Billie Ray Martin

In the early 1980s, Billie Ray Martin moved to Berlin.

It was the time of electronic bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and the early Human League, shaping Martin's conceptions of music.

Simultaneously, she encountered the soul music of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Aretha Franklin and the Motown revival.

In Berlin, she formed an eleven piece soul and sixties inspired band called Billie and the Deep.

Their live shows became very popular in Berlin in 1985–86.

After these experiences, Billie Ray Martin moved to London, where she placed an ad in Melody Maker reading "soul rebel seeks musical genius".

The ad led to a meeting with four men from Birmingham who had been looking for a voice to add to their music, resulting in the formation of Electribe 101.

The band returned to Birmingham, where they recorded their first song, entitled "Talking with Myself", releasing it as a 12" single on their own Hipnotic label. It was noticed by manager Tom Watkins (who managed Pet Shop Boys, Bros and East 17). Electribe 101 signed with Watkins, and his label Phonogram Records.

Meanwhile, Billie Ray Martin had met DJ Mark Moore who invited her to the studio to work with his band S'Express.

Martin contributed to three songs on their debut album Original Soundtrack: "Pimps, Pushers and Prostitutes", "L'Age du Gateau" and "Hey Music Lover" (retitled 'Music Lover' in the US).

The latter became the third S'Express single, and a top 10 UK hit (reaching #6), giving Martin her first Top of the Pops appearance.

She traveled across Europe with the group for a number of TV appearances in support of the single.

She was also one of the vocalists on the S'Express UK top 10 hit single "Hey Music Lover" (1989), and had UK top 40 hits as lead vocalist of Electribe 101 with "Tell Me When the Fever Ended" (1989) and "Talking with Myself" (1990), and as a solo singer with "Running Around Town" (1995) and "Imitation of Life" (1996).

Born in Hamburg, West Germany, she grew up near Reeperbahn, St. Pauli, in the city's red-light district.

She lived with her working-class grandparents, who exposed her to Elvis Presley and German schlager music.

Electribe 101's first single with Phonogram was "Tell Me When the Fever Ended" released in November 1989, reaching No. 32 on the UK charts, and No. 23 on the Billboard Dance charts.

"Talking with Myself" was re-released in February 1990 with a Frankie Knuckles mix and became a hit reaching No. 23 in the UK and No. 8 on the Billboard Dance charts.

DJ and producer Marshall Jefferson refused to remix it as he felt it was "already perfect".

"Talking with Myself" remains a club classic and has appeared on countless Ibiza and chill-out compilations over the past 22 years.

BRM's debut solo release was at the end of 1993 in collaboration with the British dance duo Spooky on a cover of the Throbbing Gristle song 'Persuasion'.

Her second release was the 'Four Ambient Tales' EP with Dave Ball and Richard Norris of The Grid.

She made an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, performing a cover of Ann Peebles’ "I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" with Slash from Guns N’Roses on guitar.

With a new set of songs, she signed with East West Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music.

In the US, Martin was signed to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records.

The first release with her new label was "Your Loving Arms" again with Dave Ball and Richard Norris of The Grid on production.

The track reached No. 38 in November 1994.

Birgit Dieckmann, known professionally as Billie Ray Martin, is a German singer and songwriter, known for her single "Your Loving Arms", which reached the top 10 of both the UK Singles Chart (#6) and the Irish Singles Chart (#8) in 1995, and reached number one on the US Dance Club Chart.

On a subsequent re-release the song peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1995, Martin once again appearing on Top of the Pops as well as various UK and European TV shows in support of the song.

"Talking with Myself" was re-mixed in 1998 and reached No. 39 in the UK charts.

Billie Ray Martin appeared on the cover of i-D Magazine, as well as weekly music/pop periodicals such as: NME, Melody Maker, Smash Hits, Record Mirror and Number One.

NME described her style as looking like 'Cilla Black on Acid' when she made her first Top of the Pops appearance.

A connection with Steve Nieve led to her being a guest vocalist with house band Steve Nieve and The Playboys, singing "Stay With Me" and "Chain of Fools", on the Channel X UK television series The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross.

Electribe 101's third single was entitled "You’re Walking" and reached No. 50 on the UK charts, prior to the release of their debut album Electribal Memories.

A live concert at London's The Town & Country Club (now The London Forum) was televised on ITV to coincide with the album's release.

They also played at the Milton Keynes Bowl in support to Erasure.

Electribe 101 were then selected as the supporting act for the European leg of Depeche Mode’s 'World Violation' tour, including several nights at both the Birmingham NEC and Wembley Arena.

A fourth single was released – a cover of the Jesse Rae song "Inside Out", the video of which was filmed in Paris.

The band then set to work on their second album, with a provisional title of Electronic Soul.

However, conflict with Watkins and Phonogram led to the album not being released.

While seeking another label, the band broke up.