Sonique (musician)

Sonique
Birth name Sonia Marina Clarke
Born (1968-06-21) 21 June 1968
Crouch End, North London, England
Genres House, dance, trance
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, DJ
Instruments Vocals, synthesizer
Years active 1985–present
Labels Universal, Serious/Caffeine Records[1]
Website soniqueclarke.com

Sonia Marina Clarke[2] (born 21 June 1968), better known by her stage name Sonique, is an English singer, musician and DJ.[3] She was the lead vocalist on two S'Express singles, and the majority of the tracks on the group's second album, Intercourse. She won the 2001 BRIT Award for British female solo artist. She was treated for breast cancer[4] and given the all clear in 2010.[5]

Biography

1968–83: Early life

Sonia Clarke was born and raised in Crouch End to parents of Trinidadian descent. The first record she ever purchased was Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". When Sonique was sixteen her mother remarried and moved back to Trinidad. She refused to move with her mother and two siblings and instead stayed in London, moving into the YMCA.

1983–91: Early music career

At the age of seventeen, a youth worker commented that she had a nice voice and suggested she utilise it. She put together a reggae band called 'Fari' in which she ended up writing all the music. After Fari disbanded she set about getting a recording contract.

Sonique released the single "Let Me Hold You", published by Cooltempo, in 1985.[6] The single hit the Top 40 on the UK Dance Chart.

In 1990, she was credited for the track "Zombie Mantra" on the album, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass, the debut record of William Orbit's project Bass-O-Matic. Soon after she teamed again with DJ Mark Moore, a few years after providing vocals for S'Express.[6] The dance-pop duo charted in the UK Singles Chart with singles such as "Nothing to Lose".[6] She maintained a friendship with Mark Moore after S'Express disbanded and shortly afterwards, he gave her the gift of a set of turntables and a mixer with which she began experimenting.

1997–2001: DJ career

For three years she accompanied both Mark Moore and her childhood friend Judge Jules to their gigs. She eventually signed to London-based label Serious Records, where her first single was "I Put A Spell on You" produced by Chris Allen and ex-Wang Chung keyboardist Graeme Pleeth.[7] She was DJ-in-residence at Club Manumission in Ibiza between 1997 and 1999.

In 1998, she came to the attention of UK promoters/label Fantazia and was asked to mix one of the discs on their album Fantazia British Anthems Summertime.[6] The album was certified gold in the UK.

Sonique also sang on the album "Hear My Cry" in 1998. When it was re-released in 2000, the hit single "It Feels So Good" topped the UK chart for three weeks in May. After 14 weeks in the Top 40, it became the UK's third best-selling single of 2000. In 2001, after the success of "It Feels So Good" she announced that she planned to retire from the world of DJing to focus on her singing career. After finishing the album Born to Be Free, Sonique did return to DJing on a few special occasions.

2002–06: On Kosmo

In 2004, Sonique announced she was working on a new album called On Kosmo. The first single was "Another World", which reached number 57 in Germany when released in 2004. "Why" (released Spring 2005), reached number 90 in Germany.

"Alone" was selected as the third single with which the album would be launched, but when the album got pushed back from the expected release date of February 2006, the single was cancelled. When the new release date of 29 September 2006 was announced, the track "Sleezy" was chosen as the single with which the album was to be released. However, "Sleezy" was also cancelled when the release date was pushed back once again. When On Kosmo was finally released, on Monday 13 November 2006, it failed to chart significantly in the UK. Nevertheless, Sonique was shown as a celebrity guest at The World Music Awards 2006 in England.

2009–present

In 2007 when promotional work finished for her previous album On Kosmo, Sonique announced she would continue touring Europe despite the flop of the album. A teaser from some of the new material she had been working on 'leaked' online on 5 October 2008 entitled "Better Than That". Due to the positive reception of this 'leak' the track was posted available to download on various legal mp3 download sites.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2009, for which she underwent surgery at a London clinic.[8] Following her operations, Sonique opted to receive 5 months of chemotherapy in an effort to prevent a recurrence.[9] She was given the all clear in 2010 and celebrated by appearing on a cover version of the Cyndi Lauper song Girls Just Want To Have Fun which was released to raise fund for the Cancer Research UK charity.[5]

The single "World of Change" was released on 23 October 2009 and the official video was posted by Sonique's label on YouTube.

2011 brought the release of the album Sweet Vibrations, which contains the previously released singles: "Better Than That" and "World of Change".

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[10]		 AUT
[11]		 FRA
[12]		 GER
[13]		 IRE
[14]		 NOR
[15]		 NZ
[16]		 SWE
[17]		 SWI
[18]		 US
[19]
Hear My Cry 6 9 120 17 45 12 20 10 2 67
Born to Be Free
  • Released: 20 May 2003
  • Label: Serious, Universal
  • Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
 142 – – 97 – – – – – —
On Kosmo
  • Released: 13 September 2006
  • Label: Kosmo
  • Format: CD, digital download
 – – – – – – – – – —
Sweet Vibrations
  • Released: 28 January 2011
  • Label: ZYX
  • Format: CD, digital download
 – – – – – – – – – —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[22]		 AUT
[11]		 FRA
[12]		 GER
[23]		 IRE
[14]		 NOR
[15]		 NZ
[16]		 SWE
[17]		 SWI
[18]		 US
[24]
"Let Me Hold You" 1985 49 – – – – – – – – — Non-album single
"I Put a Spell on You"[A] 1998 8 – – 70 18 – – 28 44 — Hear My Cry
"It Feels So Good"[B] 1 2 8 2 2 1 7 3 2 8
"Sky" 2000 2 8 22 11 10 6 48 13 18 —
"Can't Make Up My Mind" 2003 17 – – – – – – – – — Born to Be Free
"Alive" 70 33 – 39 – – – – 80 —
"Another World"
(with Tomcraft)		 2004 – 75 – 57 – – – – – — Sonique on Kosmo
"Why" 2005 – – – 90 – – – – – —
"Sleezy" 2006 – – – – – – – – – —
"Better Than That" 2009 – – – – – – – – – — Sweet Vibrations
"World of Change" – – – – – – – – – —
"Only You"
(with Paul Morrell)		 2010 – – – – – – – – – — Non-album singles
"What You're Doin'"
(with Paul Morrell)		 2011 – – – – – – – – – —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Notes

  • A ^ "I Put a Spell on You" peaked at number 36 on the United Kingdom upon its original release in 1998: it was later re-released in 2001, and served as the third single from Hear My Cry in all other territories.[22]
  • B ^ "It Feels So Good" peaked at number 24 on the United Kingdom upon its original release in 1998: it was later re-released in 2000, and served as the first single from Hear My Cry in all other territories.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sonique ; publicity photograph". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Dom (2009). Superstar DJs Here We Go!: The Rise and Fall of the Superstar DJ. Ebury Publishing. pp. 177–. ISBN 978-1-4070-2695-4.
  3. ↑ "Sonique Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  4. ↑ "Sonique, DJ and Singer, Has More Surgery As Her Breast Cancer Has Spread | Showbiz News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Girls Just Want To Have Fun: Sonique Records Cancer Charity Single After Beating Breast Cancer | Showbiz News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Sonique Biography on Yahoo! Music". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  7. ↑ "AskMen.com – Sonique pictures". AskMen.com. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  8. ↑ "Brit award-winning singer and DJ Sonique diagnosed with breast cancer | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  9. ↑ "Sonique Steps Up for Chemotherapy". Breastcancer.about.com. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  10. ↑ Peak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom:
  11. 1 2 "Discographie Sonique". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  12. 1 2 "Discographie Sonique". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Sonique / Longplay". musicline.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  14. 1 2 "Discography Sonique". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Discography Sonique". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Discography Sonique". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Discography Sonique". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Discographie Sonique". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Sonique Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  20. 1 2 "BPI Certified Awards Search" (insert "Sonique" into the "Search" box, and then select "Go"). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  21. 1 2 "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Sonique)". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  22. 1 2 3 "Sonique" (select "Singles" tab). The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  23. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Sonique / Single". musicline.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  24. ↑ "Sonique Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  25. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank: Sonique" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  26. ↑ "Norwegian single certifications – Sonique – It Feels So Good" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  27. ↑ "(Guld & Platina) ÅR 2001" [(Gold & Platinum) Year 2001] (PDF) (in Swedish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. p. 5. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  28. ↑ "Certifications Singles Argent – année 2001" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 29 August 2012.

External links


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