Drizabone

London soul collective Driza Bone were part of the same early-'90s acid-jazz scene that kickstarted the careers of Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, and Incognito. Formed by Billy April and Vincent Garcia, the band used several different female vocalists in their early days, including Sophie Jones, who recorded the original demos of their only Top 20 single, "Real Love," and Dee Heron, who appeared on the single release. After remixing hits for Alison Limerick, Lisa Stansfield, and Shanice, the duo charted at number two, both in the U.K. and U.S., with their reworked version of "I Love Your Smile," they began work on their debut album. Conspiracy was recorded entirely with Atlanta-based actress/singer Kimberly Peer, and spawned a further two Top 40 entries, but following the 1995 re-release of their biggest hit, the band went quiet. April returned under his real name, Billy Freeman, in 2010, with a new album, All the Way, under the guise of a new project, the Drizabone Soul Family, a five-piece group featuring new vocalists Anneka Johnson and Nataya. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi