Precious Wilson

Precious Wilson (born 18 October 1957 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a Jamaican soul singer.

Precious Wilson
Born (1957-10-18) 18 October 1957
OriginSpanish Town, Jamaica
GenresDance-pop, dance, soul
Occupation(s)Singer
Years active1975–present
LabelsHansa Records, Jive Records
Associated actsEruption, Boney M.

Background

Precious Wilson started out as a backing singer for the all-male group Eruption. The group enjoyed their first minor success when they won a talent competition in 1975, and then went on to record the song "Let Me Take You Back in Time". Shortly after, the lead singer left the group, and Precious Wilson stepped forward to front the band.[1]

The group then relocated to Germany in 1976, and the following year in 1977, while on the road touring in Germany, Eruption was introduced to German producer Frank Farian who booked them to work with Boney M as their backing band, and as their support act on Boney M's first European tour. Frank Farian then went on to sign them to Boney M.'s label, Hansa Records, Farian released the single "Party Party" but it was their disco cover version of Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" from their first album which broke big, giving them a UK No. 5 hit and a US No. 18 hit. After a second album and another hit single with Neil Sedaka's "One Way Ticket" (UK #9), Precious Wilson left the group to pursue her solo career.[1]

Solo career

Wilson's debut single as a solo artist was a cover version of Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming", released in August 1979. Produced by Frank Farian and set to a funky disco-beat, the single reached No. 45 in the Dutch charts.[2] The song was also included in Boney M's fourth album Oceans of Fantasy[3] which also yielded a guest performance by Wilson on the opening track "Let It All Be Music".

She co-wrote several tracks, including the title song of her debut album We Are on the Race Track, also produced by Farian, was completed during 1980 on Hansa Records. It was released in October, heralded by the single "Cry to Me" which Wilson performed on TV, backed by the band that she created called Sky Train. The single reached number 3 in Switzerland.[4] The album's second single, "We Are on the Race Track", reached No. 11 in Switzerland in early 1981.

In October 1981, she released a cover version of "I Need You" which peaked at No. 6 in Switzerland where her popularity was lingering. In Germany, it reached No. 39. In the summer of 1982, the electro-pop track "I Don't Know" was released, followed by her second album All Coloured in Love. The album was released with a different track selection in the UK, Italy and France under the name Red Light followed by several different single releases in the various territories.

Hot on the heels of the then Aerobic craze and Farian's success with the album Aerobic Fitness Dancing, the theme song "Let's Move Aerobic (Move Your Body)" was rush-released with Wilson's vocals in March 1983. Her third album Funky Fingers, consisting of two side-long medleys of soul standards, was released in December 1983. In 1985, she signed with Jive Records and teamed up with multiple producer teams for the album, including American songwriter, Monte Moir, a musician and songwriter, best known as a member of The Time.

The following year Wilson released several singles; "I'll Be Your Friend" (a U.S. Top 40 R&B hit), the theme song from the Michael Douglas movie The Jewel of the Nile (the sequel to the movie Romancing The Stone), and "Nice Girls Don't Last" ("Love Can't Wait" in the U.S.).

In 1986, she contributed to the charity album titled The Anti-Heroin project: It's a live-in world, singing among others on the title track as well as on "Waiting in the Dark" and a song called "Something Better" with Kim Wilde and Darryl Pandy.[5]

A dance cover of Jerry Butler's "Only the Strong Survive" in 1987, produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.[1]

Precious has toured the former USSR on the invitation of the Soviet Cultural Ministry. The 55 date concert tour was arranged in six Soviet Republics, performing to full capacity audiences at each venue. She was the first black UK based female artiste to have undertaken such an extensive tour in the then USSR in 1988.

As well as having the talent for a variety of television and stage work she astounded theatre land with the hit musical Blues in the Night.

Other performances include shows in Monte Carlo, numerous concert tours in both Eastern Europe including the Kremlin, and continental Europe. She has participated in a Royal Variety Show in the presence of HRH Queen Elizabeth of the UK, and a member of the Saudi royal family.

Over the years she has made guest appearances and associated studio productions with artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, James Brown, Boney M, Michael Bolton, Little Richard and she also recorded along with Sir Cliff Richard on The Kendrick Collection by Graham Kendrick.

After another of her co-written songs, was the single "I May Be Right 4U" in 1990. She achieved two small hit singles in the early 1990s with a cover of Sheila and B. Devotion's "Spacer" (a hit single in France, 1992) and a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" (a UK No. 19 hit single with techno group Messiah, 1992). Since then, Wilson has been touring extensively internationally, and also frequently tours as Eruption featuring Precious Wilson.

Precious Wilson appeared on Channel 4, First Dates (6 June 2017).

In 2018, Wilson was one of 12 co-authors of a book titled Mission Critical Messengers: How To Deliver A Difference.[6]

Discography

Albums
  • We Are On the Race Track (October 1980)
  • All Coloured in Love (July 1982) – released as Red Light in France and UK.
  • Funky Fingers (December 1983)
  • Precious Wilson Jive Records (1986)

Singles
Year Title Chart positions
GER[7] SWI[8] NL[2] UK US R&B
1979 "Hold On, I'm Coming" – – 45 – –
1980 "Cry To Me" – 3 12 – –
1981 "We Are on the Race Track" 11 – – – –
"I Need You" 39 6 – – –
1982 "I Don't Know" 33 – – – –
"Raising My Family" 61 – – – –
"Red Light" (FR) – – – – –
1983 "Let's Move Aerobic (Move Your Body)" – – – – –
1984 "River Deep, Mountain High" /
"Funky Fingers"		 – – – – –
1985 "I'll Be Your Friend" – – – – 40[9]
1986 "The Jewel of the Nile" – – – – –
"Nice Girls Don't Last" – – – – –
"Love Can't Wait" (US) – – – – –
1987 "Only the Strong Survive" – – – – –
1990 "I May Be Right 4U" – – – – –
1992 "I Feel Love" (Messiah feat. Precious Wilson) – – – 19[10] -
"Spacer" (Funky French Guy & Precious Wilson) - - - - -

Filmography

Precious Wilson along with the other members of Eruption, and Boney M were all featured in the 1979 German movie "Disco Fever". She performed 'Raising my family' and 'The night the music died' on programme called Coeur En Fête, broadcast on LIVE on 16 March 1983 channel TSR1, Switzerland, 23:25

See also

References
  1. James Arena (6 April 2016). Legends of Disco: Forty Stars Discuss Their Careers. McFarland. pp. 9–. ISBN 978-1-4766-2457-0.
  2. "Dutch Charts – dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  3. Hung, Steffen. "Boney M. – Oceans Of Fantasy". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  4. "Precious Wilson – Cr-Cr-Cr-Cry To Me – hitparade.ch". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  5. "The anti-heroin project : it's a live-in world". Worldcat. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. Precious Wilson; Keith Endow; Vanessa Standard (7 April 2018). Mission Critical Messengers: How to Deliver a Difference. QuantumLeapPublisher.com. ISBN 978-0-9973036-1-2.
  7. Deutsche Chart Singles 1981–1990. Norderstedt: Taurus Press. 2000. ISBN 3-922542-44-1.
  8. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  9. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 361. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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