Nguyễn Phú Đức
(Jascha R.)
New Member
The Story of Michael Learns To Rock
With global sales figures exceeding eight millions copies during the nineties, the story of MLTR is not just that of the greatest international act to come out of Denmark, it is also the story of the exception that proves the rule! Unlike many other international artists MLTR's road to success has never been pawed with scandals, divorces, drug addiction or, for that matter, an extreme image or living. It's always been about the music. About an incredible ability to write such fine pop songs that their indisputable qualities alone have managed to penetrate the noise and secured the band an ever- increasing audience and record sales.
The music of MLTR has been described as a meeting of Scandinavian light and the classic international pop song that throughout the years has been refined by artists such as The Beatles, Eagles, Elton John and Billy Joel. This is a very accurate description of the band's fifth album BLUE NIGHT. The album is released in most of the world in the winter of 2000/2001.
It all began in more modest circumstances in a college in their hometown Århus back in 1987. Singer and keyboard player JASCHA RICHTER (born 1963) forms a small group with drummer KÅRE WANSCHER (born 1969) and MIKKEL LENTZ (born 1968). They are all great music lovers and they have practically drunk in the history of pop and rock with their mother's milk. They decide to form a proper band building on Jascha's songs. In the spring of '88 SØREN MADSEN, who normally plays the guitar, agrees to rehearse with the band for one evening as their bass player. That evening MLTR is a reality. The band debuts in May '88 in Århus, and in the summer they enter the great talent contest of their hometown. MLTR win convincingly. JP ANDERSEN is a member of the jury. He instantly falls for the talented young quartet and becomes their manager.
For the following two years MLTR tours intensely. The band performs all over Denmark and continually improves their repertoire with new and better songs. They work on their musical interplay, refine their razor-sharp vocal harmonies, which is an important element of the band's sound, and also manage to secure a record contract. With Danish producers Jens Hofman and Oli Poulsen at the controls, MLTR spend many months in the studio before their debut album, MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK, is released in September 1991. The album features the great ballad THE ACTOR which in January 1992 brings MLTR to the number one spot on the Danish radio chart. The song travels faster than the band and becomes a number one hit in Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and The Philippines.
It is a hectic period for MLTR. In 1992 they tour intensely in Denmark as a top act and pay visits to a number of countries in the Far East in order to follow up the success of their album. Along the way Jascha Richter writes songs for their sophomore album COLOURS which is released in October 1993.
Once again it is their feeling for great ballads that secures MLTR's success. SLEEPING CHILD is the title of the song that seriously sets of the MLTR-mania. Within the following 18 months the band travels in great parts of the world and manages to sell more than one million copies. COLOURS is released in most of Europe and all over the Far East, and SLEEPING CHILD as well as the subsequent singles, 25 MINUTES and OUT OF THE BLUE, give MLTR positions at the top of the charts and numerous gold and platinum albums. When in November the band arrive in Bangkok and perform in front of 12.000 fans at Phoebus Concert Hall, the Thai audience go crazy. As a perfect end to a great year MLTR receive the prestigious RSH Award in Germany and at SEA Grammy Award in Singapore the band is honoured as "The Best Performing Act Of The Year".
In 1995 MLTR release their third album entitled PLAYED ON PEPPER. Their international territory is further expanded in such a way that MLTR is on the priority list of the record company in remote places as Brazil, South Africa, The United Arab Emirates and no less than eleven countries in the Far East. Of course Scandinavia is part of the picture and in the rest of Europe the album is released in Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland among others. In October that year MLTR begin their greatest tour so far of the Far East with 25 concerts in ten countries, and new hits like THAT'S WHY (YOU GO AWAY) and SOMEDAY are added to the string of great songs on their repertoire. In the end PLAYED ON PEPPER sells more than 1,2 million copies
In order to counter the increasing problem of bootlegging of MLTR's albums the band release the compilation PAINT MY LOVE in 1996. The album is released exclusively in the Far East and is supported by the newly written title song. While the accompanying video is close to being censored in many countries, the album proves to be the one which finely consolidates the enormous popularity of MLTR and turns them into the altogether greatest international stars in countries like Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. However, MLTR popularity also explodes in southern parts of the world. After four intense days of promotion in South Africa t he band reaches the number one spot on the charts. PAINT MY LOVE ends up with worldwide sales of 3,4 million copies and secures MLTR's status as a headline act at The Celebrate Hong Kong Concert on July 6, 1997, which is the climax of the celebrations of Hong Kong's return to China.
Parallel to their international promotion of PAINT MY LOVE, MLTR also find the time to record their fourth album Nothing To Lose. It is released internationally in September 1997 while MLTR are still on top of the charts in the Far East as well as South Africa! From the new album it is mainly the rocker SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW which paves the way for yet another success, and NOTHING TO LOSE ends up selling more than one million copies. When in January 1998 MLTR go on tour in South Africa with sold-out concerts in Johannesburg and Pretoria, the reviewers write: "This is as good (if not better!) a band as any current big name group out of America or the UK."
Nine turbulent years have marked the four musicians who decide to take a break from each other and the pop world. Yet, as early as autumn 1998 Jascha has prepared a number of new songs. Out of these the trump card STRANGE FOREIGH BEAUTY is picked as a teaser of a new compilation. GREATEST HITS is a reasonable title of the album that collects a number of the best songs from the four previous albums, either remixed, rerecorded or otherwise rearranged. At the release in 1999 MLTR once again find themselves at the number one spot in their native country while in countries such as Portugal the album also manages to convert new listeners to the qualities of the band. Sales of another million copies can be added to their list of records, and it is worth noticing that the album is practically not promoted on MLTR's biggest market in the Far East.
When in the spring of 2000 MLTR begin preparing their fifth album, Søren Madsen decides to leave the band in order to pursue a solo career. Richter, Lentz and Wanscher decide to continue as a trio and enter the studio during the summer. Like on their previous albums, the band refrain from choosing an expensive foreign star producer - instead they ally themselves with the immensely talented Danish musician and producer Boe Larsen who along with the three members walk down new musical paths and take up new challenges. The result is BLUE NIGHT - MLTR in the year 2000. 12 new high profile pop songs which expand their already impressive repertoire. The return address may well be Denmark but MLTR has long since proved that even the remotest part of the world is no further away than a good song.
Source: www.mltr.dk
With global sales figures exceeding eight millions copies during the nineties, the story of MLTR is not just that of the greatest international act to come out of Denmark, it is also the story of the exception that proves the rule! Unlike many other international artists MLTR's road to success has never been pawed with scandals, divorces, drug addiction or, for that matter, an extreme image or living. It's always been about the music. About an incredible ability to write such fine pop songs that their indisputable qualities alone have managed to penetrate the noise and secured the band an ever- increasing audience and record sales.
The music of MLTR has been described as a meeting of Scandinavian light and the classic international pop song that throughout the years has been refined by artists such as The Beatles, Eagles, Elton John and Billy Joel. This is a very accurate description of the band's fifth album BLUE NIGHT. The album is released in most of the world in the winter of 2000/2001.
It all began in more modest circumstances in a college in their hometown Århus back in 1987. Singer and keyboard player JASCHA RICHTER (born 1963) forms a small group with drummer KÅRE WANSCHER (born 1969) and MIKKEL LENTZ (born 1968). They are all great music lovers and they have practically drunk in the history of pop and rock with their mother's milk. They decide to form a proper band building on Jascha's songs. In the spring of '88 SØREN MADSEN, who normally plays the guitar, agrees to rehearse with the band for one evening as their bass player. That evening MLTR is a reality. The band debuts in May '88 in Århus, and in the summer they enter the great talent contest of their hometown. MLTR win convincingly. JP ANDERSEN is a member of the jury. He instantly falls for the talented young quartet and becomes their manager.
For the following two years MLTR tours intensely. The band performs all over Denmark and continually improves their repertoire with new and better songs. They work on their musical interplay, refine their razor-sharp vocal harmonies, which is an important element of the band's sound, and also manage to secure a record contract. With Danish producers Jens Hofman and Oli Poulsen at the controls, MLTR spend many months in the studio before their debut album, MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK, is released in September 1991. The album features the great ballad THE ACTOR which in January 1992 brings MLTR to the number one spot on the Danish radio chart. The song travels faster than the band and becomes a number one hit in Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and The Philippines.
It is a hectic period for MLTR. In 1992 they tour intensely in Denmark as a top act and pay visits to a number of countries in the Far East in order to follow up the success of their album. Along the way Jascha Richter writes songs for their sophomore album COLOURS which is released in October 1993.
Once again it is their feeling for great ballads that secures MLTR's success. SLEEPING CHILD is the title of the song that seriously sets of the MLTR-mania. Within the following 18 months the band travels in great parts of the world and manages to sell more than one million copies. COLOURS is released in most of Europe and all over the Far East, and SLEEPING CHILD as well as the subsequent singles, 25 MINUTES and OUT OF THE BLUE, give MLTR positions at the top of the charts and numerous gold and platinum albums. When in November the band arrive in Bangkok and perform in front of 12.000 fans at Phoebus Concert Hall, the Thai audience go crazy. As a perfect end to a great year MLTR receive the prestigious RSH Award in Germany and at SEA Grammy Award in Singapore the band is honoured as "The Best Performing Act Of The Year".
In 1995 MLTR release their third album entitled PLAYED ON PEPPER. Their international territory is further expanded in such a way that MLTR is on the priority list of the record company in remote places as Brazil, South Africa, The United Arab Emirates and no less than eleven countries in the Far East. Of course Scandinavia is part of the picture and in the rest of Europe the album is released in Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland among others. In October that year MLTR begin their greatest tour so far of the Far East with 25 concerts in ten countries, and new hits like THAT'S WHY (YOU GO AWAY) and SOMEDAY are added to the string of great songs on their repertoire. In the end PLAYED ON PEPPER sells more than 1,2 million copies
In order to counter the increasing problem of bootlegging of MLTR's albums the band release the compilation PAINT MY LOVE in 1996. The album is released exclusively in the Far East and is supported by the newly written title song. While the accompanying video is close to being censored in many countries, the album proves to be the one which finely consolidates the enormous popularity of MLTR and turns them into the altogether greatest international stars in countries like Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. However, MLTR popularity also explodes in southern parts of the world. After four intense days of promotion in South Africa t he band reaches the number one spot on the charts. PAINT MY LOVE ends up with worldwide sales of 3,4 million copies and secures MLTR's status as a headline act at The Celebrate Hong Kong Concert on July 6, 1997, which is the climax of the celebrations of Hong Kong's return to China.
Parallel to their international promotion of PAINT MY LOVE, MLTR also find the time to record their fourth album Nothing To Lose. It is released internationally in September 1997 while MLTR are still on top of the charts in the Far East as well as South Africa! From the new album it is mainly the rocker SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW which paves the way for yet another success, and NOTHING TO LOSE ends up selling more than one million copies. When in January 1998 MLTR go on tour in South Africa with sold-out concerts in Johannesburg and Pretoria, the reviewers write: "This is as good (if not better!) a band as any current big name group out of America or the UK."
Nine turbulent years have marked the four musicians who decide to take a break from each other and the pop world. Yet, as early as autumn 1998 Jascha has prepared a number of new songs. Out of these the trump card STRANGE FOREIGH BEAUTY is picked as a teaser of a new compilation. GREATEST HITS is a reasonable title of the album that collects a number of the best songs from the four previous albums, either remixed, rerecorded or otherwise rearranged. At the release in 1999 MLTR once again find themselves at the number one spot in their native country while in countries such as Portugal the album also manages to convert new listeners to the qualities of the band. Sales of another million copies can be added to their list of records, and it is worth noticing that the album is practically not promoted on MLTR's biggest market in the Far East.
When in the spring of 2000 MLTR begin preparing their fifth album, Søren Madsen decides to leave the band in order to pursue a solo career. Richter, Lentz and Wanscher decide to continue as a trio and enter the studio during the summer. Like on their previous albums, the band refrain from choosing an expensive foreign star producer - instead they ally themselves with the immensely talented Danish musician and producer Boe Larsen who along with the three members walk down new musical paths and take up new challenges. The result is BLUE NIGHT - MLTR in the year 2000. 12 new high profile pop songs which expand their already impressive repertoire. The return address may well be Denmark but MLTR has long since proved that even the remotest part of the world is no further away than a good song.
Source: www.mltr.dk
