I have liked Texas ever since they released their first single (I Do not Want A Lover) while I was still at school. At the time I was still listening to "pop" music and the charts on the radio regularly (which I do not do much anymore) and I thought Sharleen had one of the best female singing voices I have ever heard. Usually when out at a party or at the pub and a DJ is on you are restricted by the music they carry but you can bet on the fact they will have at least one Texas song on a cd somewhere, so I generally ask them to play it because mostly they do not have some of my other favourite music (The doors, Jimi Hendrix, Wu-Tang, etc …) which I would probably request otherwise.
Texas formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986 and originally consisted of Johnny McElhone, Alistair McErlaine and Sharleen Spiteri. There have been several group shifts over the years and some other members of Texas have been Tony McGovern, Eddie Campbell, Neil Payne, Michael Bannister, Richard Hynd, Steve Washington and Mikey Wilson. Most of the changes in the band have been drummers.
When Texas released their first album (Southside) it topped the album charts and had several top 20 singles. Their next 2 albums did not do quite as well as the debut but still had some very good singles. The single "So Called Friend" actually went on to be the theme song for Ellen DeGeneres's TV Sitcom Ellen which Sharleen and Ally flew out to the US to re-record for the show.
The release of the single "Say What You Want" in 1997 saw Texas make a huge comeback and the album "White On Blonde" entered the album chart straight at # 1. There were a few singles off the album which themselves hit the charts big. Method Man (Wu-Tang) and Texas have also done a remix of "Say What You Want" which features Mef rapping to the tune in the background and Sharleen singing the chorus and was produced by RZA (Wu-Tang).
Some movies have featured Texas singles in them such as Notting Hill (In Our Lifetime), Bend It Like Beckham (Inner Smile) and Titan AE (Like Lovers). Also in the TV comedy "The Office" Ricky Gervais character David Brent claims that Texas used to open for his own band before he retired to office life.
Some of Texas's more popular songs are: I Do not Want A Lover, Say What You Want, Black Eyed Boy, Halo, Put Your Arms Around Me, and Inner Smile.
My Top 10 Texas Songs are:
01. Guitar Song
02. When We Are Together
03. Prayer for You
04. Put Your Arms Around Me
05. Everyday Now
06. Say What You Want
07. The Hush
08. Summer Son
09. So In Love With You
10. Big Sleep