M People

Founder of the electro-dance label DeConstruction, DJ Mike Pickering formed the M People trio in 1990 with singer Heather Small and Paul Heard (keyboards, programming). After a few singles with warm, soulful vocals ("Colour My Life", "How Can I Love You More?", "One Night In Heaven"), the group, reinforced by percussionist Shovell (Andrew Lovell), recorded the album Northern Soul (1991). In 1993, their successor Elegant Slumming provided the hit "Moving On Up", which cemented M People's reputation in clubs the world over and won the Mercury Prize over Pulp. Named Best Dance Group at the 1994 BRIT Awards, then in 1995 following the release of the album Bizarre Fruit (1994) and the hits "Sight for Sore Eyes" (no. 6) and "Open Your Heart" (no. 9), the collective offered the remixed follow-up Bizarre Fruit II. The group's final album, Fresco (1997), brought the hits "Just for You" and "Angel St" (both No. 8), taking the number of UK Top 10 hits to eleven. 1998 saw the release of the compilation The Best Of M People, featuring two previously unreleased tracks. Alongside Heather Small's solo career, M People continues to perform live, with a Greatest Hits Tour launched in 2013.