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Revision as of 22:30, 14 May 2006
| Michael Learns to Rock | |
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| Background information | |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Members | Jascha Richter Kåre Wanscher Mikkel Lentz |
Michael Learns To Rock, popularly known as MLTR, is a Danish English-language pop music band. Its founding members are singer and keyboard player Jascha Richter (b. June 24 1963), drummer Kåre Wanscher (b. June 14 1969), guitarist Mikkel Lentz (b. December 20 1968) and bass and guitarist Søren Madsen (b. 23 April 1967). In 2000 Madsen left the group to pursue a solo career, but the band has continued to release albums as a three-man band.
Michael Learns to Rock was formed in 1988, and has been well known since the release of the single "That's Why (You Go Away)" in 1994. The band is well known in Europe and especially popular in Asia, where many of its albums have gone gold and platinum.
In 2004, the band released "Take Me To Your Heart," a remake of Jacky Cheung's "Goodbye Kiss 吻别." The single has gained huge popularity in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
History
MLTR's music has been described as a Scandinavian glow that meets the international pop song, something which has been refined through the years by artists such as The Beatles, The Eagles, Elton John and Billy Joel. It's precisely the perfect balance of the two elements described above that has been instrumental in forming the compelling sound of the band and won MLTR millions of fans around the globe.
The whole story begins quite modestly back in 1987 at a high school in Aarhus, Denmark. The singer and keyboard player Jascha Richter (b. 1963) forms a band with drummer Kåre Wanscher (b. 1969) and guitarist Mikkel Lentz (b. 1968) – a little café band. All three are huge music fans who were virtually fed the history of pop and rock with their mother's milk. They decide to create a more serious band after Jascha plays them a few songs he has written. In the spring of 1988 Søren Madsen (b. 1967), who's otherwise a guitarist, agrees to sit in on bass during a rehearsal one evening. Michael Learns To Rock becomes a reality. The group debuts in Aarhus in May 1988 and later in the summer enters the city's annual talent contest. MLTR scores a resounding victory, and at the same time lands a manager, J.P. Andersen, who is a member of the jury. Andersen immediately falls for the talent radiating out of this sparkling young quartet.
September 1991 debut of the album Michael Learns To Rock. Among other tracks, the set contains the hit ballad "The Actor" a song that in January 1992 secures MLTR the pole position on the Danish album-sales chart. The song travels much faster than the band, and without MLTR even being there, it tops the charts in Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In 1992 they frantically tour Denmark and a number of countries in the Far East where their presence is a follow-up force to smashing successes the debut album has already achieved. Along the way Jascha Richter writes songs for a second album that gets a rush release in October 1993 under the title Colours.
Once again, it's the knack for creating the classic ballad that generates success. "Sleeping Child" is the title of the song that sparks MLTR-mania. In the course of the next 18 months, the frenzy launches the band on a journey to many parts of the world and generates album sales far beyond the one-million mark. Colours is released in most of Europe and throughout the Far East, while "Sleeping CHild" and the singles that follow, "25 Minutes" and "Out of the Blue" land MLTR top slots on countless hitlists and earns the lads innumerable gold and platinum records.
The year 1995 sees the release of MLTR's third album, Played On Pepper. In October of the same year MLTR embarks on their biggest tour of the Far East -- with 25 shows in 10 countries – where new hits like "That's Why (You Go Away)" and "Someday" become pearls on the string of hits that make up the setlist. Played On Pepper ends up selling more than 1.2 million units.
While in efforts to curb pirate copying of MLTR material, the band releases the best-of album, "Paint My Love". The album is released exclusively in the Far East. "Paint My Love" sells a whopping 3.4 million units worldwide. MLTR is chosen as headliner for the Celebrate Hong Kong Concert on 6 July 1997, the climax to festivities marking the transfer of Hong Kong to China.
While promoting "Paint My Love" on the international highways, MLTR squeezes in some time to record a fourth studio album "Nothing To Lose". The set is released in September 1997 while MLTR still has a firm foothold atop hitlists in the Far East as well as South Africa.
Nine turbulent years takes its toll on the four musicians who decide to take a break from each other and from the world of pop music. But shortly thereafter, in the autumn of 1998, Jascha Richter has some new songs written. The single "Strange Foreign Beauty" is chosen as the trump card for a new retrospective album released under the fitting title, GREATEST HITS.
When MLTR begins initial work for studio album number five in the spring of 2000, Søren Madsen decides to leave the group to try his hand at a solo carrier. Richter, Lentz and Wanscher opt to continue as a trio and that summer they head for the studio. As it has been for previous albums, the band decides once again not to hire a costly international star producer, but allies itself with the incredibly talented Danish musician, arranger and producer Boe Larsen. Uniting with the band, he and MLTR find a new musical direction and set some new challenges for themselves. The outcome is "Blue Night" in the year 2000.
"Blue Night" becomes another huge success for MLTR – sales come close to the platinum level at home and score successfully on Asian hitlists as well as the group's new found market in Sweden.
At the start of 2003, the band members gathered once again and began to plan their sixth album. It was released in February 2004 and titled: "Michael Learns To Rock". Since this release the band has been concentrating on playing concerts around the world.
Albums
- Michael Learns To Rock (1991); Double platinum in Denmark Platinum, in Indonesia Gold, in Norway. Over 400.000 albums sold worldwide.
- Colours (1993); Sevenfold platinum in Thailand, Fourfold platinum in Indonesia, Fourfold platinum in Singapore, Threefold platinum in Malaysia, Platinum in the Philippines, Gold in South Korea, Gold in, India Gold in Denmark. In Germany alone, sales topped 60.000 albums. Over 1.1 million albums sold worldwide.
- Played On Pepper (1995); Fivefold platinum in Thailand, Fourfold platinum in Malaysia, Threefold platinum in Taiwan, Threefold platinum in Indonesia, Double platinum in Singapore, Double platinum in Denmark, Double platinum in India, Platinum in the Philippines, Platinum in South Korea, Platinum in Hong Kong, Gold in Switzerland, Gold in the United Arab Emirates, Gold in South Africa. Japan: 40.000 albums. Over 1.2 million albums sold worldwide.
- Paint My Love (1996); 18-fold platinum in Malaysia * 13-fold platinum in the Philippines 11-fold platinum in Indonesia Sevenfold platinum in Singapore Sixfold platinum in Thailand Fourfold platinum in South Africa Fourfold platinum in Hong Kong Threefold platinum in Korea Threefold platinum in United Arabian Emirates Double platinum in India Double platinum in Taiwan Platinum in Japan. Over 3.4 million units sold as per September 1998.
- Nothing To Lose (1997); Threefold platinum in Malaysia, threefold platinum in Indonesia, threefold platinum in the Philippines, double platinum in India, platinum in Denmark, platinum in Singapore, platinum in Thailand, platinum in South Africa, platinum in Taiwan, platinum in United Arab Emirates, platinum in South Korea, platinum in Hong Kong, gold in Switzerland. Over 1.1 million albums sold worldwide so far.
- Blue Night (2000); The album was released in denmark November 1st. 2000. It was released worldwide a couple of months later.
- Michael Learns To Rock (2004); Double platinum in Denmark Platinum in Indonesia Gold in Norway.
External links
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