Ultra Naté
| Ultra Naté | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ultra Naté Wyche |
| Born | 20 Mairch 1968 Havre de Grace, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Thrift | |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associate acts |
|
| Wabsteid | http://www.ultranate.com/ |
Ultra Naté (born 20 Mairch 1968) is an American muisicker who haes achievit a respectable amoont o success on the pop chairts wi sangs such as "Free" an "If You Could Read My Mind" as pairt o Stars on 54.
Virtually aw o her singles hae reached the Top 10 o the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chairt. Such singles include "Show Me", "Free", "Desire", "Get it Up (the Feeling)", "Love's the Only Drug", an her nummer-ane hits "Automatic" an "Give it All You Got" featurin Chris Willis.
Career
[eedit | eedit soorce]Ultra Naté is noted for takkin the opposite path tae that which maist muisickers tak. She began her recordin career on a major label, Warner Bros. Records., signed throu its Breetish offices. Throu it, she released her first twa albums. Her debut album, the hoose classic Blue Notes in the Basement (1991) wis creatit alang wi the Basement Boys an it featured the singles "It's Over Now," "Deeper Love (Missing You)," "Is It Love," an the gospel-tinged "Rejoicing."
In 1993, the alternative dance/hoose One Woman's Insanity wis released tae hintle critical praise an recognition bi the dance-muisic commonty. Awtho it still featured the Basement Boys' production on several tracks, this time Ultra foond hersel wirkin wi the likes o Nellee Hooper, an D-Influence. At a time when soulful Hoose muisic performers such as Robin S. an Crystal Waters wur scorin cross-ower Top Ten Pop singles, it wis believit that Ultra Naté wad score a similar level o commercial success. Mainstream sales housomeivver wur no achievit even tho "Show Me" receivit moderate mainstream pop radio airplay. Still, the performer's diva status wis cementit bi dance-floor classics like "How Long," "Show Me" (her first sang tae reach the top position on the U.S. Dance chairts) an "Joy". Housomeivver, neither release sauld vera well, an she wis droppit frae the label.
In 1995, Ultra Naté contributit the sang "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)" tae the soondtrack tae the similarly titled unthirlt film starrin Parker Posey. The single wis commercially released bi the King Street Sounds label an haes become a haurd tae fynd collectors' item.
When Warner Bros. treed tae push her in a mair R&B, less hoose, direction, Ultra Naté left the major label an fled tae the unthirlt dance label, Strictly Rhythm. It wis here that "Free", her biggest mainstream hit in Americae, wis released in 1997. The song, produced by Katumother Records, enjoyed hivy airplay throuoot the rest o the millennium, no anerlie in clubs, but on rhythmic an mainstream radio stations athort the kintra. "Free" peakit at nummer 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It became a substantial hit in the UK, whaur it peakit at nummer fower, helpin its parent album 'Situation: Critical' reach nummer seiventeen on the album chairts. It wis successful in Canadae whaur it reached nummer 10 at the Canadian Singles Charts an aw.[1]
It wis wi this album that Ultra Naté's greatest commercial success wis achievit, pairticularly in Europe, whaur singles such as "Found a Cure" (#6 in the UK), an "New Kind of Medicine" (#14 UK) became immediate dance classics.
In 1998, a new single "Pressure" wis released internaitionally. Taken frae the soondtrack tae the film The 24 Hour Woman, it contained three club mixes. The oreeginal, funkier version o the track wis foond on 'Situation: Critical" but leetit as "Release the Pressure."
Her follae-up album Stranger Than Fiction, which wis released in 2001, featured the production wirk o respectit airtists such as Attica Blues, 4 Hero, an Mood II Swing. Fower singles wur released: "Desire," "Get It Up (The Feeling)," "Twisted," an "I Don't Understand It."
Naté contributit the sang "Wonderful Place" tae the AIDS benefit compilation Keep Hope Alive: A Lifebeat Benefit Compilation. Addeetionally, in 2004, she released the singles "Feel Love," "Brass in Pocket," "Time of Our Lives" (released as "Ultra Devoted featurin Ultra Naté an Gerry DeVeaux"), an a new version o "Free" that featurs twal new mixes. In 2005, she collaboratit wi Gaudino an released the single "Bitter Sweet Melody". Later in the same year she foond hersel again on the chairts, when her featured vocals on the Stonebridge single "Freak On" became a successful dance hit. She performit on the Breetish show Hit Me Baby One More Time an aw.
Haein become a mither for the first time in the hairst o 2005, Naté released her 5t album Grime, Silk, & Thunder on her newly created imprint Blufire in pairtnership wi Tommy Boy Records. The album wis wairmly receivit bi the majority o creetics an fans alike. The first single released was "Love's the Only Drug," which became available throu the U.S. iTunes Store 8 August 2006 an reached nummer twa on the American Hot Dance Club Play an made the Top 30 on the Hot Dance Airplay chairt. The seicont single "Automatic" (a cover version o the Pointer Sisters hit) reached nummer ane on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chairt (the week endin 28 Aprile 2007). It receivit airplay in the Rhythmic/Dance format radio whaur it reached the Top 30 o maist playleets in this radio format. Follaein Automatic, Ultra released "Give It All You Got" which featurs Chris Willis as a digital dounload syne 5 Dizember 2007. The sang hit #1 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play chairts the week endin 23 Februar 2008.
In mid-2009 it wis annooncit that U.S. R&B songstress Michelle Williams, previously o Destiny's Child haes collaboratit on a sang wi Ultra cried "I'm Waiting On You", for uise on baith o their next studio albums.[2] In 2010 Ultra haes released a Bob Sinclar remix o her classic hit "Free" on Strictly Rhythm. "Give It 2 U" in collaboration wi Quentin Harris for his album "Sacrifice" which is considered a preview o an upcomin duet project atween Ultra an Quentin cried "Black Stereo Faith". She released "Destination" in collaboration wi Tony Moran which peaked at #10 on the Billboard Dance Play chairt an aw. "Destination" wis the seicont single aff Tony's album, Mix Magic Music.
In 2010 she released an EP titled "Things Happen At Night" featuring Ultra's pop an soul melodies an vocal stylings ower manic percussive club beats done bi Unruly productions. Januar 2011 is slatit for the release o Ultra's new single wi Strictly Rhythm on her Deep Sugar label imprint cried "Turn It Up" wi a muisic video directit bi Leo Herrara. "Turn It Up" is the first single tae be released frae her saxt studio album tae be titled Hero Worship.
In September 2011 she submittit a sang tae represent Swisserland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, tae be held in Azerbaijan.[3]
Discografie
[eedit | eedit soorce]Albums
[eedit | eedit soorce]Studio albums
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 1991 | Blue Notes in the Basement
|
— |
| 1994 | One Woman's Insanity
|
— |
| 1998 | Situation: Critical
|
17 |
| 2001 | Stranger Than Fiction
|
— |
| 2007 | Grime, Silk, & Thunder
|
— |
| 2013 | Hero Worship
|
— |
Compilation albums
[eedit | eedit soorce]- The Best Remixes, Vol. 1 (1997)
- Best Remixes, Vol. 2 (1999)
- Alchemy - G.S.T. Reloaded (2008)
Extendit plays
[eedit | eedit soorce]- Things Happen At Night (2010)
Singles
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Dance[4] | UK [5] |
CAN | ||||
| 1989 | "It's Over Now" | — | — | 62 | — | Blue Notes in the Basement | |
| 1991 | "Is It Love?" | — | 45 | 71 | — | ||
| 1992 | "Rejoicing (I'll Never Forget)" | — | 7 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Joy" | — | 2 | — | — | One Woman's Insanity | |
| 1994 | "Show Me" | — | 1 | 62 | — | ||
| "How Long" | — | 2 | — | — | |||
| 1997 | "Free" | 75 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
|
Situation: Critical |
| 1998 | "Free (The Mixes)" | — | — | 33 | — | ||
| "Found A Cure" | — | 1 | 6 | — | |||
| "New Kind of Medicine" | — | 28 | 14 | — | |||
| "Pressure" | — | 3 | — | — | |||
| "If You Could Read My Mind" (Stars on 54: Ultra Naté, Amber, Jocelyn Enriquez) |
52 | 3 | 23 | 7 | 54 soundtrack | ||
| 2000 | "Desire" | — | 1 | 40 | — | Stranger Than Fiction | |
| 2001 | "Get It Up (The Feeling)" | — | 1 | 51 | — | ||
| 2002 | "I Don't Understand It" | — | 25 | — | — | ||
| "Twisted" | — | 3 | — | — | |||
| 2003 | "Brass in Pocket" | — | 8 | — | — | Non-album song | |
| 2005 | "Freak On" (with Stonebridge) |
— | — | 37 | — | Grime, Silk, & Thunder | |
| 2006 | "Love's the Only Drug" | — | 2 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | "Automatic" | — | 1 | — | — | ||
| "Give It All You Got" (with Chris Willis) |
— | 1 | — | — | |||
| 2009 | "Faster Faster Pussycat (Let’s Go!)" | — | — | — | — | Things Happen At Night | |
| "Hey DJ" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2011 | "Turn It Up" | — | 4 | — | — | Hero Worship | |
| "Waiting on You" (with Michelle Williams) |
— | 11 | — | — | |||
As featured airtist
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance | UK [5] | ||
| 1992 | "Altitude" (777 featuring Ultra Naté) |
44 | — |
| 1995 | "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)" | 6 | — |
| "10.000 Screaming Faggots" (The Moonwalkers feat. Ultra Naté) |
— | — | |
| 1997 | "Partay Feeling" (B-Crew featuring Barbara Tucker, Dajae, Ultra Naté and Moné) |
22 | 45 |
| 2004 | "Time of our Lives" (Ultra Devoted) |
— | — |
| 2005 | "Bittersweet Melody" (Gaudino feat. Ultra Naté) |
— | — |
| "Wonderful Place" (U.D.A.U.F.L.) |
— | — | |
| 2010 | "No Wasted Hearts" (Nicola Fasano feat. Ultra Naté) |
— | — |
| "Destination" (Tony Moran feat. Ultra Naté) |
10 | — | |
References
[eedit | eedit soorce]- ↑ Billboard (27 Julie 2007). "AllMusicGuide entry". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 Julie 2007.
- ↑ "Interview with Michelle Williams". Archived frae the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 27 Februar 2013.
- ↑ Eurovision Song Contest - Baku 2012 | News - Switzerland: American singer Ultra Naté on the race to Baku Archived 2011-09-24 at the Wayback Machine. Esctoday.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-17.
- ↑ "Ultra Naté Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 8 Januar 2012.
- ↑ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 388. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Freemit airtins
[eedit | eedit soorce]- Ultra Naté — offeecial wabsteid
- Ultra Naté at Myspace
- Ultra Naté discography at Discogs