Temperance (group)
Encyclopedia
Temperance was a Canadian
musical group, best known for its 1996 cover
of the Alphaville
song "Forever Young
".
). Starting out as a solo commercial Tech house
project, Ryan signed his first recording contract with the newly found Canadian independent house music
record label Hi-Bias Records in early 1991.
Temperance's first commercial release
was in early 1992 with the 5-track EP
titled Phantasy. The song
"Losing Touch" featured the vocals of Ryan's schoolmate, Lorraine Reid. The follow-up was a 5-track EP
titled Obsessive.
Although the first two releases
charted on multiple underground charts throughout the world, Temperance crossed over to commercial pop dance charts with the release of "Music Is My Life" in early 1994. It was the second single on which Lorraine Reid appeared, and thereafter Temperance became known as a group project with Ryan as the sole songwriter
and producer, and Reid on lead vocals.
Throughout the next 3 years, Temperance released back-to-back successful commercial Dance-pop
singles; a successful debut album titled Virtues of Life; numerous international licenses; toured worldwide; and was nominated for and won multiple music awards, including seven Juno Award
nominations.
Temperance was considered one of the Canadian pioneers of the early to mid-'90s Eurodance
movement, and although most eurodance singles were considered too aggressive for radio play, Temperance's singles received great airplay on radio as well as in the clubs.
Ryan parted ways with Temperance in mid-1997, launching a music production imprint titled 22 Green, and his duties as the sole songwriter and producer of Temperance was replaced by Hi-Bias Records label founder Nick Fiorucci.
With the release of the follow-up second album If You Don't Know in 1999, Temperance took on a more commercial House
sound, attracting a more mature audience.
As Temperance has not had any commercial releases since 2000, it can be considered an inactive band. Lorraine Reid has been focusing on her profession as a linguist, residing in Canada. Nick Fiorucci continues directing his label Hi-Bias Records, as well as producing under a few aliases
such as Fierce, DJ's Rule, The Polorbabies, and more. Mark Ryan has relocated to Yerevan
, Armenia
, producing for local Armenian
artists and once in a while producing remix
es for international artists. He now credits his releases
under his pseudonym
DerHova or H.A. DerHova, a variation of his birth surname.
titled Drum-Head as well as a single titled "Welcome to Paradise". It was a departure from the more commercial sound of Temperance, focusing on a more raw house sound. "Welcome to Paradise" became a huge hit throughout many parts of Asia
, and finally charted nationally in Canada
a few years later.
The name "Temperance" can also be found on countless singles remixed by Mark Ryan for various artists, including soulDecision
, Vapourspace, Emjay, Bran Van 3000
, Arthur Baker
, Urban Cookie Collective
, and more.
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...
musical group, best known for its 1996 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 Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
song "Forever Young
Forever Young (Alphaville song)
"Forever Young" is the title track from German rock/synthpop group Alphaville's 1984 debut album of the same name. Though it was not the group's highest-charting European hit and failed to reach the American Top 40 despite three separate U.S...
".
Biography
Temperance was the brainchild of Canadian music hobbyist Mark Ryan (birth name H.A. Der-HovagimianH.A. Der-Hovagimian
H.A. Der-Hovagimian born in Toronto, Canada, is a Canadian-Armenian music composer, songwriter and producer.He signed his first recording contract with the newly found Hi-Bias Records imprint at the age of 17...
). Starting out as a solo commercial Tech house
Tech house
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that mixes elements of minimal techno into simple, 4-to-4 beats found in soulful deep house. The genre came to prominence in the late-1990s atmosphere of American clubs as soul influenced Detroit-style techno that also borrowed elements from house before...
project, Ryan signed his first recording contract with the newly found Canadian independent house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
record label Hi-Bias Records in early 1991.
Temperance's first commercial release
Release (music)
In the music industry, a release is usually a term referring to the creative output from an artist available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces .The word can also refer to the event at which an album or...
was in early 1992 with the 5-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Phantasy. The 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...
"Losing Touch" featured the vocals of Ryan's schoolmate, Lorraine Reid. The follow-up was a 5-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Obsessive.
Although the first two releases
Release (music)
In the music industry, a release is usually a term referring to the creative output from an artist available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces .The word can also refer to the event at which an album or...
charted on multiple underground charts throughout the world, Temperance crossed over to commercial pop dance charts with the release of "Music Is My Life" in early 1994. It was the second single on which Lorraine Reid appeared, and thereafter Temperance became known as a group project with Ryan as the sole 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 Reid on lead vocals.
Throughout the next 3 years, Temperance released back-to-back successful commercial Dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
singles; a successful debut album titled Virtues of Life; numerous international licenses; toured worldwide; and was nominated for and won multiple music awards, including seven Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
nominations.
Temperance was considered one of the Canadian pioneers of the early to mid-'90s Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
movement, and although most eurodance singles were considered too aggressive for radio play, Temperance's singles received great airplay on radio as well as in the clubs.
Ryan parted ways with Temperance in mid-1997, launching a music production imprint titled 22 Green, and his duties as the sole songwriter and producer of Temperance was replaced by Hi-Bias Records label founder Nick Fiorucci.
With the release of the follow-up second album If You Don't Know in 1999, Temperance took on a more commercial House
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
sound, attracting a more mature audience.
As Temperance has not had any commercial releases since 2000, it can be considered an inactive band. Lorraine Reid has been focusing on her profession as a linguist, residing in Canada. Nick Fiorucci continues directing his label Hi-Bias Records, as well as producing under a few aliases
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
such as Fierce, DJ's Rule, The Polorbabies, and more. Mark Ryan has relocated to Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, producing for local Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
artists and once in a while producing 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 ....
es for international artists. He now credits his releases
Release (music)
In the music industry, a release is usually a term referring to the creative output from an artist available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces .The word can also refer to the event at which an album or...
under his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
DerHova or H.A. DerHova, a variation of his birth surname.
Band members
- Mark Ryan – songwriting, production, vocals (1990–1997)
- Lorraine Reid - vocals (1993–2000)
- Nick Fiorucci – songwriting, production (1997–2000)
Singles
- Music Is My Life (1994)
- Never Let You Go (1995)
- Let Me Take You Away (1995)
- Do They Know It’s Christmas? (1995)
- Forever YoungForever Young (Alphaville song)"Forever Young" is the title track from German rock/synthpop group Alphaville's 1984 debut album of the same name. Though it was not the group's highest-charting European hit and failed to reach the American Top 40 despite three separate U.S...
(1996) - Lost in Love (1996)
- Universal Dream (1997)
- Hands of Time (1998)
- Dancing in the Key of Love (1999)
- Chains of LoveChains of Love (Erasure song)"Chains of Love" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in May 1988 as their ninth single overall.The song was released by Mute Records as the second single from Erasure's third studio album The Innocents. In the United States, Sire Records released it as the first single...
(1999) - If You Don't Know (1999)
- Before You Never Call Me Again
- Believer
- My Sentiments Exactly
- Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
Related projects
In 1996, Mark Ryan launched a solo project under the artist name S.P.O.T. (an acronym for Side Project Of Temperance). S.P.O.T. had two commercial releases, a 4-track EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Drum-Head as well as a single titled "Welcome to Paradise". It was a departure from the more commercial sound of Temperance, focusing on a more raw house sound. "Welcome to Paradise" became a huge hit throughout many parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and finally charted nationally in 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...
a few years later.
The name "Temperance" can also be found on countless singles remixed by Mark Ryan for various artists, including soulDecision
SoulDecision
soulDecision is a Canadian pop group active from 1993 to 2005, best known for their hit single "Faded".-Career:The group was formed in Vancouver under the original name Indecision by singers Trevor Guthrie and David Bowman, and keyboard player Ken Lewko, who were studying music together at Capilano...
, Vapourspace, Emjay, Bran Van 3000
Bran Van 3000
Bran Van 3000 is an electronica collective from Manhattan, New York City, New York and Montreal, Quebec. Founded by DJ James Di Salvio and E.P...
, Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
, Urban Cookie Collective
Urban Cookie Collective
The Urban Cookie Collective are a British techno and house band, who are best known for their hit single "The Key The Secret", which was originally released in 1993.-Career:...
, and more.