Fans of Aussie pop group Bardot are always holding out hope a reunion, and while that hasn’t happened a new project featuring members Katie Underwood and Belinda Chapple sees two fifths of the band back together.
Underwood and Chapple first found success alongside Sophie Monk, Sally Polihronas and Tiffani Wood in the TV show Popstars which lead to the formation of Bardot. They went on to have a string of dance hits between 2000 and 2001.
The success of the recent Bardot 2021 remixes, and recent nostalgia and love from the fans, has led to Underwood and Chapple heading back into the studio to create a new pop anthem: Broken Hearted.
Both have a passion for dance music, especially a deep love and appreciation for ’70s Disco, which the new track embodies. Broken Hearted was produced by the talented up and coming LA producer Dylan Bowes (also known as St Ends).
Belinda says the pair really enjoyed working with Bowes.
“I really enjoyed working with Dylan on Broken Hearted to create a song that you really want to dance to, with beautiful strings and a cracking dance beat, Dylan is an incredible talent.”
The tune is being released on 15th October, but OUTinPerth has been sent an advance copy and can confirm it is a dancefloor thumper with crisp vocals and a classic disco sound. The duo have delivered both a dance floor version and a more chilled out acoustic take on the song. Both a completely gorgeous.
Since Bardot called it quits in 2002 Chapple has built up a career working as an Artistic Director and has introduce some of Australia’s up and coming talent to international markets. She’s also established her own interior design business.
Underwood went on to have further success on the charts scoring a huge hit with Beautiful when she collaborated with Disco Montego. She also released a jazz album and several albums of new age music. Alongside working as a meditation teacher, sound healer and massage therapist, Underwood also has new music in the works. She plans to release an album of dance music next year.
Bands that are a subset of other bands
Ka’Bel will be made up of two fifths of Bardot, they’re not the first group members to launch a side project made up of part of a previous group.
Duran Duran vs Arcadia
In the mid 1980s when Duran Duran was at the height of their fame the band split into two camps.
Lead guitarist Andy Taylor and bass player John Taylor formed the group The Power Station with vocalist Robert Palmer and drummer Tony Thompson from 70’s disco band Chic. They scored hits with Some Like It Hot and a cover of T-Rex’s Get It On (Bang a Gong).
The remaining three members of Duran Duran created the group Arcadia. Simon Le Bon, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes all dyed their hair black and released the album So Red The Rose. They were also successful in the charts with Election Day and Goodbye is Forever.
When the band reconvened for the recording of their Notorious album in 1986 Roger Taylor opted to leave the band, and Andy Taylor only appeared on a few tracks. The original five members wouldn’t reunite until 2000.
Steps vs H & Claire
When pop band Steps broke up in 2001 two thirds of the band continued on, Ian ‘H’ Watkins and Claire Richards continued on as a duo.
They released an album Another You Another Me which featured the singles DJ, Half a Heart and All Out of Love. The albums title track was written by ABBA songwriter Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The tune was originally recorded by Swedish band Gemini in 1985.
Steps reunited in 2011 with all five members back onboard.
New Edition vs Bell Biv Devoe
New Edition was one of the most popular US teen bands of the 80’s. The group comprised Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. When Bobby Brown left in 1985 to pursue a solo career they continued as a foursome for one album before adding Johnny Gill to the line-up.
As a new decade dawned both Tresvant and Gill released solo albums, while Brown’s solo career was going gangbusters. The remaining three members formed a new group combing their last names Bell, Biv, DeVoe.
They scored a big hit with their debut single Poison which embraced the New Jack Swing sound. The band put out two albums before all six members of New Edition got back together in 1996. Even though New Edition reunited Bell Biv Devoe has continued on, releasing four albums to date.
All Saints vs Appleton
In 2001 British band All Saints got into an argument over who would wear a particular jacket at a photoshoot, and it lead the the foursome breaking up.
Half the band, sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton continued on as a duo. They put out an album called Everything’s Eventual and it contained three singles Fantasy, Don’t Worry, and the title track.
The record featured collaborations with some of the UK’s top producers and writers of the day, and their debut single Fantasy got to number 2 on the British charts. It didn’t take too long for All Saints to reunite, they were back together as a foursome by 2006.
New Order vs The Other Two
In 1979 Ian Curtis, the lead singer of British band Joy Division took his own life. The remaining members of the band Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris formed a new band New Order in 1980 and a few months later Gillian Gilbert joined them as keyboard player.
Moving into a more electronic sound they produced a series of hit albums in the 1980’s and had hit songs including Blue Monday, Confusion, Shellshock, Bizarre Love Triangle, True Faith and Ruined in a Day.
As the 1990’s dawned the band went on hiatus and all the members launched side projects. Bernard Sumner formed Electronic with The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, while Hook set up a new band Monaco. The remaining two members, who were a couple, also formed a new outfit.
Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris’s new band name The Other Two, was a direct reference to them being the other two from New Order. They put out two albums The Other Two and You in 1993, and Super Highways in 1999. Their single Tasty Fish is a catchy number.
New Order reformed and continued to release new music putting out their next album in 2001.
OIP Staff
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