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Alison Moyet
2004 album Voice
Background information
Birth name	Genevieve Alison Jane Moyet
Born	18 June 1961 (1961-06-18) (age 47)
Origin	Billericay, Essex, England
Years active	1981-present
Label(s)	Columbia (1983-2002) Sanctuary (2002-2006) W14 Music (2006-)
Website	official site

Alison Moyet (born Genevieve Alison Jane Moyet on 18 June 1961), is an English pop singer-songwriter noted for her bluesy voice ^[1].

Early life and career

Moyet was born in Billericay, Essex, England, to a French father and English mother. She grew up in Basildon, where she attended school. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop worker and trained as a piano tuner. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including The Vandals and the Screamin' Ab Dabs, The Vicars and The Little Roosters (the latter featuring Gary Lammin formerly of Cock Sparrer).

Yazoo

Main article: Yazoo (band)

Her mainstream pop career began in 1981 when she formed the electropop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. In the United States, the band became known as Yaz, as there was a record label in the region already operating as Yazoo Records that presented trademark issues. Yazoo had several hits, including "Only You", "Don't Go", "Situation" and "Nobody's Diary", and recorded two albums, Upstairs at Eric's and You and Me Both. The group was notable for melding Clarke's trademark electronic sounds with Moyet's warm, soulful voice.

Yazoo (known as Yaz in the U.S.) was a short-lived but highly successful English synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex that had a number of top ten hits in the British charts in the early 1980s.

Heavily influenced by earlier bands like Kraftwerk, Yazoo expanded upon the synthpop formula by juxtaposing Alison Moyet's vocals with Vince Clarke's electronic hooks. Its sound referenced disco but added a more disaffected attitude that disco lacked. Their second album saw greater songwriting input from Moyet, adding a rather more mature and soulful flavour, particularly on the hit single "Nobody's Diary."

The group was formed in 1981, using a moniker that Alison Moyet, veteran of a number of southeast Essex based punk and rock bands, had seen on the labels of old blues albums: Yazoo Records, although Clarke later confessed that this came from mis-hearing the name of the mouth instrument Kazoo which was popular in the late 1970s. Clarke had been the main songwriter in Depeche Mode, who at that point had recorded one album and three singles for Mute Records, including the hits "New Life" and "Just Can't Get Enough". Clarke surprised many by quitting Depeche Mode just as they were beginning to reap success, claiming that they "just weren't getting on, really", forming Yazoo with the then relatively unknown Moyet. Mute Records continued to release the output of this new Clarke project. The band was licensed to Sire Records in the United States.

Its debut single "Only You" backed with "Situation," was released in April 1982 and rose to number two in the UK. Clarke had offered the song as a parting gift to his former bandmates in Depeche Mode, but they declined. Yazoo quickly scored another hit with the next single, "Don't Go," which hit number three, and became popular on MTV in the United States thanks to a Frankenstein-themed video. They continued their successful streak with their first album, Upstairs at Eric's, which went platinum in Britain. The band received favourable reviews for their pioneering sound. Clarke and Moyet toured briefly, while releasing a stopgap single, "The Other Side of Love."

The duo's second and last album, You and Me Both, yielded more success, hitting the top of the UK charts, and spinning off one single. The album's success was tainted by Clarke and Moyet announcing they were to go their separate ways shortly before its release.

In 1983 Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form The Assembly (another duo, this time with former Undertones vocalist Feargal Sharkey) and then Erasure (a duo again, with Andy Bell), Moyet signed to CBS (in part because it had been Janis Joplin's label), and began her solo career.

Mute Records released a remixed version of "Situation" as a single in 1990 to moderate success. In 1999, a compilation was released, entitled Only Yazoo - The Best of and was preceded by a re-release of Yazoo's debut single, "Only You", featuring a new remix of the title track and several more of "Don't Go". The band's output was bookended with yet another release of "Situation", accompanied by many remixes. Moyet reunited with Clarke as Yazoo for a series of live dates during the summer of 2008.

Solo career

Alison Moyet's debut solo album, 'Alf' .

In 1984, Moyet released her debut solo album Alf (titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf was produced by the noted UK producing/songwriting team of Swain and Jolley. The album was co-written by the duo and Moyet, with the exception of "Invisible", which was written specifically for her by Motown legend Lamont Dozier. The record was a huge hit in Britain, reaching #1 in the album charts. Alf spawned three international hit singles, "Love Resurrection" (UK #10), "Invisible" (UK #21) and "All Cried Out" (UK #8). In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved). In some European territories, a fourth single, "For You Only", was also released.

In 1985, Moyet performed at the historic Live Aid concert alongside Paul Young, and later returned unscheduled to the stage (alongside Bob Geldof, David Bowie and Pete Townshend) to provide emergency vocals on Let It Be when the microphone on Paul McCartney's piano failed, leaving him unable to be heard. Moyet also released a single not featured on Alf, a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love", which climbed to #2 on the UK singles chart (it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single).

Moyet had another big UK hit the following year with "Is This Love?" (co-written by the Eurythmics' David A. Stewart under the pseudonym Jean Guiot), followed in 1987 by her second LP, Raindancing. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak In The Presence of Beauty" and "Ordinary Girl". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters", which peaked at UK #4. The video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders.

Following a period of personal and career evaluation, Hoodoo was released in 1991. Hoodoo took several steps away from the glossy pop sheen of Raindancing and was a far earthier and more personal album. Compared to her earlier releases, Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, and Moyet was nominated for a Grammy for the single "It Won't Be Long". However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists of Moyet's calibre (including Aimee Mann and the late Kirsty MacColl), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.

Moyet's next album, Essex (1994), was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name" again featured Dawn French.

Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest hits compilation of Moyet's work. Singles entered the UK charts at #1 and, following a UK tour, was re-issued as a double CD set which included "Live (No Overdubs)", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue, Singles charted again, this time in the Top 20.

Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, she recorded vocals for Tricky, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene, The Lightning Seeds, and King Britt, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet CD, and in 2002 The Essential Alison Moyet DVD.

Moyet is a fan of legendary British soul singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999) and when Springfield in 1995 made what was to become one of her very last television appearances, singing "Where Is a Woman to Go?" on the music show Later With Jools Holland (BBC), she had vocal back-up by Sinéad O'Connor and Moyet.

Comeback album, Hometime 2002.

Moyet's 2007 album, The Turn.

In August 2002, after years of holding out and refusing to compromise, Moyet was finally released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records and released her first studio album in eight years, Hometime, an album which Sony had refused to release. Hometime was produced by The Insects, who had also produced works by Massive Attack and Madonna. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002^[2] and resulted in a BRIT Awards nomination for Best Female Vocal^[3] as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize^[4]

Voice, an eclectic collection of covers, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at #7. Scored and produced by Moyet's neighbour (and Academy Award winner) Anne Dudley, the album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie". A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006.

December 2006 saw Moyet signing a recording contract with W14 Music,^[5] the new Universal Music Group imprint. The deal sees Alison reunited with label head John Williams, who was her A&R man for her last two albums, Hometime and Voice.

Alison's new album, The Turn, was released on 15 October 2007, preceded by the single 'One More Time' a week earlier. The album features an eclectic mix of self-penned songs, including the three numbers she wrote for the stage play, Smaller. Again, Alison worked alongside producer/songwriter and frequent Moyet collaborator Pete Glenister.

The Turn debuted at #21 on the UK album charts on 22 October, 2007.

Yazoo reunion

In December 2007 Side-line announced that Mute Records plans to reissue both Yazoo albums as remastered versions. The reunited band also plan a live tour to promote the re-releases.^[6]

The news was confirmed later on including extra details.^[7] Due for release in May 2008 is In Your Room, a four-disc box set featuring the stereo remasters and 5.1 mixes of the albums Upstairs at Eric's and You and Me Both next to a disc with B-sides and remixes. Add to this a DVD featuring an exclusive short film with new interviews from Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet and the videos for "Don't Go", "The Other Side Of Love", "Nobody's Diary", "Situation (1990)" and "Only You (1999)".

The release will be followed by the 'Yazoo Reconnected: Live' tour. Currently, 18 dates have been announced,^[8] starting in Copenhagen on May 26. The first three dates of the U.S. tour will see Yazoo performing in Oakland (San Francisco), Los Angeles, and Chicago. Yazoo wraps up the final two dates of the U.S. tour by returning to New York City for the first time since October 1982.

Theatre

Moyet made her critically acclaimed stage debut in the West End production of the musical Chicago in 2001. She played the part of Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, and although initially planned to be a short run, Moyet enjoyed the experience so much that the run was extended to six months.

In 2006, Moyet appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a West End stint at London's Lyric Theatre. As well as co-starring with Dawn French, Moyet also composed three new songs for the production, which feature on her album The Turn.

Personal life

Alison was first married to hairdresser Malcolm Lee, with whom she has a son, Joe. The marriage ended in divorce. Alison then had a short-lived relationship with tour manager Kim McCarthy with whom she has a daughter, Alex, and is now married to her second husband, teaching assistant David Ballard, with whom she has a daughter, Caitlin.^[9]

Alison supports Southend United Football Club and can be occasionally found in the West Stand at Roots Hall. Part of the video for "Is This Love?" was filmed at the ground. In addition, the song "Blue" - originally released as a B-side, but later re-recorded and used as the theme tune of the British TV series Playing the Field - is the singer's ode to her love of football and of Southend United.

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

• List of best-selling music artists

References

• Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
• Allmusic biography.^[10]

1. ^ allmusic (((Alison Moyet > Overview)))
2. ^ Alison Moyet.com
3. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Brit Awards 2003: Winners
4. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Debut stars scoop Brits nominations
5. ^ Alison Moyet (ex-Yazoo) joins W14 Music
6. ^ Yazoo prepares for reissue albums and first live gig in 25 years
7. ^ Yazoo to release In Your Room 4 disc-box set + first dates reunion tour announced
8. ^ Yazoo announces more European dates for 'Yazoo reunion Reconnected Tour'
9. ^ The Scotsman
10. ^ http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jifpxqugld6e

External links

• Alison Moyet's official website
• The Turn microsite
• Alison Moyet's official MySpace
• W14 Music
• Alison Moyet channel at YouTube
• Official Yazoo site