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Kirsty Hawkshaw

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Kirsty Hawkshaw
Background information
Born (1969-03-29) 29 March 1969 (age 56)[1]
London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
InstrumentVocals
Years active1991–present
LabelsCoalition/EastWest, Mainline/EMI, Nettwerk, Magnatune
Websitekirstyhawkshaw.co.uk

Kirsty Hawkshaw (born 29 March 1969) is an English electronic music vocalist and songwriter. In addition to her work as a solo artist, she is known as the lead vocalist of early 1990s dance group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers.

Career

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Kirsty Hawkshaw is the daughter of the late British production music/film music composer and disco record producer Alan Hawkshaw, who was known for composing themes for TV programmes such as Grange Hill[2] and Channel 4 game show Countdown. Her mother is German-born Christiane Bieberbach.[3]

At the age of 19, the singer's career in show business was started with the help of famous German producer Frank Farian, who in 1988 released her dance single "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" on the CBS record label.[4] At that time, she was introduced to the public under the stage name Kirsty Shaw. The single "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" attracted the attention of promoters of commercial radio stations, and the video of the same name was quite actively rotated on music television channels in a number of European countries.[5] The catchy melody in the Eurodance style became popular among visitors to discos. In addition to 3 versions of the single, the song was also published on several dance music compilations in different countries.[6][7]

At a rave in 1990, she was noticed by producers Ian Munro, Kevin Dodds and Nigel Walton, who at the time were known as A.S.K. and were signed to MCA Records UK. The trio had released a single called "Dream", when she was invited to appear on stage as their dancer. It was through this meeting that they would form a dance act called Opus III. Their first single, a cover version of the song "It's a Fine Day" from their debut album Mind Fruit, was an international success and Top 10 hit on UK Singles Chart,[8] and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1992. A reversed sample of Hawkshaw's singing from this track was used in the Orbital track "Halcyon", the music video for which featured Hawkshaw. Opus III also had another US number 1 hit on the same chart in 1994 with "When You Made the Mountain", from their second and final album, Guru Mother.

In a 2009 interview, she recalled her decision to end her association with Opus III, saying she felt that she did not want to be part of a "commercialized" act, wanted to go in a different direction, and felt that she did not have sufficient input in writing and production, which led to conflict with the rest of the band; she has also ruled out any plans for a reunion if it ever happens. She has also been critical of the dance music industry more broadly, especially performers lip synching other people's songs, and using original artists' vocals without permission or credit.

After the group broke up in 1994, Hawkshaw pursued a solo career and has since been in demand by other acts in the dance, house, Eurodance, trance, and electronica community, including Tiësto, Delerium, BT, Fragma, Seba, and Paradox, among others.

Her solo single "Fine Day" peaked at number 62 in the UK Singles Chart in November 2002.[9]

Hawkshaw contributed a track titled "Telephone Song" to the children's compilation album For the Kids Too!, released in 2004.

On 10 October 2005, she released Meta-Message, a collection of older and newer songs, after a growing interest in her out-of-print album, O.U.T.

The record label Magnatune released her ambient album, The Ice Castle, in 2008.

Hawkshaw is married to record producer Adam F.

Collaborations

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1990s

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Year Track Album Collaborated with Notes
1992 It's A Fine Day / I Talk To The Wind Mind Fruit Opus III
1994 Guru Mother When You Made The Mountain Opus III
The Belle Of Atlantis / Awaken Kundalini / Flying Spirals Orgship Solar Quest
1995 Kirsty Cried Solar Quest Vs. Choci
Olé, Olé Valencia Rachid Taha
1997 Isolation EP Pulusha
1998 State Of Grace Swayzak
1999 Dreaming Movement In Still Life BT UK No. 38[9]
Online Warm & Viv Grant
Stereo Stereo People
Where The Sidewalk Ends To Come... Silent Poets

2000s

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Year Track Album Collaborated with Notes
2000 Hidden Agenda Sandor Caron
Inner Sanctum / Nature's Kingdom Poem Delerium
Running Down The Way Up BT & Hybrid
Visions Since Then Ian Pooley
2001 Battleship Grey In My Memory Tiësto
It's In The Music Warm
Stealth Way Out West UK No. 67
Urban Train Tiësto UK No. 22[9]
2002 Killing Me / Whisper Nommo Slovo
Sertão Blues Slovo
Kaleidoscopic Sounds EP Underwater Lady Harmonic 33
2003 Calling You Ikon Ikon
Blackout Morning Sci-Fi Hybrid
Science Of Life Dave Hewson & Derek Austin
2004 Don't Sleep Tonight Rubicon Clashing Egos
Just Be Tiësto UK No. 43[9]
Sincere For You Lange
The Centre Cannot Hold EP Digitonal
Walking On Clouds Tiësto
2005 All I Want Hybrid
Halcyon And On And On (Live) Orbital
Reach For Me Jamie Cullum & Steve Isles
Split Mr. Sam
Love Is A Rose The Five Angels Pentatonik - Simeon Bowring
Faith In Me Zero Gold Pole Folder
2006 View To Me Audio Damage Future Funk Squad
Don't Look Behind You Judie Tzuke
Just For Today I Choose Noise Hybrid
Insight / Lodestar / Split Lyteo Mr. Sam
Fleeting Instant Nuages Du Monde Delerium
Outsiders Tenishia
Pure Pop Warren Bennett, Mark O'Grady, Mike Sampey, Robert De Fresnes
Radio Waves Fragma
Silent Stars Pole Folder
The Chauffeur The Dawnseeker Sleepthief
The Last One And The First Pentatonik - Simeon Bowring
2007 Beatitude Duderstadt
Heaven Sent Andrew Bennett
Skimming Stones Labyrinthine Heart Sleepthief
Loverush Loverush UK!
Reasons To Forgive Tenishia
Time Is Running Out Ikon
Star·Kindler / The Phoenix Effect Voyage To Isis Delta-S
You Will Feel Love Again OpenCloud
2008 Fine Day 2008 Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Kinky Roland
Good To Be Alive (Healing Angel) Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Arnold T.
Invisible Tenishia
Invisible Walls Nektarios & Jan Johnston, as Nektarios meets F-used
Juneau / Glaciation Alaska
Love Calls Headstrong
Love Is No Possession JJoy
Love Like Blood / Sunbathing Outrage & Aperture
Time Stand Still OpenCloud
2009 Devotion Seba
Face To Face Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Elucidate
Fearless Soul (Hybrid Mix) Harry Gregson-Williams & Hybrid
Out Of Reach Hue Jah Fink

2010s

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Year Track Album Collaborated with Notes
2010 A Million Stars BT
One Day Pop Model Mr. Sam
The Joy (Face To Face) Seba
Amzinai / Sundog The Mesozoic Era Alaska
After The Rain / Meteors / Dreaming Of Now Two Trees EP Ulrich Schnauss
2011 Back In Time Liquid Kaos
Clocks (Dandelions) The Felt Dolls
Falling (Chillout) Tenishia
Let Us Think Secret Society & Outrage
The Light Seba & Paradox
Whisper Blu Mar Ten
2012 Connected John B
Dawn Nektarios
2013 4K Lii
Clear Rain Rasmus Faber
Let It Go Tobias Zaldua
Nostra Terra (Can We Turn It Around) One Vision
Nothing Can Replace Seba
2016 Motion Eshericks
2018 The Sandshaper / The Wood Beyond The Wall Mortal Longing Sleepthief
2019 Smoke Trance Arts & Jan Johnston
It's A Fine Day 2K19

2020s

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Year Track Album Collaborated with Notes
2020 Ghost Town Dr Rod Octopus
Love Is All We Need Öona Dahl
2021 Serenity Morph Öona Dahl
2022 Hourglass Accuface X Kirsty Hawkshaw X Trance Arts
Love Is A Frequency Zed Minus, feat. Adam Fenton

References

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  1. ^ "Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  2. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (17 October 2021). "Alan Hawkshaw, Countdown and Grange Hill composer, dies aged 84". The Guardian.
  3. ^ The Champ (The Hawk Talks), Alan Hawkshaw autobiography, published 2011.
  4. ^ https://www.discogs.com/master/384575-Kirsty-Shaw-Yummy-Yummy-Yummy
  5. ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/25484179-Various-CBS-Video-Show-1188
  6. ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/1314768-Various-Maxi-Dance-Pool-Musikladen-Eurotops
  7. ^ https://www.discogs.com/master/3292396-Various-Dance-Dance-Dance-Vol-II
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 408. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 246. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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