Hi all! Due to life events, I will not be posting or reupping albums in the future. Some of the albums might be available on the Facebook group mentioned below. Thanks for understanding!

For Facebook users, please check out and join my new sharing group Trashy Treasures, featuring 70s, 80s and 90s music pleasures!! A lot like the Isle, but with everyone able to contribute and discuss the tasty old music we love!!!

For all you pop lovers on Facebook, you should join the Pop Rush Community Facebook page immediately. Lots of amazing shares of great pop music from the 1990's and 2000's!!

And don't forget to follow the Isle on Facebook and Twitter!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Charlotte - Charlotte (1999)

Like previous postee Lamya, Charlotte Kelly first came to prominence performing with Soul II Soul. Just in her teens, she toured with them and appeared as a featured vocalist on a few of their tracks, most notably the single "I Care (Soul II Soul)". Unlike Lamya, however, her background was far from happy and exotic. Born legally blind, Charlotte was moved from foster home to foster home in the UK and ruthlessly taunted by her peers. Music was her only means of escape, and she honed her voice to a beautiful instrument, eventually releasing a few soul-house singles in the early 1990's: "Sugar Tree", "All Of Your Love", "Be Mine" and "Queen Of Hearts".. That, matched with killer looks, got the attention of Soul II Soul's Jazzie B, and the rest is history. It took quite a few years for Charlotte to release an actual album, with all new tracks. (According to Charlotte, this was partially spurned by the praise of Simon Cowell, who wanted to make a documentary series on her daily struggles as a blind, aspiring pop star). The first single, "Skin" became a massive dance hit thanks to remixes, and Charlotte's dream of being a chart sensation came true. Remixes of the follow-up singles "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" and "Someday" also hit the dance charts, but her album failed to make much of an impact. This could have been due to the fact that, aside from "Someday", which was produced by house master David Morales, the rest of the album was mid-tempo soul-pop and far from the remixed versions that were so popular. Charlotte continued to pursue her career as a songwriter, however, and won several songwriting prizes throughout the 2000's. Thankfully Charlotte is now working on an independent follow-up album, and she has also reclaimed some of her vision, so this time she will actually be able to see her adoring audience! Check out her Myspace site for more.

Video for Skin

Video for Someday

Video for the Skin Extended Club Mix

Download Charlotte

1
Someday
2
Somebody's Baby
3
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
4
Distance
5
Skin
6
Shelter
7
Addiction
8
Bad Girl
9
Ever Loved Somebody
10
If I Can't Have You
11
World Like This

5 comments:

  1. I loved the remix of "Skin" that was so popular, and didn't realize she had such a compelling personal story. Hope her upcoming work brings her success.

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  2. This is an amazing, amazing quality album, I still spin it even now.

    I was a huge fan and I didn't know she was blind, shocked!

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  3. Please, the link for download Charlotte is dead! Would you mind reposting it again and telling me if you can do so in my e-mail? dagger@ig.com.br! Thanks a lot and greetings from Brasil!

    ReplyDelete