Led by a soulful American, this studio-born duo's crossover club hits defined the ‘90s.
About La Bouche
Artist Biography
The Eurodance duo La Bouche—featuring rapper Lane McCray and singer Melanie Thornton—dominated dance floors in the mid-’90s with hits like “Be My Lover” and “Sweet Dreams.”
• Thornton and McCray were two Americans who met in Germany. She was there working as a session singer, while he was in the US Air Force.
• In 1993, Thornton sang on a demo of a song called “Sweet Dreams” for producers Amir Saraf and Uli Brenner, who worked with famed German producer Frank Farian, the man behind Boney M. and Milli Vanilli.
• Farian released “Sweet Dreams” in 1994, and the track charted across Europe. The newly named La Bouche (French for “the mouth”) then added McCray, whom Thornton had sung with in a German cover band.
• La Bouche cracked America in 1995, when “Be My Lover” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Dance Club Songs chart. “Sweet Dreams” later became the duo’s second U.S. hit, peaking at No. 13 on the Hot 100.
• The group’s 1995 debut album, Sweet Dreams, went platinum in the US.
• La Bouche returned in 1996 with the remix album All Mixed Up, followed by their second and final studio album, S.O.S., two years later.
• Thornton left La Bouche in 2000 to pursue a solo career and tragically died in a 2001 plane crash while promoting her debut album.
• McCray continues to tour under the La Bouche name with singer Sophie Cairo.
Hometown
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Genre
Pop
Members of La Bouche
La Bouche was formed in 1994. Members of La Bouche include, or have included, the following 5 members.