Nicki French
Encyclopedia
Nicola S. French is a female English
singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance
cover version
of "Total Eclipse of the Heart
", and for representing the United Kingdom
in 2000 at Eurovision
in Stockholm
.
on Rose-Marie's 1992 album
, Emotional Exposure. Generally, French had been a session
singer for many years before she covered "Total Eclipse of the Heart", a song
originally made famous by Bonnie Tyler
. French's single
was first released in 1994 in the United Kingdom
. When it was re-released in 1995 the song reached number 5 during a three-month chart
run in the UK Singles Chart
, selling over 250,000 (UK) copies in the process and earning a silver
sales award.
This was followed by even more successful chart run in the United States
, where the track reached #2, spending 6 months on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and gained Gold certification from the RIAA. The single also reached number 1 in a number of countries — Japan
, Canada
, Spain
and Brazil
— as well as charting in Australia
, Germany
, Italy
, Mexico
, the Netherlands
, Denmark
and Norway
. French sold in excess of 5 million copies.
Her second single "For All We Know
", a cover version of The Carpenters
' song only reached #42 in the UK Singles Chart due to poor distribution and a barcode error. The track was due to be released in the U.S.
but due to a dispute between record companies only made it as far as a promo release in America. Her debut album
, Secrets
, charted in Japan, Brazil, Israel, Canada, Australia and the U.S. (selling 50.000 copies during its first week on sale). Further singles from the album included "Is There Anybody Out There?", "Did You Ever Really Love Me?" (the latter of which briefly charted in the UK but did not reach the Top 40) and "Never In a Million Years" (which was released in Denmark
and Sweden
only). "Did You Ever Really Love Me?" was also released Stateside
.
Various other songs were added to formats around the world, including renditions of "Heaven Is a Place on Earth
" and "Stop! In the Name of Love
". French was her record label's biggest artist but due to them achieving limited success with their other acts they went into liquidation. French was then signed by Logic Records UK (part of the Sony/BMG group), during which time she released "Te Amo" in various countries. In Brazil it reached number 4 becoming French's fifth consecutive Top 10 in the airplay charts. It was stocked by HMV
in the UK in the summer of 1997 but failed to reach the UK Singles Chart. Another single from this album was due for release, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", but it only ever made it to demo. In 1998 she released her second album and had success in Japan and Taiwan
but was eventually dropped by her record label after management reconstructing.
In 2000 she entered the Eurovision Song Contest
with "Don't Play That Song Again
", the song being selected by members of the British public. She was then signed up by RCA
and the track reached number 34 in the UK chart. French finished in 16th place, at the time the lowest placing for any UK act. She insists even now that she still looks back on this time with fond memories and would love to enter the contest again.
French signed to Jim Steinman
's Ravenous Records
label for a short period in 2000, during which time she recorded "Lovers Again" and "Two out of Three Ain't Bad
" both of which were never released. She later went on to record three tracks with the writer of her Eurovision hit, Gerry Springate. These were dance and reggae covers of previous Eurovision entries, they were pulled from release but French still occasionally performs her versions at Eurovision events.
In 2003, French was one of nine contestants on a special Eurovision edition of BBC Television
's The Weakest Link
. Joining Sonia
, Lyn Paul
, James Fox
, Katie Boyle
, Bobby Gee, Jessica Garlick
, Katrina Leskanich
and Jemini
on the show hosted by Anne Robinson
, French won the event and was declared 'The Strongest Link'. In fact, French had been a last minute substitute for original guest, Gina G
, who had to drop out of the show when she went in to labour
.
French continues to tour the UK and Europe, performing her hits as well as new material. She released two singles, "I Surrender" in 2004 and "Calling Out My Name" in 2005. "I Surrender" charted on the EuroNRG Top 40 chart in February 2005. However, her later release, billed as 'Diva DJs Vs Nicki French', "Total Eclipse of the Heart 2006" did not appear in the UK Singles Chart
.
French has retained her large gay following and has headlined some of the biggest Pride shows in recent years including EuroPride, Stockholm Pride and the world's biggest Pride event Australia's Mardi Gras
.
During 2007 and 2008 French was an understudy for all four roles in Menopause: The Musical in Ireland and gained the part of 'The Queen' in the Sleep Beauty pantomime
at the Chipping Norton Theatre in November and December 2008, and January 2009. The pantomime gained good reviews, making it into the top 10 pantomimes in the UK in The Daily Telegraph
newspaper
.
In 2009 French appeared as the Fairy Godmother in the pantomime
Cinderella
in Runcorn alongside Leah Bracknell
, Aiden J Harvey
, Sid Little & Hayley Clarke. The same year a special edition of French's second album became available, French Revolution! The CD contained seventeen tracks and included all three of her most recent singles along with a previously unreleased version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". The same year she released "No Smoke
". which did not enter the UK charts.
Throughout 2010 and 2011 French played in Annie - The Musical and in 2011 Energise Records re-released most of her back-catalogue with new remixes as bonus tracks.
, Kent
. She attended Homewood School
and West Kent College in Tonbridge
.
French married Gavin Mallett, a professional musician in July 1993 at St. Mildred's church, Tenterden. The couple lived in Middlesex
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance
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...
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 "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
", and for representing the United Kingdom
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...
in 2000 at Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest 2000
The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was the 45th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 2000 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, following Charlotte Nilsson's victory in Jerusalem the previous year. It was the first time since 1996 that the contest was held on mainland Europe. The...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
Career
French provided backing vocalsBacking vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
on Rose-Marie's 1992 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...
, Emotional Exposure. Generally, French had been a session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
singer for many years before she covered "Total Eclipse of the Heart", a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
originally made famous by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
. French's 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...
was first released in 1994 in the United Kingdom
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...
. When it was re-released in 1995 the song reached number 5 during a three-month chart
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....
run 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 ...
, selling over 250,000 (UK) copies in the process and earning a silver
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
sales award.
This was followed by even more successful chart run in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where the track reached #2, spending 6 months on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and gained Gold certification from the RIAA. The single also reached number 1 in a number of countries — Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
— as well as charting in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. French sold in excess of 5 million copies.
Her second single "For All We Know
For All We Know (1970 song)
"For All We Know" is a popular song written for the 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers, by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James . It was originally performed by Larry Meredith....
", a cover version of The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
' song only reached #42 in the UK Singles Chart due to poor distribution and a barcode error. The track was due to be released in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but due to a dispute between record companies only made it as far as a promo release in America. 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...
, Secrets
Secrets (Nicki French album)
Secrets is the debut album from British singer & dancer, Nicki French, released on June 20, 1995 in the U.S. The album is very dance-enthused and features two cover songs: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" & "For All We Know" .-Track listing:# "Total Eclipse of the Heart"# "Did You Ever Really...
, charted in Japan, Brazil, Israel, Canada, Australia and the U.S. (selling 50.000 copies during its first week on sale). Further singles from the album included "Is There Anybody Out There?", "Did You Ever Really Love Me?" (the latter of which briefly charted in the UK but did not reach the Top 40) and "Never In a Million Years" (which was released in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
only). "Did You Ever Really Love Me?" was also released Stateside
Stateside
Stateside may refer to:* stateside, a slang term for the United States, usually used concerning an American currently outside the country, particularly in a military context* Stateside Records, the British record label...
.
Various other songs were added to formats around the world, including renditions of "Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Heaven is a Place on Earth
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is the title of a song recorded by Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of The Go-Go's. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, and interpolating the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, it hit number one on the...
" and "Stop! In the Name of Love
Stop! In the Name of Love
"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965...
". French was her record label's biggest artist but due to them achieving limited success with their other acts they went into liquidation. French was then signed by Logic Records UK (part of the Sony/BMG group), during which time she released "Te Amo" in various countries. In Brazil it reached number 4 becoming French's fifth consecutive Top 10 in the airplay charts. It was stocked by HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
in the UK in the summer of 1997 but failed to reach the UK Singles Chart. Another single from this album was due for release, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", but it only ever made it to demo. In 1998 she released her second album and had success in Japan and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
but was eventually dropped by her record label after management reconstructing.
In 2000 she entered the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
with "Don't Play That Song Again
Don't Play That Song Again
"Don't Play That Song Again" was the UK entry for the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was performed by Nicki French, already a well-known name, having had a worldwide hit in 1995 with a cover of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"...
", the song being selected by members of the British public. She was then signed up by RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and the track reached number 34 in the UK chart. French finished in 16th place, at the time the lowest placing for any UK act. She insists even now that she still looks back on this time with fond memories and would love to enter the contest again.
French signed to Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
's Ravenous Records
Ravenous Records
Ravenous Records, a division of Ravenous Entertainment, was formed in 1998 by Jim Steinman and Steven Rinkoff. Rinkoff best explained the purpose of the label in a May 2005 interview with BroadwayWorld.com, "Jim and I have a label called Ravenous Records where initially the idea was just to find...
label for a short period in 2000, during which time she recorded "Lovers Again" and "Two out of Three Ain't Bad
Two out of Three Ain't Bad
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a love song by the American musician Meat Loaf in his solo career, preceded by "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" and followed by "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". It is a track off his 1977 album Bat out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman. It reached #11 on...
" both of which were never released. She later went on to record three tracks with the writer of her Eurovision hit, Gerry Springate. These were dance and reggae covers of previous Eurovision entries, they were pulled from release but French still occasionally performs her versions at Eurovision events.
In 2003, French was one of nine contestants on a special Eurovision edition of BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. Joining Sonia
Sonia
Sonia may refer to:* Sonia, the allied code name for the Mitsubishi Ki-51, Japanese WW2 era bomber* SONIA, Sterling OverNight Index Average, a financial market rate* Sonia , a 1991 album by Sonia Evans...
, Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop group The New Seekers in the early 1970s...
, James Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
, Katie Boyle
Katie Boyle
Katie Boyle is an Italian-born British actress, television personality, and game show panelist, well known for appearing on TV panel games such as What's My Line? and for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1960s and 1970s....
, Bobby Gee, Jessica Garlick
Jessica Garlick
Jessica Julie Anne Garlick is a Welsh pop singer.Garlick made her first steps into showbusiness when she was 16. At that age she won the Welsh final of the TV talent show Star For A Night. The same year she also featured in Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music...
, Katrina Leskanich
Katrina Leskanich
Katrina Leskanich is an American singer and musician, long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for being the lead singer and namesake of the pop band Katrina and the Waves.-Early life:...
and Jemini
Jemini
Jemini were a British pop group from Liverpool, best known for scoring "nul points" and finishing in last place with their song "Cry Baby" at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia.-Early career:...
on the show hosted by Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
, French won the event and was declared 'The Strongest Link'. In fact, French had been a last minute substitute for original guest, Gina G
Gina G
-Albums:*1997 Fresh! — #12 UK #40 Norway.*1998 Gina G Remix Album *2005 Get Up & Dance -Singles:...
, who had to drop out of the show when she went in to labour
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
.
French continues to tour the UK and Europe, performing her hits as well as new material. She released two singles, "I Surrender" in 2004 and "Calling Out My Name" in 2005. "I Surrender" charted on the EuroNRG Top 40 chart in February 2005. However, her later release, billed as 'Diva DJs Vs Nicki French', "Total Eclipse of the Heart 2006" did not appear 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 ...
.
French has retained her large gay following and has headlined some of the biggest Pride shows in recent years including EuroPride, Stockholm Pride and the world's biggest Pride event Australia's Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
.
During 2007 and 2008 French was an understudy for all four roles in Menopause: The Musical in Ireland and gained the part of 'The Queen' in the Sleep Beauty pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
at the Chipping Norton Theatre in November and December 2008, and January 2009. The pantomime gained good reviews, making it into the top 10 pantomimes in the UK in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
.
In 2009 French appeared as the Fairy Godmother in the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
in Runcorn alongside Leah Bracknell
Leah Bracknell
Leah Bracknell is an English actress, best known for her role as Zoe Tate in the long-running soap opera, Emmerdale.-Career:...
, Aiden J Harvey
Aiden J. Harvey
Aiden J Harvey is an angular English north country comedian and impersonator who got his break on the mid 1970s ATV talent show New Faces. He was subsequently in demand on TV comedy and variety shows throughout the following decade.He is probably most famous as a member of the Copy Cats team, a...
, Sid Little & Hayley Clarke. The same year a special edition of French's second album became available, French Revolution! The CD contained seventeen tracks and included all three of her most recent singles along with a previously unreleased version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". The same year she released "No Smoke
Give Me the Music
Give Me the Music is the second album of Eva Avila, the winner of the fourth season of Canadian Idol. It was released in Canada, on October 28, 2008.-Track listing:# "No Smoke"# "Wait"# "Run"# "Damned"# "Give Me the Music"# "No More Coming Back"...
". which did not enter the UK charts.
Throughout 2010 and 2011 French played in Annie - The Musical and in 2011 Energise Records re-released most of her back-catalogue with new remixes as bonus tracks.
Personal life
French was born in Carlisle to Joseph and Eileen. She has two sisters, Allison and Carolyn, and a brother, Timothy, who is song-writer. The French family moved to when Nicki was four and settled in TenterdenTenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. She attended Homewood School
Homewood School
Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre is a comprehensive school in Tenterden, Kent, England. It has over 2500 students and 250+ staff. Homewood is a comprehensive school but is situated within the Kent selective system so it has a student profile that is half way between comprehensive and secondary...
and West Kent College in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
.
French married Gavin Mallett, a professional musician in July 1993 at St. Mildred's church, Tenterden. The couple lived in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
.
Albums
- 1995 SecretsSecrets (Nicki French album)Secrets is the debut album from British singer & dancer, Nicki French, released on June 20, 1995 in the U.S. The album is very dance-enthused and features two cover songs: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" & "For All We Know" .-Track listing:# "Total Eclipse of the Heart"# "Did You Ever Really...
(Love This Records), U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#151, U.S. Heatseekers #3 - 1997 Total Eclipse of the Heart (Japanese version of Secrets with extra tracks)
- 1998 French Revolution (Cutting Edge Records/Avex)
- 2000 12" Essentials (CD-Maximum/Russian Promo Mix CD)
- 2008 French Revolution Special Edition (Energise Records)
Singles
- 1986 "Dirty Den" (Composed by David RoseDavid RoseDavid Rose was a British-born American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist, and orchestra leader. His most famous compositions were "The Stripper", "Holiday for Strings", and "Calypso Melody"...
& Sung with Toby Dale, released under the name 'Whiskey and Sofa') Spartan Records - 1993 "You'll Be Sorry" (Released under the name 'The French Connection') Solar System Records
- 1993 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Energise Records
- 1994 "Total Eclipse of the HeartTotal Eclipse of the Heart"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
" Bags of Fun Records (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 ...
#54) - 1995 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Love This Records (UK #5, U.S.Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#2) - 1995 "For All We KnowFor All We Know (1970 song)"For All We Know" is a popular song written for the 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers, by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James . It was originally performed by Larry Meredith....
" Love This Records (UK #42) - 1995 "Did You Ever Really Love Me" Love This Records (UK #55)
- 1995 "Is There Anybody Out There?Is There Anybody Out There?"Is There Anybody Out There?" is a largely instrumental song from the Pink Floyd album, The Wall.-Overview:The first half of the piece has the same concept of "Hey You", being a distress call from Pink. The second half is instrumental. An interesting part of the song is the classical guitar solo,...
" Love This Records - 1995 "Stop! In the Name of LoveStop! In the Name of Love"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965...
/Is There Anybody Out There?Is There Anybody Out There?"Is There Anybody Out There?" is a largely instrumental song from the Pink Floyd album, The Wall.-Overview:The first half of the piece has the same concept of "Hey You", being a distress call from Pink. The second half is instrumental. An interesting part of the song is the classical guitar solo,...
" Shock/Central Station Records - 1995 "Never In a Million Years" (Only available in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
& DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) Cutting Edge Records - 1997 "Te Amo" (12" released under the alias of 'Kinki') Logic Records
- 1997 "Te Amo" Logic Records
- 2000 "Don't Play That Song AgainDon't Play That Song Again"Don't Play That Song Again" was the UK entry for the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was performed by Nicki French, already a well-known name, having had a worldwide hit in 1995 with a cover of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"...
" RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
/Ravenous RecordsRavenous RecordsRavenous Records, a division of Ravenous Entertainment, was formed in 1998 by Jim Steinman and Steven Rinkoff. Rinkoff best explained the purpose of the label in a May 2005 interview with BroadwayWorld.com, "Jim and I have a label called Ravenous Records where initially the idea was just to find...
(UK #34) - 2004 "I Surrender" Triad Records/Energise Records
- 2005 "Calling Out My Name" Klone/Energise Records
- 2006 "Total Eclipse of the Heart 2006" (Released under the name 'Diva DJs vs. Nicki French') Energise Records (UK #290)
- 2009 "Ain't No Smoke (Without Fire)" Energise Records
- 2011 "Calling Out My Name/Love Is a Mystery" Energise Records
- 2011 "I Surrender/Did You Ever Really Love Me?" Energise Records
- 2011 "Total Eclipse of the Heart- The 2011 Mixes" Energise Records
- 2011 "In The Heat of the Night/Love to Call My Own" Energise Records
Other releases
- 1995 "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree" (Only available on vinylGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and dance compilationsCompilation albumA 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...
) Avex Records - 2000 "When You Walk in the RoomWhen You Walk In The Room"When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon, first released by her in 1963 but covered by many artists. The lyrics of the song attempt to detail the singer's emotions when in the presence of the person he or she loves...
" (On Euro2000 album as Paris) Dominion Records - 2000 "The One And Only" (On Euro2000 album as Paris) Dominion Records
- 2000 "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?Will You Love Me Tomorrow"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...
" (On Euro2000 album as Paris) Dominion Records - 2005 "Private DancerPrivate Dancer (song)"Private Dancer" is a hit song recorded by Tina Turner, and written by Mark Knopfler. It is the title track of Tina Turner's most successful album, Private Dancer. The song is viewed from the prospective of a high-class prostitute, and it reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number...
" (for Gayfest album 2005) Klone Records
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" - original chart positions
- Hong Kong #1
- Australia #2
- Canada #1
- Japan #1
- Brazil #1
- United States #2
- United Kingdom #5
- The Netherlands #10
- Ireland #15
- Belgium #14
- New Zealand #13