Eiffel 65
{{Short description|Italian music group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{For-multi|the French rock music group|Eiffel (band)|the spinoff of Eiffel 65|Bloom 06|other uses|Eiffel (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Eiffel 65
| image = Eiffel 65 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Eiffel 65 in 2016
| landscape = yes
| background = group_or_band
| origin = Turin, Italy
| genre = {{hlist|Eurodance{{Cite web|url=https://www.blisscorporation.com/eiffel-65|title=Eiffel 65|website=Bliss Corporation|access-date=18 February 2023|archive-date=18 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218225434/https://www.blisscorporation.com/eiffel-65|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/cd/artist/eiffel-65/1016230|title=Eiffel 65 on Apple Music|website=Apple Music|access-date=18 February 2023|archive-date=18 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218225432/https://music.apple.com/cd/artist/eiffel-65/1016230|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://live.coastmagazine.it/en/events/eiffel-65-8789.html/?lang=eng&progId=8789|title=Eiffel 65|website=CoastMagazine.it|access-date=18 February 2023|archive-date=18 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218225449/https://live.coastmagazine.it/en/events/eiffel-65-8789.html/?lang=eng&progId=8789|url-status=live}}}}
| years_active = {{hlist|1997–2005|2010–present}}
| label = {{hlist|BlissCo|Universal|Republic|Warner Bros.}}
| spinoffs = Bloom 06
| spinoff_of = Bliss Team
| website = {{URL|eiffel65.com}}
| current_members = * Jeffrey Jey
| past_members = Gabry Ponte
}}
Eiffel 65 are an Italian Eurodance group formed in 1997 in the studios of the Turin based record company Bliss Corporation. The group consists of Jeffrey Jey, Maurizio Lobina, and formerly Gabry Ponte. They gained global popularity with their singles "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and "Move Your Body" from their 1999 debut studio album Europop. The singles reached number one in many countries, while the album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. Their following two albums, Contact! (2001) and their self-titled Eiffel 65 (2003), did not gain international success, but still managed to gain success in Italy.
Throughout their career, the group won a World Music Award in 2000 for the World Best Selling Italian Group, and a B.M.I USA in Los Angeles, rewarding the most-broadcast song on radio in the United States. They were also nominated at the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for "Blue (Da Ba Dee)".{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2001/grammys.htm|title=Rock On The Net: 43rd Annual Grammy Awards - 2001|website=Rockonthenet.com|access-date=4 September 2018|archive-date=11 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311012724/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2001/grammys.htm|url-status=live}}
Eiffel 65 also produced remixes of numerous popular songs, and they recorded "One Goal", one of the official songs of the UEFA Euro 2000, and "Living in My City" for the 2006 Winter Olympics. With more than 20 million copies sold{{Cite web|url=http://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/16_giugno_04/eiffel-65-revival-dance-zarro-night-0716377c-2a3b-11e6-9c68-4645b6fa27fd.shtml|title=Eiffel 65: revival dance a "Zarro night"|date=4 June 2016|website=Milano.corriere.it|access-date=5 December 2019|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514135749/https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/16_giugno_04/eiffel-65-revival-dance-zarro-night-0716377c-2a3b-11e6-9c68-4645b6fa27fd.shtml|url-status=live}} and many gold, platinum and diamond records, it is one of Italy's most popular electronic groups.
In 2005, Ponte focused on his solo career, while Jey and Lobina collaborated as a duo called Bloom 06. In 2010, the original group reunited, although Ponte no longer participates.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
History
=1992: Formation=
Randone, Ponte and Lobina met at Bliss Corporation, which was founded in 1992 by Massimo Gabutti. A computer chose the name Eiffel randomly from a group of words the three had selected but the number 65 was added to it by mistake: the producer had written a phone number on a piece of paper and two digits of it ended up on the label copy. The graphic artist who received it assumed that it had been added afterwards so he just fused it to the band name for their first release.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/eiffel-65-interview-blue-da-ba-dee/|title=Eiffel 65 Are the Fathers to Your Style Even If You're Too Much of a Dick to Admit It|website=vice.com|date=3 March 2014 |access-date=19 December 2019|archive-date=18 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218090209/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/rn5mg6/eiffel-65-interview-blue-da-ba-dee|url-status=live}}
=1992–2000: Breakthrough with ''Europop''=
Eiffel 65 became famous for their international chart-topping hits "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and "Move Your Body". Both songs were featured singles on their debut album Europop, which was released on 22 November 1999.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
The band achieved considerable success in Italy and the rest of Europe,{{Cite web|url=http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eiffel+65&titel=Blue+(Da+Ba+Dee)&cat=s|title=lescharts.com - Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)|last=Hung|first=Steffen|website=Lescharts.com|access-date=5 June 2018|archive-date=9 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063548/http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eiffel+65&titel=Blue+%28Da+Ba+Dee%29&cat=s|url-status=live}} in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.{{Cite web|url=http://www.australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Eiffel+65|title=australian-charts.com - Discography Eiffel 65|last=Hung|first=Steffen|website=Australian-charts.com|access-date=5 June 2018|archive-date=13 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213024451/https://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Eiffel+65|url-status=live}} Europop peaked in the top five on the Billboard 200{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/eiffel-65/chart-history/billboard-200/song/173982|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802044631/https://www.billboard.com/music/eiffel-65/chart-history/billboard-200/song/173982|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2018|title=Eiffel 65 Europop Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=5 June 2018}} and on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/eiffel-65/chart-history/canadian-albums/song/384264|title=Eiffel 65 Europop Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=5 June 2018}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100,[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eiffel 65|chart=all}} Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Eiffel 65] reached No. 1 in the UK{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/blue-(da-ba-dee)/|title=blue (da ba dee) {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|website=OfficialCharts.com|language=en|access-date=5 June 2018|archive-date=16 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616211645/http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/blue-(da-ba-dee)/|url-status=live}} and in Germany{{Cite web|url=http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Eiffel+65/single|title=Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de|last=GmbH|first=musicline.de / PhonoNet|website=Musicline.de|language=de|access-date=5 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206033727/http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/EIFFEL+65/single|archive-date=6 December 2008|url-status=dead}} and number 3 in Italy.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/ae.htm|title=Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: E|website=Hitparadeitalia.it|access-date=5 June 2018|archive-date=14 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172023/http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/ae.htm|url-status=live}}
= 2001–2005: Follow-up albums =
Their second album, Contact!, was released in 2001, with "'80s Stars" peaking at No. 9 in Italy. A self-titled Eiffel 65 album was released in 2003.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
Eiffel 65 also remixed, between 1999 and 2002, other artists' tracks like the Bloodhound Gang's "The Bad Touch",{{Cite web |title=The Bloodhound Gang* - The Bad Touch (Remixes) |url=https://www.discogs.com/it/The-Bloodhound-Gang-The-Bad-Touch-Remixes/release/1221584 |access-date=5 June 2018 |website=Discogs.com |language=it}} Nek's "La vita è", S Club 7's "Reach"{{Cite web |title=S Club 7 - Reach |url=https://www.discogs.com/it/S-Club-7-Reach/release/2123422 |access-date=5 June 2018 |website=Discogs.com |language=it}} and in early 2005, a remix of Yo Yo Mundi's "L'ultimo testimone".Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/V2dMZtkYleQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190928104724/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2dMZtkYleQ&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation |last=Yo Yo Mundi |title=Yo Yo Mundi (remixed by Eiffel 65) - L'Ultimo Testimone |date=24 August 2007 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2dMZtkYleQ |access-date=5 June 2018}}{{cbignore}}
=2005–2010: Bloom 06 and ''Crash Test 01''=
File:Gabry Ponte @ Troppifiky Bellaria.jpg]]
In early March 2005, the group's DJ, Gabry Ponte, went on to focus on his solo career. On 16 May 2005, the other two members, Maurizio Lobina and Jeffrey Jey, decided to leave Bliss Corporation to continue with their own production company. Since the name "Eiffel 65" was a property of Bliss Corporation, the duo decided to continue under a new name, as announced in June 2005, Bloom 06.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
Eiffel 65's long-anticipated fourth album, under the working title Crash Test, had already finished production by the time of Maury and Jeffrey's departure from Bliss Corporation. It was renamed Crash Test 01 and was released by Bloom 06 on 13 October 2006. The album contains lyrics in English and Italian.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
=2010–present: Reunion and recent work=
File:Eiffel 65 live in Belgium 2.jpg and keyboardist Maurizio Lobina performing at Ethias Arena, Hasselt (April 2013)]]
Bliss Corporation confirmed that a new Eiffel 65 lineup would make their debut in the summer of 2007 but the debut was postponed. In 2009, Bliss Corporation began to promote work from older bands by subtitling music videos and releasing "unseen" video footage from Eiffel 65. In June 2010, it was announced on the Bloom 06 website that Eiffel 65 would reunite once again to produce new music as well as touring.{{cite web |url=http://www.bloom06.com/site/index.php |title=bloom06.com |publisher=bloom06.com |access-date=10 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211203000/http://www.bloom06.com/site/index.php |archive-date=11 February 2012 }} In an April 2012 interview, Jeffrey Jey commented on the progress of the new album:
{{quote|The progress is slow because we work in three different places and of all the demos probably two, maybe three of these songs are what we call "the candidates" for our new single. We're not able to get a unanimous decision on one song, so that is what's making the release continuously slide. It's really hard to say when we will release a new song. Hopefully within the next two or three months we will be fixing the songs that we think are the good candidates and putting them online.{{cite web |title=IlTedesco, Eiffel65's forum Mod, made an interview with Jeffrey Jey |url=http://www.eiffel65.com/index.php/eiffel65/comments/iltedesco_eiffel65s_forum_mod_made_an_interview_with_jeffrey_jey/ |publisher=Bliss Corporation |access-date=25 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701021358/http://www.eiffel65.com/index.php/eiffel65/comments/iltedesco_eiffel65s_forum_mod_made_an_interview_with_jeffrey_jey |archive-date=1 July 2012 }} }}
In the meantime, they toured Europe with their New Planet Tour, a multimedia show with wide screens, and in the summer of 2012, they announced a mini tour in Australia on their site.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
On 2 April 2016, a demo of Eiffel 65's new single "Panico" was posted on Bliss Corporation's YouTube channel.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/jJY1-9PTG-k Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160403155243/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJY1-9PTG-k Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Eiffel65 - "Panico" ( Rough Mix Demo Version) [Lyrics Video]|website = YouTube| date=2 April 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJY1-9PTG-k|access-date=3 April 2016}}{{cbignore}} "Panico" and its English version "Critical" were officially released on iTunes on 1 June 2016. However, their fourth album release date is still unknown.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
In late February 2023, the group appeared on the list of artists who will compete in Una Voce Per San Marino, a song contest where the winning song will represent San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool.{{cite web |url=https://www.aussievision.net/post/san-marino-una-voce-per-san-marino-2023-semi-finalists-announced |title=San Marino: Una Voce Per San Marino 2023 semi-finalists announced |date=20 February 2023 |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326151131/https://www.aussievision.net/post/san-marino-una-voce-per-san-marino-2023-semi-finalists-announced |url-status=live }}
In May 2024, they released a new single "Bestiale" with Italian singer Loredana Bertè.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-23 |title=Eiffel 65 & Loredana Berté Join Forces On Danceable New Single 'Bestiale' |url=https://www.culturefix.co.uk/?p=29666 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Culture Fix}}
Zorotl
Zorotlekuykauo "Zorotl" Sushik IV{{Cite web|title = Zorotl Official Website|url = http://zorotl.com/the_crew.php|website = zorotl.com|access-date = 3 November 2015|archive-date = 18 November 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151118011021/http://zorotl.com/the_crew.php|url-status = live}} is a character created by the Bliss Corporation and featured in the videos of "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", "Move Your Body" and "Lucky (In My Life)". Zorotl was supposed to be a malicious character but since he was designed with a funny round body, the authors of the "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" video decided to portray it as tender, changing the script and giving it a happy ending.{{Cite web|url=http://zorotl.com/the_crew.php|title=Zorotl Official Website|last=Gianotti|first=Celestino|website=Zorotl.com|access-date=25 February 2017|archive-date=16 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316031853/http://zorotl.com/the_crew.php|url-status=live}} In 2000, Bliss Corporation made a video for the unreleased Eiffel 65 song "I Wanna Be". An alpha version of the video appeared as enhanced content for Eiffel 65's single "Too Much of Heaven". The song is credited to Zorotl even though it was recorded by members of Eiffel 65, so Zorotl is considered a virtual group.{{fact|date=January 2025}}
Members
- Jeffrey Jey (Gianfranco Randone) – vocals, producer (1997–2005, 2010–present)
- Maury Lobina – producer, keyboards, keytar, piano (1997–2005, 2010–present)
- Gabry Ponte – DJ, producer (1997–2005, 2010–2014)
Discography
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Nominee(s)
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! scope="row"|BMI Pop Awards
| 2001
| Award-Winning Song
| "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"|Grammy Awards
| 2001
| "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"|World Music Awards
| 2000
| World's Best Selling Italian Group
| Themselves
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"|Hungarian Music Awards
| 2000
| Best Foreign Dance Album
| Europop
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"|International Dance Music Awards
| 2000
| Best HiNRJ 12'
| "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"|RSH Gold Awards
| 2000
| Best Dance Act
| Themselves
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"|Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
| 1999
| Best Dance Choon
| "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
| {{won}}
|
|-
! scope="row"|The Record of the Year
| 1999
| Record of the Year
| "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
| {{nom}}
{{end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Wikiquote|Eiffel 65}}
- {{Official website|http://www.eiffel65.com/|Eiffel 65 Official website}}
{{Eiffel 65}}
{{Gabry Ponte}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1997 establishments in Italy
Category:Musical groups established in 1997
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2005
Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2010
Category:Italian Eurodance groups
Category:Italian musical trios
Category:Warner Records artists
Category:Republic Records artists