Allez Allez are one of those early 80s hidden gems of the Belgian new wave dance scene who shone so brightly for a few years (81 – 85) and then were gone –but not forgotten! Based around the writing and production nucleus of Brussels based Kristiaan Debusscher and Nicolas Fransolet a third dimension was addedby American vocalist Sarah Osbourne and early hi-tempo hits such as ‘African Queen’, ‘Allez Allez’ and ‘She’s Stirring Up’ became global club classics.
Allez Allez were the funky follow-up to the Brussels-based collective Marine. Meaning "well, well" or, with a different intonation "Go! Go!" Allez Allez werebriefly a very successful act. The trademarks of Allez Allez were highly danceable and catchy rhythms, African influences and high quality singing. Together,this formed a powerful and funky mixture. The group were fronted by the American singer Sarah Osbourne, who came to Belgium with her group Repetition andsigned to "Les Disques du Crépuscule", the same label as Allez Allez’s previous incarnation, Marine.
The bands debut mini album ‘African Queen’ promptly went gold and in November that year they recorded a full album in the John Foxx’s studio with productionhandled by Heaven17-mastermind Martin Ware. “Promises’ was a more refined funk-album with soul-influences and the road for an international breakthroughseemed open. Then singer Sarah Osbourne left the group and married the singer of Heaven 17, Glenn Gregory (they divorced three years later). A replacementwas found in the Afro-American Jackie Irwin of New York but she never managed to truly replace the sensual and flexible Sarah and although it was produced bythe discoverer of Madonna, Mark Kamins, the following 12'' ‘Boom Boom’ flopped. Techno fans may also be interested to know that Sarah Osbourne (Gregory)later found herself in Detroit on the cusp of techno’s evolution and as well as painting a mural on the east wall of Detroit's legendary Music Institute, shealso painted a cover for Rhythim Is Rhythim's ‘The Beginning’ and ultimately sang vocals on a number of Carl Craig tracks including ‘Crackdown’ and ‘As TimeGoes By’ as well as on Heaven 17’s ‘The Luxury Gap’ album.
Now, for the first time, some 25 years later, Eskimo bring you the Best of Allez Allez. Including bonus remixes from contemporary producer fans like QuietVillage (aka Matt Edwards and Joel Martin), Aeroplane, Lindstrom & Prins Thomas and Optimo (Espacio) you can check the funky, African-inspired new waverhythms of one of Belgium’s finest dance exports. Press pictures of the band in the early 80s were taken by legendary photographer and now film maker AntonCorbijn, responsible for seminal pictures of Joy Division, U2 and Nirvana amongst others and the new Joy Division film ‘Control’.
'Best of' Allez Allez will be available from May 19th on various formats:
CD (cat.nr.541416502238)
1 African Queen 7:15
2 Allez Allez 5:35
3 She's Stirring Up 3:40
4 Marathon Dance 2:58
5 Turn Up The Meter 4:40
6 Valley Of The Kings 5:38
7 Wrap Your Legs (Around Your Head) 4:55
8 Flesh & Blood 5:37
9 African Queen (Quiet Village Dub) 8:00
10 Allez Allez (Aeroplane Remix) 8:12
11 She's Stirring Up (An Optimo (Espacio) Drum Attack Mix) 6:54
12 Allez Allez (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix) 12:05
12" sampler (cat.nr.541416502237)
A. Allez Allez (Aeroplane Remix)
B. She's Stirring Up (An Optimo (Espacio) Drum Attack Mix)
LP (cat.nr.541416502292)
A1 African Queen 7:15
A2 Allez Allez 5:35
A3 She's Stirring Up 3:40
A4 Marathon Dance 2:58
B1 Turn Up The Meter 4:40
B2 Valley Of The Kings 5:38
B3 Wrap Your Legs (Around Your Head) 4:55
B4 Flesh & Blood 5:37
(the LP is very limited and includes the full CD)
Still available:
12" (cat.nr.541416501551)
A. African Queen
B. African Queen (Quiet Village Dub)
12" (cat.nr.541416 501502)
A. Allez Allez
B. Allez Allez (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix)
Flesh & Blood live
