Times Two
Times Two | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Point Reyes, California |
| Genres | Dance-rock |
| Years active | 1988-1991 |
| Labels | Reprise, EMI |
| Past members | Shanti Jones Johnny Dollar |
Times Two was an American male duo of vocalists/keyboardists that wrote most of their own material, consisting of Shanti Jones and Johnny Dollar, both from Point Reyes, California.
History
The duo debuted in 1988 with their album X2, which reached #137 on the Billboard 200.[1] In the U.S., their biggest hit was "Strange but True," which peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
That year, Debbie Gibson's manager Douglas Breitbart signed Times Two as the opening act for her Out of the Blue Tour. Its second single, "Cecilia" (a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's hit, featuring work by Paul Simon himself, and produced by Club Nouveau's Jay King), was less successful, reaching #79 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song went to #1 in New Zealand for three weeks in 1988 spending 14 weeks in the chart altogether. The album X2 made #13 in New Zealand on the strength of their #1 spending 11 weeks in the chart.
As a result, the duo were subsequently dropped from Reprise, and the duo returned in 1990 on EMI Records with the EP "Danger Is My Business." The single, "Jack The Jill," which prominently featured samples from Blue Swede's 1974 cover of B. J. Thomas' 1969 hit song "Hooked on a Feeling."
The EP was meant to serve as a teaser for their next album, Hi-Fi & Mighty. A small number of promotional copies of this full-length album were distributed, which included the tracks, along with a couple of remixes. However, problems with management caused the cancellation of its commercial release, and the album was left shelved. Soon afterward, the duo broke up.
Post-breakup
Shanti Jones fronts a band called Sex & Reverb; they have produced several CDs.
Johnny Dollar now goes by the name Giovanni Di Morente, and performs with El Radio Fantastique in San Francisco's Bay Area.
Discography
Albums
- 1988 - X2
- 1990 - Danger Is My Business
- Unreleased - Hi-Fi & Mighty
Singles
- 1988 - "Strange but True"
- 1989 - "Cecilia"
- 1990 - "Set Me Free"
References
External links
- Times Two on AllMusic.com
- Times Two - Strange But True - release listing on Discogs.com
- [2]
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