The Beatmasters are an English electronic music group who gained success in the UK in the late 1980s with four top 20

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s. They then went on to

produce Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables ( grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and ...

and

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

records for many other artists. The group's string of chart hit singles include "Burn It Up", "Hey DJ! (I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing)", "Who's in the House" (featuring

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

) and " Rok da House". The latter, having been recorded in 1986, is one of the earliest examples of

hip house Hip house, also known as rap house or house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of house music and hip hop, that originated in both London, United Kingdom and Chicago, United States in the mid to late 1980s. British group the Beatmaste ...

and most likely the first song of the genre. Hip house is a subgenre of

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began altering ...

which features rap vocals performed over a house rhythm track. Their initial success brought comparisons with

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

record producers

Stock Aitken Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considered ...

, but the Beatmasters cited rival producers

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

as their major competitor.

Formation

Manda Glanfield and Paul Carter (both regulars on the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

club scene) were working in the TV commercial

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

industry where they were introduced to third member, Richard Walmsley. Signing to the burgeoning

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

Rhythm King, they joined labelmates Bomb the Bass and S'Express in regularly appearing in the

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

during 1988 and 1989. The group had seven UK chart singles, including the No. 14 hit "Burn It Up", which featured P. P. Arnold and " Rok da House" with the Cookie Crew, which was their first and biggest hit, peaking at No. 5 in early 1988. Another notable single was "Hey DJ - I Can't Dance to that Music You're Playing" / "Ska Train", which introduced the rapper/singer

Betty Boo Alison Moira Clarkson (born 6 March 1970 in Kensington, London), better known as Betty Boo, is an English singer, songwriter and rapper. She first came to mainstream prominence in the late 1980s following a collaboration with the Beatmaster ...

to the general public and gave the group a No. 7 chart hit in 1989. They released two

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s under the Beatmasters moniker: '' Anywayawanna'' (1989) and ''Life & Soul'' (1992). These albums were later repackaged on BMG Records under the title ''Anywayawanna – The Best of the Beatmasters'' (2004). Carter and Glanfield forged a successful writing, remixing and production career. Their first success as a duo came in 1991 with a reworking of the re-released

Shamen The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter S ...

single " Move Any Mountain/Progen91" which charted at No. 4. In 1992, production work commenced on the Shamen album '' Boss Drum'', which included the singles " LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)", " Phorever People" and the highly controversial " Ebeneezer Goode" - the latter spending a month at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. They went on to write, produce and remix for many other artists including

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. H ...

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...

, Blur, Roachford,

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

Adam Rickitt Adam Peter Rickitt (born 29 May 1978) is an English actor, singer and model. He portrayed the role of Nick Tilsley in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 1997 to 1999, and again from 2002 to 2004. He later joined the pop group 5th St ...

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

, Aswad, Eternal,

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depech ...

, Scooch and

Girls Aloud Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a ...

. Still working, the Beatmasters continue to produce dance, pop and rock music.

Members

* Manda Glanfield (born 27 January 1961) – songwriter/producer * Paul Carter (born 27 May 1961) – songwriter/producer * Richard Walmsley (born 28 September 1962) – songwriter/producer * Pete Brazier (born 8 April 1971) - songwriter/producer (2022–present)

Discography

Albums

* '' Anywayawanna'' (1989) - UK No. 30, AUST No. 100 * ''Life & Soul'' (1991) * ''Anywayawanna – The Best of the Beatmasters'' (2004) ( compilation)

Singles

Selected productions

* "Females" - Cookie Crew (1987) * "Born Free" - MC Merlin (1987) * "Stay Away" - Hotline (1988) * "Stand Up for Your Love Rights" -

Yazz Yazz (born Yasmin Evans; 19 May 1960) is an English pop singer, who remains perhaps best known for her 1988 UK number one single " The Only Way Is Up". Some of her records are credited to Yazz and the Plastic Population. Career Yazz was born ...

(1989) * "Doin the Do" - Betty Boo (1990) * "Could This Be Love?" - Kerry Shaw (1993) * "Shine" - Aswad (1994) * "Warriors" - Aswad (1994) * "Danger in Your Eyes" - Aswad (1995) * "Bubblin Hot" - Pato Banton (1995) * "Space" - Bond (2002) * "Kashmir" - Bond (2002) * "Allegretto" - Bond (2002) * "Gypsy Rhapsody" - Bond (2002) * "Boogie Down Love" - Girls Aloud (2003) * "Love Bomb" - Girls Aloud (2003) * "Marrs Attack" - Girls Aloud (2003) * "Grease" - Girls Aloud (2003) * "Wigwam" - Wigwam (Alex James/Betty Boo) (2006) * "Blink" - Helicopter Girl (2008) * "Metropolitan" - Helicopter Girl (2008) * "Hey DJ 2009" - The Beatmasters (2009)

Selected remixes

* " Behind the Wheel" -

(1987) * " Route 66" - Depeche Mode (1987) * "These Things Happen" - Viola Wills (1988) * " Move Any Mountain/Progen" - The Shamen (1991) * "L.S.I." - The Shamen (1992) * "Phorever People" - The Shamen (1992) * "Ebeneezer Goode" - The Shamen (1992) * "Boss Drum" - The Shamen (1992) * "Comin On Strong" - The Shamen (1992) * "Lucy Can't Dance" - David Bowie (1992) * "Destination Eschaton" - The Shamen (1995) * "Transamazonia" - The Shamen (1995) * "MK2A" - The Shamen (1995) * "Fall from Grace" - Eskimos and Egypt (1993) * "Disco Inferno" - Tina Turner (1993) * "Everytime You Touch Me" - Moby (1993) * " I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" -

(1993) * "Adored and Explored" - Marc Almond (1994) * "Jungle Warrior" - Aswad (1994) * "I Love Saturday" - Erasure (1994) * "Run to the Sun" - Erasure (1994) * "Into the Blue" - Moby (1995) * "Shine" - Aswad (1995) * "Boys and Girls" - Blur (1995) * "Down" - Roachford (1995) * "Still Be Lovin' You" - Damage (2000) * "So What If I" - Damage (2000) * "Sugar Baby" - Elizabeth Troy (2000) * "Minus 10 Degrees" - Elizabeth Troy (2000) * "I Got U" - Elizabeth Troy (2000) * "Lover" - LMC (2005)

References

External links

* Allmusic.com entry* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beatmasters Musical groups established in 1986 English record producers Musical groups from London English electronic music groups English house music groups Hip house music groups British musical trios British songwriting teams British record production teams Record production trios Remixers EMI Records artists London Records artists Rhythm King artists SBK Records artists Sire Records artists