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Deee-Lite

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Deee-Lite
OriginNew York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1986–1997
  • 1998–2002
LabelsElektra
Past membersLady Miss Kier
Towa Tei
DJ Dmitry
DJ Ani

Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's single "Groove Is in the Heart," which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, World Clique (1990), was a top-ten hit in multiple countries. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 55th most successful dance artists of all time.[2]

History

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1986–1989: Background and early history

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The band began in 1986 as a duo, in New York City, with Lady Miss Kier (born Kierin Magenta Kirby, primarily on vocals) and Supa DJ Dmitry (born in Ukraine as Dmitry Brill) as DJ. The two then became a trio when Korean-Japanese Jungle DJ Towa Tei joined the group in 1988.

Beginning in 1986, Kier and Dmitry performed their songs monthly at various downtown New York nightclubs;[3] in 1987, Kier bought an Akai S900 sampler, which influenced their sound tremendously.[4] She also bought a Casio FZ-series sampler, which was used almost exclusively on their debut album. Indeed, sampling played such an important role in their music that they named their production company "Sampladelic".[5] From the band's inception, Kier designed their promotional posters and club fliers, and was also the graphic designer for all three of their albums and 12" singles.[6] The group played at hip hop and house clubs,[7] at both gay clubs and straight establishments, and at the New York drag festival Wigstock.[8] They also opened for Native Tongue Movement's De La Soul and Jungle Brothers. As described by Rolling Stone, "they were drawing vivid, multiracial, pan-sexual crowds...". Part of the band's appeal was their inclusivity, as noted by Mademoiselle magazine: "as a group, they're a festival of individuality; as a band, they're a party anyone can attend."[7] These live shows garnered a steady following, and attracted future third member Towa Tei as a fan.

In 1988, Towa sent Kier and Dmitry a bedroom demo tape he had made, and they realised he, like them, also enjoyed a fusion of funk and techno. Towa and Dmitry began jointly-programming the band's computer. Although Towa did not play any instruments, he was a record collector and added various sounds and samples. Kier and Dmitry invited him to join the group that year, and together the three produced their first album.[9] Kier wrote all the lyrics and melodies, and also asked bass guitarist Bootsy Collins to join-in on recording sessions.[10] Dmitry played guitar, keyboard, and bass, while Towa gathered samples for fill-ins and grooves.[11] Collins introduced the trio to The Horny Horns, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper, and Bernie Worrell, and also helped assemble their touring ensemble.[12] Together, Deee-Lite would produce their first and second albums under their own production company, Sampladelic.

1990–1997: Album releases and fame

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In 1990, the group released their first album, World Clique, preceded by the debut single "Groove Is in the Heart", which became a hit in many countries, including No. 1 in Australia and topping the Billboard US Dance Club Songs chart. The song features vocals from Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) as well as a bass guitar loop sampled from Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down The Birds" (1967), with additional vocals by collaborator and funk musician Bootsy Collins. In 1992, they released their politically-charged second album, Infinity Within. The album failed to chart as high as their debut, but they still managed two Top 10 dance hits in the US with "Runaway" and "Pussycat Meow".

Towa ultimately did not join the group on their world tours, for which they had assembled a nine-piece band, as he had desired to start working on the second Deee-Lite album (Infinity Within) from the comfort of his own home, where his records and samples were kept.[13] As expressed to MTV News: "...a reason I left Deee-Lite was that I hated the touring—playing the same songs over and over again every night," Towa said. "I'm not that type of person. I don't like being in front of the people."[14] After extensively touring, Kier and Dmitry were not given funding for Infinity Within, as originally promised by their Warner contract.[11] Upon the release of the album, Kier and Dmitry wondered if Deee-Lite's overall sound was "losing touch" with the dancefloor crowds, and thus they began creating the dancefloor album Dewdrops in the Garden (1994).[14] At the time, creative differences were intensifying with Towa and Kier and Dmitry. Speaking again to MTV News, Towa explained: "When I made a big decision to take a break, I started to listen to different types of music again—bossa nova, soundtracks. I started getting materials that went beyond the Deee-Lite concept. For me it fit, but for them it didn't really fit."[14] Prior to the release of Dewdrops in the Garden, Towa abruptly left the band (appearing only on the track "Call Me"), and was replaced by DJ Ani. Kier was determined to keep the band together, and offered Towa the chance to remix a song of his choice so he'd have a presence on the third Deee-Lite album.[15] Even with a lineup change and minimal record label support, Deee-Lite managed to tour for another year after the release of the album, selling even more records than their sophomore release. In 1994, Kier and Dmitry's increasingly turbulent relationship came to an end, as did the group.[16]

In total, the group scored six No. 1 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart over the five years they were together. In the years since the band's dissolution, financial problems due to bad management[6] impacted both Kier and Dmitry; however, they persevered and are both still in-business as writers, producers and DJs. Kier is still primarily a singer-songwriter and DJ, having traveled extensively and recorded on numerous albums with internationally acclaimed artists. She is often regarded as a style "icon" by publications, such as Vogue,[17] for her distinctive style of dress and perpetual influence on the international fashion scene. Dmitry continued working as a DJ, everywhere from Hong Kong to Jerusalem, from Berlin's Love Parade to Brazil's Rock In Rio. He was given the "DJ of the year" award in Ibiza, and has remixed with post-editing by Marty Munsch on several versions,[citation needed] for many artists including Arthur Russell, Jungle Brothers, Sinéad O'Connor, Ziggy Marley, Nina Hagen, Ultra Naté, and others. He collaborated with Julee Cruise (of Twin Peaks/David Lynch fame) to release the album My Secret Life (2011). Dmitry is currently based in Berlin, where he continues to DJ, compose, produce and remix.

Towa Tei has recorded several albums as a solo artist, and was featured in the Japanese supergroup METAFIVE. In a 2011 interview, Tei denied the possibility of Deee-Lite reuniting, even fleetingly, citing the creative and personal differences that prompted him to depart in the first place.[18]

Members

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  • Supa DJ Dmitry aka DJ Dmitry (Dmitry Brill, born June 4, 1964, Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, USSR), composer, producer, keyboards, guitar
  • Lady Miss Kier (Kierin M. Kirby, born August 15, 1963, Youngstown, Ohio, United States), vocalist, producer, arranger, lyricist, choreographer, art director, manager
  • Towa Tei (born September 7, 1964, originally from Yokohama, Japan), composer, producer, keyboards, turntables, programming
  • DJ Ani (Ani Q. Schempf, born December 14, 1973, Kansas City, Kansas, United States), mixing, bass

Discography

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Albums

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[19] 		AUS
[20][21] 		CAN NZ UK
[22]
World Clique 20 33 15 30 14
Infinity Within
  • Released: June 23, 1992
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: CD, LP, cassette
 67 117 — — 37
Dewdrops in the Garden
  • Released: July 12, 1994
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: CD, LP, cassette
 127 140 — — 78

Compilation albums

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List of compilation albums
Title Album details
Dewdrops in the Remix
  • Released: 1995 (Japan)
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: CD
Sampladelic Relics & Dancefloor Oddities
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: 2×CD
The Very Best of Deee-Lite
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Rhino, Elektra
  • Format: CD
The Elektra Years
  • Released: 2020
  • Label: Warner Music
  • Format: Digital
Groove Is in the Heart
  • Released: April 2020
  • Label: Warner Music
  • Format: Digital

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Album
AUS
[20] 		CAN
[24] 		GER
[25] 		IRE
[26] 		NED
[27] 		NZ
[27] 		SWI
[27] 		UK
[28] 		US
[29] 		US
Dance
[29]
1990 "Groove Is in the Heart" / "What Is Love?" 1 15 17 8 10 2 13 2 4 1 World Clique
"Power of Love" 47 82 43 21 47 19 — 25 47 1
1991 "E.S.P." — — — — — — — — — 7
"How Do You Say...Love" — — — 24 — — — 52 — —
"Good Beat" 105 — — — — 45 — 53 — 1
1992 "Runaway" 112 70 — — — — 25 45 — 1 Infinity Within
"Thank You Everyday" — — — — — — — 92 — —
"Pussycat Meow" — — — — — — — — — 6
1994 "Party Happening People" — — — — — — — — — 30 Dewdrops in the Garden
"Picnic in the Summertime" — — — — — — — 43 — —
"Bring Me Your Love" — — — — — — — — — 1
"Call Me" — — — — — — — — — 1
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Deee-Lite | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  2. ^ "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists : Page 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  3. ^ 5ninthavenueproject (December 19, 2008), Deee-lite performs at Larry Tee's Celebrity Club, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved October 13, 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Mixcloud". www.mixcloud.com. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "lady miss kier". Mixcloud.com. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Matty's Celebrates 4 Years with Lady Kier | Hotspots! Magazine". Hotspots! Magazine. August 23, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Gudjonsson, E. "Garden Of Deee-Lite". Internet.is. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  8. ^ "Deee-Lite Wigstock 1990". Vimeo.com. August 13, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  9. ^ "Towa Tei's Biography". Blairmag.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Classic album: Lady Miss Kier on Deee-Lite's World Clique". MusicRadar. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Happy Birthday to Lady Miss Kier, Born August 15, 1963". Albumism. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  12. ^ "Classic Album". Retrieved October 13, 2018 – via PressReader.
  13. ^ Writer, Greg Morago. "DEEE-LITE'S LATE IN COMING, BUT LICKETY-QUICK TO PLEASE". Courant.com. Retrieved October 13, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ a b c "Towa Tei's Music On Display In Sound Museum". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  15. ^ "Deee-Lite - Dewdrops In The Garden". Discogs.com. 1994. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. ^ "Remember Deee-Lite's 'Groove Is In The Heart'? Here's What She Looks Like Now". Gosocial.co. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  17. ^ "Lady Miss Kier Vogue Italia 1990 - Le Blow UK Fashion and Lifestyle Blog". Leblow.co.uk. October 27, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Hadfield, James (May 18, 2011). "Towa Tei: The Interview". Time Out Tokyo. Archived from the original on August 4, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  19. ^ "World Clique - Deee-Lite". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
  21. ^ "Deee-Lite ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022". ARIA. Retrieved December 2, 2023 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  22. ^ "DEEE-LITE songs and albums". officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "British certifications – Deee-Lite". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 14, 2022. Type Deee-Lite in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  24. ^ Peak positions for Deee-Lite's singles on Canadian Singles Chart:
  25. ^ "charts.de". Officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  26. ^ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  27. ^ a b c "Discographie Deee-Lite". Lescharts.com. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  28. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 147. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  29. ^ a b "Deee-Lite - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
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