Soul II Soul

Did You Know?

• Doreen Waddell, an original member who sang lead on "Feel Free", died in March 2002 at age 36 after being hit by three cars while fleeing a shoplifting incident.
• The group's 1990 live album A New Decade: Live from Brixton Academy was recorded at Brixton Academy and released in September 1990.
• Soul II Soul's 1995 single "Love Enuff" retained pre-recorded background vocals from Caron Wheeler, who had left the group during recording due to creative difficulties.

Career

The group first drew attention as a sound system run by founder Jazzie B some years before 1988, playing at nights including their own at the Africa Centre in London. Although the venue held about 300 people, weekly attendance often surpassed that number, with crowds gathering outside. Jazzie B later said that the controversy surrounding the nights only increased their popularity. By 1988 the official lineup consisted of Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Nellie Hooper, Simon Law, Doreen Waddell, Rose Windross, Daddae, Aitch B, and Jazzie Q. Their debut single "Fairplay", with Rose Windross on lead vocals, was recorded at the Africa Centre and reached number 63 on the UK Singles Chart; the follow-up "Feel Free", featuring Doreen on lead vocals, charted at number 64.

The weekly club night moved to the larger Fridge Nightclub in Brixton, South London, where it remained into the 1990s. There the collective tested their musical composites on the dance floor, mixing British, Caribbean, African, and African American influences. In 1988 the residency hosted a personal appearance by the rap group N.W.A., who were briefly in the UK promoting their album Straight Outta Compton. A plaque now commemorates the collective's influence on the original venue, which closed in 2010 and later reopened as Electric Brixton.

During the late 1980s Jazzie B and other members became involved in pirate radio, and Jazzie B hosted a show on KISS-FM.