After Dinner Speakers: Matt Bianco, Dennis Law, Carl Fogarty

This UK jazz/pop act was formed in 1984 by ex-Blue Rondo A La Turk members Mark Reilly (b. 20 February 1960, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England; lead vocals) and Daniel White (b. 26 August 1959, Hertfordshire, England; keyboards), with Basia (b. Basha Trzetrzelewska, 30 September 1959, Jaworzno, Galica, Poland; vocals). They emerged in the latter part of the UK jazz/pop scene in the early 80s, alongside other acts such as Sade and Animal Nightlife. Signed to the WEA Records distributed YZ label, they achieved a run of UK hits in 1984 with the breezy, samba-laced "Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed" (number 15), "Sneaking Out The Back Door"/"Matt's Mood" (number 44), "Half A Minute" (number 23). The following year a cover version of Georgie Fame's "Yeh Yeh' reached number 13. The initial employment of various session musicians was abandoned in favour of a full-time band, taking on keyboard player Mark Fisher (who already had connections to them in the capacity of songwriter), plus bass player Kito Poncioni (b. Rio, Brazil). Basia left after the release of 1984"s debut album, Whose Side Are You On, to forge her own solo career and was replaced by Jenni Evans. Daniel White also left around this time. Basia and White recorded Time And Tide together and, because of White's contractual problems the album, and various singles from it, came out as Basia solo releases. By now Matt Bianco was, in pop terms, unfashionable, but Reilly's fascination, and adeptness with fusing Latin rhythms to pop, gave the band their biggest UK hit in 1988 with the number 11 single, "Don't Blame It On That Girl/Wap-Bam-Boogie". Increasingly driven to cater for a select audience, the band continued to produce specialized, quality pop music into the following decade, enjoying particular success in Japan.