Same Difference
Same Difference |
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Same Difference are a British pop duo, made up of siblings Sean & Sarah Smith. They came to prominence in 2007 when they finished third in the fourth series of UK television talent show, The X Factor. Their music is targeted mostly at the children's and teenage market. Their debut single, "We R One", was released on 24 November 2008, and their debut album, Pop, followed on 1 December 2008. In November 2009, it was announced that Same Difference had signed a new record deal with PopLife Records, and their second album is due to release late 2010.
Biography
The siblings were brought up in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, in the south of England.[1] At the time of their appearance on The X Factor, Sean (born 24 September 1985) was an entertainer in Portsmouth while Sarah (born 4 November 1988) was a student. Sean left home at the age of 17 to perform on cruise ships and appeared in a number of pantomimes. Together, they performed at a local retirement home. Sarah left home at 16 to attend the Italia Conti Academy and completed her diploma in 2007. Sarah has also worked as a model and acted in the show Genie in the House but claims that singing has always been her big passion. In her VT during the third live show of The X Factor finals, she revealed that she was bullied whilst at Purbrook Park School for being overly interested in singing and that in her head she pictured her tormentors telling her she wasn't good enough. A friend, Harriet Templer, said that she had been witness to the bullying and that these girls were yelling abuse and even attacked her. The school's headmaster, Keith Clark, admitted he was unhappy that the bullying, which was "resolved overnight," had become a big subject on national television.[2]
The X Factor
Same Difference entered the fourth season of UK talent show The X Factor in 2007. They auditioned in London, where judge Simon Cowell described them as "potentially two of the most annoying people I've ever met." However, he went on to champion the duo as mentor, later calling them "genuinely nice people."[3] During the live shows, the siblings came in for particular criticism from judge Louis Walsh, who described them as "cheesy" and suggested that they would be better suited to children's parties and pantomime. In response to Walsh's comments, Cowell and fellow judges Sharon Osbourne and Dannii Minogue all disagreed, praising Same Difference for their upbeat performances.[4]
They were tipped to be the first to be voted out of the competition but turned out to be surprise hit of the show, remaining outside the bottom two sing-off places throughout their entire run.
The duo reached the final of the show, largely thanks to their performance of S Club 7's song "Never Had a Dream Come True" which received an enthusiastic reception from the studio audience. They eventually finished in third place; Rhydian Roberts was the runner-up and Leon Jackson was the winner.[5]
Song performances on The X Factor
Post X Factor
2008
After leaving the show, Same Difference initially signed a one-single contract with Simon Cowell's label Syco. During the X Factor Live tour the pair confirmed that their intended debut single was a cover of "Breaking Free" from High School Musical, which they had performed in the live shows of The X Factor.[6] An original B-side to the single was also planned, entitled "The Miracle". The tracks were recorded in Sweden in early March 2008.[citation needed]
In April 2008 it was reported their original one-single deal had been replaced by a better full album deal, still with Syco, rumoured to be worth around £1 million. This was to give them the chance to work with a variety of writers and producers including Mike Stock and Pete Waterman and some of the writers behind Leona Lewis and High School Musical.[7]
On 19 July 2008 they headlined the "My First Festival" show at Legoland Windsor, appearing alongside Chico, Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, and The Groovie Movie Band.[8] They also performed many gigs at various places throughout 2008, mainly at Butlins, summer events and festivals and Christmas light switch-ons.
Sarah and Sean have made many television appearances since leaving the show, including spots on Blue Peter, Basil's Swap Shop, GMTV and Noel's Christmas Presents. They have also made several appearances on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. On 22 November 2008 they returned to The X Factor as special guests and performed their debut single "We R One". On Sunday 14 December 2008 Same Difference appeared as guests on CITV kids' show Toonattik.
Following a deal with Syco, Same Difference-themed dolls were to feature on girls' fashion website Stardoll, joining such notables as Heidi Klum, Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears.[9]
In a newsletter sent to their fans, the duo confirmed that their debut single, "We R One", would be released on the Syco Music/Sony BMG label on 24 November 2008.[10] It was written by J Elofsson and P Westerlund, produced, recorded and mixed by Quiz & Larossi for XL Talent, and published by Universal Music Publishing AB: Elofsongs.[11] It was also confirmed on their official website that their album, released on 1 December 2008, would be called Pop.
One of the new tracks recorded for the album and a potential single is a cover of the Stock Aitken Waterman-penned hit "Turn It Into Love". The song was originally recorded by Kylie Minogue for her first album and was released in Japan where it was Number 1 for 10 weeks and then Hazell Dean who released it in the UK in 1988, where it reached number 21. Later it was covered in Japanese by the group Wink.
Another of the new tracks recorded for their debut album, "I Need A House", was previously recorded by Swedish popstar Marie Serneholt and released as a single in 2006.[12]
2009/2010
Same Difference announced a 21-date UK tour for March and April 2009, but this was subsequently cancelled. Instead, the duo planned to co-headline a 21-date joint tour with fellow X Factor graduate Leon Jackson,[13] but due to poor ticket sales half the dates of this joint tour were also cancelled. Same Difference will co-headline the joint tour at Ipswich and Birmingham, and at seven or more Scottish dates.[14][15] They will also play a solo one-off concert in Portsmouth.
It was announced in The Sun on 3 April 2009 that Same Difference had been dropped by record label Syco following disappointing sales of their debut album (a month after a similar fate befell Leon Jackson).[16] The lack of sales was partially blamed on the demise of Woolworths, a major supplier of music for younger children.[17]
New dates and gigs have been added to their 2009 diary, including a tour of Butlins holiday parks.[18]
The pair are currently in the studio working on new material. One of the new tracks can be previewed on their Bebo page. In December 2009 Same Difference announced on their Facebook Group the launch of their new look website.[19] They sport a quirky new look, and announce that their album Pop will be released across Europe in early 2010 and a brand new album will be released in the summer. It was announced on the band's social networking sites and official website that the first single from their new album will be released on the 29 August 2010.[20]
Television appearances
Same Difference were invited again to The X Factor in 2008 to perform their debut single, "We R One". In 2009, they received a minor acting role in CBBC television sitcom Dani's House, in which they played brother and sister "Erik and Erika", two all-time winners of game shows.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRL | ||||
| 2008 | Pop | 22 | 66 |
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Singles
| Year | Single | Chart peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRL | |||
| 2008 | "We R One" | 13 | 26 | Pop |
References
- ^ Can nice guys Same Difference really win The X Factor?, Daily Mail, 14 December 2007
- ^ Can nice guys Same Difference really win The X Factor?, Daily Mail, 14 December 2007
- ^ Same Difference out of X Factor, BBC News, 15 December 2007
- ^ "The final three groups revealed!". The X Factor. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ "Leon Jackson takes X Factor crown". BBC News. 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
- ^ The X Factor - News - Same Difference sign record deal with Cowell - Digital Spy
- ^ X Factor losers get £1m deal, The Sun, 24 Apr 2008.
- ^ http://www.handbag.com/entertainment/The-X-Factor-Where-Are-They-Now-Same-Difference/gallery
- ^ "Stardoll virtual world in deal with pop group Same Difference", New Media Age, 12 November 2008
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a135831/same-difference-we-r-one.html
- ^ Details from the "We R One" CD single sleevenotes
- ^ http://www.discopumper.de/smf/index.php?topic=497.0
- ^ Pop band Same Difference scrap their entire UK tour, Southern Daily Echo, 24 January 2009
- ^ http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/entertainment/Same-Difference-cancel-tour-dates.5196403.jp
- ^ http://www.samedifferencemusic.com/grownups/
- ^ "Cowell drops Same Difference", The Sun, 3 April 2009
- ^ "Same Difference dropped", The News (Portsmouth), 3 April 2009
- ^ http://www.samedifferenceworld.com/grownups/
- ^ http://www.samedifferenceworld.com
- ^ http://www.samedifferenceworld.com/same-difference-blog/1-blog-with-a-difference/14-new-single-a-opening-night