Yello
 |
This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. (September 2012) |
| Yello | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Genres | Electronic Dance Synthpop New Wave Jazz |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Polydor, Mercury, Vertigo, 4th & B'way, Smash, Elektra, Ralph, Stiff |
| Website | Yello.ch |
| Members | Dieter Meier Boris Blank |
| Past members | Carlos Perón |
Yello is a Swiss electronic band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music.
Contents |
Band history [edit]
The band was originally formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s. Dieter Meier (vocals, lyrics), a millionaire industrialist and gambler, was brought in when the two founders realized that they needed a singer. The new band name, Yello, was chosen as a pun based on a statement made by Dieter Meier, "a yelled Hello".[1] Yello's first release was the 1979 single "I.T. Splash". The LP Solid Pleasure, featuring the original short version of "Bostich" (extended to a hit dance single in 1981), was released in November 1980.
In 1983, Yello received substantial media attention with the release of "I Love You" and "Lost Again". Perón left the band in 1983 to start a solo career. With their 1983 album You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, the band began a working relationship with Ernst Gamper, whose "corner cut" logo would represent them for three albums, and who would design covers for the group beyond the demise of this logo.[citation needed]
Meier is also a filmmaker, having written and directed the films Jetzt und Alles and Lightmaker as well as most of Yello's music videos. Additionally, Meier produces his own wine on his ranch.[2]
In 2005, Yello re-released their early albums Solid Pleasure, Claro Que Si, You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, Stella, One Second, and Flag, all with rare bonus tracks, as part of the Yello Remaster Series.[3]
A documentary on Yello, Electro Pop made in Switzerland, directed by Anka Schmid, was premiered at the Riff Raff cinema in Zürich in September 2005.[4]
Yello was commissioned to produce music for the launch of the Audi A5 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007 and for the Audi A5 commercial in May 2007.[5]
Musical style [edit]
Yello's sound is mainly characterized by unusual music samples, a heavy reliance on rhythm and Dieter Meier's dark crooning voice. Yello have been instrumental, along with Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle and Depeche Mode, in spreading and developing the use of sampling, especially so in the construction of rhythm tracks, such as in their signature tune,The Race, from 1988. Boris Blank has taken a couple of vocal turns; on "Swing" (from You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess) and "Blazing Saddles" (from Flag), and guest vocalists have included Rush Winters (the first female diva to be featured on a Yello recording), Billy MacKenzie, Stina Nordenstam, Jade Davies, Shirley Bassey and Heidi Happy. The group has shared writing credit with MacKenzie, Winters and Happy. Yello rarely uses samples from previously released music; nearly every instrument has been sampled and re-engineered by Boris Blank, who over the years has built up an original sample library of over 100,000 named and categorized sounds.[6]
 |
|
| Problems listening to this file? See media help. | |
Discography [edit]
Studio albums [edit]
| Year | Album | Label | UK[7] | US | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Solid Pleasure | Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) | - | - | |
| 1981 | Claro Que Si | Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) | - | - | |
| 1983 | You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess | Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records | 65 | 184 | |
| 1985 | Stella | Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records) | 92 | - | |
| 1987 | One Second | Mercury | 48 | 92 | Featuring Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey |
| 1988 | Flag | Mercury | 56 | 152 | |
| 1991 | Baby | Mercury/PolyGram | 37 | - | |
| 1994 | Zebra | Fourth & Broadway | - | - | |
| 1997 | Pocket Universe | PolyGram | - | - | Featuring Stina Nordenstam on "To The Sea" |
| 1999 | Motion Picture | Polygram | - | - | |
| 2003 | The Eye | Motor Music | - | - | |
| 2009 | Touch Yello | Polydor | - | - | Featuring Heidi Happy on "You Better Hide", "Kiss In Blue" and "Stay" |
Other albums [edit]
| Year | Album | Label | UK[7] | US | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go | Mercury | - | - | Remix album |
| 1992 | Bostich | Full Frequency Range Recordings/Ralph Records | - | - | Remix album |
| 1992 | Essential | Mercury | - | - | Compilation album |
| 1995 | Hands on Yello | Urban Records/Motor Music | - | - | Remix album |
| 1999 | Eccentrix Remixes | Mercury | - | - | Remix album |
| 2007 | Progress and Perfection | - | - | - | Audi A5 promo album |
| 2010 | Yello by Yello | Polydor | - | - | Compilation album |
| 2012 | The Key to Perfection | - | - | - | VW Golf 7 promo album |
Notable singles [edit]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Additional information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[7] | U.S. | U.S. D/P | |||
| 1979 | "Bostich" | – | – | 23 | |
| 1982 | "You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess/Heavy Whispers" | – | – | 42 | |
| 1983 | "I Love You" | 41 | – | 16 | |
| "Lost Again" | 73 | – | – | ||
| 1984 | "Pumping Velvet" | – | – | 12 | |
| 1985 | "Vicious Games" | – | – | 8 | |
| "Oh Yeah" | – | 51 | 35 | Re-released with new lyrics added in 1987. This version was added only in the original release of One Second. | |
| 1986 | "Goldrush" | 54 | – | – | featured Billy MacKenzie |
| 1987 | "The Rhythm Divine" | 54 | – | – | featured Shirley Bassey |
| "Call It Love" | – | – | – | ||
| 1988 | "The Race" | 7 | – | 33 | |
| "Tied Up" | 60 | – | 9 | ||
| 1989 | "Of Course I'm Lying" | 23 | – | – | |
| "Blazing Saddles" | 47 | – | – | ||
| 1990 | "Unbelievable" | – | – | 22 | |
| 1991 | "Rubberbandman" | 58 | – | – | |
| 1992 | "Jungle Bill" | 61 | – | 40 | |
| "The Race" (re-issue) | 55 | – | – | re-issued with "Bostich" | |
| 1994 | "Do It" | – | – | 46 | |
| 1995 | "Tremendous Pain" | – | – | 7 | |
| 1996 | "How How" | 59 | – | 28 | |
| "Jingle Bells" | – | – | 44 | ||
| 1997 | "On Track" | – | – | 16 | |
| "To the Sea" | – | – | – | featured Stina Nordenstam | |
| 1999 | "Vicious Games" | 110[8] | – | – | Yello vs Hardfloor |
| 2003 | "Planet Dada" | – | – | – | |
| 2011 | "Mean Monday" | – | – | – | Included in the book "Yello - Boris Blank und Dieter Meier". Released on iTunes on October 22, 2011. |
References [edit]
- ^ Audi USA news release
- ^ Ojo De Agua
- ^ Remaster Series release info
- ^ Thread on Yello site forum about the Zurich premiere of 'Electro Pop made in Switzerland' documentary
- ^ Audi USA News Release
- ^ Boris Blank interview in Sound On Sound
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 613–614. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: Rachael Yamagata - Malik Yusef". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
External links [edit]
- Official website (requires browser plug-in to navigate)
- Dieter Meier's Official website (requires browser plug-in to navigate)
- The Yello Site
- Detailed discography on Discogs
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
