Mel and Kim
English pop duo with four UK Top 10 hits.
Mel and Kim, often written as MӗL & KIM, were an English pop duo made up of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Their run of success lasted from 1986 to 1988, after which Melanie died from cancer in January 1990 at the age of 23.
Their biggest hit, "Respectable," reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 and also topped the US dance chart. The duo scored three other UK Top 10 singles: "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" (1986), "F.L.M." (1987), and "That's the Way It Is" (1988). In 1988, they received a Brit Award nomination for Best British Breakthrough Act. Following Mel's death, Kim launched a solo career and landed two UK Top 10 hits, "Don't Worry" (1990) and "G.L.A.D." (1991).
The sisters were born to an English father and a Jamaican mother. In 1985, Mel recorded two solo demos under manager Alan Whitehead. Soon after, Kim joined her, and they began performing as a duo, cutting more demos. These recordings led to a deal with Supreme Records, whose president Nick East connected them with the production team Stock Aitken Waterman. Alan Whitehead managed them initially but was fired as soon as their first single charted. The duo's look was styled by the late Isabella Blow.
Kim recalled being surprised that Stock Aitken Waterman—the producers behind Princess's "Say I'm Your Number One"—were the team they were meeting, having expected someone like Quincy Jones. She said they were convinced a younger, hipper person was doing the actual work while the producers just took credit.
A mellow soul-pop track called "System" was originally planned as their debut single, but the producers weren't happy with it. It ended up as the B-side to their first release, "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)." After getting to know the sisters, producer Pete Waterman decided their music should match their feisty, streetwise personalities, and he chose the emerging Chicago house sound as the right fit. Kim described getting a call from Nick East saying "System" was scrapped, which devastated them. She explained that after hanging out with them in a pub, Waterman went back to the studio the next day insisting they needed something completely tough and full of attitude.
That shift worked: "Showing Out" hit number three on the UK charts in 1986. In the US, it only reached number 78 on the pop chart but climbed to number one on the dance chart.
Quick Facts
- Background
- group_or_band
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Dance-pop
- Years Active
- 1986–1990
- Label
- Supreme (1986–1989) · Parlophone (1989–1990) · Dancing Nation (2018–)
- Past Members
- Melanie Appleby / Kim Appleby
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mel and Kim were born to English and Jamaican parents. In 1985, Mel recorded two demos solo under manager Alan Whitehead; Kim soon joined her. The demos led to a contract with Supreme Records, whose president Nick East connected them with producers Stock Aitken Waterman. Their first single 'Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)' reached number three in the UK in 1986. Their follow-up 'Respectable' hit number one in the UK and topped the US dance chart. The duo had two more UK Top 10 singles: 'F.L.M.' (1987) and 'That's the Way It Is' (1988). In February 1988, they were nominated for a Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act.
Mel had been treated for malignant paraganglioma in 1985. By January 1987, she experienced back problems; during a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, her back pain worsened, and a recurrence of cancer was detected in her spine. The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, denying cancer rumors and claiming a back injury. Mel discharged herself from hospital to record vocals for 'That's the Way It Is'. After chemotherapy, the duo appeared on Good Morning Britain to promote teenage cancer wards. Mel died of pneumonia on 18 January 1990, her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.
After Mel's death, Kim launched a solo career with songs co-written with Mel. Her debut single 'Don't Worry' reached number two in the UK in November 1990; follow-up 'G.L.A.D.' was also a UK Top 10 hit. Kim's later singles and albums had limited commercial success.
Reader's Guide
Mel and Kim were a significant English pop duo of the late 1980s, notable for their four consecutive UK Top 10 hits and their association with the Stock Aitken Waterman production team. Their music, particularly 'Respectable', achieved international success, topping the US dance chart. Their career was cut short by Melanie's illness and death, which brought public attention to teenage cancer. The duo's visual style, combining urban street wear with high fashion, and their feisty persona influenced the pop landscape of the era. Kim's subsequent solo career, built on songs co-written with her sister, extended their musical legacy. The duo's work has been preserved through compilation albums and a 2019 singles box set, and a previously unreleased demo was issued in 2018.
Did You Know?
- Their single 'Respectable' sold over 800,000 copies in the UK.
- The music video for 'F.L.M.' used marionettes to represent the sisters because Mel was ill.
- Mel died of pneumonia on 18 January 1990 after her immune system was weakened by chemotherapy.
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