Alison Moyet
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Alison Moyet (born Genevieve Alison Jane Moyet on 18 June 1961), is an English pop singer noted for her bluesy voice.
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[edit] Early life and career
Moyet was born in Billericay, Essex, England to a French father and English mother. She grew up in Basildon, where she attended school. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop worker and a piano tuner. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including The Vandals and the Screamin' Ab Dabs, The Vicars and The Little Roosters.
[edit] Yazoo
Her mainstream pop career began in 1981 when she formed the electropop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. (In the United States, the band became known as Yaz, as there was already a US artist named Yazoo.) Yazoo had several hits, including "Situation", "Only You", "Don't Go", "Ode to Boy" and "State Farm", and recorded two albums, Upstairs At Eric's and You And Me Both. The group was notable for melding Clarke's trademark electronic sounds with Moyet's warm, soulful voice.
In 1983 Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form Erasure, Moyet signed to CBS (in part because it had been Janis Joplin's label), and began her solo career.
[edit] Solo career
In 1984 she released her debut album Alf (titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf included contributions by popular producers/songwriters Swain and Jolley, as well as a song, "Invisible", written by Motown legend Lamont Dozier. The record was a hit in Britain, reaching number one in the album charts. Alf spawned 3 hit singles, "Love Resurrection", "Invisible" and "All Cried Out". In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved).
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- An excerpt from Love Resurrection
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In 1985 Moyet performed at the historic Live Aid concert, alongside Paul Young. She also released a single not featured on Alf, a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love." The single went to #2 on the UK singles chart. (At present, it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single.)
In 1986 Moyet had another big UK hit with the single "Is This Love?," followed in 1987 by the album Raindancing. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak In The Presence of Beauty" and "Ordinary Girl". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters"; the video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders.
Following a period of personal and career evaluation Hoodoo was released in 1991. Hoodoo, which took several steps away from the glossy pop sheen of Raindancing, was a far earthier and more personal album. Compared to her earlier releases, Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, and was nominated for a Grammy for the single "It Won't Be Long". However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists of Moyet's calibre (including Aimee Mann and the late Kirsty MacColl), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.
Moyet's next album, Essex (1994), was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name" again featured Dawn French.
Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest hits compilation of Moyet's work the following year. Singles entered the UK charts at number one. Following incredible CD success and a UK tour, Singles was re-issued as a double CD set which included "No Overdubs", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue, Singles charted again, this time in the top 20.
Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, Moyet recorded vocals for Tricky, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene, The Lightning Seeds, and King Britt, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet CD, and in 2002 The Essential Alison Moyet DVD was released.
In August 2002, after years of holding out and refusing to compromise, Moyet was finally released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records and released her first studio album in eight years, Hometime, an album which Sony had refused to release. Hometime was produced by the Insects, who had also produced works by Goldfrapp and Massive Attack. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002 [verification needed] and resulted in a Brit nomination for Best Female Vocal [verification needed] as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize [verification needed].
Moyet's most recent work, Voice, an eclectic collection of covers, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at number seven. The album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie". A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006.
[edit] Theatre
Moyet made her critically acclaimed stage debut in the West End production of the musical Chicago in 2001. She played the part of Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, and although initially planned to be a short run, Moyet enjoyed the experience so much that the run was extended to six months.
In 2006, Moyet appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a West End stint at London's Lyric Theatre. As well as co-starring with Dawn French, Moyet also composed three new songs for the production, which will appear on her next studio album, due for release in 2007.
[edit] Personal life
Moyet's second husband, David, is a social worker. They have three children, aged 21, 18 and 10 (as of 2006). [1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | UK | US | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Alf | 1 | 45 | debut solo album |
| 1987 | Raindancing | 2 | 94 | initially called Chasing Rain |
| 1991 | Hoodoo | 11 | - | - |
| 1994 | Essex | 24 | 194 | - |
| 1995 | Singles | 1 | - | singles/greatest hits compilation album |
| 2001 | The Essential Alison Moyet | 16 | - | singles/greatest hits compilation album |
| 2002 | Hometime | 18 | - | released after 8 year delay |
| 2004 | Voice | 7 | - | covers album |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | UK singles | US Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Love Resurrection" | 10 | 82 | 'Alf' |
| 1984 | "All Cried Out" | 8 | - | 'Alf' |
| 1984 | "Invisible" | 21 | 31 | 'Alf' |
| 1985 | "That Ole Devil Called Love" | 2 | - | - |
| 1986 | "Is This Love?" | 3 | - | Raindancing |
| 1987 | "Weak in the Presence of Beauty" | 6 | - | Raindancing |
| 1987 | "Ordinary Girl" | 43 | - | Raindancing |
| 1987 | "Sleep Like Breathing" | 80 | - | Raindancing |
| 1987 | "Love Letters" | 4 | - | - |
| 1991 | "It Won't Be Long" | 50 | - | Hoodoo |
| 1991 | "Wishing You Were Here" | 72 | - | Hoodoo |
| 1991 | "This House" | 40 | - | Hoodoo |
| 1991 | "Hoodoo" | - | - | Hoodoo |
| 1994 | "Falling" | 42 | - | Essex |
| 1994 | "Whispering Your Name" | 18 | - | Essex |
| 1994 | "Getting Into Something" | 51 | - | Essex |
| 1994 | "Ode to Boy II" | 59 | - | Essex |
| 1995 | "Solid Wood" | 44 | - | Singles |
| 2002 | "Should I Feel That It's Over" | 144 | - | Hometime |
| 2002 | "Do You Ever Wonder" | 113 | - | Hometime |
| 2003 | "More" | 127 | - | Hometime |
| 2004 | "Almost Blue/Alfie" | 99 | - | Voice |
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
