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/
So Long
Black Box Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that my dreams are slipping out of my mind
You said you'd never want to compromise
I just can′t keep on wasting anymore time
So long, so long, so long you're is the wrong
You're only human and you can′t resist
How can you tell me that I should insist
When you just cut the ground from under my feet
So long, so long, so long you're is the wrong
I, I wanted to see a sign
You aimed at my heart your own way
And you tried to lead me astray
Day by day
I, I knew that you were untrue
′Cause you ain't got nothing to lose
Anyway
I know you think I should retrace my steps
But I can′t do it, I'm on my own
I said that I was free
You never cared about that
So please don′t say that I'm destroying your life
So long, so long, so long you're is the wrong
I, I wanted to see a sign
You aimed at my heart your own way
And you tried to lead me astray
Dday by day
I, I waited for you to stay
Even though you were goin′away
Now you′re falling on evil days
As you say
The lyrics to Black Box's song "So Long" convey the emotions of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the end of a relationship, which has left them feeling hurt and disappointed. The opening lines, "I can't remember what I found in your eyes / now that my dreams are slipping out of my mind," suggest that the singer is experiencing a loss of the feelings they once had for their partner. They no longer see the same promise or potential in the relationship, and their hopes and dreams for the future are fading away.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "so long" three times, is a reflection of the singer's desire to move on and leave the past behind. The words "you're is the wrong" emphasize that the relationship has reached a point of no return, and the singer has accepted that it is time to say goodbye. The lines "You said you'd never want to compromise / I just can't keep on wasting anymore time" suggest that the singer feels their partner was not willing to work with them to overcome the problems in the relationship. They see no reason to continue trying when their partner is unwilling to make any effort.
In the second verse, the singer expresses their frustration with their partner's actions: "How can you tell me that I should insist / when you just cut the ground from under my feet?" They feel like their trust has been betrayed, and they are struggling to make sense of their partner's behavior. The lines "You aimed at my heart your own way / and you tried to lead me astray / day by day" suggest that the singer's partner was manipulative and deceptive, trying to control them and push them in a direction they didn't want to go.
Line by Line Meaning
I can′t remember what I found in your eyes
I have forgotten what made me fall in love with you or what I saw in your eyes that captivated me.
Now that my dreams are slipping out of my mind
I am losing sight of the dreams we had and ideas we shared together.
You said you'd never want to compromise
I remember you promising me that you'd never want to settle for anything less or betray my trust.
I just can′t keep on wasting anymore time
I am tired of being held back and don't wish to waste any more of my time.
So long, so long, so long you're is the wrong
This is goodbye and I wish I had never met you in the first place.
You're only human and you can′t resist
I understand that you are only human and have flaws but I cannot forgive you for it.
Well, it′s an insult I could never forgive
It's an insult that you could hurt me so deeply and I will never be able to forgive you for it.
How can you tell me that I should insist
How can you expect me to have faith in you when you have betrayed me or our relationship?
When you just cut the ground from under my feet
You have shattered me or taken away my foundation by doing what you did.
I, I wanted to see a sign
I was hoping to receive some form of a clear signal from you about your true feelings towards me.
You aimed at my heart your own way
You tried to win my heart in your own unique way, but it was not enough.
And you tried to lead me astray
You attempted to mislead me or deceive me about your true motives or intentions.
Day by day
Every single day, I became more suspicious or wary of your actions.
I, I knew that you were untrue
I was well aware that you were lying to me or not being sincere with me.
′Cause you ain't got nothing to lose
I believe you feel as though you have nothing to lose or that your actions do not have any serious consequences.
Anyway
In any case or regardless of this, I am still moving on from you.
I know you think I should retrace my steps
I am aware that you feel I should go back to you or reconsider my decision to leave you.
But I can′t do it, I'm on my own
However, I cannot do that or come back to you because I must move forward with my life alone.
I said that I was free
I told you that I wanted to be free of you or our relationship.
You never cared about that
But it seems you never really cared about my feelings or desires for my own personal freedom.
So please don′t say that I'm destroying your life
So, please do not try to guilt me or make me feel responsible for the consequences of your own actions.
I, I waited for you to stay
I was hoping that you would decide to stay with me and commit to our relationship.
Even though you were goin′away
Even though I could tell that you were slowly drifting away or becoming less invested in our relationship.
Now you′re falling on evil days
Now, you are experiencing hardship or difficult times, possibly as a result of losing me or as karma for your actions.
As you say
As you have stated or admitted to yourself and others about your current situation.
Writer(s): Valerio Semplici, Daniele Benati, Daniele Davoli, Mirko Limoni
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@riinareel
Who's listening in 2024?!
@matthewmckee9914
Oh yeah I started driving in 1991 and remember jamming to this back in the day. Still Jamming.
@bogdancublesan711
Everybody!
@julioquezada8473
Yo
@mauromartin9805
@@bogdancublesan711x2
@user-be7tc2bd6e
I am,still a jam.
@natashaabdurahman4026
30 years later and it still sounds fresh
@timeb9300
Did you just say fresh wow haven't heard that in a bit
@najman2741
It’s so damn fresh. This jam is still so good
@Nobody18718
It is timeless