GIRLBANDWATCH 2008

Last year DSTP examined a number of up and coming girlbands from around the world. Now its time to review where they are and whether they've made it to 2008. Naturally there are few more additions...

Red Blooded Women

Wow! What an amazing few months its been for Red Blooded Women. They've been touring, and received a whole lot of love from blogs and messageboards that are usually fiercely loyal to Girls Aloud and Sugababes. The buzz is naturally growing and with songs like Colour Me Dirty its completely understandable. The first single is said to be a "soft release" of You Made Your Bed and in true pop traditional stylee its being back-up with 4 2 Nite. Yes a double a-side! This should pave the way for the song Keep Up The Attraction. Its amazing. It puts the o in glory. It truly does. Released now! Get it here.

LoveShy/Clea

Last time Dontstoppop ran this feature Aimee and Emma were on the verge of revealing their new name. Sadly it wasn't to be. But they gave us some tunes & I don't think it'll be the last we hear from the girls themselves. They outlived an entire family tree of reality tv popstar bands and for this they should incredibly proud of their discography.

Cut

A new addition to the GirlbandWatch and from Germany! And they are amazing. Just check out their myspace. The song What Is Life is amazing. I am saddened that they aint online ANYWHERE. There should be far more buzz about this new girlband! The track When Its Over is equally amazing. Damn them for being soooooooooooooooooo good!

The Saturdays

A new addition to GirlbandWatch! Woohoo! The single, If this is Love, is getting heavy airplay from all the major radio stations. Which is great as the single is a touch of class. Expectations are running high on this band doing well. Indeed, internet forums have fallen deep for this particular band. The band consists of former S Club 8 members Frankie and Rochelle as well as Mollie, Una and Vanessa. They've toured with Girls Aloud and I gotta feeling they won't end up like their "foremothers", the long lost band Cookie. I can't wait to hear the song Up which is slated to be rather amazing. After If This Is Love charted at number 8, DSTP is hoping Up will do better...

Monrose

The new album is in the works and is ready for release after the second single slated to be . With tracks written by Dontstopthepop favourite Jasmine Baird, Alexis Strum and Shelly Poole. Key songs are "Going out Tonight", "Why Not" and "What They Want". They are on the verge of releasing the brilliant track "Hit and Run" which you check out here. Its brilliant!

Caracola

After doing themselves proud at Melodifestivalen, Caracola return to the Swedish charts with their new single Vamos Vamos. Sprayed with summer sun the track was a clear favourite when DSTP reviewed the track in the album review some months ago.

Golden Delicious

Biting at the heels of Caracola are the wonderful Golden Delicious. Golden Delicious released Ride Of Your Life earlier this year & represented Sweden at the Cesme International Song Contest! They've recently uploading brand new songs, albeit demos, on their myspace. I highly recommend you check out the super bitchy track One Step.

Sister Love

One of my favourite girlbands, Sister Love released their album "Three Of A Kind" earlier this year and its loaded with anthem. The girls are currently on a summer tour & should be releasing a single very soon. I'm hoping for Suddenly!

No Angels

In the last Girlbandwatch No Angels had just released the flop double a-side Teardrops/Amaze Me. A lot has happened since but I wont bore you with the details. They are currently on a little promo tour around Germany doing particular summer tv dates which is a testing ground for their new concert tour. They are also currently writing the 5th studio album in LA and girls, steer clear of the covers please. Its due for Spring 2009.

Milk & Honey

All is not looking good on the Milk&Honey front! Despite generally quite good chart positions of their two singles Didi and Habibi the release of their album Elbi hasn't come to fruition. In Germany that is! The girls are pretty big in the middle east & in Slovenia which luckily managed to secure the release. So if your going that way on your holidays you should be able to find it.

Cosmo4

In the last girlbandwatch, their album Around The World was going to be released in Russia. That seems not to have happened. However I was told by their Swedish record company that they are releasing Around The World on Itunes over summer. We shall see...Swedish record companies rarely bail out on pop acts who've released four singles, all relatively big and one which appeared on Melodifestivalen....

Pay-TV

The legends that are Pay-TV have so many things currently lined-up for the next few months. They are touring, promoting their single Fashion Report and will be releasing a very special collection of songs that you'll be able to get when they perform at particular venues throughout the summer. Its not an album. Thats still on its way! But its very close to an album. Its NOT an EP either. Its somewhere in-between. I've heard it. Its good. Key song? A track simply titled 123. Its quite amazing. The hybrid album/EP will be available here as a PayTV competition! On DSTP! Just watch this space...

Electric Dolls

Since the last Girlbandwatch, Electric Dolls have had a slight member change but have gone from strength to strength. The other week they graced the red carpet at the premier of Mamma Mia & performed at the 02 Wireless Festival. They've shot the video and expect it to appear soon! Woohoo!

Soccx

Sad news. After releasing some excellent songs the girls that are Soccx are no more. Well, sort-of. Before the album release in France, Claude and Nicole left the group. Still the remaining three kept on! Yay for Noreen, Caity and Dom! However that wasnt sustainable & the Soccx project has been pretty much shelved. However I wouldn't say its done and dusted. The girls are mates and are still in the music industry so watch this space.

Lucky Twice

Lucky Twice released one of the finest pop albums of last year. Well, they are back! And a new member too! Yes! The song Lucky is being released in Asia where its expected to be huge. So thats the market they'll be concentrating for the meantime. Once thats done Lucky Twice will be recording their new album (well, its a re-recording of the album that only saw its release in Spain).

Raen

The Australian girlband are in the UK! They'll be releasing their single Drama Fanatic in a few weeks backed-up with some grand remixes and live dates. You can still get your free download of Break Me here.

Sugababes

A new album is planned for late 2008 or early 2009. I'm thinking that it'll be released just before the Christmas market. Rumour has it they're working with Timbaland which might make their sixth studio album a bit behind the times seeing as he's working with nearly everyone but my mum! Knowing the Sugababes though they'll bring out something unheard out of the producer. They have that something special. I think its Heidi's amazing vocals. Their new single "Girls" is due October and features a controversial a sample of Ernie K-Does track "Here Come The Girls". Some love it. Some don't. I'm not sure...

Girls Aloud

In my personal opinion, Tangled Up deserved one more single. And that was either Control of The Knife or Fling. What is it with Girls Aloud and their albums tracks which scream to be released? I haven't quite recovered from the failure to release the utterly amazing Wild Horses. Tangled Up, with its three singles, had some amazing girlband moments and yet...they'll never appear on a second volume of their greatest hits whenever thats released whenever that comes out. Anyways, the girls are already recording the follow-up with Cheryl doing X Factor on the side. A very busy time indeed.

Slinkee Minx

I cant quite make out whats happening with the Australian trio. I think they're putting out something in the U.S but I might have got my facts wrong on this one. Its been quite quiet. I hope they are still together.

Wir3

The German trio released their kiddiepop album earlier this summer and it did well for the market it was targeted at. They are currently on a summer tour promoting their new single Omi ist Der Hit which features Sweety. A bird. Ahem. At the end of the month sees the release of a new song called Liebeskapitan. If you like BeFOUR you'll like Liebeskapitan.

Hope

The girlband created through X Factor. A few weeks they posted a new song on their myspace which took a few by surprise as it was actually not bad. A cross between Mr.Gorgeous by LoveShy and Rihanna's S.o.S their song Hot follows in the footsteps of Monrose's Hot Summer by referring to things being a bit on the warmer side. Not totally fond of the Pharrell collaboration though.

Scarlettes

A new girlband! And what a mighty pop song they've already 'released'. Pjanoo Fever, vs Eric Prydz, threatens to be huge this year. Word from their Pride performances is that they completely own the stage. I'd keep an eye out for the Scarlettes. Methinks they could be huge this summer. Check them out here.

Bisou

The rivals to Monrose are back with the wonderful Es Wird Heiss (It Will Be Hot). Its a lot better than the comeback tracks by Monrose. The girls have also offered a free download of a new song Nichts Fur Mich which you can get here.

ElectraCute

The new girlband ElectraCute are putting out stuff thats very close to DSTP's heart. Methinks come 2009 we'll know a lot more about them. Working in the UK and Norway on their album, ElectraCute produce music that is a mixture between beautiful harmonies and rather catchy melodies. With some managerial help from very successful popstars, I expect this band to go far. As with all the new girlbands highlighted above-Electrocute are face an amazing and extraordinary amount of compitition. My list doesn't even include the likes of Electrovamp, Stonefoxx, Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane. However with tracks like Can You Fix Me and Wicked Kinda Love, the girls clearly have got their USP's sorted and thus have a really good fighting chance.

FRESH*N*JUICY Dub-I-Dub

Buy Fresh*n*Juicy's singles here
Buy the Greatest Hits of Me&My here

Today is a real celebration of 2001! It doesn't feel like it was 7 years ago but there you go! Oh the memories! Ok, this one is for the boys of Vauxhall, the dancing queens of Denmark and party princesses of Berlin. Its electro, its pumping and it recalls some brilliant early 2000 baselines that Europe is famous for. No Angels are considered as the mighty German girlband of the family of Popstars shows. Monrose have nothing on them (yet!) and lets not even talk about The Preluders. The fact that they’ve had huge successes both musically and commercially proves this point. Not only have No Angels survived the fate that befalls many girlbands (where are Expose, Eternal and SWV?) and Popstar bands (where are Excellence, Truebliss and Bardot?) but they’ve reached the pinnacle of producing a greatest hits album-something which very few bands produced out of the Popstar format ever manage to reach.

However, to me it’s all about the girlband that wasn’t the winning band. The German “Phixx” if you will. You see, while No Angels produced some great albums, Fresh*n*Juicy produced two great singles that I treasure quite madly. If I had to save either debut singles by each band from a burning flat, I’d choose the Fresh*n*Juicy Cd over Daylight In Your Eyes every time.

Take their track Dub-I-Dub. As you can see it’s a cover! A full set of A star marks awarded to the band for covering the pop legends Me&My but they also manage to actually improve on the Danish original. You’ve got to take your mind back to 2001. No Angels had released Daylight In Your Eyes. Despite not being chosen to be in No Angels, for being too poptastic I suspect, Fresh*n*Juicy decided to put on their hotpants, sequins and dig out their favourite Danish pop tracks. They released two singles. Dub-I-Dub and Life Is What You Make Of It. Both of which are poptrash anthems. Their version of Dub-I-Dub is just sublime and will always be my Ipod favourite. Yes it was probably far too clubby to ever reach the charts. Even for Germany! But its wonderfully trancy. If only No Angels had as been poptastic! Just think of the possibilities!!!

Fact: They consist of Franzi and Juana

Fact: Life is What You Make Of It sounds like a cross between Gina G’s Just A Little Bit, Boney M and Army of Lovers.

Fact: Their song “Touch” is a piece of Europop gold-dust.

LINNEA HANDBERG Made Up My Mind (Legal Download!)

A must pop album for any pop lover (this is the Japanese hit release of the cd)

Music Download (legal) : Made Up My Mind

Linnea Handberg. Linnea Handberg. Where tho art theeeee begin!?! Real name Linnéa Handberg Lund, Ms.Linnea is pop princess who hails from Denmark and most might know her stage name of Miss.Papaya under which she released her first album simply titled Pink back in 1998. However I want to focus on her second album released two years later and called This Is Who I Am. The album is the sort of CD that the likes of Solid Harmonie, Britney and Precious would have loved to have released. You know the songs I'll Be There For You and Hit Me Baby One More Time? Well imagine an entire CD full of songs of that pop notch quality. Today, Linnea herself has very kindly allowed readers of DontStopthePop to download one of those songs but this is not a case of me picking the best song and the rest of the album are all duds. On the contrary, the collection consists of one of the finest batch of pop songs of 2000. Despite major record company interest, including Maverick, things didnt appear to happen but I highly recommend you track down the album. Its not just a forgotten classic but each song has monumentally poptastic.

This is isnt me going over the top or anything. I declare such claims as I have the backing of other groups who evidently heard the brilliance of the album and grabbed tracks for their albums. Take the title track for example. It was covered and released by the French girlband L5 (who retitled it for their audiences as "Aime"). Following suit, the Swedish girlband, Excellence, covered the Danish act with their take on Linneas "I Believe It When I See It". Going to warmer climates Spains Chenoa covered Linnea's "Why You Doin' It Like That" and god knows about the rest but I highly suspect nearly all of her songs have gone to other acts. Indeed, recent material Jon of Denmark, Tik Tak of Finland and the Chipz albums all feature the song-writing credits of Linnea Handberg. Therefore, it would be only polite to raise a glass of cherry wine to one of Denmarks finest female song-writers (and as a thank you for allowing us to share one of her brilliant songs!).

Come 2007, she now spends her time appearing on one-off dance special releases but really dedicates her love & talent to song-writing. In 2004, she signed to EMI Music Publishing & from then on has seen her name on most album sleeves for pop acts around the world including the theme to Big Brother, working with DJ's and re-settling in London where she says most of the work is these days.

Thank you Linnea!

Critical Linkage

Myspace (Linnea)

Critical Purchase

This Is Who I Am (Gemm)
Pink (Amazon)

Coming up on DontStopthepop: The album from Soccx, something very special from Jonah & something very cool & unique from Robyn that you won't find anywhere else.

The Spice Girls Are Back....(but what about Nonstop, SOAP, TrueBliss!)

A few months ago there were stories in the press that placed doubt about this band ever reuniting. Mel C screamed "never", Victoria "pouted" and Simon Fuller shrugged his shoulders. However, by the start of the year I'd been informed by quite a reliable source that the Spice Girls had actually already signed on the dotted line. So let me just take a little moment here to plump and ruff up my feathers and do a "I told you so" shimmy ala Grace's mum from Will & Grace. Ok.....done! Seriously though, when I said it was the year of the girlband I meant it! I won't add any more that you've probably read already other than one hopes NonStop of Portugal, Soap of Denmark and TrueBliss of New Zealand follow suit with immediate effect!

Anyway, check out this Reuters video-clip of the Spice Girls walking about and taking photo's in the grounds of The Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Note how Geri has developed into Edina Monsoon's younger sister.

GIRLBAND WATCH
Other girlbands to look out for this summer

Clea: The brilliant British girlgroup Clea have some amazing songs recorded and will be relaunching very soon. Naturally DSTP will be right behind you girls!

Caracola: The poptastic Swedish girlband plan to release not one but two albums this year.

Raen: One of Australia's most exciting pop acts of the moment have recorded what are destined to be dancefloor anthems.

Lucky Twice: Already selling quite a lot in Spain, Lucky Twice have just released their album "Young & Clever" and it is already making sure its one of 2007's finest pop L.P's to own.

Slinkee Minx: Another Australian girlband that have just released their latest single called "Way Of Life". An album is expected very soon.

Monrose: The German popstars go from strength to strength with their latest offering "Hot Summer" produced by the Danish maestro Remee.

Other exciting girlgroups that have yet to confirm 07 releases but its likely: Girlband (OZ), Young Divas (OZ), Soccx (GER), Serebo (RUS), Wir3 (Ger), Pay-Tv (SE) and B-Tween (SE).

WIR-3 Heyah Mama-WARNING!-GLOBAL SUMMER HIT ALERT!!

Heyah Mama has the potential to be this years Las Ketchup so learn the lyrics now and you can be prepared! Wir3 are a girl-group from Germany and they've just released what could be the summer hit of 2007. Its actually already been hit (but for their big sister band-but more them later) and is expected to squeeze its way in Spain, France and German-speaking countries of Europe. A full blown tour has already been penciled in and its promising to be an exciting few months for Vera, Lina and Linda. Influences? B*Witched, Ace Of Base, Amy Winehouse and er K3!

With a brilliant pop video to go with the rather catchy song, you might be hearing Heyah Mama in your corner of the world eventually whether you like it or not. Why eventually? Well Wir3 are actually a sister band of K3 from Belgium and Holland. Who (I hear you cry!). K3 are a very successful girlgroup who are aimed at kids but have some of the catchiest music ever recorded in the history of pop. Think Amy Diamond with a bit of Banaroo and you've got the superband K3 summed-up. They'll feature tomorrow as "Girlband Legends" so I won't go on and on but I will discuss them with reference to Wir3. K3 was an idea spawned by T.V station Studio 100 a Dutch broadcasting company with rights in Beligum where the girls are also very successful.

The brilliantly poptastic video for Heyah Mama by Wir3 with dance routines and primary colours galore. Flowers check!; butterflies check!; ladybirds check! addictive pop song? CHECK!

They launched themselves in 1999 and have never looked back. There are T.V shows, T.V films, musicals, games, clothing ranges, remix albums, dolls, films, and so on all based around the phenomenon that is K3. Tomorrow DSTP will paying respect to the Dutch/Flemish supergroup so more will explained then. K3 are such legends that they've go their own franchise of spin-off girlbands planned for 2007.

What!? Yes, Wir3 is the first of these spin-off groups and they've launched themselves in the safe market of Germany with a cover of K3's 1999 hit single Heyah Mama. Personally I prefer the newer version only because they've made it a lot more catchier than its original. Compare the two for yourself by watchin' this Dutch sublime news report on Wir3-K3-



The people behind the band are wondering whether to take Wir3 in English-Spanish markets or to bring out domestic versions of the band in each respective country. BBC, the people behind the Teletubbies and S Club are currently in discussion as are Scandic broadcasting networks. What is sure, Heyah Mama is one of the catchiest songs released this summer. Wir3 have recorded Heyah Mama in English so it seems that we can expect much more from the song. As I type, my boyfriend has translated a Afrikaans website and there's a "K3" for South Africa launching this summer too.

Thus, Heyah Mama has world domination in its sights! And what a brilliant song it is! Last year DSTP predicted Lucky Twice and their single to be huge in the markets it came out in. The platinum discs handed to the Swedish girlband the other day attest the songs' success.

The success of Heyah Mama is a lot easier to take a gamble on only because its already a hit and theres broadcasting superstructure to back it all up. Still, if the gray clouds are blocking your sunshine today just play Heyah Mama and you'll be feel the white sands in between your feet in no time!

NB: Wir3 are touring Germany on the same tour of SummerPOP-07 so if your in Germany and nearby go and boogie!

Buy both BeFour and Wir 3 at Amazon.de

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Tomorrow K3 take their place as a legendary girlband so expect some of the campest/poppiest songs ever recorded. Also more Latoya and perhaps something Robyn!

GIRLBAND LEGENDS: The Classic Girl Groups

It’s a bit wrong to put these great masters of the girlband all together but sometimes catagorisation is quite necessary. Some have questioned the lack of the appearance of The Supremes in DontStopthePop’s exploration of girlbands but Diana Ross and her girls is a road often traveled. The point was to expose girlgroups that rarely get mentioned by the media, discographies, genealogies and biographies. Part of the reason for DontStopThePop existing is to discuss pop that is undeservedly forgotten. It isn’t about zeitgeist or the latest starshine music, on the contrary pop that features here usually comes from acts that history forgets.

This update is huge so forgive the lack of the depth in some cases. It has utilised the pop knowledge of Pinkiedust over at YouCallThatLife who has submitted some of long lost girlgroups you see here today and his assistance has been more than helpful. All of these girlgroups are legends in their own right and they’ve shaped the current music sense. The Supremes feature down below but not in the traditional sense…


Girlband Classic Legend No.1: The Girlfriends


The Girlfriends were an off shoot of the well-honed vocal session group called The Blossoms who appeared on many releases as backing vocalists of much of the Phil Spector 1960s output. If you listen to their My One and Only Jimmy Boy you’ll hear a startling closeness to the glamrock baseline of T-Rex of 1970s, ABBA, much of the thumping baseline of Swedish schlager pop queens Carola, Nanne, Magnus Carlsson Linda Bengtzing and Shirley Clamp. The starting claps are little previews of the disco scene that was about to explode twenty years later. Again, quite groundbreaking. My One And Only Jimmy Boy


Girlband Classic Legend No.2: The Cinderellas/The Cookies


Take the baseline of The Cinderellas' Baby Baby I Still Love You and you can almost sing ABBA's breakout Eurovision hit Waterloo over the top. The closeness is actually quite shocking. If you thought the electro pop of Sweden and the ubercool Goldfrapp motifs were traceable back to the 1970s you’d be understood but misplaced. The Cinderellas and their music is pretty much an amazing prologue to the pop history we enjoy today. Baby Baby I Still Love You


Girlband Classic Legend no.3: The Exciters


The Exciters original version of Tell Him was covered by Billie Davis who rudely made it the hit that everyone knows and adores despite being a girlband classic. The American girls are probably the most unluckiest band in pop history as their follow-up single Do Wah Diddy flopped for them but because a huge hit for Manfred Mann who took the song to no.1 in the US, UK and around the world. All of which makes the girls absolute legends. Tell Him


Girlband Classic Legend no.4: The Honeys



Get ready for a slice of absolute pure classic pop music. The Honeys were formed in 1963 by Brian Wilson who this month is the centre of attention at the Tate Gallery in St.Ives. They consided of girlfriend (and future wife), Marilyn, her sister, Diane, and their cousin, Ginger. Yes, if you thought the only Ginger in a girlgroup was the Spice sort you’d be wrong. Quite freakily, Ginger was the first girl in the group to leave when she went to sing backup for The Supremes. In 1983, Mariyln, Diane, and Ginger reunited as The Honeys and released their first LP, Ecstacy, under that name from Rhino Records. Five years later, in 1988, Rhino Records released a CD compilation that included the entire Spring album, all the Spring and American Spring singles and B-sides, and a few additional bonus tracks. The One I Can’t Have is so poptastic its like hearing the future sound of Eurovision, Scandipop and SAW all wrapped up in one song that lasts just one minute and 54 seconds. The One I Can't Have


Girlband Classic Legend no.5: The Velvelettes


When one of your songs has been sampled by Betty Boo and covered by the likes of Bananarama and Buffalo G (!) you deserve legendary status. I am of course talking about The Velvelettes' hit single He Was Really Saying Something. The girlgroup formed at their university (WMU) and are still together! Despite being signed to Motown Records they weren't given top priority, as other female vocal groups were attracting audiences and recording hits. While the group awaited their chance at stardom, they recorded backing vocals for more established Motown girl groups, including The Marvelettes, Martha & The Vandellas, and The Supremes. Eventually they broke out with their first single Needle In a HayStack which was then followed up with the groundbreaking He Was Really Saying Something. He Was Really Sayin' Something.


Girlband Classic Legend no.6: The Paper Dolls


Not to be confused with the 90s poptastic British band of the same name, this trio were the first group in pop history to nickname each other and use these titles in promotion and merchandise. The British group recorded a lot of material that got handed to bigger acts like Doris Day and Cilla Black. Their versions of Move Over Darling, Do You Know the Way To San Jose and Step Inside Love reign over the popeatspop covers that are staple songs for the acts concerned. However it is their Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad), Baby Take Me In Your Arms and Ain't Nothin' But A House Party gems which makes The Paper Dolls stand out from the rest. It’s a shame history has forgotten them! Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad).


Girlband Classic Legend no.7: The Ronettes

The Ronettes consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (a.k.a. Ronnie Spector), her sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. Their most famous songs include Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, and Walking in the Rain. However it's Silhouettes which is just amazing and rather groundbreaking. You think it’s a simple pop ballad but check out the amazing operatic backing vocals. Absolutely stunning and you’ll hear nothing like this in your life. Silhouettes


Girlband Classic Legend no.8: The Supremes


Everyone knows about this band. Musicals, films and Oscars. Meh! I think there overrated but you can’t talk about girlgroups without mentioning them. So here we go. One got famous and the others didn’t. Very tragic. The songs were a bit samey. Check out the excellent cover of The Supremes song (Baby Baby) Where Did Our Love Go by the Swedish girlband Bless(Bubbles). Remember when Steps covered Supreme Diana's Chain Reaction and we all quite surprisd because they’d good job? Well, I think Bless(Bubbles) update the song and improve on the original. Judge for yourself: (baby baby) Where did our love go?


Girlband Classic Legend no.9: Sister Sledge


Ok so fastfowarding right to the 70s, Sister Sledge were, like Atomic Kitten, considered over and done with. They were actually about to call it day when their last single We Are Family was released. Now, the song seems entrenched in pop music and culture. You can’t get married without hearing this song. It soothes a break-up, a friendship quarrel and a fight and is ALWAYS played at gay pride events. It has been covered by other girlgroups such as the Spice Girls, The Goldman Girls, Girl Authority, EyeQ and Nobody’s Angel. Their other hits have also shaped modern pop music like He’s The Greatest Dancer which was recently utilised by Will Smith and gave Dannii Minogue another reason to go on holiday following her strenuous performance on Dancing With The Stars. Sister Sledge and disco - it’s the same thing. We Are Family


Girlband Classic Legend no.10: The Shirelles


And back to the 1960s. Its quite natural to end this journey into girlband classic legends with The Shirelles. Why? Because this band were the first girl group to ever go to #1!?!?! Formed in 1958 The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. They provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy. They also launched the careers of Roberta Flack and Dionne Warwick while exposing American audiences to Beatles songs long before it was fashionable to do so. Who returned the favour by, along with Manfred Mann, swipped songs by The Shirelles and made hits with them for themselves. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow


Buy the brilliant collection of girl groups on the CD release Girl Grazy: The Ultimate Girl Group Collection at Amazon now.

SHINE4 Ietsie Binne My-A MUST DOWNLOAD!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure if you know this but I've been pretty unwell recently. What has kept me smiling? Girl Pop and girlbands from around the globe. Yes seriously! Whether it be forgotten SuperSister b-sides or the Argentinian Spice Girls Bandana I've had a giggle and a dance despite it all. When the doctors hail from Colombia it's quite useful to break the bleak mood of the room by gossiping about Colombian girlband Escarcha! Believe me, girlbands have oddly worked their magic. So sit back people, I am sharing one of my favourite girlband tracks with you today! Shine4 are very special and if you take little listen to Letsie Binne My you'll hear why.

I've done a little research on information around this band and sadly no blogger has covered this song. To my knowledge anyway. However I do think readers of PopJustice, TheZapping, PopEatsPop, PopPosterGirl and Poptrash Addicts will adore what they find when they download the song.

They might also have to scrape their tongue off from the floor. Only because I had to when I first heard it. Shocked I was! I Was! Shine4 come from South Africa which is slowly creeping on Australia, Sweden and Spain as the country for poptastic pop! Don't believe me? Refer to the facts that Lisa Scott-Lee released her album there this year alongside the Phixx album and of course who could forget Hi-5-the boyband that cover Eurovision songs that actually improve on the originals.

This picture just might be the best picture of a pop band of the 00's.

Shine4 consist of Marlese, Liesl, Desiree and Jill. They've released about 2 other albums but its their most recent album So Elektries that has got me excited. Why? Well not only does it feature the hand of Xenomania but the girls also cover Transvision Vamp and Wilson Phillips, do PopEatPop covers of Elize's Automatic(!), Fredrik Kempe and Christine Stumer. Need we say more? Just go and buy it yourself over at very reliable Kalahari.net. Check out their earlier stuff too while your at it. Especially their cover of Dragostea Din Tea which saw the girlband gain a boy for one very special moment in South African pop history...


Ok so I would actually like to dedicate this post to Mike Of Poptrash Addicts (YAZZ!). I also wanna thank the YCTL flight-crew: Pinkie (I'm sure you'll love this fantastic PopEatsPop example), PopPosterGirl (my fellow South African pop fan!), SlippyDisco (hopefully we'll be singing the English version of the above song with the girls in 2 weeks!) and Paul!

NO ANGELS RETURN AND COVER DANA GLOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Angels-A Reason
Dana Glover-A Reason

A few months ago DSTP covered one of my favourite acts Dana Glover. In a few days No Angels will be given the title DontStopthePop Girlband Legends. Now, out of nowhere the girlband from Germany has regrouped and released their studio album Destiny today! It features a number of brilliant pop songs including covers of Agnes Carlsson and L5 gems!

What is even more jaw-dropping is the fact that the girlband has covered the song "A Reason" which was originally available on the Dana Glover totally underrated debut album "Testimony". If you have no idea who the hell the singer is just check this link to recall our feature...this is what we said-


"Today's act is one of those artists that makes you weep a thousands tears, move mountains, sends your nervous system into shock and taps into anger ever so deep when you find out she's without representation. Her name is Dana Glover and she's my all time favourite act. I feel quite strange sharing her with others as her music is so special to me but shes the reason why I started this blog so here goes..."

In a very "PopEatsPop"-esq way I have included both versions of the songs. All I can say is this-DANA GLOVER FUCKING ROCKS!!! And it would be a girlband legend like No Angels that recognised Dana's brilliance.


No Angels-Make A Change
L5-Reste Encore

Extending the PopEatsPop madness I have also included the L5 original version of the No Angels track "Make A Change". I've always loved the original by the French girlband, who like No Angels were a produce of the TV series Popstars, but the German foursome make the song just a little bit better. The same can't be said for their cover of "A Reason" but they have a try. When the original is by Dana Glover your setting yourself a huge mountain to climb. A mountain of absolute perfection.....

Buy Dana Glover at Amazon and check out her Myspace
Buy L5 at Fnac
Buy No Angels at Amazon.

**Does a little dance of joy around the bedroom! I love Girlbands! I love Dana Glover!**

P.S-Don't you think Dana Glover gives us another album?

P.P.S-Don't you think PopEatsPop should come back?

Credits: Amazon Germany for sending the No Angels to my door on the day of release and Pinkie for the pic.

HEPBURN Cold World

Its freezing today isn't it! Warm yourselves up with this brilliant rare track by girlband Hepburn. Many might remember the girls for the guitar slicks but as you'll hear on Cold World they dabbled in hard core dance now and then. This even has that vocoder effect that was all the rage during the late 90's. Hepburn generally did tedious rock anthems like I Quit and Bugs but Cold World redeems the girls in our books. Don't read "Hepburn" and move on, Cold World is truly poptastic!

So details details! Cold World appeared as a b-side to the Australian release of I Quit (the UK b-sides were Sleeping Beauty and Butterfly). It then appeared on a Smash Hits giveaway CD when they use to throw-in collections of new bands rather than pocket mirrors, lipsticks and shit like that. You can hear more Hepburn material plus others at this little dedicated e-library!

Interesting websites: Hepburn discography

Credits: Chris!!

The first girlband legends post is on its way-in the meantime get your tuesday trance two-sets on and blast out Cold World! You'll love it!

LYNSEY SHAW OF ELECTRIC DOLLS SPEAKS TO DONSTOPTHEPOP

The Electric Dolls!

Seeing as Dontstopthepop loves girl bands it seemed natural to actually speak to a member of not just one poptastic girl-group but two! The Pop Princess Lynsey Shaw once belonged to the Stock/Aitken cult pop band Girls@Play (she was the cop) and now finds herself in the envious position of being a member the uberglam band The Electric Dolls. Although they've just begun their probably epic journey through Planet Pop! the Electric Dolls are already creating waves (groan!) within the music industry and beyond. They were girlband no.126 in our girlband essay and as you'll read below "legend status" is pretty much theirs before even a single is out...

Lynsey flaps her fans

DontstopthePop: Darling, you’re a pop legend! More than that, a Girlband legend-unlike many girlband members you’ve been in two. Two! Why, sweetie, why?

Linsey: Because I love my gals! I guess the time I had in G@P left me scarred for life and forever wanting to recreate the happy tour van of screaming women! Well kind of!? To be honest the visual impact of a gang of girls is very powerful and I like the concept & visuals that come with Electric Dolls. Maybe I just have a girlie dressing up fetish...??? It has been said before!

As a 14 year-old girl Loughborough lass what were you dancing to on your walkman when you should have been doing your history homework?

Do u know I have a very vivid memory of being at the bus stop on my way home from school at around 12 or so listening to a tape i'd made up of Elvis songs from my Dad's very large record collection. I think I still have it somewhere! I had a HUGE thing for Elvis, still do! (I was such a geek). By the time I'd blossomed & hit 14 it was Madonna all the way! Like A Prayer album probably!

I’ve always dreamt that the Girls@Play ‘shelved’ album somehow went missing Vicky Pollard style and found itself online. Tracks like Brand New Car and When Love Takes Over You sound rather enticing! Care to flare?

Well u remember more than me! When Love Takes Over You... god I'm not sure I can even hmmm it now! Brand New Car... well now there was a knee busting dance routine if ever I saw one! I remember feeling very proud of the fact that I got to wear knee pads for that... just like one of my heroes Janet Jackson. I believe I really was a part of the Rhythm Nation! "If you had a brand new car... u wouldn't get far with me!" Well you'll have to call up Mike & Matt and see if they can be persuaded to put all the old tracks together and get the album out there.... finally! Otherwise, check out myspace. I'll see if I can get Brand New Car up there soon! ;-)

Are you aware that Girls@Play have a huge cult following?

Girls@Play: LoveThis Babes

Well I have an inkling in that every now & then I'll get a text or a call from a friend in a club somewhere who's listening to us being played or they have the video on a big screen, we're talking mainly gay clubs here! I also was quite chuffed to see that one of the comments on youtube about Airhead was from a fan in New Zealand who loved G@P... couldn't believe they'd heard of us in that hemisphere!!

What did you do with your baton?

Oh... I still have it! As I always used to say... "Every mark on it (still) tells a story"! I have all my cop outfits and hardware!!!! Apart from a pair of handcuffs that got confiscated in Barcelona airport! Now you try telling airport security you're in a girlband, and that's why you're carrying handcuffs and a night stick, with only pictures and hand gestures! That WAS funny!

Is Thursday pink or purple?

Purple... Wednesday's pink.

What are Electric Dolls about and why they stand out from other girlbands?

Well... check out the look for a start... I think we stand out! Hopefully visually & musically. We're Barbarella, meets stepford wives, meets Gwen Stefani, meets Madonna, meets Spice Girls, meets Prince... now there's a great dinner party guest list! Or as we say on the myspace site we're bit of Gwen, a bit of Prince, a bit of Madge & a bit of chintz! And to go with the image & quirky style, lyrics & music in a quirky style! Ta-dah!

The straight boys at my local comprehensive often talked about baps. Often after football in the showers. I thought they were praising the qualities of the canteen sandwiches. I’m thinking Baps R Baking is also about sandwiches. Am I wrong?

Yes it's about fluffy fresh bread baking in the oven. Mmmmm don't you just love the smell of baking bread? Not a smell you'd usually equate with dancing in a club, granted, but then who wants usual? I am, after all, a great cook and it seems the boys at your school obviously appreciated good baps when they saw them!

Would you be the bread or the ham?

Oooh the ham in a Sawyer (from Lost) & Michael (from Prison Bake... I mean Break) sandwich!



There is something really Gilbert & George about Electric Dolls. Its like if you were artists you’d be in Tate Modern before you can say Tracey Emin. Why’d ya think that is?

Oooh I like that! I was thinking more Pierre et Gilles but I like Gilbert & George too! Maybe it's because when i dream it's not only in colour but in Pop Art too!? Also my parents influence (both trained artists) and my art & fashion college background!? What do YOU think??

Who is more respectable? Girls@Play or Electric Dolls?

"We ain't never gonna be respectable!" Period! (Or have any respectable periods).

When is the Electric Dolls album due?

Well we need to get the material together first. It's all hectic in the studio at the minute! I'm in tomorrow and was there today. We're working hard, writing new songs all the time in the Baps style! New tunes include a track called Supercute & another called Love Me Long Time all coming to a myspace near you very soon! But when we're ready we'll get our toned Dolly asses to a record campany & thrash out a deal...(yes A&R people form an orderly queue).

Electric Rabbit or Electric toothbrush?

Erm do you mean the energiser bunny? I'm not sure what you mean? Well you'd have a job cleaning your teeth with the rabbit but you could probably improvise with the toothbrush... but erm lets just say they each have their time, place and value.

Dannii or Kylie?

Kylie Kylie Kylie!

Barbie or the Britney Spears doll?

Does the Britney Doll come with a shaved head, portable re-hab clinic, a trailer & 2 disposable babies???? Britney Doll for sure... with changable wigs & cigarette holder!

Should a song that asks whether Europe wants “some salted nuts” really represent Britain at Eurovision? (I’m talking of Flying the Flag by Scooch)

Hmmmm good question! I mean it worked for Chef from South Park didn't it? Although the items in that song were chocolate balls... I have to say that if we can even consider Jordan, pregnant, in pink rubber, it really does throw the doors wide open doesn't it!? I say good luck to them! I think that's all a girl in a band who wrote a song called Baps R Baking can say!

And lastly, Can’t Get You Out Of My Head or Outta My Head?

Aaaaaah that's too hard! I have to go with Outta My Head... it has too many lovely memories attached to it for me to deny!

--

I'd like to thank Lynsey, Electric Dolls and Mac for the photos!
Check out their myspace for more very exciting details on their rise to pop infamy!
LostInLimbo will feature Electric Dolls very soon and LiL is offering YOU a chance to ask questions yourself
Discover a world of Girls@Play brilliance over at Mobius!

If you like Electric Dolls check out Pay-TV as they've just redone their website with album news!!!!! (excited!)
DSTP has some very cool Robyn news....coming up as soon as we get confirmation!

THE LEGENDS OF GIRLBANDS COMING VERY SOON!

Not all the bands are featured in the image above but its a good indication of whats coming up...

P.S.: Thanks to Roberto for the lovely collage! :)