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Record of the Day

PRS FOR MUSIC HONOURS SOUL II SOUL’S FIRST LIVE GIG VENUE

13 Jun 2012

Soul II Soul, one of the UK’s most successful and iconic R’n’B groups is to be honoured by a PRS for Music Heritage Award.

A special plaque is to be erected on the Electric (then known as The Fridge), in Brixton where the group fronted by the legendary, Jazzie B played their first full live gig in 1991.

PRS for Music set up the Heritage Award in 2009 to recognise the unusual ‘performance birthplaces’ of famous bands and artists. Soul II Soul and the cutting-edge south London scene have contributed significantly to shaping the British music landscape and hold huge nostalgic significance to thousands of fans. Previous awardees include Blur, Elton John, Snow Patrol, James, Jethro Tull and UB40.

PRS for Music Chairman, Guy Fletcher said: “Soul II Soul redefined British music in the 1980’s with their unique style, achieving global success and going on to work with other instrumental artists such as James Brown, Public Enemy and Destiny’s Child. Those early gigs are where the magic first happens and Soul II Soul continues to be an inspiration to many other musicians. It really is a privilege to celebrate their achievements in this way.”

Jazzie B and members of the group including vocalist Caron Wheeler, Aitch and Q will be there to see the plaque unveiled on the wall of the Electric in Brixton at 11.30am on Thursday 21st June, after which they will play an exclusive live set to a select audience of media, local government, key music industry figures and friends of the band.

Jazzie B said: "I am honoured that the place where our musical career really took off has been chosen to be marked in this way. We had some unforgettable nights in Brixton and nothing beats playing to a live audience. We are about to start a new residency at the Electric too which is really exciting, especially given how important the venue is to our story.”

Soul II Soul has sold over 6.8 million albums worldwide. Jazzie has accreditation on over 35 million albums in over 100 territories and has appeared at some of the most famous venues in the world including Wembley and New York’s Universal Ample Theatre. In 1990 they picked up two Grammy Awards and Jazzie B was given the keys to seven cities in the US, including LA and New York. In May 2008 Jazzie, “the man who gave British black music a soul of its own” won the Ivor Novello Award for inspiration. The same month Jazzie B was awarded an OBE for services to music, the first sound man to be honoured by Her Majesty the Queen.

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