Pussycat Dolls is an American pop girl group, and dance ensemble founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995. The group began as a burlesque troupe based in Los Angeles, before being "re-cast" as a music group in 2003, then diversified into Reality TV programmes, a Las Vegas act and venue, and other ventures overseen by Antin and her partners. The music group released their first single in 2004, and have gone on to international commercial success. They recently released their second studio album Doll Domination on September 23, 2008.
Contents [hide]1 History 1.1 Burlesque 1.1.1 1995-2003 1.1.2 2005–present 1.2 Recording group 1.2.1 2005-2007: PCD 1.2.2 2008-present: Doll Domination 2 Discography 2.1 Solo careers 2.2 Touring 3 Other endeavours 3.1 Television series 3.2 Computer games 3.3 Merchandise 4 Former members 4.1 Burlesque group 4.2 Recording group 5 See also 6 References 7 External links
Burlesque
[edit] 1995-2003Robin Antin began exploring the idea of a modern burlesque troupe in 1993 with her friend Christina Applegate.[1][2] The dance troupe's first performance was in 1995. During this period, they performed with numerous guest vocalists, with a repertoire of 1950s and 1960s pop standards while dressed in lingerie or old-fashioned pin-up costumes. They secured a Thursday night residency at Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room, where they stayed from 1995 - 2001. The troupe received wider press coverage in June 1999, when Playboy ran a Pussycat Dolls pictorial, featuring at least seven contemporary members. Three years later, the Dolls moved to The Roxy. The group became internationally popular and was featured in magazines, television specials for MTV and VH1, ad campaigns, and movies. Some of the Pussycat Dolls appeared in the 2002 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, dancing to "The Pink Panther Theme".
Along with Applegate, Christina Aguilera, and Carmen Electra (who was the group's lead performer for many of their shows) the troupe was featured in a Maxim shoot in 2002,[3] which increased public interest in them. Following this wider popularity, and with the involvement of music producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, the Pussycat Dolls were re-cast, transformed into a pop recording group, and became employees of Iovine's label Interscope Records. The only troupe members who remained after the re-casting process was Carmit Bachar, Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, & Kimberly Wyatt. Electra, when asked about her lack of involvement with the group's evolution into a pop group, said: "I was part of the Dolls for over two years and did every show with them... but financially, I couldn't become part of their new music project... It was a sacrifice I couldn't make."[4] She later made a cameo appearance in the music video for "Don't Cha". In late 2003, Electra formed another burlesque troupe called The Bombshell Babies, which included ex-Dolls Staci Flood and Nadine Ellis, and later adding ex-Doll Kasey Campbell.
[edit] 2005–presentIn parallel to Pussycat Dolls as a recording act, in April 2005 a resident live show commenced at the "Pussycat Dolls Lounge" adjacent to Pure Nightclub in Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. This show contains "cast members" who continue the burlesque-style show which began in Los Angeles in 1995. At least one early member of the L.A. dance troupe, Rachel Sterling, made the move to the Las Vegas show.[5] The cast includes vocalist Jamie Preston,[6] Cindy,[6] Hayley,[6] James Darby, Amanda Nowak,[6] Colby,[7] Bridgy,[7] and Jamie Ruiz from Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious also joined the group.[7] Former dolls include Mallory,[8] Jen,[8] Loreli,[8] Victoria,[8] Rosa,[8] Marcea,[8] Rita,[8] Jessica Lea,[9] Rachel Sterling,[9] Laura Diane,[9] Laurel,[6] and Alicia[6] between others. The venue is operated by Pure Management Group, Robin Antin has some involvement, but it is unclear whether Interscope also has a financial interest. The Pussycat Dolls recording group have made occasional appearances. In February 2007, Caesars Palace opened the Pussycat Dolls Casino located across from the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. It features "Dolls-style" decor and attire for the gaming staff, waitresses and dancers. Recording group 2005-2007: PCDMain article: PCD (album)In 2003, Nicole Scherzinger, a former member of Popstars winners Eden's Crush, became the group's lead singer. The Pussycat Dolls' musical line-up consisted of Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Melody Thornton. By the time the recording group were launched, their stage costumes were developed to bear various branding and "PCD" logos, which preceded the sales of a branded clothing range and other merchandise (via websites and at performances). Their repertoire was expanded to include new Pop/R&B songs, with hit producers and guest rappers, while still retaining some of the pop standards from their earlier incarnation. They appeared in two soundtracks in 2004 for the films, Shark Tale and Shall We Dance? The newly-formed recording group's first single was "Sway" from Shall We Dance?, with a music video inspired by the movie.
On September 13, 2005, they released their debut album, PCD, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200.[10] Their first single, "Don't Cha" was a hit, reaching number one in multiple countries including UK, Australia and Canada and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] The song was originally a cover of the Tori Alamaze single featuring rapper Busta Rhymes. The group won a Billboard Music Award for "Don't Cha" (Ralphi Rosario mix) as Hot Dance Music/Club Play Single of the Year.
The album spawned six more singles. The ballad "Stickwitu" was another top five in the U.S.,[10] selling over three million digital downloads and CDs worldwide.[citation needed] The song was the group's second UK number 1 hit.[11] It was later nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group. Their third single, "Beep", which featured rapper will.i.am, did not perform as successfully as the previous two singles but still went to number one internationally.[12] A subsequent single, "Buttons" (with rapper Snoop Dogg) reached number three on the UK singles chart;[12] the next single, "I Don't Need a Man" was not as successful, although it reached the top 10 in Australia,[13] Ireland,[13] New Zealand[13] and UK.[13] The group's sixth single from the album was "Wait a Minute" featuring Timbaland released in the U.S. in August 2006, becoming a top 40 hit worldwide.[10]
In 2006, San Francisco-based company Doppelganger (along with Interscope Records) launched the PCD Music Lounge, an interactive website. In late 2006, the Pussycat Dolls were also featured in a commercial for Cingular Wireless along with Ludacris and KoRn. The group was selected to perform for the introduction for ABC's coverage of the NBA.[14] In 2007, a version of "Right Now" was used as a theme song for the NBA, though the lyrics had been altered.
On March 8, 2008, Carmit Bachar left the group, confirming the news by posting a blog on the group's official website.[15] The Pussycat Dolls are said to be continuing as a five-piece. They performed for US troops in Kuwait for Operation Myspace.[16] They sang all of their singles. In the absence of Bachar, her vocal parts are now performed mostly by Jessica Sutta, some of them by Wyatt or Roberts.
[edit] 2008-present: Doll DominationMain article: Doll DominationAfter a brief break, the dolls returned in May 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" - the first release from their second album, with Timbaland serving as executive producer of the album.[17]
The song was performed live for the first time on May 20, on Jimmy Kimmel Live[18][19] and again at the MTV Movie Awards on June 1.[20] They also performed the song at the first results show of the 2008 season of So You Think You Can Dance. The song was released on May 27 2008.[21] The song charted in the top 40 in most countries. The song charted at number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song charted at number six on the European Singles Chart. Other promotions include hosting the 2008 Maxim Hot 100 on VH1 on the position number seventeen.[22]
The second studio album from the Pussycat Dolls was scheduled for release worldwide on September 20 2008, and in the U.S. on September 23,[23] with tracks produced by Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Eminem, The Clutch, Sean Garrett, Quiz & Larossi, New Kids On The Block, Scott Storch, Darkchild, Fernando Garibay, Ryan Tedder, Mark Taylor, Taio Cruz,[24] and others.[25] Two other confirmed tracks are "Bottle Pop" and "Away" which were written and produced by Fernando Garibay.[26]
They performed their hit singles "Buttons" and "When I Grow Up" at the MTV Asia Awards 2008 in Genting Highlands, Malaysia and performed in Singapore for Singfest 2008, as part of a line-up of international music acts. They performed the singles "Buttons", "Don't Cha", and "When I Grow Up", including a special solo dance segment "Show Me What You Got".
Contents [hide]1 History 1.1 Burlesque 1.1.1 1995-2003 1.1.2 2005–present 1.2 Recording group 1.2.1 2005-2007: PCD 1.2.2 2008-present: Doll Domination 2 Discography 2.1 Solo careers 2.2 Touring 3 Other endeavours 3.1 Television series 3.2 Computer games 3.3 Merchandise 4 Former members 4.1 Burlesque group 4.2 Recording group 5 See also 6 References 7 External links
Burlesque
[edit] 1995-2003Robin Antin began exploring the idea of a modern burlesque troupe in 1993 with her friend Christina Applegate.[1][2] The dance troupe's first performance was in 1995. During this period, they performed with numerous guest vocalists, with a repertoire of 1950s and 1960s pop standards while dressed in lingerie or old-fashioned pin-up costumes. They secured a Thursday night residency at Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room, where they stayed from 1995 - 2001. The troupe received wider press coverage in June 1999, when Playboy ran a Pussycat Dolls pictorial, featuring at least seven contemporary members. Three years later, the Dolls moved to The Roxy. The group became internationally popular and was featured in magazines, television specials for MTV and VH1, ad campaigns, and movies. Some of the Pussycat Dolls appeared in the 2002 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, dancing to "The Pink Panther Theme".
Along with Applegate, Christina Aguilera, and Carmen Electra (who was the group's lead performer for many of their shows) the troupe was featured in a Maxim shoot in 2002,[3] which increased public interest in them. Following this wider popularity, and with the involvement of music producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, the Pussycat Dolls were re-cast, transformed into a pop recording group, and became employees of Iovine's label Interscope Records. The only troupe members who remained after the re-casting process was Carmit Bachar, Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, & Kimberly Wyatt. Electra, when asked about her lack of involvement with the group's evolution into a pop group, said: "I was part of the Dolls for over two years and did every show with them... but financially, I couldn't become part of their new music project... It was a sacrifice I couldn't make."[4] She later made a cameo appearance in the music video for "Don't Cha". In late 2003, Electra formed another burlesque troupe called The Bombshell Babies, which included ex-Dolls Staci Flood and Nadine Ellis, and later adding ex-Doll Kasey Campbell.
[edit] 2005–presentIn parallel to Pussycat Dolls as a recording act, in April 2005 a resident live show commenced at the "Pussycat Dolls Lounge" adjacent to Pure Nightclub in Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. This show contains "cast members" who continue the burlesque-style show which began in Los Angeles in 1995. At least one early member of the L.A. dance troupe, Rachel Sterling, made the move to the Las Vegas show.[5] The cast includes vocalist Jamie Preston,[6] Cindy,[6] Hayley,[6] James Darby, Amanda Nowak,[6] Colby,[7] Bridgy,[7] and Jamie Ruiz from Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious also joined the group.[7] Former dolls include Mallory,[8] Jen,[8] Loreli,[8] Victoria,[8] Rosa,[8] Marcea,[8] Rita,[8] Jessica Lea,[9] Rachel Sterling,[9] Laura Diane,[9] Laurel,[6] and Alicia[6] between others. The venue is operated by Pure Management Group, Robin Antin has some involvement, but it is unclear whether Interscope also has a financial interest. The Pussycat Dolls recording group have made occasional appearances. In February 2007, Caesars Palace opened the Pussycat Dolls Casino located across from the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. It features "Dolls-style" decor and attire for the gaming staff, waitresses and dancers. Recording group 2005-2007: PCDMain article: PCD (album)In 2003, Nicole Scherzinger, a former member of Popstars winners Eden's Crush, became the group's lead singer. The Pussycat Dolls' musical line-up consisted of Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Melody Thornton. By the time the recording group were launched, their stage costumes were developed to bear various branding and "PCD" logos, which preceded the sales of a branded clothing range and other merchandise (via websites and at performances). Their repertoire was expanded to include new Pop/R&B songs, with hit producers and guest rappers, while still retaining some of the pop standards from their earlier incarnation. They appeared in two soundtracks in 2004 for the films, Shark Tale and Shall We Dance? The newly-formed recording group's first single was "Sway" from Shall We Dance?, with a music video inspired by the movie.
On September 13, 2005, they released their debut album, PCD, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200.[10] Their first single, "Don't Cha" was a hit, reaching number one in multiple countries including UK, Australia and Canada and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] The song was originally a cover of the Tori Alamaze single featuring rapper Busta Rhymes. The group won a Billboard Music Award for "Don't Cha" (Ralphi Rosario mix) as Hot Dance Music/Club Play Single of the Year.
The album spawned six more singles. The ballad "Stickwitu" was another top five in the U.S.,[10] selling over three million digital downloads and CDs worldwide.[citation needed] The song was the group's second UK number 1 hit.[11] It was later nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group. Their third single, "Beep", which featured rapper will.i.am, did not perform as successfully as the previous two singles but still went to number one internationally.[12] A subsequent single, "Buttons" (with rapper Snoop Dogg) reached number three on the UK singles chart;[12] the next single, "I Don't Need a Man" was not as successful, although it reached the top 10 in Australia,[13] Ireland,[13] New Zealand[13] and UK.[13] The group's sixth single from the album was "Wait a Minute" featuring Timbaland released in the U.S. in August 2006, becoming a top 40 hit worldwide.[10]
In 2006, San Francisco-based company Doppelganger (along with Interscope Records) launched the PCD Music Lounge, an interactive website. In late 2006, the Pussycat Dolls were also featured in a commercial for Cingular Wireless along with Ludacris and KoRn. The group was selected to perform for the introduction for ABC's coverage of the NBA.[14] In 2007, a version of "Right Now" was used as a theme song for the NBA, though the lyrics had been altered.
On March 8, 2008, Carmit Bachar left the group, confirming the news by posting a blog on the group's official website.[15] The Pussycat Dolls are said to be continuing as a five-piece. They performed for US troops in Kuwait for Operation Myspace.[16] They sang all of their singles. In the absence of Bachar, her vocal parts are now performed mostly by Jessica Sutta, some of them by Wyatt or Roberts.
[edit] 2008-present: Doll DominationMain article: Doll DominationAfter a brief break, the dolls returned in May 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" - the first release from their second album, with Timbaland serving as executive producer of the album.[17]
The song was performed live for the first time on May 20, on Jimmy Kimmel Live[18][19] and again at the MTV Movie Awards on June 1.[20] They also performed the song at the first results show of the 2008 season of So You Think You Can Dance. The song was released on May 27 2008.[21] The song charted in the top 40 in most countries. The song charted at number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song charted at number six on the European Singles Chart. Other promotions include hosting the 2008 Maxim Hot 100 on VH1 on the position number seventeen.[22]
The second studio album from the Pussycat Dolls was scheduled for release worldwide on September 20 2008, and in the U.S. on September 23,[23] with tracks produced by Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Eminem, The Clutch, Sean Garrett, Quiz & Larossi, New Kids On The Block, Scott Storch, Darkchild, Fernando Garibay, Ryan Tedder, Mark Taylor, Taio Cruz,[24] and others.[25] Two other confirmed tracks are "Bottle Pop" and "Away" which were written and produced by Fernando Garibay.[26]
They performed their hit singles "Buttons" and "When I Grow Up" at the MTV Asia Awards 2008 in Genting Highlands, Malaysia and performed in Singapore for Singfest 2008, as part of a line-up of international music acts. They performed the singles "Buttons", "Don't Cha", and "When I Grow Up", including a special solo dance segment "Show Me What You Got".
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