Billy Ocean
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Billy Ocean (born Leslie Sebastian Charles, 21 January 1950 in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago), is a UK based popular music performer, who had a string of rhythm and blues tinged international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s.
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[edit] Biography
He was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago to Grenadian parents, and moved to England with his family at the age of eight. In his teenage years, he sang regularly in London clubs. He released his first single in 1972 on Spark Records as Les Charles.
By 1976 he had adopted the name Billy Ocean and recorded his debut album, Billy Ocean, with the first single, "Love Really Hurts Without You," charting at number 2 in the UK and number 22 in the U.S. More hits followed, including as "L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)". He also wrote songs for other artists such as LaToya Jackson. In 1982 he hit the U.S. Rhythm and Blues Chart with “Nights (Feel Like Getting Down).”
Ocean's period of greatest success began with Suddenly in 1984 and its main single "Caribbean Queen". The song's title and lyrics were changed for different regions, such that the song is also known as "African Queen" or "European Queen". The album's title track also became a hit. His 1986 album Love Zone also sold very well. It included the hit singles "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" (the theme from the film The Jewel of the Nile, this was a number one hit in the UK and a number two in the U.S.; and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (a U.S. number one, although it performed less well in the UK).
Ocean's next album, Tear Down These Walls (1988) featured another U.S. number one single, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car".
His later albums, such as Time to Move On, Love is For Ever (also known as L.I.F.E.) and Showdown, failed to spawn hits, but his 1989 Greatest Hits collection has been a steady seller over the years.
In fact, Billy Ocean's last studio album for Jive was Time to Move On, which he recorded in Chicago with R&B star R. Kelly. It turned out, that R. Kelly had been a long-time admirer of the way Ocean was able to mix the more emotive soul style with a crossover pop vibe. It is evident that the two got on well as writers in the studio.
In 2002, the University of Westminster awarded Ocean an honorary doctorate of music. He continues to tour and record in Europe, working out of his sprawling country estate in Wickford, Essex, where he lives with his wife of 39 years, Imelda, and their nine children - Christopher, Alex, Joseph, James, Paul, Gavin, Samuel, James Jnr, Polandn, and Cruzby.
In 2004 Billy Ocean became synonymous with the term skeet.
"Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins feat. Lil' Jon
During choruses, 0:21, 1:18, 2:14, and 3:11
[edit] Trivia
- Hip-hop artist Big Boi of OutKast uses the name 'Billy Ocean' as an alias, a reference to the performer.
- Hip-hop artists Ying Yang Twins say "Skeet so much they call her Billy Ocean" in the song "Salt Shaker".
- Hip-hop artists Little Brother and The Sound Providers mention Billy Ocean in the chorus of the song "Braggin' and Boastin'".
- Hip-hop artist Warren G mentions the name 'Billy Ocean' in the song "Super Soul Sis".
- Hip-hop artist Ill Bill uses 'Billy Ocean' as an alias in a Hiphopgame.com freestyle.
- Hip-hop artist Equipto mentions the name 'Billy Ocean' in the song "Heelz".
- Episode 60 of "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" is titled "Billy Ocean".
- He has been referenced on The CW Television Network's TV series, "Everybody Hates Chris". Chris' sister Tonya idolizes Ocean and credits him as inventing the Moonwalk (and not Michael Jackson).
- "Red Light Spells Danger" was performed on "Top Gear of the Pops", a Comic Relief special of the BBC motoring show "Top Gear". It featured presenters Jeremy Clarkson on the drums, Richard Hammond on the bass and James May on the keyboard. Former lead singer of "The Darkness", Justin Hawkins, guest starred on vocals.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Billy Ocean (GTO 1975)
- City Limit (GTO 1980)
- Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) (Epic Records 1981) #152 U.S.
- Inner Feelings (Epic 1982)
- Suddenly (Jive Records 1984) #9 UK, #9 U.S.
- Love Zone (Jive 1986) #2 UK, #6 U.S.
- Tear Down These Walls (Jive 1988) #3 UK, #18 U.S.
- Greatest Hits (Jive 1989) #4 UK, #77 U.S.
- Time to Move On (Jive 1993)
- Love is For Ever (Jive 1997) #7 UK
- Emotions in Motion (Time Music International 2002)
- On The Run (Planet Media 2003)
- Let's Get Back Together (Jive 2003) #69 UK
- The Ultimate Collection (Jive 2004) #28 UK
- Showdown (Jive 2004)
- Can You Feel It (K-tel 2005) (Available Exclusively on Apple's iTunes Music Store)
- YBC! (Jixxtaposition Records 2007)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US R&B | US Dance | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Love Really Hurts Without You" | 22 | - | 8 | 2 | Billy Ocean |
| 1976 | "L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)" | - | 55 | - | 19 | Billy Ocean |
| 1976 | "Stop Me (If You've Heard It All Before)" | - | - | - | 12 | Billy Ocean |
| 1977 | "Red Light Spells Danger" | - | - | - | 2 | Billy Ocean |
| 1979 | "American Hearts" | - | - | - | 54 | City Limit |
| 1980 | "Are You Ready/Stay The Night" | - | - | 83 | 42 | City Limit |
| 1981 | "Night (Feel Like Gettin' Down)" | - | 7 | 4 | - | Night (Feel Like Getting Down) |
| 1982 | "Calypso Funkin'" | - | 72 | - | - | Inner Feelings |
| 1984 | "European Queen (No More Love On The Run) | - | - | - | 82 | Suddenly (European version) |
| 1984 | "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Suddenly |
| 1985 | "Loverboy" | 2 | 20 | 1 | 15 | Suddenly |
| 1985 | "Suddenly" | 4 | 5 | - | 4 | Suddenly |
| 1985 | "Mystery Lady" | 24 | 10 | - | 49 | Suddenly |
| 1986 | "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" | 2 | 6 | 31 | 1 | The Jewel of the Nile soundtrack |
| 1986 | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" | 1 | 1 | - | 12 | Love Zone |
| 1986 | "On The Run (Hold On Brother)" | - | - | 48 | - | Love Zone |
| 1986 | "Love Zone" | 10 | 1 | - | 49 | Love Zone |
| 1986 | "Bittersweet" | - | - | - | 44 | Love Zone |
| 1986 | "Love Is Forever" | 16 | 10 | - | 34 | Love Zone |
| 1988 | "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" | 1 | 1 | 25 | 3 | Tear Down These Walls |
| 1988 | "Calypso Crazy" | - | - | - | 35 | Tear Down These Walls |
| 1988 | "The Colour Of Love" | 17 | 10 | - | 65 | Tear Down These Walls |
| 1988 | "Stand And Deliver" | - | - | - | 97 | Tear Down These Walls |
| 1989 | "License To Chill" | 32 | 33 | - | 81 | Greatest Hits |
| 1990 | "I Sleep So Much Better (In Someone Else's Bed)" | - | 60 | - | - | Greatest Hits |
| 1993 | "Everything's So Different Without You" | - | 91 | - | - | Time to Move On |
| 1993 | "Pressure" | - | - | - | 55 | Time to Move On |
[edit] External link
[edit] References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
- Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7
