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/
Not Anyone
Black Box Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't sadden my life
You got to leave on Sunday night
It seems I'll feel all alone
You know the tears are in my eyes
I need some time to let 'em dry
I feel sad and that is just for you
I would keep insisting on these lonely nights
'Cause I just can't get rid of you
You are just not anyone, anyone
I just want to keep in touch
Don't sadden my life
You are just not anyone, anyone
I don't want to lose your touch
Don't sadden my life
I don't know if you're wrong or right
I need somebody to love
You know I'm always on your side
So please don't let it fall apart
I can't keep insisting 'cause I'm going too far
I feel sad and that is just for you
I would keep insisting on these lonely nights
'Cause I just can't help but thinking of you
You are just not anyone, anyone
I just want to keep in touch
Don't sadden my life
I want to be the one, be the one
I don't want to lose your touch
Don't sadden my life
The lyrics to Black Box's "Not Anyone" are a plea for a significant other to stay in the singer's life. The lyrics begin with the line "You are not anyone" which could be seen as a statement of the singer's commitment to this person and their importance in their life. The next line, "Don't sadden my life", suggests that the singer does not want this person to leave and cause them heartache. The following lines describe the impending departure on Sunday night and the sadness that it brings to the singer.
The lyrics then shift to the singer's desire to keep this person in their life. They express a need for time to pass that will allow their tears to dry and their feelings to settle. The singer acknowledges that they cannot keep insisting that this person stay, but they express their desire to continue thinking of them on these lonely nights.
The chorus of the song repeats the words "You are just not anyone" and "Don't sadden my life". The singer expresses their desire to keep in touch with this person and not lose their touch. They also state that they want to be the one for this person and not lose them.
Overall, the lyrics to "Not Anyone" express a desire for someone to stay in the singer's life, and a fear of losing them. The lyrics suggest that this person holds a significant place in the singer's life and that they would be heartbroken if they were to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
You are not anyone
You are someone special to me, not just anyone
Don't sadden my life
Please don't do anything to make me sad or upset
You got to leave on Sunday night
You have to go and leave me at the end of the weekend
It seems I'll feel all alone
I will feel lonely without you around
You know the tears are in my eyes
I am emotional and crying because you are leaving
I need some time to let 'em dry
I need some time to calm down and stop crying
I can't keep insisting 'cause I'm going too far
I can't keep asking you to stay because I might be asking too much
I feel sad and that is just for you
I am feeling sad because you are leaving
I would keep insisting on these lonely nights
I would keep asking you to stay with me on these lonely nights
'Cause I just can't get rid of you
I can't stop thinking about you and I want you to stay with me
You are just not anyone, anyone
You are special and not just a random person to me
I just want to keep in touch
I want to stay in contact with you even after you leave
I don't want to lose your touch
I don't want to lose contact with you
I don't know if you're wrong or right
I am unsure if you are making the right decision by leaving
I need somebody to love
I need someone to love and be with
You know I'm always on your side
I support you and will always be there for you
So please don't let it fall apart
Please don't let our relationship fall apart
I want to be the one, be the one
I want to be the one you love and stay with
Lyrics © O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: DANIELE BENATI, DANIELE DAVOLI, MIRKO LIMONI, VALERIO SEMPLICI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jorge Luiz Mello Corrêa
Mais um talento deste magnífico grupo de Dance Music. Curti bastante.
John Myers
Got this song on my Dance Zone Level 5 cd. Brilliant dance tune
Miles & The House Collection
Me too hahaha
Han Fe
anos 90 o melhor da dance music
jimmi Apellido
brilliant..Black Box, come back..you were the best of dance music!
Karlo Weimar Hessen
Love Charvoni's voice and smile.
Nash Themba
Oh yes this is so amazing 😊😍🙌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Alexandre Aranha
THIS IS REAL HOUSE MUSIC !
Jorge Barreto Jr
Where all UK house music comes from , black box was early ... House is a spiritual thing and this is the book of genesis
CP
Black Box are from Italy not the UK.