Yazz

This article is about the British solo artist. For the American actor and rapper Yazz, see Bryshere Y. Gray. For the British synthpop duo Yaz, see Yazoo. For other uses, see Yaz.

Yazz
Birth name	Yasmin M. Evans
Born	(1960-05-19) 19 May 1960 Shepherd's Bush, London, England
Genres	Dance, funk, Christian
Occupation(s)	Musician, model
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Big Life, Polydor, eastwest, Elevation
Website	www.yazzmusic.co.uk

Yazz (born Yasmin Evans, 19 May 1960) is a British pop singer, who remains best known for her successful 1988 dance track, "The Only Way Is Up". Some of her records were credited to Yazz & The Plastic Population. Her father is Jamaican, her mother English.

Career

Yazz was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, and attended Holland Park School, where she excelled at sports, including the 400 metres. She was also a member of the England under-19 volleyball team. After a spell as a catwalk model, she scored a number of club hits after recording with the group The Biz in 1983. Her first commercial success came in early 1988, when she supplied the vocals on Coldcut's "Doctorin' the House". She soon launched a solo career on Big Life records, a label set up by her husband Jazz Summers, releasing her debut single, "The Only Way Is Up", in the summer of 1988. It went on to spend five weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, eventually becoming the second biggest selling UK single of the year. Suddenly one of Britain's biggest pop acts, her follow-up was another big hit ("Stand Up for Your Love Rights", UK number 2), whilst her debut album, Wanted (UK number 3) was certified double platinum in the UK in September 1989, for sales exceeding 600,000.

She continued to have hits into 1989 (and had her last Top Ten hit with the number 9 hit "Fine Time") but has since recorded only sporadically. A second Big Life album, titled Revolution of Love, was scheduled for release in 1990 following her last Top 20 single, "Treat Me Good" (peaking at number 20 in the UK). The album was shelved, however, when Yazz parted ways with the label.

Yazz signed with Polydor Records, and an album titled One True Woman was scheduled for release in May 1992 following the release of the title track, but was also cancelled. Yazz returned to the Top 40 in 1993, performing with Aswad on the hit "How Long". Her second album, One on One was finally released in 1994, including some of the tracks recorded for the One True Woman album.

Yazz continued to release singles throughout the 1990s, including a cover version of The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". In 1997 she released the covers album The Natural Life after signing with East West Records. The album was released in Japan, Australia, and some parts of Europe, but not in the UK.

It was during this period that she began to reevaluate her career choices and during an interview admitted that she wanted to give up not only her secular lifestyle which included her failed marriage to Summers (their union had resulted in a daughter, Rio, born in April 1990), but also her dependency on drinking. After she had researched various religions, a friend who used to be her hairstylist suggested to her that she try visiting her church. Soon after that, she decided to "turn her life over to Christ".

Her 2008 album Running Back to You, distributed in the UK by ICC Records, charted her spiritual journey and her new-found Christian faith. Yazz is now based in Spain, and is an active member of the Calahonda Baptist Church. Yazz returns to Britain occasionally to promote this album, performing songs from it live interspersed with several anecdotes pertaining to her faith.

In August 2009, she performed with a full band on stage for the first time in several years at a church in Southampton. In October 2010, Yazz performed again with a full band at Cathedral House in Huddersfield, home of the Huddersfield Christian Fellowship.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	UK	AUS	GER	NED	NZ	SWE	SWI
1988	Wanted	3	43	35	80	27	8	19
1989	The Wanted Remixes	53	—	—	—	—	—	—
1994	One on One	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1997	The Natural Life	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2001	At Her Very Best and All the Greatest Hits	166	—	—	—	—	—	—
2008	Running Back to You	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2011	This Is Love	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions														Album
		UK	AUS	AUT	BEL (FLA)	FRA	GER	IRE	NED	NOR	NZ	SWE	SWI	US	US Dance
1988	"Doctorin' the House" (Coldcut featuring Yazz & The Plastic Population)	6	45	—	40	—	11	16	20	—	33	—	4	—	3	What's That Noise? (by Coldcut)
	"The Only Way Is Up" (as Yazz & The Plastic Population)	1	2	5	1	4	3	1	1	5	1	1	2	96	2	Wanted
	"Stand Up for Your Love Rights"	2	22	29	4	19	10	1	6	—	8	12	7	—	5
1989	"Fine Time"	9	60	—	28	31	32	4	42	—	18	—	25	—	—
	"Where Has All the Love Gone"	16	83	—	—	—	40	30	86	—	—	—	—	—	—
1990	"Yazz' Megamix" (France only)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	singles only
	"Treat Me Good"	20	100	—	—	—	55	—	48	—	—	—	28	—	7
1992	"One True Woman"	60	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	–
1993	"How Long" (with Aswad)	31	—	—	—	—	52	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	One on One
1994	"Have Mercy"	42	—	—	—	—	86	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime"	56	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1996	"Good Thing Going"	53	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	The Natural Life
1997	"Never Can Say Goodbye"	61	240	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1998	"Abandon Me"	78	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	single only
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

References

• Smash Hits magazine.
• Betts, Graham: Collins' Complete UK Hit Singles: 1952 – 2004. London: HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN 0-00-717931-6
• Yazz is referred to on "The Venture Bros. Season two" Commentary by Jackson Public and Doc Hammer

External links

• Yazz information and details of the 2008 album 'Running back to you' at Yazzmusic.co.uk
• Interview with Yazz at Premier.tv
• Running Back to You album review