Their first single, the ambient house track "Der Erdbeermund", with a spoken vocal in German by Jo van Nelsen, peaked at number 11 on the German singles chart. Versions in English and French were also released (titled "Cherry Lips" and "Les lèvres cerises", respectively). An instrumental version was also a club hit in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 55.
Shortly afterwards, Culture Beat recruited New Jersey-born rapper Jay Supreme and singer Lana Earl to front the act. While the second single "I Like You" reached number 22 in the Netherlands, their fourth single "No Deeper Meaning" managed to reach as high as number 5 in the Netherlands and number 3 on the Canadian RPM Dance Chart. They released their first album, Horizon, in 1991 which went with only minor success.
Lana was replaced by British singer Tania Evans in 1993, and the act took a harder Eurodance sound. "Mr. Vain" became their biggest hit to date, reaching number-one in 13 countries including Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. It was also their first mainstream hit in the United States, peaking at No.17 on the Hot 100. The single was certified three times Gold in Germany for selling over 750,000 units, it also managed to reach a Gold status in several other countries including US.
Subsequent singles "Got to Get It" and "Anything" were also pan-European hits, and their second album Serenity was awarded at the ECHO award for being the Best-selling German Act Abroad, with more than two million copies sold. This also got Torsten Fenslau nominated in the same year at the Echo for being the Best Producer of the Year, who also walked away as a winner.
On November 6, 1993, Culture Beat's founder Torsten Fenslau was killed in a car accident in Messel (district of Darmstadt) at age of 29. His brother Frank Fenslau took over the act as producer and manager.
The group returned the act in 1995 with a third album called Inside Out, preceded by a single of the same title "Inside Out" which reached number 5 in Germany and number 32 in the UK.
In 1997, Frank decided to take Culture Beat in a different musical direction diverging the act from the Eurodance sound into a more commercial pop sound. He also replaced Tania with Kim Sanders, who had previously scored a hit with "Impossible" by Captain Hollywood Project. Jay Supreme remained with the act for a short time after Tania's departure, but during recording of the next album he decided to leave the group and the Rap-vocals on the next album (only a few tracks contained Rap) were produced by rapper Next Up. Although, in 1998, the album Metamorphosis managed to reach No.12 at home, it was a minor chart success as it remained in the top-20 of the album chart for only four weeks, and spent overall 10 weeks appearing on the chart.
Three years later, Jacky Sangster replaced Kim as the fourth female lead singer for Culture Beat. The single called "Insanity" was released in 2001 which flopped in Germany; however, reached No. 1 in Israel. In 2003, to commemorate ten years since the release of the group's biggest hit, a new version of "Mr. Vain" was issued in Germany and reached No.7 in the singles chart. In 2004, a Greatest Hits package was released ahead of a planned new album with Jacky as vocalist, but was canceled before "Can't Go on Like This (No No)" was released. This single had minor success as well.
In January 2013, a compilation album was released, "The Loungin' Side of", which contains acoustic and lounge versions of hits taken from Inside Out and Metamorphosis.
Official website: http://www.culture-beat.com
Language Of Love
Culture Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mary J. serenades the mood right
A moonlight night wit' my cutie pie
No two more compatible than you -n I
Gettin' intimate in the way we stare
Catchin' feelings from the atmosphere
Relationship delicate as silk
Sex appeal mad real you know the deal
You keep the secret in your hands
You never fail to understand
The language of love
Is it right or is it wrong
That words could never be this strong
We have known it all the long
The language of love
An eternal flame baby I can't deny the
Attraction I'm yearning to taste your desire
Licking you up -n- down in the heat of passion
Never slackin' for a second forever it's lastin'
I'm blastin' off into another dimension
Your body quivers from the force I'm deliverin'
I'm givin' total commitment when we kick
Back relax and enjoy my presence
Believe me you're in command
You keep the secret in your hands
You never fail to understand
The language of love
Is it right or is it wrong
That words could never be this strong
We have known it all the long
The language of love
The lyrics of "Language of Love" by Culture Beat describe a romantic evening between two people in love. The scene is set with the two of them sipping wine and dining by candlelight while listening to Mary J. Blige's music. They are compatible and intimate, catching feelings from the atmosphere, and their relationship is delicate but real. Their sex appeal is also mad real and the singer believes that his partner is in command of understanding the language of love.
The chorus explores the idea that love is a language that cannot be expressed with words. Words could never be this strong, and the couple has known this all along. The love they share is an eternal flame that cannot be denied, and the attraction they feel for each other is strong. The second verse elevates the intensity of their passion, describing the singer tasting his partner's desire, and how their intimate pleasures seem to go on forever. The singer understands that his partner is the one who keeps the secret of their love in her hands, and she never fails to understand the subtle nuances of the language of love.
The song presents a theme of physical and emotional intimacy that transcends words. It speaks to the strong connection shared by two people in love and the power of their attraction. The language of love is an eternal flame that burns through passion and time.
Line by Line Meaning
Sippin' wine as we dine by candlelight
We are enjoying a romantic and intimate dinner, with wine and candles setting the mood
Mary J. serenades the mood right
The music of Mary J. Blige enhances the romantic atmosphere
A moonlight night wit' my cutie pie
We are spending a beautiful night together, feeling like a perfect match
No two more compatible than you -n I
We are extremely compatible with each other, both emotionally and physically
Gettin' intimate in the way we stare
We are connecting on a deep level, through prolonged eye contact
Catchin' feelings from the atmosphere
The romantic ambiance is making us feel deeply emotional and connected
Relationship delicate as silk
Our relationship is fragile and needs to be handled with care
Sex appeal mad real you know the deal
We are extremely attracted to each other, and the sexual chemistry is undeniable
Believe me you're in command
I trust you completely and am willing to follow your lead
You keep the secret in your hands
You hold the key to our relationship and know how to handle it with discretion
You never fail to understand
You always know what I need and how to make me feel loved
The language of love
The way we communicate and express our feelings for each other through actions and emotions
Is it right or is it wrong
Questioning whether our connection and the intensity of our emotions is justified
That words could never be this strong
Recognizing that our love goes beyond verbal communication and is felt on a deeper level
We have known it all the long
We have always felt this deep connection and have known our love for each other from the beginning
An eternal flame baby I can't deny the
There is a passionate and never-ending flame burning between us that I can't ignore
Attraction I'm yearning to taste your desire
I am deeply attracted to you and eager to fulfill your desires
Licking you up -n- down in the heat of passion
We are engaging in intense physical activities, exploring each other's bodies in a passionate way
Never slackin' for a second forever it's lastin'
Our intense passion and strong connection will never fade or weaken
I'm blastin' off into another dimension
Our intense physical and emotional connection is taking us to a whole new level of pleasure and satisfaction
Your body quivers from the force I'm deliverin'
I am satisfying you physically in a way that is leaving you shaking and trembling with pleasure
I'm givin' total commitment when we kick back relax and enjoy my presence
I am fully committed to our relationship and am always there for you to relax and enjoy my company
Contributed by Victoria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.