Texas - Big in America
from Dotmusic by Steve Jones, January 1999

As if he didn’t have enough to do this week, Universal Music Group chairman and ceo Doug Morris is flying Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri out to New York for a meeting.
He may have the headache of working out the worldwide structure of Universal Polygram, but rumour has it that Morris will offer Spiteri her choice of US label.

Last year, Texas made one of the UK comebacks of the decade with White On Blonde on Mercury, which sold 1.8m copies. But while that album sold 4m copies worldwide, sales in the US were negligible and the band have since left Mercury US.
The band’s publisher, Peter Reichardt – EMI Publishing’s UK managing – says Texas suffer from a general problem facing all UK artists, but remains optimistic.
“US radio sounds so different to British radio these days. So I understand their hesitance to play British groups - Texas have been lumped in with that,” he says.
“But with the success of the last album and the new Universal Music group, there will be a change. Hopefully, Doug Morris with [Polygram UK chairman and CEO] John Kennedy will hear what we all hear – fantastic music.”

Poor US sales are even more astounding considering the opportunities Texas have had. In recent years, TV star Ellen Degeneres used Texas material as the intro to her hit sitcom Ellen and had them perform it on the show. Then there was the UK Top Five reworking with the Wu Tang Clan of their 1997 comeback single, Say What You Want, in March.

Spiteri, who will take a copy of the new as-yet-untitled Texas album to New York to play to Morris, is more than aware of the problems. “The Wu Tang track wasn’t released in the US. What radio format would play a record with Method Man and a white girl from Scotland on?” she says. “The situation with PolyGram is fine. At the end of the day we’re pretty lucky because we’re left alone. Doug Morris seems pretty positive.”
Having taken eight years to reach their current peak, Spiteri – who turned 31 last month – and Texas are confident, but still refreshingly down-to-earth. Sharleen was making everyone cups of tea when we arrived at the studio.

Stent, who has worked with the Spice Girls, Madonna, Massive Attack and U2, finished the album on December 1. “Their last record was good, but this is better,” he says.
The new record – due out in the UK in April – will certainly be another great pop record if their rocked-out, China Girl-esque first single Once In A Lifetime (out March 22) is anything to go by. Bass player and co-writer Johnny McElhone describes it as Siouxsie And The Banshees meets Prince. Overall, the new album boasts many of the same influences as White On Blonde – Motown, Stax and Hi Studio sounds – but, if anything, has even more of the soul and British black music sensibility which made that record such a pop hit.

Spiteri, who has lately been listening to new records by Method Man, Beck and RZA, says, “It was just fate. This album worked out that it didn’t need anything else. This record is the best album we’ve ever made.”
Talk is of five or six potential hits from this album. Let's hope Texas make it big in the US.


back to the Articles page

If you don't see a toolbar on the left then please click here