Stereo MCs are a British hip hop/electronic dance group, which formed
in Clapham, London, in 1985. They are best known worldwide for their 1992
transatlantic Top 20 hit single, "Connected". After releasing eight
albums for Island Records, K7 , Graffitti ,and Pias they have now formed
their own label , connected, with Terranova to release their own material
and that of other artists within the houseelectronic medium.
Career Vocalist Rob Birch and DJ/producer Nick
Hallam founded their Gee Street recording studio and record label with
money they were given to leave their London flat and, dispensing with using a
backing band, travelled to early gigs on public transport.
When Gee Street attracted the attention of 4th & Broadway, they recorded the
debut Stereo MCs' album 33-45-78 on a shoestring budget with DJ Cesare,
drummer Owen If and backing vocalist and Cath Coffey. In 1990, "Elevate My Mind"
by the Stereos was the first British hip hop single to reach the US R&B chart.
Having supported the Happy Mondays on a US tour, in the emerging UK alternative
dance scene, it took an alliance with the Jungle Brothers, to ensure chart
success for Supernatural. Remix work for U2, PM Dawn, Queen Latifah, The
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Monie Love and Electronic all followed.
Their live band included singers Andrea Bedassie and Verona Davis, and they were
one of the few hip hop outfits to play rock music festivals at the time. 1992's
mainstream breakthrough Connected, a UK Albums Chart # 2, contained the hit
singles "Connected", "Step It Up", "Creation", and "Ground Level" and won
them BRIT Awards for Best Group and Best Album. Hallam and Birch then created the
music publishing firm, Spirit Songs, which signed Finley Quaye.
However the follow-up to Connected did not appear for almost a decade. Further
remix duties for Madonna, and the Jungle Brothers in 1998, kept the Stereo MCs
name in the limelight. Madonna went on to use the Frozen remix on her 2001
"Drowned World Tour". In 2000, they released a DJ mix for
Studio !K7's DJ-Kicks series and remixed another song for Madonna,. The following
year saw the release of Deep Down & Dirty, followed by a tour, including
slots opening for the recently re-united Jane's Addiction.
Their sixth studio album, Double Bubble, was released in July 2008, followed by
their seventh, Emperor's Nightingale in August 2011. In December 2008, they
supported Madness at the O2 Arena in London.
They are still sought-after producers, with most of their remixes being done
under the name Ultimatum. Members
'The Head' – born Nick Hallam, 11 June 1960, Nottingham, England.
'Rob B' – born Robert Charles Birch, 11 June 1961, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire,
England. 'Owen If' – born Ian Frederick Rossiter,
20 March 1959, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Discography = Albums =
The Stereo MCs [EP] † 33-45-78
Supernatural Connected #2 UK, #86 AUS
DJ-Kicks: Stereo MCs Deep Down & Dirty #17 UK, #58 AUS
Retroactive Paradise
Live at the BBC Double Bubble
Emperor's Nightingale † This EP was written, produced and
composed by the Stereo MCs and released on Island Records. The songs would later
appear on their first album. The tracklisting is as follows:
"What Is Soul?" "On 33"
"Bring It On" "Neighbourhood"
"Gee Street" = Singles =
Song appearances in other media "Deep Down & Dirty" in videogame 2001
Project Gotham Racing "Elevate My Mind" was used on the
soundtrack of Bad Company starring Laurence Fishburne, Ellen Barkin, and
Frank Langella. The song "Sofisticated," from Deep Down
& Dirty, has been used in a series of commercials for Pizza Hut. In some
commercials, the original keyboard piano theme is kept, though the other
instrumentation is different, presumably newly written by other musicians for the
advertisements. "Connected" was used on the soundtrack
for the American film, Hackers. It was also used on the Carphone Warehouse
adverts in the 1990s. In addition, "Connected" was used as the trailer
theme for the film Blow. It was also featured on the TV series Bones in the
2011 episode "The Finder." The song also can be heard in video game The Darkness
II during the challenge from Dolfo to shoot as many bottles as quickly as
possible on the terrace of your Mansion. It was also used during the promotional
trailers for the new TV series "Burn Notice" on the USA Network.
The song "Step It Up" was used in the comedy films Wayne's World 2, Alien
Autopsy and on the Halifax adverts in 2010.
"We Belong In This World Together" was used in a Target television
advertisement in 2008. The song "Wake Up" Appeared in the
Shopping soundtrack and on the compilation album of film soundtrack
songs, Trackspotting. "We Belong In This World Together" was
used in a Telus television advertisement in 2009, and in a television
advertisement for the NBC show Heroes in 2009.
Deep, Down and Dirty was featured on the first season of HBO's Six Feet Under and
can be found on the show's first soundtrack release of 2002.
See also List of number-one dance hits
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References External links
Stereomcs.com – Official site Britishhiphop.co.uk – The original UK
Hip Hop history Stereo Mc's Mixtape for The New Worck
Stereo Mc's Interview Themselves