Willy DeVille, whose real name is William Borsay Jr., was an American singer who started his teenage artistic career by playing in a blues group called 'Billy & The Kids' and then in another group named this time 'The Immaculate Conception'.
During the year 1973 he was found in the group 'The Royal Pythons', an adventure that gave nothing more than the previous two.
It was in 1974 that things took a serious turn for the worse when he formed with Thomas R. Allen Jr., Ruen Siguenza, Robert McKenzie and Ritch Colbert the group 'Billy De Sade And The Marquis'. Group which became 'Mink DeVille' a year later in 1975. Group that will make the heyday of CBGB, the New York club where the punk rock current will reign supreme from the mid-1970s.
A highlight which will allow them to sign with the Capital Records label the following year in 1976. Label which allows them to release their first album “Cabretta” a year later in 1977, an album which will be a great success at its exit. And who will especially produce their first title classified "Spanish stroll".
New album "Return to Magenta" in 1978, album with more important success but which will struggle to produce any single of big caliber except the title "Just your friends", only title to perform more or less its pin of the game. The album "Le chat bleu" which came out in 1980 and of which only one title "Mazurka" managed to save the furniture. The album "Coup de Grâce", which was to be released the following year in 1981, contained no classified titles.
It was not until 1983 and the release of the album "Where angels fear to tread" that the group finally returned to singles success. First and foremost with "Each word's a beat of my heart". And to a lesser extent “Demasiado corazon (Too much heart)”.
The group produced the album "Sportin’ life "in 1985, which was a very successful album but which, once again, was unable to produce world class singles. With the consequence of a personal bankruptcy of the artist and a dissolution of the group ...
Solo from 1986 and release of his first personal album "Miracle" in 1987, album he produced in collaboration with...Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, just that. But as before with his former band, the album was a success but did not produce any major hits. Only the title "Storybook love", present on the soundtrack of the film The Princess Bride, will allow the duo to experience a semblance of recognition.
We will have to wait 3 years and the year 1990 to see his new album "Victory mixture" released, very soul oriented New Orleans album. Unfortunately too typed album which will completely miss the general public ...
He returned in 1992 with the album "Backstreets of Desire", album which will do slightly better than its predecessor and which will especially produce his last major hit with the title "Hey Joe".
Several albums will be released thereafter and will be a definite success including "Loup garou" in 1995, "Crow Jane Alley" in 2004 and "Pistomla" in 2008. But once again none will be able to obtain any classified hit ...
The adventure will end for good on August 6, 2009, when the singer died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 58.
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Spanish stroll (Mink DeVille) 1977
Just your friends (Mink DeVille) 1978
Guardian angel (Mink DeVille) 1978
Mazurka 1980
This must be the night (Mink DeVille) 1980
Love & emotion (Mink DeVille) 1981
May be tomorrow (Mink DeVille) 1981
Each Word's a Beat of My Heart (Mink DeVille) 1983
Demasiado Corazon (Too Much Heart) (Mink DeVille) 1983
I must be dreaming 1985
Storybook love 1987
Miracle 1987
Beating like a Tom-Tom 1990
Hey Joe 1992
I call your name 1992
Empty heart 1994
Still I love you still 1995
Gypsy deck of hearts 1999
Right there right then 2004
My forever came today 2004
Louise 2008
I remember the first time 2008
Clips :
1977 ... the group debut. The adventure will combine with several for a few years and produce a certain number of big singles including this one which will undoubtedly remain as the most successful of the Mink DeVille adventure. HU-GE !
1978 ... it is certain that the group will not remain as the most talented of its generation but its discography holds up, it is clear ...
1978 ... inspired titles which allow the group to make a name for himself in the big leagues slowly but surely. What more...
1980 ... in a totally improbable style, the group continues his adventure without asking too many questions. Afterwards, rightly or wrongly, that's something else ...
1980 ... the BIG year for the band with a plethora of titles and quality across the board. No title will end up at the top of the Charts but allows the group to exist at the highest level in the best possible way ...
1981 ... which will surely remain as one of the most emblematic titles of the group. And paradoxically, it will almost pass under the radar. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...
1981 ... they are far from unworthy but in the age of synthesizers and drum machines galore, their style is seriously starting to isolate them. But that's also the 80s ...
1983 ... and they are right to believe it because with this new title they will obtain a major success which puts them directly back in the race. Like what, nothing is ever finished !
1983 ... this title will also make talk about it. In a South American style to say the least daring but which works perfectly. All good little guys !
1985 ... the adventure continues unabated and sees the group continue to deliver titles of more than certain quality. Good job once again !
1987 ... when 2 great names in the musical world come together for the duration of an album, the result can only be of high level. And it is inevitably, the proof !
1987 ... the Mink DeVille adventure ended, the singer is now flying with his own wings. At least not on this album, but who would blame him for having associated with a partner of this caliber !
1990 ... this time around, the singer really rolls solo now. With a transition to the 90s which will be somewhat painful. Attention danger...
1992 ... fortunately, a providential return of inspiration will allow him to rise to the surface in a spectacular way. And to sign a last major hit which will remain as his main solo ...
1992 ... the rest will be more complicated to manage than expected despite this spectacular rebound. Despite also this kind of title with finesse which would have deserved a recognition much higher than it was ...
1994 ... ditto for this one. He is far from demerit, but the gap taken with the competition is such that he is now doing more some figuration than anything else. Hard law of the trade ...
1995 ... his last - small - hit. This time the case is definitively folded and he will never come back in the race ...
1999 ... the adventure will continue for some reason but more for the glory than anything else. There is only him to believe it now ...
2004 ... he will try all the same the passage to the decade 2000. With a result in the Charts almost non-existent but his will to advance costs what costs strengths respect, it is clear ...
2004 ... another pretty ballad of which he has the secret. A know-how in this area that we can never deny, that's for sure !
2008 ... even if the general public has been looking elsewhere for ages, he still believes in it. With the key to the production of titles far from uninteresting ...
2008 ... all good things come to an end as they say and this time will be the good one. The end of an adventure which will have seen him produce several singles of very high caliber, whether solo or with others. And that, no one can ever take away from him !
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Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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