Alisha's Attic were an English duo of the 1990s and early 2000s. The two members were sisters Shelly McErlaine

Shelly Poole

Shelly Poole is an English songwriter and singer.-Career:Shelly Poole is the daughter of the 1960s recording artist Brian Poole, of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, and learned to read and write music at an early age. With her sister Karen, she formed the duo band, Alisha's Attic, in 1989...

 (née Poole) and Karen Poole

Karen Poole

Karen Poole is an English songwriter and singer, who gained initial fame with her younger sister, Shelly Poole, as the duo / band, Alisha's Attic.-List of compositions:...

, born in Barking

Barking

Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...

 and Chadwell Heath

Chadwell Heath

Chadwell Heath is a place in the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, both in Greater London. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...

 respectively. Their father is Brian Poole

The Tremeloes

The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...

 of 1960s group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes

The Tremeloes

The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...

. The "Alisha" referred to in the group's name is a fictional character created by Shelly and Karen, based on an imaginary childhood friend of Shelly's. "Attic" is a reference to the attic studio belonging to a composer friend, Terry Martin, where they originally recorded demos.

History

Discounting the sisters' teenage material (recorded as "Keren & Chelle"), Karen and Shelly's recording career began with the single "I Am, I Feel", a chart hit in the UK, and this was quickly followed by their debut album Alisha Rules the World

Alisha Rules the World

Alisha Rules The World is the debut album of British duo Alisha's Attic, released on November 11, 1996. The album received positive reviews, and went platinum in the following year...

in November 1996. They were nominated for a 1997 Brit Award for Best Newcomer, losing out to Kula Shaker

Kula Shaker

Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...

.They were also nominated that year for an Ivor Novello for the best lyrical and melodic composition. In July 1997 the band played on the first Lilith Fair

Lilith Fair

Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It...

 tour.

They went on to release two more albums; Illumina, which produced the singles "The Incidentals", "Wish I Were You" and "Barbarella", and the critically acclaimed album The House We Built, a mostly live album recorded with Bill Bottrell

Bill Bottrell

Bill Bottrell is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, probably best known for his Grammy Award-winning collaborations with Michael Jackson, E.L.O. and Sheryl Crow.- Biography :...

 in Mendocino, USA. The two singles from this album were "Pretender Got my Heart" and "Push it all Aside". Both of these singles featured award-winning videos made by Sophie Muller

Sophie Muller

Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...

. The group released one more album, in Japan - Japanese Dream - before they went their separate ways in 2003. Splitting with Mercury Records but staying with their publishers they both continue to be successful pop writers for other artists.

A solo album entitled Hard time for The Dreamer was released by Shelly in 2005; She also wrote and appears on Michael Gray's

Michael Gray (DJ)

Michael Gray is a British DJ and house music producer. He is also half of the dance music production/remixing duo Full Intention.-Career:Gray began his career as a British house DJ in the 1990s, and became in demand as a remixer, often with Jon Pearn under the name Full Intention, providing house...

 "Borderline".

Albums

• Alisha Rules the World
  Alisha Rules the World
  Alisha Rules The World is the debut album of British duo Alisha's Attic, released on November 11, 1996. The album received positive reviews, and went platinum in the following year...
  
  (November 1996, UK #14)
• Japanese Dream
  Japanese Dream
  This is a Japan-only release album by British duo Alisha's Attic, composed of B-sides and rarities. It was released in 1997.-Track listing:#"Japanese Dream" – 4:10#"He's A Rebel" – 2:28#"Army Of Fools" – 4:01#"Sweet Escape" – 3:53#"Drunken And Tearful" – 3:28...
  
  (1997, Japan-only release)
• Illumina (October 1998, UK #15)
• The House We Built (July 23, 2001, produced by Bill Bottrell
  Bill Bottrell
  Bill Bottrell is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, probably best known for his Grammy Award-winning collaborations with Michael Jackson, E.L.O. and Sheryl Crow.- Biography :...
  
  , recorded at Bill Bottrell's studio in Mendocino, California
  Mendocino, California
  Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
  
  , UK #55)
  1. "Sex Is On Everyone's Tongue"
  2. "Can't Say Sorry"
  3. "Push It All Aside" (single)
  4. "Pilot"
  5. "The House That We Built"
  6. "Pretender Got My Heart" (single)
  7. "That Other Girl"
  8. "Perfectly Happy"
  9. "She Ain't Missing You"
  10. "If You Want Me Back"
  11. "Devil You Call Love"
  12. "Dreaming"
• The Attic Vaults 1 (August 2001, produced by Alisha's Attic)

After separating from Mercury Records, Karen and Shelly produced and released an album of tracks that had been held back from their previous albums.
It is now collectable.

1. "Strangers"
2. "Taken Back"
3. "Don't Let Love Bring You Down"
4. "The Last Letter"
5. "Too Far Forgotten"
6. "Real Love"
7. "When U Coming Home?"
8. "Impossible Dreamer"
9. "Flaws"
10. "Free"
11. "Stay Will U Stay"
12. "She's A Heroine"

• The Collection
  The Collection (Alisha's Attic album)
  Released on July 7, 2003After dropping Alisha's Attic, Universal, parent company of Mercury Records, released a greatest hits collection on their budget label Spectrum.-Track listing:#Alisha Rules the World...
  
  (July 7, 2003)

Singles

• 1996 "I Am, I Feel" UK #14
• 1996 "Alisha Rules the World" UK #12
• 1997 "Indestructible" UK #12
• 1997 "Air We Breathe" UK #12
• 1998 "The Incidentals" UK #13
• 1999 "Wish I Were You" UK #29
• 2000 "Barbarella" UK #34
• 2001 "Push It All Aside" UK #24
• 2001 "Pretender Got My Heart" UK #43

Other songs

• A cover version
  Cover version
  In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
  
   of Suede
  Suede (band)
  Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
  
  's "Still Life" for the 1996 charity album by ChildLine
  ChildLine
  ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
  
  .
• A cover of The Crystals
  The Crystals
  The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
  
  ' "He's a Rebel" for the 1997 film
  Film
  A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
  
  , Bean
  Bean (1997 film)
  Bean, also known as Mr. Bean: The Movie and Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie is a 1997 British-American comedy film based on the popular ITV comedy Television series Mr. Bean, which was written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character...
  
  .

External links

• The Official Alisha's Attic Website (offline)