M People - WikiHQ

M People (stylised as <sup>M</sup>People) are an English dance music band that formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is derived from the first letter of the first name of band member Mike Pickering, who formed the group. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked them as the 83rd most successful dance act of all time. As of 2021, M People have sold over 11 million records worldwide.

Career

Formation

Pickering had been a member of Factory Records dance act Quando Quango, but became better known as one of the original DJs at The Haçienda. Paul Heard was a member of acid jazz band Ace of Clubs, and Shovell had previously been in the collective Natural Life. The original plan had been to have a roster of different singers for different songs, but having been spotted by Pickering and Heard, Heather Small became the distinctive vocalist of the group. It provided other singles, including a full release of "Colour My Life", "Someday" and "Excited", followed by a re-release and repackaging of the album.

Elegant Slumming and success

1993 began with the re-released and remixed single from 1991’s "How Can I Love You More?", which was issued at the end of January and gave the band their first Top 10 single, peaking at number 8. While this single was in the chart, the band were working on new material for the second album to be released that autumn; a preliminary single, "One Night in Heaven", was released in the summer and peaked at number 6. It provided them with a dance/pop success that paved the way for a bigger worldwide hit with the second single, "Moving On Up". in December, and "Renaissance", which was used as the theme tune to the BBC 2 show, The Living Soap, sending the single to number 5 in the UK Singles Chart.

Bizarre Fruit II and awards

In 1994 and 1995, M People won the BRIT Award for Best British Dance Act, the latter as a result of the release of Bizarre Fruit. The first single from that album was "Sight for Sore Eyes", which climbed to number 6, helping the album to enter the UK Albums Chart, peak at No. 4, and remain in the Top 10 for four months into the following year. The second single from the album was "Open Your Heart", which became their seventh consecutive Top Ten hit in two years, and at the Brit Awards '95 they collaborated with Sting on his track "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". Their third single, "Search for the Hero", was later used in the TV advertising campaign for the Peugeot 406. The song reached number 9 in the chart.

In 1995, the band embarked on their first world tour, entitled the Come Again Tour, and two more singles were lifted from a re-issued album: Bizarre Fruit II, which charted and peaked one place higher at number 3; these singles were a remixed "Love Rendezvous" and "Itchycoo Park". In addition to these gigs, M People performed at the Hampton Court Festival in Surrey, London, on 12 June 2007, and the Chichester Real Ale and Jazz festival on 4 July 2007. Elsewhere, they played a concert in Warsaw, Poland, on 7 September 2007. The band also played some festival dates in 2008 before Small starred as a contestant in that year's BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing in the UK.

In 2012, as part of a series of Summer Concerts in Kew Gardens from 3–8 July, M People were one of five acts performing live on each day of the five days. The other acts included Status Quo, Will Young, James Morrison and the Gipsy Kings. M People performed a 60-minute set on Wednesday 4 July, supported by Chic featuring Nile Rodgers.

2013 Greatest Hits Tour

In April 2013, it was announced that the band would undertake an extensive fourteen-date Greatest Hits Tour in October to mark 20 years since the release of the Mercury Music Prize-winning album Elegant Slumming. This was the band's first UK tour since 2005's Ultimate Collection Tour, although Pickering did not take part.

2020 Box Set

In 2019, it was announced that a box set of the M People catalogue was scheduled to be released. The box set, titled Renaissance, was released in March 2020 and included all five of the group's albums, as well as a large selection of bonus remixes and two DVDs that presented the group's music videos and live performances from the Come Again tour. Also included was a book with notes from the band, rare photos, and a handwritten copy of the lyrics to "Search for the Hero".

Members

Heather Small <small>(born 20 January 1965, London)

| 1996

| M People

| Best Dance Act

Silver Clef Awards

The Silver Clef Award are an annual UK music awards lunch which has been running since 1976. M People has received one award.

| 1999