Mari Wilson

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Mari Wilson (born Mari MacMillan Ramsey Wilson, 29 September 1957, in London), is an English singer, best known for her sometimes quirky, early 1960s influenced pop music songs, and her (former) trademark beehive hairdo.

Contents 1 Career 2 Discography 2.1 Singles 2.2 EPs 2.3 Albums 3 External links

[edit] Career

Produced by Tot Taylor's Compact label she enjoyed six chart hits in the UK in the early 1980s, including her biggest hit, the #8 chart hit "Just What I Always Wanted", performed with jazz bands, and sang the theme-song to the TV sitcom Coupling, "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" and contributed the song "Cry me a River" to the crime drama series McCallum. In 1985 she performed the song "Dance with a Stranger" for the film of the same name and turned her career towards live performances. Although for a while she distanced herself from her beehive days, she started touring with her old songs again in 2007. In 1992 the album "The Rhythm Romance" which combined classic Jazz standards with 60s songs and original material did not find the success critics said it deserved as the record company did not have sufficient funds to promote it. In 2005 Mari Wilson returned to recording with "Dolled Up" produced by Adrian York. This was followed by a compilation of her hits called "The Platinum Collection" to celebrate her 25th anniversary nin show business. Apart from pursuing her solo career she toured with Barb Jungr and Clair Martin as the cabaret act "Girl Talk".

She has also performed in musicals, and has been a feature on a BBC TV series about celebrities and their health (she has Type 1 Diabetes).

Her band was colloquially known as The Wilsations and her backing singers were called The Marionettes. Occasional featured artists were Michelle Collins (Cindy from EastEnders), Julia Fordham and bassist 'Thumbs' Cunningham.

In a June 2007 newsletter by Mari on her website, she revealed that her classic 1983 album 'Showpeople' would be reissued in the UK for the first time on CD in September 2007. She also mentioned that she might be going on a UK tour to support the release - playing some of her earliest songs for her fans.

Mari's fourth studio album 'Emotional Glamour' is released on her Beehive label in October 2008.

Mari is a long time resident of Crouch End in North London.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

• "Loveman" / "If That's What You Want" (1980)
• "Dance Card" / "She's Had Enough Of You" (1982)
• "Beat The Beat" / "Glamourpuss" (1982) UK #59
• "Baby It's True" / "You Look So Good" (1982) UK #42
• "Just What I Always Wanted" / "Are You There (With Another Girl)" (1982) UK #8
• "(Beware) Boyfriend" / "It's Happening" (1982) UK #51
• "Cry Me A River" / "I Love"(1983) UK #27
• "Wonderful" (1983) (Mari Wilson and The Wilsations) UK #47
• "Ain't That Peculiar" (1984) UK #78
• "Let's Make This Last" (1984)
• "Dance With A Stranger" / "Ruth's Bedroom" (dialogue) / "Jazz Break" (instrumental) (1985)
• "The Rhythm" (1991)
• "My Funny Valentine" (1991)

[edit] EPs

• "I'm Coming Home" / "No Moon At All" / "Out Of The Blue" / "It's Got To Be You" (10" maxi-single)

[edit] Albums

• Showpeople (1983) (Mari Wilson and The Wilsations) (1983 - UK #24)
• Rhythm Romance (1991)
• Beat The Beat (Compilation) (1992)
• Just What I Always Wanted (Compilation) (1992)
• Dolled Up (2005)
• The Platinum Collection (2007)
• Emotional Glamour (2008)

[edit] External links

• The official Mari Wilson web site