Real McCoy is a German Eurodance and pop music project best known for their hit singles throughout the mid-1990s: "Another Night", "Automatic Lover (Call for Love)", "Run Away", "Love & Devotion", "Come and Get Your Love", and "One More Time". Their first U.S. album Another Night went multi-platinum and charted in countries around the world.
History
1989–1990: Early success in Germany
The Real McCoy project (originally known in Europe as M.C. Sar & the Real McCoy) was the result of the successful collaboration between record producers Juergen Wind (J. Wind), and Frank Hassas (Quickmix), plus the rapper Olaf Jeglitza (O-Jay), under their music production company Freshline Records. Wind and Hassas wrote and produced the project's main hits between 1990 and 1994 at Wind Studios B.C. in Spandau, Berlin. Traditionally, Jeglitza was given additional producer credits alongside Wind and Hassas as J. Wind, Quickmix & O. Jeglitza for Freshline. In reality, Jeglitza only had a minor songwriting role on the team, and strictly provided rap vocals for the song productions. In 1993, he became the front man of the project.
alt=|thumb|250x250px|Real McCoy producers Frank Hassas (left) and Juergen Wind (right) at Wind Studios B.C in Germany
The first single from the project was a cover version of the hit "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic featuring new rap verses from Jeglitza. Following the unexpected success of the single, Wind took over the management of Freshline Records, and became the leading producer and composer behind the project. The follow-up releases were hip house style records. "It's On You" debuted in 1990 and became a top hit in Germany and a success in other European territories. and had remained on the chart for several weeks. The follow-up singles "Automatic Lover (Call for Love)" and "Run Away" and the album Space Invaders were then released in Europe. The cover art, imagery and marketing for the album was completely changed to present a lighter romantic tone. Several tracks from the album were removed for the new release. Davis commissioned a new team of producers to write and produce three new covers songs ("Come and Get Your Love", "Ooh Boy", "If You Should Ever Be Lonely (Deep in the Night)"), along with an original track (Sleeping with an Angel) for the album. The new production team included: songwriters Billy Steinberg & Rick Nowels, producer Shep Pettibone and the Lemon Productions team (Per Adebratt, Douglas Carr & Tony Ekman).
Thanks to the promotional efforts of Arista along with the popularity of "Another Night" and "Run Away", the album reached double platinum status and became a mainstream commercial success in 1995. "Come and Get Your Love" was released as the third Real McCoy single and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. "Automatic Lover (Call for Love)" was also released late in 1995 as a fourth single but saw lesser success peaking at No. 52 on the chart. The Space Invaders track "Love & Devotion" was released in Europe and Australia as a Real McCoy single. It earned gold status in Australia and peaked at No. 11 in the United Kingdom. While Real McCoy's success was at its peak in 1995, the Maxx project had quickly begun to decline in Europe due to the lack of new hits on the European charts. By the end of 1995, the project had permanently disbanded. In May 1996, Real McCoy won a World Music Award for World's Best-Selling German Group.
1997–1998: Group decline after One More Time album
In 1997, the follow-up album One More Time was released. on the chart. The follow-up singles "I Wanna Come (with You)" and the Shania Twain cover "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!" failed to chart and were also commercial failures. The disappointing commercial sales of the album and the final singles lead to the quick demise of the lineup in 1997. In 1998, BMG re-released the original Space Invaders album, under the title Real McCoy – Love & Devotion in Germany.
1999–2015: Real McCoy continuation and hiatus
In 1999 and 2000, two new Real McCoy singles were released with an all new line-up. Rapper Jason Ammon and singers Gabriele Koopmans and Ginger Maria Kamphuis were marketed as the 'new' Real McCoy. The first single released with the new line-up was a re-recorded version of "It's On You". Koopmans and Kamphuis recorded new vocals for the song, while Jeglitza re-recorded his original rap verses. A music video was filmed for the single in Miami, Florida, starring Ammon, Koopmans and Kamphuis with a cameo from Jeglitza. Ammon mimed Jeglitza's rap vocals in the music video. A second single titled "Hey Now" was released in 2000, featuring rap from Ammon and singing from Koopmans and Kamphuis. Both singles became commercial failures resulting in the demise of the new line-up.
After a long hiatus, Jeglitza (under the name Real McCoy) collaborated with the Polish band Ich Troje in 2006 to create the song "Follow My Heart". Jeglitza and the band represented Poland at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. The song, however, failed to qualify for the grand final. In early 2007, a new Real McCoy song titled "People Are Still Having Sex" was released in Germany. The single was a cover of the famous LaTour single of the same name.
In August 2009, Jeglitza performed as Real McCoy with singers Debbie Butts and Gemma Louise Sampson for DJ BoBo's "DJ BoBo and Friends" concert in Engelberg, Switzerland. Jeglitza also recorded the track "Two Hearts" with Butts and Sampson, but the track was never released officially.
2016–2020: Return of Karin Kasar and Real McCoy revival
In 2016, Jeglitza returned again as Real McCoy with the original studio singer Karin Kasar. As a live duo act, Jeglitza and Kasar performed as Real McCoy at 1990s festivals worldwide.
2020–present: Kasar's departure and line up changes
In January 2020, Karin Kasar revealed on her Instagram page that she was retiring from performing with the group. Real McCoy remained dormant for much of 2020 and 2021, with a handful of performances in the latter year with O-Jay as the sole member. In late 2021, Real McCoy announced that they would be returning for performances in 2022 with O-Jay, producer/hypeman K.I.S.T.E, and new vocalists Sara Mosquera and Mac. In December 2023, the band released a new single called "Magnify".
Members
- Olaf Jeglitza (O-Jay) – rapper (1989–present)
- Sara Mosquera - singer, live performer (2022–present)
- Mac - singer, live performer (2022–present)
- K.I.S.T.E - producer, live performer (2022–present)
- George Shampro Mario (M.C. Sar) – frontman only, lip-sync (1990–1992)
- Patricia Petersen (Patsy) – singer, lip-sync (1990–1995)
- Yvonne Parker (Sunday) – session singer (1990)
- Karin Kasar – session singer, live performer (1993–1995, 2016–2020)
- Vanessa Mason – singer, lip-sync (1994–1997)
- Lisa Cork – singer (1996–1997)
- Jason Ammon – rapper (1999)
- Gabriele Koopmans – singer (1999)
- Ginger Maria Kamphuis – singer (1999)
- Debbie Butts – singer (2009)
- Gemma Louise Sampson – singer (2009)
Discography
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Details
! scope="col" colspan="6"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Certifications
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|GER<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|AUS<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|CAN<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|NZ<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|UK<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|US<br/>
|-
! scope="row"|On the Move!
|
- Released: 19 September 1990
- Label: Galaxis
- Format: CD, cassette, vinyl
| — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|Space Invaders
|
- Released: 24 August 1994
- Label: Hansa
- Format: CD, cassette, vinyl
| 65 || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|Another Night<br/> (US Album)
|
- Released: 28 March 1995
- Label: Arista
- Format: CD, cassette, vinyl
| — || 6 || 20 || 1 || 6 || 13
|
- ARIA: Platinum
- MC: Platinum
- RIAA: 2× Platinum
- RMNZ: Platinum
|-
! scope="row"|One More Time
|
- Released: 25 March 1997
- Label: BMG
- Format: CD, cassette, vinyl
| — || 78 || 55 || — || — || 79
|
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="11"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| GER<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| FRA<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| IRL<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| NED<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br>
|-
! scope="row"|"Pump Up the Jam – Rap"
| 1989
| 16 || — || — || — || — || — || 100 || — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="3"|On the Move!
|-
! scope="row"| "It's On You"
|rowspan="2"|1990
| 11 || — || 4 || — || 8 || — || 3 || — || — || — || —
|
- SNEP: Silver
|-
! scope="row"|"Don't Stop<br />
| 41 || — || — || — || 19 || — || 18 || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Make a Move"
| 1991
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="3"| Singles only
|-
! scope="row"|"Let's Talk About Love"
|rowspan="2"|1992
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"No Showbo"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Another Night"
| 1993
| 18 || 1 || 30 || 55 || 20 || 6 || 13 || 16 || 22 || 2 || 3
|
- ARIA: Platinum
- BPI: Silver
- RIAA: Platinum
|rowspan="4"| Space Invaders
|-
! scope="row"|"Automatic Lover (Call for Love)"
|rowspan="2"|1994
| 20 || 18 || — || — || 38 || — || — || 44 || 19 || 58 || 52
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Run Away"
| 22 || 4 || 24 || 33 || — || 5 || 38 || 6 || 11 || 6 || 3
|
- BPI: Silver
|-
! scope="row"|"Come and Get Your Love"
| 53 || 18 || — || 42 || — || 22 || 26 || 8 || — || 19 || 19
|
|rowspan="2"| Another Night (US Album)
|-
! scope="row"|"Sleeping with an Angel" / "Ooh Boy"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 101
102
|
|-
! scope="row"|"One More Time"
|rowspan="3"|1997
| 85 || 3 || — || 8 || — || — || — || — || — || 78 || 27
|
- ARIA: Platinum
|rowspan="3"| One More Time
|-
! scope="row"|"I Wanna Come (with You)"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 105
|
|-
! scope="row"|"(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 102
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Pump Up the Jam '98"
| 1998
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="6"| Singles only
|-
! scope="row"|"It's On You"
| 1999
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Hey Now"
| 2000
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Follow My Heart"
| 2006
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"People Are Still Having Sex"
| 2007
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"|"Magnify"
| 2023
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|
|-
| colspan="17" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.
|}