Urban Cookie Collective
Encyclopedia
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.
writer Roy Heath
) was the driving force behind the group. He played keyboards
and wrote "The Key The Secret". Heath had formerly worked with Yargo and A Guy Called Gerald
. Urban Cookie Collective’s original vocalist was Diane Charlemagne
, who co-wrote some of their tracks and now works with Moby
. The other main members were Simon Bentall (born 17 October 1967), Peter Samson (born 15 May 1968), Johnny Jay, Mark Hadfield and Neil Claxton (later of Mint Royale
). Guest rappers
occasionally took part in the studio
.
Heath had learned classical piano
as a child, and decided on a career in music after abandoning a PhD
at University of Vermont
. After a tour of Japan
supporting the Happy Mondays
, he left A Guy Called Gerald. He later joined 'Together' a band created by The Haçienda
regulars Suddi Raval and Jon Donaghy. Together's
single
"Hardcore Uproar", made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart
in August 1990. After a brief stint with Eek A Mouse, Heath created the Urban Cookie Collective, a collective of Manchester
based record producer
s songwriter
s and musician
s.
They achieved a major breakthrough in 1993 with "The Key The Secret", which peaked at number 2 in the UK
, and number 5 in Germany
. The track also reached #26 in the U.S.
Billboard
Hot Dance Club Play
chart. After a subsequent remix
it was picked up by the Pulse 8 record label
. The follow-up release was "Feels Like Heaven" which was also successful, as well as the album
, High On A Happy Vibe, which reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart
. "The Key The Secret" entered the UK
chart
twice more in 1996 and 2005 in remixed formats. The band also recorded a cover version
of the Oasis
song "Champagne Supernova
", but Noel Gallagher
claimed that he had not given permission and legal action stopped the track from being released.
The band remain active and still maintain a busy concert
schedule.
"The Key The Secret" was more recently covered
by Phobos & Deimos.
† - Billed as UCC
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...
techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and house band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, who are best known for their hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
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...
"The Key The Secret
The Key The Secret
The Key The Secret is a techno/dance song originally released in 1993 by Urban Cookie Collective. The song was written by Rohan Heath & Glam...
", which was originally released in 1993.
Career
Rohan Heath (born 19 July 1964, son of a GuyaneseGuyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
writer Roy Heath
Roy Heath
Roy A K Heath was a Guyanese writer, most noted for his "Georgetown Trilogy" of novels , consisting of From the Heat of the Day , One Generation , and Genetha...
) was the driving force behind the group. He played keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and wrote "The Key The Secret". Heath had formerly worked with Yargo and A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....
. Urban Cookie Collective’s original vocalist was Diane Charlemagne
Diane Charlemagne
Diane Charlemagne is a British vocalist, who has provided vocals for many major dance music hits.-Biography:She was the lead singer for the Urban Cookie Collective, who had two UK Top 10 hits in the 1990s, and the lead singer for 1980s funk band, 52nd Street.She provided the vocal for Goldie's...
, who co-wrote some of their tracks and now works with Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
. The other main members were Simon Bentall (born 17 October 1967), Peter Samson (born 15 May 1968), Johnny Jay, Mark Hadfield and Neil Claxton (later of Mint Royale
Mint Royale
Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continues to produce music using the Mint Royale name.-Career:...
). Guest rappers
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
occasionally took part in the 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...
.
Heath had learned classical piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as a child, and decided on a career in music after abandoning a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
. After a tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
supporting the Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
, he left A Guy Called Gerald. He later joined 'Together' a band created by The Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
regulars Suddi Raval and Jon Donaghy. Together's
Together (rave band)
Together were a British techno and house band, best known for their hit single "Hardcore Uproar", which made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1990.-Members:...
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...
"Hardcore Uproar", made number 12 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 ...
in August 1990. After a brief stint with Eek A Mouse, Heath created the Urban Cookie Collective, a collective of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
based record 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...
s 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...
s and musician
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....
s.
They achieved a major breakthrough in 1993 with "The Key The Secret", which peaked at number 2 in the 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...
, and number 5 in Germany
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...
. The track also reached #26 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. After a subsequent 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 ....
it was picked up by the Pulse 8 record label
Record label
In 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,...
. The follow-up release was "Feels Like Heaven" which was also successful, as well as the 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...
, High On A Happy Vibe, which reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. "The Key The Secret" entered the 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...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
twice more in 1996 and 2005 in remixed formats. The band also recorded a cover version
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 Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
song "Champagne Supernova
Champagne Supernova
"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by guitarist Noel Gallagher. The seven-minute anthem is the closing track on the record-breaking album Morning Glory?...
", but Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
claimed that he had not given permission and legal action stopped the track from being released.
The band remain active and still maintain a busy concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
schedule.
"The Key The Secret" was more recently covered
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...
by Phobos & Deimos.
Albums
| Year | Title | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | High On A Happy Vibe | 28 | 34 |
| 1995 | Tales From The Magic Fountain | — | — |
| 2007 | Cookie Monster | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peaks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
Germany 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... |
Australia | The Netherlands Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30... |
||
| 1993 | "The Key The Secret The Key The Secret The Key The Secret is a techno/dance song originally released in 1993 by Urban Cookie Collective. The song was written by Rohan Heath & Glam... " |
2 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 1993 | "Feels Like Heaven" | 5 | 12 | 10 | 12 |
| 1994 | "Sail Away" | 18 | 25 | 49 | 21 |
| 1994 | "High On A Happy Vibe" | 31 | — | 71 | 37 |
| 1994 | "Bring It On Home" | 56 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Spend The Day" | 59 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Rest Of My Love" | 67 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "So Beautiful" | 68 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Ain't It A Shame" (featuring Rachel McFarlane Rachel McFarlane Rachel McFarlane is a British singer who was born in Manchester in 1971. She began singing at the age of twelve years old as a gospel singer.... ) |
— | — | — | — |
| 1996 | "The Key The Secret" (remix) † | 52 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | "The Key The Secret" (2nd remix) | 31 | — | — | — |
† - Billed as UCC