Deee-Lite
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| Deee-Lite | |
|---|---|
| File:Deee lite infinity withinin promo 3.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | Dance-pop House Club/Dance |
| Years active | 1990–1996 |
| Labels | Elektra Records |
| Past members | |
| Towa Tei DJ Dmitry Lady Miss Kier DJ Ani |
|
Deee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where they scored six number-one hits.
Contents |
[edit] Band members
The members of Deee-lite were:
- Super DJ Dmitri (Dmitry Brill, born June 4, 1964, originally from Kiev, Ukraine)
- Lady Miss Kier (Kierin M. Kirby, born August 15, 1963, Youngstown, Ohio, United States)
- Towa Tei (Dong-hwa Chung, born September 7, 1964, originally from Tokyo, Japan)
- DJ Ani (Ani Q. Schempf, born December 14, 1973, Kansas City, Kansas, United States)
[edit] Career
Prior to the release of the group's third album, Dewdrops in the Garden, Tei left the band (appearing only on the track "Call Me") and was replaced with DJ Ani. Even with a roster change and minimal record label support, Deee-Lite still managed to tour for a year after the release of Dewdrops in the Garden. Consequently, Dewdrops in the Garden sold more records than Deee-Lite's second release, Infinity Within.
The tune "Groove is In the Heart" featured lyrics from Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, and bass guitar and vocals by Bootsy Collins.
Since his exit from the group, Tei has recorded several albums as a solo artist and since Deee-Lite's disbanding Kier, Dmitry and Ani have maintained successful club DJ careers. In a 2011 interview, Tei dismissed the chances of Deee-Lite reforming, citing the creative and personal differences that prompted him to depart.[1]
In early 2003, Kirby initiated a lawsuit against Sega corporation for allegedly stealing her Lady Miss Kier persona and using it as the basis of a character named Ulala in the video game Space Channel 5, after she had declined their invitation to participate in the game's development. In 2006, the court ruled against Kirby.[2] In 2008, the band's single "Groove is in The Heart" was licensed for use in the Sega video game Samba de Amigo for the Nintendo Wii console, appearing in a stage featuring Ulala.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. | UK[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | World Clique | 20 | 14 |
| 1992 | Infinity Within | 67 | 37 |
| 1994 | Dewdrops in the Garden | 127 | – |
| 1995 | Dewdrops in the Remix | – | – |
| 1996 | Sampladelic Relics & Dancefloor Oddities | – | – |
| 2001 | The Very Best of Deee-Lite | – | – |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Club | U.S. Hot 100 | UK Singles Chart[3] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Groove Is in the Heart" ☼ | 1 | 4 | 2 | World Clique |
| "What Is Love?" ☼ | - | ||||
| "Power of Love" § | 1 | 47 | 25 | ||
| "Deee-Lite Theme" § | - | - | |||
| 1991 | "E.S.P." | 7 | - | - | |
| "How Do You Say...Love" / "Groove Is in the Heart" (remix) | - | - | 52 | ||
| "Good Beat" | 1 | - | 53 | ||
| 1992 | "Runaway" § | 1 | - | 45 | Infinity Within |
| "Rubber Lover" § | - | - | |||
| "Thank You Everyday" | - | - | - | ||
| "Pussycat Meow" | 6 | - | - | ||
| 1994 | "Party Happenin' People" | 30 | - | - | Dewdrops in the Garden |
| "Picnic in the Summertime" | - | - | 43 | ||
| "Bring Me Your Love" | 1 | - | - | ||
| 1995 | "Call Me" | 1 | - | - |
☼ "Groove Is in the Heart" and "What Is Love?" charted together on the U.S. Dance chart as they were issued on the same 12-inch single. Both songs were released as a double A-side in the UK and charted as such.
§ "Power of Love" and "Deee-Lite Theme" charted together on the U.S. dance chart, as did "Runaway" and "Rubber Lover"
[edit] See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit] References
- ^ Hadfield, James (May 18, 2011). "Towa Tei: The Interview". Time Out Tokyo. http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/3330/Towa-Tei-the-interview. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 147. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
[edit] External links
- The Garden of Deee-Lite The Ultimate Deee-Lite site
- Deee-Liteful Experience Deee-Lite fan site
- Deee-Lite Discography at Discogs.com
- MusicBlob: Archivio documenti This Italian website has archived some legal documents including the "Kirby v.Sega" case involving Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite
