Davoli, Semplici, and Limoni had previously formed a group called Groove Groove Melody, producing dance music under names such as Starlight (who had a UK Top 10 hit in August 1989 with "Numero Uno") and Wood Allen. They went on to record music under many other aliases, most notably Mixmaster, which scored a UK #9 hit in November 1989 with the song "Grand Piano".
In 1989, the trio teamed up with French Caribbean model Katrin Quinol (b. Catherine Quinol) and formed the group Black Box. Quinol did not contribute musically to any of the tracks on the album, was considered the group's "image", lip-syncing the songs in TV performances and music videos.
The first single "Ride On Time" was an international hit, making Top 10 in many countries and No. 1 in the UK, soon becoming the UK's best-selling single of 1989. The song heavily sampled "Love Sensation" by Loleatta Holloway, a 1980 disco hit. The Black Box title is derived from the lyrics "Cause you're right on time".
Dan Hartman, writer and producer of "Love Sensation", was not sought for permission to sample his song, and soon after the international success of "Ride On Time," questions arose as to the true vocalist on the song. Legal proceedings ruled that Loleatta Holloway was the actual singer on "Ride On Time" (albeit by means of the "Love Sensation" vocal samples) and Black Box surrendered a large percentage of the royalties from the song to Hartman and Holloway. A new version of the track with uncredited vocals by Heather Small appeared solely as a single.
The group enlisted Martha Wash to perform vocals on a number of tracks which, Wash was apparently told, were for club consumption and were not for mass-release. The album Dreamland was released in May 1990, and featured six songs sung by Wash, including the singles "Everybody Everybody", "I Don't Know Anybody Else", and "Strike It Up", which became major hits worldwide. Dreamland earned a gold disc in both the UK and the US and achieved double-platinum status in Canada. In Australia it spent three weeks at #1, achieved platinum accreditation and was ranked the country's 16th highest selling album of 1991. Along the way, it also spawned six hit singles, both on the mainstream charts and in the clubs.
Martha Wash was uncredited on the album and singles, with Katrin Quinol lip-synching to the songs in public appearances. Wash sued Black Box, RCA Records and then C+C Music Factory for not receiving due credit. RCA and Wash settled out of court in 1990, with Wash receiving financial compensation and a record deal with RCA.[7] Wash received full vocal credit upon the single release of "Strike It Up", but the music video still featured Katrin Quinol lip-synching the lyrics.
In 1993, the group returned with the single "Rockin' To The Music", dismissing Quinol as the group's image and using American singer Charvoni Woodson as lead vocalist and image, but failed to emulate their previous success. The group recorded their second album Positive Vibration, with Woodson. The album was released around Europe and Asia in different independent labels from 1995 to 1997. The album spawned four singles, including a cover of Odyssey's disco hit "Native New Yorker" which became minor hits in Europe.
In America, they are best remembered for their early '90s singles, "Everybody Everybody", "I Don't Know Anybody Else", and "Strike It Up", their biggest hit in the United States, where all three of their hits are still heard on rhythmic radio and in clubs on a fairly regular basis to this day. Black Box remain one of the few piano-house groups to achieve mainstream success in the USA.
Official website : http://www.blackboxhouse.eu/
Katrin Quinol official website : http://katrinquinol.fr/
Everybody everybody vs Benny Benassi remix
Black Box Lyrics
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I walk around 'n' see your night skyline
I feel the light but you don't want to stay
So lonely now, just let me off downtown
Sad and free, sad and free
Sad and free, sad and free
When I said it was over, you aimed at my heart
But I'll feel it forever, no sounds in my life
You can call that no livin' on my own, so free
Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody
Oh, everybody
Oh, everybody
Everybody
Oh, everybody
Oh, everybody
You took me easy and then let me go
I never was, you see, that cheatin' kind
You feel all right, you never looked for me
So long, it's time, I've gotta get on by
Sad and free, sad and free
Sad and free, sad and free
When I said it was over, you aimed at my heart
Won't be long for I'm leaving all my love
But I'll feel it forever, no sounds in my life
You can call that no livin' on my own, so free
Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody
(Repeat above over next verse)
Oh, everybody
Oh, everybody
Everybody, oh everybody
Oh, everybody
Everybody
Oh, everybody
Oh, everybody
Everybody
Everybody
When I said it was over, you aimed at my heart
Won't be long for I'm leaving all my love
But I'll feel it forever, no sounds in my life
You can call that no livin' on my own, so free
Everybody
The lyrics to Black Box's song "Everybody Everybody" tell the story of a failed relationship. The singer laments that they let their partner down and now they are alone, wandering through the city and yearning for their love. The sadness and sense of being lost is palpable in the lyrics, which use repetition to emphasize the feelings of loneliness and despair. The chorus is an anthem, shouting out to "everybody" who is feeling the same way, as though no one is alone in their heartbreak.
The second verse reveals that the relationship was not built on a solid foundation, as the singer accuses their partner of taking them for granted and then discarding them. Despite this, the singer seems to be holding onto some kind of hope, stating that they will "feel it forever" and that they are free to live their life without their former lover. Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of heartache, but also of resilience and the knowledge that life goes on even after a painful breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
You won't belong to me, I let you down
I acknowledge that our relationship did not work out because of my mistakes and now you have moved on
I walk around 'n' see your night skyline
I still feel connected to you even though we are apart, I see reminders of you everywhere
I feel the light but you don't want to stay
I still have feelings for you, but you have moved on and don't want to be with me
So lonely now, just let me off downtown
I feel isolated and alone, but I need to let go and move on with my life
Sad and free, sad and free
I am sad about the end of our relationship, but also feel a sense of freedom and liberation
When I said it was over, you aimed at my heart
When I ended our relationship, you were hurt and angry
Won't be long for I'm leaving all my love
I am moving on and letting go of my love for you
But I'll feel it forever, no sounds in my life
Even though I am moving on, my love for you will always be with me, it will be a part of my life forever
You can call that no livin' on my own, so free
Even though I am alone now, I am free to live my life without the constraints of a relationship
Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody
Repeating the word everybody emphasizes that everyone has gone through a similar experience of heartbreak and loss
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: DANIELE DAVOLI, MIRKO LIMONI, VALERIO SEMPLICI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind