Hinda Hicks

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Hinda Hicks
Cover of "I Wanna Be Your Lady", the first single by Hinda Hicks
Cover of "I Wanna Be Your Lady", the first single by Hinda Hicks
Background information
Origin Tunisia
Genre(s) Pop
Years active 1997 - 2004
Label(s) Island Records

Hinda Hicks is a Tunisian born singer with British nationality having moved to West Sussex as a child.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

Hinda originally sang with an R'n'B band called the Fabulous Fug Band and at one time sent a demo of her vocals alongside Aretha Franklin's Giving Him Something He Can Feel to the artist Phil Collins.

However she continued to remain unsigned and moved to London working as as a secretary and singing with a band called Mixed Fruits.

Eventually she was introduced to Jazz Black, a London music producer[1], and auditioned to Randy Crawford's One Day I'll Fly Away which led to interest from a number of record companies. She signed to Island Records and her first single I Wanna Be Your Lady was released in late 1997 followed by her first album, eponymously-titled Hinda in 1998.

[edit] Early success

Hinda's first released single failed to make the UK singles chart although a more concerted promotional campaign by her record company saw "If You Want Me" chart at 25 in February 1998.

She followed this up with the release of "You Think You Own Me" in May of the same year which reached 19th.

Her fourth single, a re-release of "I Wanna Be Your Lady" achieved her highest chart position to date, at 14th in August of 1998.

During the summer of 1998 Hinda promoted both her single and her album on mainstream TV and radio shows in the UK and she took supporting roles on tours with Boyzone amongst others.

By the end of the year "Truly" had charted at 31 and the brief bubble of success had appeared to burst.

[edit] Split from Island and the second album

Having begun work on her second album Hinda released a new single, "My Remedy", in 2000 but alleged difficulties with her label including Island Records' merger with Universal Records and an apparent lack of promotion saw it fail to chart in the regular Top 40.

The second album was slated for a late 2000 release and titled Everything to Me. A handful of promotional copies and limited releases were made available but commercially the launch was pulled and Hinda and her record company parted ways.

In between record companies and albums, Hinda nevertheless found time to record vocals on other artists' tracks including "Let's Do It Again" with the late Lynden David Hall which featured on his album "Other Side" and a compilation album (Pure R&B Volume 2)[2] together with Brand New Day with Terri Walker, appearing on Walker's Untitled album [3].

Hinda's 'second' album was finally released in July 2004, titled Still Doin' My Thing on a small R'n'B label, Shout Out Records.

The single "Up Up" from the second album was released in summer of 2004 and once again Hinda failed to repeat her successes of six years previously and did not make the Top 40.

[edit] The upcoming third album and a new beginning

In February 2007, Hinda announced on her official MySpace page that her long awaited third album, titled 'Where You Belong', is near completion and is due for a June 2007 release on an independent label.

[edit] Crticial acclaim

  • In October 1998 Hinda was nominated for three MOBO awards, Best R'n'B Act, Best Newcomer and Best Album and appeared on a MOBO Allstars charity single called Aint No Stopping Us Now
  • In early 1999 Hinda Hicks was nominated at the BRIT Awards in the categories of 'best single' and 'best female artist'

[edit] Trivia

  • According to various fan-sites and her official website Hinda was once offered a basketball scholarship in the USA and is a qualified coach.
  • She also took an uncredited role in a well-received US film called Love & Basketball in 2000 and wrote the song Our Destiny that appeared in the movie but was not featured on the Love & Basketball official soundtrack. The track did however feature on the Everything to Me album which was never generally released in the UK.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

  • "I Wanna Be Your Lady" / My Eyes (Island Records) (13 December 1997) - Chart Position 109
  • "If You Want Me" / "When You Touch Me There" (Island Records) (7 March 1998) - Chart Position 25
  • "You Think You Own Me" (Island Records) (16 May 1998) - Chart Position 19
  • "I Wanna Be Your Lady" (re-release) (Island Records) (15 August 1998) - Chart Position 14
  • "Truly" (Island Records) (24 October 1998) - Chart Position 31
  • "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" single with the MOBO Allstars (Polygram) (11 December 1998) - Chart position 47
  • "Let's Do It Again" single with Lynden David Hall, (11 September 2000) - Chart Position 69
  • "My Remedy" (Universal/Island Records) (14 October 2000) - Chart Position 61
  • "Up Up" (Shout Out Records) (17 July 2004) - Chart Position 97

[edit] Albums

  • Hinda (Island Records) (29 August 1998) - Chart Position 20
  • Everything to Me (Island/Universal Records) (10 October 2000) - Limited release
  • Still Doin' My Thing (Shout Out Records) (19 July 2004) - Chart Position 406
  • Where you Belong (unknown) (Due June 2007)

[edit] Other appearances

  • "If You Want Me" on the album, Street Jams 1998, by various artists (Telstar) (11 May 1998)
  • "If You Want Me" on the album, Music in Motion II, by various artists (Stichting CPG (Netherlands)) (1998)
  • "Tears Are Waiting", "Where is the Love?", "Please Can I Go Now?", "Who Would You Have Me Love?" and "Succumb To You", all on the album G:MT: The Soundtrack, (Island Records) (27 September 1999)
  • "Burn the Floor" on the album, Burn the Floor: Soundtrack, by various artists (MCA/Universal) (18 October 1999)
  • "My Remedy" on the album, MOBO 2000, by various artists (Universal) (2 October 2000)
  • "Let's Do It Again" on the album, Pure R&B Volume 2, by various artists (Telstar) (13 November 2001)
  • "Let's Do It Again" on the album, Other Side, by Lynden David Hall (BMG International) (12 June 2001)
  • "If You Want Me" on the album, Girls, by various artists (Spectrum Music) (2 September 2002)
  • "I Just Wanna Dance", vocals on the 12" white label version by Global Rhythm (Solo Recordings) (2002)
  • "Brand New Day" on the album, Untitled', by Terri Walker (Mercury Records) (3 March 2003)
  • "Dreamin'" on the album, Dance and Urban, by various artists (HMV) (2004)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Crossover dreams for islands new rnb hope, Dotmusic Talent Feature, Yinka Adegoke © Miller Freeman Entertainment 1998
  2. ^ Released 13 November 2001 on the Telstar Records label
  3. ^ a b Released 3 March 2003 on the Mercury Records label

[edit] External links