Toto Coelo
Encyclopedia
Toto Coelo was a 1980s British
one hit wonder new wave
vocal group, masterminded by producer
Barry Blue
. The original members were the singers Anita Mahadervan, Lacey Bond, Lindsey Danvers, Ros Holness (daughter of television presenter Bob Holness) and Sheen Doran.
single
"I Eat Cannibals Part 1", which reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart
and was also a hit in many other countries, including South Africa where it was named the seventeenth biggest selling single of 1983, peaking at #3. The solid drum sound that underpins the single was provided by session drummer Peter Boita. Boita received a demo
cassette from producer Barry Blue and proceeded to score out a drum part that fitted the song. He programmed his Linndrum Computer with the basic drumbeat that is heard throughout the record. Boita also used this same technique on the B-side
of the follow-up single, "Mucho Macho", but, apart from a few television appearances, the single failed to make much impression on the charts of the day.
They also issued a less successful follow-up, "Dracula's Tango". An album
was issued containing both singles
, together with B-side
s and a selection of unreleased tracks in 1983 titled Man o' War. It was not a commercial success, although "Milk from the Coconut" charted in the South Africa Top 20, reaching #4 in Nov 1983.
Following this, Anita Mahadervan and Sheen Doran left the group. In 1985 the remaining three members (now signed to Debut Records) released two singles under the Toto Coelo name. Neither of those singles ("Girl's Night Out" and "Gimme Some Lovin") was a success.
The group's name is Latin
and means "by the whole extent of the heavens" or "heaven-wide", but is commonly translated as "completely", "entirely" or "utterly". Of the name, Sheen Doran said, "It has a number of meanings, such as 'heart and soul', 'root and branch' and 'totally different'. It seemed to describe what we were. Plus, it's strange-sounding and hard to pronounce, so it sticks in your mind." The group was renamed Total Coelo in the United States
to avoid confusion with the American
group
Toto
.
Mahadervan later changed her name to Anita Chellamah, and formed Cherry Bombz with several former members of Hanoi Rocks
, including Andy McCoy
. She is now known as Anita Chellamah-Nurse and works as a television
actress and presenter
.
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...
one hit wonder new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
vocal group, masterminded by producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Barry Blue
Barry Blue
Barry Blue is a singer / producer / songwriter from the United Kingdom. He is best known for his hit songs, "Dancin' " , which he co-wrote with Lynsey de Paul, and "Do You Wanna Dance" .At 14 he signed to record producer Norrie Paramor whose erstwhile assistant was one Tim Rice - the producer of...
. The original members were the singers Anita Mahadervan, Lacey Bond, Lindsey Danvers, Ros Holness (daughter of television presenter Bob Holness) and Sheen Doran.
Career
The group is known for its 1982 hitHit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
single
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...
"I Eat Cannibals Part 1", which reached #8 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 ...
and was also a hit in many other countries, including South Africa where it was named the seventeenth biggest selling single of 1983, peaking at #3. The solid drum sound that underpins the single was provided by session drummer Peter Boita. Boita received a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
cassette from producer Barry Blue and proceeded to score out a drum part that fitted the song. He programmed his Linndrum Computer with the basic drumbeat that is heard throughout the record. Boita also used this same technique on the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the follow-up single, "Mucho Macho", but, apart from a few television appearances, the single failed to make much impression on the charts of the day.
They also issued a less successful follow-up, "Dracula's Tango". An 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...
was issued containing both 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...
, together with B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
s and a selection of unreleased tracks in 1983 titled Man o' War. It was not a commercial success, although "Milk from the Coconut" charted in the South Africa Top 20, reaching #4 in Nov 1983.
Following this, Anita Mahadervan and Sheen Doran left the group. In 1985 the remaining three members (now signed to Debut Records) released two singles under the Toto Coelo name. Neither of those singles ("Girl's Night Out" and "Gimme Some Lovin") was a success.
The group's name is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and means "by the whole extent of the heavens" or "heaven-wide", but is commonly translated as "completely", "entirely" or "utterly". Of the name, Sheen Doran said, "It has a number of meanings, such as 'heart and soul', 'root and branch' and 'totally different'. It seemed to describe what we were. Plus, it's strange-sounding and hard to pronounce, so it sticks in your mind." The group was renamed Total Coelo in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to avoid confusion with the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
group
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
.
Mahadervan later changed her name to Anita Chellamah, and formed Cherry Bombz with several former members of Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
, including Andy McCoy
Andy McCoy
Antti Hulkko , better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is most famous for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop....
. She is now known as Anita Chellamah-Nurse and works as a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress and presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
Singles
- "I Eat Cannibals Part 1" (1982) UKUK 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 ...
#8, AUS #4, US #66, NZ #38 - "Dracula's Tango" / "Mucho Macho" (1982) UK #54, AUS #19
- "Milk From the Coconut" (1983), AUS #100
- "Girl's Night Out" (1985)
- "Gimme Some Lovin'" (1985)
Albums
- Man o' War (1983) AUS #82
- I Eat Cannibals & Other Tasty Trax (1996) - (issued on CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the U.S. on the Razor & Tie record labelRecord labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, containing all of the Man o' War tracksSongIn 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...
; plus the bonus track "Weird"; and 12" vinylGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
versions of "I Eat Cannibals" and "Milk From the Coconut").