Samantha Cole
Encyclopedia
Samantha Cole is an American
dance-pop
singer/songwriter.
, New York
. At the age of 15, Cole began taking vocal lessons and landed a number of singing engagements in New York. Cole made some 30 appearances (and one performance) on MTV's
The Grind
, and became a regular performer at Tatou in New York City
. Through these appearances, Cole was discovered by Universal Music's Doug Morris
and Daniel Glass, and promptly signed to Universal Records
.
Cole's eponymous debut album was released in 1997. Cole co-wrote eight songs on the album, which included an impressive roster of all-star producers including: David Foster
, Nile Rodgers
, Richard Marx
, Rhett Lawrence
, and Diane Warren
. Cole's debut single "Happy With You" peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The follow-up single, "Without You", failed to chart. The song was covered by American Idol
stars Kimberley Locke
and Clay Aiken
in 2004, and went to #1 in Asia
. The song is featured on Locke's album, One Love
. Cole went on to release her last single from her debut album, "You Light Up My Life", in the UK
in 1997.
In 2001, Cole was featured on the single "Luv Me Luv Me", by Jamaican reggae
singer Shaggy. She was brought in to rerecord Janet Jackson
's vocals because Jackson had chosen not to allow Shaggy to use her vocals in the song. Her version of the single with Shaggy did not peak on any chart in the USA, but did peak at #5 on the UK Singles Chart
. In 2002, Cole teamed up with Shaggy for the second time for the song "Bring It To Me", that was featured on the Dark Angel
soundtrack.
In 2005, Cole released a cover version of Animotion's
1985 hit, "Obsession
". The song charted high on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and gained radio airplay.
Since releasing "Obsession", she has remained a staple of New York City
discothèque club scene, regularly performing to sold out crowds. Cole has also modeled and has appeared in layouts for 'FHM
' and Loaded
. She is reportedly working on her long awaited second album entitled Superwoman, on a new label, Alpha Omega Records.
Cole has also dabbled in acting, appearing in an episode of HBO's Sex and the City
, the WE
network reality show, Single In the Hamptons, and the Damon Dash
's 2003
film, Death of a Dynasty
.
"Without You" (December 9, 1997)
"You Light Up My Life" (UK release, 1998)
"Luv Me Luv Me" (With Shaggy, 2001)
"Obsession
(2005)
"Bring It to Me" (2005)
"Bring It to Me" (Dark Angel Remix) (2005)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
singer/songwriter.
Early life & career
Cole grew up in SouthamptonSouthampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. At the age of 15, Cole began taking vocal lessons and landed a number of singing engagements in New York. Cole made some 30 appearances (and one performance) on MTV's
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
The Grind
The Grind (TV series)
The Grind was a Dance music show broadcast on the cable television station MTV between 1992 and 1997.It replaced Club MTV, and featured people dancing to music tracks in a studio, linked by various hosts, including Eric Nies and DJ Jackie Christie. While Club MTV was mostly Dance, House and...
, and became a regular performer at Tatou in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Through these appearances, Cole was discovered by Universal Music's Doug Morris
Doug Morris
Doug Morris is an American music executive. He is the current Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011.-Life and career:...
and Daniel Glass, and promptly signed to Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
.
Cole's eponymous debut album was released in 1997. Cole co-wrote eight songs on the album, which included an impressive roster of all-star producers including: David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
, Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence is a record producer and songwriter. He is originally famous for producing the Grammy Award–winning, Billboard #1 Hot 100 and #1 R&B single "Vision of Love" for Mariah Carey. He produced and co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson pop rock hit "Miss Independent” which was #1 for 6 weeks at Top...
, and Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. Cole's debut single "Happy With You" peaked at #78 on 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...
. The follow-up single, "Without You", failed to chart. The song was covered by American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
stars Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and model. She has recorded in the dance, pop and adult contemporary music genres....
and Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
in 2004, and went to #1 in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The song is featured on Locke's album, One Love
One Love (Kimberley Locke album)
One Love is the debut album of American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke. According to SoundScan, total sales of the album to date is approximately 213,000 copies.-Track listing:# "8th World Wonder" – 3:59...
. Cole went on to release her last single from her debut album, "You Light Up My Life", 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...
in 1997.
In 2001, Cole was featured on the single "Luv Me Luv Me", by Jamaican 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...
singer Shaggy. She was brought in to rerecord Janet Jackson
Janet 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...
's vocals because Jackson had chosen not to allow Shaggy to use her vocals in the song. Her version of the single with Shaggy did not peak on any chart in the USA, but did peak at #5 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
. In 2002, Cole teamed up with Shaggy for the second time for the song "Bring It To Me", that was featured on the Dark Angel
Dark Angel (TV series)
Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
soundtrack.
In 2005, Cole released a cover version of Animotion's
Animotion
Animotion is a 1980s U.S. New Wave/synthpop band from Los Angeles, California best known for their songs "Obsession" , "Let Him Go", "I Engineer" and "Room to Move"...
1985 hit, "Obsession
Obsession (song)
"Obsession" is a 1983 song covered in 1984 by the Synthpop-New Wave group Animotion. The song hit number six in the United States, and number five in the United Kingdom in early 1985, helped by a distinctive video that received heavy rotation on MTV....
". The song charted high on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and gained radio airplay.
Since releasing "Obsession", she has remained a staple of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
discothèque club scene, regularly performing to sold out crowds. Cole has also modeled and has appeared in layouts for 'FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
' and Loaded
Loaded (magazine)
Loaded, first published in 1994, is a British magazine for men that is considered to be the "original lads' mag". Its motto is "For men who should know better".-History:...
. She is reportedly working on her long awaited second album entitled Superwoman, on a new label, Alpha Omega Records.
Cole has also dabbled in acting, appearing in an episode of HBO's Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, the WE
WE: Women's Entertainment
WE tv is an American cable television channel that is marketed towards women. It features some original programming, such as non-fiction talk shows, as well as made-for-TV movies, older feature films, and reruns of TV shows, it also shows art and fashion documentaries and reality series....
network reality show, Single In the Hamptons, and the Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
's 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
film, Death of a Dynasty
Death of a Dynasty
Death of a Dynasty is a comedy film first screened in 2003. It is a satire of the hip hop music industry centered around Roc-A-Fella Records, and stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Capone and Damon Dash. It also features cameo appearances by musicians, actors and celebrities such as Jay-Z, Mariah Carey,...
.
Albums
Samantha Cole (September 23, 1997)- Down in Love
- Happy with You
- I'm Right Here
- Sometimes
- Without You
- Surrender to Me
- Sweet Sweet Surrender
- Crazy
- I'm By Your Side
- You Light Up My Life
- What You Do to Me
- Shadow of Love
Singles
"Happy with You" (August 12, 1997)- Happy with You [Radio Version]
- Happy with You [Instrumental]
"Without You" (December 9, 1997)
- Without You
- Down in Love [Excerpt]
- Sweet Sweet Surrender [Excerpt]
- I'm Right Here
- What You Do to Me
"You Light Up My Life" (UK release, 1998)
- You Light Up My Life [Messy Club Mix]
- You Light Up My Life [Messy Dub Mix]
- You Light Up My Life [Messy Radio Mix of Club Mix]
- You Light Up My Life [Album Version]
- Shadow of Love
"Luv Me Luv Me" (With Shaggy, 2001)
"Obsession
Obsession (song)
"Obsession" is a 1983 song covered in 1984 by the Synthpop-New Wave group Animotion. The song hit number six in the United States, and number five in the United Kingdom in early 1985, helped by a distinctive video that received heavy rotation on MTV....
(2005)
"Bring It to Me" (2005)
"Bring It to Me" (Dark Angel Remix) (2005)