Mercury4
Encyclopedia
Mercury4 is a Melbourne
-based Australia
n boy band
which, , has achieved three top 40 singles in Australia
.
in late 2002 after a showcase gig at the Mercury Lounge
, hence the name Mercury4.
BMG recruited hit production team the Matrix
who had produced hits for Avril Lavigne
and Hilary Duff
to write and produce their first single "Get Me Some". Released in June 2003 in Australia, it arrived at No. 5 on the ARIA Charts
the following month.
Their second single "5 Years From Now" was released in January 2004 and reached No. 16 on the Australian charts in February 2004. The band's third single "Every Little Step" was a cover of the 1989 Bobby Brown
hit, and was produced by Cutfather & Joe who wrote and produced the Jamelia
hit "Superstar". It reached No. 27.
In early 2004, Jarvier Perez left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Kevin Layton.
The band's self-titled debut Mercury4 was released on 31 May 2004, and included a cover of Air Supply
's hit "All Out of Love" featuring vocals by Russell Hitchcock
and Graham Russell
from the original band. However, the album only charted for one week in Australia and the band were dropped from their label when BMG merged with Sony
.
Member Kevin Layton successfully auditioned for the 2009 series of Australian Idol
but just missed out on entry to the Top 24.
Jarvier Perez was a member of the group between 2002 and 2004.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-based Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
which, , has achieved three top 40 singles in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
Mercury4 started in 2000 with Rien Low and Brad Johnston meeting and deciding to work together. Cole Rintoul joined in 2001 with Jarvier Perez joining in 2002. The band signed with BMGBMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
in late 2002 after a showcase gig at the Mercury Lounge
Mercury Lounge
The Mercury Lounge is a club/music venue, in the Lower East Side section, of New York City. The structure, at 217 East Houston Street, housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels...
, hence the name Mercury4.
BMG recruited hit production team the Matrix
The Matrix (music producer)
The Matrix is an American pop music writing and production team, consisting of Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards and Scott Spock.-Background:Before her involvement in The Matrix, Lauren Christy had moderate success as a singer-songwriter, releasing two albums under Mercury Records in the mid-1990s,...
who had produced hits for Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
and Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
to write and produce their first single "Get Me Some". Released in June 2003 in Australia, it arrived at No. 5 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
the following month.
Their second single "5 Years From Now" was released in January 2004 and reached No. 16 on the Australian charts in February 2004. The band's third single "Every Little Step" was a cover of the 1989 Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
hit, and was produced by Cutfather & Joe who wrote and produced the Jamelia
Jamelia
Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
hit "Superstar". It reached No. 27.
In early 2004, Jarvier Perez left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Kevin Layton.
The band's self-titled debut Mercury4 was released on 31 May 2004, and included a cover of Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
's hit "All Out of Love" featuring vocals by Russell Hitchcock
Russell Hitchcock
Russell Charles Hitchcock is an Australian musician and one half of the group Air Supply. He formed the group after meeting Englishman Graham Russell in 1975 on the set of a production of Jesus Christ Superstar....
and Graham Russell
Graham Russell
Graham Cyrill Russell is a British musician and, with Russell Hitchcock, is one of the mainstays of soft rock group Air Supply which formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1975 and had top ten hits nationally and in United States.He released The Future, his 10-track, debut solo album...
from the original band. However, the album only charted for one week in Australia and the band were dropped from their label when BMG merged with Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
.
Member Kevin Layton successfully auditioned for the 2009 series of Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
but just missed out on entry to the Top 24.
Members
The band consisted of:- Rien Low (born 22 February 1982)
- Kevin Layton (born 1 May 1982)
- Cole Rintoul (born 27 November 1982)
- Brad Johnston (born 30 November 1983)
Jarvier Perez was a member of the group between 2002 and 2004.
Singles
- "Get Me SomeGet Me Some"Get Me Some" is the debut single by Australian group, Mercury4 released in 2003 from their self-titled debut album Mercury4. "Get Me Some" debuted and peaked at #5 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, but descended from then on and lasted a relatively short eight weeks on the chart. "Get Me Some"...
" – #5 Australia - "5 Years From Now5 Years From Now"5 Years From Now" is the second single released by Australian group Mercury4 from their self-titled debut album, Mercury4. "5 Years From Now" debuted at #20 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and in the following week ascended to its peak at #16, becoming Mercury4's second top twenty hit...
" – #16 Australia - "Every Little StepEvery Little Step"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by R&B singer Bobby Brown, released by the MCA Records label. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel, it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Hot Black Singles chart, and #6 on the UK Singles Chart...
" – #27 Australia