Electribe 101

Electribe 101 was a British-based house-music group in the late 1980s and early 1990s,[1] managed by Tom Watkins, then manager of Pet Shop Boys.

Musical career

Named after a Soviet refrigerator[Ref needed] and the Roland SH-101 synthesizer, the band was composed of four electronic composers and producers from Birmingham (Brian Nordhoff, Joe Stevens, Les Fleming, and Roberto Cimarosti) and a female vocalist from Hamburg, Germany (Billie Ray Martin).[1]

Before signing with Mercury/PolyGram Records in 1988, the group released its first single, "Talking With Myself," without much success. However, before its next single release, Martin guested with Eric Robinson of Eric and the Good Good Feeling on the S'Express record "Hey, Music Lover."

The Top 10 success of "Hey, Music Lover" sparked interest from the music press in Martin's band, although Eric and the Good Good Feeling's album flopped. Electribe 101 signed with Mercury/PolyGram Records, and its single "Tell Me When The Fever Ended" was issued.[1] It reached number 32 in the UK Singles Chart.[2]

In 1990, Electribe 101 released its debut album, Electribal Memories.[1] The group also re-released its single "Talking With Myself," which reached #23 on the UK Singles Chart. In late 1990, the band released a cover version of the Odyssey song "Inside Out" and toured as support act for Depeche Mode.

As the group started work on recording its second album, the band members had differences of opinion with Mercury and tensions grew between the members. The label refused to release its second album and Electribe 101 split in early 1992.[1] Not wanting to continue under the name Electribe 101 without Martin, who decided to embark on a solo career, the band renamed itself the Groove Corporation,[1] and signed with the Network Records subsidiary label Six6.

Group members
  • Billie Ray Martin
  • Joe Stevens
  • Les Fleming
  • Roberto Cimarosti
  • Brian Nordhoff

Discography

Singles
Year Single Peak positions Album
UK
[3]		 IRE US Dance
[4]
1988 "Talking with Myself" (Club) ——— Electribal Memories
1989 "Lipstick on My Lover / Diamond Dove" (promo only) ———
"Tell Me When the Fever Ended" 32—22
1990 "Talking with Myself" (Mercury reissue) 23268
"You're Walking" 50——
"Inside Out" 77——
1998 "Talking with Myself '98" 39—— Single only
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Albums
  • Electribal Memories (Mercury/PolyGram Records) 1990 UK #26 - reissued as The Best of Electribe 101 featuring Billie Ray Martin in 2002.
  • Co-operation - as the Groove Corporation (Six6/Network Records) 1994

[2]

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 421. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 180. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. "The Official Charts Company - Electribe 101". The Official Charts Company. 4 April 2014.
  4. "Electribe 101 - US Dance Club Songs Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
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