Songoftheday 5/15/21 - Get a pen and paper write down our name, you will realize our aim is the same...

 

 

"Cleopatra's Theme" - Cleopatra

from the album Comin' Atcha! (1998)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26 (two weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 8

 

Today's song of the day comes from the British "girl group" Cleopatra, who were sisters Cleo (from whom they got their name), Yonah, and Zainah Higgins. Growing up in Manchester, the siblings were signed to Warner Brothers Records in England, where they released their debut single "Cleopatra's Theme".  Written by the group along with Kenny Parker and Tim Scraffton, it was definitely more of a branding than a song, announcing themselves even more blatantly than the boy and girl bands of the day, and sounding like a "theme" to a sitcom rather than a radio record. And that's exactly what it was, as a sitcom was produced for the group that actually ended up running for two seasons that also had their mother and other non-singing sister in it. Somehow, the "theme" got picked up in the U.S. by Madonna's Maverick Records even without the TV tie-in, and somehow it was promoted into the pop top-40 here in the States. As for the record, they sound really nice and jovial, and Cleo's voice reminds me a lot of the Pearsons of Five Star from a decade back, but the lyrics are just so so forgettable and the production is definitely pre-Nickelodeon quality...

 

 "Cleopatra's Theme" became the trio's first and only top-40 pop hit in America in August of 1998. The song also climbed to #51 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Internationally, the single was a much bigger success, reaching the top ten in the UK (#3), New Zealand (#6), Belgium (#8W/#14F), and the Netherlands (#10). It also made the top-40 in Ireland (#11), Sweden (#21), and Australia (#25). The Comin' Atcha! album, released in June of 1998, rose to #109 on the Billboard 200 sales chart in the U.S., and #20 in the UK. 

The second single from their debut, "Life Ain't Easy", a direct rewrite of Robyn's "Show Me Love", was another big British hit, cresting at #4, while going to #7 in New Zealand, #20 in Ireland, and #37 in Australia, but in America it stalled way down at #81, their final charting hit in the States. That was followed by a cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back", which also went to #4 in Britain, was their biggest hit in France at #19, and made the top-40 in New Zealand (#13), Ireland (#26), and Belgium (#36W). A fourth release, "A Touch Of Love", reached the top 40 in the UK (#24) and New Zealand (#40). The trio also appeared on the tribute single "Thank ABBA For The Music" which also had future SOTD act B*Witched along with British teen pop acts Steps, Billie, and Tina Cousins, which hit the top ten in the UK (#4), Ireland (#5), New Zealand (#6), Sweden (#8), and Australia (#9).

In 2000, Cleopatra returned with their second album Steppin' Out. However, after the lead single "Come and Get Me" stalled down at #29, and the album didn't even place, they were let go from Warners and Maverick. Cleo returned on her own as a contestant on The Voice UK singing competition in 2013, where she semi-finals, and her cover of En Vogue's "Don't Let Go (Love)" plaved at #92 on the British singles chart.

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Here's the trio appearing on Top Of The Pops...

Next up live at the Smash Hits Winners Party awards show in 1998...

and finally, the Higgins sisters appeared on the "comeback" TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time in 2005, and performed their theme...

Up tomorrow: Atlantan singer has the hots.