Robson & Jerome: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|English pop duo}} |
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{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} |
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} |
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{{About|the pop duo|their debut album|Robson & Jerome (album)}} |
{{About|the pop duo|their debut album|Robson & Jerome (album)}} |
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{{Infobox musical artist |
{{Infobox musical artist |
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| name = Robson & Jerome |
| name = Robson & Jerome |
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| image = |
| image = |
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| landscape = yes |
| landscape = yes |
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| background = group_or_band |
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| origin = England |
| origin = England |
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| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] |
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] |
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| years_active = {{start date|1995}}–{{end date|1997}} |
| years_active = {{start date|1995}}–{{end date|1997}} |
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| label = {{hlist|[[RCA Records|RCA]]|[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]]}} |
| label = {{hlist|[[RCA Records|RCA]]|[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]]}} |
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| associated_acts = |
| associated_acts = |
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| website = |
| website = |
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| current_members = |
| current_members = |
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| past_members = [[Robson Green]]<br />[[Jerome Flynn]] |
| past_members = [[Robson Green]]<br />[[Jerome Flynn]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Robson & Jerome''' |
'''Robson & Jerome''' were an English pop duo active in the mid-1990s, consisting of actors [[Robson Green]] and [[Jerome Flynn]]. They rose to prominence via the British television series ''[[Soldier Soldier]]''. |
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The duo's musical catalogue |
The duo's musical catalogue was composed entirely of [[cover version|covers]]. Their version of "[[Unchained Melody]]" stayed at number 1 for 7 weeks on the [[UK Singles Chart|UK Chart]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1995/ |title=1995 The Number One Albums |publisher=Official Charts |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> selling more than 1.8 million copies and becoming the [[List of best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom|best-selling single of 1995]]. They had two further number-one singles, produced by [[Mike Stock (musician)|Mike Stock]] and [[Matt Aitken]] – "[[I Believe (1953 song)|I Believe]]" (1995) and "[[What Becomes of the Brokenhearted]]" (1996)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1996/ |title=1996 The Number One Albums |publisher=Official Charts |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> – and two number-one studio albums. A pair of [[compilation album]]s followed. |
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==Music career== |
==Music career== |
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In November 1994 |
In a November 1994 episode of the UK television drama series ''[[Soldier Soldier]]'', Dave Tucker and Paddy Garvey, played by [[Robson Green]] and [[Jerome Flynn]] respectively, performed "[[Unchained Melody]]" as an impromptu duo "The Unrighteous Brothers" after the entertainment failed to appear at a wedding.<ref name="uk hits">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BwwLBaH9488C&pg=PT933 |title=1000 UK Number One Hits|author= Jon Kutner |publisher=Omnibus Press |date=26 May 2010 |isbn=9780857123602 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=BBC article on Unchained Melody | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A769241 | access-date = 24 March 2006}}</ref> Their performance triggered a big response from the audience and [[ITV Network|ITV]] was inundated by people looking to buy the song. [[Simon Cowell]] was alerted to the interest shown by the public, and pursued the two reluctant actors (and later Robson's mother) for the next four months to record the song, to the extent that Robson Green threatened legal action to stop Cowell harassing them.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wh_dAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT36 |title=Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography| author=Chas Newkey-Burden |date=10 October 2009|publisher= Michael O' Mara Books|isbn=9781843174455 }}</ref> The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record a [[Righteous Brothers]]-type version of the song as a duo. Cowell enlisted music producers [[Mike Stock (musician)|Mike Stock]] and [[Matt Aitken]], with whom he had worked many times before, to produce the single. |
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Their cover of "Unchained Melody" was released as a double A-side single with [[(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover|White Cliffs of Dover]]. It immediately reached No. 1 and stayed there for seven weeks, and became the best-selling song of 1995 in the UK. It was also the best-selling song of the 1990s, until it was over-taken by "[[Candle in the Wind 1997]]", [[Elton John]]'s tribute to [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]. It remains one of the country's best-selling singles.<ref name="guardian nov2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |author= Ami Sedghi |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 November 2012 | |
Their cover of "Unchained Melody" was released as a double A-side single with [[(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover|White Cliffs of Dover]]. It immediately reached No. 1 and stayed there for seven weeks, and became the best-selling song of 1995 in the UK. It was also the best-selling song of the 1990s, until it was over-taken by "[[Candle in the Wind 1997]]", [[Elton John]]'s tribute to [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]. It remains one of the country's best-selling singles.<ref name="guardian nov2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |author= Ami Sedghi |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012 }}</ref> Their two follow-up singles, "[[I Believe (1953 song)|I Believe]]" released later in the year, and "[[What Becomes of the Brokenhearted]]" released in 1996, also reached No. 1 on their release, and they became the first act in UK chart history to have their first three singles going straight in at number one.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ukcharts.20m.com/number1.html |title=Number One Hits: Facts & Feats |work=UK Charts }}</ref> |
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Their first album, the self-titled ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'', was released in November 1995 and became the best-selling album of the year,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/06/17/what-was-the-biggest-selling-album-in-1995-britpop-britain-the-answer-may-surprise-you-5250259/ |title=What was the biggest selling album in 1995 Britpop Britain? The answer may surprise you |author=Ross McG |date= 17 June 2015 |work=Metro}}</ref> and the second album from 1996, ''[[Take Two (Robson & Jerome album)|Take Two]]'', was equally successful. Robson & Jerome |
Their first album, the self-titled ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'', was released in November 1995 and became the best-selling album of the year,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/06/17/what-was-the-biggest-selling-album-in-1995-britpop-britain-the-answer-may-surprise-you-5250259/ |title=What was the biggest selling album in 1995 Britpop Britain? The answer may surprise you |author=Ross McG |date= 17 June 2015 |work=Metro}}</ref> and the second album from 1996, ''[[Take Two (Robson & Jerome album)|Take Two]]'', was equally successful. Robson & Jerome eventually sold 7 million albums and 5 million singles. They decided to quit despite being offered £3 million for a third album by Cowell.<ref name="unauthorized">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wh_dAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT37 |title=Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography| author=Chas Newkey-Burden |date=10 October 2009|isbn=9781843174455 }}</ref> |
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==Popularity and criticisms== |
==Popularity and criticisms== |
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Robson & Jerome were popular |
Robson & Jerome were popular but music critics argued that they lacked artistic merit. [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] in [[AllMusic]] wrote that they "offered nothing new musically", and said that: "such grand success made them the target of derision for much of the music press, who criticized the duo's manufactured, polished covers of pop and rock classics as nostalgia mongering...Robson & Jerome became the target of a number of attacks."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robson-jerome-mn0000640522/biography|title=Robson & Jerome: Biography|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> |
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The duo also attracted criticism after it emerged that they did not sing parts of their recordings, which were patched with uncredited vocalists to achieve higher and steadier notes than they could achieve. Session singer Des Dyer (formerly of the band [[Jigsaw (band)|Jigsaw]]) made the allegation that his was the voice on the record, and contacted RCA and a newspaper. Although Stock obtained a court injunction to stop Dyer from making the allegation, the head of [[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]] John Preston decided to pay Dyer £75,000 at Simon Cowell's behest, money that was then deducted from Stock's royalties.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2sR1LAf4lhgC&pg=PT72 |
The duo also attracted criticism after it emerged that they did not sing parts of their recordings, which were patched with uncredited vocalists to achieve higher and steadier notes than they could achieve. Session singer Des Dyer (formerly of the band [[Jigsaw (British band)|Jigsaw]]) made the allegation that his was the voice on the record, and contacted RCA and a newspaper. Although Stock obtained a court injunction to stop Dyer from making the allegation, the head of [[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]] John Preston decided to pay Dyer £75,000 at Simon Cowell's behest, money that was then deducted from Stock's royalties.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2sR1LAf4lhgC&pg=PT72 |title=Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell|author=Tom Bower |publisher=Faber & Faber Non Fiction |date=2012|isbn=9780571299386}}</ref> In 2008, Stock admitted that the vocals were "assisted" by session singers, explaining: 'Des Dyer was brought in to assist with the Jerome part – because his voice and Jerome's were similar...The Robson part was done by a totally different singer and the high note was a totally different guy.'<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/feature/a622993/robson-jerome-celebrate-20-years-10-things-you-might-not-know/ |title=Robson & Jerome celebrate 20 years: 10 things you might not know |first=Tom |last=Eames |work=Digital Spy |date=21 January 2015 }}</ref> Stock added that both Robson and Jerome did contribute vocals: "they are singing on the record without a shadow of a doubt".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://robson-green.fr/robsonjeromepress.html |title=Divers Articles De Presse |work=Robson and Jerome}}</ref> |
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==Discography== |
==Discography== |
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===Studio albums=== |
===Studio albums=== |
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{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
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|+ List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications |
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|+ |
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! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;" | Title |
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;" | Title |
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! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;" | Album details |
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;" | Album details |
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! scope="col" colspan=" |
! scope="col" colspan="4" | Peak chart positions |
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! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK Albums">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32176/robson-and-jerome/ |title=UK Albums |publisher=officialcharts.com | |
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK Albums">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32176/robson-and-jerome/ |title=UK Albums |publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[ |
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite Ryan|page=237}}</ref> |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[ |
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br/><ref name="NZ Albums">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Robson+%26+Jerome&titel=Take+Two&cat=a |title=New Zealand Albums |publisher=charts.nz |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/19951119/40/ |title=Scottish Albums "Robson & Jerome" |publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/19961117/40/ |title=Scottish Albums 'Take Two' |publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row" | ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'' |
! scope="row" | ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'' |
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Line 53: | Line 54: | ||
* Label: [[RCA Records|RCA]] |
* Label: [[RCA Records|RCA]] |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
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| 74 |
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| — |
| — |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
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| |
| |
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* [[British Phonographic Industry|UK]]: 6× Platinum<ref name="UK ALBUM CERT">{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=BPI Certification |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]| |
* [[British Phonographic Industry|UK]]: 6× Platinum<ref name="UK ALBUM CERT">{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=BPI Certification |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |access-date=31 May 2016 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124005813/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row" | ''[[Take Two (Robson & Jerome album)|Take Two]]'' |
! scope="row" | ''[[Take Two (Robson & Jerome album)|Take Two]]'' |
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* Label: RCA |
* Label: RCA |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
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| — |
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| 14 |
| 14 |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
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Line 68: | Line 71: | ||
* UK: 4× Platinum<ref name="UK ALBUM CERT" /> |
* UK: 4× Platinum<ref name="UK ALBUM CERT" /> |
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|- |
|- |
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| |
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
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|- |
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|} |
|} |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK Albums" /> |
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK Albums" /> |
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! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/19971123/40/ |title=Scottish Albums 'Happy Days' |publisher=officialcharts.com | |
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/19971123/40/ |title=Scottish Albums 'Happy Days' |publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row" | ''Happy Days:<br> The Best of Robson & Jerome'' |
! scope="row" | ''Happy Days:<br> The Best of Robson & Jerome'' |
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!rowspan="2" style="width:25em;"| Title |
!rowspan="2" style="width:25em;"| Title |
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!colspan="4"| Peak chart positions |
!colspan="4"| Peak chart positions |
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!rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
!rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
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!rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"|Album |
!rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"|Album |
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|- |
|- |
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!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32176/robson-and-jerome/ |title=UK Singles |publisher=Official Charts Company | |
!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32176/robson-and-jerome/ |title=UK Singles |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Irish Singles Chart|IRE]]<br><ref name="IRE">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie |title=Irish Singles |publisher=irishcharts.ie | |
!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Irish Singles Chart|IRE]]<br><ref name="IRE">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie |title=Irish Singles |publisher=irishcharts.ie |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Single Top 100|NLD]]<br><ref name="NLD">{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Robson+%26+Jerome&titel=I+Believe+%2F+Up+On+The+Roof&cat=s |title=Netherlands Singles |publisher=dutchcharts.nl | |
!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Single Top 100|NLD]]<br><ref name="NLD">{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Robson+%26+Jerome&titel=I+Believe+%2F+Up+On+The+Roof&cat=s |title=Netherlands Singles |publisher=dutchcharts.nl |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19950514/41/ |title=Scottish Singles 'Unchained Melody' |publisher=Official Charts Company | |
!style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19950514/41/ |title=Scottish Singles 'Unchained Melody' |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19951105/41/ |title=Scottish Singles 'I Believe' |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19961103/41/ |title=Scottish Singles 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted' |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> |
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|- |
|- |
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| rowspan="2" | 1995 |
| rowspan="2" | 1995 |
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| "[[Unchained Melody#Robson & Jerome version|Unchained Melody]]" |
| "[[Unchained Melody#Robson & Jerome version|Unchained Melody]]" / "[[(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover#Later performances|(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover]]" |
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|align="center"| 1 |
|align="center"| 1 |
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|align="center"| 2 |
|align="center"| 2 |
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Line 128: | Line 130: | ||
|align="center"| 1 |
|align="center"| 1 |
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| |
| |
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* [[British Phonographic Industry|UK]]: 2× Platinum<ref name="UK SIN CERT">{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=BPI Certification |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]| |
* [[British Phonographic Industry|UK]]: 2× Platinum<ref name="UK SIN CERT">{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=BPI Certification |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |access-date=31 May 2016 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124005813/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'' |
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''[[Robson & Jerome (album)|Robson & Jerome]]'' |
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|- |
|- |
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| "[[I Believe (Frankie Laine song)|I Believe]]" |
| "[[I Believe (Frankie Laine song)|I Believe]]" / "[[Up on the Roof (song)#Other recordings|Up on the Roof]]" |
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|align="center"| 1 |
|align="center"| 1 |
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|align="center"| 3 |
|align="center"| 3 |
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Line 140: | Line 142: | ||
|- |
|- |
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| 1996 |
| 1996 |
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| "[[What Becomes of the Brokenhearted#Covers|What Becomes of the Brokenhearted]]" |
| "[[What Becomes of the Brokenhearted#Covers|What Becomes of the Brokenhearted]]" / "[[Saturday Night at the Movies (song)|Saturday Night at the Movies]]" / "[[You'll Never Walk Alone]]" |
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|align="center"| 1 |
|align="center"| 1 |
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|align="center"| 7 |
|align="center"| 7 |
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Line 154: | Line 156: | ||
==See also== |
==See also== |
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⚫ | |||
*[[Robson Green]] |
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*[[Jerome Flynn]] |
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⚫ | |||
==References== |
==References== |
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Line 162: | Line 162: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
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* Official |
* Official website: [http://www.robsongreen.c.uk Robson Green] |
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* Official |
* Official website: [http://www.jeromeflynn.com Jerome Flynn Official Web Site] |
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*{{IMDb name|id=0338292|name=Robson Green}} |
* {{IMDb name|id=0338292|name=Robson Green}} |
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*{{IMDb name|id=0283492|name=Jerome Flynn}} |
* {{IMDb name|id=0283492|name=Jerome Flynn}} |
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{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}} |
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson and Jerome}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson and Jerome}} |
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[[Category:English |
[[Category:English pop music duos]] |
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[[Category:English male musical duos]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1995]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997]] |
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[[Category:RCA Records artists]] |
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[[Category:Bertelsmann Music Group artists]] |
Latest revision as of 22:53, 6 December 2024
Robson & Jerome | |
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Origin | England |
Genres | Pop |
Years active | 1995 | –1997
Labels | |
Past members | Robson Green Jerome Flynn |
Robson & Jerome were an English pop duo active in the mid-1990s, consisting of actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn. They rose to prominence via the British television series Soldier Soldier.
The duo's musical catalogue was composed entirely of covers. Their version of "Unchained Melody" stayed at number 1 for 7 weeks on the UK Chart,[1] selling more than 1.8 million copies and becoming the best-selling single of 1995. They had two further number-one singles, produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken – "I Believe" (1995) and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1996)[2] – and two number-one studio albums. A pair of compilation albums followed.
Music career
[edit]In a November 1994 episode of the UK television drama series Soldier Soldier, Dave Tucker and Paddy Garvey, played by Robson Green and Jerome Flynn respectively, performed "Unchained Melody" as an impromptu duo "The Unrighteous Brothers" after the entertainment failed to appear at a wedding.[3][4] Their performance triggered a big response from the audience and ITV was inundated by people looking to buy the song. Simon Cowell was alerted to the interest shown by the public, and pursued the two reluctant actors (and later Robson's mother) for the next four months to record the song, to the extent that Robson Green threatened legal action to stop Cowell harassing them.[5] The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record a Righteous Brothers-type version of the song as a duo. Cowell enlisted music producers Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, with whom he had worked many times before, to produce the single.
Their cover of "Unchained Melody" was released as a double A-side single with White Cliffs of Dover. It immediately reached No. 1 and stayed there for seven weeks, and became the best-selling song of 1995 in the UK. It was also the best-selling song of the 1990s, until it was over-taken by "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. It remains one of the country's best-selling singles.[6] Their two follow-up singles, "I Believe" released later in the year, and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" released in 1996, also reached No. 1 on their release, and they became the first act in UK chart history to have their first three singles going straight in at number one.[7]
Their first album, the self-titled Robson & Jerome, was released in November 1995 and became the best-selling album of the year,[8] and the second album from 1996, Take Two, was equally successful. Robson & Jerome eventually sold 7 million albums and 5 million singles. They decided to quit despite being offered £3 million for a third album by Cowell.[9]
Popularity and criticisms
[edit]Robson & Jerome were popular but music critics argued that they lacked artistic merit. Stephen Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic wrote that they "offered nothing new musically", and said that: "such grand success made them the target of derision for much of the music press, who criticized the duo's manufactured, polished covers of pop and rock classics as nostalgia mongering...Robson & Jerome became the target of a number of attacks."[10]
The duo also attracted criticism after it emerged that they did not sing parts of their recordings, which were patched with uncredited vocalists to achieve higher and steadier notes than they could achieve. Session singer Des Dyer (formerly of the band Jigsaw) made the allegation that his was the voice on the record, and contacted RCA and a newspaper. Although Stock obtained a court injunction to stop Dyer from making the allegation, the head of BMG John Preston decided to pay Dyer £75,000 at Simon Cowell's behest, money that was then deducted from Stock's royalties.[11] In 2008, Stock admitted that the vocals were "assisted" by session singers, explaining: 'Des Dyer was brought in to assist with the Jerome part – because his voice and Jerome's were similar...The Robson part was done by a totally different singer and the high note was a totally different guy.'[12] Stock added that both Robson and Jerome did contribute vocals: "they are singing on the record without a shadow of a doubt".[13]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [14] |
AUS [15] |
NZ [16] |
SCO [17][18] | |||||||||||
Robson & Jerome |
|
1 | 74 | — | 1 | |||||||||
Take Two |
|
1 | — | 14 | 1 |
| ||||||||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Compilation albums
[edit]Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [14] |
SCO [20] | |||||||||||||
Happy Days: The Best of Robson & Jerome |
|
20 | 50 |
| ||||||||||
Love Songs |
|
— | — | |||||||||||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Singles
[edit]Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [21] |
IRE [22] |
NLD [23] |
SCO [24][25][26] | |||||||||||
1995 | "Unchained Melody" / "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | Robson & Jerome | ||||||||
"I Believe" / "Up on the Roof" | 1 | 3 | 45 | 1 |
| |||||||||
1996 | "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" / "Saturday Night at the Movies" / "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 1 | 7 | — | 1 |
|
Take Two | |||||||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "1995 The Number One Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "1996 The Number One Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ Jon Kutner (26 May 2010). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
- ^ "BBC article on Unchained Melody". Retrieved 24 March 2006.
- ^ Chas Newkey-Burden (10 October 2009). Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography. Michael O' Mara Books. ISBN 9781843174455.
- ^ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ "Number One Hits: Facts & Feats". UK Charts.
- ^ Ross McG (17 June 2015). "What was the biggest selling album in 1995 Britpop Britain? The answer may surprise you". Metro.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Robson & Jerome: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ Tom Bower (2012). Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell. Faber & Faber Non Fiction. ISBN 9780571299386.
- ^ Eames, Tom (21 January 2015). "Robson & Jerome celebrate 20 years: 10 things you might not know". Digital Spy.
- ^ "Divers Articles De Presse". Robson and Jerome.
- ^ a b "UK Albums". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 237.
- ^ "New Zealand Albums". charts.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Albums "Robson & Jerome"". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Albums 'Take Two'". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Albums 'Happy Days'". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "UK Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Netherlands Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Singles 'Unchained Melody'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Singles 'I Believe'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Singles 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
External links
[edit]- Official website: Robson Green
- Official website: Jerome Flynn Official Web Site
- Robson Green at IMDb
- Jerome Flynn at IMDb