Basia Trzetrzelewska
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| Basia Trzetrzelewska | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Basia Trzetrzelweska |
| Also known as | Basia |
| Born | September 30, 1954 |
| Origin | Jaworzno, Poland |
| Genre(s) | Jazz-Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Voice type(s) | Contralto |
| Years active | 1983-present |
| Label(s) | Epic |
| Associated acts | Matt Bianco, Peter White |
Basia Trzetrzelewska, known professionally as Basia[1], born September 30, 1954 in Jaworzno in Poland[2], is a Polish singer, songwriter and producer. She established a successful international recording career featuring characteristically Latin-flavoured jazz-pop crossover songs during the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly in the United States, Japan, England and France. She is noted for possessing a wide vocal range, approximately three octaves that span from contralto to soprano tessituras, as well as her singular jazz-influenced stylings and multi-layered harmonies.
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[edit] Biography
Basia was born in Jaworzno, Poland, in 1954. In 1969, she debuted with her local amateur rock band Astry, and performed with them on Polish Festival Of Beat Avangarde in Kalisz. From 1972 to 1974, she was a member of the popular Polish female vocal group Alibabki. From 1977, she sang with the rock group Perfect; settling temporarily in Chicago in 1979, she later relocated to the UK in 1981. It was there she met Mark Reilly and longtime collaborator Danny White, brother of jazz guitarist Peter White. In 1983, the trio performed as the jazz-pop group Bronze, but later changed their name to Matt Bianco and recorded their debut album Whose Side Are You On? (1984). This album included UK Top 30 hits "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Half a Minute," eventually achieving gold status in Great Britain.
In 1985, she and White left Matt Bianco to launch her solo career. In 1987, her first album, Time and Tide, was released, selling over one million copies alone in the United States, including the Top 30 hit "Time and Tide" in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her second album, London Warsaw New York (1990), repeated that success with sales of more than one million units, and featured another pop Top 30 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Cruising for Bruising." This album also topped Billboard's yearly chart of Contemporary Jazz albums, even beating the Grammy-winning album of Quincy Jones. Achieving success beyond the U.S. market, Basia also became a very popular artist in Japan and Europe (particularly in France). Her third and most recent studio album, "The Sweetest Illusion," was released in 1994 and was a moderate success in the U.S. market, selling over 500,000 copies, and globally became another million-seller. Mixed by then-highly sought David Bascombe (who had contributed to Oleta Adams' debut effort), the project marked the end of a 10-year working relationship with mixmaster Phil Harding and a step into more sophisticated territory. The Sweetest Illusion included a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, "Drunk on Love." Her next album, "Basia On Broadway," was a live-set recorded at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City, and was released in 1995. In 1996, Basia was featured on Peter White's album "Caravan of Dreams," with vocals on the single "Just Another Day." In 1998, a compilation retrospective album Clear Horizon: The Best of Basia, was issued and contained four previously unreleased tracks, including a cover of "Waters of March," written by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Despite a successful international career and faithful fan base, she withdrew from the recording industry in 1998 after the release of "Clear Horizon," with the sole exception of a guest appearance on Taro Hakase's cover of "So Nice (Summer Samba)." She would later cite the deaths of people close to her (including her own mother) as the reason she "didn't feel like singing." After some persistent efforts from Danny White and Mark Reilly (who had started working together again), she agreed to join a re-formed Matt Bianco. They released the album Matt's Mood in 2004, to critical acclaim. After touring to promote the album, Basia and Danny White began work on a new Basia project, while Reilly continued with Matt Bianco.
According to a fan website, the new Basia project, It's That Girl Again, is slated for a projected release in 2008, while Mark Reilly is working on a solo album with partner Lee Dennsion.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Basia with Matt Bianco
- 1984 Whose Side Are You On?
- 2004 Matt's Mood
[edit] Solo
- 1987 Time and Tide
- 1990 London Warsaw New York
- 1990 The Best Remixes (Japanese remix album)
- 1991 The Best Remixes II (Japanese remix album)
- 1991 Brave New Hope (EP)
- 1994 The Sweetest Illusion
- 1995 Basia on Broadway (live album)
- 1998 Clear Horizon - The Best of Basia (compilation)
- 2003 Super Hits - The Best of Basia (compilation)
- 2007 Sweetest Pleasures - The Best of Basia (compilation)
- 2008 It's That Girl Again (awaiting release)
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
Time and Tide
|
|
| London Warsaw New York | |
Brave New Hope (EP)
|
|
| The Sweetest Illusion | |
Basia on Broadway (live album)
|
|
Clear Horizon: The Best of Basia (compilation)
|
[edit] Charted singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Adult Contemporary | U.S. Dance | UK | GER | FRA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Prime Time TV" | - | - | - | 88 | 68 | - |
| 1988 | "Promises" | - | 8 | - | 48 | - | - |
| 1988 | "Time and Tide" | 26 | 19 | - | 61 | - | - |
| 1988 | "New Day for You" | 53 | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1990 | "Baby You're Mine" | - | 18 | - | 84 | - | 45 |
| 1990 | "Cruising for Bruising" | 29 | 5 | - | 86 | - | 46 |
| 1990 | "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" | - | 33 | - | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "Drunk on Love" | - | - | 1 | 41 | - | - |
