Michael Learns to Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Michael Learns to rock | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Aarhus, Denmark |
|
| Genre(s) | Pop-rock Adult contemporary |
|
| Years active | 1988–present | |
| Label(s) | EMI | |
| Website | http://www.mltr.dk/ | |
| Members | ||
| Jascha Richter Kåre Wanscher Mikkel Lentz |
||
| Former members | ||
| Søren Madsen | ||
Michael Learns To Rock, popularly known as MLTR, is a Danish English-language pop music band. Its founding members are singer and keyboardist Jascha Richter (b. June 24, 1963), drummer Kåre Wanscher (b. June 14, 1969), guitarist Mikkel Lentz (b. December 20, 1968) and bass and guitarist Søren Madsen (b. 23 April 1967). In 2000 Madsen left the group to pursue a solo career, but the band has continued to release albums as a three-man band.
Michael Learns to Rock was formed in 1988, and has been well known since the release of the single "That's Why (You Go Away)" in 1994. The band is well known in Europe and especially popular in Asia, where many of its albums have gone gold and platinum.
In 2004, the band released the sheet "Take Me To Your Heart," a remake of Jacky Cheung's "Goodbye Kiss 吻别." The single has gained popularity in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
[edit] History
MLTR's music has been described as a Scandinavian glow that meets the international pop song, something which has been refined through the years by artists such as The Beatles, The Eagles, Elton John and Billy Joel. It's precisely the perfect balance of the two elements described above that has been instrumental in forming the compelling sound of the band and won MLTR millions of fans around the globe.
The whole story began back in 1987 at a high school in Aarhus, Denmark. The singer and keyboard player Jascha Richter forms a small café band with drummer Kåre Wanscher and guitarist Mikkel Lentz. All three are music fans who were fed the history of pop and rock as they grow up. They decided to create a more serious band after Jascha played them a few songs he has written. In the spring of 1988 Søren Madsen, a guitarist, agreed to sit in on bass during a rehearsal one evening. Michael Learns To Rock was thus formed. The group debuts in Aarhus in May 1988 and later in the summer, entered the city's annual talent contest. MLTR won the contest and at the same time lands a manager, J.P. Andersen, who is a member of the jury.
The album Michael Learns To Rock, debuted in September 1991. Among other tracks, the set contains the hit ballad "The Actor", a song that, in January 1992, secured MLTR the pole position on the Danish album-sales chart. The song was well received and it topped the charts in Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In 1992, they frantically toured Denmark and a number of countries in the Asia to follow-up the smashing successes the debut album has already achieved. Along the way Jascha Richter, wrote songs for a second album that was release in October 1993 under the title Colours.
The band did well again, boosting their reputation with hits such as the "Sleeping Child". In the next 18 months, the band toured around the world and generated album sales beyond the one-million mark. Colours was released in most of Europe and throughout the Asia, while "Sleeping Child" and the singles that followed, "25 Minutes" and "Out of the Blue", landed MLTR top slots on many hitlists and earned the them gold and platinum record status.
The year 1995 saw the release of MLTR's third album, Played On Pepper. In October of the same year MLTR embarked on their biggest tour of the Asia, with 25 shows in 10 countries, where new hits like "That's Why (You Go Away)" and "Someday" became chart-toppers. Played On Pepper ended up selling more than 1.2 million units.
While struggling to curb piracy, the band released their album, "Paint My Love". The album was released exclusively in the Asia. "Paint My Love" sold 3.4 million units worldwide. MLTR was chosen as the headliner for the "Celebrate Hong Kong" concert on 6 July 1997, the climax to festivities marking the transfer of Hong Kong to China.
While promoting "Paint My Love" in various countries, MLTR squeezed in some time to record a fourth studio album "Nothing To Lose". The set was released in September 1997 while MLTR still had a firm foothold atop hitlists in the Asia as well as South Africa.
Nine years of performing took its toll on the four musicians who decided to take a break from the music scene. But shortly thereafter, in the autumn of 1998, Jascha Richter wrote some new songs. The single "Strange Foreign Beauty" was chosen with other songs for a greatest hits album.
When MLTR began work for their fifth album in the spring of 2000, Søren Madsen decided to leave the group to try his hand at a solo career. Richter, Lentz and Wanscher opted to continue as a trio and continued work on their album. As it had been for previous albums, the band decided once again not to hire a costly international producer, but associated itself with the talented Danish musician, arranger and producer Boe Larsen. The outcome is "Blue Night" in the year 2000.
"Blue Night" became another huge success for MLTR – sales coming close to the platinum level at home but scored successfully on Asian hitlists as well as the group's new found market in Sweden.
At the start of 2003, the band members gathered once again and began to plan their sixth album. It was released in February 2004 and titled: "Take Me To Your Heart". Since this release the band had been concentrating on playing concerts around the world.
[edit] Albums
- Michael Learns To Rock (1991); Double platinum in Denmark Platinum, in Indonesia Gold, in Norway. Over 400.000 albums sold worldwide.
- Colours (1993); Sevenfold platinum in Thailand, Fourfold platinum in Indonesia, Fourfold platinum in Singapore, Threefold platinum in Malaysia, Platinum in the Philippines, Gold in South Korea, Gold in, India Gold in Denmark. In Germany alone, sales topped 60.000 albums. Over 1.1 million albums sold worldwide.
- Played On Pepper (1995); Fivefold platinum in Thailand, Fourfold platinum in Malaysia, Threefold platinum in Taiwan, Threefold platinum in Indonesia, Double platinum in Singapore, Double platinum in Denmark, Double platinum in India, Platinum in the Philippines, Platinum in South Korea, Platinum in Hong Kong, Gold in Switzerland, Gold in the United Arab Emirates, Gold in South Africa. Japan: 40.000 albums. Over 1.2 million albums sold worldwide.
- Paint My Love (1996); 18-fold platinum in Malaysia * 13-fold platinum in the Philippines 11-fold platinum in Indonesia Sevenfold platinum in Singapore Sixfold platinum in Thailand Fourfold platinum in South Africa Fourfold platinum in Hong Kong Threefold platinum in Korea Threefold platinum in United Arabian Emirates Double platinum in India Double platinum in Taiwan Platinum in Japan. Over 3.4 million units sold as per September 1998.
- Nothing To Lose (1997); Threefold platinum in Malaysia, threefold platinum in Indonesia, threefold platinum in the Philippines, double platinum in India, platinum in Denmark, platinum in Singapore, platinum in Thailand, platinum in South Africa, platinum in Taiwan, platinum in United Arab Emirates, platinum in South Korea, platinum in Hong Kong, gold in Switzerland. Over 1.1 million albums sold worldwide so far.
- Blue Night (2000); The album was released in Denmark November 1st. 2000. It was released worldwide a couple of months later.
- Take Me To Your Heart (2004); Double platinum in Denmark Platinum in Indonesia Gold in Norway.
