Scooch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Scooch | ||
|---|---|---|
 The group on their album "Four Sure", released 2000 & 2007
From left to right: Russ Spencer, Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes & David Ducasse |
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  United Kingdom |
|
| Genre(s) | Bubblegum dance | |
| Years active | 1999–2000, 2004, 2007– | |
| Label(s) | EMI-Parlophone, SHS | |
| Website | www.scooch.co.uk | |
| Members | ||
| Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse, Russ Spencer | ||
Scooch are a British bubblegum dance group, comprising Natalie Powers (b. 1977), Caroline Barnes (b. 1979), David Ducasse (b. 1978), and Russ Spencer (b. 1980).
Scooch will represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag (for You)".
Contents |
[edit] Formation
The foursome formed in 1999 after attending auditions for an "all-singing, all-dancing pop group" in front of the noted songwriters and producers Mike Stock and Matt Aitken and future manager, Steve Crosby. Signed to Accolade, the pop imprint of EMI-Parlophone, the group set about creating their image and sound.
The group's name 'Scooch' comes from a term used to ask someone to move up or along a bench or sofa.
[edit] Career
Scooch won a contest on BBC One's Saturday morning show Live & Kicking in 1999. They competed against a boyband to have their single released. Even though the bands were already formed, this contest was unique as it pre-dates the format of the first music talent reality show, ITV1's programme Popstars in 2000, from which the band Hear’Say was created.
Their debut single "When My Baby" charted within the Top 40. This prompted a tour supporting the Irish girlband B*Witched, and promoted their second and biggest single "More Than I Needed To Know". It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 5, and went on to see a global release (including Japan where it hit the top of the record chart).
A promotional support tour for boyband Five provided the group with the foundation for their third single "The Best Is Yet To Come" which charted at number 12 in the UK. The group recorded their debut album "Welcome To The Planet Pop" which was released to Top 20 success in Japan. More Than I Needed To Know reached number one in Japan, and due to its popularity there, it was featured in the video game DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7thMIX.
Scooch's fourth and, until they reformed, final single came in the form of the flamenco-inspired "For Sure" which made number 15 in the UK. It was followed by the UK version of their album entitled "Four Sure" which peaked just outside the UK Top 40.
[edit] Re-Formation
They reformed in January 2004 to perform at G-A-Y's Gone But Not Forgotten night in front of a crowd of excited fans. The success of this prompted the band to do a tour of several gay venues and events around the UK.
[edit] Eurovision Song Contest 2007
On 28 February 2007, it was announced that Scooch were to reform for a Eurovision Song Contest bid.
The group appeared in the UK selection competition Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up on BBC One on Saturday 17 March 2007, singing and performing their song "Flying the Flag (for You)". The show began with six songs, which were reduced to two songs after the public had voted, the four songs with the fewest votes leaving the competition. The remaining two songs went head to head in a "sing-off" and the public voted again for the outright winner.
The show ended in controversy as the final result was announced. Fearne Cotton revealed the winner to be Scooch while, simultaneously in a much louder voice, co-host Terry Wogan announced the winner to be fellow entry Cyndi. After several seconds of confusion, it was revealed that Scooch were the actual winners of the competition and were to represent the United Kingdom.[1] A confused Cyndi was hurried off the stage by Fearne Cotton so Scooch could perform the winning song once again.
Further controversy ensued when the Daily Mirror newspaper reported that the band had used two backing singers offstage as part of their performance on Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up, with the implication that this had given the group an advantage over rival entrants, and leading to accusations of miming.[2]
Rule 7 of Section 4 of 'The Extracts From the Rules for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest' states that "Artists shall perform live on stage, accompanied by a recorded backing-track which contains no vocals of any kind or any vocal imitations." [3] However, it is common Eurovision practice to have additional singers offstage. For example, the Swedish entry in 2006 featured backing singers who did not appear onstage until the second half of the song. The rule is that a maximum number of six singers/performers can perform, but there is no rule to say that they must all be shown on stage.
On Monday 19 March 2007, Scooch appeared on Richard and Judy on Channel 4, revealing that their dance routine for "Flying the Flag (for You)" in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki will be "camper than ever before" and "may involve strings".
On Thursday 22 March 2007, the foursome appeared on This Morning on ITV1 and in the evening on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One, performing cut-down versions of the song.
In a video blog, released on Saturday 24 March 2007, singer-turned-TV presenter Charlotte Church claimed that Scooch were not worthy of winning Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up. Church referred to the UK's Eurovision entry, "Flying the Flag (for You) by Scooch, as "absolute shit" and embarrassing for Britain. Church announced that she believed Cyndi should have won the competition instead. Natalie Powers of Scooch hit back saying, "As a mother of a young child myself I find her behaviour and language quite unacceptable. What kind of role model is this for a mum-to-be?" Russ Spencer added, "What a pity the voice of an angel has acquired the mouth of a sewer".[4]
On 28 March 2007, Swedish singer Pandora claimed that the chorus of Scooch's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, is a clear cut case of plagiarism of the chorus in her song "No Regrets" released in 1999. With the help of the Swedish Musicians' Union she later contacted the EBU in an attempt to have Scooch's entry disqualified from the competition.[5]
In response to the plagiarism claim by Pandora, the BBC issued a statement confirming that Scooch's song is "an original" and the writers "were never aware of Pandora or her songs". The BBC confirmed that there had been no duplication of her work.[6]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Date Released | Single Cover | Peak Chart Position (Japan, UK) | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
October 1999 |
 |
"When My Baby"
|
|
| January 2000 |  |
"More Than I Needed To Know"
|
|
| April 2000 |  |
"The Best Is Yet To Come"
|
|
| July 2000 |  |
"For Sure"
|
|
| 30 April 2007 |  |
|
Currently 2nd week in UK Singles Chart (available only by download) |
[edit] Albums
| Date Released | Album Cover | Peak Chart Position (Japan, UK) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2000 |  |
"Welcome to the Planet Pop"
|
|
| August 2000 |  |
"Four Sure"
|
"Four Sure" will be re-released in April 2007 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Gaffe mars Scooch Eurovision win", BBC News, 2007-03-18. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
- ^ "Winners had secret singers off stage", mirror.co.uk, 2007-03-20.
- ^ "Extracts From The Rules For The 2007 Eurovision Song Contest 2007", European Broadcasting Union, 2007-03-18. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
- ^ "Scooch react to Church outburst", esctoday.com, 2007-03-25. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Pandora rasar. De har snott min låt", Aftonbladet, 2007-03-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-28. (in Swedish)
- ^ 'There is no plagiarism' We never heard of Pandora. esctoday.com (2007-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
[edit] External links
- Official Scooch website (New)
- Official Scooch website (Old)
- Official Natalie Powers website
- 2007 Scooch website for "Making Your Mind Up"
- Official Scooch Eurovision MySpace website
- Pandora's website with "No regrets"
- Pandora's Accusations, Oiktotimes.com
| Preceded by Daz Sampson |
UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 |
Succeeded by N/A: Most recent |
