No Angels
Encyclopedia
The No Angels are an all-female
pop
trio
from Germany
, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska
, Sandy Mölling
, and Jessica Wahls
. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards
, a NRJ Music Award, two Comets
, a Bambi
and a Goldene Kamera.
Originally a quintet, the group originated in 2000 on the international television talent show Popstars
and was one of the first television-casted act
s to enjoy attention throughout Central Europe
in the early 2000s. Following a major success with record
-breaking single "Daylight in Your Eyes
" and debut album Elle'ments
in 2001, a series of hit records established their position as one of the most successful female band vocalists to emerge in the early decade
. They have since been ranked as both the "biggest-selling German girlband to date
" and "most successful girlband in Contintental Europe
" by the media
, with four number-one hits, three number-one albums and record sales in excess of more than 5.0 million. In fall 2003, the members went their separate ways due to lasting exhaustion, focusing on their individual solo careers in music
, theatre
, television
and film
.
In 2007, it was confirmed that four members of the original line-up, excluding original band member Vanessa Petruo
, had reformed permanently and were set to record their first studio album in over four years, Destiny
(2007). A year after, the group represented Germany
with their single "Disappear
" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
, where they finished 23rd in the final voting. After another musical hiatus, the band released a second post-reunion studio album entitled Welcome to the Dance
in 2009. In September 2010, Nadja Benaissa
officially left the band to due to private reasons, leaving the No Angels as a trio.
channel
's first series of Popstars
, a reality talent show
which set about producing a five-piece girl group
. Acquired by Tresor TV television producer
Holger Roost-Macias at the MIPTV Media Market
event in Cannes, France in 2000, the series was the third adaption of the format following both an Australia
n and a New Zealand
version. In August and September of the same year, over 4,300 hopefuls turned up to auditions in Hamburg
, Berlin
, Frankfurt
, Leipzig
, Cologne
, Oberhausen
, Stuttgart
and Munich
which required both singing and dancing experience. The judges consisted of Dutch
entertainer Simone Angel
, concert booker Mario M. Mendryzcki and Rainer Moslener, an A&R
director of Polydor Records
.
Thirty-two out of two hundred girls eventually made it from the local recall shows to Majorca, Spain
to get trained in singing, dancing, and fitness. While the judges continued eliminating two or three girls each day with the help of choreographer Detlef Soost
and British
vocal coach Robert Bicknel, eleven finalists remained and were sent home to prepare. After a final elimination
round, Nadja Benaissa
, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling
, Vanessa Petruo
and Jessica Wahls
were chosen, and signed a recording contract with Polydor. Managed by Joy Berhanu during their first year, the girls were named No Angels following a public televoting
and moved in together near Munich. With the final members of the group in place, the program followed the group during its recording sessions, photo and music video
shoots and other promotional commitments such as showcases and instores. The show concluded with the band's first public live performance
at The Dome
at the Dortmund
er Westfalenhalle
in February 2001.
" on February 5, 2001. The song instantly entered the top position on the Austrian, German and Swiss
Singles and Airplay Charts, making it one of the most successful debuts of the year. Selling over one million copies, the song also proved to be a hit outside German-speaking Europe
when it entered the singles charts of France
, Latvia
, Poland
and the United Kingdom
, and even became a number-one success in Brazil
, and Estonia
. Although an alternate version of the original music video
was filmed for the North American
market the following year, both the video and the song saw minor commercial success overseas. However, "Daylight in Your Eyes" peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart in June 2002.
On March 12, 2001, the band released their debut album, Elle'ments
. Involving production by German producers Thorsten Brötzmann
, Leslie Mandoki
, and Peter Ries
, Elle'ments also entered the Austrian, German and Swiss Albums Chart at number-one. The No Angels broke records for becoming the "first act to ever debut at the top position in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland with both its debut single and debut album." The album would go on to sell more than one million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling German album of 2001. Elle'ments was eventually certified triple platinum
and septuplicate gold by the IFPI
, and earned the band several internationally acclaimed prizes such as a Bambi
, two ECHO Awards and a World Music Award.
Riding a wave of publicity and hype, the group's second single, "Rivers of Joy
", became a top ten hit, while third single, "There Must Be an Angel
", a cover version
of the 1985 hit by British pop duo Eurythmics
, continued the group's high record sales by topping the charts once again in Austria and Germany. The last single released from Elle'ments was a double A-side of album cut "When the Angels Sing
", and "Atlantis
", a duet with the song's original performer Donovan
. The band had re-recorded the song for the closing credits
of the Walt Disney Feature Animation
picture Atlantis: The Lost Empire
. It became a top five entry in Germany, and was subsequently certified Gold. Following this and two encounters as the opening act for the German leg of both DJ Bobo
and Westlife
's 2001 concert tours, the No Angels embarked on their first own concert tour in October 2001. Compiling more than thirty dates, the tour concluded in December 2001 with all shows reportedly being sold out.
and double gold
by the IFPI
. Producers such as Mousse T.
and Pontus Söderqvist
consulted on Now... Us!, whose media
-critical leading single "Something About Us
", penned by band member Petruo, became the group's third non-consecutive number-one hit in Austria and Germany within a period of sixteen months.
Further singles released from the album included latin pop
ballad "Still in Love with You", which reached the top five and was awarded a NRJ Music Award the following year, as well as Mousse T.-produced funk track "Let's Go to Bed
", the band's first release to miss the German top ten.
Following an exclusive swing concert at the Berlin
Tränenpalast in October, the No Angels soon followed with a DVD and a live album, entitled When the Angels Swing
, featuring their biggest hits and selected songs from their first two albums, re-arranged by Grammy Award
-nominated jazz musician Till Brönner
. Critically acclaimed by critics, the album reached number nine of the German Albums Chart, eventually going gold. In November, the girls embarked on their second national concert tour, the Four Seasons Tour, playing sell-out shows in theatres across German-speaking Europe. Acts such as B3
and the Sugababes
served as their support.
Soon after the girls experienced a bit of turbulence when Jessica Wahls announced she was taking a break from the band to give birth to her first child
. Although the girls agreed on Jessica's return the following year and Wahls was positive of a re-join after her daughter's birth in March 2003, the No Angels' management eventually decided on her departure in July 2003 as the group had equally successful went on as a quartet. While the singer accepted a recording contract as a solo artist with the group's label, Sandy Mölling later noted Jessica's pregnancy marked "the beginning of the end of the No Angels."
, the album was eventually released in August 2003 and became the band's third number-one album in Germany. Sporting a more mature side of pop music
, it earned them their best reactions yet, drawing comparisons to Madonna
's album Ray of Light
(1998) as well as other female groups such as All Saints
and the Sugababes
. With a total of about 150,000 copies sold however, it failed to achieve the success of its two best-selling predecessors, still going gold. Rock pop-influenced leading single "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
" became the group's fourth non-consecutive number-one single in Germany and seventh top ten hit in Austria, while mediterran "Someday
" and R&B-driven "Feelgood Lies
" both reached the top five of the charts.
Further planned single releases off the album never materialised. On September 7, 2003, the quartet announced that they would not come together for a new No Angels project in 2004 due to lasting exhaustion and instead were preparing their official disbandment towards the end of the year. While the media began a never-ending speculation about the reasons for their split and the pro and contra of a "creative pause," the girls and their management arranged the cancellation of all dates of their scheduled 2004 Pure Acoustic Tour. Even so, the band agreed on releasing a final album, The Best of No Angels
, in December of the same year
. Apart from a collection of all singles the band had released between the years of 2001 and 2003, the compilation album
also contained a reworked version of one of the debut album tracks, "Reason
". Involving a re-joined Jessica Wahls, it was released as the band's final single before their split and became another top ten success for the group. A charity single featuring the band's vocals, "Do They Know It's Christmas?
", was released simlutaneously and reached number three on the German Singles Chart.
After a farewell concert in the Munich
Olympiahalle
on November 28, several promotional television appearances, and a private unplugged performance
in the Munich P1 club on December 12, 2003, the No Angels each went their separate ways, concentrating on their individual solo careers in music, theatre, television and film. A live compilation
of their P1 concert, entitled Acoustic Angels
, would become the their final release on the Cheyenne label in July 2004.
approached her former bandmates in mid-2006 to arrange a first meeting with all original band members for years. While Vanessa Petruo
refused to re-join the band in favour of an independent solo career in music and film, all other members of the original line-up agreed upon Diakovska's request to reunite for a musical comeback, and the band eventually took action to prepare their next album in secrecy from public. Following weeks of public rumors about a reunion of the band, an official press conference on January 31, 2007 announced that the No Angels had reformed and were working on a new studio album with producers Boogieman, Tobias Gustafsson, Steve Mac
, Adrian Newman
, and the Redfly team.
Although acclaimed and distinguished by the media, the reunion widely failed to link previous successes. The band's first commercial release in years, Destiny
, received a lukewarm reception from music critics, and debuted at number 4 in Germany
, number 14 in Austria
and number 22 in Switzerland
, making it the band's first regular studio album release neither to reach the top position on the German Media Control Charts
nor the top ten in Austria and Switzerland respectively. It eventually sold 30,000 copies domestically during its run on the charts, also making it the No Angels' lowest selling album to date. While the album's lead single "Goodbye to Yesterday
" still made it to the top five, follow-up "Maybe
" and double A-single "Amaze Me
"/"Teardrops" became the No Angels' lowest-charting singles to date, never making it to the top 20 of any chart. In March 2008, the album was re-released as Destiny Reloaded
, including previously unreleased songs, remix
es and b-sides. In fall 2007, the No Angels produced the theme song, "Life Is a Miracle
" and a music video for the Warner Bros.
animated feature Kleiner Dodo.
In January 2008, it was announced that the group had qualified for the Grand Prix Vorentscheid
, the German national pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. Following several weeks of promotional appearances, the No Angels entered the competition in March with Remee
-and-Troelsen
-produced "Disappear
", competing against all-male groups Marquess
and Cinema Bizarre
, and singers Tommy Reeve and Carolin Fortenbacher. Widely considered as early favourites by the media, the band eventually finished first, having earned tight 50,5% of the audience vote over Fortenbacher in the second and final election round. Released on February 29, 2008, "Disappear" reached number four in Germany, where it became the band's biggest-selling single in years. With Germany being one the biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union
, the No Angels were allowed to skip the contest's semi-finals and automatically qualified for competition with 24 other countries in the finals of the ESC in May 2008. An estimated 100 million fans watched the final contest, and viewers from all 43 participating nations voted for their favourite performers via text message and telephone. The No Angels eventually ranked 23rd place out of the 25 countries that participated with a total of 14 points – taking 12 points from Bulgaria
, band member Lucy Diakovska's native country, and 2 points from Switzerland
only. Only the United Kingdom
and Poland
placed below the four-member female band.
, involving a smaller team of North American musicians such as The Writing Camp
, Adam Messinger
, Nasri Atweh
, Bill Blast, and Aaron Pearce. Taking the group's work further into the dance
and electronic
genres, it was released on September 11, 2009, following band member Nadja Benaissa's charge of grievous bodily harm and temporary imprisonment in April 2010. Released to generally negative reviews by critics, who criticized the band for their missing individuality, the album debuted at number twenty-six in Germany where it became both the band's lowest-charting and -selling album to date. Its first and only single "One Life
," however reached number fifteen on the German Singles Chart. Plans for a second single, "Derailed," were eventually scrapped for unknown reasons.
In May 2010, the band began their five-date acoustic "An Intimate Evening With" tour in Munich, their first concert tour in eight years. The stripped-down club tour
was inspired by a 2003 special acoustic concert, and saw the band performing songs from all of their five studio albums. Band member Benaissa did not take part in the tour as she had called in sick a week before, prompting the remaining trio to re-arrange their set at the last minute. Generally well received by the media, the tour is said to be extended in 2011. In September 2010, it was announced that Benaissa had left following her two year suspended sentence and 300 hours of community service a month before, leaving the band as a trio. Currently pausing, the remaining three members of the band are said to released a live album in 2011.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
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...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska
Ludmilla Diakovska
Ludmilla "Lucy" Diakovska is a Bulgarian singer-songwriter, music producer, dancer, stage actress and television personality, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
, Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling , known professionally as Sandy, is a German singer-songwriter, dancer, television presenter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
, and Jessica Wahls
Jessica Wahls
Jessica Martina Wahls , also known under her nickname Jess, is a German pop singer, songwriter and television host, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German media.-Early...
. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
, a NRJ Music Award, two Comets
Comet (disambiguation)
A comet is a small astronomical body which orbits the sun. It may also refer to:-Animals:* Comet , a commonly kept form of goldfish* Several species of hummingbirds:** Bronze-tailed Comet...
, a Bambi
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
and a Goldene Kamera.
Originally a quintet, the group originated in 2000 on the international television talent show Popstars
Popstars (Germany)
Popstars is a German reality television series that began its first installment on the RTL2 network on November 14, 2000. Part of the international Popstars franchise, it originated from the same-titled New Zealand reality program....
and was one of the first television-casted act
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
s to enjoy attention throughout Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
in the early 2000s. Following a major success with record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
-breaking single "Daylight in Your Eyes
Daylight in Your Eyes
"Daylight in Your Eyes" is a dance-pop song written by American musicians Tony Bruno and Tommy Byrnes. Originally composed for Colombian singer Victoria Faiella's debut album Drama , it was re-recorded by German pop band No Angels' for their 2001 first studio album Elle'ments, following their...
" and debut album Elle'ments
Elle'ments
Special Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
in 2001, a series of hit records established their position as one of the most successful female band vocalists to emerge in the early decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
. They have since been ranked as both the "biggest-selling German girlband to date
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
" and "most successful girlband in Contintental Europe
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
" by the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, with four number-one hits, three number-one albums and record sales in excess of more than 5.0 million. In fall 2003, the members went their separate ways due to lasting exhaustion, focusing on their individual solo careers in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
In 2007, it was confirmed that four members of the original line-up, excluding original band member Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
, had reformed permanently and were set to record their first studio album in over four years, Destiny
Destiny (No Angels album)
Destiny is the fourth studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on April 13, 2007...
(2007). A year after, the group represented Germany
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
As a "Big 4" member , Germany qualifies directly for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 alongside last year's winner Serbia and the three other "Big 4" members France, Spain and the United Kingdom....
with their single "Disappear
Disappear (No Angels song)
"Disappear" is a pop song recorded by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Scandinavian songwriters Remee, Hanne Sørvaag, and Thomas Troelsen and co-produced by Remee and Troelsen. The track served as Germany's entry for the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, having earned tight...
" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
, where they finished 23rd in the final voting. After another musical hiatus, the band released a second post-reunion studio album entitled Welcome to the Dance
Welcome to the Dance
Welcome to the Dance is the fifth regular studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor and Universal Music Domestic throughout German-speaking Europe on September 11, 2009...
in 2009. In September 2010, Nadja Benaissa
Nadja Benaissa
Nadja Benaissa is a German singer, songwriter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date", according to the German media.After a series of commercially successful releases...
officially left the band to due to private reasons, leaving the No Angels as a trio.
2000: Formation on Popstars
The members of the No Angels were selected on the RTL2RTL II
RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many...
channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
's first series of Popstars
Popstars (Germany)
Popstars is a German reality television series that began its first installment on the RTL2 network on November 14, 2000. Part of the international Popstars franchise, it originated from the same-titled New Zealand reality program....
, a reality talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
which set about producing a five-piece girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
. Acquired by Tresor TV television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Holger Roost-Macias at the MIPTV Media Market
MIPTV Media Market
-MIPTV:MIPTV is an event which takes place annually in Cannes, using the facilities and infrastructure which the town has developed over the years to host other important events such as the Cannes Film Festival amongst other events....
event in Cannes, France in 2000, the series was the third adaption of the format following both an 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 and a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
version. In August and September of the same year, over 4,300 hopefuls turned up to auditions in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Oberhausen
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
which required both singing and dancing experience. The judges consisted of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
entertainer Simone Angel
Simone Angel
Simone Angel is a Dutch TV host.-MTV:Born in Woerden, Angel moved from there to London, England when she was 18. Here she was hired by MTV Europe, becoming the youngest VJ and, after working for nine years, she also became one of the longest serving VJs for MTV...
, concert booker Mario M. Mendryzcki and Rainer Moslener, an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
director of Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
.
Thirty-two out of two hundred girls eventually made it from the local recall shows to Majorca, Spain
Spain
Spain , 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...
to get trained in singing, dancing, and fitness. While the judges continued eliminating two or three girls each day with the help of choreographer Detlef Soost
Detlef Soost
Detlef Soost , also using the name D! , most often called Detlef D! Soost, is a German dancer and choreographer.-Life and work:...
and British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
vocal coach Robert Bicknel, eleven finalists remained and were sent home to prepare. After a final elimination
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
round, Nadja Benaissa
Nadja Benaissa
Nadja Benaissa is a German singer, songwriter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date", according to the German media.After a series of commercially successful releases...
, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling , known professionally as Sandy, is a German singer-songwriter, dancer, television presenter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
, Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
and Jessica Wahls
Jessica Wahls
Jessica Martina Wahls , also known under her nickname Jess, is a German pop singer, songwriter and television host, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German media.-Early...
were chosen, and signed a recording contract with Polydor. Managed by Joy Berhanu during their first year, the girls were named No Angels following a public televoting
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
and moved in together near Munich. With the final members of the group in place, the program followed the group during its recording sessions, photo and 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...
shoots and other promotional commitments such as showcases and instores. The show concluded with the band's first public live performance
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at The Dome
The Dome (television program)
The Dome is a German television program and music event, produced and broadcast by RTL 2. Roughly every three months, a new show is recorded in an event hall in different cities in Germany and Austria. In each episode, several national, but also international bands and musicians perform their...
at the Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
er Westfalenhalle
Westfalenhalle
Westfalenhallen are three multi-purpose venues, located in Dortmund, Germany. The original building was opened in 1925, but was destroyed during World War II. New halls were built, the Große Westfalenhalle opened in 1952. The capacity of the arena is 16,500...
in February 2001.
2001: Commercial breakthrough with Elle'ments
After weeks of recording, the No Angels released their debut single, "Daylight in Your EyesDaylight in Your Eyes
"Daylight in Your Eyes" is a dance-pop song written by American musicians Tony Bruno and Tommy Byrnes. Originally composed for Colombian singer Victoria Faiella's debut album Drama , it was re-recorded by German pop band No Angels' for their 2001 first studio album Elle'ments, following their...
" on February 5, 2001. The song instantly entered the top position on the Austrian, German and Swiss
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
Singles and Airplay Charts, making it one of the most successful debuts of the year. Selling over one million copies, the song also proved to be a hit outside German-speaking Europe
German-speaking Europe
The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in West, Central and Eastern Europe...
when it entered the singles charts of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the United Kingdom
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...
, and even became a number-one success in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Although an alternate version of the original 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...
was filmed for the North American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market the following year, both the video and the song saw minor commercial success overseas. However, "Daylight in Your Eyes" peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart in June 2002.
On March 12, 2001, the band released their debut album, Elle'ments
Elle'ments
Special Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
. Involving production by German producers Thorsten Brötzmann
Thorsten Brötzmann
Thorsten Brötzmann is a German record producer, composer, and arranger. He is perhaps best known for his collaboration with the No Angels, Bro'Sis, Christina Stürmer, Monrose, Jeanette, Alexander Klaws, and Modern Talking.-Number-one singles:...
, Leslie Mandoki
Leslie Mándoki
Hungarian-born Leslie Mándoki is a musician who performed for music group Dschinghis Khan and has since then gone on to a solo performer....
, and Peter Ries
Peter Ries
Peter Ries is a German record producer, composer, arranger, and remixer. Ries started his career as a singer in 1980 under nickname Gilbert...
, Elle'ments also entered the Austrian, German and Swiss Albums Chart at number-one. The No Angels broke records for becoming the "first act to ever debut at the top position in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland with both its debut single and debut album." The album would go on to sell more than one million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling German album of 2001. Elle'ments was eventually certified triple platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
and septuplicate gold by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
, and earned the band several internationally acclaimed prizes such as a Bambi
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
, two ECHO Awards and a World Music Award.
Riding a wave of publicity and hype, the group's second single, "Rivers of Joy
Rivers of Joy (song)
"Rivers of Joy" is a dance-pop song recorded by German pop group No Angels. It was written by Swedish composers Hans Andersson and Niklas Pettersson and produced by songwriter Peter Ries for the band's debut studio album, Elle'ments...
", became a top ten hit, while third single, "There Must Be an Angel
There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)
In 1997 recorded the Finnish parody rock band Leningrad Cowboys a cover for their 1997 album Mongolian Barbeque. In that cover the mouth organ was replaced by an electric guitar for the instrumentation and the intro was so taken with the electric guitar, unlike the original this version is very...
", a 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 1985 hit by British pop duo Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, continued the group's high record sales by topping the charts once again in Austria and Germany. The last single released from Elle'ments was a double A-side of album cut "When the Angels Sing
When the Angels Sing
"When the Angels Sing" is a pop song recorded by German pop group No Angels. It was co-written by Peter Ries and Chiere Thomas-Schmidtmer and produced by Ries for the band's debut studio album, Elle'ments ....
", and "Atlantis
Atlantis (song)
"Atlantis" is a folk-pop song written and recorded by Scottish singer Donovan. It was released as a single in 1968 and became a worldwide success; most notably in Austria, the United States and Germany, and in Switzerland where it became a number-one success in 1969 . In South Africa it peaked at...
", a duet with the song's original performer Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. The band had re-recorded the song for the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of the Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios is an American animation studio headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio, founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is the oldest subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
picture Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a 2001 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Written by Tab Murphy, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and produced by Don Hahn, it is the first science fiction film in the Disney animated features canon and the 41st overall. The film...
. It became a top five entry in Germany, and was subsequently certified Gold. Following this and two encounters as the opening act for the German leg of both DJ Bobo
DJ Bobo
Peter René Cipiriano Baumann , better known as DJ BoBo, is a Swiss singer, songwriter, dancer and music producer. He has sold 14 million records worldwide and has released 10 studio albums as well as a few compilation albums which have included his previous hits in a reworked format...
and Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
's 2001 concert tours, the No Angels embarked on their first own concert tour in October 2001. Compiling more than thirty dates, the tour concluded in December 2001 with all shows reportedly being sold out.
2002: Career development on Now... Us!
In June 2002, the No Angels released their second album, Now... Us!, which featured co-writes by all members and received critical acclaim from many critics who believed the band would not last past their first album. The album debuted at number one on the German Album Chart and at number two and four on the Austrian and Swiss albums chart respectively, and was eventually certified platinumPlatinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
and double gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
. Producers such as Mousse T.
Mousse T.
Mousse T. is a German DJ and record producer of Turkish descent. He is best known for his collaboration with Tom Jones, "Sex Bomb", released on the album Reload.-Biography:...
and Pontus Söderqvist
Pontus Söderqvist
Pontus Söderqvist is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. He often works with Nick Nice though their production centre, LaCarr Studios. One of their notable productions was Joana Zimmer's single "I Believe". The duo produced a couple of songs on the No Angels's album Now ... Us! with the single...
consulted on Now... Us!, whose media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
-critical leading single "Something About Us
Something about Us
"Something About Us" is a song by all-female German pop band No Angels. It was written by Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas and band member Vanessa Petruo for the group's second studio album Now.....
", penned by band member Petruo, became the group's third non-consecutive number-one hit in Austria and Germany within a period of sixteen months.
Further singles released from the album included latin pop
Latin pop
Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...
ballad "Still in Love with You", which reached the top five and was awarded a NRJ Music Award the following year, as well as Mousse T.-produced funk track "Let's Go to Bed
Let's Go to Bed (No Angels song)
"Let's Go to Bed" is a dance-pop song written and produced by Mustafa "Mousse T." Gündogdu and Errol Rennalls for the No Angels' second studio album, Now ... Us!...
", the band's first release to miss the German top ten.
Following an exclusive swing concert at the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Tränenpalast in October, the No Angels soon followed with a DVD and a live album, entitled When the Angels Swing
When the Angels Swing
When the Angels Swing is a swing album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Recordson on November 29, 2002. While the album failed to chart on the Swiss albums chart, it managed to peaked at number 9 in Germany and number 22 in Austria. Primarily produced and...
, featuring their biggest hits and selected songs from their first two albums, re-arranged by Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated jazz musician Till Brönner
Till Brönner
Till Brönner is a German jazz musician, trumpet player, singer, composer, arranger and producer. He has a unique jazz approach influenced by bebop and fusion jazz, but also modern pop music, movie soundtracks , country music and even German pop songs...
. Critically acclaimed by critics, the album reached number nine of the German Albums Chart, eventually going gold. In November, the girls embarked on their second national concert tour, the Four Seasons Tour, playing sell-out shows in theatres across German-speaking Europe. Acts such as B3
B3 (boy band)
B3 was an American pop boy band from New York. They were formed in 2001 and were first produced by O-Jay of German dance band Real McCoy. Original members were Timothy Andrew Cruz , John Steven Sutherland and Rod Michael . When Michael left in 2002, Blair Madison Late joined in...
and the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
served as their support.
Soon after the girls experienced a bit of turbulence when Jessica Wahls announced she was taking a break from the band to give birth to her first child
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. Although the girls agreed on Jessica's return the following year and Wahls was positive of a re-join after her daughter's birth in March 2003, the No Angels' management eventually decided on her departure in July 2003 as the group had equally successful went on as a quartet. While the singer accepted a recording contract as a solo artist with the group's label, Sandy Mölling later noted Jessica's pregnancy marked "the beginning of the end of the No Angels."
2003—2004: Pure era and disbandment
In early 2003, the remaining four members of the No Angels began intensifying work on their third regular album. Encouraged to exercise more self-control on the longplayer, the band took over responsibility in recording and selecting songs to guarantee a more personal effort — a step that challenged criticism and growing scepticism among the band's label Cheyenne Records and recording company Polydor. Entitled PurePure (No Angels album)
Limited edition bonus CD-Credits and personnel:* Thomas Blug - guitar* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Alan Darby - acoustic guitar, electric guitar* Flo Daunber - drums* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Clemens Heger - bass* Jeo - keyboards...
, the album was eventually released in August 2003 and became the band's third number-one album in Germany. Sporting a more mature side of pop music
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...
, it earned them their best reactions yet, drawing comparisons to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's album Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
(1998) as well as other female groups such as All Saints
All Saints (group)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
and the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
. With a total of about 150,000 copies sold however, it failed to achieve the success of its two best-selling predecessors, still going gold. Rock pop-influenced leading single "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
"No Angel " is a song recorded by all-female German pop band No Angels. The song was released as the album's lead single on April 22, 2003 in German-speaking Europe...
" became the group's fourth non-consecutive number-one single in Germany and seventh top ten hit in Austria, while mediterran "Someday
Someday (No Angels song)
"Someday" is a pop song written by Thomas Jansson and Niklas Hillbom for German pop band No Angels' third studio album, Pure . It was produced by Thorsten Brötzmann and received a mixed reception from music critics...
" and R&B-driven "Feelgood Lies
Feelgood Lies
"Feelgood Lies" is an dance-pop song performed by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Pelle Ankarberg, Charlie Dore, Niclas Molinder, Maryann Morgan and Joacim Persson for the group's third studio album Pure...
" both reached the top five of the charts.
Further planned single releases off the album never materialised. On September 7, 2003, the quartet announced that they would not come together for a new No Angels project in 2004 due to lasting exhaustion and instead were preparing their official disbandment towards the end of the year. While the media began a never-ending speculation about the reasons for their split and the pro and contra of a "creative pause," the girls and their management arranged the cancellation of all dates of their scheduled 2004 Pure Acoustic Tour. Even so, the band agreed on releasing a final album, The Best of No Angels
The Best of No Angels
- Charts :...
, in December of the same year
December 2003
-Events:-December 1:* Occupation of Iraq:** The firefight in which more than 50 Iraqis are reported killed is now thought to have been an attempted currency heist. ** One GI is killed Monday in fighting west of Baghdad. * World AIDS Day:...
. Apart from a collection of all singles the band had released between the years of 2001 and 2003, the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
also contained a reworked version of one of the debut album tracks, "Reason
Reason (song)
"Reason" is a pop song written by Thorsten Brötzmann and Alexander Geringas for the No Angels' debut studio album Elle'ments . Originally entitled "That's the Reason", a Brötzmann and Geringas produced and partially re-written version of the song was released as the band's farewell single on 24...
". Involving a re-joined Jessica Wahls, it was released as the band's final single before their split and became another top ten success for the group. A charity single featuring the band's vocals, "Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
", was released simlutaneously and reached number three on the German Singles Chart.
After a farewell concert in the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Olympiahalle
Olympiahalle
Olympiahalle is a multi-purpose arena in Munich, Germany, part of the Olympic Park and close to the Olympic Stadium.The arena is used for concerts, sporting events, exhibitions or trade fairs. In the past, it served as a part-time home for the defunct ice hockey team EC Hedos München...
on November 28, several promotional television appearances, and a private unplugged performance
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
in the Munich P1 club on December 12, 2003, the No Angels each went their separate ways, concentrating on their individual solo careers in music, theatre, television and film. A live compilation
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
of their P1 concert, entitled Acoustic Angels
Acoustic Angels
Acoustic Angels is a live album by German girl group No Angels. It was recorded as part of a special unplugged performance at the P1 club in Munich, Germany, and originally released on a special edition of band's third studio album Pure by Cheyenne Records...
, would become the their final release on the Cheyenne label in July 2004.
2006—2008: Reunion and ESC participation
After listening to a few old recordings, Lucy DiakovskaLudmilla Diakovska
Ludmilla "Lucy" Diakovska is a Bulgarian singer-songwriter, music producer, dancer, stage actress and television personality, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
approached her former bandmates in mid-2006 to arrange a first meeting with all original band members for years. While Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
refused to re-join the band in favour of an independent solo career in music and film, all other members of the original line-up agreed upon Diakovska's request to reunite for a musical comeback, and the band eventually took action to prepare their next album in secrecy from public. Following weeks of public rumors about a reunion of the band, an official press conference on January 31, 2007 announced that the No Angels had reformed and were working on a new studio album with producers Boogieman, Tobias Gustafsson, Steve Mac
Steve Mac
Steve Mac , is a songwriter, record producer and owner of Rokstone Studios in London.He has produced more than 22 number one singles in the UK and had several multi-million selling albums worldwide...
, Adrian Newman
Adrian Newman
Adrian Newman is a multi-platinum songwriter/producer.4 Multi Platinum, 2 Platinum & 2 GoldUSANo.127 Billboard Album with Boa JapanNo.1 Album with Boa No.1 Album with Kumi Koda...
, and the Redfly team.
Destiny (No Angels album)
Destiny is the fourth studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on April 13, 2007...
, received a lukewarm reception from music critics, and debuted at number 4 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, number 14 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and number 22 in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, making it the band's first regular studio album release neither to reach the top position on the German Media Control Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
nor the top ten in Austria and Switzerland respectively. It eventually sold 30,000 copies domestically during its run on the charts, also making it the No Angels' lowest selling album to date. While the album's lead single "Goodbye to Yesterday
Goodbye to Yesterday
"Goodbye to Yesterday" is a pop song performed by German pop group the No Angels. It was written and produced by Pelle Ankarberg, David Jassy, Niclas Molinder, and Joacim Persson and co-produced by Twin and Ankarberg for the band's fourth studio album Destiny...
" still made it to the top five, follow-up "Maybe
Maybe (No Angels song)
"Maybe" is a pop-rock song performed by German pop group No Angels. It was written and composed by Pelle Ankarberg, Niclas Molinder, Maryann Morgan, and Joacim Persson and originally recorded by Norwegian singer Trine Rein, featuring strings by violinist Andreas Ljones...
" and double A-single "Amaze Me
Amaze Me
"Amaze Me" is a pop ballad performed by German pop group No Angels. It was written by British songwriters Steve Mac and Karen Poole, and produced by Boogieman and Roland Spremberg for the band's fourth studio album Destiny ....
"/"Teardrops" became the No Angels' lowest-charting singles to date, never making it to the top 20 of any chart. In March 2008, the album was re-released as Destiny Reloaded
Destiny (No Angels album)
Destiny is the fourth studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on April 13, 2007...
, including previously unreleased songs, remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es and b-sides. In fall 2007, the No Angels produced the theme song, "Life Is a Miracle
Life Is a Miracle (song)
"Life Is a Miracle" is a dance-pop song recorded by the German pop group No Angels as the theme song of the soundtrack for the 2008 Warner Bros. animated feature Kleiner Dodo...
" and a music video for the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
animated feature Kleiner Dodo.
In January 2008, it was announced that the group had qualified for the Grand Prix Vorentscheid
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
As a "Big 4" member , Germany qualifies directly for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 alongside last year's winner Serbia and the three other "Big 4" members France, Spain and the United Kingdom....
, the German national pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
. Following several weeks of promotional appearances, the No Angels entered the competition in March with Remee
Remee
Remee is a Danish producer, composer and song writer.-Career:Throughout his career Remee has written more than 60 hits around the world and has sold over 25 million records...
-and-Troelsen
Thomas Troelsen
Thomas Troelsen is a composer and producer from Denmark.- History :Thomas Troelsen is a singer, songwriter, and producer responsible for chart-topping hits, like Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet", Monrose's "Hot Summer", PRIVATE's "My Secret Lover", and BoA’s “Eat You Up." He was also the lead...
-produced "Disappear
Disappear (No Angels song)
"Disappear" is a pop song recorded by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Scandinavian songwriters Remee, Hanne Sørvaag, and Thomas Troelsen and co-produced by Remee and Troelsen. The track served as Germany's entry for the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, having earned tight...
", competing against all-male groups Marquess
Marquess (band)
Marquess is a German pop band established in 2006 in Hannover. The group predominantly sings songs in Spanish.-Albums:* Marquess * Frenetica * ¡YA! * Compañía del sol -Singles:-Trivia:...
and Cinema Bizarre
Cinema Bizarre
Cinema Bizarre is a band from Berlin. They released their debut album in 2007. Their manager is Lacrimosa singer and songwriter Tilo Wolff. In January 2010, the band announced that they were taking a break and have since said that they will not reform....
, and singers Tommy Reeve and Carolin Fortenbacher. Widely considered as early favourites by the media, the band eventually finished first, having earned tight 50,5% of the audience vote over Fortenbacher in the second and final election round. Released on February 29, 2008, "Disappear" reached number four in Germany, where it became the band's biggest-selling single in years. With Germany being one the biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
, the No Angels were allowed to skip the contest's semi-finals and automatically qualified for competition with 24 other countries in the finals of the ESC in May 2008. An estimated 100 million fans watched the final contest, and viewers from all 43 participating nations voted for their favourite performers via text message and telephone. The No Angels eventually ranked 23rd place out of the 25 countries that participated with a total of 14 points – taking 12 points from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, band member Lucy Diakovska's native country, and 2 points from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
only. Only the United Kingdom
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...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
placed below the four-member female band.
2009—present: Changes with Welcome to the Dance
Having managed themselves since their reformation, the band signed a deal with Khalid Schröder's Kool Management in mid-2008, and started work on their fifth studio album Welcome to the DanceWelcome to the Dance
Welcome to the Dance is the fifth regular studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor and Universal Music Domestic throughout German-speaking Europe on September 11, 2009...
, involving a smaller team of North American musicians such as The Writing Camp
The Writing Camp
The Writing Camp is an American songwriter collective, founded by Evan "Kidd" Bogart and David "DQ" Quiñones. Since its formation in 2007, the team has been responsible for a series of successful released in pop, R&B and dance music, including 2008's "Right Here " by Brandy and Beyoncé Knowles's...
, Adam Messinger
Adam Messinger
Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. Besides his solo work, he is part of the writing and production duo "The Messengers" along with Nasri Atweh.-Career:...
, Nasri Atweh
Nasri
Nasri meaning support or victory is an Arabic male given name, which also appears as a surname.-Given name:* Nasri Tony Atweh, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer* Nasri Maalouf , Lebanese politician...
, Bill Blast, and Aaron Pearce. Taking the group's work further into the dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
genres, it was released on September 11, 2009, following band member Nadja Benaissa's charge of grievous bodily harm and temporary imprisonment in April 2010. Released to generally negative reviews by critics, who criticized the band for their missing individuality, the album debuted at number twenty-six in Germany where it became both the band's lowest-charting and -selling album to date. Its first and only single "One Life
One Life (No Angels song)
"One Life" is a song by German pop band No Angels. It was written by American musicians Nasri Atweh, Hakim Bell, Adam Messinger, Akene "The Champ" Dunkley, and group members Nadja Benaissa, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls for their fifth regular studio album Welcome to the Dance...
," however reached number fifteen on the German Singles Chart. Plans for a second single, "Derailed," were eventually scrapped for unknown reasons.
In May 2010, the band began their five-date acoustic "An Intimate Evening With" tour in Munich, their first concert tour in eight years. The stripped-down club tour
Club tour
The Club Tour, Kiss' first tour, was short due to the band being signed by Casablanca Records. During this time, Kiss hired Bill Aucoin as their manager. The band recorded their first album, Kiss, during this tour...
was inspired by a 2003 special acoustic concert, and saw the band performing songs from all of their five studio albums. Band member Benaissa did not take part in the tour as she had called in sick a week before, prompting the remaining trio to re-arrange their set at the last minute. Generally well received by the media, the tour is said to be extended in 2011. In September 2010, it was announced that Benaissa had left following her two year suspended sentence and 300 hours of community service a month before, leaving the band as a trio. Currently pausing, the remaining three members of the band are said to released a live album in 2011.
Studio albums
- Elle'mentsElle'mentsSpecial Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
(2001) - Now ... Us!Now ... Us!Now ... Us! is the second studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor subsidiary Cheyenne Records on June 24, 2002 in German speaking Europe...
(2002) - PurePure (No Angels album)Limited edition bonus CD-Credits and personnel:* Thomas Blug - guitar* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Alan Darby - acoustic guitar, electric guitar* Flo Daunber - drums* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Clemens Heger - bass* Jeo - keyboards...
(2003) - DestinyDestiny (No Angels album)Destiny is the fourth studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on April 13, 2007...
(2007) - Welcome to the DanceWelcome to the DanceWelcome to the Dance is the fifth regular studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor and Universal Music Domestic throughout German-speaking Europe on September 11, 2009...
(2009)
Other albums
- When the Angels SwingWhen the Angels SwingWhen the Angels Swing is a swing album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Recordson on November 29, 2002. While the album failed to chart on the Swiss albums chart, it managed to peaked at number 9 in Germany and number 22 in Austria. Primarily produced and...
(2002) - The Best of No AngelsThe Best of No Angels- Charts :...
(2003) - Acoustic AngelsAcoustic AngelsAcoustic Angels is a live album by German girl group No Angels. It was recorded as part of a special unplugged performance at the P1 club in Munich, Germany, and originally released on a special edition of band's third studio album Pure by Cheyenne Records...
(2004) - Very Best of No AngelsVery Best of No AngelsVery Best of No Angels is a compilation album by German pop group No Angels. It was released by Polydor Records and Universal Music on May 27, 2008 in most European territories , following the group's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.-Track listing:# "Disappear"...
(2008)
Tours
- Rivers of Joy Tour (2001)
- Four Seasons Tour (2002)
- An Intimate Evening With No Angels (2010)
2001
- BambiBambi (prize)The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
- "Pop National" - Bravo OttoBravo (magazine)Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
(Gold) - "Superband Pop" - CometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
- "Best Act National" - Eins Live Krone - "Best Newcomer"
- Goldene Henne - "Music"
- Top of the PopsTop of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
Award - "Top Single Germany"
2002
- Bravo OttoBravo (magazine)Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
(Gold) - "Superband Pop" - CometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
- "Viewer's Choice Award" - ECHO - "Best National Group - Rock/Pop"
- ECHO - "Best National Single - Rock/Pop"
- Eins Live Krone - "Best Band"
- Radio Regebogen Award - "Newcomer 2001"
- World Music AwardsWorld Music AwardsThe World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
- "Best-selling German Act"
2003
- Bravo OttoBravo (magazine)Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
(Gold) - "Superband Pop" - CometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
- "Band National" - ECHO - "Best National Videoclip"
- Eins Live Krone - "Best Single"
- Goldene Kamera - "Best Band"
- NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
- "Best German Song"
External links
- NoAngels-Music.de — official site
- NoAngels-Inside.de — official fan page