Stereo MC's

Stereo MC's are an English hip hop and electronic dance group that formed in Clapham, London, in 1985.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">Template:Cite book</ref> They had an international top 20 hit with their single "Connected" and a UK top 20 hit with "Step It Up". After releasing eight albums for Island Records, K7, Graffiti Recordings, and Pias, they formed the label Connected with the band Terranova to release their own material and that of other artists within the house/techno/electronic genre.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

File:Foto-di-matti STEREO-MCs.jpg

Stereo MC's 2005 in Berlin

Rob Birch (vocalist/songwriter) and Nick Hallam (DJ/producer) co-founded the Gee Street recording studio and record label, in 1985 along with Jon Baker and DJ Richie Rich.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name="LarkinDM">Template:Cite book</ref> Part of the finance came from Birch and Hallam's joint receipt of £14,000 from a property developer, on condition they vacated their adjacent flats.<ref name="Larkin"/>

When Gee Street attracted the attention of 4th & Broadway, they recorded the debut Stereo MCs' studio album, 33-45-78 (1989), on a shoestring budget with DJ Cesare.<ref name="Larkin"/> Drummer Owen If and backing vocalist Cath Coffey joined the group for the Supernatural LP.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> In 1990, "Elevate My Mind" was the first British hip hop single to reach the US Billboard R&B chart.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name="Guinness Rockopedia">Template:Cite book</ref> Having supported the Happy Mondays on a US tour, in the emerging UK alternative dance scene, it took an alliance with the Jungle Brothers to ensure chart success for Supernatural (1990).<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Remix work for U2 and Queen Latifah followed.<ref name="Guinness Rockopedia"/>

Their live band included singers Andrea Bedassie and Verona Davis,<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> and they were one of the few hip hop outfits to play at rock music festivals at the time.<ref name="Guinness Rockopedia"/> 1992's mainstream breakthrough Connected, a number 2 success in the UK Albums Chart, contained the hit singles "Connected", "Step It Up", "Creation", and "Ground Level", and won them 1994 Brit Awards for Best Group and Best Album.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Hallam and Birch then created the music-publishing firm Spirit Songs, which signed Finley Quaye.<ref name="Guinness Rockopedia"/>

However, the follow-up to Connected did not appear for almost a decade. Further remix duties for Madonna ("Frozen"), Tricky ("Makes Me Wanna Die" Weekend Mix), and the Jungle Brothers ("Jungle Brother") in 1998 kept the Stereo MCs' name in the limelight.<ref name="Guinness Rockopedia"/> Madonna went on to use the "Frozen" remix on her 2001 Drowned World Tour.Template:Citation needed

In 2000, they released a Disc Jockey mix for Studio !K7's DJ-Kicks series and remixed another song for Madonna ("Music"). The following year saw the release of Deep Down & Dirty, followed by a tour including slots opening for the recently re-united Jane's Addiction.Template:Citation needed

Their sixth studio album, Double Bubble, was released in July 2008, followed by their seventh, Emperor's Nightingale, in August 2011. In December 2008, they supported Madness at the O2 Arena in London.Template:Citation needed

File:Stereo MCs Orange Music Haifa 2005 03.jpg

Stereo MC's at the Orange Music Experience Festival, Haifa, 29 June 2005

Drummer Owen If died on 10 July 2022, at the age of 63.<ref name="Obit">Template:Cite news</ref>

Members

• Nick Hallam – born 11 June 1960, Nottingham, England.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
• 'Rob B' – born Robert Charles Birch, 11 June 1961, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, England.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
• 'Owen If' – born Ian Frederick Rossiter, 20 March 1959, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> – died 10 July 2022, Newport, Wales.<ref name="Obit"/>
• Cath Coffey – born Catherine Muthomi Coffey, c. 1965, Eldoret, Kenya.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions							Certification
		UK <ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>	AUS <ref name=aus/><ref name="ARIA history pages">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref>	AUT	GER	NZ	SWE		SWI
33-45-78	Released: 1989 Label: Gee Street	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Supernatural	Released: 1990 Label: Island	—	132	—	—	—	—	—
Connected	Released: 1992 Label: Fourth & Broadway	2	86	12	47	33	17	19	BPI: Platinum
Deep Down & Dirty	Released: 2001 Label: Island	17	58	2	10	—	60	20	BPI: Silver
Paradise	Released: 2005	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Double Bubble	Released: 2008	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Emperor's Nightingale	Released: 2011	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Compilation albums

• Retroactive (2002)
• Live at the BBC (2008)

Other albums

• DJ-Kicks: Stereo MC's (2000) (Remix album of other artists)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Year	Title	Peak chart positions										Album
		UK <ref name=UK>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref>	AUS <ref name=aus>Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Top 100 peaks: Template:Cite Ryan</ref>	AUT <ref name=aut>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	BEL (FL) <ref name=bel>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	FRA <ref name=fra>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>		NED <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	NZ <ref name=nz>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	SWE <ref name=swe>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	SWI <ref name=sui>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1988	"Move It" (with DJ Cesare)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Single only
	"What is Soul?"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	33-45-78
1989	"On 33"	94	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Lyrical Machine"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Single only
1990	"Elevate My Mind"	74	154	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	39	Supernatural
1991	"Lost in Music"	46	—	—	—	—	20	—	—	—	—
	"I'm a Believer" (Continental Europe only)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1992	"Connected"	18	47	5	19	27	54	24	8	6	20	Connected
	"Step It Up"	12	87	12	29	50	—	13	8	—	58
1993	"Ground Level"	19	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Creation"	19	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2001	"Deep Down & Dirty"	17	115	—	—	—	98	—	—	97	—	Deep Down & Dirty
	"We Belong in This World Together"	59	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2002	"Running"	81	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2005	"Warhead"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Paradise
	"Paradise"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Set It Off"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2008	"Black Gold"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Double Bubble
2011	"Boy" (featuring Jamie Cullum)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Emperor's Nightingale
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart

External links

• Official website
• Britishhiphop.co.uk – The original UK Hip Hop history
• Stereo Mc's Mixtape for The New Worck
• Stereo Mc's Interview Themselves