Mel and Kim were an English musical act that achieved success in the late 1980s.
Sisters Melanie (July 11, 1966 - January 18, 1990) and Kim Appleby (born August 28, 1961) to English and Jamaican parents, were noticed dancing in a nightclub in their native London and signed to a recording contract with Supreme Records under the guidance of production team Stock Aitken Waterman in 1985, and began releasing records under the name of Mel & Kim.
"System" was intended as their first single, but they and the producers were unhappy with it, and it became the "B-side" of their first single "Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)" which reached number three on the British charts and got the no #1 status in the Dance charts of USA. Their next single "Respectable" reached number one in Britain and became one of the year's biggest hits. They became well known celebrities, particularly in Britain, and were known for their visual style which combined urban street wear with high fashion; prior to their music career Mel had worked as a fashion model. Their single "FLM" reached #7 in the UK, while "That's the Way It Is" reached #10, giving them their last two Top Ten singles.
During a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, Mel became ill with a suspected spinal disc herniation, after complaining of a back problem for several months. Upon returning to the UK, Mel was diagnosed with secondary cancer of the spine, after previously being treated for liver cancer when she was 18, prior to the duo's rise to fame [1] . The cancer was reported to be paraganglioma by The Sun. The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, and footage from their Montreux Festival performance was used to compile the "FLM" music video. While the media speculated that Mel was terminally ill, both sisters categorically denied this, stating that Mel had suffered a debilitating back injury.
Eventually, it was confirmed that Mel had been diagnosed with cancer, following the release of a new single, "That's the Way It Is", in February 1988. Mel discharged herself from a cancer hospital to record the vocals for the track[2]. Work on a second album was not continued, however, due to Mel's illness. Both sisters appeared on the Wogan show in April 1988 while Mel was still undergoing treatment, as part of European Cancer Week[3]. She died of pneumonia on January 18, 1990, after contracting a cold; her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.
With the aid of her boyfriend, ex-Bros bassist Craig Logan, Kim launched a solo career with much of her debut solo album composed of songs cowritten with Mel, for what was intended to be the next "Mel and Kim" album. The album, "Kim Appleby", contained her debut solo single "Don't Worry" which reached number two on the British charts in November 1990. A follow up single "G.L.A.D was also a UK Top 10 hit. Subsequent singles from her debut album were "Mama" [#19] and "If You Cared" [#44]. Kim's second album "Breakaway" was not a commercial success and had a limited release. She released three further singles, "Light Of The World [#41, 1993], "Breakaway" [#56, 1993], and reunited with Stock and Aitken on "Free Spirit" [#51, 1994]. A download only single called "High" was released in 2007.
Download the Megamix here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=fcdb2eb496f570d6d2db6fb9a8902bda
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