Beatmasters

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Beatmasters
Origin United Kingdom
Genre(s) Electronica
House
Dance-pop
Years active 1988 - ?
Label(s) Rhythm King
SBK
EMI Records
ARS Entertainment Belgium
Associated acts Bomb The Bass, S'Express

Beatmasters is a team of dance music songwriters, musicians and producers who were highly successful in the UK during the late 1980s and early 1990s[1]. The team were responsible for a string of chart hit singles including "Burn It Up" and "Hey DJ! (I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing)" and were pivotal in the development of the hip house subgenre via the hits "Rok Da House" [1] and "Who's In The House?" [2].

The outfit were often compared to pop record producers Stock Aitken Waterman, but Beatmasters cited rival producers "Coldcut" as their major competitor [2].

Contents

[edit] Formation

Amanda Glanfield and Paul Carter were both veterans of the commercial jingle industry, and were introduced to Richard Walmsley (born 18 September 1962, Brighton, Sussex) in 1987. Signing with burgeoning Rhythm King record label, the trio joined labelmates Bomb the Bass, Baby Ford and S'Express in dominating the UK Top 40 during 1988 and 1989.

The group had four successful UK chart singles, namely the #14 hit "Burn It Up", which featured soul legend PP Arnold and "Rok Da House", with The Cookie Crew, which was their biggest hit, peaking at #5 in early 1988. Another notable single was "Hey DJ! (I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin')", which introduced the UK singer Betty Boo to the general public and gave the group a #7 chart hit in 1989.

Together they formed a highly successful production trio, working with Betty Boo, the Cookie Crew, P.P. Arnold, Yazz, Claudia Fontaine, Elaine Vassell and MC Merlin.

They also released two albums under the Beatmasters name; Anywayawanna (1989) and Life and Soul (1991).

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

  • "Rok Da House" (featuring the Cookie Crew) (UK #5)
  • "Burn It Up" (featuring P. P. Arnold) (UK #14)
  • "Who's In The House" (featuring MC Merlin) (UK #8)
  • "Ska Train" (UK Dance Club Chart #12)
  • "Hey DJ!" (I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing)" (UK #7)
  • "Warm Love" (UK Dance Club Chart #3)
  • "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (UK #39)
  • "Dunno What it is About You" (UK Dance Club Chart #24)

[edit] Albums

  • Anywayawanna (1989)
  • Life and Soul (1991)
  • Anywayawanna - The Best of the Beatmasters (2004) (compilation album)

[edit] Productions

  • "Stand Up For Your Love Rights" - Yazz (1989)

[edit] Selected Remixes

  • "Behind The Wheel" - Depeche Mode (1987)
  • "Route 66" - Depeche Mode (1987)
  • "Doin' The Do" - Betty Boo (1990)
  • "Move Any Mountain/Progen" - The Shamen (1990)
  • "Ebeneezer Goode" - The Shamen (1990)
  • "L.S.I." - The Shamen (1991)
  • "Could this Be Love" - Kerry Shaw (1993)
  • "Disco Inferno" - Tina Turner (1993)
  • "I Wouldn't Normally Do this Kind of Thing" - Pet Shop Boys (1993)
  • "I Love Saturday" - Erasure (1994)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Artist Direct Profile, http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,402277,00.html#bio , retrieved on 27 June 2007
  2. ^ Record Mirror magazine, "20 Facts You Didn't Know About the Beatmasters", August 12, 1990

[edit] External links