Des'ree
Encyclopedia
Des'ree is an English
pop
/soul
singer who was popular during the 1990s. She is well known for her hits
: "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be
", "Life
", and "Kissing You
" (from the soundtrack of the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
). Des'ree has not released any new material since 2003's Dream Soldier.
, England in 1968. Her mother is from British Guiana
(now Guyana
), and her father is from Barbados
. She was introduced to reggae
, calypso
and jazz
music by her parents, and Des'ree's interest in pursuing a musical career followed a three year trip to Barbados with her family at the age of fourteen.
In 1994, her single
"You Gotta Be
" hit the Billboard Hot 100
Top 5, peaking at #5, and was a hit in the UK
three times. "You Gotta Be" became the most played music video
on VH1
and remained on the Billboard recurrent airplay chart for 80 weeks.
Following the single's success, Des'ree's second album
, I Ain't Movin' , sold in excess of 1.6 million copies worldwide. Her success led to an American
tour with Seal in 1995. The following year, she contributed the song "Kissing You
" to the soundtrack of the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
.
In 1997, her single "Crazy Maze" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Nothing to Lose with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence.
In 1998, her single "Life
" became a hit in Europe
. In 1999, she won a BRIT Award
for the British Female Solo Artist category.
She released Dream Soldier in 2003. The album spawned one single, "It's Okay". Both the album and the single were a commercial failure.
Des'ree has also performed various duets
, including "Fire" with Babyface (part of the soundtrack for the independent film, Hav Plenty
), "Plenty Lovin" with Steve Winwood
and "Delicate" with Terence Trent D'Arby.
song "Got 'Til It's Gone
" from Jackson's CD The Velvet Rope
without due credit to Des'ree as a contributor. The album prompted a lawsuit and as part of the settlement, Jackson was forced to pay an undisclosed sum to Des'ree. The album does not list the song or Des'ree as a contributor, but the maxi single, released in 2000, lists Des'ree as one of the song's writers.
In 2007, Des'ree filed suit against Beyoncé
for her cover version
of the Tim Atack/Des'ree penned
song
, "I'm Kissing You", for the re-release of her album B'Day
.
In Spring 2007, Des'ree was voted the worst pop lyricist
of all time for the song "Life" according to a BBC Radio
poll.
Between 1999 and 2003, Des'ree studied photography, ceramics and art at the Camberwell College of Arts
.
Des'ree is an active supporter of PETA
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer who was popular during the 1990s. She is well known for her hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
: "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be
You Gotta Be
"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin .-Background:...
", "Life
Life (Des'ree song)
"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album Supernatural and was released on 2 June 1998...
", and "Kissing You
Kissing You (Des'ree song)
"Kissing You" is a song by British singer Des'ree. It was written by the singer with Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. The song was included on the film's soundtrack album and Des'ree's third studio album, Supernatural...
" (from the soundtrack of the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles....
). Des'ree has not released any new material since 2003's Dream Soldier.
Career
Des'ree was born in South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, England in 1968. Her mother is from British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
(now Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
), and her father is from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. She was introduced to reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music by her parents, and Des'ree's interest in pursuing a musical career followed a three year trip to Barbados with her family at the age of fourteen.
In 1994, her single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"You Gotta Be
You Gotta Be
"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin .-Background:...
" hit the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Top 5, peaking at #5, and was a hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
three times. "You Gotta Be" became the most played music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and remained on the Billboard recurrent airplay chart for 80 weeks.
Following the single's success, Des'ree's second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, I Ain't Movin' , sold in excess of 1.6 million copies worldwide. Her success led to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour with Seal in 1995. The following year, she contributed the song "Kissing You
Kissing You (Des'ree song)
"Kissing You" is a song by British singer Des'ree. It was written by the singer with Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. The song was included on the film's soundtrack album and Des'ree's third studio album, Supernatural...
" to the soundtrack of the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles....
.
In 1997, her single "Crazy Maze" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Nothing to Lose with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence.
In 1998, her single "Life
Life (Des'ree song)
"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album Supernatural and was released on 2 June 1998...
" became a hit in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1999, she won a BRIT Award
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for the British Female Solo Artist category.
She released Dream Soldier in 2003. The album spawned one single, "It's Okay". Both the album and the single were a commercial failure.
Des'ree has also performed various duets
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, including "Fire" with Babyface (part of the soundtrack for the independent film, Hav Plenty
Hav Plenty
Hav Plenty is a 1997 American independent film released by Miramax Films, based on an eventful weekend in the life of Lee Plenty , written and directed by Cherot...
), "Plenty Lovin" with Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
and "Delicate" with Terence Trent D'Arby.
Other work
In 1998, Des'ree's hit, "Feel So High" was interpolated into the Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
song "Got 'Til It's Gone
Got 'Til It's Gone
"Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell. It was released as the lead single from Jackson's sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope .-Song information:...
" from Jackson's CD The Velvet Rope
The Velvet Rope
The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released October 7, 1997 by Virgin Records. Prior to its debut, Jackson had been at the center of a second high-profile bidding war over her recording contract...
without due credit to Des'ree as a contributor. The album prompted a lawsuit and as part of the settlement, Jackson was forced to pay an undisclosed sum to Des'ree. The album does not list the song or Des'ree as a contributor, but the maxi single, released in 2000, lists Des'ree as one of the song's writers.
In 2007, Des'ree filed suit against Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
for her cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Tim Atack/Des'ree penned
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "I'm Kissing You", for the re-release of her album B'Day
B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
.
In Spring 2007, Des'ree was voted the worst pop lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of all time for the song "Life" according to a BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
poll.
Between 1999 and 2003, Des'ree studied photography, ceramics and art at the Camberwell College of Arts
Camberwell College of Arts
Camberwell College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, and is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost art and design institutions. It is located in Camberwell, South London, England, with two sites situated at Peckham Road and Wilson Road...
.
Des'ree is an active supporter of PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
.
Albums
- Mind Adventures (released 14 February 1992) #26 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
- I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin is a full-length album by soul singer-songwriter Des'ree. It was released on July 5 1994 on Epic Records, and features the top 5 smash hit, "You Gotta Be"...
(released 5 July 1994) #13 UK - SupernaturalSupernatural (Des'ree album)Supernatural is the third studio album by British recording artist Des'ree. Released by 550 Music and Epic Records on 11 August 1998, it follows four years after the singer's previous album, I Ain't Movin. Predominantly an R&B album, Supernatural received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who...
(released 14 December 1998) #16 UK - Endangered Species (B-Sides and rare tracks) (released 23 October 2000)
- Dream Soldier (released 31 March 2003)
Singles
- 1991, "Feel So High", #51 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- 1992, "Feel So High" (Re-release), #13 UK, #28 AUS, #67 USBillboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
[1995] - 1992, "Mind Adventures", #43 UK
- 1992, "Why Should I Love You", #44 UK
- 1993, "Delicate" (duet with Terence Trent D'Arby), #14 UK
- 1994, "You Gotta BeYou Gotta Be"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin .-Background:...
", #20 UK, #5 US, #9 AUS - 1994, "I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin is a full-length album by soul singer-songwriter Des'ree. It was released on July 5 1994 on Epic Records, and features the top 5 smash hit, "You Gotta Be"...
", #44 UK - 1994, "Little ChildLittle Child"Little Child" is a song by The Beatles from their album With the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for Ringo Starr, but Starr was instead given "I Wanna Be Your Man" as his album song.-Background:...
", #69 UK - 1995, "You Gotta BeYou Gotta Be"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin .-Background:...
" (Remix), #14 UK - 1997, "Kissing YouKissing You (Des'ree song)"Kissing You" is a song by British singer Des'ree. It was written by the singer with Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. The song was included on the film's soundtrack album and Des'ree's third studio album, Supernatural...
", #17 AUS - 1998, "FireFireFire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
" (duet with Babyface) - 1998, "LifeLife (Des'ree song)"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album Supernatural and was released on 2 June 1998...
", #8 UK, #8 AUS, #1 SPASpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, #1 ITA. Note: "Life" remained in the UK top 40 for 11 weeks, and was a number one seller across Europe. - 1998, "What's Your Sign?What's your sign?What's your sign? is a phrase used to ask about someone's astrological sign. It is also considered a cliched pick-up line.Music*A song featured on The Flintstone Comedy Hour*The 9th track on the 1973 Harry Nillson album Duit on Mon Dei...
", #19 UK, #30 SPA - 1998, "God Only KnowsGod Only Knows"God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds , and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl...
" (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) - 1999, "You Gotta Be" (2nd Remix), #10 UK, #1 SPA
- 1999, "Ain't No SunshineAin't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
" (featuring Ladysmith Black MambazoLadysmith Black MambazoLadysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland and have won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards...
), #42 UK - 2003, "It's Okay", #69 UK
- 2003, "Why?"
- 2010, "I'm Kissing You" #137
Vinyl Records
Des'ree had a few British RPMs sold from 1991 to 1998.- 1991, "Feel So High"
- 1992, "Mind Adventures"
- 1992, "Why Should I Love You?"
- 1992, "Competitive World"
- 1994, "You Gotta BeYou Gotta Be"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin .-Background:...
" - 1994, "I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin'I Ain't Movin is a full-length album by soul singer-songwriter Des'ree. It was released on July 5 1994 on Epic Records, and features the top 5 smash hit, "You Gotta Be"...
" - 1994, "Little ChildLittle Child"Little Child" is a song by The Beatles from their album With the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for Ringo Starr, but Starr was instead given "I Wanna Be Your Man" as his album song.-Background:...
" - 1998, "What's Your Sign?"
- 1998, "LifeLife (Des'ree song)"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album Supernatural and was released on 2 June 1998...
"
External links
- The Official Des'ree Website from SonyMusic
- [ Des'ree] from Allmusic