Stereo MCs - Promo Mixtape Vol.1 - Apr 2008

Biography of Stereo MCs

Vocalist Rob Birch, and DJ/producer Nick Hallam, founded their Gee Street recording studio and record label, with money they were given to leave their London flat and, instead of using a backing band, travelled to early gigs on buses, with bags of tapes.

When Gee Street caught the eye of 4th and Broadway, they recorded the debut Stereo MCs' album 33-45-78 (1989) on a shoestring budget with DJ Cesare, drummer Owen If and backing singer, Cath Coffey. In 1990, 'Elevate My Mind' by the Stereos was the first British hip hop single to reach the U.S. R&B chart. At home, the emergent indie dance scene (they supported Happy Mondays in the U.S.), and a hook-up with the Jungle Brothers, ensured ultimate hipness for Supernatural (1990), and remixes for the likes of U2, PM Dawn, Queen Latifah, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Monie Love and Electronic. They are still highly sought after producers, with most of their remixes being done under the name Ultimatum.

For their live shows, they assembled a live band including singers Andrea Bedassie and Verona Davis, and were one of the few hip hop outfits to play rock music festivals at the time. These acclaimed live shows paved the way for 1992's breakthrough Connected, a UK Albums Chart No.2, which spawned the smashes 'Connected', 'Step It Up', 'Creation' and 'Ground Level', and won them BRIT Awards for Best Group and Best Album. When Hallam and Birch set up music publisher Spirit Songs (which signed Finley Quaye), the Stereos confirmed their rock star status by taking an eternity to record Connected 's follow-up. A spokesperson told Q magazine in 1997, 'They are very keen not to repeat themselves'.

But remixes for Madonna ('Frozen'), and the Jungle Brothers ('Jungle Brother') in 1998, confirmed that the Stereos were at least still alive.

In 2000, they released a DJ mix for Studio !K7's DJ-Kicks series and remixed another song for Madonna, ('Music').

2001 saw the release of Deep Down & Dirty, followed by a tour, including slots opening for the recently re-united Jane's Addiction. Their most recent album, Paradise, was released in 2005.