Wild Orchid (group)

Wild Orchid was an American all female group, which began under the name "NRG" in 1990, and performed as Wild Orchid during the years 1990–2003.[1] In 2013, US Weekly named the group number 18 of the 25 'Best Girl Groups of All Time'.[2]

Wild Orchid
Background information
OriginUnited States
GenresR&B, pop, soul
Years active1990–2003
LabelsSony, RCA, Yellow Brick
Associated actsThe Black Eyed Peas
Past membersStacy Ferguson
Renee Sandstrom
Stefanie Ridel

History

Wild Orchid began in 1990 when former Kids Incorporated cast members Renee Sandstrom and Stacy Ferguson and their friend Stefanie Ridel decided to form an all-girl group based on their shared love of music and poetry, and they originally called themselves New Rhythm Generation or NRG. Heather Holyoak soon joined the group and they began searching for a record contract. As they wrote their songs and recorded their first single entitled "Get Crazy – Work It," the girls also began coming up with choreographies for their music.

In February 1991, NRG gave their first performance in a Los Angeles nightclub. Heather Holyoak returned to college, and was replaced by Micki Duran.

In July 1991, NRG performed to a sold-out crowd at a BMI showcase. Their former manager claimed that he owned the rights to the group's name. By 1992, the group changed their name to Wild Orchid and hired Marta Marrero, mother of fellow Kids Incorporated alumna Martika, as their new manager.

Wild Orchid joined forces with several record labels including RCA, EMI, and Capitol, eventually signing with Sony Publishing and RCA Records in 1994. Duran left the group to work on the Nickelodeon TV show Roundhouse leaving Wild Orchid as a trio.

In 1995, they recorded the theme song for the NBC sitcom Hope & Gloria which aired from 1995 to 1996.

Their first single "At Night I Pray" debuted on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts in September 1996. A music video directed by Marcus Nispel, known for his work with Janet Jackson, was in heavy rotation on MTV, BET and VH1.

Album Wild Orchid

In March 1997, Wild Orchid released their self-titled debut album Wild Orchid. The largely self-written album sold nearly a million units worldwide (including 1,000,000 units in the U.S. according to SoundScan) and included the singles "Talk to Me" (featured in the 1997 movie Fools Rush In), "At Night I Pray" and "Supernatural". The album received two Billboard Music Award nominations for "Talk to Me" plus two Soul Train Lady of Soul Award nominations – one for Album of the Year by a Group, Band or Duo and one for Best Music Video for "Talk To Me" and an American Music Award nomination for Favorite R&B/Soul New Artist.

Wild Orchid spent most of fun promoting their debut album, making appearances on Ricki Lake, Access Hollywood, MTV, Wild On!, The RuPaul Show, Hard Copy, Vibe, Mad TV, Soul Train, Pat Bullard, Caryl & Marilyn: Real Friends, Terry Bradshaw, Crook and Chase, Jenny Jones, MuchMusic's Electric Circus, as well as a guest appearance on the UPN sitcom Goode Behavior. They were frequent guest hosts on E!'s The Gossip Show. They went on tour with 98 Degrees and 'N Sync across the U.S., and did their own promotional tour in the U.S., Canada, and Japan.

In May 1998, they released dance remixes of their songs "I Won't Play the Fool" and "Follow Me" (from their debut album) which were underground club hits. "I Won't Play the Fool" remix landed on a Top 10 Dance Remixes Chart of 1998 in Billboard. That same month, they performed at "Divas Simply Singing", an annual AIDS benefit concert in Los Angeles hosted by Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Album Oxygen and tours

In September 1998, they released their second album, Oxygen which included the first and only single "Be Mine". The album sold 22,000 copies in the U.S. according to Billboard. The album release coincided with their stint as Guess spokespersons and models. They embarked on a brief promotional tour throughout the U.S., continued to host on E!'s The Gossip Show, and performed "Be Mine" on Donny and Marie. Ferguson later recounted that during this tour (when their popularity had already plummeted), they performed at a county fair next to a barn of pigs and with an audience of only three people, and she woefully explained how "the pigs cared more (about us) than the people".

In September 1998, Wild Orchid debuted as hosts of the Fox Family Channel's Saturday morning show Great Pretenders, which featured chart hits lip-synched by young kids, while competing for prizes. This show lasted four seasons, from 1998 to 2001.

In February 1999, the group performed "Declaration" and "Come As You Are" at the fictitonal Peach Pit After Dark during the ninth season of the FOX primetime soap-drama Beverly Hills, 90210 (episode titled "Beheading St. Valentine").

From Summer 1999, they opened for Cher's "Do You Believe? Tour" alongside Cyndi Lauper, which toured them to 52 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

For a period in 1999, there was discussion of the group came back to the studio to record songs for a re-release of their album Oxygen, due to poor sales of the original version. A remix version of their ballad "Come As You Are" (presumably re-recorded for the planned re-release of Oxygen) was leaked onto the Internet, but this version was unofficially released, and neither was a new version of Oxygen.

In November 1999, they sang a two-minute clip of their song "25 Days Of Christmas" in Macy's Annual Thanksgiving Parade which was broadcast live on NBC.

Later albums

Between 1999 and 2000, the group worked on their third album Fire, which included several tracks co-written and produced by JC Chasez of *NSYNC. The album was slated for a Summer/Fall 2000 release according to Billboard, however the release date was eventually pushed back to Summer 2001.

In December 2000, their song "It's All Your Fault" was featured in the film What Women Want with Mel Gibson, but was not included on the film soundtrack. This song was also slated to appear on Fire.

In May 2001, the group released the first single from their album Fire called "Stuttering (Don't Say)", which reached #33 on the Billboard Top 40 Singles Sales chart, and had a concert special on MuchUSA called Shoutback on July 29, 2001 (which was taped in New York City on April 8, 2001). They also became models for Bongo Jeans, and their advertisement was featured in the August 2001 issue of Cosmopolitan. They co-wrote the song "What's Good 4 the Goose" which was recorded by the pop group Eden's Crush on their debut album Popstars, released in May 2001. They went on a U.S. promotional tour for Fire between May and July 2001, where they performed mainly in nightclubs and small venues with other teen-pop acts.

On June 5, 2001 and eventually, June 19, 2001, was the targeted release date of the group's third album, Fire, however their record label RCA declined to release it. This event marked the beginning of the end of Wild Orchid as a trio. On July 19, 2001, the group performed their last concert together at Sea World in San Diego. On July 24, 2001, they filmed their final episode (Season 4) of Great Pretenders, and the show was cancelled ten days later upon the announcement that Fox Family Channel was merging with Disney-owned ABC.

In September 2001, the group was dropped from RCA, and Ferguson left Wild Orchid.

Between 2002 and 2003, Wild Orchid returned as a duo with Sandstrom and Ridel. Their album Hypnotic was released on the group's website in January 2003, and reportedly sold 5000 copies online.

Final album

On September 26, 2006, Talk To Me: Hits, Rarities & Gems was released by Sony BMG Special Products. It is fundamentally a greatest-hits package, featuring (all previously released) singles and album tracks from Wild Orchid and Oxygen as well as the only single from Fire, "Stuttering (Don't Say)" and its B-side, "Lies".

Solo efforts

On May 28, 2001, Minneapolis-based radio station KDWB hosted a concert which featured both Wild Orchid and hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas. It was during this event that Stacy Ferguson met will.i.am, spoke to him about producing her solo album, and exchanged phone numbers with him. In 2002, she joined the Black Eyed Peas under the stage name 'Fergie.'

Renee Sandstrom is now primarily a session singer for children's music. In 2004, She provided the singing voice for 'Princess Fiona' in Shrek 2. Also, her vocals are prominently featured on several Disney albums, including: SuperStar Kidz (2003), Superstar Kidz 2 (2004), Mousercise (2007), Disney Cuties (2008), Camp Rock Soundtrack (2008), and Playhouse Disney Let's Dance (2010). In 2007, she sang with Ruben Martinez in "Just Like We Dreamed It", which was the theme song for the 15th anniversary of Disneyland Resort Paris. The song was released as a single exclusively in France on March 31, 2007. She also sang on several television commercials, including the ditty "Pump It Up" for Crystal Light, which was briefly available as an online download. She starred in the unreleased 2008 movie American Indian as Young Darlene. She wrote the music for the song "On Penguin Pond" featured on the Jim Henson Company's Sid the Science Kid Soundtrack – Volume One (2009).

Stefanie Ridel co-founded the Talent Bootcamp, in which she teaches young aspiring musical artists. Between 2004 and 2005, Ridel was the lead singer for the techno-dance duo '5th Element' with DJ Rain, and their album was released exclusively online on DJ Rain's website. Ridel's singing voice was heard on the Bratz: The Movie Soundtrack (2007), in which she sang the lead on two songs and co-wrote and co-produced many others. She is also an avid bowler. Ridel is married to former Wild Orchid producer and Geffen Records president Ron Fair. They have four children together.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Year Title Album Hot 100 Sales Top 40 R&B Canada
1996 "At Night I Pray" Wild Orchid 63 29 67 29
1997 "Talk to Me" Wild Orchid 48 10 31 85 38
1997 "Supernatural" Wild Orchid 70
1998 "Be Mine" Oxygen 103
2001 "Stuttering (Don't Say)" Fire 33

Music videos

Year Title Album
1996 "At Night I Pray" Wild Orchid
1996 "At Night I Pray (Director Version)" Wild Orchid
1996 "Merry Kris-Mix" -
1997 "Talk to Me" Wild Orchid
1997 "Talk to Me (Junior Vasquez Mix)" Wild Orchid
1997 "Supernatural" Wild Orchid
1997 "Supernatural (Remix) (featuring K-Borne)" Wild Orchid
1998 "Be Mine" Oxygen

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Work
1997 Nominated Billboard Music Award [3] Best Clip – Dance "Talk to Me"
Nominated Billboard Music Award Best New Artist Clip – Dance "Talk to Me"

References

  1. Billboard. 13 July 1996. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  2. "Best Girl Groups of All Time:Wild Orchid". US Magazine-usmagazine.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  3. Siegler, Dylan (18 October 1997). "Women Lead Billboard Music Awards Nominees". Billboard. Vol. 109 no. 42. p. 97. Retrieved 21 February 2014 via books.google.com.
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