Dario G

Dario G were an English dance music group formed in Cheshire, England, consisting of three DJs and producers – Scott Rosser, Paul Spencer, and Stephen Spencer (no relation) – and vocalist Ingfrid Straumstøyl. The group rose to prominence in the late 1990s following the release of their debut single "Sunchyme", which reached number two in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Denmark and Switzerland. It reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts, as well as reaching number one in Hungary and on the US Dance Club Songs chart.

The group released their debut album '' Sunmachine'' in 1998 and issued a further two singles from the album – "Carnaval de Paris" and " Sunmachine". Following the release of the album, members Rosser and Stephen Spencer departed to pursue other projects, leaving Paul Spencer to continue under the Dario G name as a solo act. In 2000, Dario G recorded the song "Voices", which featured on the soundtrack to the 2000 film '' The Beach''.

In 2000, " Dream to Me" was released as the lead single from their second studio album, '' In Full Colour'', with Straumstøyl debuting on lead vocals. "Dream to Me" reached number one in Romania, number four in Scotland, and number nine in the United Kingdom and Germany. Following a period of moderate chart success, Paul Spencer died in June 2024 following a diagnosis of stage four rectal cancer in 2023.

History

Breakthrough (1997–2000)

The group changed their name from Dario to Dario G after being threatened with legal action from an artist of the same name. Dario G was named after the then manager of Crewe Alexandra F.C., Dario Gradi, and the similarity to Gradi was not a complete coincidence. Paul Spencer also said they added the G in tribute to the American smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. Rosser and Stephen Spencer later left to pursue other projects, leaving Paul Spencer to perform in a solo capacity under the Dario G name.

In 1997, they reached number two on the UK Singles Chart with "Sunchyme", a song built around a sample of "Life in a Northern Town", a number 15 hit for the Dream Academy in 1985. "Sunchyme" also reached number one on the US Hot Dance Club Party chart. The single sold over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone, earning it a Platinum certification from the BPI, and was only kept from the top spot in the United Kingdom by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind", his 1997 tribute to Princess Diana. Internationally, "Sunchyme" sold over 1.5 million copies and was described as a "surprise" after the trio had initially hoped for "modest UK and Mediterranean success". It was also nominated for the Brit Award for British Video of the Year at the 18th Brit Awards ceremony, eventually losing to " Never Ever" by All Saints.

After signing with Warner Bros Records, the group were under pressure from the record label to record and release a debut album. Initially, the working title for their debut album was ''Super Dario Land''. Band member Scott said that "they got together a plan for one, to be called Super Dario Land, and for three or four weeks, we thought we'd go for it as well – we actually started work on it on the day after the commercial release of 'Sunchyme' went into the charts, in mid‑September." In 1998, they released their debut album, '' Sunmachine'', with their second single, the football-inspired "Carnaval de Paris", peaking at number five in the United Kingdom. The single was released to coincide with the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The song has since become frequently used during football events worldwide and at international football tournaments.

The group were keen to record an album that was different from "Sunchyme". Their record label at that time, Warner Bros, were said to have expected the debut album to be based around the sound that had led to their breakthrough single. However, Paul Spencer recalled that "record companies like to cash in on a big hit. They think 'OK, these guys can probably get another sample together quickly and churn out another record that sounds like the first one'". He also noted, "Warners did that with us too, at first, but we didn't want to do lots of little soundalike follow‑ups, we have got more depth than that".

Following the release of ''Sunmachine'', Scott Rosser and Stephen Spencer left to pursue other projects, leaving Paul Spencer to continue as a solo artist under the Dario G name. In March 2000, their third single, "Voices", featuring vocals from Vanessa Quiñones and produced by Peter Oxendale, was used for the film '' The Beach''.

''In Full Colour'' (2000–2006)

In 2000, Dario G released "Dream to Me", with Straumstøyl making her debut as lead vocalist. The track is based on the song "Dreams" by the Cranberries. "Dream to Me" reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number nine in Germany. The release of "Dream to Me" is said to have "solidified his reputation as a master of euphoric dance music".

In November 2001, their next release, "Say What's on Your Mind", featured club mixes from Almighty Records and Stonebridge. In early 2003, Dario G released "Heaven Is Closer (Feels Like Heaven)", the second track with Straumstøyl on lead vocals. It is a remake of the 1980s hit " (Feels Like) Heaven" by Fiction Factory, and reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. Dario G released their second album, '' In Full Colour'', in 2001.

A new version of "Carnaval de Paris" was released in 2002 for the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. A new single, "Ring of Fire", was promoted throughout Europe in 2006. It borrowed the main trumpet melody from the Johnny Cash recording of the same name. The single itself was released in September 2006.

Further projects (2006–2023)

In 2010, Dario G recorded a new song, "Game On", along with rapper Pitbull, for the Official FIFA 2010 World Cup soundtrack. On 23 February 2014, Dario G's single "We Got Music" was released. The song featured Shirley Bassey and received its first play on BBC Radio 2 on ''The Paul O'Grady Show''.

Spencer's health and death (2023–2024)

In June 2023, Paul Spencer announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer. He died a year later on 17 June 2024, at the age of 53.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

See also

*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

External links

*
*

{{Authority control

English electronic music groups
English dance music groups
British Eurodance groups
British musical groups
English record producers
British remixers
Musical groups from Cheshire
Musical groups established in 1997
Musical groups disestablished in 2024
1997 establishments in England
2024 disestablishments in England