Billie Ray Martin

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Billie Ray Martin
Origin Hamburg, Germany
Genres Soul music, Ambient, Electro, House, Vocal Trance
Instruments Vocalist
Years active 1988-present
Labels Mercury/PolyGram Records
Sire/WEA Records
Associated acts Electribe 101
S'Express
Website http://www.billieraymartin.com/

Billie Ray Martin is a female singer. [1]

Contents

[edit] Career

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Billie Ray Martin has had dance and pop hits in various collaborations and as a solo artist. Initially a guest singer for S'Express (she appears in the video for the song "Hey Music Lover"), she went on to work with the electronic/pop/house-music group Electribe 101. Their only album was Electribal Memories because Electribe 101 disbanded. Many songs recorded for a planned second album made it onto Martin's solo album — these include “Hands Up & Amen” and “Running Around Town.”

Billie Ray Martin went on to forge her own solo career. Her first single for WEA was the worldwide hit "Your Loving Arms". Originally the song only managed to peak at #38 in November 1994, however on re-release the song peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1995, the song struck the Billboard Hot 100 twice, peaking at #87 in 1995 and at #46 a year later. The song was also a success across Europe, reaching #1, and remained on European charts for many weeks. It also topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Follow-up singles included "Running Around Town", "Deadline for My Memories," "Imitation of Life", "Space Oasis" and "You & I (Keep Holding On)". All six songs are featured on her album Deadline for My Memories. The album was followed by the single, "Honey". Originally released in the UK in 1999, it debuted stateside courtesy of Nervous Records four years later. "Honey" peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play despite sporadic radio airplay. Her UK deal with React Records, the record label that originally released "Honey", included plans for a follow-up "Don't Believe A Word", but this fell through. More encouraging chart success was to be found in Italy with her collaborations with Italian dance producers, Datura: "Mystic Motion"; "The Passion"; and "Devotion."

Since then, Martin has worked with Ann Peebles, Carla Thomas, and members of Aretha Franklin's band on her album 18 Carat Garbage, performed her "Repulsion" show (a live score to the Roman Polanski movie) at both the Electric Cinema on Portobello Road and at London's Institute of Contemporary Art, and she continues to release electronic music, such as her releases "No Brakes on My Rollerskates" and "Dead Again". In 2005/06 she released collaborations with DJ Hell and Slam.

In 2002, Sonnenstahl Records released the 12-track CD "Recycled Garbage," a compilation of dance mixes of various Martin songs. Most prominently, the CD featured the Junior Vasquez remix of "Systems of Silence," a song that includes a quintessential Martin line: "I just want to dance all the way right down to the core of the black and the white."

Another single, "Undisco Me", was released on Rebirth Records in April 2007, and reached #6 in the UK Dance Chart. She also began a second career as a disc jockey. Her current nightclub "Komputerliebe" in Frankfurt (and soon to be launched in Berlin, where she now lives) is flourishing.

In 2008 Martin formed a new project. Under the banner of The Opiates, she (and Robert Solheim on production) have finished their album Hollywood Under The Knife. The Opiates made their live debut at Rough Trade, Brick Lane, London in March, to coincide with their first release "Anatomy Of A Plastic Girl" EP out on Kudos UK.

[edit] Albums

Billie recorded in 90s songs with one of the most famous italian dance / trance /electonic band: Datura. Most famous song is Mystic Motion (Italy #6): others included Devotion and The Passion.

[edit] Singles

  • "Persuasion" (Billie Ray Martin featuring Spooky) (1993)
  • "Your Loving Arms" (1995) - #6 UK #46 US
  • "Running Around Town" (1996) - #29 UK
  • "Imitation Of Life" (1996) - #29 UK
  • "Space Oasis" (1996) - #66 UK
  • "You And I Keep Holding On" (1997)
  • "Pacemaker" (1998)
  • "Honey" (1999) - #54 UK
  • "I'm Not Keen" (Mikael Delta featuring Billie Ray Martin) (2002)
  • "Systems Of Silence" (2001)
  • "Where Fools Rush In" (2001)
  • "18 Carat Garbage" (2002)
  • "Honey '03" (2003)
  • "Disco Activisto - The First Two Singles" (2004)
  • "No Brakes On My Rollerskates" (Hot Skates 3000 featuring Billie Ray Martin) (2005)
  • "Undisco Me" (2007) #20 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play

[edit] Remixes

"Imitation Of Life" was remixed by Grammy Award winning remixer David Morales. Brian Transeau (aka BT) produced remixes for the singles "Space Oasis" and "Running Around Town". Almost all of Billie Ray Martin's singles have been remixed by Junior Vasquez, including "Your Loving Arms", "Running Around Town", "Space Oasis", "Systems Of Silence", and "18 Carat Garbage". "Your Loving Arms" and "Imitation Of Life" were remixed by Brothers In Rhythm. Roger Sanchez and Todd Terry both remixed "Your Loving Arms" edits - it was hoped the latter would replicate the stateside success enjoyed by Everything But The Girl's #2 hit "Missing." "Honey" was remixed by Above & Beyond, Chicane, and Deep Dish. "Pacemaker" was remixed by E-Smoove.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Billie Ray Martin" discography at Discogs, undated, retrieved on February 1, 2009.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Ray_Martin"