Princess (singer)
Princess | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Desiree Heslop |
| Also known as | Princess |
| Born | 27 November 1961 London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels |
|
Desiree Heslop, best known as Princess, is a British singer who found chart success in the mid-1980s. In the early 1980s, she worked with the group Osibisa. She is best known for her hit single "Say I'm Your Number One" which made the UK Top Ten in 1985.[1]
Career[]
Before going solo, she was a backing vocalist for the band Osibisa in the early 1980s.[2][3] She recorded sessions on the Brilliant album Kiss The Lips of Life, which brought her to the attention of producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman.[4]
Her debut solo album Princess (1986) was composed and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman which contained the hit single, "Say I'm Your Number One".[5] The album spawned five charting singles,[6] and was certified silver in the UK.
Heslop signed with Polydor and recorded her second album, All for Love (1987) in the United States, but neither the album nor its three singles had much success.[1] In 1989, she released the stand-alone single "Lover Don't Go", which failed to chart. Her third album, Say It, which was slated for release in 1990, was never issued as Princess retired from the music scene and moved to the US.
She later returned to being a backing singer, appearing on the Vanilla Ice album To The Extreme.[7]
From 1991 to 2003 she lived in the US, before returning to England. That same year she formed her own music label with her brother Donovan, OnDa Ground Music Label, which has released all her music since, and released her first single in 14 years, "Ride", with rap ensemble EEDB. A music video was also filmed which referenced her retirement.
She appeared in ITV's 2005 production Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, singing Kylie Minogue's "Slow".
In April 2014, she released her third album, The Emergence, the first in 27 years. It is the first in a trilogy of albums, the other ones titled The Passion and The One.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Record label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[8] | AUS[9] | |||
| 1986 | Princess | 15 | 81 | Supreme Records |
| 1987 | All for Love | — | — | Polydor Records |
| 2014 | The Emergence | — | — | — |
Singles[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [8] |
AUS [9] |
US Dance [10] |
US R&B [10] |
IRE |
SWI |
NOR |
GER |
NLD |
SWE |
ATR |
BEL |
NZ | |||
| "Let the Night Take the Blame" | 1985 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Say I'm Your Number One" | 7 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 11 | 4 | — | 2 | 6 | — | 29 | 12 | 2 | ||
| "After the Love Has Gone" | 28 | 57 | 6 | 41 | 27 | 15 | 5 | 27 | 25 | 8 | — | 21 | 6 | ||
| "I'll Keep on Loving You" | 1986 | 16 | — | — | — | 27 | 19 | — | 25 | 41 | — | — | 28 | 11 | |
| "Tell Me Tomorrow" | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | — | — | 29 | — | ||
| "In the Heat of a Passionate Moment" | 74 | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Red Hot" | 1987 | 58 | — | 30 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | |
| "I Cannot Carry On" | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Jammin' with Your Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lover Don't Go" | 1989 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Ride" | 2004 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sweet Money" | 2008 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "One Away" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I'm Gonna Love Ya" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 439/440. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Aniagolu, Charles (2004). Osibisa: Living in the State of Happy Vibes and Criss Cross Rhythms. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781412021067.
- ^ "Osibisa Albums". www.softshoe-slim.com. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 6: Say I'm Your Number One on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 6: Say I'm Your Number One on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Artist Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004. Collins. p. 615. ISBN 9780007179312.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "PRINCESS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 241. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Princess Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
External links[]
- Princess discography at MusicBrainz (Discography)
- Princess at AllMusic
- Discography at Discogs.
Authority control  |
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- Living people
- English dance musicians
- Black British singers
- English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent
- Musicians from London
- English women pop singers
- 1961 births