Tina Charles's Biography

Tina Charles, Icon of Disco Music: Biography of an Unforgettable Voice

Tina Fancourt Hoskins, known to the world as Tina Charles, was born in Whitechapel, London, on March 10, 1954. From a young age, she demonstrated an innate talent for singing, starting her career at just 14 years old, supported by a young and still-unknown Elton John. In the early 1970s, Tina honed her vocal skills as a member of the female pop trio "Wild Honey" and as a performer of numerous anonymous solo vocals for the popular British television series "Top Of The Pops".

The decisive breakthrough in Tina Charles' career came in 1975, when she lent her voice to the song "I'm On Fire" by the band "5,000 Volts". Although her contribution was not initially fully recognized, a chance meeting with singer Lee Vanderbilt put her in contact with renowned record producer Biddu. It was Biddu who offered her the opportunity to interpret "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)," a composition by Jack Robinson and James Bolden destined to mark an era.

The recording sessions saw the participation of talented musicians such as Richie Close on keyboards, Clive Allen on guitar, Des Browne on bass, and Tom Daley on percussion, creating an unmistakable sound. In March 1976, "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)" reached the top of the UK Singles Chart, holding it for three weeks. The song became a global hit, reaching number one in Ireland and achieving top positions in the charts of France, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Spain.

The success of "I Love to Love" earned Tina Charles the prestigious Canadian "Juno Award" as the best-selling international single of 1976, with over 200,000 copies sold in Quebec alone. The stage name "Charles" is an affectionate tribute to her father, Charles Hoskins.

In the wake of the overwhelming success of "I Love to Love", Tina Charles consolidated her position as a star with other hit singles such as "Dance Little Lady", "Love Me Like a Lover", "Doctor Love", "Rendezvous", "Love Bug", and "Fallin' In Love In Summertime", garnering widespread acclaim throughout Europe.

After a period of relative absence from the scene due to the decline of disco music, Tina Charles made a triumphant comeback in 1986 thanks to a remix of "I Love To Love". This remix, curated by The DMC (Disco Mix Club), made use of innovative sampling techniques of the time to re-propose the song in a more modern and captivating guise. Although specific details on the production of the remix are scarce, it is known that The DMC was at the forefront of remixing and promoting dance music, and that their intervention contributed significantly to bringing "I Love to Love" and Tina Charles back into the international spotlight.

Discography :

Album

1973 - Tina Sings

1976 - I Love to Love

1976 - Dance Little Lady

1977 - Rendezvous
1977 - Heart 'N' Soul
1978 - Just One Smile
1993 - World of Emotions
1994 - Only Tonight (EP)
2004 - Foundation of Love
2008 - Listen 2 the Music

Singles

1969 - Nothing in the World

1969 - In the Middle of the Day
1969 - Good to Be Alive
1970 - Bo-Bo's Party
1971 - Baby Don't You Know Anymore
1972 - There's No Stopping Us Now
1974 - One Broken Heart for Sale
1975 - You Set My Heart On Fire
1976 - I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)
1976 - Love Me like a Lover
1976 - Dance Little Lady Dance
1976 - Dr. Love
1977 - Rendezvous
1977 - Fallin' in Love in the Summertime
1977 - Love Bug - Sweets for My Sweet (Medley)
1978 - I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me
1978 - Love Rocks
1978 - Fire Down Below
1978 - Makin' All the Rights Moves
1979 - Boogie 'Round the Clock
1980 - Just One Smile
1980 - I'm Just as Bad as You
1980 - Rollin'
1980 - Turn Back the Hands of Time
1984 - Love Hunger
1986 - I Love to Love (remix)
1986 - Second Time Around
1987 - Dance Little Lady '87
1987 - I'll Go Where the Music Takes Me '87 (remix)
1988 - You Set My Heart on Fire (remix)
1989 - Go to Work on My Love
1993 - World of Emotion
2004 - I Love to Love (Latin remix)
2006 - Higher
2009 - All Comes Back to You
2011 - Your Love Is My Light