Precious Wilson – English
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Biography
Jamaican-born Precious Wilson started out a backing singer in UK soul band Eruption. When the band won a record contract in a talent competition in 1975, they had a minor R&B hit with " Let Me Take You Back in Time" before the male lead singer left and Precious stepped into the foreground to fill his space. The group decided to try their luck in Germany, and one of many many live gigs in small discotheques caught the eye of producer Frank Farian...>>
Jamaican-born Precious Wilson started out a backing singer in UK soul band Eruption. When the band won a record contract in a talent competition in 1975, they had a minor R&B hit with " Let Me Take You Back in Time" before the male lead singer left and Precious stepped into the foreground to fill his space. The group decided to try their luck in Germany, and one of many many live gigs in small discotheques caught the eye of producer Frank Farian who asked if they'd like to become the heat-up band on Boney M.'s 1977 tour. In return, Farian and co-producer Rainer M. Ehrhart signed the band to Hansa Records. Their first single "Party, Party" made some noise but it was Precious' powerful vocals on their discofied version of "I Can't Stand the Rain" that sent the group to the top of the European charts and even entering the US Top 20. While the lead-off single from the second album, Leave a Light flopped, the second single "One Way Ticket" gave the group another massive disco hit, and soon after Precious broke from the band to pursue a solo carrere.
Still signed to Hansa Records and produced by Farian, her first solo single was released in the summer of 1979, a funky disco cover of the soul classic "Hold On I'm Coming". To secure her maximum promotion, Farian also included it on Boney M.'s current Oceans of Fantasy album on which she also featured with the group on the opening track "Let It All Be Music".
Her album On the Race Track was completed for release in October 1980. The lead single was yet another soul cover. Performed with her new backing group Sky Train, "Cry To Me" failed to meet Hansa's high expectations for the singer. The second single "We Are On The Race Track" gave Precious her biggest German hit single when it reached #11 in the charts.
New recording sessions began in the fall of 1981, and the single "I Need You (Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" was released. Seeing her move into synth-pop territory, "I Don't Know" gave the singer a hit in Switzerland where she enjoyed considerable popularity. The second album All Coloured in Love followed in Germany in August 1982. A different song selection was put together for the UK release on Epic, and the French-Italian-release on Carrere, the album was issued as Red Light but failed to see Precious' international carrere take off.
The relationship between Farian and Precious was cooling off considerably when the singer was dissatisfied about the single release "Let's Move Aerobic (Move Your Body)" and her third and final Hansa release, Funky Fingers (credited to Precious Wilson and La Mama - her backing group) was a non-stop medley-album of soul classics. Released in December 1983, it received very little support from the label and soon after left Precious without a record contract.
Moving back to the UK, Precious signed with Jive Records in 1985. Her first single " I'll Be Your Friend" created some excitement when it also gave her a modest R&B hit in the US. Jive Records, full of support for their new artist, arranged for Precious to sing the theme song of the movie "The Jewel Of The Nile", a song which was also included in her subsequent 1986 album, simply entitled Precious Wilson, featuring songs with several hi-profile producers such as Monte Moir, Richard Jon Astrup and Keith Diamond. Still, with new single releases "Nice Girls Don't Last" (Europe) and "Love Can't Wait" (US), the album inexplicably flopped. Still believing in Precious, Jive Records paired her with Stock Aitken Waterman for a 1987 single release, an upbeat Hi-NRG disco version of Jerry Butler's "Only The Strong Survive". It became one of the few SAW singles that never charted in the UK.
After a 1990 single release "I May Be Right 4U" on a UK indie label, the singer finally achieved some commercial success when her 1992 dance cover of Sheila B. Devotion's "Spacer", became a hit in France. Soon after, her guest performance on techno group Messiah's cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" reached the UK #11. Unable to sustain the moment, Precious Wilson disappeared as an active recording artist. In recent years, she's mainly been active on the club circuit, performing as both Precious Wilson and Eruption featuring Precious Wilson.
Releases:
Cry To Me (7") AMIGA
Hold On I'm Coming (12") Hansa 1979
Hold On I'm Coming / Funky Dancer (You Got Me Dancing) (7") Hansa 1979
Cr-Cr-Cr-Cry To Me (12", Sup) Hansa 1980
On The Race Track (LP) Hansa 1980
On The Race Track / Mr Pilot Man (12") Hansa 1980
I Need You / You're A Strong Man (7") Hansa 1981
I Need You / You're A Strong Man (12", Maxi) Hansa 1981
Three Of A Kind (LP) Hansa 1981
We Are On The Race Track (7") Carrere 1981
We Are On The Race Track / Mr. Pilot Man (7") Hansa 1981
I Don't Know (12") Hansa 1982
I Don't Know / Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday (7") Hansa 1982
Raising My Family / The Night The Music Died (7") Hansa 1982
Funky Fingers (LP) Ariola (Germany) 1983
I'll Be Your Friend (12") Jive 1985
I'll Be Your Friend (12") Jive 1986
Love Can't Wait (12", Promo) Jive 1986
Nice Girls Don't Last (12") Jive 1986
Precious Wilson (Cass) Jive 1986
The Jewel Of The Nile (7") Jive 1986
Only The Strong Survive (12") TELDEC 1987
Only The Strong Survive (12") Jive 1987
I May Be Right For You (12")
Precious Wilson - 1982 - All Coloured in Love
