Yello

Not to be confused with yellow.
Yello
Origin Zurich, Switzerland
Genres Electronic, synthpop, new wave, dance, jazz
Years active 1979–present
Labels Polydor, Mercury, Vertigo, 4th & B'way, Smash, Elektra, Ralph, Do It, Stiff
Associated acts The Residents
Website Yello.com
Members Dieter Meier
Boris Blank
Past members Carlos Perón

Yello is a Swiss electronic band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank.

The band is known for their 1985 single "Oh Yeah" which featured in the films Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Secret of My Success, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, K-9, and as the theme song for the character Duffman on The Simpsons.

Their single "The Race" peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, and was also featured in the film Nuns on the Run.

Band history

Dieter Meier
Boris Blank
Carlos Perón

The band was formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s. Dieter Meier (vocals, lyrics), a millionaire industrialist and gambler, was brought in when the two founders realised that they needed a singer. The new band name, Yello, was chosen as a pun based on a comment made by Meier, "a yelled Hello".[1]

Yello's first release was the 1979 single "I.T. Splash". The LP Solid Pleasure, featuring the original short version of "Bostich" (extended to a hit dance single in 1981), was released in November 1980.

In 2005, Yello re-released their early albums Solid Pleasure, Claro Que Si, You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, Stella, One Second, and Flag, all with rare bonus tracks, as part of the Yello Remaster Series.[2]

A documentary on Yello, Electro Pop made in Switzerland, directed by Anka Schmid, was premiered at the Riff Raff cinema in Zürich in September 2005.[3]

Yello was commissioned to produce music for the launch of the Audi A5 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007 and for the Audi A5 commercial in May 2007.[4]

Musical style

Yello - Oh Yeah excerpt
An excerpt from "Oh Yeah"

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Yello's sound is mainly characterised by unusual music samples, a heavy reliance on rhythm and Dieter Meier's dark crooning voice. Yello has been instrumental in spreading and developing the use of sampling, along with Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle and Depeche Mode, especially in the construction of rhythm tracks, such as one of their signature tunes The Race from 1988.

Boris Blank has taken a couple of vocal turns; on "Swing" (from You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess) and "Blazing Saddles" (from Flag), and guest vocalists have included Rush Winters (the first female diva to be featured on a Yello recording), Billy MacKenzie, Stina Nordenstam, Jade Davies, Shirley Bassey and Heidi Happy. The group has shared writing credit with MacKenzie, Winters and Happy.

Yello rarely use samples from previously released music; nearly every instrument has been sampled and re-engineered by Boris Blank, who over the years has built up an original sample library of over 100,000 named and categorised sounds.[5]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Label SWI AUS[6] UK[7] US Additional information
1980 Solid Pleasure Ralph Records (US)
Do It Records (UK)
(re-issued by Mercury Records/ Vertigo Records)
- - - -
1981 Claro Que Si Ralph Records (US)
Do It Records (UK)
(re-issued by Mercury Records/ Vertigo Records)
- - - -
1983 You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records) 13 - 65 184
1985 Stella Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records) 1 - 92 -
1987 One Second Mercury 4 95 48 92 Featuring Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey
1988 Flag Mercury 3 94 56 152
1991 Baby Mercury/PolyGram 5 73 37 -
1994 Zebra Fourth & Broadway 4 - - -
1997 Pocket Universe PolyGram 7 - - - Featuring Stina Nordenstam on "To The Sea"
1999 Motion Picture Polygram 13 - - -
2003 The Eye Motor Music 22 - - - Featuring Jade Davies on "Don Turbulento", "Junior B", "Distant Solution", "Time Palace" and "Unreal"[8]
2009 Touch Yello Polydor 1 - - - Featuring Heidi Happy on "You Better Hide", "Kiss In Blue" and "Stay"
2016 Toy Universal Music 1
[9]
- 84 -

Other albums

Year Album Label SWI AUS[6] UK[7] US Additional information
1986 1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go Mercury 18 99 - - Remix album
1992 Bostich Full Frequency Range Recordings/Ralph Records - - - - Remix album
Essential Mercury 14 - - - Compilation album
1995 Hands on Yello Urban Records/Motor Music - - - - Remix album
1999 Eccentrix Remixes Mercury 30 - - - Remix album
2007 Progress and Perfection - - - - - Audi A5 promo album
2010 Yello by Yello Polydor 14 - - - Compilation album
2012 The Key to Perfection - - - - - VW Golf 7 promo album

Notable singles

Year Title Chart positions Additional information
SWI AUS[6] UK[7] US US D/P
1979 "Bostich" 23
1982 "You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess/Heavy Whispers" 42
1983 "I Love You" 41 103 16
"Lost Again" 10 73
1984 "Pumping Velvet" 12
1985 "Vicious Games" 5 60 8
"Oh Yeah" 9 51 35 Re-released with new lyrics added in 1987. This version was added only in the original release of One Second.
1986 "Goldrush" 9 54 featured Billy MacKenzie
1987 "The Rhythm Divine" 21 54 featured Shirley Bassey
"Call It Love" 6 91
1988 "The Race" 8 56 7 33
"Tied Up" 60 9
1989 "Of Course I'm Lying" 30 123 23
"Blazing Saddles" 47
1990 "Unbelievable" 22
1991 "Rubberbandman" 9 58
1992 "Jungle Bill" 15 61 40
"The Race" (re-issue) 55 re-issued with "Bostich"
1994 "Do It" 32 46
1995 "Tremendous Pain" 7
1996 "How How" 29 59 28
"Jingle Bells" 34 44
1997 "On Track" 16
"To the Sea" 23 featured Stina Nordenstam
1999 "Vicious Games" 110[10] Yello vs Hardfloor
2003 "Planet Dada" 75
2011 "Mean Monday" Included in the book "Yello - Boris Blank und Dieter Meier". Released on iTunes on October 22, 2011.

References

  1. ""A Yelled Hello" at the World Premiere of the Audi A5". Audiusanews.com. 2007-03-06. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  2. "Yello - Remaster Series (Box Set, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  3. "Audi A5 In Verona - A Road Movie Becomes Reality". Audiusanews.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  4. "Boris Blank (Yello): Recording Zebra". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  5. 1 2 3 Australian chart peaks:
  6. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 613–614. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. Album Cover
  8. http://hitparade.ch/charts/number-1/2016
  9. "Chart Log UK: Rachael Yamagata - Malik Yusef". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
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