Dario G

Dario G

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	1997 in Cheshire, England
Founder	Paul Spencer, Scott Rosser, Stephen Spencer
Defunct	2024
Headquarters	Cheshire , England
Products	Dance music, albums, singles

Dario G was a dance music ensemble hailing from Cheshire, England, consisting of DJs and producers Scott Rosser, Paul Spencer, Stephen Spencer (not related), alongside vocalist Ingfrid Straumstøyl. They rose to fame in the late 1990s with their debut track "Sunchyme", which reached number two on charts in the UK, Scotland, Denmark, and Switzerland. Additionally, it secured the top position on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Dance Club Songs rankings, and also led the charts in Hungary.

Their first album, Sunmachine (1998), featured singles such as "Carnaval de Paris" and "Sunmachine". After releasing this album, Rosser and Stephen Spencer left to explore other ventures, leaving Paul Spencer to carry on Dario G independently. In 2000, Dario G contributed the song "Voices" to the soundtrack of the movie The Beach.

The leading single from their sophomore album, In Full Colour, was "Dream to Me," with Straumstøyl providing lead vocals. This song topped the Romanian charts, reached number four in Scotland, and achieved top ten status in both the UK and Germany. Following modest chart performance thereafter, Paul Spencer passed away in June 2024 after being diagnosed with stage four rectal cancer in 2023.

Rise to Prominence (1997–2000)

Initially known simply as Dario, the group adopted the name Dario G after receiving legal threats from another artist using the same moniker. The new name was inspired by Dario Gradi, then manager of Crewe Alexandra F.C., and also served as an homage to American smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. After Rosser and Stephen Spencer departed for other projects, Paul Spencer continued solo under the Dario G identity.

In 1997, their single "Sunchyme," which incorporated a sample from "Life in a Northern Town" by the Dream Academy, climbed to number two on the UK Singles Chart. The track also topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, sold over 600,000 copies domestically earning Platinum certification, and exceeded 1.5 million sales worldwide. Its climb to number one in the UK was blocked by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind", and it earned a nomination for the Brit Award for British Video of the Year in 1998.

After securing a contract with Warner Bros Records, they faced demands to produce a full-length album. Work on what was initially titled Super Dario Land began soon after "Sunchyme" achieved chart success. Their debut album, Sunmachine, was released in 1998 and included the football-themed track "Carnaval de Paris", which peaked at number five on UK charts and became a staple at international football tournaments such as the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

The group deliberately sought to create an album that differed from "Sunchyme," resisting Warner Bros' pressure to replicate its sound. Paul Spencer highlighted their intention to present a broader artistic range rather than simply repeating their initial hit.

Following the release of Sunmachine, Rosser and Stephen Spencer exited the group, leaving Paul Spencer as Dario G's sole member. In March 2000, their third single "Voices," featuring Vanessa Quiñones and produced by Peter Oxendale, appeared on the soundtrack of The Beach.

In Full Colour (2000–2006)

In 2000, Dario G unveiled "Dream to Me," featuring Straumstøyl as the lead singer, which was inspired by The Cranberries' track "Dreams." This single climbed to number nine on both the UK Singles Chart and the German charts, reinforcing Dario G's prominence within the euphoric dance genre.

November 2001 marked the launch of "Say What's on Your Mind," which included club remixes produced by Almighty Records and Stonebridge. Early in 2003, their rendition of Fiction Factory's 1980s hit, titled "Heaven Is Closer (Feels Like Heaven)" with Straumstøyl on vocals, reached number 39 on the UK charts. Their sophomore album, In Full Colour, was released in 2001.

A refreshed edition of "Carnaval de Paris" was issued in 2002 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup held in South Korea and Japan. Later, in September 2006, "Ring of Fire," incorporating the trumpet melody from Johnny Cash's version, was promoted throughout Europe.

Further projects (2006–2023)

In 2010, Dario G joined forces with rapper Pitbull for the track "Game On," which featured on the Official FIFA World Cup soundtrack. On 23 February 2014, their single "We Got Music," featuring Shirley Bassey, debuted on BBC Radio 2's The Paul O'Grady Show.

Spencer's health and death (2023–2024)

Paul Spencer disclosed in June 2023 that he had been diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer. He passed away on 17 June 2024 at the age of 53.

Studio albums

Studio albums with release details and peak chart rankings

Title	Details	Highest chart positions
		UK	GER	SWI	AUT	UK Dance	SCO
Sunmachine	Release date: 8 June 1998 Label: Warner Formats: CD, LP, cassette	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
In Full Colour	Release date: 18 June 2001 Label: Mercury Formats: CD, cassette, digital download	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
Hola	Release date: 26 June 2020 Label: Front of House Formats: CD, LP, digital download	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center

Singles

Selected singles with chart rankings and certifications

Title	Year	Peak chart positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)	Album
		AUS	AUT	BEL (Fl)	FRA	GER	IRE	NLD	SWE	SWI	UK
"Sunchyme"	1997	22	4	5	28	3	3	17	41	2	2	ARIA: Gold BPI: Platinum BVMI: Platinum	Sunmachine	- !scope="row"|"Carnaval de Paris"	1998	90	24	10	26	2	4	7	36	7	5	BPI: Silver BVMI: Gold	Sunmachine	- !scope="row"|"Sunmachine"	— — — — 98 — — — — 17 |	- !scope="row"|"Voices"	2000 | — — — — — — — — — 37 |	The Beach (soundtrack)	- !scope="row"|"Dream to Me"	2001 | 96 8 38 — 9 16 50 — 15 9 |	In Full Colour	- !scope="row"|"Say What's on Your Mind"	2001 | — — — — 68 — — — 100 —		In Full Colour	- !scope="row"|"Carnaval 2002"	2002 | — — — — — 36 — — 96 34 |	Non-album singles | - !scope="row"|"Heaven Is Closer (Feels Like Heaven)"	2003 | — 42 — — 57 46 — — 87 39 |	Non-album singles | - !scope="row"|"Ring of Fire"	2006 | — — — — — 100 — — — —	Non-album single | - !scope="row"|"Game On" (with TKZee and Pitbull)	2010 | — — — — — — — — — — | 2010 FIFA World Cup Album	- !scope="row"|"We Got Music" (with Shirley Bassey)	2014 | — — — — — — — — — — | Non-album single | - !scope="row"|"Cry"	2018 | — — — — — — — — – – | Hola	- !scope="row"|"Hola"	2019 | – – – – – – – – – – | Hola	- !scope="row"|"Real Love x Sunchyme" (with Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne)	2020 | – – – – – – – – – – | Non-album singles | - !scope="row"|"You Make the Sunrise" (with Leslie P George)	– – – – – – – – – – | Non-album singles | - !scope="row"|"Keep On Lovin" (with Sonique)	2021 | – – – – – – – – – – | Non-album single | - !scope="row"|"Mi Rey (My King)"	2022 | – – – – – – – – – – | Non-album single | - !scope="row"|"Come Alive (Carnaval de Paris)" (with Thomas Irwin)	2023 | – – – – – – – – – – | Non-album single | - !scope="row"|"Savour the Miracle of Life"	2023 | – – – – – – – – – – | Non-album single |

Awards and nominations

Year	Category	Nominee/Work	Outcome	Winner
1998	Video of the Year	"Sunchyme"	Template:Nom	"Never Ever" by All Saints

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart