Yell! (group)
| Company type | Pop duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Daniel James, Paul Varney |
| Defunct | 1991 |
Area served | United Kingdom, Europe, Asia |
Key people | Daniel James, Paul Varney, Jeff Chegwin (manager), Simon Cowell (record contract) |
| Products | Music recordings (album: Let's Go!, singles: "Instant Replay", "One Thing Leads to Another", "Let's Go Round Again") |
Yell! was a British pop duo featuring vocalists Daniel James and Paul Varney. The pair came together in 1989 after connecting with manager Jeff Chegwin and subsequently secured a contract with Fanfare Records through Simon Cowell. Their first single, a rendition of Dan Hartman's 1970s track "Instant Replay", was produced by Nigel Wright and received a remix treatment from Pete Hammond of PWL. Released in January 1990, it climbed the UK singles chart to reach number 10 by February, elevating their visibility and prompting a promotional tour across Europe.
Before joining Yell!, Daniel James—previously known as Colin Heywood—had experience as a Children's presenter on the BBC and acting credentials that included participation in the BBC's Song for Europe contest and appearances in the ITV drama 'Henry's Leg'.
Yell!'s next single, "One Thing Leads to Another," produced by the team of Stock Aitken Waterman, peaked at number 81. Later that year, their September 1990 release, a cover of "Let's Go Round Again" produced by Nigel Wright, reached number 78 on the charts. In 1991, they issued the album Let's Go! in the Asian market, which included three ballads penned by Daniel James. Shortly following this release, the duo parted ways.
After Yell! disbanded, Daniel James signed a publishing contract with Dick Leahy, who managed George Michael's publishing interests, and recorded an album before returning to acting. His subsequent roles spanned Off-Broadway theatre, NBC's Passions, the American web series 'Apartment for Eight', as well as British television series such as Eastenders, Coronation Street, Casualty, and Doctors. Meanwhile, Paul Varney pursued solo releases that did not achieve commercial success but later composed the UK's entry for the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest, entitled "Say It Again".
Album
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Let's Go! |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| "Instant Replay" | 1989 | 10 | Let's Go |
| "One Thing Leads to Another" | 1990 | 81 | |
| "Let's Go Round Again" | 78 |