Mrs Wood
Encyclopedia
Mrs Wood is a female DJ
and record producer
involved in the hardbag
and UK
techno
scene. Mrs Wood first came to prominence via her output on the React record label
. Her first single
"Whodunnit?" was issued in 1994, shortly followed by one of her best known releases, "Calamity Jane".
In Autumn 1995 Mrs Wood enjoyed crossover success with "Joanna'", largely considered as one of the defining tracks of the hardbag era. Featuring a tradestyle remix
from Tony De Vit
as well as her own more minimal version, "Joanna" became one of the first hardbag releases to reach the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
, and was at this juncture one of the biggest selling tracks to have been output on React.
Further success ensued with "Heartbreak", which featured vocals
from Cleveland City signing Eve Gallagher
, another artist who became synonymous with the house music and hardbag scene of the mid 1990s. "Heartbreak" charted
at #44 in the UK
, and featured remixes from former Happy Clappers
producer C J Scott, as well as a technoid variation from Wood herself, co-produced by long time cohort, Kevin White.
The following year witnessed the release of "Feel So Good", Mrs Wood's highest placed chart hit, a double A-side
coupled with a Sash!
remix of "Joanna". Also included in the mix package were further variations from Dancing Divaz, Nush and the original 1995 remix by Tony De Vit. "Road Rage" was issued in a limited quantity in late 1996, which Wood released under the sobriquet
, Madame Dubois.
Shortly after the success of "Feel So Good", Mrs Wood began producing less commercially orientated, techno
and nu-nrg influenced tracks such as "1,2,3,4", which was less well received, despite featuring a trancey remake from Vincent De Moor
. Her debut album
followed - Woodwork. Co-produced by Kevin White, Woodwork consisted largely of minimal, techno based compositions.
Mrs Wood is perhaps best remembered for her React released mix compilation album
s, Mrs Wood Teaches Techno and 1996's Bitter & Twisted (half of which was remixed by her longtime stablemate Blu Peter). Showcasing a variety of tracks in an array of genres, Bitter & Twisted featured material from artists as disparate as LSG, 16C+ and Mark NRG.
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...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
involved in the hardbag
Hardbag
Hardbag was a genre of electronic dance music popular in the mid 1990s. Having evolved out of the handbag house scene in 1993-1994, the genre enjoyed massive, albeit brief, popularity, with several hardbag releases achieving positions in the upper echelons of the UK chart...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
scene. Mrs Wood first came to prominence via her output on the React record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Her first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Whodunnit?" was issued in 1994, shortly followed by one of her best known releases, "Calamity Jane".
In Autumn 1995 Mrs Wood enjoyed crossover success with "Joanna'", largely considered as one of the defining tracks of the hardbag era. Featuring a tradestyle remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
from Tony De Vit
Tony De Vit
Tony De Vit was a British club DJ, Producer and Remixer and one of the most influential of his generation. He was credited with helping to take the "Hard house" and fast "Hard NRG" sounds out of the London gay scene and into mainstream clubs...
as well as her own more minimal version, "Joanna" became one of the first hardbag releases to reach the Top 40 of 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 was at this juncture one of the biggest selling tracks to have been output on React.
Further success ensued with "Heartbreak", which featured vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
from Cleveland City signing Eve Gallagher
Eve Gallagher
Eve Gallagher is an English singer from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear associated with the house music scene.-Career:Eve Gallagher first came to prominence in 1990 with the release of her debut single "Love Come Down"...
, another artist who became synonymous with the house music and hardbag scene of the mid 1990s. "Heartbreak" charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
at #44 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and featured remixes from former Happy Clappers
Happy Clappers
Happy Clappers were a house studio project from the UK, featuring Chris Scott, Graeme Ripley, Martin Knotts and Mark Topham, with Sandra Edwards on vocals....
producer C J Scott, as well as a technoid variation from Wood herself, co-produced by long time cohort, Kevin White.
The following year witnessed the release of "Feel So Good", Mrs Wood's highest placed chart hit, a double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
coupled with a Sash!
Sash!
SASH! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen , who works in the recording studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke. They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide and earned more than 65 Gold and Platinum awards.-History:Sascha Lappessen, Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke,...
remix of "Joanna". Also included in the mix package were further variations from Dancing Divaz, Nush and the original 1995 remix by Tony De Vit. "Road Rage" was issued in a limited quantity in late 1996, which Wood released under the sobriquet
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, Madame Dubois.
Shortly after the success of "Feel So Good", Mrs Wood began producing less commercially orientated, techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and nu-nrg influenced tracks such as "1,2,3,4", which was less well received, despite featuring a trancey remake from Vincent De Moor
Vincent de Moor
Vincent de Moor is a Dutch trance artist. He is most notable for his work with the record producer Ferry Corsten under the working title, Veracocha, and for his 2001 single, "Fly Away".-Early career:...
. Her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
followed - Woodwork. Co-produced by Kevin White, Woodwork consisted largely of minimal, techno based compositions.
Mrs Wood is perhaps best remembered for her React released mix compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s, Mrs Wood Teaches Techno and 1996's Bitter & Twisted (half of which was remixed by her longtime stablemate Blu Peter). Showcasing a variety of tracks in an array of genres, Bitter & Twisted featured material from artists as disparate as LSG, 16C+ and Mark NRG.
Albums
- 1993: Mrs Wood Teaches Techno (React Music)
- 1996: Mrs Wood & Blu Peter - Bitter & Twisted (React Music)
- 1998: Woodwork (React Music)
Singles/EPs
- 1994: "The Awakening"/"Calamity Jane" (React Music)
- 1994: "Whodunnit?" (React Music)
- 1995: "Joanna" (React Music) UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#40 - 1996: "Heartbreak" featuring Eve Gallagher (React Music) UK #44
- 1997: "Joanna '97" (React Music) UK #34
- 1998: "1,2,3,4" (React Music) UK 54
- 2004: "Joanna 2004" (React Music)