The Bluetones

The Bluetones formed in hometown Hounslow, and lived with fellow Britpoppers Dodgy. Led by the Morriss brothers, the four-piece gathered a substantial following and releases on their own Superior Quality Recordings label sold well. A deal with A&M led to nationwide success: 'Slight Return' debuted at UK No.2. Expecting To Fly (1996) hit No.1 and the singles 'Cut Some Rug' and 'Marblehead Johnson' both reached the UK Top 10. They returned in 1998 with 'Solomon Bites The Worm' and Return To The Last Chance Saloon.

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The Blues Brothers

Ackroyd and Belushi developed R&B fandom into an act for US TV's Saturday Night Live, a live band (yielding 1978 US No.1 Briefcase Full Of Blues) and a 1980 movie.

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Blue Oyster Cult

When manager Sandy Pearlman (among the first to apply the term 'Heavy Metal' to music) failed to snare Black Sabbath, he fashioned his own Metal monster, Blue Oyster Cult, from late 60s act Soft White Underbelly (aka the Stalk-Forrest Group). Blue Oyster Cult (1972), Tyranny And Mutation (1973) and Secret

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The Blue Nile

Singer and main writer Buchanan was in his mid-20s and editing a theatre magazine when he formed The Blue Nile with friends Bell and Moore. Hi-fi manufacturers Linn used their demo to test record-cutting equipment before creating their own label to distribute the band's debut. Ecstatically reviewed,^ Walk Across The Rooftops (1984) reached UK No.80.

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The Blur

Drama student and part-time recording studio tea boy Damon Albarn was a veteran of bands in Essex, England, by the time hi formed a group with long-time friend Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree in 1988. Coxon and James had met at London's Goldsmiths College, while Rowntree was a fixture of the Essex music scene. After appearances around London in 1990 as Seymour (from J.D. Salinger's novel Seymour: An Introduction), they were noticed by Andy Ross, head of EMI subsidiary Food. Ross and his partner Dave Balfe (once bassist for The Teardrop Explodes) offered them a contract on the condition that they change their name.

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Blood, Sweat & Tears

Brainchild of ex-Blues Project members Al Kooper (keyboards/ vocals) and Katz, Blood, Sweat & Tears also boasted former Buffalo Springfield bassist Fielder, ex-Odetta drummer Colomby and top New York session players Halligan, Lipsius, Jerry Weiss and Randy Brecker.

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The Black Crowes

While most Metal acts were clinging to Guns N' Roses' coat-tails, The Black Crowes injected swaggering Soul into the genre. The Robinsons (singer Chris and guitarist Rich) honed their art with Punk band Mr Crowe's Garden before changing their name and style in 1988. It was sexy, it was Stonesy, and it found a home on the Def American label. They made their mark with an ace cover of Otis Redding's 'Hard To Handle' and toured until Shake Your Money Maker (1990) climbed to the multi-platinum plateau.

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The Blondie

The most commercially successful of New York's Punk graduates, Blondie were fronted by one of the faces of the 70s, Debbie Harry. Raised by adoptive parents, Harry worked as a beautician, secretary at the BBC in New York, Playboy Bunny and bartender at legendary New York venue Max's Kansas City before joining forgotten Folk ensemble Wind In The Willows.

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MARYJ BLIGE

Blending Rap raunch with Soul sensibility (she grew up in both The Bronx and Georgia), Blige's ascension was smoothed by producer Sean ‘Puffy4 Combs, who helped craft her 1992 smash debut What*i the 411?

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Jeff Buckley

Son of the equally tragic Tim Buckley - whom he barely knew Jeff became known as a powerful singer/songwriter with the mini-album Live At Sin E In 1994. Buckley's multtoctave voice and post-Grunge material, such as the ethereal ‘So Real and Led /eppelln esque 'Eternal Life', were featured on 1995's epic Grace, which earned plaudits similar to those of his famous father.

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Jackson Browne

The son of army parents, Browne first came to prominence as a guitarist for Nlco, who Included three of his songs on her debut Chelsea Girls Is (1968). Shortly alter, he signed to media mogul David Gaffen's Asylum Records label, and became one of the pivotal figures of the 'California Cowboy' Country Rock scene of the early 70s, co-writing The Eagles breakthrough hit 'Take It I asy' A versatile songwriter, his material was covered by artists as disparate as the Byrds, loe Cocker and The Jackson 5.

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Mick Jagger

By 1963, he was not only a regular R&B chart visitor, but also regarded as the genre's No.1 entertainer. During hit breathtaking stage show, he danced at breakneck speed, screamed, spun feverishly, sweated profusely and even collapsed on cueevtry night. White audiences finally experienced the unprecedented excitement of Brown's live act via Live At The Apollo (1961),

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Bobby Brown

Abandoning R&B teen-stars New Edition, Bobby Brown won few friends with King Of Stage (1986).

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The Boyzone

Handpicked from 300 hopefuls by Club owner and manager Louis Walsh, Boyzone conquered Ireland with Detroid spinners cover 'Working My Way Sack To You'. It convinced Walsh to stick with covers, hence the Osmonds revamp and UK breakthrought love Me For A Reason' end the Cet Steven penned Father And Son' paving the way for the chart-toppmg Said and Done (1995)

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The boomtown rats.

The Nightlife Thugs, a quintet of Dublin students, invited Geldof to be their manager before he became their singer. Named The Boomtown Rats after a gang in Woody Guthrie bio-pic Bound For Glory, they went to London with a demo during 1976's Summer of Punk.

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James Brown

James Brown, rightfully known as Soul Brother Number One has amassed more R&B hits during his five decades m show business than any other artist. Only Elvis Presley has enjoyed more US pop chart entries.

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Garth Brooks

No one sold more albums in the 90s than distinctively dressed 'hat' act Garth Brooks, who took Country music to new heights and amassed American sales of over 60 million by 1997.

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The Elkie Brooks

A professional singer since 1S, Elkie Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James’ ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me' was released on Oecca in 1964. After spending most of the 60s on Britain’s Jan scene, she met husband Pete Gage and Joined short-lived Fusioneer* Dade before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer After two albums, they split in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer went solo.

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The Bronski Beat

Bronski Beat came to prominence in June with the UK Top 10 debut 'Smalltown Boy! the story of a teenage homomuil running away from home for life in the big city B paved the way foi further hits such as 'Why? and a tew*** of George Gershwin's It Ain't Necessanty So!

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The Bread

Bread were a creative outlet for its two founders, both 'back room' veterans of the LA music scene. In 1962, Gates left a hometown scene that included JJ. Cale and Leon Russell, and -following his 1963 hit for The Murmaids, ‘Popsicles And Icicles’ -wrote, arranged and produced for Bobby Darin, Elvis Presley and Captain Beefheart. Griffin, raised in Tennessee, also wrote for others, his teen idol recording career having ground to a halt.

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