Yello
| Yello | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Genres | Electronic, synthpop, new wave, dance, jazz |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Polydor, Mercury, Vertigo, 4th & B'way, Smash, Elektra, Ralph, Stiff |
| Associated acts | The Residents |
| Website | Yello.com |
| Members |
Dieter Meier Boris Blank |
| Past members | Carlos Perón |
Yello is a Swiss electronic band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank.
The band is known for their 1985 single "Oh Yeah" which featured in the films Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Secret of My Success, an American Pie movie, K-9, and as the theme song for the character Duffman on The Simpsons.
Their single "The Race" peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
Band history
The band was formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s. Dieter Meier (vocals, lyrics), a millionaire industrialist and gambler, was brought in when the two founders realised that they needed a singer. The new band name, Yello, was chosen as a pun based on a comment made by Meier, "a yelled Hello".[1]
Yello's first release was the 1979 single "I.T. Splash". The LP Solid Pleasure, featuring the original short version of "Bostich" (extended to a hit dance single in 1981), was released in November 1980.
In 2005, Yello re-released their early albums Solid Pleasure, Claro Que Si, You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, Stella, One Second, and Flag, all with rare bonus tracks, as part of the Yello Remaster Series.[2]
A documentary on Yello, Electro Pop made in Switzerland, directed by Anka Schmid, was premiered at the Riff Raff cinema in Zürich in September 2005.[3]
Yello was commissioned to produce music for the launch of the Audi A5 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007 and for the Audi A5 commercial in May 2007.[4]
Musical style
 |
Yello - Oh Yeah excerpt
 An excerpt from "Oh Yeah" |
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
Yello's sound is mainly characterised by unusual music samples, a heavy reliance on rhythm and Dieter Meier's dark crooning voice. Yello has been instrumental in spreading and developing the use of sampling, along with Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle and Depeche Mode, especially in the construction of rhythm tracks, such as one of their signature tunes The Race from 1988.
Boris Blank has taken a couple of vocal turns; on "Swing" (from You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess) and "Blazing Saddles" (from Flag), and guest vocalists have included Rush Winters (the first female diva to be featured on a Yello recording), Billy MacKenzie, Stina Nordenstam, Jade Davies, Shirley Bassey and Heidi Happy. The group has shared writing credit with MacKenzie, Winters and Happy.
Yello rarely use samples from previously released music; nearly every instrument has been sampled and re-engineered by Boris Blank, who over the years has built up an original sample library of over 100,000 named and categorised sounds.[5]
Yello worked extensively with singers Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | UK[6] | US | AUS[7] | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Solid Pleasure | Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) | - | - | - | |
| 1981 | Claro Que Si | Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) | - | - | - | |
| 1983 | You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess | Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records | 65 | 184 | - | |
| 1985 | Stella | Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records) | 92 | - | - | |
| 1987 | One Second | Mercury | 48 | 92 | 95 | Featuring Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey |
| 1988 | Flag | Mercury | 56 | 152 | - | |
| 1991 | Baby | Mercury/PolyGram | 37 | - | 73 | |
| 1994 | Zebra | Fourth & Broadway | - | - | - | |
| 1997 | Pocket Universe | PolyGram | - | - | - | Featuring Stina Nordenstam on "To The Sea" |
| 1999 | Motion Picture | Polygram | - | - | - | |
| 2003 | The Eye | Motor Music | - | - | - | Featuring Jade Davies on "Don Turbulento", "Junior B", "Distant Solution", "Time Palace" and "Unreal"[8] |
| 2009 | Touch Yello | Polydor | - | - | - | Featuring Heidi Happy on "You Better Hide", "Kiss In Blue" and "Stay" |
Other albums
| Year | Album | Label | UK[6] | US | AUS[7] | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go | Mercury | - | - | 99 | Remix album |
| 1992 | Bostich | Full Frequency Range Recordings/Ralph Records | - | - | - | Remix album |
| 1992 | Essential | Mercury | - | - | - | Compilation album |
| 1995 | Hands on Yello | Urban Records/Motor Music | - | - | - | Remix album |
| 1999 | Eccentrix Remixes | Mercury | - | - | - | Remix album |
| 2007 | Progress and Perfection | - | - | - | - | Audi A5 promo album |
| 2010 | Yello by Yello | Polydor | - | - | - | Compilation album |
| 2012 | The Key to Perfection | - | - | - | - | VW Golf 7 promo album |
Notable singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Additional information | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[6] | U.S. | U.S. D/P | AUS[7] | |||
| 1979 | "Bostich" | – | – | 23 | – | |
| 1982 | "You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess/Heavy Whispers" | – | – | 42 | – | |
| 1983 | "I Love You" | 41 | 103 | 16 | – | |
| "Lost Again" | 73 | – | – | – | ||
| 1984 | "Pumping Velvet" | – | – | 12 | – | |
| 1985 | "Vicious Games" | – | – | 8 | 60 | |
| "Oh Yeah" | – | 51 | 35 | 9 | Re-released with new lyrics added in 1987. This version was added only in the original release of One Second. | |
| 1986 | "Goldrush" | 54 | – | – | – | featured Billy MacKenzie |
| 1987 | "The Rhythm Divine" | 54 | – | – | – | featured Shirley Bassey |
| "Call It Love" | 91 | – | – | – | ||
| 1988 | "The Race" | 7 | – | 33 | 56 | |
| "Tied Up" | 60 | – | 9 | – | ||
| 1989 | "Of Course I'm Lying" | 23 | – | – | 123 | |
| "Blazing Saddles" | 47 | – | – | – | ||
| 1990 | "Unbelievable" | – | – | 22 | – | |
| 1991 | "Rubberbandman" | 58 | – | – | – | |
| 1992 | "Jungle Bill" | 61 | – | 40 | – | |
| "The Race" (re-issue) | 55 | – | – | – | re-issued with "Bostich" | |
| 1994 | "Do It" | – | – | 46 | – | |
| 1995 | "Tremendous Pain" | – | – | 7 | – | |
| 1996 | "How How" | 59 | – | 28 | – | |
| "Jingle Bells" | – | – | 44 | – | ||
| 1997 | "On Track" | – | – | 16 | – | |
| "To the Sea" | – | – | – | – | featured Stina Nordenstam | |
| 1999 | "Vicious Games" | 110[9] | – | – | – | Yello vs Hardfloor |
| 2003 | "Planet Dada" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2011 | "Mean Monday" | – | – | – | – | Included in the book "Yello - Boris Blank und Dieter Meier". Released on iTunes on October 22, 2011. |
References
- ↑ ""A Yelled Hello" at the World Premiere of the Audi A5". Audiusanews.com. 2007-03-06. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
- ↑ "Yello - Remaster Series (Box Set, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
- ↑
- ↑ "Audi A5 In Verona - A Road Movie Becomes Reality". Audiusanews.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
- ↑ "Boris Blank (Yello): Recording Zebra". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
- 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 613–614. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- 1 2 3 Australian chart peaks:
- Singles and albums peaking within the top 100 (Kent Music Report) prior to June 26, 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 345. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and June 19, 1988.
- "Oh Yeah" (ARIA Chart) peak: "australian-charts.com > Yello 'Oh Yeah'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
- "The Race" (ARIA Chart) peak: "Chart Peaks (response from ARIA to chart inquiry, received 2014-01-17)". imgur.com. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
- "Of Course I'm Lying" (ARIA Chart) peak: "Response from ARIA to chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15". imgur.com. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
- Singles and albums peaking within the top 100 (ARIA Chart) from January 1990 until December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ↑ Album Cover
- ↑ "Chart Log UK: Rachael Yamagata - Malik Yusef". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
External links
- Official website (requires browser plug-in to navigate)
- Dieter Meier's Official website (requires browser plug-in to navigate)
- The Yello Site
- Detailed discography on Discogs
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