Another Level (group)
{{Short description|English boy band (1997–2000)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Another Level
| origin = London, England
| genre = {{hlist|R&B|pop|soul|UK garage}}
| years_active = 1997–2000, 2021, 2024–present
| label = Northwestside
| website =
| current_members = {{ubl|Mark Baron|Dane Bowers|Shaun Hoyte|Greg Costa}}
| past_members = {{ubl|Bobak Kianoush|Wayne Williams}}
}}
Another Level are an English soul and R&B-influenced boy band that formed in 1997 originally consisting of Mark Baron, Dane Bowers, Bobak Kianoush and Wayne Williams. They achieved seven top ten singles, including the 1998 number one "Freak Me".
In 2013, the band were about to reunite for the ITV2 documentary The Big Reunion; however, Williams and Baron chose not to take part in the show.{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/the-big-reunion/390128-the-big-reunion-another-level-wayne-williams-not-taking-part|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913034524/http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/the-big-reunion/390128-the-big-reunion-another-level-wayne-williams-not-taking-part|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2013|title=Another Level's Wayne Turns Down 'The Big Reunion'|date=4 September 2013|publisher=MTV UK|access-date=6 September 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/rehab/362400/Lord-Alan-Sugar-an-obstruction-to-The-Big-Reunion|title=Lord Alan Sugar an obstruction to The Big Reunion|last=Ingham|first=James|date=26 January 2014|work=Daily Star|access-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508083318/https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/lord-alan-sugar-obstruction-big-18711165|archive-date=8 May 2022}} Bowers was the only member to take part in the show and joined the supergroup 5th Story along with Kenzie from Blazin' Squad and former soloists Adam Rickitt, Kavana and Gareth Gates.
On 30 November 2014, it was reported that Another Level could make a comeback, but nothing happened until 2021 where the band performed together for the first time in 20 years at the Kisstory festival.{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2014/11/30/another-level-are-reportedly-making-an-s-club-7-inspired-comeback-4968186/|title=Another Level 'making a comeback for NYE'|website=Metro|date=30 November 2014}}
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Another Level has been certified for sales of 400,000 albums and 1 million singles in the UK.{{cite web |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified|title=Certified Awards |website=bpi.co.uk |access-date=7 August 2024}}
Career
Dane Bowers and Wayne Williams were both students of the BRIT School of Performing Arts & Technology in the London Borough of Croydon when they were discovered. Williams enrolled at the school in 1995, while Bowers was in the year below, but started in 1994.
Another Level were originally conceived by Nick Raphael and Christian Tattersfield for their new record label project Northwestside Records, a BMG sub-label in the United Kingdom that had also signed Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records unit in 1998. Due to Northwestside's position as an urban marketed record label, a number of R&B and hip hop stars guested on Another Level's songs. These included Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah and TQ, amongst others.
Another Level had seven top 40 singles in two years, including 1998's UK singles chart number one "Freak Me" (a cover of the 1993 hit by US group Silk), and a platinum-selling, eponymous debut album.
1999's gold-selling Nexus followed, along with Brit Awards nominations, and the opening slot on Janet Jackson's European tour. In early 2000, the group split after Kianoush and Williams left the group in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/vll9tr/another-level-set-for-the-big-reunion|title=Another Level 'Set for the Big Reunion'|publisher=MTV|location=UK}}
The band split up in 2000 after the release of their second album Nexus, with member Dane Bowers going on to have success with Jonny L and Victoria Beckham as part of the Truesteppers' record "Out of Your Mind", as well as two, number nine, solo hit single releases. Wayne Williams went on to start up his own record label with his brother Jason. His debut album Fame And Fortune failed to make an impact on the UK charts.
On 27 August 2013, Another Level were on the verge of signing up for the ITV2 documentary, The Big Reunion, but Williams announced that he would not take part. In an interview with MTV UK, he said: "I decided not to participate in The Big Reunion because it wouldn't feel right to me...I'm in a totally different space in my life and I don't feel any need to look back." In addition, Baron, who was now working for Alan Sugar's company Amsprop, was reportedly forced to pull out due to Sugar not allowing him time off work. Bowers told the Daily Star, "Another Level were supposed to do it but then Mark said he couldn't because of work. He's married to Alan Sugar's daughter and works for him. You don't say no to Alan Sugar. I was a bit annoyed because he pulled out right at the end. Surely he would have known earlier. But his loss is my gain." Bowers was the only member to take part in the show as he joined supergroup 5th Story along with Kenzie from Blazin' Squad and former soloists Adam Rickitt, Kavana and Gareth Gates.
In 2021 the original lineup reformed without Williams to headline Kisstory Festival, it would be a one off appearance.
In 2024 Another Level were asked to Headline the first R&B Nation festival alongside another 90s R&B band, Damage. Original members Dane Bowers and Mark Baron signed up for the show alongside new band members, Shaun Hoyte and long term tour DJ Greg Costa. Bowers, Baron, Hoyte and Costa have announced they will continue to tour together.
Discography
=Studio Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="5" | Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Certifications |
| style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |UK {{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4285/another%20level/ |title=UK chart peaks |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=24 October 2016}} !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |AUS !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|BEL !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |NED !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |SCO
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Another Level
|
| 13 | 144 | 20 | 26 | 56 | |
| scope="row" | Nexus
|
| 7 | — | — | — | 32 | |
| align="center" colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
=Compilation Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="5" | Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Certifications |
| style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |UK {{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4285/another%20level/ |title=UK chart peaks |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=24 October 2016}} !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |AUS !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|BEL !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |NED !style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" |SCO
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Another Level Remixed
|
| 76 | — | — | — | — | |
| scope="row" | From the Heart
|
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| scope="row" | Love Songs
|
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| scope="row" | Freak Me – The Collection
|
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| align="center" colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan="2" style="width:2em;" | Year !rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title !colspan="10"| Peak chart positions !rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Certifications !rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Album |
| style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |UK !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |AUS !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |BEL !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |FRA !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |GER
!style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |IRE !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |NED !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |NZ !style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |SCO
!style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |SWE |
|---|
| rowspan="3" | 1998
| style="text-align:left;"| "Be Alone No More" (featuring Jay-Z) | 6 | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="4"| Another Level |
| style="text-align:left;"| "Freak Me"
| 1 | 43 | 15 | 91 | 75 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 11 | |
| style="text-align:left;"| "Guess I was a Fool"
| 5 | — | — | — | 20 | 19 | 39 | 17 | 31 | |
| rowspan="5" | 1999
| style="text-align:left;"| "I Want You for Myself" | 2 | 85 | — | — | — | 19 | 44 | — | 9 | 50 | |
| style="text-align:left;"| "Be Alone No More" (remix) / "Holding Back the Years"
| 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 28 | — | | style="text-align:left;"| Another Level Remixed / From the Heart |
| style="text-align:left;"| "From the Heart"
| 6 | 143 | 28 | — | 29 | 14 | 32 | 39 | 16 | 25 | | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Nexus |
| style="text-align:left;"| "Summertime" (featuring TQ)
| 7 | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | 24 | — | |
| style="text-align:left;"| "Bomb Diggy"
| 6 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | |
| align="center" colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Members
= Current members =
- Dane Bowers (1997–2000, 2021, 2024–present)
- Mark Baron (1997–2000, 2021, 2024–present)
- Shaun Hoyte (2024–present)
- Greg Costa (2024–present)
= Past members =
- Bobak Kianoush (1997–1999, 2021)
- Wayne Williams (1997–1999)
Tours
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Headlining=
- Another Level Tour {{small|(1999)}}
=Other shows=
- Kisstory Festival {{small|(2021)}}
{{col-2}}
=Supporting act=
- Boyzone – A Different Beat Tour {{small|(1997)}}
- Janet Jackson – The Velvet Rope Tour {{small|(1998)}}
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Another Level}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Another Level (Band)}}
Category:British contemporary R&B musical groups
Category:Musical groups established in 1997