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49ers are an Italian Italo House and Eurodance act featuring producer and DJ Gianfranco Bortolotti and vocalist Ann-Marie Smith. They were named after the San Francisco 49ers American football team as Smith was the 49th vocalist to audition.

In 1990, two of their songs reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, "Touch Me" and "Don't You Love Me".

49ers exemplified two characteristics of Italo House: the taking of lyrical hooks from other compositions and the off-kilter approach to English grammar and narrative. The couplets that often form the choruses of Italo House records usually make sense in a roughly impressionistic manner (if at all).

[edit] Background

[edit] Formation and the self titled Debut album

The project was formed in 1988 by the producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. The debut single "Die Walküre" was based on a vocal from Freeez I.O.U. (Acapella)(though the young woman on the cover is Josy Gil Persia) and reached number 20 on the French Singles Chart. It was followed by "Shadows" one year later. After this, Bortolotti recruited Dawn Mitchell to front the act. "Touch Me" was partially based on an Aretha Franklin sample ("Rock-a-Lott"), but its chorus line was taken from Alysha Warren's own song, "Touch Me". "Don't You Love Me" featured a vocal sample from Jody Watley's hit "Don't You Want Me" and peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other borrowed phrases and hooks are dispersed throughout the accompanying album, creating an "aural scavenger hunt". It was revealed that Alysha Warren was the 49ers vocalist. Lip-sync was performed on videos by Dawn.

"Touch Me" became a UK #3 hit in January 1990; follow-up "Don't You Love Me" hit #12 on the UK Singles Chart.

[edit] The Follow-up albums

A Remix album and the stand-alone single "Believe In Me" (which Dawn co-written and sang) was released in 1991. Soon afterwards, Mitchell left the act and was replaced by Ann-Marie Smith. The second album "Playing With My Heart" was released in 1992, this time with Smith actually performing on the record. The album spawned five singles, "Move Your Feet", "Got to Be Free", "The Message", "Everything" and "Keep Your Love".

[edit] Other singles

The single "Rockin My Body" reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. They released five more singles including "Lovin You", "Baby I'm Yours","I Got The Music (aka I Got It)" and "Let The Sunshine In". The act broke up.

[edit] Former members

Gianfranco Bortolotti - production/arrangement/songwriting (1988 - 1998)
Pieradis Rossini - additional production/arrangement/songwriting (1988 - 1991)
Alysha Warren (real name: Alyesha Wallen) - lead female (uncredited) vocalist on various tracks (except "I Need You", "I Will Survive", "Die Walküre" and "Shadows") from the self titled Album. (1989 - 1990)
Josy Gil Persia - performer (1988 - 1990)
Dawn Mitchell - performer - although Dawn's voice was used on both tracks "I Need You", "I Will Survive" and the "Believe In Me" Single. (1989 - 1991)
Ann-Marie Smith - vocals (1991 - 1998)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

1990 49ers
1991 The Remix Album
1992 Playing With My Heart
2004 Greatest Hits 1990-2002

[edit] Singles

Year	Title	UK	Ireland	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Club Play	Australia
1988	"Die Walküre"	-	-	-	-	-
1989	"Shadows"	-	-	-	-	-
1989	"Touch Me"	3	4	-	1	18
1990	"Don't You Love Me?"	12	6	78	1	61
1990	"How Longer"	-	-	-	-	-
1990	"Girl to Girl"	31	13	-	-	-
1990	"I Need U"	-	-	-	-	-
1991	"Move Your Feet"	-	-	-	-	-
1992	"Got to Be Free"	46	-	-	38	-
1992	"The Message"	68	-	-	32	-
1993	"Everything"	-	-	-	-	-
1993	"Keep Your Love"	-	-	-	-	-
1994	"Rockin' My Body"	31	-	-	-	-
1995	"Hangin' On To Love"	-	-	-	-	-
1996	"Baby I'm Yours"	-	-	-	-	-
1997	"I Got The Music (I Got It)"	-	-	-	-	-
1998	"Let The Sunshine In"	-	-	-	-	-

[edit] See also

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