Olive (band)
Encyclopedia
Olive was a breakbeat
/trip hop
group from the North of England. The founding membership consisted of producer, instrumentalist and songwriter Tim Kellett
, producer and keyboard
programmer
Robin Taylor-Firth
, and singer Ruth-Ann Boyle
. The band released two albums, the second without Taylor-Firth.
They are best known for the UK number-one single "You're Not Alone
".
's 1991 album Stars, which garnered the band's greatest commercial success in the UK and worldwide at the time, Tim Kellett
, last among its original lineup (as trumpet player), left the band. Meanwhile, Robin Taylor-Firth
had decided to branch out although continuing with George Evelyn's project Nightmares on Wax
. The two met through a mutual friend who had recently joined Simply Red as bassist, and formed a musical collaboration (Robin Taylor-Firth
cites the disparity between his relatively "underground" work among Sheffield
's electronic music and DJ community, and Kellett's mainstream history).
By 1994, three demos (which would become "Miracle", "Falling" and "You're Not Alone") were recorded in Kellett's cellar studio, upon which the two began their search for a singer. At this time, Kellett went on tour as keyboardist with Vini Reilly's The Durutti Column
(which he played for a decade ago prior to joining Simply Red). While playing back pre-recorded keyboard samples
on stage, Kellett heard a favourable vocal sample; the voice was that of Ruth-Ann Boyle
, who had provided the samples for The Durutti Column's 1994 album Sex and Death.
Kellett contacted Boyle about singing for the collaboration; at the time working in a bar, and though disillusioned from past experiences singing in bands, Boyle accepted. After a "kind of an audition" with "Miracle", Boyle's membership in the band was set. The completion of the three initial demos attracted the interest of various UK record labels, and Olive signed with the top bidder, RCA
, in September 1995.
The songwriting and recording process concluded with the completion of their first album in January 1996. The first single, "You're Not Alone," was released in 1996. Although the song took a year for audiences in England to catch onto, it eventually made number one in 1997, after the release of a new, remixed version, selling over 500000 copies. Popularity in America
and Australia
was muted, with the track falling short of an American Top 40 position and being restricted to a small musical niche with Australians. "Outlaw" followed not long after, with similar responses, as well as their first album, Extra Virgin
in 1996.
Riding the success of the remixed single, Extra Virgin was re-released with a bonus disc of remixes (by producers including Monkey Mafia
, Roni Size
, and the famed duo of Paul Oakenfold
and Steve Osborne
) in 1997.
The band went on tour to promote the album with a seven-piece band, playing three episodes of Top of the Pops
("You're Not Alone" twice in May 1997, "Outlaw" in August), a ten-date UK tour, as well as legs in Germany (alongside Faithless
) and the U.S.
In the time leading up to the release of the follow-up album, Robin Taylor-Firth
had left the group to concentrate on Nightmares on Wax, and begin other projects (Sub Machena, BudNubac, Piano Segundo) bringing it down to a duo. He also founded BlancoMusic, a release platform for the aforementioned acts, plus others such as Mil i Maria. Meanwhile, Olive lost the support of RCA's UK branch, which dropped the band; however, they were then picked up by Madonna
's Maverick Records
(supposedly, with Madonna's personal approval after she attended one of their concerts in Germany).
In 2000, their presciently-named second album Trickle
was released. While Trickle still displayed the distinctive Olive sound, the tunes were more dance-oriented. The best known song on this album was a cover
of the 10cc
song "I'm Not in Love
"; it reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play
chart, and was featured on the soundtrack to The Next Best Thing.
Since then, like many trip-hop bands, little was heard of them. The band entered an extended hiatus. Kellett is focussing on songwriting for other artists so that he can spend more time with his family. Ruth-Ann joined Enigma
as a vocalist, and released her first solo album 'What About Us' on June 4, 2007. It was released exclusively through iTunes.
In Autumn of 2009, Tinchy Stryder
released a version of 'You're Not Alone
', sparking new interest in Olive
. Around the same time Digital Spy
announced that Olive are working on their third album, due for release in early 2011. The album will feature Ruth Ann again on vocals as well as featuring other special guest vocalists.
(May 28, 1998), Kellett and Taylor-Firth received the Best Dance Music award for "You're Not Alone". The song was also covered as a 2002 single by German dance producer ATB.
During the American leg of the Trickle promotional tour, the band suggested that 60-70% of their audience demographic at the time was gay. This was recognized to the extent that the final show of the tour was played at the San Francisco Pride
festival.
Today, Olive is generally placed alongside mid-1990s trip-hop/electronica
artists such as Moloko
, Beth Orton
, and the Sneaker Pimps
.
1 - Released in the United States
only.
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
/trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
group from the North of England. The founding membership consisted of producer, instrumentalist and songwriter Tim Kellett
Tim Kellett
Tim Kellett is an English musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:Kellett has worked in the British music industry for the past twenty five years...
, producer and keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
programmer
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth is a British musician and label owner, notable for performance, songwriting and production on various projects including Nightmares on Wax, Olive, Backyard Dog, and BudNubac....
, and singer Ruth-Ann Boyle
Ruth-Ann Boyle
Ruth-Ann Boyle is an English pop music singer who became famous during the 1990s. Together with producers Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth, she formed the British band Olive...
. The band released two albums, the second without Taylor-Firth.
They are best known for the UK number-one single "You're Not Alone
You're Not Alone (Olive song)
"You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart...
".
History
Following Simply RedSimply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
's 1991 album Stars, which garnered the band's greatest commercial success in the UK and worldwide at the time, Tim Kellett
Tim Kellett
Tim Kellett is an English musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:Kellett has worked in the British music industry for the past twenty five years...
, last among its original lineup (as trumpet player), left the band. Meanwhile, Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth is a British musician and label owner, notable for performance, songwriting and production on various projects including Nightmares on Wax, Olive, Backyard Dog, and BudNubac....
had decided to branch out although continuing with George Evelyn's project Nightmares on Wax
Nightmares on Wax
George Evelyn, better known as Nightmares on Wax and also known as DJ EASE , is a DJ from Leeds, UK. His music is released on Warp Records and was one of the first releases on the label. Evelyn got his start in the music industry through an interest in hip hop and on joining a local breakdancing crew...
. The two met through a mutual friend who had recently joined Simply Red as bassist, and formed a musical collaboration (Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth is a British musician and label owner, notable for performance, songwriting and production on various projects including Nightmares on Wax, Olive, Backyard Dog, and BudNubac....
cites the disparity between his relatively "underground" work among Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
's electronic music and DJ community, and Kellett's mainstream history).
By 1994, three demos (which would become "Miracle", "Falling" and "You're Not Alone") were recorded in Kellett's cellar studio, upon which the two began their search for a singer. At this time, Kellett went on tour as keyboardist with Vini Reilly's The Durutti Column
The Durutti Column
The Durutti Column are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 in Manchester, England. The band is an ongoing project of guitarist Vini Reilly who is often accompanied by drummer Bruce Mitchell. Other current members are Keir Stewart and Reilly's girlfriend Poppy Morgan...
(which he played for a decade ago prior to joining Simply Red). While playing back pre-recorded keyboard samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
on stage, Kellett heard a favourable vocal sample; the voice was that of Ruth-Ann Boyle
Ruth-Ann Boyle
Ruth-Ann Boyle is an English pop music singer who became famous during the 1990s. Together with producers Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth, she formed the British band Olive...
, who had provided the samples for The Durutti Column's 1994 album Sex and Death.
Kellett contacted Boyle about singing for the collaboration; at the time working in a bar, and though disillusioned from past experiences singing in bands, Boyle accepted. After a "kind of an audition" with "Miracle", Boyle's membership in the band was set. The completion of the three initial demos attracted the interest of various UK record labels, and Olive signed with the top bidder, 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...
, in September 1995.
The songwriting and recording process concluded with the completion of their first album in January 1996. The first single, "You're Not Alone," was released in 1996. Although the song took a year for audiences in England to catch onto, it eventually made number one in 1997, after the release of a new, remixed version, selling over 500000 copies. Popularity in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
was muted, with the track falling short of an American Top 40 position and being restricted to a small musical niche with Australians. "Outlaw" followed not long after, with similar responses, as well as their first album, Extra Virgin
Extra Virgin
Extra Virgin was the first release for British electronic trio Olive. This defined Olive's style, spawning three singles, "You're Not Alone" , "Outlaw", and "Miracle"...
in 1996.
Riding the success of the remixed single, Extra Virgin was re-released with a bonus disc of remixes (by producers including Monkey Mafia
Jon Carter
Jon Carter is an Essex, England-born DJ who initially rose to prominence as a big beat electronica DJ. However, as his career progressed both his productions and his DJ sets became known for including a variety of musical styles.-Biography:...
, Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
, and the famed duo of 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...
) in 1997.
The band went on tour to promote the album with a seven-piece band, playing three episodes of Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
("You're Not Alone" twice in May 1997, "Outlaw" in August), a ten-date UK tour, as well as legs in Germany (alongside Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
) and the U.S.
In the time leading up to the release of the follow-up album, Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth
Robin Taylor-Firth is a British musician and label owner, notable for performance, songwriting and production on various projects including Nightmares on Wax, Olive, Backyard Dog, and BudNubac....
had left the group to concentrate on Nightmares on Wax, and begin other projects (Sub Machena, BudNubac, Piano Segundo) bringing it down to a duo. He also founded BlancoMusic, a release platform for the aforementioned acts, plus others such as Mil i Maria. Meanwhile, Olive lost the support of RCA's UK branch, which dropped the band; however, they were then picked up by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
(supposedly, with Madonna's personal approval after she attended one of their concerts in Germany).
In 2000, their presciently-named second album Trickle
Trickle
Trickle is the second and most recent album from English trip-hop band Olive.- History :Following the band's debut album Extra Virgin and a subsequent promotional tour, keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth left the band...
was released. While Trickle still displayed the distinctive Olive sound, the tunes were more dance-oriented. The best known song on this album was a cover
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 the 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
song "I'm Not in Love
I'm Not in Love
"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
"; it reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart, and was featured on the soundtrack to The Next Best Thing.
Since then, like many trip-hop bands, little was heard of them. The band entered an extended hiatus. Kellett is focussing on songwriting for other artists so that he can spend more time with his family. Ruth-Ann joined Enigma
Enigma (musical project)
Enigma is an electronic musical project founded in Germany by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson in 1990. The Romanian-born Cretu conceived the Enigma project while working in Germany, but has based his recording studio A.R.T. Studios in Ibiza, Spain, since the early 1990s until May...
as a vocalist, and released her first solo album 'What About Us' on June 4, 2007. It was released exclusively through iTunes.
In Autumn of 2009, Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
released a version of 'You're Not Alone
You're Not Alone (Olive song)
"You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart...
', sparking new interest in Olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
. Around the same time Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
announced that Olive are working on their third album, due for release in early 2011. The album will feature Ruth Ann again on vocals as well as featuring other special guest vocalists.
Reception
At the 1997 Ivor Novello AwardsIvor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
(May 28, 1998), Kellett and Taylor-Firth received the Best Dance Music award for "You're Not Alone". The song was also covered as a 2002 single by German dance producer ATB.
During the American leg of the Trickle promotional tour, the band suggested that 60-70% of their audience demographic at the time was gay. This was recognized to the extent that the final show of the tour was played at the San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held in June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies...
festival.
Today, Olive is generally placed alongside mid-1990s trip-hop/electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
artists such as Moloko
Moloko
Moloko were an Anglo-Irish electronic/pop duo consisting of Róisín Murphy from Wicklow, Ireland and Mark Brydon, from Sunderland, England.- Origin of band name :...
, Beth Orton
Beth Orton
Beth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
, and the Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | UK chart | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Extra Virgin Extra Virgin Extra Virgin was the first release for British electronic trio Olive. This defined Olive's style, spawning three singles, "You're Not Alone" , "Outlaw", and "Miracle"...
|
||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Trickle Trickle Trickle is the second and most recent album from English trip-hop band Olive.- History :Following the band's debut album Extra Virgin and a subsequent promotional tour, keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth left the band... Maverick Records Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
||||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released in that country or territory. | |||||||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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 ... |
US 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... |
US Dance | IRE Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | "You're Not Alone You're Not Alone (Olive song) "You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart... " |
42 | — | — | — | Extra Virgin Extra Virgin Extra Virgin was the first release for British electronic trio Olive. This defined Olive's style, spawning three singles, "You're Not Alone" , "Outlaw", and "Miracle"... |
|||||||||||||
| "Miracle Miracle (Olive song) "Miracle" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on their 1996 album Extra Virgin. The song was originally released in 1996 but was re-released in 1997 including a new UK Radio Edit that was different to the version that appears on the album.The song was... " |
41 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1997 | "You're Not Alone You're Not Alone (Olive song) "You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart... " (remix) |
1 | 56 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| "Outlaw Outlaw (Olive song) "Outlaw" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on their 1996 album Extra Virgin. It was released as the follow-up to the group's number one single You're Not Alone. The single charted at number fourteen in the UK Singles Chart.The lyric concerns a woman's... " |
14 | — | 4 | — | |||||||||||||||
| "Miracle Miracle (Olive song) "Miracle" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on their 1996 album Extra Virgin. The song was originally released in 1996 but was re-released in 1997 including a new UK Radio Edit that was different to the version that appears on the album.The song was... " (remix) |
41 | — | 10 | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1998 | "You Are Nothing" [promo] 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 2000 | "I'm Not In Love" 1 | — | — | 1 | — | Trickle Trickle Trickle is the second and most recent album from English trip-hop band Olive.- History :Following the band's debut album Extra Virgin and a subsequent promotional tour, keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth left the band... |
|||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released in that country or territory. | |||||||||||||||||||
1 - Released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
only.
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "You're Not Alone" (Version one) | |
| "Miracle" | Karen Lamond | |
| "You're Not Alone" (Version two) | Pascal d'Hoeraene | |
| 1997 | "You're Not Alone" (Version three) | |
| "Outlaw" | ||
| 2000 | "I'm Not In Love" | Natalie MacGowan Spence |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
External links
- Ruth-Ann official site
- BlancoMusic
- BudNubac sample