Soul II Soul are a British

musical collective Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a Musical ensemble, group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared.Liisa Ladouceur"Collective Souls" ''This Magazine'', November/December 2004. The concept is dist ...

formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to Life". They have won two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s, and have been nominated for five Brit Awards—twice for Best British Group.

Career

1988–1989: Beginnings and club classics

The group initially attracted attention as a

sound system Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

some years prior to 1988 run by founder Jazzie B, playing at nights including their own at the

Africa Centre, London The Africa Centre, London was founded in 1964 at 38 King Street, Covent Garden, where over the years it held many art exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and a variety of cultural events, as well as housing a gallery, meeting halls, restaurant, ...

. By 1988, the official lineup was Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Nellie Hooper, Simon Law, Doreen Waddell, Rose Windross, Daddae, Aitch B, and Jazzie Q. They released their first single, "Fairplay", with Rose Windross on lead vocals, recorded at the Africa Centre. where the collective hosted a regular Sunday-night residency. The song charted at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart, while their follow-up single "Feel Free", which featured Doreen on lead vocals, charted at number 64. The weekly club night, having grown ever more popular, moved to the much larger The Fridge Nightclub in

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

, South London, where it would remain well into the 1990s. The collective used the venue to test their musical composites on the dance floor. Together with an eclectic mix of “Funki Dredd" – "A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a lovin' race!" – themed club classics that combined British, Caribbean, African, and African American influences. One night in 1988, the residency hosted a personal appearance by the nascent rap group

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...

. who were briefly in the UK promoting their album ''

Straight Outta Compton ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority Records, Priority and Ruthless Records. It was Record producer, produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, a ...

''. A plaque now commemorates the collective's significant influence on the original venue, which closed in 2010 but which was subsequently renamed and reopened as the Electric Brixton During the late 1980s, Jazzie B and several other members of the group became involved in the local

pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...

station movement. Jazzie B hosted a show on KISS-FM. In March 1989, their label released the group's single " Keep on Movin', featuring Caron Wheeler on lead vocals. The song became a success and also sold over one million copies in the US. The following month, the group's first album '' Club Classics Vol. One'' was released. The album peaked at number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

and sold over four million copies worldwide. The group's next single, " Back to Life", became their biggest hit, hitting the top five on the US Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles chart. The single went on to win the group their first

for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1990. The group would continue to see some UK success but "Back to Life" would be the second and last US hit for the group. In late 1989, Waddell and Windross departed from the group. Marcia Lewis, a cousin of Jazzie B, joined the group. The single " Get a Life", which featured Lewis on lead vocals, charted at number three on the UK Singles chart. The song also sold over 60 thousand copies in the United Kingdom. Lewis' debut performance came on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

'' when she performed alongside Caron Wheeler and Jazzie B.

1990: ''Volume II A New Decade'' and lineup changes

In early 1990, Wheeler officially left the group to pursue her solo career. To fill out the group's dynamic, Jazzie B turned to a few singers he had performed with in the past. This led to the brief addition of Kym Mazelle, Lamya, and

Victoria Wilson-James Victoria Wilson-James is an American-born English singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she performed in various theatre plays and musicals as a teenager. Following the release of her debut single "I Want You ...

to the new lineup. With a new official lineup, the group released their second album, '' Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade'', which peaked at number one on the

. The album's second single " A Dreams a Dream", which features Victoria Wilson James on lead vocals, performed well on the chart. The album's third single "

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

", featuring Lewis on lead vocals, garnered moderate success on the charts but managed to achieve success on the Dance charts. The album's final single " Missing You", featuring Kym Mazelle on lead vocals, also performed well on the charts. In the mid-1990s, the group toured throughout the United Kingdom. One of their concerts at

Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...

was recorded live and released in September 1990, titled '' A New Decade: Live from Brixton Academy''. After the conclusion of the tour, Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lewis left the group to pursue solo careers.

1991–1993: ''Volume III Just Right'' and another lineup change

In 1991, Soul II Soul was in need of lead vocalists for the recording of their third album. During recording sessions, Jazzie B recruited guest singers Richie Stephens,

Kofi Kofi is an Akan people, Akan masculine given name among the Akan people (such as the Bono people, Bono, Akyem, Akwamu, Ashanti people, Ashanti and Fante people, Fante) in Ghana that is given to a boy born on Friday. Traditionally in Ghana, a child ...

, Penny Ford, Rick Clarke, along with the re-addition of Caron Wheeler to record on the album. In April 1992, Soul II Soul released their third album, ''Volume III Just Right''. The album's lead single, "

Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...

", performed by Stephens, reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single " Move Me No Mountain", performed by Kofi on lead vocals, achieved moderate success in the UK. The third single, "Just Right", suffered the same fate, relegating the album to limited and moderate sales figures. The group toured for a brief time throughout 1993. In November 1993, the group released their

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album '' Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93''. The album spawned the single "Wish", which featured the new addition to the group Melissa Bell on lead vocals.

1994–1997: ''Volume V Believe'', lineup changes, ''Time for Change''

In 1994, Soul II Soul prepared to record their fourth album. Despite her career as an established solo artist, Caron Wheeler once again joined the group and committed to the recording of the group's upcoming album. During the record sessions, Wheeler and Jazzie B struggled with creative difficulties for the production of the album. This ultimately led to Wheeler leaving the group again during the recording of the song "Love Enuff". Now without an official lead singer for the group, Jazzie B was left to recruit a few singers once more. Penny Ford, background vocalist on the group's single "Move Me No Mountain", officially became a member of the group. Charlotte Kelly, a background vocalist from the group's previous tour, was also recruited to join the group. Melissa Bell and Lamya also contributed vocals to the forthcoming album. In January 1995, Soul II Soul and

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

also performed " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" live on French TV show '' Taratata'', with Kelly on lead vocals. In June 1995, Soul II Soul released the single "Love Enuff". The single retained the use of Wheeler's pre-recorded background vocals and Penny Ford on lead vocals. The song invited Soul II Soul to perform on ''

'' with Ford performing lead vocals. In August 1995, Soul II Soul released their fourth studio album, ''Volume V Believe''. The album's second single "I Care", which features Charlotte on lead vocals, charted at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. In August 1997, the group released their fifth studio album, ''Time for Change''. The album featured the singles "Represent" and "Pleasure Dome".

1998–2006: Disbandment and aftermath

In 1997, Daddae teamed up with Joey Jay and Norman Jay to produce the

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...

dub reggae Dub is a musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican reggae, p.&nb ...

album "I n I Deal With Roots" under the collective moniker, The Truth, which was successful with Jah Shaka followers. The album reworked drum and bass structures and production techniques from

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who influenced the development of dub music in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's studio work, in which as a mixing engineer he achiev ...

, Prince Alla, Yabby You,

Big Youth Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica),Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Jah Youth), is a Jamaican Toasting (J ...

's iconic ''Screaming Target'' album, as well as sampling bass lines from The Palmer Brothers ''Step it Out of

Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...

'' In 1998, the group officially disbanded with each member pursuing solo careers. Following their disbandment, several members including Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lamya, and Kelly would release solo albums which would each garner success, respectively. Marcia Lewis and Kym Mazelle would also go on to become educators. In 1999, Kelly released her self-titled debut album, which spawned the number-one Dance chart single "Skin". The group often reunited and performed for a few selected dates over the course of their hiatus. In March 2002, Doreen Waddell, who had been living in

Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...

following her departure, died at 36 after being hit by three cars while she was fleeing from a shoplifting incident. In July 2002, Lamya released her solo debut album ''

Learning from Falling ''Learning from Falling'' is the debut studio album by United Kingdom, British singer Lamya. It was released on 30 July 2002 through J Records. The singer worked with Nellee Hooper on most of the album, while Mark Ronson, David Kahne, duo Soulshoc ...

'', which spawned the number-one Dance chart single " Empires (Bring Me Men)".

2007–2012: Reunion

In 2007, Soul II Soul reformed at the

Lovebox Festival Lovebox is a three-day music festival. In 2018 the event moved to Gunnersbury Park, London. The move came after Tower Hamlets turned down its application to continue in Victoria Park and Lambeth residents objected to its move to Brockwell Park ...

in Victoria Park, London. The lineup consisted of Caron Wheeler, Jazzie B, Aitch B, with the new addition of MC Chickaboo. In December 2008, a radio programme about Soul II Soul was broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

. In January 2009, Lamya died of a heart attack. The Soul II Soul Sound System featuring Caron Wheeler toured Australia nationally in February 2009. They performed at the Playground Weekender Festival near Sydney. Soul II Soul performed live at the Yasalam free concerts in conjunction with the 2009 Formula 1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebrations in October 2009. In 2010, Soul II Soul reunited for their reunion tour with the lineup consisting of Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Rose Windross, Kym Mazelle, Charlotte Kelly, Aitch B, and MC Chickaboo. The group toured until the end of 2011. Following the tour, Kelly and Wheeler performed on-and-off as the featured vocalists for Soul II Soul. In 2012, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival in which Kelly performed as the featured vocalist. In June 2012, Soul II Soul received the honorary PRS Heritage Plaque award. Jazzie B, Wheeler, Daddae, Mazelle, Kelly, Aitch B were among the members present. They also performed during the ceremony. In August 2012, Soul II Soul (Jazzie B, Jazzi Q, Aitch B, Caron Wheeler, and MC Chickaboo) performed at Channel 4's "House Party". In December 2012, Soul II Soul performed "Keep on Movin and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" on '' Later... with Jools Holland'' with Caron Wheeler as the lead vocalist. They also confirmed to be working on a new album.

2013–present: Later years

In April 2013, Jazzie B and Charlotte Kelly launched the Soul II Soul "Classics" Collection at

Harvey Nichols Harvey Nichols Group Limited ( trading as Harvey Nichols) is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey; it is headquartered at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections ...

in London, England. The Classics Collection features T-shirts and sweatshirts with Soul II Soul's Funky Dred logo. In the same year, Kelly left the group again and Wheeler rejoined the group. In 2014, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival. In 2016, Soul II Soul released a single, "A New Day", credited to Caron Wheeler, which features production from Jazzie B and Louie Vega. Soul II Soul released their live album ''Origins: The Roots Of Soul II Soul'' on 9 December 2016. In May 2017, Soul II Soul performed at Electric Brixton, with Caron Wheeler and Charlotte Kelly as the lead vocalists. On 28 August 2017, Melissa Bell died after suffering from

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...

. The group appeared on '' Jools' Annual Hootenanny'' on New Year's Eve in 2017.

Members timeline

Current members

* Jazzie B – co–lead vocals, turntables (DJ), rapper, producer, programming (1988–present) * Charlotte Kelly – lead vocals (1994–1997), (2008), (2010–2013), (2017–present)

Touring and session musicians

* Ellen Blair – violin (1988–present) * Gota Yashiki – programming (1988) *

Nellee Hooper Paul Andrew "Nellee" Hooper (born 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer with Scot ...

– producer, programming (1988–1997) * Simon Law – producer, keyboards, drums (1988) * Emma "S.E.L." Louise – backing vocals (2007–2017) * Samantha Pennells – backing vocals (2007–2017) * Jody Findley – backing vocals (2007–2017) * MC Chickaboo – turntables (DJ), rapper (2007–2018) * Gill Morley – violin (2007–present) * Nadine Caesar – backing vocals, co–lead vocals (2018–present) * Nikisha Reyes – backing vocals (2018–2020) * Tanya Edwards – backing vocals (2018–2020)

Former members

* Doreen Waddell – co–lead vocals (1988; died 2002) * Rose Windross – co–lead vocals (1988), (2010–2011) * Jazzi Q – turntables (DJ) (1988–1990), (2012) * Caron Wheeler – lead vocals (1988–1990), (1992), (1995), (2007–2010), (2013–2019) * Aitch Bee – turntables (DJ) (1988–1995), (2007), (2012) *

– producer (1988–1992) * Daddae – co–lead vocals, turntables (DJ), rapper, producer (1988–1995; died 2024) * Marcia Lewis – lead vocals (1989–1990) * Lamya Al-Mugheiry – co–lead vocals (1990) *

– co–lead vocals (1990) * Kym Mazelle – co–lead vocals (1990), (2010–2011) * Penny Ford – lead vocals (1992–1995) * Melissa Bell – co–lead vocals (1993–1995; died 2017)

Awards and nominations

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1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

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Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

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1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

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Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

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, rowspan=2, " Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" , Best Contemporary Song , , rowspan=2, , - , The Best Selling "A" Side , , - !scope="row",

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

, 1989 , '' Keep On Movin''' , Outstanding Album , , , - !scope="row",

Q Awards The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...

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Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

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, Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album – Group, Band, or Duo , , rowspan=4, , - , rowspan=2, " Keep On Movin'" , Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single – Group, Band, or Duo , , - , Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year , , - , Themselves , Best R&B/Urban Contemporary New Artist ,

Discography

* '' Club Classics Vol. One'' (1989) * '' Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade'' (1990) * '' Volume III Just Right'' (1992) * '' Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93'' (1993) * ''Volume V: Believe'' (1995) * ''Time for Change'' (1997)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Soul 02 Soul English dance music groups English hip-hop groups British contemporary R&B musical groups British soul musical groups Grammy Award winners English pop music groups Virgin Records artists Black British musical groups Pop music groups from London Musical groups established in 1988 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2007