Fans: 9,303
Born in the Netherlands, partially raised in Germany by a mother who is a songwriter and piano teacher and by a father who is an opera singer, music was a naturally given gift, genetically passed on, a way to communicate your mood and your feelings.
As far as she can remember- the teachers always gave her the first voice for every recital.
"I just did it as it came natural to me, not realizing at that point that it really would be a profession that I would end up with" she laughs.
"I remember standing in front of the mirror with a brush, singing along with my Mom's old vinyl singles that I found in the attic."
Music by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross or the Jackson 5, while her father was downstairs, singing and listening to his classical music.
She was 16 years old when she started to entertain the thought about becoming a professional singer but always had a sense of strong responsibility and felt that she had to finish her school education first and have a job to always have a back up plan to then support her passion.
Then in 1995, after years of demos and small local performances, she received a universal offer from a label in the US with her debut single "This is your night".
"I was very excited but also very shocked as I did not expect anything with a simple dance tune as "This is your night". It was one of the many demos that I had cut over the years." she says.
"Of course I took the deal not knowing a darn thing about this industry" she laughs
"Like many artists, I had to learn the hard way what my rights and my duties were and that was quite an experience." she says.
Beside taking in the experience and learning, Amber also felt creatively starved over many years- being under a standard contract with a commercial label and being pushed toward a genre that she did not only want to be identified with as a vocalist nor as a songwriter.
But she also realized, that she had to compromise in order to get where she wanted to be- so she always tried to give her songs a special unconventional touch.
That way, she amassed an impassioned army of fans with a string of worldwide smash hits that include "Sexual (li da di)", "Above the clouds", "The need to be naked". Songs which are smarter, bolder, and more infectious than your average, paint-by-numbers pop tunes.
Amber's bright future has been buoyed by a history that saw her rise above the crowded and competitive ranks of clubland divas.
II.
With sterling gems like "Yes", "If you could read my mind" (from the Studio 54 soundtrack with Ultra Nate and Jocelyn Enriquez), and "One More Night", she has racked up an impressive seven consecutive No. 1 dance singles and an additional 7 Top 10 dance hits.
Many of them made it into the official Top 40 Billboard Charts.
Her songs have been featured on countless compilations and been covered by an array of artists -- she co-penned one track called "Bless you child" for Bette Midler's album release in 2000 and most notably Cher, whose rendition of "Love One Another" earned Amber a Grammy nomination in 2004.
"This is your night" was a major soundtrack in the motion picture hit "A night at the Roxbury"- who doesn't remember that hilarious dancing scene of the featured actors/comedians Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan?
Additionally, the Amber tunes "Taste the tears", "Object of your desire" and "Above the clouds" have been prominently featured on the red-hot Sex & the City.
Perhaps most exciting is the fact that Amber is a woman in charge of her own destiny. As an independent artist running her own show since her self requested and granted release from Tommy Boy in 2003/2004, she is forging forward with more verve and energy than she ever has in the past with her own label JMCA Enterprises.
"I saw an industry in change and a lot of confusion. I saw an industry that was trying to push their conservative ways on the fans and artists while that battle was already lost.
I saw an industry that was totally oblivious toward the needs of creative artists.
Everything is about profit and image.
For me that was the perfect timing to get out of the conventional contract that was still hanging over my head and come up with unconventional ways and most important to come out with a different kind of album.
All that cropped up creativity and different musical influences and experiences had to come out of me."
With the birth of her first self released album "MY KIND OF WORLD" [2004], Amber took her greatest risk to date by shining a light on the deepest -- and sometimes the darkest -- parts of her heart and soul. The result was a collection of literate, often brutally honest songs that revealed Amber's renegade soul.
"This time, there were no limits to what I was allowed to do", she says about her fourth studio set creation.
III.
“This was a reflection of my world at that time and the different emotions that could not be described or captured with only one genre or sound. All of the styles that have influenced me throughout my life flowed into each other and created a new sound that I was able to really call my own! Until this day, I am extremely proud of that album and my producer Wolfram Dettki who shared my vision and helped me make my musical dream come true."
In 2006 Amber decided to collaborate on a single release with Igor Kisil from Sweet Rains.
He had remixed 2 previous singles ("Voodoo" [2005] & "Just Like That" [2006]) of her latest album "My Kind Of World" and she always saw a different kind of spirit and ambition in him and how he worked on a remix.
He approached her with a basic demo one day in 2005 and Amber started to give him advice on how she would change certain melodies and lyrics and before you knew it, they found themselves in a small studio in NYC and were working on the song together.
Amber decided to call the song "Melt with the sun".
"And while I was singing it, I felt very comfortable and I just fell in love with the strong melody of it and the more I heard the demo, the more I thought that it would be a perfect single for me" Amber smiles.
"So I shared my thoughts with him and of course he was delighted. People have told me that this is an "Amber standard"- I did not even know that this term existed", she laughs out loud "but I guess it is a good thing. I guess I do have my own little individual twist that I add and that seems to be recognizable to my fans."
Amber states that she loves a great challenge and believes not in resting on past laurels but giving each musical chapter 150%.
"Once I lose that ambition, it is time for me to retire"
With stellar remixes by Tracy Young, Hex Hector, Al B Rich, Pathos, DJ Lance Jordan and AM Corona we are assured to see more of her for many years to come.
Her latest album called “Undanced II” was released internationally on 02/26/07, which exists out of never before officially released demos, remixes and song material.
"I am in a happy place now and there is nothing like owning your own music and masters and running your own show and destiny. No longer do I have to live in anyone else's world or dance to someone else's beat" she says.
Let's be honest...as if she ever really did....
For more info, please visit www.amber-mcc.com or www.myspace.com/ambersings
