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Çë·µ»Ø BIOGRAPHY 1996
The story about the Danish band MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK is a classic in the world of rock music. It is about four friends meeting in an orchestra, staying together in spite of all their troubles, becoming a success far beyond the Danish frontiers, and who are now, after three albums released and almost three million copies sold, facing the release of their GREATEST HITS album titled 'PAINT MY LOVE'.

In 1987, at a grammar school in the city of Århus, JASCHA RICHTER (b. 1963) formed a small café orchestra which included his sister and the two subsequent Michael musicians, drummer KÅRE WANSCHER (b. 1969) and guitarist MIKKEL LENTZ (b. 1968). Although younger than he, they had both listened to rock music at their mother's knees and had been playing with bands for years. Jascha played some of his demos to Kåre, and the two of them decided to start a band, based on Jascha's songs. Mikkel was an obvious third, but they could not seem to find a bass player. So Kåre asked his old pal, guitarist SØREN MADSEN (b. 1967) to play the bass in the first evening of practice. This temporary job became a permanent one. The chemistry worked from the start - and today the band holds the same four people that met in the practice room back in the spring of 1988.

Under the name MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK the quartet made its début at the event "Dansk Rock Grand Prix" that took place in rhus in May 1988. The band won the competition, and a few months later it registered for the then most prestigious musical competition in rhus. Michael Learns To Rock won convincingly at the finals in July 1988 and met on that occasion their future manager and booker JP ANDERSEN, promoter of one of the major festivals of Denmark. Over the next two years, through his efforts, the band gained access to numerous events in Denmark. They played in small and large clubs, at small festivals and in grammar schools. Soon MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK stretched their experience from large audiences in a rapture to very small ones. But first and foremost they learnt to play under all possible and impossible conditions - and particularly the latter produced a close friendship and a firmly constructed band.

After recording a comprehensive demo material and four songs for a promotional album for new artists, JENS HOFMAN, A&R and executive producer of the EMI Medley recording company initiated a close co-operation with both the band and JP Andersen. On 20 February 1989, this lead to signing the coveted recording contract. In the autumn of 1989 and the spring of 1990, MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK recorded their first album with Jens Hofman and OLI POULSEN as the producers. The American TONY PELUSO was brought over to Denmark to mix the eleven numbers, which on 1 September 1991 were released under the title "Michael Learns To Rock".

The first single "I Still Carry On" (released on 4 July 1991) broke the ice for MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK, who quickly became favourites of the air in Denmark. But after release of their second single and video "The Actor", MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK suddenly became a household word. On 3 January 1992 the first album topped the Danish charts, where it remained for the next five weeks. Now things got moving. "The Actor" topped the charts in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, and it was also released in Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, and in several South American countries. At home in Denmark, the band had reached stardom at express speed, and it went on a tour playing to full houses until mid-August 1992. MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK became one of the main attractions at the "Green Concerts", Denmark's biggest mobile festival, where more than 200,000 audience heard the band. They performed on television in both Norway and Sweden, and MTV showed the video "The Actor" several times.

December 1992 saw MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK touring several countries in South East Asia, where they performed on radio and television as the conclusion of 16 months of turbulence. From being totally unknown, the band managed to sell its first album in more than 400,000 copies in 15 countries.

And this was not the end of it. Throughout the tour Jascha Richter was writing new songs for the second album, and recordings finished already in May 1993. This time, the band had formed an alliance with producer Oli Poulsen, and, once again, Tony Peluso was summoned to do the mixing.

On 26 October the album COLOURS saw the light of day in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia, with the single "Wild Women" as its front runner. At the EMI branches everybody was getting tense, for this album was a slow starter, but after release of the single "Sleeping Child" in November the atmosphere changed radically. Within four months the Colours album was released in Germany and in another five European countries, and in South East Asia release was effected in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Korea and India.

Several times in 1994 Michael Learns To Rock went on comprehensive promotion tours to both Germany and five countries in South East Asia, and the singles "Sleeping Child", "25 minutes" and "Out Of The Blue" all achieved top positions on the respective SEA charts. The result was sevenfold platinum in Thailand, fourfold platinum in Indonesia, threefold platinum in Singapore, an incredible amount of gold records and more than 60,000 records sold in Germany, etc.... - a really long list. All in all COLOURS achieved over 1.1 million copies sold in a total of 19 countries, which makes this CD one of the best selling Danish pop albums ever. During the concert with Michael Learns To Rock in Bangkok on 11 November 1994, the Phoebus Concert Hall was filled with 12,000 paying audience who on this occasion sang along with, among others, the single hit "25 Minutes" and made the time stand still for almost as long. And at the turn of the year Michael Learns To Rock received the prestigious RSH Award in Germany, as well as a Grammy for "Best Performance of a song" at the SEA Grammy Award-giving event in Singapore, February 1995. On the latter occasion the band gave a sample of the single "THAT'S WHY (You Go Away)" taken from Michael Learns To Rock's third and coming album: PLAYED ON PEPPER. What to many bands represents an enormous effort, to Michael Learns To Rock has been almost child's play: Recording the third and "difficult" album. At the start of recording (in October 1994) Jascha Richter turned up at the band's own, newly established studio with over 20 new songs. Ten of these can be found on the new album, which has been recorded, arranged and produced by Michael Learns To Rock entirely on their own, mixed at the Medley Studio in Copenhagen with Lars Overgaard in charge and with the band, Jens Hofman and Poul Bruun on the sidelines. On the wave of overwhelming success brought by COLOURS, the band pieced together an album reeking of energy and containing songs of a quality that few bands can surpass. PLAYED ON PEPPER came out on 7 August 1995 in 15 countries in South East Asia and in India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Brazil. On that occasion, Michael Learns To Rock went on an extensive promotion tour where they were treated almost like royalty wherever they went. The first single on the album, "That's Why (You Go Away)", topped the charts faster than any previous single, and in several countries the songs from Colours "25 Minutes" and "Out Of The Blue" and the new single "That's Why (You Go Away)" were placed on the charts at the same time. Home again, and a month later "PEPPER" saw the light of day in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia. And now many parts of Europe were beginning to catch on. Michael Learns To Rock had long wished for a break-through in this area, and this time things got moving. First in Switzerland, then in Italy, France and Germany. In October 1995 the band set out on its longest tour so far of South East Asia, with more than 25 concerts in 10 countries. The single "Someday" was released, and the video recorded on Bali during a breathing space between two concerts. In January and February 1996, Michael Learns To Rock could be found constantly touring Europe to promote the band, and from the end of March until mid-April they continued with the second half of the tour in South East Asia. PLAYED ON PEPPER was selling extremely well. Three new SEA countries: South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong introduced Michael Learns To Rock for the first time. In Taiwan, the sales volume lead to triple platinum, and in South Korea the successful PLAYED ON PEPPER got the previous album COLOURS on to the charts, producing a total volume of over 150,000 albums sold. Also in India platinum was awarded, and Michael Learns To Rock repayed with two tremendous outdoor concerts in Bangalore and Madras, where they played for some ten thousand audience in both cities. Michael Learns To Rock was back in Denmark in the beginning of May, and for the first time in two years they stood on the stage facing a sold-out concert hall with an enthusiastic domestic audience. PEPPER reached double platinum sales figures long ago, and the tour continued throughout the summer, interrupted only by one trip to Italy and the video recording of the third single "How Many Hours" in Norway. With this hectic and yearlong programme in mind it is difficult to imagine when Jascha Richter found the time to compose new songs. But the fact is that already in June 1996 Michael Learns To Rock delivered 12 fresh demos for the coming fourth album, including "PAINT MY LOVE" and "BREAKING MY HEART". PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS paints a picture of a pop group who have managed to stay on the top for five years with a constant flow of hits, distributed over three albums. It all began with "The Actor", then came "Wild Women", "Sleeping Child", "25 Minutes" and "Out Of The Blue". Latest, we have song along with "That's Why (You Go Away)", "Someday" and "How Many Hours". All of them songs that can be found on the now available Greatest Hits album, and as the front runner and first single we dig into the new material quoted above with the title song "PAINT MY LOVE" and the equally catchy "Breaking My Heart". Both songs were recorded, arranged and produced by Michael Learns To Rock, and Oli Poulsen did the mixing together with the band. As bonus tracks the album contains alternative versions of both songs. A total of 17 neat pearls on a string. At first, PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS is to be issued only in South East Asia, Japan, India and South Africa. And if you were to think that the issue of this album would mean that the band now wished to relax and rest on its laurels, then you've got another think coming. Right now, Michael Learns To Rock can be found at their new recording studio at home in rhus, busily recording new material for the coming fourth album. The song "Paint My Love" is a promising foretaste. PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS ISSUED IN FIVE DIFFERENT FORMATS: PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS The album on CD PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS The album on MC PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS The Video Collection on VHS PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS The Video Collection on Laser Disc (karaoke) PAINT MY LOVE - GREATEST HITS The Video Collection on VHS (karaoke) It is particularly true of the Video Collection that: This 14 song collection brings together for the first time the best material of Michael Learns To Rock. Featuring all the major single releases, it includes six tracks never before released on video. Four videos are live recordings from the Hard Rock, Teipei, on 23 August 1995. These rare unplugged performances are specially edited for this Video Collection, and the soundtracks are not included on the "Paint My Love - Greatest Hits" album.