Phats & Small
Encyclopedia
Phats & Small are a dance music duo from the UK. The duo consists of Jason "Phats" Hayward and Russell Small, they are best known for their 1998 hit "Turn Around"
vocals
taken from Toney Lee's "Reach Up". The track was re-recorded in 1999 with the vocals sung by the Hong Kong
-born singer Ben Ofoedu
, and it debuted at #3 in the UK Singles Chart
, before climbing to #2, with career sales of this hit amassing them £5,000 in total due to their recording contract. In 1999, they also released their first album, Now Phats What I Small Music
, a play on their name and the compilation series Now That's What I Call Music!
. Ofoedu sung on two tracks, "Feel Good" and "Tonite", which were also released as singles
. In 1999, Phats & Small also achieved notoriety for remix
ing the Earth Wind & Fire track, "September" and Simply Red
's "Ain't That a Lot of Love".
Ofoedu left the group to pursue a solo
career as singer
, songwriter
and producer, and his backing vocalist
Tony Thompson, was promoted to main vocalist. He sang on most tracks in Phats & Small's second album, This Time Around, released in 2001, which featured an eponymous single, as well as "Change" and "Respect The Cock" (which was supposed to feature the phrase famously uttered by Tom Cruise
in the film
, Magnolia
). The second album was co-produced by Jimmy Gomez.
After a few years away from the recording studio
, Phats & Small returned in 2005 with a new vocalist, Ryan Molloy
, and a new album, Soundtrack to Our Lives, featuring the single "Sun Comes Out", this track sung by a returning Ofoedu and a new female vocalist, Carrie Luer.
Small is also one half of the production team The Freemasons
, along with James Wiltshire (Jimmy Gómez) who was a co-producer for Phats & Small.
Small is a Blackburn Rovers F.C.
fan after being taken to games as a youngster by his uncle.
They produced six unnamed instrumental
songs for the soundtrack of the computer game K.S.-n-Kickin
, and also "Turn Around" was on the games CD.
Career
They appeared on the scene in 1998 with "Turn Around", a track that featured sampledSampling (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...
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...
taken from Toney Lee's "Reach Up". The track was re-recorded in 1999 with the vocals sung by the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-born singer Ben Ofoedu
Ben Ofoedu
Ben Ofoedu , is a Nigerian/British singer-songwriter, most famous for being the former lead singer of the band Phats and Small.-Music career:...
, and it debuted at #3 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 ...
, before climbing to #2, with career sales of this hit amassing them £5,000 in total due to their recording contract. In 1999, they also released their first album, Now Phats What I Small Music
Now Phats What I Small Music
Now Phats What I Small Music is the first album by Phats & Small, a house music production team from Brighton, England. It was released in 1999, and contains ten songs...
, a play on their name and the compilation series Now That's What I Call Music!
Now That's What I Call Music!
Now That's What I Call Music! is a series of various artists compilation albums released in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Polygram /EMI/Sony Music/Virgin Records ; spinoff series were later introduced in South Africa and many other countries worldwide, including the United States...
. Ofoedu sung on two tracks, "Feel Good" and "Tonite", which were also released as singles
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...
. In 1999, Phats & Small also achieved notoriety for 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 ....
ing the Earth Wind & Fire track, "September" and Simply Red
Simply 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 "Ain't That a Lot of Love".
Ofoedu left the group to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career as singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, songwriter
Songwriter
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...
and producer, and his backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Tony Thompson, was promoted to main vocalist. He sang on most tracks in Phats & Small's second album, This Time Around, released in 2001, which featured an eponymous single, as well as "Change" and "Respect The Cock" (which was supposed to feature the phrase famously uttered by Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Magnolia
Magnolia (film)
Magnolia is a 1999 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, narrated by Ricky Jay, and starring Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, and Jason Robards in his last feature film appearance...
). The second album was co-produced by Jimmy Gomez.
After a few years away from the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, Phats & Small returned in 2005 with a new vocalist, Ryan Molloy
Ryan Molloy
Ryan Molloy is a British singer, songwriter and actor, who replaced Holly Johnson as the lead singer in Frankie Goes to Hollywood . He has also been successful in musical theatre, appearing in a number of hit musicals in the UK....
, and a new album, Soundtrack to Our Lives, featuring the single "Sun Comes Out", this track sung by a returning Ofoedu and a new female vocalist, Carrie Luer.
Small is also one half of the production team The Freemasons
Freemasons (band)
Freemasons are an English dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire .-2005-2007: Early Career:Their name is taken from the Brighton pub, Freemasons Tavern, Hove, which they frequently...
, along with James Wiltshire (Jimmy Gómez) who was a co-producer for Phats & Small.
Small is a Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
fan after being taken to games as a youngster by his uncle.
They produced six unnamed instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
songs for the soundtrack of the computer game K.S.-n-Kickin
K.S.-n-Kickin
K.S.-n-Kickin is a 3D puzzle/adventure computer game made by ARTWORLD and Big Future Ltd. for Kinder Surprise, with music licensed from Telstar Records. The game was designed to work on Windows 95 and 98...
, and also "Turn Around" was on the games CD.
Singles
| Year | Title | Albums | Peak Chart Positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
BEL Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (FL) |
BEL Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (WA) |
FIN Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER | NET Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
NOR 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... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
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 ... |
|||
| 1999 | "Turn Around" | Now Phats What I Small Music | 26 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 9 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 25 | 8 | 2 |
| 1999 | "Feel Good" | 73 | 21 | 28 | — | 35 | 64 | 46 | — | 45 | 20 | 7 | |
| 1999 | "Tonite" | — | 44 | 4 | 16 | — | 36 | 40 | — | 50 | 15 | 11 | |
| 2000 | "Harvest For The World" | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | — | — | — | 59 | — | |
| 2001 | "This Time Around" | This Time Around | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | — | — | — | 61 | 15 |
| 2001 | "Change" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 96 | 45 | |
| 2001 | "Respect the Cock" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | "You're Rude (Get Fucked)" | Single Release Only | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | "Sun Comes Out" | Soundtrack to Our Lives | — | 30 | 14 | — | — | 57 | 45 | — | — | — | 90 |