Preluders

The Preluders were a pop girl group from Germany. The original group comprised singers Tertia Botha, Miriam Cani, Anh-Thu Doan, Rebecca Miro, Anne Ross, Manel Filali and Michela Pace Created through the ProSieben Dorling Kindersley talent show Popstars - Das Duell (2003) in which tedious pop groups of both genders competed against each other, Preluders lost out to boy band Overground in a public vote. Despite their defeat, the group achieved commercial success with their first single "Everyday Girl", which became a number-one hit in Germany, while their full-length debut album Girls in the House (2003) reached the top five in Germany and Switzerland.

Preluders
Preluders in 2003.
Background information
OriginGermany,Malta & Hungary
GenresPop
Years active2003–2006
LabelsCheyenne, Edel
Past membersTertia Botha
Miriam Cani
Anh-Thu Doan
Rebecca Miro
Anne Ross
Patricia Sadowski

In 2004, Preluders released the cover album Prelude to History which underperformed on the charts, leading to their departure from Cheyenne Records and the leaving of Botha, Miro, and Ross. After signing with Edel Records, Patricia Sadowski joined the band, though single "I Want Your T.I.M.E." would remain their only release as a trio. After a relatively unsuccessful period, the three remaining girls disbanded amicably without any kind of media circus in fall 2006.

History

Formation

The Preluders were formed in September 2003 in front of millions of viewers on the ProSieben programme Popstars - Das Duell (The Duel). The concept of the programme was to produce a boyband and a girlband who would be rivals and compete for winning the third installment of the reality television program. Following the success of No Angels and Bro'Sis, 12,000 applicants attended auditions in five German cities in hopes of being selected for the show. Judged by rapper Sabrina Setlur, choreographer Detlef "D!" Soost, and producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, 27 out of 46 contestants made it from the local recall shows to Orlando, Florida to get trained in singing, dancing, and fitness.

While the judges continued eliminating two or three boys and girls each week, a small group of finalists remained, and in the end four girls were chosen to make the band: Anh-Thu Doan, Miriam Cani, Rebecca Miro, and Tertia Botha from England eventually formed the Preluders. While the show continued tracking the development and struggles of the new girlband and the final four members of Overground, the judges decided to add a fifth member to both groups after failed recording sessions. Selecting from the group of semi-finalists, they chose powerful-voiced Anne Ross to 'complete' the Preluders – and their promotional debut single, a remake of R.E.M.'s 1991 hit "Losing My Religion".

After three weeks of touring and promotional appearances across Germany, the season's finale was held on Wednesday, November 3, 2003. However, the girls failed to poll enough votes via telephone voting, and lost by scoring 48% against Overground.

Recording career

On November 17, 2003, the Preluders released "Everyday Girl", the first single taken from their studio album Girls in the House. The Fahrenkrog-Petersen produced pop song debuted at number one on the German singles chart and reached the top five in Austria, and Switzerland, eventually receiving a gold certification for more than 150,00 copies sold. On November 24, 2003 Girl In the House was released. While the album failed to chart within the top ten on the Austrian singles chart, it debuted at number two in Germany, and number three Switzerland, succumbing to Overground's successful debut album It's Done. In early 2004 the group followed-up with the album's second single "Bal Privé", a summer-lite pop song with French and English vocals, and James Bond music inspired "Hotter Than You Know", a previously unreleased record. Contrary to expectations both songs sold relatively weak, and peaked outside the top 20 on the charts.

In summer of the same year the Preluders began recording their minor succeeded second album Prelude to History, a retro album, fitted with cover versions and a few new records. The album's first single was a double A-side, consisting of a remake of Katrina and the Waves' 1985 hit song "Walking on Sunshine", and a re-recorded version of Christina Milian's Kim Possible theme song, "Call Me, Beep Me". While the single failed to reach the top 50 in Austria and Switzerland, it became the band's third consecutive single released not to enter the German top twenty with a peak position of number 24. "Do You Love Me", the album's second single, even undercut this success with a low entry at number 50 only.

In the following months the band continued touring throughout Germany, occasionally performing on festivals and TV shows. Although the quintet made plans to release a third album together, Tertia Botha was the first member to leave the band because of a longer recovery process after a sudden car crash in June 2005; she was soon followed by Rebecca Miro. Miriam Cani, Anh-Thu Doan, and Anne Ross remained as a trio and prepared the release of their new single "Never Before" after signing with Edel Records. However, in December 2005 Ross also decided to leave the project (perhaps to create Milk & Honey band with Manel Filali ), and as a result the release was cancelled. In March 2006 original band members Cani and Doan welcomed a new bandmate, Patricia "Trish" Sadowski. The trio soon began recording new songs, including "I Want Your T.I.M.E.", which would become the trio's only release in July 2006, and peaked at a disappointing number 92 on the German singles chart. After months of rumors, the Preluders eventually disbanded without any kind of media circus in fall 2006.

Cast Members
Members2003200420052006
Tertia Botha2003–2005
Rebecca Miro2003–2005
Anne Ross2003–2005
Miriam Cani2003–2006
Anh-Thu Doan2003–2006
Patricia Sadowski2006

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
GER
[1]		 AUT
[2]		 SWI
[3]
Girls in the House 2123
Prelude to History
  • Released: September 27, 2004
  • Label: Cheyenne, Polydor, Zeitgeist
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 40––

Singles
Title Year Peak positions Certifications Album
GER
[1]		 AUT
[2]		 SWI
[3]
"Losing My Religion" 2003 ——— Girls in the House
"Everyday Girl" 154
"Bal privé" 2004 283760
"Hotter than You Know" 214953 non-album release
"Walking on Sunshine" 245468 Prelude to History
"Do You Love Me" 50——
"I Want Your T.I.M.E." 2006 91—— non-album release
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist
Title Year Peak positions Certifications Album
GER
[1]		 AUT
[2]		 SWI
[3]
"Do They Know It's Christmas?"
(with TV All Stars)		 2003 32832 Ultimate Christmas Album
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
gollark: Why?
gollark: That's fine, the cryoapioform was actually just me randomly picking a number from 1 to 13.
gollark: A moderately sized cryoapioform told me to tell you to look at #12 more closely.
gollark: Of course, they could be pretending to be someone pretending to be them.
gollark: Of course, someone could be pretending to be them.

References
  1. "charts.de". Media Control. charts.de. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  2. "austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  3. "swisscharts.com". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  4. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Archived from the original (To access, enter the search parameter "Preluders" and select "Suchen") on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
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