Grace (dance music)
Encyclopedia
Grace were a 1990s dance music
act, consisting of DJ
s Paul Oakenfold
and Steve Osborne
and jazz
singer Dominique Atkins
.. The group's debut single (originally released in 1993 and then again in 1995) 'Not Over Yet' featured lead and backing vocals by original front-woman Patti Low. Atkins then recorded her own lead vocals for Not Over Yet when it was featured as the first track on the group's only album "If I Could Fly".
", which peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
, and topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the US
. Original front-woman Patti Low also recorded 1 other track whilst involved with Grace called 'Helpless', which was only released as the B-side on the tape cassette release of 'Not Over Yet' in 1995. Patti featured in the 1995 promotional video for 'Not Over Yet' and also performed live lead-vocals in Grace's appearance on Top Of The Pops in early 1995. For some reason Patti was then replaced as the lead singer with Dominique Atkins, who Oakenfold had become aware of through her vocals on the previous Perfecto release 'PASSION' by Jon of The Pleased Wimmin. Subsequent vocals, PAs and appearances always featured Atkins as lead singer of Grace. The September 1995 track "I Want To Live" (UK #30) which was a cover of the song by Gavin Friday (also covered by Naomi Campbell
) featured "Not Over Yet" lead singer Patti Low on backing vocals. Further singles by Grace were "Skin on Skin" (UK #21), "Down to Earth" (UK #20), "If I Could Fly" (UK #29), "Hand in Hand
" (UK #38) and a re-release/double A-side of "You're Not Mine" / "Down to Earth" (UK #29). The group released an album entitled "If I Could Fly" though this did not chart.
Dominique Atkins also recorded vocals for Tilt on their track 'Rendezvous', which was retitled 'Invisible', and was originally to be titled 'Tilt feat. Grace', but the Grace title was dropped for the release.
The group was dissolved in 1997, when Oakenfold was touring as a performance DJ more frequently and could not commit to recording.
The group were on Perfecto Records
.
In 1999, "Not Over Yet" was re-released with new mixes by Planet Perfecto
(another Oakenfold pseudonym
) though the radio version was an edited version of the original 1995 Perfecto Radio Edit. All new versions / remixes on the re-release however, contained a combination of the original backing vocals by Patti Low and lead vocals by Dominique Atkins. It again reached the UK Top 20, peaking at number 16.
In 2007, "Not Over Yet" was reworked by the band Klaxons
, and renamed "It's Not Over Yet", for their album Myths of the Near Future
. In July 2011, new remixes of "Not Over Yet" were released by Perfecto.
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
act, consisting of DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
and Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer Dominique Atkins
Dominique Atkins
Dominique Atkins is a jazz and dance singer from London. She has been a member of Grace, Mekka, Space Brothers, and Ursula's World. Her hit singles include "Not Over Yet", "Skin On Skin", "If I Could Fly", "Down To Earth", and "I Want To Live". She co-wrote and sang on Tilt's 1999 hit single...
.. The group's debut single (originally released in 1993 and then again in 1995) 'Not Over Yet' featured lead and backing vocals by original front-woman Patti Low. Atkins then recorded her own lead vocals for Not Over Yet when it was featured as the first track on the group's only album "If I Could Fly".
History
The band was initially named "State of Grace" but it later renamed Grace, following the discovery of another band of the same name. In existence from 1993 to 1997, the band served mainly to showcase Oakenfold and Osborne's production talents. During this timeframe, they had seven Top 40 hits, most notably the dance anthem "Not Over YetNot Over Yet
Not Over Yet is a song by Grace, released as a single in 1995 peaking in the UK Singles Chart at #6 and topping the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the United States. The song was originally released in 1993 under the alias State of Grace. Lead vocals and backing vocals on the track were...
", which peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Original front-woman Patti Low also recorded 1 other track whilst involved with Grace called 'Helpless', which was only released as the B-side on the tape cassette release of 'Not Over Yet' in 1995. Patti featured in the 1995 promotional video for 'Not Over Yet' and also performed live lead-vocals in Grace's appearance on Top Of The Pops in early 1995. For some reason Patti was then replaced as the lead singer with Dominique Atkins, who Oakenfold had become aware of through her vocals on the previous Perfecto release 'PASSION' by Jon of The Pleased Wimmin. Subsequent vocals, PAs and appearances always featured Atkins as lead singer of Grace. The September 1995 track "I Want To Live" (UK #30) which was a cover of the song by Gavin Friday (also covered by Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
) featured "Not Over Yet" lead singer Patti Low on backing vocals. Further singles by Grace were "Skin on Skin" (UK #21), "Down to Earth" (UK #20), "If I Could Fly" (UK #29), "Hand in Hand
Hand in Hand (Grace song)
"Hand in Hand" is dance act Grace's 6th solo single on Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label .Remixes of the song included a complete reworking of the song by Jam El Mar of European dance act Jam & Spoon...
" (UK #38) and a re-release/double A-side of "You're Not Mine" / "Down to Earth" (UK #29). The group released an album entitled "If I Could Fly" though this did not chart.
Dominique Atkins also recorded vocals for Tilt on their track 'Rendezvous', which was retitled 'Invisible', and was originally to be titled 'Tilt feat. Grace', but the Grace title was dropped for the release.
The group was dissolved in 1997, when Oakenfold was touring as a performance DJ more frequently and could not commit to recording.
The group were on Perfecto Records
Perfecto Records
Perfecto Records is a United Kingdom based Trance record label founded by Paul Oakenfold in 1989.-History:Perfecto was founded by electronic music record producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold in 1989...
.
In 1999, "Not Over Yet" was re-released with new mixes by Planet Perfecto
Planet Perfecto
Planet Perfecto were a dance supergroup, formed in 1997 by Paul Oakenfold, Ian Masterson and Jake Williams. They were signed to Oakenfold's record label, Perfecto Records.-Career:...
(another Oakenfold pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
) though the radio version was an edited version of the original 1995 Perfecto Radio Edit. All new versions / remixes on the re-release however, contained a combination of the original backing vocals by Patti Low and lead vocals by Dominique Atkins. It again reached the UK Top 20, peaking at number 16.
In 2007, "Not Over Yet" was reworked by the band Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
, and renamed "It's Not Over Yet", for their album Myths of the Near Future
Myths of the Near Future (album)
Klaxons' French label Because released "As Above, So Below" as a limited edition clear vinyl 12" in November 2007. The 12" features two versions of the track, a French language version and a remix by Justice....
. In July 2011, new remixes of "Not Over Yet" were released by Perfecto.
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart