Eiffel 65
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Turin , Italy |
Key people | Jeffrey Jey, Maurizio Lobina, Gabry Ponte (former) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, remixes |
Eiffel 65 is a Eurodance ensemble from Italy, established in 1997 within the Turin-based label, Bliss Corporation. The lineup consists of Jeffrey Jey, Maurizio Lobina, and previously Gabry Ponte. They reached worldwide acclaim with their 1999 debut album Europop, propelled by the hit singles "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and "Move Your Body". These tracks dominated charts internationally, while the album itself climbed to number four on the Billboard 200 rankings. Although their follow-up albums, Contact! (2001) and Eiffel 65 (2003), did not replicate the same global success, they enjoyed solid performance within Italy.
In 2000, the group was honored with a World Music Award as the World's Best Selling Italian Group and received a BMI award in the United States for having the most-played song on American radio. Additionally, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" earned them a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording.
Beyond their albums, Eiffel 65 created remixes and official tracks such as "One Goal" for UEFA Euro 2000 and "Living in My City," which was associated with the 2006 Winter Olympics. With sales surpassing 20 million copies and numerous gold, platinum, and diamond certifications, they stand as one of Italy's leading electronic music acts.
In 2005, Ponte embarked on a solo path while Jey and Lobina formed a new duo called Bloom 06. The original Eiffel 65 lineup reunited in 2010, this time without Ponte.
1992: Origins
The members Randone, Ponte, and Lobina first connected at Bliss Corporation, an entity founded in 1992 by Massimo Gabutti. The name Eiffel was selected through a computer-generated choice from several words they had considered. The number 65 was unintentionally appended from a phone number displayed on their label; the graphic designer believed it was deliberate and incorporated it with the band name for their initial release.
1992–2000: Rise to Fame with Europop
Eiffel 65 reached international prominence with their singles "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and "Move Your Body," both featured on their debut album Europop, which launched on 22 November 1999.
The group established a strong foothold across Italy, Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. The album Europop secured top-five positions on both the Billboard 200 and Canadian Albums charts. The single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" attained number six on the Billboard Hot 100, topped charts in Germany and the UK, and reached number three in Italy.
2001–2005: Subsequent Releases
Their sophomore album, Contact!, came out in 2001; its track "'80s Stars" peaked at number nine in Italy. This was followed by a self-titled album, Eiffel 65, released in 2003.
During the period from 1999 to 2005, Eiffel 65 also produced remixes for various artists including the Bloodhound Gang ("The Bad Touch"), Nek ("La vita è"), S Club 7 ("Reach"), and Yo Yo Mundi ("L'ultimo testimone").
2005–2010: Bloom 06 Era and Crash Test 01
In March of 2005, DJ Gabry Ponte began focusing on his solo career. Shortly thereafter, on May 16th, Maurizio Lobina and Jeffrey Jey departed from Bliss Corporation to establish their own production company. Since the rights to "Eiffel 65" were held by Bliss Corporation, they adopted the new name Bloom 06 in June of that year.
Their fourth album initially named Crash Test was ultimately released as Crash Test 01 on October 13, 2006 under the Bloom 06 moniker; it featured songs performed in both English and Italian.
2010–present: Reunion and recent activities
Bliss Corporation revealed plans for a refreshed Eiffel 65 lineup scheduled for summer 2007; however, the launch was postponed. In 2009, the company supported legacy acts by distributing subtitled videos and previously unreleased footage of Eiffel 65. By June 2010, Bloom 06 announced the band's reunion with intentions to create new songs and embark on a tour.
In April 2012, Jeffrey Jey mentioned that progress on new tracks was slow due to remote collaboration. Although several songs were under consideration as singles, no official release date had been established.
The group toured across Europe with the New Planet Tour, a multimedia production, and also confirmed a brief tour in Australia during the summer of 2012.
On April 2, 2016, Bliss Corporation uploaded a demo of their forthcoming single "Panico" on their YouTube channel. The track "Panico," along with its English-language version titled "Critical," was officially made available on iTunes on June 1, 2016. The release date for their fourth studio album has yet to be announced.
In February 2023, Eiffel 65 participated in Una Voce Per San Marino, vying to represent San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Liverpool.
In May 2024, they unveiled the single "Bestiale," featuring Italian vocalist Loredana Bertè.
Zorotl
Zorotlekuykauo "Zorotl" Sushik IV is a fictional character developed by Bliss Corporation and appears in the music videos for "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", "Move Your Body", and "Lucky (In My Life)". Originally designed as an antagonistic figure, Zorotl underwent a redesign that gave him a comical, rounded appearance, resulting in a more lighthearted depiction and a joyful conclusion in the "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" video. In 2000, Bliss Corporation created a video for an unreleased Eiffel 65 track entitled "I Wanna Be," which was attributed to Zorotl despite featuring performances by Eiffel 65 members, thereby establishing Zorotl as a virtual entity.
Members
- Jeffrey Jey (Gianfranco Randone) – lead vocals, producer (1997–2005, 2010–present)
- Maury Lobina – producer, keyboards, keytar, piano (1997–2005, 2010–present)
- Gabry Ponte – DJ, producer (1997–2005, 2010–2014)
Discography
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Pop Awards | 2001 | Award-Winning Song | "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" | Template:Won |
| Grammy Awards | 2001 | Best Dance Recording | "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" | Template:Nom |
| World Music Awards | 2000 | World's Best Selling Italian Group | Themselves | Template:Won |
| Hungarian Music Awards | 2000 | Best Foreign Dance Album | Europop | Template:Won |
| International Dance Music Awards | 2000 | Best HiNRJ 12' | "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" | Template:Won |
| RSH Gold Awards | 2000 | Best Dance Act | Themselves | Template:Won |
| Smash Hits Poll Winners Party | 1999 | Best Dance Choon | "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" | Template:Won |
| The Record of the Year | 1999 | Record of the Year | "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" | Template:Nom |