UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH SINGER KELE LE ROC SPEAKS ABOUT HER DEBUT ALBUM "EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY"

Record ID: 704889

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH SINGER KELE LE ROC SPEAKS ABOUT HER DEBUT ALBUM "EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY"
  • Date: 2nd March 1999
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 2, 1999) (RTV) LE ROC AND FRIEND LEAVE CAFE AND WALK TOWARDS CAR
  • Embargoed: 17th March 1999 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVACZM8YVIA3A6343L5DR6X367DD
  • Story Text: It's not everyday that an artist is jetted to Los Angeles to work with some of the best producers in the music industry, but it's even rarer when the artist is a young unknown who has never released a record.
    That's the fortuitous route that British soul singer Kele Le Roc took when she was signed to First Avenue/Wild Card and judging by the reaction to Le Roc's single and debut album releases, it was a very smart move.
    Kele Le Roc's quest for stardom she says began at the grand old age of three when she recalls telling her mum that she wanted to be famous and appear on the television.
    Not wishing to hold her daughter back, Kele's mum sent her off to dance school, while instilling in her daughter the importance of having a profession on which to fall back.
    It was Kele's father, a singer, dancer, model and DJ, who gave her the introductions she needed to kickstart her career and seventeen, Kele teamed up with label Best Kept Secret and subsequently released her first single "Let Me Know" which became an underground club hit.
    Kele said the experience gained from that alliance was invaluable and it set her up for bigger and better projects.
    Her tenacity and obvious will to succeed eventually paid off and she was signed up by Wildcard at Polygram.
    That's when her fun really started.The label decided to send Kele to the United States to work with big names in music production: Rhett Lawrence (Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey), Harvey Mason (Brandy, Keith Washington, Chante Morre), Robbie Nevil.Working with different producers, was a challenge: "I would say that each producer I worked with had something.When you're writing it's so much easier to write when you're working with someone that you have that kind of click with and I was really fortunate to have that," Kele says.
    Over an eighteen month period, her debut album "Everybody's Somebody" was spawned and it's a record which Kele is very proud of but what does she think the she sounds like? "I'd describe myself as a kind of soul singer but it is kind of very easy going music and it has a commercially viable feel to it although it is urban.But the producers I worked with have got their own sound so it wouldn't be that reminiscent of any music you'd heard before.If you're someone who appreciates good melodies, good lyrics good music you'll definitely like it."
    The first two singles to be released from the album were "A Little Bit of Lovin" written by Robbie Nevil and released alongside Cher's chart-topping single in October 98.It was a top ten hit and spurred this soul sister and the label on to release the second single "My Love" also produced by Nevil and released on March 15.
    "Everybody's Somebody" was on shelves in record stores on March 29 and is soulful number anticipated to do very well.
    But what hopes does Kele have for the future....
    "I think that if you're not going to be at least in the top two it's not worth running the race is it really.You know what was funny when I was young, I used to say to my mum when I die I want to be on the ten o'clock news, we're not going to have the ten o'clock news soon but as a kid I used to say I want them to announce it on the news when I'm dead.I would just like to feel that I had something great to offer and that I touched people's lives in a positive way through my music because it's a gift and I know that God didn't give it to me to keep to myself, it's meant to be shared.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register