Oui 3
Encyclopedia
Oui 3 were an English
/American
/Swiss
band who primarily produced dance music
. The band is best known for their songs "Break From the Old Routine" (which reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
in July 1993), "The Joy of Living", and their Buffalo Springfield
sampled
1993 hit "For What It's Worth" (which reached number 26 in the UK in October 1993).
partner of former Specials
singer Terry Hall
in Terry, Blair & Anouchka
, at the end of the 1980s. She went on to work with a number of other notable figures in the British
music industry such as Billy MacKenzie
(The Associates), Nick Heyward
and Marc Almond
.
Meanwhile, Swiss programmer Philipp Erb had spent most of the 1980s as an engineer
and programmer for several musicians, including a period with Genesis P. Orridge's Psychic TV
. The pair teamed up with the South London
rapper, Trevor Miles.
Their debut album
, Oui Love You, was released in 1993 and featured Jah Wobble
on the title track. The album was produced and mainly mixed by the trio, although some tracks were mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent, Youth
and Phil Bodger.
A second album remained unreleased. Booth continued to write and record her own material, but little has been heard musically from Erb or Miles.
Faithless
have since cited Oui 3 as an influence.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
/American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
/Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
band who primarily produced dance music
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...
. The band is best known for their songs "Break From the Old Routine" (which reached number 17 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 ...
in July 1993), "The Joy of Living", and their Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
sampled
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...
1993 hit "For What It's Worth" (which reached number 26 in the UK in October 1993).
Career
The three group members were Blair Booth, Philipp Erb and Trevor Miles. Blair Booth is an American singer, songwriter and arranger. She had previously worked as the songwritingSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
partner of former Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
singer Terry Hall
Terry Hall (singer)
Terry Hall is the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas. He has released two solo albums and has also collaborated with many artists including David A...
in Terry, Blair & Anouchka
Terry, Blair & Anouchka
Terry, Blair & Anouchka was a musical outfit, active in the early 1990s. The group was formed by Coventry born singer Terry Hall, American actress Blair Booth and jeweler Anouchka Grose...
, at the end of the 1980s. She went on to work with a number of other notable figures in the British
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...
music industry such as Billy MacKenzie
Billy Mackenzie
William MacArthur "Billy" Mackenzie was a Scottish singer, with a distinctive falsetto voice best known as a member of The Associates.- Biography :...
(The Associates), Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the frontman of the early 1980s band Haircut One Hundred, and also had a briefly successful solo career after he left the band in 1983.-Haircut One Hundred:Nick Heyward formed Haircut One Hundred after the...
and Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
.
Meanwhile, Swiss programmer Philipp Erb had spent most of the 1980s as an engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and programmer for several musicians, including a period with Genesis P. Orridge's Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
. The pair teamed up with the South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
rapper, Trevor Miles.
Their 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...
, Oui Love You, was released in 1993 and featured Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
on the title track. The album was produced and mainly mixed by the trio, although some tracks were mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent, Youth
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
and Phil Bodger.
A second album remained unreleased. Booth continued to write and record her own material, but little has been heard musically from Erb or Miles.
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...
have since cited Oui 3 as an influence.
Singles
- "For What It's Worth" (1993) - #28 (adapted cover of the Buffalo SpringfieldBuffalo SpringfieldBuffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
song of the same name) - "Arms Of Solitude" (1993) - #54
- "Break From The Old Routine" (1993) - #17
- "For What It's Worth" (1993) - #26
- "Facts Of Life" (1994) - #38
- "Joy Of Living" (1995) - #55
- Chart placings refer to the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
.
- Chart placings refer to the UK Singles Chart