The 411
Encyclopedia
The 411 were a four-piece English female R&B group formed late in 2003. The band formed after a couple of the members sang backup vocals on Lemar
's version of Al Green
's "Let's Stay Together". The band took its name after the Mary J. Blige
's 1992 album "What's the 411?
"
The band reformed in 2007 under new name Sunshyne
with 2 new members due to Furlonger quitting a few months before,the band soon changed back to their original name and the 2 new members left with just the 3 original members in the band. Martin announced in 2008 via her Myspace
account that the band had yet again split but still remained friends and that there could be a one off single in the future.
a familiar face at the time after appearing in children's television shows Kerching and The Basil Brush Show.
The group's first single, "On My Knees
, was a hit in the UK (reaching the top 5) and Australia (reaching the top 30). A second single, "Dumb," reached number 3 in the UK and also reached the top 30 in Australia. These singles appeared on their album Between The Sheets, featuring songs written by Diane Warren
, Redeye, and The 411 themselves. They also recorded a cover version of SWV
's big hit "Weak."
Between The Sheets was also released in France and Japan. The French edition featured two new versions of album tracks, recorded specifically for the French market: "Face À Toi Baby" featuring Mag (featuring the verses from "Dumb" with a special French chorus) and "Chance" featuring K'Maro (a new mix of "Chance" featuring a French language rap). The Japanese edition of the album featured the standard 12 tracks from the UK version, alongside two bonus tracks: "Drop Top Jeans" (which appeared as B-side to "Teardrops" in the UK) and "Soaking Wet," alongside an enhanced section featuring the videos to "On My Knees" and "Dumb.
for various artists
, including Paloma Faith (on her UK tour as well as at V Festival 2010), Take That
, Leona Lewis
, Julio Iglesias
, Bonnie Tyler
, James Ingram
, Peabo Bryson
(duetting with him on several occasions) and regularly with Candi Staton
, and performed on shows such as CD:UK, GMTV, X Factor: Battle of the Stars, T4 on The Beach, The Royal Variety Performance and Glastonbury 2008 and 2010
with Candi Staton. Furlonger also appeared on X Factor
in 2008 as a solo singer in the Over 25s category, with Dannii Minogue
as her mentor. She reached the final 6 but was eliminated from the show on 5 October, having failed to reach the live finals. Since the show, she has signed to Mousse T's label, Peppermint Jam, and recorded an album in Germany. She continues to provide backing vocals while in the UK regularly tours with David Gest where she duets with some of the artists, as well as providing backing vocals for the other artists on the show.
Tanya Boniface appeared in the identity parade in the first episode of the twenty-third season of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
, broadcasted on 1 October 2009. Boniface was not correctly identified, Ben Miller
ruling her out as a possibility as he thought she was "too young" to have been in a defunct girl band.
Sunshyne subsequently split up and Tanya and Tisha decided to reform The 411, with the new line-up also including Carolyn Owlett, who had not been involved in the formation of Sunshyne. Original member Suzie Furlonger was not involved, having decided to pursue other avenues. However, in 2008, The 411 split-up once again.
Lemar
Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...
's version of Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
's "Let's Stay Together". The band took its name after the Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
's 1992 album "What's the 411?
What's the 411?
What's the 411? is the debut album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, released July 28, 1992. Upon being signed to Uptown Records, she began working with record producer Puff Daddy. The album spawned six singles, including "You Remind Me" and "Real Love".What's the 411? peaked at number...
"
The band reformed in 2007 under new name Sunshyne
Sunshyne
Sunshyne is the name of a British female pop group, formed by members of The 411 who played together in 2007 and 2008.-History:In September 2007, former members of the girl group The 411, Tanya Boniface and Tisha Martin announced that they were forming a new group called Sunshyne and Daizy Agnew,...
with 2 new members due to Furlonger quitting a few months before,the band soon changed back to their original name and the 2 new members left with just the 3 original members in the band. Martin announced in 2008 via her Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
account that the band had yet again split but still remained friends and that there could be a one off single in the future.
2003–05: Between The Sheets
The group was first formed in 2003 as a 4-piece girl band with Tisha MartinTisha Martin
Tisha Martin is a British actress and singer, formerly in the four piece R&B band The 411. As an actress, she is best known as Missy in Kerching!, and Ella in The Basil Brush Show.- Filmography :...
a familiar face at the time after appearing in children's television shows Kerching and The Basil Brush Show.
The group's first single, "On My Knees
On My Knees
"On My Knees" is the first single by the British R'n B group The 411, released in late May 2004 and featured on their first album, Between the Sheets. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached number four and spent a total of ten weeks in the UK Top 75...
, was a hit in the UK (reaching the top 5) and Australia (reaching the top 30). A second single, "Dumb," reached number 3 in the UK and also reached the top 30 in Australia. These singles appeared on their album Between The Sheets, featuring songs written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, Redeye, and The 411 themselves. They also recorded a cover version of SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
's big hit "Weak."
Between The Sheets was also released in France and Japan. The French edition featured two new versions of album tracks, recorded specifically for the French market: "Face À Toi Baby" featuring Mag (featuring the verses from "Dumb" with a special French chorus) and "Chance" featuring K'Maro (a new mix of "Chance" featuring a French language rap). The Japanese edition of the album featured the standard 12 tracks from the UK version, alongside two bonus tracks: "Drop Top Jeans" (which appeared as B-side to "Teardrops" in the UK) and "Soaking Wet," alongside an enhanced section featuring the videos to "On My Knees" and "Dumb.
2005: Break-up
Since the band's break-up in 2005 Furlonger has worked as backing vocalistBacking vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for various artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, including Paloma Faith (on her UK tour as well as at V Festival 2010), Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
, James Ingram
James Ingram
James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...
, Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
(duetting with him on several occasions) and regularly with Candi Staton
Candi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
, and performed on shows such as CD:UK, GMTV, X Factor: Battle of the Stars, T4 on The Beach, The Royal Variety Performance and Glastonbury 2008 and 2010
Glastonbury Festival 2008
The 2008 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 25 to 29 June 2008.-New features:* The John Peel stage doubled in size and had a screen outside it to watch bands.* There was a new 'Shangri-La' area that replaced Lost Vagueness...
with Candi Staton. Furlonger also appeared on X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2008 as a solo singer in the Over 25s category, with Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
as her mentor. She reached the final 6 but was eliminated from the show on 5 October, having failed to reach the live finals. Since the show, she has signed to Mousse T's label, Peppermint Jam, and recorded an album in Germany. She continues to provide backing vocals while in the UK regularly tours with David Gest where she duets with some of the artists, as well as providing backing vocals for the other artists on the show.
Tanya Boniface appeared in the identity parade in the first episode of the twenty-third season of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, broadcasted on 1 October 2009. Boniface was not correctly identified, Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
ruling her out as a possibility as he thought she was "too young" to have been in a defunct girl band.
2007: Sunshyne
In September 2007, former members Tanya Boniface and Tisha Martin announced that they were forming a new group called Sunshyne and would be joined by Daizy Agnew. Daizy soon left and was replaced by Stephanie Barnes.Sunshyne subsequently split up and Tanya and Tisha decided to reform The 411, with the new line-up also including Carolyn Owlett, who had not been involved in the formation of Sunshyne. Original member Suzie Furlonger was not involved, having decided to pursue other avenues. However, in 2008, The 411 split-up once again.
Albums
| Year | Album | UK 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... |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Between The Sheets | 46 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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... |
IRE Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
AUS 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... |
SWI 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.... |
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
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| 2004 | "On My Knees On My Knees "On My Knees" is the first single by the British R'n B group The 411, released in late May 2004 and featured on their first album, Between the Sheets. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached number four and spent a total of ten weeks in the UK Top 75... " |
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| "Teardrops Teardrops (The 411 song) "Teardrops" is the third single from British R&B group The 411. The song is built around a sample of Portishead's "Sour Times", itself a sample of Lalo Schifrin's "Danube Incident".... " |
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