Amber (singer)

Marie-Claire "Amber" Cremers (born 17 September 1969) is a Dutch-born singer, songwriter, label owner, and executive producer. She is best known for her hits "This Is Your Night", "Colour of Love", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Sexual (Li Da Di)". In December 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 34th-most successful dance artist of all time.[1]

Amber
Birth nameMarie-Claire Cremers
Born (1969-09-17) 17 September 1969
Ubbergen, Netherlands
OriginNetherlands
GenresEurodance, house, R&B, pop rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active1990–present
LabelsTommy Boy Records (1994–2002), Rhino, Ada, JMCA Enterprises (2004–present)

Career

1996–1997: Debut album

Amber's music career took off when one of her demos, "This Is Your Night", was released by Tommy Boy Records. The single was on the Hot 100 chart in 1996 and 1997.[2] A full-length album soon followed.[3] It included two more hit singles, "Colour of Love" and "One More Night".

1998–1999: Self-titled second album

In 1999 Amber released her eponymous second album which garnered the most mainstream attention thus far. The first single "Sexual (Li Da Li)" achieved success in the US Billboard charts as well as charting across Europe. The album also included the single "If You Could Read My Mind" by Stars on 54 (a collaboration with Ultra Naté and Jocelyn Enriquez) which was featured on the soundtrack to the movie 54.

2000: Remixed and Grammy nomination

In 2000, Amber released the album Remixed, which contained remixes of all her previous singles, including "If You Could Read My Mind". It also included a non-album track "Taste the Tears" which had previously appeared on the TV soundtrack for Sex and The City.

In 2001, she received a Grammy nomination as the writer of "Love One Another" for Cher's cover version and she co-wrote music for Bette Midler.

2001–2003: Naked and departure from Tommy Boy Records

Amber's third album Naked was released in early 2002. It was her first album not produced by the Berman Brothers but with her longtime collaborator and producer Wolfram Dettki, as she bought out her contract. Musically, Amber continued the path she had started with: she continued to write her own lyrics and attempted even more of a departure from her original Eurodance sound. Amber parted ways with Tommy Boy Records after her third album because of creative differences.

2004–2006: My Kind of World

Amber's fourth album, My Kind of World, was the first to be released on her own label, and was more personal and moodier than her previous releases. The album did not gain mainstream attention. Three singles were taken from the album, "You Move Me", "Voodoo" and "Just Like That".

2008–present: Remixes and current status

In 2008 she re-released her debut single "This Is Your Night" with new remixes. The song had not been made available digitally due to legal issues regarding distribution. In August 2008 she collaborated with Zelma Davis of C+C Music Factory fame on a cover of "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", the classic duet by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand. Both songs were accompanied by new music videos.

In 2009 Amber was the closing act at Baltimore's gay pride festival on Saturday, 20 June 2009.[4] In 2010 she was the closing act at Pittsburgh's gay pride festival on 13 June 2010. Amber was one of the headlining performers at the Portland Pride Festival on 20 June 2010. She was also the closing act at Providence Gay Pride on 19 June 2010. Amber performed as one of the headline acts at 2013 Stonewall Summer Pride in Wilton Manors, Florida.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions
NZ
[5]
US Electr
[6]
US Indie
[7]
US Heat
[8]
1996 This Is Your Night 44 49
1999 Amber
  • Released: 21 September 1999
  • Label: Tommy Boy Records
  • Formats: CD
10 10
2002 Naked
  • Released: 20 August 2002
  • Label: Tommy Boy Records
  • Formats: CD
7 20 20
2004 My Kind of World
  • Released: 5 October 2004
  • Label: JMC Enterprises
  • Formats: CD

Compilation albums

  • Remixed (2000)
  • Undanced (2004)
  • Undanced II (2007)

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album
GER
[9]
AUS
[10]
FRA
[11]
NED
[12]
NZ
[5]
SPA
[13]
UK
[14][15]
US
[2]
US Dance
[16]
1996 "This Is Your Night" 11 14 40 24 10 This Is Your Night
"Colour of Love" 66 31 74 5
1997 "One More Night" 58 9
1998 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(Stars on 54: Ultra Naté, Amber, Jocelyn Enriquez)
3 82 6 10 23 52 3 Amber
1999 "Sexual (Li Da Di)" 87 55 40 94 24 34 42 1
2000 "Above the Clouds" 1
"Love One Another" 1
2001 "Yes!" 1 Naked
2002 "The Need to Be Naked" 1
"Anyway (Men Are from Mars)" 116 12
2004 "You Move Me" 4 My Kind of World
2005 "Voodoo" 13
2006 "Just Like That" 9
"Melt with the Sun" 5 Non-album single
2008 "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
(Amber and Zelma Davis)
2009 "I Don't Believe in Hate (Drip Drop)"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
gollark: you're lowercasing them right?
gollark: I'll register 3d6, the, yes, no, krist, KST, hi and welcome.
gollark: That's annoying. I'm on my phone right now.
gollark: Can I trademark "the"?
gollark: You trademarked i and a?

See also

References

  1. "Greatest top dance club artists". Billboard
  2. "Billboard > Amber Chart History > Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. Paul Verna (25 January 1997). Reviews & Previews. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 59. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. Performers :: Baltimore Pride 2009 :: Archived 8 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Baltimorepride.org. Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
  5. "charts.org.nz > Amber in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  6. "Billboard > Amber Chart History > Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  7. "Billboard > Amber Chart History > Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. "Billboard > Amber Chart History > Heatseakers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  9. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Suchen nach "Amber"" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  10. Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
    • Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Amber in Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
    • Top 100 peaks to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 13.
  11. "lescharts.com > Amber dans les Charst Français" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  12. "dutchcharts.nl > Amber in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  13. Spanish chart peaks:
  14. UK chart peaks:
  15. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 21. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  16. "Billboard > Amber Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  17. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 13.
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