49ers

I 49ers sono un gruppo musicale italiano ideato da Gianfranco Bortolotti (Media Records) appartenente all'ondata di produzioni dance di fine anni ottanta, definite all'estero con l'appellativo di Spaghetti House, insieme ai Cappella (altro gruppo di Bortolotti)

Storia

Nasce nel 1985, ma è solamente nel 1989 che i 49ers realizzarono il disco della svolta. Il singolo Touch Me, era un brano dance-house con le voci campionate di Aretha Franklin e Alicia Warren. Ebbe un enorme successo in Europa e negli USA, dove raggiunse la prima posizione nella classifica dance.

Dopo qualche mese arrivò il successivo Don't You Love Me (con la collaborazione di Jody Watley), e l'inevitabile album, intitolato semplicemente 49ers, pubblicato all'estero dalla prestigiosa etichetta Island Records.

Una breve pausa e il gruppo pubblicò un nuovo singolo, anteprima al secondo album che venne realizzato qualche tempo dopo, e sempre distribuito in tutto il mondo. Dalla metà degli anni novanta il gruppo incide solamente brani singoli, che comunque riscuotono sempre un più che discreto successo, specialmente sulle piste delle discoteche.

L'ultima hit risale al 1997, Baby I'm Yours, conosciuta nella versione più famosa quale "Van S Hard Mix" curata da Mario Scalambrin e Roberto Guiotto.

Il gruppo finisce nel 1998 con la pubblicazione dell'ultimo singolo: Let The Sunshine In.

Nel marzo 2013 ritorna il gruppo 49ERS con l'uscita del mix promo "Shine on in love" con la collaborazione di Cheryl Porter e i remix di Paolo Aliberti e del duo "Gabriel e Castellon" ma sicuramente non meno importante è la "Original Version"

Discografia

Album in studio

1990 - 49ers
1991 - The Remix Album
1992 - Playing with My Heart

Raccolte

2004 - Greatest Hits 1990-2002

Singoli

1988 - Die Walkure
1989 - Shadows
1990 - Touch Me
1990 - Don't You Love Me
1990 - How Longer
1990 - Girl to Girl
1990 - I Need You
1991 - Move Your Feet
1992 - Got to Be Free
1992 - The Message
1993 - Everything
1993 - Keep Your Love
1994 - Rockin' My Body
1995 - Hangin' On To Love
1996 - Baby I'm Yours
1997 - I've Got It
1998 - Let The Sunshine In
2013 - Shine on in love

49ers were an Italian house and Eurodance act, featuring producers and DJs Gianfranco Bortolotti, Luca Cittadini, Diego Leoni and Pieradis Rossini with vocalist Ann-Marie Smith. They were named after the San Francisco 49ers American football team, and because former vocalist Dawn Mitchell was the 49th vocalist to audition.

In 1990, two of their songs reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart; "Touch Me" and "Don't You Love Me".

Background

Formation and debut album

The project was formed in 1988, by the producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. The debut single, "Die Walküre", was based on a vocal from Freeez's "I.O.U." (although the woman in the video is Josy Gil Persia) and reached #20 on the French Singles Chart. It was followed by "Shadows" one year later. After this, the group recruited Dawn Mitchell to front the act. "Touch Me" was partially based on an Aretha Franklin sample ("Rock-a-Lott"), whilst its chorus line was taken from Alysha Warren's song, "Touch Me". "Don't You Love Me" featured a vocal sample from Jody Watley's hit "Don't You Want Me" and peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other borrowed phrases and hooks are dispersed throughout the accompanying album. It was revealed that Mitchell was Lip-syncing the vocals on "Touch Me". She then provided vocals on five other songs from that album.

"Touch Me" became a number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart in January 1990, whilst "Don't You Love Me" peaked at number 12 and the single "Girl to Girl" peaked at number 31 in that same listing.

The follow-up albums

A remix album and the stand-alone single "Believe In Me" (which Mitchell co-wrote and sang) was released in 1991. Soon afterwards, Mitchell left the act and was replaced by Ann-Marie Smith. The second album, Playing With My Heart, was released in 1992. The album spawned five singles, "Move Your Feet", "Got to Be Free", "The Message", "Everything" and "Keep Your Love".

Other singles

The single "Rockin' My Body" reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart.^[1] They released four more singles including "Lovin' You", "Baby I'm Yours", "I Got The Music (aka I Got It)" and "Let The Sunshine In". Following this, the act broke up in 1998.

In 2010, 49ers briefly returned with a single for Italian label Ego Music, entitled "Je Cherche Apres Titine", which featured samples from Charlie Chaplin's comedy film "Modern Times" from 1936.

In September 2012, Gianfranco Bortolotti revived Media Records under new name, Media Songs s.r.l. In 2013, 49ers released a song called "Shine on in love" with a singer Cheryl Porter.

Former members

Gianfranco Bortolotti - production/arrangement/songwriting (1988–1998)
Luca Cittadini - additional production/arrangement/songwriting (1988-1992)
Diego Leoni - additional production/arrangement/songwriting (1988-1992)
Pieradis Rossini - additional production/arrangement/songwriting (1988–1991)
Alysha Warren (real name: Alyesha Wallen) - lead female (uncredited) vocals on "Touch Me" (1989–1990)
Josy Gil Persia - performer (1988–1990)
Dawn Mitchell - performer - although Mitchell's voice was used on "Don't You Love Me", "I Need You", "Girl to Girl", "How Longer, "I Will Survive" and "Believe In Me". (1989–1991)
Ann-Marie Smith - vocals (1991–2002)
Cheryl Porter - vocals

(2013)