1) British Dance-… Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 artists/bands under the name of Mel & Kim:
1) British Dance-pop duo
2) Mel Smith and& Kim Wilde
(1) British Dance-pop duo who worked with Stock Aitken Waterman and had hits in the 1980's with the singles "Respectable", "Showing Out", "F.L.M." and "That's The Way It Is".
Mel & Kim were born to British and Jamaican parents. In 1985, Mel recorded two demos solo, under Alan Whitehead's management. Soon after, her sister Kim joined her and they performed as a duo, recording some demos. The demos got them signed with Supreme Records, and Nick East - president of Supreme - put them in touch with eminent producers Stock Aitken Waterman.
"System" was intended as their first single, but they and the producers were unhappy with it, and it became the "B-side" of their first release "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart in 1986, number 78 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. Their next single "Respectable" reached number one in Britain and became one of the year's biggest hits. This song also reached number 1 on the U.S.They became well-known celebrities, particularly in Britain, and were known for their visual style which combined urban street wear with high fashion (prior to their music career Mel had worked as a glamour model). Their third single "F.L.M." reached number seven in the UK, while their final single "That's the Way It Is" reached number ten, giving them an unbroken run of top ten hits.
In December 1985, prior to the duo's rise to fame, Mel was treated for malignant paraganglioma, a form of cancer, on her liver. By January 1987, Mel was experiencing back problems, delaying the filming of the Respectable music video. During a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, the severity of Mel's back problem became apparent. Upon returning to the UK, she was diagnosed with a recurrence of the cancer in her spine. The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, and footage from their Montreux Festival performance was used to compile the "F.L.M." music video. While the media speculated that Mel was terminally ill, both sisters categorically denied this, stating that Mel had suffered a debilitating back injury.
Eventually, it was confirmed that Mel had been diagnosed with cancer, following the release of "That's the Way it Is" in February 1988. Mel discharged herself from hospital to record the vocals for the track. Work on a second album was not continued, due to Mel's illness. Both sisters appeared on the Wogan show in April 1988 while Mel was still undergoing treatment, as part of European Cancer Week. She died of pneumonia on 18 January 1990, after contracting a cold; her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.
With the aid of her then boyfriend, ex-Bros bassist Craig Logan, Kim launched a solo career with much of her debut solo album composed of songs co-written with Mel, for what was intended to be the next "Mel and Kim" album. The album, Kim Appleby, contained her debut solo single "Don't Worry", which reached number two on the British charts in November 1990. A follow-up single "G.L.A.D" was also a 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Subsequent singles from her debut album were "Mama" [#19] and "If You Cared" [#44]. Kim's second album Breakaway was not a commercial success and had a limited release. She released three further singles, "Light of the World" [#41, 1993], "Breakaway" [#56, 1993], and "Free Spirit" [#51, 1994]. A download-only single called "High" was released in 2007.
(2) Mel Smith and Kim Wilde.
In 1987, Comedian Mel Smith (Half of comedy duo Smith and Jones) recorded a single with Kim Wilde for Comic Relief: a cover of the Christmas song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" with some extra comedy lines written by Smith and Jones. It reached number 3 in the UK Single Chart..
That's The Way It Is
Mel & Kim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He broke your heart, we heard the news
And now you don't know what you're gonna do
He made you cry and now he's gone
So we hear you say can't carry on
And now your heart's get you running for cover
And we believe you can't trust another
Take our advice, keep looking after number one
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love, yeah (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
You may be down but you're not out
You may get real hurt, that's what it's all about
You hear the news, broken hearts every day
But still you don't believe it can happen anyway
And you can't see that if you change your lover
We still believe you can't trust another
That's how it is when the feeling's gone
Take our advice, keep looking after number one
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love, yeah (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's how it is, keep looking after number one
And now your heart's get you running for cover
And we believe you can't trust another
That's how it is when the feeling's gone
Take our advice, keep looking after number one
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love (keep looking after number one)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, love, yeah (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's the way it is (keep looking after number one)
That's just the way it is (keep looking after number one)
The song "That's The Way It Is" by Mel & Kim is a 1980s dance-pop track that offers advice to someone who has been hurt in love. The opening lines "Keep looking after number one" highlights that the most important person to consider is oneself. It then speaks directly to someone who has recently gone through a heartbreak - "He broke your heart, we heard the news, And now you don't know what you're gonna do, He made you cry, and now he's gone, So we hear you say you can't carry on." The chorus reinforces the message of self-preservation, urging the listener to "keep looking after number one" regardless of the situation. The song acknowledges that a healing process may cause someone to withdraw from others “that's how it is when the feeling's gone.”
The verses repeatedly encourage the listener to maintain self-care while dealing with the difficulty of lost love. Still, the advice doesn't stop there - the song also warns that the listener won't find the solution by jumping into a new relationship. Instead, they will need to learn to trust again after a heartbreak. The song's takeaway is that even though love can be complicated, and trusting others can be tough, the person who is most essential is themselves. The song has a positive and uplifting message for someone who has experienced heartbreak, encouraging them to focus on their well-being and prioritize their happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep looking after number one
Focus on taking care of yourself and your own needs first
He broke your heart, we heard the news
We know that he hurt you and caused you emotional pain
And now you don't know what you're gonna do
You feel lost and uncertain about how to move forward
He made you cry and now he's gone
He caused you to cry and now he's no longer in your life
So we hear you say can't carry on
You feel like you can't go on without him
And now your heart's get you running for cover
You're trying to protect yourself emotionally from getting hurt again
And we believe you can't trust another
We understand that you may find it hard to trust someone new
That's how it is when the feeling's gone
When the love and connection is gone, it's hard to trust and believe in love
Take our advice, keep looking after number one
We advise you to focus on your own well-being and not rely on others for happiness
You may be down but you're not out
You may feel defeated, but you still have the strength to persevere
You may get real hurt, that's what it's all about
Love can bring both joy and pain, and experiencing hurt is a part of the process
You hear the news, broken hearts every day
Heartbreak is a common experience that many people go through
But still you don't believe it can happen anyway
You may have trouble believing that you could also experience heartbreak
And you can't see that if you change your lover
You may not realize that switching partners won't necessarily solve your trust issues
That's how it is when the feeling's gone
When the love and connection is gone, it's hard to trust and believe in love
Take our advice, keep looking after number one
We advise you to focus on your own well-being and not rely on others for happiness
That's how it is, keep looking after number one
It's important to prioritize your own needs and well-being in relationships
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AITKEN, STOCK, WATERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Darren Wright
32 years ago today Mel Died at the Tender age of 23 years old. Think about it 23 years old, and she still Lived long enough to leave her mark on the World Forever. S.I.P Queen 🙏🏾! BIG UP KIM EVERYTIME 👊🏾
Blondeandchatty
I still remember the news about Mel's cancer like it was yesterday. It was truly shocking and gut wrenching. What we felt back then was particularly awful as well, because back then cancer treatments weren't as advanced as nowadays. So it felt like she'd been given a death sentence. I was gutted, as were my friends. 23 is shocking.
Lynn Niblock
Yes it's so very sad, but her music still lives on, as I often listen to Mel and Kim like all of their records they recorded. 💕😊
D C
And we’re still searching for and listening to her/their music today! This is one of my favourite tracks on their album! (Which I still have on cassette tape 🥴) X
Darren Wright
@D C mel and kim were my youth days. ✌🏾👊🏾💯
Louise B
Still absolutely love this song. Sounds as great today as it did back then 👌
caerfaimama
Just watched the SAW documentary on Ch5. So moving to witness Pete Waterman in tears when describing the recording of this song. After all these years and the man has lost a child himself and he is still affected by Mel's death. Kim was as stoic as ever. I loved Mel and Kim, their talent, their outfits and the choreography ❤️
Dead Ball Situation
Music like this we took for granted in the 80's as kids but listening back to it now, you now know it's a masterpiece.
ForevrRich
Mel's confidence and natural charm remains truly inspirational. Kim is equally beautiful and talented and the way she has carried on with strength and grace is absolutely divine. A remarkable duo. Keep rocking Mel.🕊
transpetaflops
2022 and I have this on repeat. I can't get enough of it. That's the way it is...