Double You

Double You are an Italian Eurodance group founded in 1985, when singer William Naraine started producing demos with Franco Amato and Andrea de Antoni. By 1992, they had sold more than three million records and the single "Please Don't Go" was a success.[1]

Double You
Double You in Bauru, Brazil (June 2009)
Background information
OriginItaly
GenresEurodance, Italo dance, house
Years active1985–present
LabelsAzul Music, BMG, DWA, Indie Records, Panic Records, Polygram, Som Livre, Sony Music Brasil, Spotlight Records, Universal Music Brasil, Warner Music Brasil, ZYX Music
Websitehttp://www.officialdoubleyou.com/
MembersWilliam Naraine
Gino Martini
Gustavo Filipovich
Paulo Soveral
Missaka

Since 2013, they have been fronted by Naraine, Gino Martini, Gustavo Filipovich, Paulo Soveral and Missaka.

History

1990s

In 1991, the members met the producer Roberto Zanetti. In December of the same year, "Please Don't Go" was recorded. The song was released in January 1992 and was an instant hit. Double You toured across Europe and appeared in TV shows around the world.

"Please Don’t Go", a dance version of the KC and the Sunshine Band song, earned many gold and platinum records in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. The record also sold in North America (top ten maxi sales), Israel (#12) and in the UK (#2 on the Cool Cuts Chart)

The second single, "We All Need Love" was recorded in June 1992 during a European tour and charted around the world. After this second single, their debut album We All Need Love followed, which put together songs such as "Who's Fooling Who" (cover of a One Way song and the third single) and "Why (Let's Make It Christmas)". [2]They performed the latter together with the original composer and singer of "Please Don't Go", Harry Casey, professionally known as "KC".

At the end of 1993, the recording of the second album, the Blue Album, started. These singles followed: "Missing You", "Part Time Lover", "Heart of Glass" and "Run to Me" (the song gave the group the possibility of starting their first tour in North America in 1995). They performed in such cities as Miami, Daytona, Orlando and other towns along the east coast.

The group performed in theatres and concert halls in Brazil, such as the Metropolitan in Rio de Janeiro and Olympia in São Paulo. In less than three months, the group performed 64 shows, attended by more than 350,000 people.

In 1995, a new single, "Dancing with an Angel" was released, featuring singer Sandra Chambers. A long Italian tour began, lasting eight months. The song was also a success in other countries such as Switzerland, Australia, Israel and Latin America. Another single, "Because I'm Loving You", was released in different versions. It was a big hit in Spain, Italy, Israel (where it reached # 19) and Brazil and one of the most aired on European radios.

At the beginning of 1996, Andrea de Antoni left the group to undertake his own artistic career. In this period, Double You was in great demand in Brazil, so the new tour started. There they performed in the most important concert halls of the country. The group dedicated the album Forever to all their Brazilian fans. Half of this new album was produced in Italy and the rest in Brazil. It was released only in that country, selling 150,000 copies.

A single was released in the same year in Brazil only, under the label Spotlight, entitled "If You Say Goodbye".

William Naraine also took part in several DWA projects: Data Drama, Eclipse, Mission, Funkelectra, Infinity feat. Sense, Kaas, Pacific, Space Tribe, Time Machine, Toro, and Willy Morales. After a two-year rest and spending time in the studio to create new songs for their next album, in spring 1997, the new single "Somebody" was released. In 1999, another single was released, called "Desperado".

2000s

In 2000, Double You released a track called "Music (Is the Answer)" followed by a 2001 remix of the hit "Please Don't Go". A best of album called Studio Live was released the same year in Brazil. In 2002, Double You released a single entitled "Dance Anymore". He had worked with Memi P. and Ryo S., and produced and performed with other bands such as T-Factory. The same year, his voice was featured by Love Solution for the track "I'll Be over You".

In 2003, Double You did a remake of the Bryan Adams hit "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", and a cover of U2's "With or Without You" (which was not released as a single). The band toured in all the main Brazilian cities. In May, they did shows in the South and Southeast, including both a presentation at the Olympia of São Paulo and their playing at the Caipiriba Dance, in the city of Aparecida. Then they went to Belém, Macapá and Manaus.

In March 2004, William Naraine contributed to Vanni G's single "All My Illusion". In October, he appeared once again on the next single "I Say Yeah". He also took part on a remix of the single by Promise Land vs Netzwerk Memories, where he made a duet with Sandy. In 2005, Double You released with artist Don Cartel "Please Don't Go 2005" on Triple B Records. The single hit the Dutch Mega Top 100 chart at #40 and the Pepsi Chart at #38. In November 2007, a live DVD (shot during a concert in São Paulo) and a live CD were released, available in Brazil only.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
AUT GER SWI
We All Need Love
  • Release date: November 30, 1992
  • Label: DWA
  • Formats: CD
24 58 12
The Blue Album
  • Release date: 1994
  • Label: DWA (Dance World Attack)
  • Formats: CD
Forever
  • Release date: 1996
  • Label: DWA
  • Formats: CD
Heaven
  • Release date: 1998
  • Label: DWA
  • Formats: CD
Life
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilations

Title Details
Why (Let's Make It Christmas)/Megamix/Megahits
  • Release date: 1993
  • Label: ZYX Music
  • Formats: CD
The Best Of
  • Release date: 1996
  • Label: Spotlight Records
  • Formats: CD
Pérolas
  • Release date: 2000
  • Label: Som Livre
  • Formats: CD
The Very Best of Double You
  • Release date: 2006
  • Label: Indie Records
  • Formats: CD

Remix albums

Title Details
Double Mix
  • Release date: 1992
  • Label: DWA (Dance World Attack)
  • Formats: CD
Megamix
  • Release date: 1992
  • Label: Panic Records
  • Formats: CD
The Remixes
  • Release date: 1993
  • Label: Spotlight Records
  • Formats: CD
The 12" Remixes
  • Release date: 1995
  • Label: ZYX Music
  • Formats: CD

Live albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
AUT GER SWI
Studio Live
  • Release date: 2001
  • Label: Spotlight Records/Som Livre
  • Formats: CD
Live In Brazil
  • Release date: 2008
  • Label: Azul Music
  • Formats: CD
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
ITA
[3]
AUT
[4]
BEL
(Vl)

[5]
FRA
[4]
GER
[6]
NED
[4]
SWE
[4]
SUI
[4]
UK
[7]
EUR
1992 "Please Don't Go" 6 2 1 2 3 1 9 2 41 4 We All Need Love
"We All Need Love" 8 8 2 10 6 12 33 7 7
"Who's Fooling Who" 18 26 40 39
1993 "With or Without You" 35
"Missing You" 23 The Blue Album
"Part-Time Lover"
1994 "Heart of Glass" 21 39
"Run to Me" 49 18
1995 "Dancing with an Angel" 2 23 Forever
1996 "Because I'm Loving You" 8 37 17
"Send Away the Rain" (Brazil only)
"If You Say Goodbye" (Brazil only)
"Gimme All Your Love" (Brazil only)
1997 "Somebody" 13 Single only
1999 "Do You Wanna Be Funky" Heaven
"Ain't No Stopping Us Now"
"Desperado"
2000 "Music (Is the Answer)" Singles only
2001 "Please Don't Go 2001"
2002 "Eazy 2 Luv"
"Dance Anymore"
"Please Don't Go 2002"
2003 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"
2005 "You Are Everything"
"Please Don't Go 2005" 48
2006 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (NED only) 66
2008 "You, My Love" (Brazil only)
2010 "If I Could Fall" Life
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Promotional singles

Year Title Album
1996 "Gonna Be My Baby" Forever
1999 "You and I" Heaven

Collaborations

Year Title Artist Album
1994 "Rebel Rebel" Double You feat. Ice MC Single only
1995 "Me and You" Alexia feat. Double You
2001 "Message In a Bottle" T-Factory feat. Double You
2002 "I'll Be Over You" Love Solution feat. William Naraine
"What Is Love" Brubaker feat. Double You
2004 "All My Illusions" Vanni G feat. William Naraine
"I Say Yeah"
2005 "Please Don't Go 2005" Double You feat. Don Cartel
"Get Up" DJ Ross vs. Double You
"Beat Goes On"
2006 "Everything I Do" Double You feat. Don Cartel
"The Volume" GM feat. Double You
"What Can I Do"
2007 "Planet Electro" CN vs. Double You
"To the Beat" DJ Ross vs. Double You
2008 "Change"
"Lose Control" GM feat. Double You
2009 "Please Don't Go 2009" DJ Ross vs. Double You

See also

References

  1. Cataldo Verrina, Francesco (14 July 2015). The History of Italo Disco. ISBN 9781326355524.
  2. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1992-11-14). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  3. "Italian Chart - Double You". hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  4. International peak positions
  5. Belgian peaks Archived 2012-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. German peak positions
  7. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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