KYLIE : AFTER DARK

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BIOGRAPHY

Kylie Minogue has become one of Australia's biggest exports. The girl from down under has succeeded in conquering the world's record charts with her singles and albums. Kylie's first single - 'Locomotion' produced by PWL producer engineer Mike Duffy, reached #1 in Australia in the summer of 1987, remaining there for 7 weeks and becoming the biggest single of that year and biggest selling Australian single of the decade.It was during a brief promotional visit to London that she recorded her second record, but first worldwide release, 'I Should Be So Lucky' with the legends Stock Aitken Waterman - and the rest as they say is history. 'I Should Be So Lucky', Kylie's first UK release in January 1988, topped the UK charts for no less than five weeks, the first single to do so for over ten years. It became a #1 throughout Europe selling over a million copies and remaining at the top of the Pan- European charts for three weeks, #1 in Japan remaining there for twelve weeks and in Australia it became the biggest selling single of 1988.

Following a bit of this magnitude would be a difficult task for any artist but Kylie's second single 'Got To Be Certain' encountered few difficulties, reaching #2 in the UK in 1988, and #1 in Australia Belgium, Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Finland, together with Top 10 positions throughout Europe and Asia. Kylie was firmly established as an artist to be reckoned with, and with the release of her debut album - 'Kylie' in July 1988 the success continued. It debuted at #2 in both Britain and Australia, making history as the highest entry on either country's chart for a female artist's debut album. On release it went double platinum in Australia, gold in Britain and Singapore. It reached #1 in Britain and stayed there for 4 weeks. In the UK sales passed the 2 million mark - making it the biggest selling album of that year. Kylie released her third UK single - 'The Loco-Motion' a re-make Of the Mike Duffy version, produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, which reached #1 throughout Europe, attaining a top place on the official Euro-chart only three weeks after release.

'The Loco-Motion' debuted on the British charts at #2, giving Kylie the record for the highest entry on the UK single charts by a female artist, a record previously held by Madonna when she entered at #3. 'The Loco-Motion' reached #3 on the American charts with sales in excess of half a million, following with 'I Should Be So Lucky', another top 40 hit, and so establishing Kylie as a star on both sides of the Atlantic. Kylie is in the enviable position of combining a successful acting career with that of being a top recording artist. She started her acting career at the early age of 11 when she appeared in the Australian shows, 'Skyways' and 'The Sullivans', but it was not until she left high school in 1986 that she landed the role she became famous for - Charlene in 'Neighbours'. At the age of 19, Kylie had earned 5 Logies (the Australian TV industry awards) making her the youngest actress ever to do so. At the 1988 awards, she collected 4 Logies in one night, another first, including the gold, the silver and two bronzes. Despite this phenomenal success Kylie has remained down to earth in her attitudes towards her career She says "It is so important to keep growing and maturing - a recording career is something I always felt confident that I could pursue and although it would have been easy to be satisfied with acting, I always knew that the time would come to expand." Kylie's belief in her singing abilities proved to be founded with the UK Smash Hits Poll voting her the Best Female Artist of 1988 and The Sun, Daily Express and Sunday People national newspapers voting her Top Female Singer and Newcomer of 1988.

With the release of her duet with Jason Donovan 'Especially For You' in December 1988, Kylie became the first female artist ever to have her first five singles all go silver This brought Kylie's single sales in the UK to well over 2 million and gave her her second UK #1. Combining her singing and acting, her first video collection 'Kylie Minogue The Videos' was released at the end of 1988, debuting at #1 and selling in excess of double platinum within three weeks. Kylie ended 1988 with a flood of awards around the world.- Record of the year for 'I Should Be So Lucky' in the Japanese Pop Disc Awards, Australian Smash Hits Award for the Best Female Singer TV Hits Award for Best Female TV Personality and Most Popular Singer of the year in Israel (having been the only artist to end the year with three singles in the Top 40). Kylie also achieved an all time first in Finland with 4 consecutive #1 singles during 1988.

Early in 1989, Kylie was offered a chance to expand her horizons yet again, by receiving the script to a 50's based film 'The Delinquents'. Kylie fell in love with the story and the character Lola Lovell and so accepted the starring role in her first feature film. Filming took place in a small country town in the outback of Australia and her co-star was American actor Charlie Schlatter. In the USA Kylie had her third hit with 'It's No Secret' charting on the first week of release and her album 'Kylie' also turned gold in February 1989. 1988 had been an extraordinary year for Kylie and with the release of a new album, singles, and a feature film, 1989 looked set to be just the beginning of what could be one of the most talented and successful singing and acting careers of the decade. Music Week in the UK reflected this in February 1989, as Kylie was nominated in a total of five categories, winning the #1 LP and #1 Video award. The equivalent award in Ireland voted Kylie as the Best International Female Artist by a landslide. At the beginning of 1989 Madame Tussauds paid Kylie the honour of immortalizing her in the "Hall Of Fame" alongside such greats as Madonna, The Beatles and Mick Jagger thus symbolizing the extent of her success and popular appeal. In November 1989 Kylie became the third artist ever to star in the "Hard Rock" Walk of Fame in Sydney Australia.

With the release of 'Hand On Your Heart' in April 1989, the first single from her second album ,Kylie enjoyed her third #1 in the UK, debuting at #2 on the Week of release. In Japan at this time, Kylie had an amazing 5 singles in the Top 40 - thus dominating one of the largest record selling markets in the world. Her success in this market is clearly seen in the fact that during that twelve month period Kylie spent 27 weeks (almost six months) in the #1 spot on their international charts. Kylie's single 'Wouldn't Change A Thing' debuted at #2 in the UK in July and remained there for two weeks, thus creating history again for Kylie with all of her 7 singles, album and video charting at either #1 or #2 in the UK. On 28 May that year Kylie turned 21 and celebrated her coming of age at a private party in Melbourne plagued by paparazzi. A month latter saw the end of Kylie's filming on 'The Delinquents', which was released in Australia and in the UK on 26 December. Kylie's second album 'Enjoy Yourself' was released in October and entered the UK chart at #1 with triple platinum sales. This success was reflected in the popularity of Kylie's second video collection, 'Kylie Minogue - The Videos 2' which charted at #1 and went silver on the day of release.

Kylie went on tour for the first time in the UK in October when she headlined the Coca-Cola Hitman Roadshow throughout the UK. Kylie release her eighth single 'Never Too Late' on 23 October which she performed for the first time at the Smash Hits Poll Winner's Party at the London Arena. For the second year in a row the Smash Hits Readers Poll voted Kylie Best Female Singer In The World and Most Fanciable Female of 1989. At the end of December Kylie flew into the UK to take a place normally reserved for royalty by turning on the Regent Street Christmas lights and thus caused chaos in central London. She drew a crowd of 20,000 in Leicester Square when she attended the world premiere of her first film, 'The Delinquents'. Before flying home for Christmas Kylie teamed up with Jason Donovan, Bros, Cliff Richard, Wet Wet Wet and Lisa Stansfield among others to record Band Aid II's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' to raise money for the starving millions in Ethiopia. This tightly entered the charts at #1 and stayed around the top of the charts throughout Christmas. On New Year's Eve 1989 Kylie was presented with the prestigious award of Woman of the Decade from her fellow Australian Clive James. She appeared on the show performing the song that made her initially, 'I Should Be So Lucky' and brought the house down - seeing the 1990's in in her inimitable style. At the beginning of January 1990, Kylie released 'Tears On My Pillow' which appeared in her feature film 'The Delinquents' and reached #1 in the UK charts.

Kylie spent the early part of 1990 touring her homeland Australia and to rave review. As headlines revealed "Kylie can sing, can dance and certainly can wow an audience" Following such an enthusiastic reaction, Kylie then brought the tour to the UK to coincide with the release in April 1990 of a brand new single 'Better The Devil You Know', with it, a controversial video showing a much more mature and sophisticated Kylie Minogue. The tour was a sellout as fans from 6 to 60 years of age danced in the aisles to the hits that made her the star she is today. What the tabloids called a "Sizzling & Raunchy "show, was in fact, a very, energetic and enjoyable performance from an Australian, who loved every minute on stage and wasn't afraid to show it. The tour finished in the UK in front of a sell out crowd at the Wembley Arena and Kylie promised to be back as she waved from the stage and headed off to the Far East to complete the tour. The release of her much awaited third album 'Rhythm Of Love' in November 1990 introduced Kylie the songwriter. Kylie traveled to Los Angeles to record with Michael Jay, best known for his success with Martika; and Stephen Bray, responsible for numerous hits with Madonna. Kylie recorded four tracks with these producers and the remainder of the album Stock Aitken Waterman wrote and produced including 4 top 10 hits 'Better The Devil You Know'; 'Step Back In Time', (Kylie's tribute to the 70's), 'What Do I Have To Do' and 'Shocked'. These single came accompanied with four remarkable and classy videos. This "new look" Kylie inspired the prestigious and up market gloss-y, , magazine Vogue to do a 6 page fashion spread on her. 1991 saw kylie taking to the stage once again as she embarked on a sell out Australian tour.

The tour extended to include the UK in October and November. PWL Records released the fourth single from her chart topping LP in May 1991. The track 'Shocked' caught the attention of top mixers DNA (famous for their remix of Susanne Vega's 'Tom's Diner') who then approached producers Stock Aiken Waterman asking for the opportunity to do their own special remix. The result was a very different rendition from the original version and introduced Jazzie P on a rap. The 'Rhythm of Love' album was re-released in a special limited edition gold sleeve package, sending the album straight back into the charts. 'Shocked' also gave Kylie her 13th hit and an incredible record making achievement - the only artist ever to achieve thirteen consecutive top 10 hits with her first thirteen releases! Kylie arrived in the UK in June 1991 to begin recording with Stock and Waterman for her fourth album 'Let's Get to It'. The first single to be released from this album was 'Word is Out' which became Kylie's fourteenth hit. 'Let's Get To It' was released in the UK on October 14th. the next single lifted from the LP was 'If You Were With Me Now', a duet with Keith Washington.

In late 1991 Accurist watches began a television advertising campaign featuring Kylie's 'Give Me Just A Little More Time' as the theme. The song, a cover of the Chairman Of The Board sixties classic, is another top five hit eventually reaching #2 in January 1992. The final release from the album, 'Finer Feelings' is released in April. The song is given a haunting remix by Brothers In Rhythm, and the video is a black and white classic affair shot in Paris. Kylie announced in the summer of that year, that she would not be renewing her contract with PWL and that her forthcoming best of compilation would be her last release with them. Released in August 1992, 'Greatest Hits' is an instant chart topper featuring all her twenty hits plus three brand new recordings. Her two final singles under the PWL label, 'What Kind Of Fool' and 'Celebration' both give her top twenty hits before the year is ended.

After many offers from different record companies in the UK, Kylie signed a worldwide (excluding Australia and US) deal with BMG/ Deconstruction in 1993. Deconstruction offered Kylie more freedom in style, image, and songwriting. Throughout her break from the showbiz glare, Kylie recorded tracks with the Rapino Brothers, M People, the Pet Shop Boys, and Brothers In Rhythm for her forthcoming album. The direction Kylie took on the form of a more soul/dance feel, than the previous hi-NRG pop that the PWL Hit Factory had churned out. As well as recording for the album, Kylie took on the challenge of getting back into acting. It had been five years since she had appeared on the big screen. Kylie's choice was a big-budget film version of the computer game 'Streetfighter', playing Cammy an action hero alongside Jean Claude Van Damme. In the summer of 1994, the new look Kylie was unleashed on the world.

The first single under the Deconstruction label, 'Confide In Me', was a massive worldwide hit released in August 1994, it topped the Australian charts and reached UK #2. The self-titled album goes top five in both the UK and Australia, with mixed reviews on her new sound. The video for her second single lifted from the album, 'Put Yourself In My Place', featured Kylie floating around space in a hot pink astronaut suit. Kylie celebrates the new year by performing a mini-gig in Sydney at midnight. 'Where Is The Feeling' makes the UK top twenty, as Kylie hits the headlines for her sexy performance at the Pride celebrations. In the summer of 1995 Kylie made her debut on the UK festival circuit. Sporting a new red hair-do Kylie wowed difficult crowds at T In The Park and Feile. The surprise performance of the set was a duet with Nick Cave. The song was the forthcoming single 'Where The Wild Roses Grow'; a dark, moving ballad. The song hit #2 in Australia but failed to reach the top ten in the UK due to poor distribution. Kylie appeared on Nick Cave's album, 'Murder Ballads', with the single as well as an ensemble piece called 'Death Is Not The End'.

Throughout 1996 Kylie wrote and recorded her new album as she travelled across America on holiday. The writing Kylie did was dark and more personal than any of her previous work. Hailed by the press as IndieKylie, in fact the work was more dance/ ambient. The first song lifted from the album 'Some Kind Of Bliss' was Kylie's first non top 20 single reaching only #22. The 'Impossible Princess' album (re-titled 'Kylie Minogue' in the UK due to the death of Princess Diana) featured collaborations with the Manic Street Preachers, The Orb, and Rob D. In Australia, the album is released in November 1997 but due to the re-titling and public mourning surrounding Princess Diana's death, it is put back until spring 1998 in the UK. The album spawned two further top twenty UK hits, 'Did It Again', and a slightly remixed version of 'Breathe'.

Despite critical acclaim the album makes only #10 in the UK, but is more successful in Australia. Kylie tired of being reminded of the failure of her album escapes the UK, and decides to tour in Australia on the back of the success of her album. The 'Intimate And Live' shows opened in the summer of 1998, her first full length shows since 1991. The set list for the show included a pink themed 'Dancing Queen' and a re-working of 'I Should Be So Lucky' into a showgirl tune. Kylie ended the tour with a performance at the Mushroom 25th Anniversary show. Dressed in a Japanese kimono and surrounded by samurai warrior dancers, Kylie opened the show with a spectacular medley of her hits despite losing her voice earlier in the day. 1999 is spent on some different projects; recording a collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys for their forthcoming album, 'In Denial'. Hennes also recruit Kylie to model their range of underwear, and the imaginative shots are featured across the London Underground on huge billboard posters. Kylie also releases her first book, a collection of images of the star in various poses. A mutual decision between Deconstruction and Kylie was reached, both were unhappy with the poor success of her album, and it was decided that it was best that she should leave the company. In the summer Kylie signed to Parlophone and the rest of the year is spent liaising with producers and writers about recording an album themed "cocktails, sun, disco, and the beach".

The launch of Kylie in the new millennium meant a return to her pop roots. Even before a single had been released the media had been in overdrive. GQ had commissioned Kylie to be photographed for their Wimbledon issue, recreating the famous Athena pose of the nineties. Much controversy was made when the issue went on the news stands and the magazines had airbrushed off her knickers. Kylie's bottom featured in the tabloids again when shots from her new video were leaked to the press. The video for Kylie's comeback single 'Spinning Around' had Kylie wearing a pair of micro gold hot pants, dancing saucily on a bar top. The single was a huge success and an excellent return to form, hitting the top of the charts in both the UK and Australia. The song was written by eighties pop star Paula Abdul, and produced by master wizard Johnny Douglas. The follow up, 'On A Night Like This' was a dance-pop euro smash topping the Australian charts, and making UK #2. In September Kylie flew to Australia to perform at the closing of the Sydney Olympics 2000. Arriving in the stadium aboard a giant flip-flop and surrounded by dancing prawns Kylie made centre stage and tabloid covers, dressed in a pink showgirl outfit. Kylie performed 'Dancing Queen' and later 'On A Night Like This' to rapturous applause in front of a television audience of two billion. The album 'Light Years' was a huge success. Featuring four top ten singles, the album made #2 in both the UK and Australia. Hailed as better than her greatest hits collection, the album had something for everyone whether it was cheesy retro on 'Koocachoo', guitar poppy 'I'm So High', or disco masterpiece 'Disco Down'. The album also included duet with BRIT award record holder Robbie Williams. The pub-rock singalong 'Kids' was a #2 smash, and led to lots of rumours about the two singers relationship together. In December 2000, 'Please Stay' became Kylie's fourth consecutive top ten hit in six months. Kylie's first UK tour in ten years kicked off in Glasgow in March 2001, inspired by Broadway musicals, the show was a critical and commercial success and won the Top Of The Pops Best Tour award. The tour went on to wow Australian crowds as 'Your Disco Needs You' became the fifth top twenty single release from the album down under. While on tour in Australia also filmed a cameo for the Baz Luhrmann's musical 'Moulin Rouge'. As the green absinthe fairy, Kylie's part was a good re-introduction to the American audience that had not seen her since the eighties.

'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' was originally previewed on Kylie's tour as "a track from my new album", and gained huge crowd appraisal. Parlophone decided that there was something special about the track, and chose it as the lead single from the forthcoming album. The hit written by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, both former pop stars, was an electro dance smash. Put out under the label Special K to DJ's over the summer of 2001, it was a sought after track. Released officially in September 2001, under a much hyped head-to-head battle with Victoria Beckham, it went straight in at #1 selling over 300,000 copies in its first week. The single went on to become Kylie's biggest British hit staying at the top of the chart for four weeks, picking up many awards on the way. It was #1 in every mainland Europe country except Finland. The album, 'Fever', was a #1 hit in the UK and Australia, as well as most of Europe. A more mature, dance effort than 'Light Years' it was another critical and commercial success. In February 2002, Kylie collected her first BRIT Awards for Best International Album and Best International Female, her performance stole the show and hit headlines across the world. Kylie's success at the awards led to the album launching back into the UK top five, six months after its initial release. Second single lifted from the album, 'In Your Eyes', becomes her eighth chart topper in Australia and makes UK #3.

As it appeared Kylie's success in Europe and Australia couldn't get any bigger Kylie jetted off to promote the release of 'Fever' in the US. 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' had become a massive smash reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard Dance Charts. Kylie hadn't had mainstream success over the Atlantic since 1989 although several of her songs had made the dance charts such as 'Confide In Me' and 'Butterfly'. Kylie's radio and television promotion payed off with 'Fever' debuting on the Billboard Album Charts at #3, an amazing feat for a foreign act.

Off the back of the success of the album Kylie embarked on her biggest tour so far in May. 'KylieFever2002' is a grand affair featuring influences as far ranging as Diamond Dogs, Clockwork Orange, and Buffalo Girls. The tour kicks off in Glasgow, taking in most arenas in the UK before moving on to mainland Europe. Due to popular demand the tour is extended throughout the summer to take in Australia. 'Love At First Sight' is the third success from 'Fever' making the top 3 in both Australia and UK, as well as becoming a second chart topper in the US dance charts and making #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kylie took a well earned break at the end of the tour before returning to the UK in November to promote the final single from the album, a remix of 'Come Into My World'. As the single hits UK #8 and Australia #4 Kylie flies to the US to perform on the Jingle Ball Tour where she will headline 6 shows along with Mariah Carey, Daniel Bedingfield, and Nelly. Kylie tops off her year by performing with Justin Timberlake at the BRITS 2003, they cover the Blondie classic 'Rapture'.

Currently Kylie is recording her new album due out in late November with the Biffco team, the Neptunes, and several other producers.