Mai Tai (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Eric van Tijn, Jochem Fluitsma |
| Headquarters | Netherlands |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
| Website | www |
Mai Tai is a Dutch ensemble established in 1983 by producers Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma, featuring former backing vocalists Jetty Weels, Mildred Douglas, and Caroline de Windt.
1984–1988; original formation
Their initial release, "Keep on Dancin'" (1983), gained popularity mainly in Dutch club scenes. In the summer of 1984, "What Goes On" marked their first entry into the Dutch Top 40, reaching number 24. Subsequent singles "Body and Soul" and "Am I Losing You Forever" also charted in the Netherlands, peaking at positions 23 and 24 respectively.
The group's debut album received both a Dutch Edison Award and a Silver Harp. Their international recognition was solidified with "History," which climbed to number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, entered the top 30 in Germany, secured a top ten spot in New Zealand, and reached number 3 on the US Billboard dance chart in 1985.
In 1985, "Body and Soul" was reissued in the UK, achieving their second UK top ten placement at number 9. The re-release of "Am I Losing You Forever" peaked at number 78.
The track "Female Intuition" attained top 40 status in the Netherlands and Belgium in 1986 and reached number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single "Turn Your Love Around," from their sophomore album 1 Touch 2 Much, peaked at number 12 on the Dutch Top 40. Their third album, Cool Is the Rule (1987), produced moderate hits with singles such as "Bet That's What You Say" and "Fight Fire with Fire." After issuing one final single titled "Dance in the Light" along with a Best Of compilation in 1988, Mai Tai disbanded.
Following the split, Jetty Weels released solo material under the name Oscare between 1989 and 1990, while Mildred Douglas launched her solo album Face One (1990) and later collaborated with musicians including her guitarist sibling Franky and the supergroup J.A.M.
1993–present; reunions
In 1993, Weels and de Windt reunited alongside new member Lisa Noya (the niece of percussionist Nippy Noya), releasing several moderately successful Eurohouse tracks over a three-year period.
Beginning in 2001, Mai Tai sporadically regrouped for live performances. Douglas participated intermittently until being succeeded by Marjorie Lammerts (later known as B-Yentl) in 2004. This lineup advanced to the semi-finals of the Dutch selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Following this exposure, they recorded singles in both English and Dutch and released the album Onder Voorbehoud in 2007, which included a fresh rendition of the Pointer Sisters' "Automatic". Despite some single successes, the group eventually dissolved.
In 2010, Weels re-recorded a remix of "Body and Soul," adding Maureen Pengel and Edna Proctor to form a new lineup that debuted at the Disco Legends Festival in 2011. The song "History" appeared on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) on Vice City FM.
With Carolien de Windt's return, Mai Tai currently consists of two original vocalists plus Eve L'Kay, releasing tracks such as "Baby I Want You Back" and "One Night Man."
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | UK | ||||
| 1984 | Mai Tai (released as History in certain countries) | 16 | 91 | ||
| 1986 | 1 Touch 2 Much | 18 | — | ||
| 1987 | Cool Is the Rule | — | — | ||
| 2007 | Onder Voorbehoud | — | — | ||
| "—" indicates releases that did not enter charts. | |||||
Compilation albums
- Mai Tai: The Best Of (1988)
- Mai Tai: The Very Best Of (1991)
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD | BEL | GER | NZ | US Pop | US Dance | US R&B | UK | |||||||||||
| 1983 | "Keep on DancinTemplate:' " | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1984 | "Am I Losing You Forever" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 78 | |||||||||
| "What Goes On" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Body and Soul" | 23 | — | — | 29 | — | — | — | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1985 | "History" | 9 | — | 26 | 9 | 109 | 3 | 37 | 8 |
| ||||||||
| "What, Where, When, Who" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 69 | — | ||||||||||
| 1986 | "1 Touch 2 Much" | 45 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Female Intuition" | 12 | 15 | — | — | 71 | — | 49 | 54 | ||||||||||
| "Turn Your Love Around" | 12 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Bet That's What You Say" (1987) | "Fight Fire with Fire" (1987) | "Dance in the Light" (1988) | "Never, Never!" (1993) | "I Want U" (1993) | "It's Not Over" (1994) | "Are You for Real" (1995) | "History 95" (remix) (1995) | "Afrodisiac" (1996) | "Bring Back the Music" (2004) | "Don't Forget to Live" (2006) | "Automatic" (2006) | "Don't Be Afraid" (2007) | "Bijna" (2007) | "100% Voce" (2007) | "Kronenburg Park" (2008) | "Baby I Want You Back" (2014) | "One Nite Man" (2015) | "Bring Back the Music 2021" (Pete Hammond remixes) (2021)
(All these releases showed minimal or no presence on music charts.) |
External links
- Dutch dance music groups
- Dutch all-female bands
- Dutch girl groups
- English-language musical groups from the Netherlands
- Musical groups established in 1983
- Musical groups disestablished in 1988
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups disestablished in 1996
- Musical groups established in 2004
- Dutch disco groups