Amazulu

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Amazulu
  UK 97 December 6, 1986 (1 week)
Singles
Cairo
  UK 86 03/26/1983 (5 weeks)
Excitable
  UK 12 07/06/1985 (13 weeks)
Don't you just know it
  UK 15th 11/23/1985 (11 weeks)
The Things the Lonely Thu
  UK 43 03/15/1986 (6 weeks)
Too Good to Be Forgotten
  DE 31 08/18/1986 (10 weeks)
  UK 5 
silver
silver
05/31/1986 (13 weeks)
Montego Bay
  UK 16 09/13/1986 (9 weeks)
  US 90 07/25/1987 (4 weeks)
All over the world
  UK 78 11/22/1986 (2 weeks)
Mony Mony
  UK 38 10/10/1987 (5 weeks)
Wonderful World Beautiful People
  UK 97 12/12/1987 (1 week)

Amazulu was a British ska and new wave band from the 1980s.

history

In the early 1980s, this band with a South American-Caribbean background, four women and a male drummer, came together in England. She was discovered by Falcon Stuart, the manager of Adam & The Ants , and released her first single in 1983, titled Cairo . It didn't make it into the top 75, but it was still a respectable success in the UK. After two more unsuccessful singles, Amazulu made their breakthrough in 1985 with Excitable . This and the follow-up single Don't You Just Know It , a cover version of the Governors ' 60s hit Don't Ha Ha , reached the UK Top 20.

They then continued their success with cover versions. The reggae version of the soul title Too Good To Be Forgotten , a top 10 hit by the Chi-Lites from the 1970s, became their biggest hit not only in England at number 5, so they also became aware of Amazulu internationally. Just like the new recording of Bobby Bloom's hit Montego Bay , the song was played very often on the radio in Germany and both singles made it into the charts in Germany and the USA. Her last single Wonderful World, Beautiful People was a cover version of the song by Jimmy Cliff .

In addition to the happy reggae hits, Amazulu also dealt with critical issues such as social and minority problems. Their album Amazulu , which bears the band name , also contained quieter, less cheerful numbers. But it didn't go down so well with record buyers.

Disagreements in the band and declining success then led to the split in 1987 after a last Top 40 hit, Mony Mony - originally by Tommy James & the Shondells -. The singer Annie Ruddock, Lesley Beach and Sharon Bailey tried to build on their success as Amazulu II, but they did not succeed. Only bassist Claire Kenny was heard afterwards as an accompanist for Shakespears Sister or Sinéad O'Connor .

Band members

  • Ann-Marie Ruddock (born June 22, 1963), vocals
  • Margo Sagov, guitar
  • Claire Kenny, bass
  • Lesley Beach (born September 30, 1954), saxophone
  • Sharon Bailey (born November 22, 1957), percussion
  • Nardo Bailey, drums

Discography

Albums

  • Amazulu (1986)

Singles

  • Cairo (1983)
  • Smiley Stylee (1983)
  • Moonlight Romance (1984)
  • Excitable (1985)
  • Don't You Just Know It (1985)
  • The Things the Lonely Do (1986)
  • Too Good to Be Forgotten (1986)
  • Montego Bay (1986)
  • All Over the World (1986)
  • Mony Mony (1987)
  • Wonderful World, Beautiful People (1987)

literature

  • Hit-Lexikon des Rock und Pop, Frank Laufenberg, Ullstein, 2004, p. 32.

swell

  1. ↑ Charts DE Charts UK Charts US
  2. ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK

Web links