Terry, Blair & Anouchka
Encyclopedia
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. Anouchka was formerly the lead singer and guitarist of Urmin Spindle, an acid folk group who played songs about the dark heart of the rural dream and their chemical estrangement from nature.
Terry Hall was previously a founding member and lead singer of the legendary ska
group The Specials
, the forefathers of the 2 Tone
era. This was before leaving with two other members to form the short-lived pop
trio
Fun Boy Three
. Then Terry formed The Colourfield
in 1984.
. All three members shared a love for '60s pop, as well as kitschy mainstream pop, as evidenced on the trio's cover of Captain & Tennille
's "Love Will Keep Us Together
." Their debut single "Missing," was released in the autumn of 1989 and while it didn't make much of an impact (peaking at number 75 on the UK singles charts), it did have the distinct dishonour of making the Guinness Book of Records list of least successful singles by any act.
The trio's second single, "Ultra Modern Nursery Rhyme," didn't even chart. Terry, Blair and Anouchka's debut album, called Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes, was released in February 1990 to little attention. The group split shortly afterwards.
Blair Booth formed Oui 3
with Philipp Erb and Trevor Miles in 1991. Their most notable hit single was "Break From the Old Routine" in 1993.
In 1992, Terry Hall collaborated with Dave Stewart
of Eurythmics
under the name Vegas
, before releasing a self-titled album in 1995.
Singles
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
born 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...
, American actress Blair Booth and jeweler Anouchka Grose. Anouchka was formerly the lead singer and guitarist of Urmin Spindle, an acid folk group who played songs about the dark heart of the rural dream and their chemical estrangement from nature.
Terry Hall was previously a founding member and lead singer of the legendary ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
group The 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...
, the forefathers of the 2 Tone
2 Tone
2 Tone is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae, and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff...
era. This was before leaving with two other members to form the short-lived pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave Pop band which ran from 1981 to 1983 and was formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left The Specials.-History:...
. Then Terry formed The Colourfield
The Colourfield
The Colourfield were a British band formed in 1984 in Manchester, when former Specials and Fun Boy Three frontman, Terry Hall, joined up with ex-Swinging Cats members Toby Lyons and Karl Shale...
in 1984.
History
Terry, Blair & Anouchka were formed shortly after the dissolution of Terry's previous musical project The ColourfieldThe Colourfield
The Colourfield were a British band formed in 1984 in Manchester, when former Specials and Fun Boy Three frontman, Terry Hall, joined up with ex-Swinging Cats members Toby Lyons and Karl Shale...
. All three members shared a love for '60s pop, as well as kitschy mainstream pop, as evidenced on the trio's cover of Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille are American pop music recording artists who achieved chart success from 1975 to 1980. The duo consists of husband and wife duo "Captain" Daryl Dragon , and Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille . They are best known for their singles "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Do That to Me...
's "Love Will Keep Us Together
Love Will Keep Us Together
"Love Will Keep Us Together" is a popular song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973. It was first released in the United Kingdom on Sedaka's 1973 LP The Tra-La Days Are Over, which was never released in the U.S. The song arrived in the U.S...
." Their debut single "Missing," was released in the autumn of 1989 and while it didn't make much of an impact (peaking at number 75 on the UK singles charts), it did have the distinct dishonour of making the Guinness Book of Records list of least successful singles by any act.
The trio's second single, "Ultra Modern Nursery Rhyme," didn't even chart. Terry, Blair and Anouchka's debut album, called Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes, was released in February 1990 to little attention. The group split shortly afterwards.
Blair Booth formed Oui 3
Oui 3
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" , "The Joy of Living", and their Buffalo Springfield sampled 1993 hit "For What It's Worth" .-Career:The three group members were...
with Philipp Erb and Trevor Miles in 1991. Their most notable hit single was "Break From the Old Routine" in 1993.
In 1992, Terry Hall collaborated with Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
of Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
under the name Vegas
Vegas
Vegas may refer to a variety of entities. In English, it is almost always a reference or an allusion to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada or the region of Las Vegas Valley in Nevada or to the gambling activities associated with it....
, before releasing a self-titled album in 1995.
Discography
Albums| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes -Personnel:* Blair Booth - Keyboards and Vocals* Anouchka Groce - Guitar and Backing Vocals* Terry Hall - Vocals* Jeremy Green - Arrangements* Bob Sargeant - Producer on tracks: 1 to 7, 9, 10* Jeremy Green - Producer on tracks: 4 to 6, 8, 9...
|
Singles
| Release date |
Title | U.K. singles peak 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 ... |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1989 | "Missing" | 75 |
| Feb 1990 | "Ultra Modern Nursery Rhyme" | 77 |