She also recorded her lead vocals on a song entitled "Take Me Higher", which was featured on Soul II Soul's album Volume III Just Right. In 1992, Wheeler returned to the studio and began recording her second album. The album also featured the singles "UK Blak", "Blue (Is the Colour of Pain)", and "Don't Quit", which also charted on UK Singles chart. The album's lead single, "Livin' in the Light", became Caron's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The album sold 60,000 copies in the UK, entered the UK Albums chart at number 14, and has since sold 100,000 copies worldwide. Her first solo album UK Blak was released on May 15, 1990. In early 1990, Wheeler secured a recording contract with EMI. 1990–1993: UK Blak and Beach of the War Goddess She continued to tour with the group throughout the year but left Soul II Soul to begin recording her solo album. In March 1989, Caron performed "Keep on Movin'" with Soul II Soul on Top of the Pops. In 1988, she sang backing vocals in the Erasure's song "Chains of Love". The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with huge sales and winning the group a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album, Group, Band, or Duo, and two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for "African Dance", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)".
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The album spawned the major hits "Keep on Movin'" and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", which featured Wheeler as lead vocalist and sold over one million copies worldwide each.
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The following year, the group released their debut album, Club Classics Vol.
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The group began recording their first album in 1988. At the time, the group consisted of Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Rose Windross, Doreen Waddell, Jazzie Q, Aitch Bee, and Nellee Hooper. In 1988, Wheeler met Jazzie B who asked her to become one of the founding members of Soul II Soul. In June 2012, Wheeler was honored with the Heritage Award from Performing Right Society along with the members of Soul II Soul. Throughout a career spanning 40 years, she has sold over 6 million records collectively as a solo artist and as a member of Soul II Soul. Her dynamic on-stage performances have led many critics to consider her one of the most effective singers in popular music. Throughout her career, she has performed on and off with Soul II Soul but officially rejoined them in 2013.ĭescribed as a pioneer of the British soul scene, her musical repertoire is often characterized by themes of love, relationships, and empowerment, as well as black history. Wheeler reunited with Soul II Soul in 1994, but left in 1995 due to creative differences. She continued her solo career with the release of her second album, Beach of the War Goddess (1993). One (1989), which established them as a global success worldwide, earned two Grammy Awards and featured the UK and Billboard number-one singles "Keep on Movin'" and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)".įollowing the exit from the group in 1990, she released her debut solo album, UK Blak (1990), which contained hits "Livin' in the Light", "UK Blak", and "Don't Quit". Managed by her bandmate, Jazzie B, the group became one of the London's best-selling groups in the 1990s.
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She officially rose to fame in the late 1980s as lead singer of R&B group Soul II Soul. She was also one of the founding members of the female backing vocalist group Afrodiziak. Born and raised in London, she performed in various singing competitions as a teenager and began her recording career as one of the founding members of Brown Sugar. Caron Melina Wheeler OBE is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and musician.