Deuce   (UK)

EuroDance group
Added : 16/01/2003
14158

94

1995

1996

Deuce albums

On The Loose 2 CDs

BUY X

Deuce singles

	Call It Love	23rd Jan 1995	BUY X
	I Need You	21st Apr 1995	BUY X
	On The Bible	25th Aug 1995	BUY X
	No Surrender	22nd Jul 1996	BUY X

Deuce remixes

Call It Love

1995

BUY X

Deuce biography

The origins of English group Deuce lay in a work experience placing for singer Kelly O'Keefe (born in 1977 in England) at Massive Management. As an assistant to former Bros and East 17 manager Tom Watkins, she used the opportunity to ask if she could put her own band together. She recruited friend and experienced dancer Lisa Armstrong (born 1978 in England). Then they did a casting to find ex-actor and lifeguard Craig Young (born 1976, Nottingham, England) and Paul Holmes (born 1979, Liverpool, England) to complete the line-up. They made their debut in January 1995 with Call It Love, an instant UK Top 20 hit. Their follow-up was released in July 1995 : the single On The Bible, which featured several remixes from dance artists such as Pete Lazonby and Franco and Grimm.

In 1995 they toured all over Europe, doing gigs in France, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark. In an interview for a French magazine, Kelly explained that, for her, the best dance group was M' People. Her favourite activities were playing, writing (she had a mini-studio in her bedroom) and listening to music.

The same year, their single I Need You competed for the Eurovision contest.

Deuce also contributed on the collective charity single A Gift Of Christmas as part of The Childliners, which also featured Peter Andre, MN8, Ultimate Kaos, East 17, Dannii Minogue, C.J. Lewis, Boyzone, and Michelle Gayle. The single reached #9 and profits went to the British charity Childline. Deuce also sang on the Coronation Street anniversary album, performing a track called Life On the Street, featuring actress Sherrie Hewson (Maureen Holdsworth).

1996 : Deuce signed to Mike Stock's Love This label four months after splitting from London Records. Manager Tom Watkins said the act is being reshaped for a more mature audience for relaunch later this spring, adding that former frontwoman Kelly O'Keeffe has been replaced by dancer Amanda Perkins. The band recorded their first single for Love This label produced by Stock and Matt Aitken, with a release scheduled for April. Watkins, of Massive Management, says, "It's much better for us to be associated with a hit-making label rather than one that doesn't want a pop act on its roster." Deuce were planning a headline tour in the summer, he added. Mike Stock said he approached Watkins after seeing the outfit performing live. "I hate the idea of wasting a good pop band", he said. However No Surrender was less succesful than expected : it struggled to number 29 on the UK charts...

Anyway they released an album gathering all their hits in 1998. It contained all their hits, plus a bonus CD with a megamix including I Need You (Red man city vocal mix), On The Bible (Kenny C remix), On The Bible (Wand 12" remix), Call It Love (JX kissy kissy mix) and No Surrender (Down to earth mix).

Craig Young went on to pursue his acting career, appearing in Much Ado About Nothing at the Queen's Theatre. He also appeared regularly on MTV UK including stints as a presenter of "Select", the "UK Top Ten Countdown" and "Watch Out For GMTV". He then secured a role as Alex Wilkinson in the long-running football soap "Dream Team". Other appearances include "Lost", "MTV's Spyder Games", "Charmed", "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" and "The District". His latest project is another soccer drama called Just For Kicks on Nickelodeon.

Lisa Armstrong is now a make-up artist and wife of Ant McPartlin of Ant & Dec, whom she married on 22 July 2006.

Paul Holmes went on to pen songs for many international pop artists, including Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees.

2009 - In August, DJ and remixer Armand Deluxe has sampled Deuce's 1995 hit Call It Love on a forthcoming dance track.

Deuce at Mobius
Deuce in Encyclopedia of Pop Music

Deuce biography was last updated Tue, March 16th 2021

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