Daz Sampson started his music career as a mobile DJ but first found fame as the MC, songwriter and ideas man in Bus Stop.
Bus Stop's debut single Kung Fu Fighting featuring Carl Douglas sold 250,000 copies in the UK and
was a
major
international hit.
After four hit singles,
Chris Moyles responded
to a letter from Daz
by championing his
records on
Radio 1
week after week and inviting him on to the show
for regular career
updates
that became unmissable comedy moments.
During this period, Daz formed the duo Rikki & Daz with John Matthews (AKA Ricardo Autobahn AKA Rikki)
of the Cuban
Boys.
Their
single Rhinestone Cowboy (Giddy Up Giddy Up) featured a new vocal from country music legend Glen Campbell,
and reached #12 in the UK. Daz and John later had a top 40 UK hit with their creation
the Barndance Boys,
best remembered
for
their papier
mache heads.The pair also topped dance charts around Europe with 2005's 'The Woah Song' by DJ Daz.
In 2004 Daz returned to his other great love – dance music – and immersed himself in the vibrant house
scene centred around
Liverpool.
Daz was playing the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when he heard the next Call On Me on the
soundtrack – Out Of Touch by Hall & Oates. Within hours, producer Paul Keenan had knocked up a demo sampling
Out Of Touch,
and the two of them formed Uniting Nations. The single sold well over 100,000 singles in the UK,
and was a
pan-European hit.
There followed further Uniting Nations hit singles and an album,
and
their
reputation
as the
UK's leading commercial dance act
was sealed when Smash Hits readers
and T4
viewers
voted them
Best Dance Act at the last ever Pollwinners Party in 2005.
EUROVISION 2006
Click here to see some fantastic behind the scenes pictures taken during the Eurovision Song Contest, 2006 in Athens
Daz's success with Uniting Nations gained him recognition as a songwriter (his songs have been covered by the
likes of Angel City and Dana Rayne), a producer, a DJ (he plays gigs all over Europe with Uniting Nations), and a remixer (he has remixed numerous UK and European hit singles).
But through it all, Daz yearned to get back to making pop music, and to get behind the mike and be a frontman once more. So he gave it one last shot, hooking up with the label belonging to the legendary Pete Waterman – one of the few music industry figures who genuinely understands Daz's brand of punter-appeal pop. Then on to Daz's greatest ambition – bringing home the Eurovision crown home to Britain. When he heard that Richard Park was the new supremo of the British Eurovision entry, he sent him his masterpiece. That track was Teenage Life, co-written with Daz's long-term collaborator John Matthews.
Like all Daz's best songs, Teenage Life appeared in his head fully-formed, complete with children's choir – "the spirits put it there" is his explanation. The song describes his personal experiences of school (Mr T being a teacher who was dismissive when the young Daz insisted he would become a pop star, but ultimately encouraged him), and will resonate with everyone who went to school. Looking ahead to performing the track for the great British public on Making Your Mind Up, Daz says:"This might sound funny to some people but performing on Making Your Mind Up for the chance to represent the UK in Eurovision is in the pinnacle of my ten years in the music industry. I never get nervous about anything but I'm nervous about this."
Here's a new shot of Daz in a top London studio.... could he be working on a new song for Eurovision....?
