition of Caron Wheeler to record on the album.
In April 1992, Soul II Soul released their third album, ''Volume III Just Right''. The album's lead single, "
Joy
The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness.
Dictionary definitions
Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
", performed by Stephens, reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single "
Move Me No Mountain", performed by Kofi on lead vocals, achieved moderate success in the UK. The third single, "Just Right", suffered the same fate, regulating the album to limited and moderate sales figures.
The group toured for a brief time throughout 1993. In November 1993, the group released their
greatest hits
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 ...
album ''
Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93
''Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93'' is the first compilation album by British group Soul II Soul, released in 1993. Along with the band's biggest hit singles released up to 1993, the album also includes one new song, "Wish".
Track listing ...
''. The album spawned the single "Wish", which featured the new addition to the group
Melissa Bell on lead vocals.
1994–1997: ''Volume V Believe'', lineup changes, ''Time for Change''
In 1994, Soul II Soul prepared to record their fourth album. Despite her career as an established solo artist, Caron Wheeler once again joined the group and committed to the recording of the group's upcoming album.
During the record sessions, Wheeler and Jazzie B struggled with creative difficulties for the production of the album. This ultimately led to Wheeler leaving the group again during the recording of the song "Love Enuff". Now without an official lead singer for the group, Jazzie B was left to recruit a few singers once more. Penny Ford, background vocalist on the group's single "Move Me No Mountain", officially became a member of the group.
Charlotte Kelly
Charlotte Kelly is a British singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer. Kelly rose to fame in the mid-1990s as one of the lead singers of British R&B group Soul II Soul, one of the London's best-selling groups of all time. She ...
, a background vocalist from the group's previous tour, was also recruited to join the group. Melissa Bell and Lamya also contributed vocals to the forthcoming album.
In January 1995, Soul II Soul and
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...
also performed "
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a song originally performed by Motown recording act The Undisputed Truth in 1972, though it became much better known after a Grammy-award winning cover by The Temptations was issued later the same year. This la ...
" live on French TV show ''
Taratata
''Taratata'' is a French television music show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on France 2. The show often involved surprise and unlikely duets, as ...
'', with Kelly on lead vocals. In June 1995, Soul II Soul released the single "Love Enuff". The single retained the use of Wheeler's pre-recorded background vocals and Penny Ford on lead vocals.
The song invited Soul II Soul to perform on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' with Ford performing lead vocals. In August 1995, Soul II Soul released their fourth studio album, ''Volume V Believe''. The album's second single "I Care", which features Charlotte on lead vocals, charted at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
In August 1997, the group released their fifth studio album, ''Time for Change''.
The album featured the singles "Represent" and "Pleasure Dome".
1998–2006: Disbandment and aftermath
In 1997, Daddae teamed up with Joey Jay and
Norman Jay
Norman Jay MBE (born Norman Bernard Joseph on 6 November 1957) is a British club, radio and sound system DJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed "warehouse" parties in the early 1980s, and through his involvement with the then-pira ...
to produce the
roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah ...
dub reggae album "I n I Deal With Roots" under the collective monikor, The Truth, which was successful with
Jah Shaka
Jah Shaka, also known as the Zulu Warrior is a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who has been operating a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system since the early 1970s. His name is an amalgamation of the Rastafarian t ...
followers. The album reworked drum and bass structures and production techniques from
King Tubby
Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...
,
Prince Alla
Keith Blake (born 10 May 1950), better known as Prince Alla (sometimes Prince Allah or Ras Allah) is a Jamaican roots reggae singer whose career began in the 1960s, and has continued with a string of releases into the 2000s.
Biography
Born in ...
,
Yabby You
Vivian Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.
Biography
Jac ...
,
Big Youth's iconic ''Screaming Target'' album, as well as sampling bass lines from The Palmer Brothers ''Step it Out of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
''In 1998, the group officially disbanded with each member pursuing solo careers. Following their disbandment, several members including Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lamya, and Kelly would release solo albums which would each garner success, respectively. Marcia Lewis and Kym Mazelle would also go on to become educators. In 1999, Kelly released her self-titled debut album, which spawned the number-one
Dance chart single "Skin". The group often reunited and performed for a few selected dates over the course of their hiatus.
In March 2002,
Doreen Waddell
Doreen Tess Waddell (10 July 1965 – 1 March 2002), also known by her stage name Do'reen, was a singer who worked with Soul II Soul, The KLF
The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) a ...
, who had been living in
Hove
Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th c ...
following her departure, died at 36 after being hit by three cars while she was fleeing from a shoplifting incident.
In July 2002, Lamya released her solo debut album ''
Learning from Falling
''Learning from Falling'' is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter artist Lamya. The album included production by Nellee Hooper and Mark Ronson and entered the Top Heatseekers chart in the United States at #16.
A remix of the first ...
'', which spawned the number-one
Dance chart single "
Empires (Bring Me Men)
"Empires (Bring Me Men)" is a song by British singer Lamya, released in 2002. It was the first single taken from her debut album ''Learning from Falling''.
It is based on a poem, ''The Coming American'', commemorating the 75th anniversary of the ...
".
2007–2012: Reunion
In 2007, Soul II Soul reformed at the
Lovebox Festival
Lovebox is a three-day music festival. In 2018 the event moved to Gunnersbury Park, London. The move came after Tower Hamlets turned down its application to continue in Victoria Park and Lambeth residents objected to its move to Brockwell Park. ...
in
Victoria Park, London
Victoria Park (known colloquially as Vicky Park or the People's Park) is a park in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, England.
It is the largest park in Tower Hamlets and one of London's most visited green spaces with approxim ...
. The lineup consisted of Caron Wheeler, Jazzie B, Aitch B, with the new addition of
MC Chickaboo
MC Chickaboo is an English rapper. In 2002, her collaboration with Timo Maas', "Shifter", went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
MC Chickaboo started out in Birmingham in 1992 with GE Real working the big r ...
. In December 2008, a radio programme about Soul II Soul was broadcast on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
. In January 2009, Lamya died of a sudden heart attack.
The Soul II Soul Sound System featuring Caron Wheeler toured Australia nationally in February 2009. They performed at the Playground Weekender Festival near Sydney. Soul II Soul performed live at the Yasalam free concerts in conjunction with the 2009 Formula 1TM Etihad Airways
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ( ar, سباق جائزة أبوظبي الكبرى) is a Formula One motor racing event. It was announced in early 2007 at the Abu Dhabi F1 Festival in the United Arab Emirates. The first race took place on 1 November ...
celebrations in October 2009.
In 2010, Soul II Soul reunited for their reunion tour with the lineup consisting of Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Rose Windross, Kym Mazelle, Charlotte Kelly, Aitch B, and MC Chickaboo. The group toured until the end of 2011. Following the tour, Kelly and Wheeler performed on-and-off as the featured vocalists for Soul II Soul. In 2012, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival in which Kelly performed as the featured vocalist. In June 2012, Soul II Soul received the honorary PRS Heritage Plaque award. Jazzie B, Wheeler, Daddae, Mazelle, Kelly, Aitch B were among the members present. They also performed during the ceremony. In August 2012, Soul II Soul (Jazzie B, Jazzi Q, Aitch B, Caron Wheeler, and MC Chickaboo) performed at Channel 4's "House Party". In December 2012, Soul II Soul performed "Keep on Movin and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" on ''
Later... with Jools Holland'' with Caron Wheeler as the lead vocalist. They also confirmed to be working on a new album.
2013–present: Later years
In April 2013, Jazzie B and Charlotte Kelly launched the Soul II Soul "Classics" Collection at
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831, at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections for men and women, fashion accessories, beauty products, fine wines and luxury f ...
in London, England. The Classics Collection features T-shirts and sweatshirts with Soul II Soul's Funky Dred logo. In the same year, Kelly left the group again and Wheeler rejoined the group. In 2014, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival.
In 2016, Soul II Soul released a single, "A New Day", credited to Caron Wheeler, which features production from Jazzie B and
Louie Vega
Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. (born June 12, 1965), as known as "Little Louie" Vega, is an American DJ, record producer and Grammy Award winner remixer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is one half of the Masters at Work musical production team.
Biograph ...
. Soul II Soul released their live album ''Origins: The Roots Of Soul II Soul'' on 9 December 2016.
In May 2017, Soul II Soul performed at
Electric Brixton
The Fridge was a nightclub in the Brixton area of South London, England, founded, in 1981, by Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington, who had run the Roxy during punk music's heyday in 1977. The Fridge closed on 17 March 2010 and has no ...
, with Caron Wheeler and Charlotte Kelly as the lead vocalists.
On 28 August 2017, Melissa Bell died after suffering from
kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
.
The group appeared on ''
Jools' Annual Hootenanny
''Jools' Annual Hootenanny'' is a TV show presented by Jools Holland and broadcast on New Year's Eve as an end-of-year special edition of his series '' Later... with Jools Holland''. It is generally broadcast between approximately 11pm on 31 ...
'' on New Year's Eve in 2017.
Members timeline
Current members
*
Jazzie B – co–lead vocals, turntables (DJ), rapper, producer, programming
(1988–present)
*
Caron Wheeler – lead vocals
(1988–1990), (1992), (1995), (2007–2010), (2013–present)
*
Charlotte Kelly
Charlotte Kelly is a British singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer. Kelly rose to fame in the mid-1990s as one of the lead singers of British R&B group Soul II Soul, one of the London's best-selling groups of all time. She ...
– lead vocals
(1994–1997), (2008), (2010–2013), (2017–present)
Touring and session musicians
* Ellen Blair – violin
(1988–present)
*
Gota Yashiki
is a Japanese musician, both an independent acid jazz artist and drum/bass player, as a member of the band Simply Red.
Biography
He was born in Kyoto, Japan, on 26 February 1962, where at a young age he learned how to play traditional Japan ...
– programming
(1988)
*
Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...
– producer, programming
(1988–1997)
* Simon Law – producer, keyboards, drums
(1988)
* Emma "S.E.L." Louise – backing vocals
(2007–2017)
* Samantha Pennells – backing vocals
(2007–2017)
* Jody Findley – backing vocals
(2007–2017)
*
MC Chickaboo
MC Chickaboo is an English rapper. In 2002, her collaboration with Timo Maas', "Shifter", went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
MC Chickaboo started out in Birmingham in 1992 with GE Real working the big r ...
– turntables (DJ), rapper
(2007–2018)
* Gill Morley – violin
(2007–present)
* Nadine Caesar – backing vocals, co–lead vocals
(2018–present)
* Nikisha Reyes – backing vocals
(2018–present)
* Tanya Edwards – backing vocals
(2018–present)
Former members
*
Doreen Waddell
Doreen Tess Waddell (10 July 1965 – 1 March 2002), also known by her stage name Do'reen, was a singer who worked with Soul II Soul, The KLF
The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) a ...
– co–lead vocals
(1988)
*
Rose Windross
Rose Windross originally began as a singer and songwriter in the UK reggae scene. She recorded her first album, ''Just Rose'', on the Ital Records label when she was still at school.
Windross both wrote and recorded Soul II Soul's first single " ...
– co–lead vocals
(1988), (2010–2011)
* Jazzi Q – turntables (DJ)
(1988–1990), (2012)
* Aitch Bee – turntables (DJ)
(1988–1995), (2007), (2012)
*
Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...
– producer
(1988–1992)
*
Daddae
Phillip Harvey (born 28 February 1964, London, England), known as Daddae Harvey or only Daddae, is an English guitarist, percussionist and keyboardist formerly with Soul II Soul. He was one of the founding members of the group and co-wrote some of ...
– co–lead vocals, turntables (DJ), rapper, producer
(1988–1995)
* Marcia Lewis – lead vocals
(1989–1990)
*
Lamya Al-Mugheiry – co–lead vocals
(1990)
*
Victoria Wilson-James
Victoria Wilson-James is an American-born British singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she performed in various theatre plays and musicals as a teenager. Following the release of her debut single "I Want You ...
– co–lead vocals
(1990)
*
Kym Mazelle
Kym Mazelle (born Kymberly Grigsby; August 10, 1960) is an American singer. She is regarded as a pioneer of house music in the United Kingdom and Europe. Her music combines R&B, soul, funk, house music, dance, and pop. She is credited as " The ...
– co–lead vocals
(1990), (2010–2011)
*
Penny Ford
Penny Ford (also known as Pennye Ford, born June 11, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she rose to fame in the 1980s after signing a recording contract with T ...
– lead vocals
(1992–1995)
*
Melissa Bell – co–lead vocals
(1993–1995)
Discography
* ''
Club Classics Vol. One'' (1989)
* ''
Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade'' (1990)
* ''
Volume III Just Right
''Volume III Just Right'' is the third album by the English music collective Soul II Soul, released in 1992 through Ten and Virgin Records. Its first single was "Joy".
The album peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 88 on the ''Billboard ...
'' (1992)
* ''Volume V: Believe'' (1995)
* ''Time for Change'' (1997)
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="5",
, "
Keep on Movin'
, Favorite Soul/R&B Single
,
, -
, rowspan="3", Soul II Soul
,
Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
,
, -
, Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist
,
, -
, Favorite Dance New Artist
,
, -
, "
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) Back to Life may refer to:
Books
*''Back to Life: Poems from behind the Iron Curtain'', 1958, ed. Robert Conquest
* ''Back to Life'' (novel), 2004 novel by Wendy Coakley-Thompson
*''Back to Life, The Rachel Riley Diaries'', 2009 novel by Joanna Na ...
"
, Favorite Dance Single
,
, -
BRIT Awards
, -
, rowspan="4",
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, ''
Club Classics Vol. One''
, Best British Album
,
, -
, "
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) Back to Life may refer to:
Books
*''Back to Life: Poems from behind the Iron Curtain'', 1958, ed. Robert Conquest
* ''Back to Life'' (novel), 2004 novel by Wendy Coakley-Thompson
*''Back to Life, The Rachel Riley Diaries'', 2009 novel by Joanna Na ...
"
, Best British Single
,
, -
, rowspan="3", Soul II Soul
, Best British Newcomer
,
, -
, Best British Group
,
, -
, rowspan="1",
1991
, Best British Group
,
Grammy Awards
, -
, rowspan="3",
, Soul II Soul
,
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
,
, -
, rowspan="1", "
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) Back to Life may refer to:
Books
*''Back to Life: Poems from behind the Iron Curtain'', 1958, ed. Robert Conquest
* ''Back to Life'' (novel), 2004 novel by Wendy Coakley-Thompson
*''Back to Life, The Rachel Riley Diaries'', 2009 novel by Joanna Na ...
"
,
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes:
*From 1967 to 1968 the ...
,
, -
, rowspan="1", "African Dance"
,
Best R&B Instrumental Performance The 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 ma ...
,
, -
, rowspan="1",
, rowspan="1", "Mood"
, Best R&B Instrumental Performance
,
Juno Awards
, -
, rowspan="1",
1991
, "
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) Back to Life may refer to:
Books
*''Back to Life: Poems from behind the Iron Curtain'', 1958, ed. Robert Conquest
* ''Back to Life'' (novel), 2004 novel by Wendy Coakley-Thompson
*''Back to Life, The Rachel Riley Diaries'', 2009 novel by Joanna Na ...
"
,
Best International Single of the Year
,
Soul Train Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="4",
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, rowspan="1", ''
Keep on Movin'''
,
Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album, Group, Band, or Duo
,
, -
, rowspan="2", "
Keep on Movin'
,
Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year
,
, -
,
Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single, Group, Band, or Duo
,
, -
, rowspan="1", Soul II Soul
,
Best R&B/Urban Contemporary New Artist
,
, -
See also
*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)
This is a list of number-one dance hits as recorded by ''Billboard'' magazine's Dance Club Songs chart – a weekly national survey of popular songs in U.S. dance clubs. It began on October 26, 1974, under the title ''Disco Action'' chart. It is ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance Club Songs chart. ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26, 1974, and this is the standard music popularity chart in t ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soul 02 Soul
English dance music groups
English hip hop groups
British contemporary R&B musical groups
British soul musical groups
Grammy Award winners
English pop music groups
Virgin Records artists
Black British musical groups
Musical groups from London
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups disestablished in 1998
Musical groups reestablished in 2007