Tasmin Archer (born 3 August 1963) is a British Pop music singer from Bradford, England. Her first album, Great Expectations, spawned the hit "Sleeping Satellite", which reached number one in the United Kingdom[ and Ireland.][ She won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act in 1993 and has since released three more studio albums.
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Early life
Archer was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, to Jamaican parents. She attended Grange Upper School and, after leaving, first worked as a sewing machine operator. She attended Bradford College in 1980 to study typing, and later became a clerk at Leeds Magistrates' Court.
Archer joined a group called Dignity as a backing vocalist, and played with different bands around the Bradford area. She helped out at a recording studio in Bradford called Flexible Response Studios, and subsequently began working with musicians John Hughes and John Beck as "The Archers". During this time, Archer developed skills in the music business.
Musical career
Great Expectations
Archer signed to EMI in 1990 and released her first single, "Sleeping Satellite," in September 1992, which went to number one on the UK Singles Chart.[ The album Great Expectations followed in October 1992. It reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart,][ and achieved gold disc status by December for sales of more than 100,000 copies.]
Archer donated the royalties from her second single "In Your Care" to Childline. The song was about child abuse.
Bloom
After disappearing from the limelight, Archer reappeared in 1996 with her second album Bloom. However, the single "One More Good Night with the Boys" failed to reach the UK Top 40, and the album peaked at number 95.[ In late 1997, disagreements with EMI left Archer somewhat disillusioned and feeling like she had been treated as a commodity. She decided to take a short break from the industry, after being let go by EMI.]
After the break, Archer felt the time was right to start writing again, but now she was hindered by writer's block. Although this did not prevent her from being initially creative, she found it difficult to finish anything musically.
On
After working through the block and starting in 2002, Archer and Hughes worked on a new album. Initially this was going to be titled Non-Linear, but later became On.
On was released on 25 September 2006 on Archer's own label, Quiverdisc. It was preceded on 20 September by a download-only single, "Every Time I Want It (Effect Is Monotony)", a radio edit of the album track "Effect Is Monotony".
Other work
In a 2006 interview, Archer said she and John Hughes were pursuing opportunities to write for film and TV soundtracks.
A Cauldron of Random Notes (2024)
Tasmin posted on X in July 2024: "We are planning to have vinyl pressed for our new album "A Cauldron Of Random Notes" which is finished and should be released in the autumn"
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Awards and nominations
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| 1993 | Brit Awards | Herself | British Breakthrough Act | | |
| British Female Solo Artist | |
| "Sleeping Satellite" | British Video of the Year | |
| RSH Gold Awards | Herself | Power Groove of the Year | |
Discography
Studio albums
{ | class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
|
|
| 1992
! scope="row" | Great Expectations | 115 | |
| 1994
! scope="row" | Shipbuilding (8-track mini album, US only) | — | |
| 1996
! scope="row" | Bloom | — | |
| 2006
! scope="row" | On | — | |
| 2025
! scope="row" | A Cauldron of Random Notes | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |
Compilations
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Premium Gold Collection (2000)
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Singer/Songwriter (2004)
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The Best Of (2009)
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Sweet Little Truths: The EMI Recordings 1992–1996 (2020) – 3-CD set containing remastered, expanded versions of Great Expectations and Bloom plus B-sides, remixes and live versions.
Singles
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|
| 1992
! scope="row" | "Sleeping Satellite" | 32 | BPI: Silver | Great Expectations |
| 1993
! scope="row" | "In Your Care" | — | |
|
|
|
| 1994
! scope="row" | "Shipbuilding" (4-track EP) | — | | Shipbuilding |
| 1996
! scope="row" | "One More Good Night with the Boys" | — | | Bloom |
|
| 2006
! scope="row" style="line-height:120%" | "Every Time I Want It (Effect Is Monotony)"
| — | | On |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |
External links
