Alison Moyet
Background information
Birth name	Genevieve Alison Jane Moyet
Born	18 June 1961 (1961-06-18) (age 46)
Origin	Billericay, Essex, England
Genre(s)	Pop, Rock, Blues
Years active	1981-present
Label(s)	Columbia (1983-2002) Sanctuary (2002-2006) W14 Music
Website	official site

Alison Moyet (born Genevieve Alison Jane Moyet on 18 June 1961), is an English pop singer/songwriter noted for her bluesy voice^{[citation needed]}. is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Statistics Population: 40,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ675945 Administration District: Basildon Shire county: Essex Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Essex Historic county: Essex Services Police force: Essex Police Ambulance service: East of England Post office and telephone Post town... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental musical form which evolved from African American spirituals, shouts, work songs and chants and has its earliest stylistic roots in West Africa. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ...

Early life and career

Moyet was born in Billericay, Essex, England to a French father and English mother. She grew up in Basildon, where she attended school. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop worker and trained as a piano tuner. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including The Vandals and the Screamin' Ab Dabs, The Vicars and The Little Roosters. Statistics Population: 40,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ675945 Administration District: Basildon Shire county: Essex Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Essex Historic county: Essex Services Police force: Essex Police Ambulance service: East of England Post office and telephone Post town... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... Basildon (IPA, ) is a New Town located in south Essex, England at . It was designated as a New Town after World War II in 1948 to accommodate the London population overspill. ... Piano tuner Piano tuner redirects here. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Pub rock was a mid- to late-1970s musical movement, largely centred around North London and South East Essex, particularly Canvey Island and Southend on Sea. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Vandals were a late 1970s punk rock band from South East Essex in England, mainly notable for featuring vocalist Alison Moyet, who later found fame as half of 1980s electro-pop act Yazoo. ... The Screamin Ab Dabs were a 1980s rhythm and blues band from South East Essex, UK, fronted by singer Alison Moyet. ...

Yazoo

Her mainstream pop career began in 1981 when she formed the electropop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. In the United States, the band became known as Yaz, as there was a record label in the region already operating as Yazoo Records that presented copyright issues. Yazoo had several hits, including "Only You", "Don't Go", "Situation" and "Nobody's Diary", and recorded two albums, Upstairs At Eric's and You And Me Both. The group was notable for melding Clarke's trademark electronic sounds with Moyet's warm, soulful voice. Electropop (also called Technopop) is a form of synth pop music that is made with synthesizers, and which first flourished from 1978 to 1981. ... Yazoo (known as Yaz in the U.S.) was a short-lived but highly successful English synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex that had a number of top ten hits in the British charts in the early 1980s. ... Depeche Mode are a band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, England. ... Vince Clarke (born Vincent John Martin, South Woodford, London, England, July 3, 1960) is an English pop musician and songwriter, who has been involved with a number of successful pop groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure. ... Yaz can refer to either of the following: Carl Yastrzemski, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... Black Patti label Belzona Records label Yazoo Records is a record label setup in the late 1960s by Nick Perls. ... Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ... Only You is a ballad written by musician Vince Clarke. ...

In 1983 Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form The Assembly and then Erasure, Moyet signed to CBS (in part because it had been Janis Joplin's label), and began her solo career. The Assembly is a synth pop project started in 1983 in the town of Basildon, England, by: Vince Clarke (songwriting, keyboards, backing vocals) Feargal Sharkey (songwriting, vocals) Eric Radcliffe (production) Clarke founded The Assembly shortly after disbanding Yazoo with vocalist Alison Moyet upon completion and distribution of their 1982 album... For the mathematical concept, see Erasure (logic). ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Janis Lyn Joplin (Born January 19, 1943- October 4, 1970 was an influential singer, songwriter, and music arranger. ...

Solo career

Alison Moyet's debut solo album, 'Alf' .

In 1984 she released her debut album Alf (titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf was produced by the noted UK producing/songwriting team of Swain and Jolley. The album was co-written by the duo and Moyet, with the exception of "Invisible", written specifically for Moyet by Motown legend Lamont Dozier. The record was a huge hit in Britain, reaching #1 in the album charts. Alf spawned three international hit singles, "Love Resurrection", "Invisible" and "All Cried Out". In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved). In some European territories, a fourth single, "For You Only", was also released. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Alf is the title of the debut solo music recording/album of singer Alison Moyet, her first since she split from 80s electro-pop band Yazoo. ... Steve Jolley (1950) and Tony Swain (January 20, 1952) were a successful pop musician, songwriting and record production duo in the United Kingdom in the early to mid-1980s, producing some of the top artists and songs of the era. ...

In 1985 Moyet performed at the historic Live Aid concert alongside Paul Young, later returning unscheduled to the stage (alongside Bob Geldof, David Bowie and Pete Townshend) to provide emergency vocals on "Let It Be" when the microphone on Paul McCartney's piano failed, leaving him unable to be heard. She also released a single not featured on Alf, a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love." The single went to #2 on the UK singles chart (it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single.) Image File history File links Alison_Moyet_-_Love_Resurrection_excerpt. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Ethiopia, as its borders were in 1985. ... Paul Antony Young, better known as Paul Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English pop artist. ... Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof, (or Zenon, sources differ)KBE[1], known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951) [2], is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... Let It Be was an album by The Beatles, released on May 8, 1970. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award and Grammy Award winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ...

In 1986 Moyet had another big UK hit with the single "Is This Love?", followed in 1987 by the album Raindancing. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak In The Presence of Beauty" and "Ordinary Girl". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters", which peaked at #4. The video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders. The albums cover in North America. ... French & Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, and also the name by which the performers are known on the rare occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act. ...

Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Hoodoo was released in 1991. Hoodoo took several steps away from the glossy pop sheen of Raindancing and was a far earthier and more personal album. Compared to her earlier releases, Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, and Moyet was nominated for a Grammy for the single "It Won't Be Long". However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists of Moyet's calibre (including Aimee Mann and the late Kirsty MacColl), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits. Hoodoo is the title of the third solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Aimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American rock guitarist, bassist, singer, and noted songwriter. ... Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was an English singer-songwriter. ...

Moyet's next album, Essex (1994), was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name" again featured Dawn French. Essex is the title of the fourth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... Sony Corporation (Japanese katakana: ソニー) (TYO: 6758), (NYSE: SNE) is a global consumer electronics corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. ... Dawn Roma French[1] (born 11 October 1957) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British comedian and actress best known for starring in her comedy sketch show French & Saunders along with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley as Geraldine Granger. ...

Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest hits compilation of Moyet's work. Singles entered the UK charts at #1 and, following a UK tour, was re-issued as a double CD set which included "No Overdubs", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue, Singles charted again, this time in the Top 20. The cover of the later re-release featuring a live CD. Singles is the title of the greatest hits album of singer Alison Moyet, released in 1995. ...

Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, Moyet recorded vocals for Tricky, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene, The Lightning Seeds, and King Britt, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet CD, and in 2002 The Essential Alison Moyet DVD. For other uses, see Tricky (disambiguation). ... Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English rock band from Birmingham. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... King Britt is an American DJ and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Lilith Fair was a concert tour and traveling music festival, founded by musician Sarah McLachlan, that featured female musicians; it ran from 1997 to 1999. ... The Essential Alison Moyet was essentially a re-release of Singles, the greatest hits album of singer Alison Moyet. ...

Alison's first album on Sanctuary Records, Hometime.

In August 2002, after years of holding out and refusing to compromise, Moyet was finally released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records and released her first studio album in eight years, Hometime, an album which Sony had refused to release. Hometime was produced by The Insects, who had also produced works by Goldfrapp and Massive Attack. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002 ^{[verification needed]} and resulted in a BRIT nomination for Best Female Vocal ^{[verification needed]} as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize ^{[verification needed]}. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Hometime is the title of the fifth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... Goldfrapp is a British electronica group known for their visual theatrics and contribution to the popularization of electronic dance music. ... Massive Attack are a trip hop band from Bristol, Great Britain. ... The Brit Awards are the annual United Kingdom pop music awards founded by the British Phonographic Industry. ... The Mercury Music Prize, now officially known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize, is a music award given annually for the best British or Irish album of the previous 12 months. ...

Moyet's most recent work, Voice, an eclectic collection of covers, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at #7. Scored and produced by Moyet's neighbour (and Academy Award winner) Anne Dudley, the album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie". A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006. Voice is the title of the sixth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Anne Dudley (born 7-May-1956) is an orchestral composer and pop musician and was the BBC Concert Orchestras Composer in Association between January 2002 and January 2005. ...

December 2006 saw Moyet signing a recording contract with W14 Music^[1], the new Universal Music Group imprint. The deal sees Alison reunited with label head John Williams, who was her A&R man for her last two albums, Hometime and Voice. Her new studio album is pencilled in for release in October of 2007. She has already begun recording again with producer, Pete Glenister. The album entitled 'The Turn' will feature an eclectic mix of self-penned songs, including the three numbers she wrote for the stage play, Smaller. A recording contract (commonly called a record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... In the music industry, Artists and Repertoire (A&R) refers to the division of a record label that is responsible for scouting and artist development. ... A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Alison Moyet's new studio album 'The Turn' will be released on Monday, 15th October, preceded by the single 'One More Time' on Monday 8th October. To coincide with the launch, Alison will be performing tracks at London's Pigalle Club on 15th and 15th October, with a warm-up gig at The Stables in Milton Keynes on 14th October. Tracks from 'The Turn' are currently being previewed on her official MySpace page.

Theatre

Moyet made her critically acclaimed stage debut in the West End production of the musical Chicago in 2001. She played the part of Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, and although initially planned to be a short run, Moyet enjoyed the experience so much that the run was extended to six months. Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. ...

In 2006, Moyet appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a West End stint at London's Lyric Theatre. As well as co-starring with Dawn French, Moyet also composed three new songs for the production, which will appear on her next studio album, due for release in 2007. The interior of Covent Garden Market in the West End The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the citys major tourist attractions, businesses, and administrative headquarters. ... The Lyric Theatre in April 2007 The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. ... Dawn Roma French[1] (born 11 October 1957) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British comedian and actress best known for starring in her comedy sketch show French & Saunders along with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley as Geraldine Granger. ...

Personal life

Moyet's second husband, David, is a social worker. They have three children, aged 21, 18 and 10 (as of 2006). [1]

Alison supports Southend United Football Club and can be occasionally found in the West Stand at Roots Hall. Part of the video for "Is This Love?" was filmed at the ground. In addition, the song "Blue" - originally released as a B-side, but later re-recorded and used as the theme tune of the British TV series Playing the Field - is the singer's ode to her love of football and of Southend United. Southend United Football Club is an English football team based at Roots Hall Stadium in Prittlewell, in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, which plays in the Football League One. ... Roots Hall is a multi-use stadium, primarily used for football games and is the home of the coca cola League one team Southend United. ... Playing The Field was a BBC television drama series which ran for five series from 1998 - 2002. ...

Discography

Albums

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... See also: 1980s in music. ... Alf is the title of the debut solo music recording/album of singer Alison Moyet, her first since she split from 80s electro-pop band Yazoo. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1987 Record labels established in 1987 // January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... The albums cover in North America. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... Hoodoo is the title of the third solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... See also: 1994 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1994 Record labels established in 1994 // January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ... Essex is the title of the fourth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... See also: 1995 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1995 Record labels established in 1995 // January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... The cover of the later re-release featuring a live CD. Singles is the title of the greatest hits album of singer Alison Moyet, released in 1995. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ... The Essential Alison Moyet was essentially a re-release of Singles, the greatest hits album of singer Alison Moyet. ... See also: 2002 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2002 Record labels established in 2002 // 2002 was marked by significant trends in rock music. ... Hometime is the title of the fifth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... Voice is the title of the sixth solo music recording/album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. ... See also: 2007 in British music 2007 in hip hop Musical groups established in 2007 Record labels established in 2007 // January George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queens New Year Honours List. ...

Singles

Love Letters is a popular song. ...

See also

• List of best-selling music artists

The worlds best-selling music artists cannot be listed officially, as there is no organization that has recorded global music sales in the manner that the RIAA does in the United States. ...

References

• Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X

1. ^ Alison Moyet (ex-Yazoo) joins W14 Music

The cover of the 1989 7th edition of the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles Guinness World Records - British Hit Singles & Albums is a music reference book, published in the United Kingdom, by Hit Entertainment, the company that owns such childrens entertainment brands as Bob the Builder and Thomas...

External links

Official Sites

• Alison Moyet's Official website
• Alison Moyet's Official MySpace
• Letters Home ~ Alison's Blog
• W14 Music
• Alison Moyet's VideoPage on YouTube

Fan Sites

• Alison Moyet Forum
• Alison Moyet Forums