B*Witched
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| B*Witched | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ireland |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Years active | 1998-2002 |
| Label(s) | Glowworm |
| Former members | |
| Lindsay Armaou Edele Lynch Keavy Lynch Sinéad O'Carroll |
|
B*Witched is an Irish girl group who enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2000, releasing two albums and eight singles, all of which made the UK Top 20. The original lineup comprised twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Sinéad O'Carroll and Lindsay Armaou.
B*Witched's first four singles all topped the UK charts, making them the first Irish group to achieve that feat. The group split up in 2002 after being dropped by their record company. In 2006 the Lynch sisters formed a group, Ms. Lynch, which frequently performs B*Witched material at live shows and remains active as of 2008.
Contents |
[edit] Career 1998-2002
The original lineup of B*Witched comprised twin sisters Edele Lynch and Keavy Lynch (born 15 December 1978), Lindsay Armaou (Greek: Λίντσεϋ Γαίηλ Κριστίαν Αρμάου, born 18 December 1977); and Sinéad O'Carroll (born 14 May 1973).
Boyzone member Shane Lynch, who is Edele and Keavy's brother, helped the group find a manager. They were signed to Epic Records subsidiary Glowworm Records in 1997. The label was run by Ray Hedges who produced all of the group's releases.
B*Witched released their debut single "C'est La Vie" on May 25, 1998. Despite mixed reviews, it reached #1 on the UK charts, making them the youngest female group ever to do so, and also made #9 in the US. Subsequent singles "Rollercoaster", "To You I Belong" and "Blame It on the Weatherman" also topped the UK charts, making B*Witched the first Irish group to have its first four singles all enter the charts at #1.
The group's debut album, B*Witched, was released on October 12, reaching #3 in the UK charts and eventually being certified double platinum in the UK and platinum in the US[1].
The band deliberately cultivated a tomboy image. To appeal to a younger audience, B*Witched also understated their ages in their early years[2]. Singing dolls of the group were made by Yaboom Toys in 1999[3].
A concert featuring the band performing together with UK group Five at Disneyland in the US was broadcast and released on home video. The group appeared on the ABBA tribute single "Thank ABBA for the Music" which reached #4 in the UK and recorded a cover of "Does Your Mother Know" for the subsequent ABBAMania TV special.
B*Witched's second album, Awake and Breathe, released in 1999, peaked at # 5 on the charts but did not sell as well as the debut. Singles from the album were also less successful than earlier releases ("Jesse Hold On" reached #4, "I Shall Be There" #13 and "Jump Down" #16 in the UK).
After touring Europe and America, where they co-headlined the All That Music and More Festival with LFO and Blaque, the band began work on a third album. A handful of new songs were recorded and released, including "Hold On" (featured in The Princess Diaries), "Mickey" (featured in Bring It On), and "Play That Funky Music". The latter two appeared on an American EP, Across America 2000, along with live tracks and the earlier cover of "Does Your Mother Know".[4]. The group appeared on the American soap opera General Hospital on July 4, 2001.
A planned eighth single, "Where Will You Go", was scheduled for release in mid-2002, but the group was dropped by their label before a promotional video (due to be filmed in Africa) could be produced. Plans for a new deal with Telstar Records fell through later that year, and the group officially split in September 2002 after Sinéad O'Carroll left the band. In a 2007 interview, Keavy Lynch said that she had contemplated suicide after the label split[5].
[edit] Solo activity
Armaou set up an official website in 2003 and began working on solo material. She became engaged to 911 frontman, Lee Brennan in January 2006; the couple were married the following September[6]. In May 2007 she joined the band Clayton (formerly known as Callaghan) in May 2007, as singer and co-writer.
Edele Lynch worked as a songwriter with the Xenomania production team, co-writing the tracks "Some Kind of Miracle" for Girls Aloud in 2003 and "Situations Heavy" for the Sugababes. She married Michael Barrett on August 9, 2006 [7] and gave birth to a daughter in July 2007[8].
Keavy Lynch formed a song writing and production company called Ziiiing!, a production and songwriting company, with musical partner Alex Toms. She played the lead role in a pantomime production of Snow White in December 2005 at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.
O'Carroll managed a girl group, Minx, until 2004, and has set up a youth musical workshop, Star Academy. In November 2007 she starred in an episode of the Irish soap opera Fair City as a hotel receptionist. As of 2008, she presents Inside & Out, a makeover show for TV3 Ireland. O'Carroll married Mike Rahman in June 2006 and announced her pregnancy in 2008[9].
[edit] Ms Lynch
The Lynch sisters began working together as a duo called Ms Lynch in 2006. As well as performing new material, the group frequently performs B*Witched songs during gigs at universities, nightclubs and holiday camps.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Statistics | Singles |
|---|---|
B*Witched
|
Singles Released |
Awake and Breathe
|
Singles Released |
[edit] Singles
All regularly released singles and their chart positions in Ireland (IRL), the United Kingdom Singles Chart (UK), the United States (US) and Australia (AU).
| Year | Title | Album | IRL | UK | U.S. | AU | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "C'est La Vie" | B*Witched | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | - |
| "Rollercoaster" | 2 | 1 | 67 | 1 | - | ||
| "To You I Belong" | 4 | 1 | - | 35 | - | ||
| 1999 | "Blame It on the Weatherman" | 9 | 1 | - | 48 | - | |
| "Thank ABBA for the Music" | ABBAMania compilation album | - | 4 | - | 9 | with STEPS, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra and Billie | |
| "Jesse Hold On" | Awake and Breathe | 6 | 4 | - | 52 | ||
| "I Shall Be There" | 29 | 13 | - | - | featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo | ||
| 2000 | "Jump Down" | 26 | 16 | - | - | - |
- A dash indicates the song did not chart or was not released in that country.
[edit] Other songs
- 1999: "Does Your Mother Know" was included on the ABBAMania TV special and compilation album
- 1999: "Get Happy" was included on the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack
- 2000: "Mickey" was included on the Across America 2000 EP and on the Bring It On soundtrack
- 2000: "Play That Funky Music" was included on the Across America 2000 EP
- 2001: "Hold On" was included on the Princess Diaries soundtrack
[edit] References
- ^ RIAA - Gold and Platinum - B*Witched Search. RIAA. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ Showbiz Ireland - Sinead O'Carroll B*Witched by Michael Ramon
- ^ Yaboom Launches New Line of Entertainment Products With MCD Technology. BusinessWire via AllBusiness.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ B*Witched Across America 2000 USA 5" CD SINGLE (176317). eil.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ Music - News - B*witched singer speaks about split trauma - Digital Spy
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ B*Witched singer Edele Lynch gives birth : Celebrity Baby Blog
- ^ "Sinead’s heartache over the tragic loss of her sister’s baby", Independent.ie, 2008-04-10. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
[edit] External links
- B*Witched at the All Music Guide
- B*Witched discography at MusicBrainz
- Lindsay Armaou at the Internet Movie Database
- Keavy Lynch at the Internet Movie Database
- Edele Lynch at the Internet Movie Database
- Sinéad O'Carroll at the Internet Movie Database
- Ms Lynch profile at MySpace
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