Tzant AKA PF Project

Tzant AKA PF Project, The Cool The Fab And The Groovy

It was last updated on Monday, December 28, 1998

The entire content of this web site is © Copyright Francis Madeira 1999

History

Group Members: Jamie White / Marcel / Moose / ODC MC

Jamie White has had two massive hit singles recently. The first was called Choose Life, and was by PF Project (With Moose), and featured Ewan MacGregor's famous speech from the classic British film Trainspotting. That was released towards the end of 1997 and was a massive UK top ten success, and was accompanied by an innovative and entertaining appearance on the BBC's Top Of The Pops. Then, in April 1998, Mr White returned, as Tzant (Pronounced 'Zant'), along with Marcus Thomas (ODC MC - Ex-Clock), with the amazing slice of hip-house entitled Sounds Of Wickedness. It reached number 11 in the UK, and resulted in another TOTPs appearance. It was actually Tzant's third single, and second top 40 hit. Hot And Wet reached number 36 in September '96. In May '96, Jamie produced, engineered and recorded Opera-8's Da Barber (Of Seville)? - which featured an amusing take-off of Oasis' What's The Story Morning Glory LP sleeve - look out for it, it's excellent. The video features two blokes having a custard pie fight!. Also coming up are two singles which are going to be very, very big - Tzant's Bounce With The Massive, and The Cool, The Fab & The Groovy's Soul Bossa Nova. Watch this space.

News

27th July 1998

The Cool The Fab & The Groovy Presents Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova was not a top 40 hit, even though it's one of the best CDs this year, and could easily have got to number one, it was released on the Manifesto record label (The dance division of Mercury records) and was given no publicity! This should have been the new number one, but it wasn't on the radio, it had no video, there were no adverts, yet the single is of such good quality it could easily have been one of the most popular records of the summer (If you don't believe me, read the reviews section). It is a shame, because up until now I always thought Manifesto was a good record label - I mean they gave us Todd Terry's Keep On Jumpin' and Josh Wink's Higher State Of Conscienceless back in '96, but for some reason they think a completely unpublicised single can battle it out with all the hype surrounding The Spice Girls and Will Smith. Jamie says he "shan't be working with them again".

19th July 1998

Jamie has looked at the revamped Tzant/PF Project/The Cool The Fab & The Groovy section of Mackie's World and thinks it's "brilliant.... definitely the best none corporate music page on the net" He also likes Mackie as The Cool The Fab & The Groovy Presents Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova, as does the other half of Tzant, Marcel... Have a look for yourself, and tell me what you think.

21st July 1998

Jamie and Marcel were on MTV Select today. Read the transcript of Donna Air's interview in the aptly named Interview section of this web site - you'll see that most of the things said there were revealed exclusively here ages ago. After hearing Bounce With The Massive countless times, I have to say that it is amazing - before I heard it, I was a bit sceptical at first - I mean how can you top Sounds Of Wickedness, but, as anyone who's heard the track will agree, Bounce With The Massive is amazing - is it better than Sounds Of Wickedness? I don't know - it's hard to tell, but it's sure to be a monster hit when it's released on August 3^rd (In the UK). The promotional video that accompanies this single is brilliant too - definitely one to look out for, and, in my opinion, better than the last one. Jamie says that the Roachford & PF Project thing is coming on well as is the Tzant album.

11th June 1998

The Tzant album is scheduled for release Christmas 98. Jamie has just sampled Quincy Jones' massive 60's hit soul bossa nova and will be releasing it under the name "The cool the Fab and the Groovy" on Manifesto records on the 27th of July in the UK. Jamie thinks "It'll go straight into the top ten (probably No1 actually)" . Jamie has signed an album deal of follow ups with Manifesto, so there'll be plenty of new material from him in the near future.

10th June 1998

More news from Tzant HQ. Jamie says that the next single, Bounce With The Massive, which was exclusively revealed here last month, is going 'splendidly' and sounds great - I'm confident that it will do even better than the brilliant Sounds of Wickedness, and I'm hoping for it to match the success of last year's Choose Life top ten smash hit. Also, in another Mackie's World exclusive, Jamie tells me how for his Tzant LP he will look towards hip hop for ideas. This proves that Tzant will continue to be the front runner in the hip house revival, among acts such as Run DMC, The Jungle Brothers, and the truly awful NYCC from Germany who destroyed the Beastie Boy's classic Fight For Your Right To Party recently.

6th May 1998

Jamie White thinks Sounds of Mackiedness is "brilliant". He's working on a Tzant album at the moment. The working title of the new single is Bounce With The Massive. Mackie was the fourth creature on the planet know that - the news went straight onto this page - that makes this site the best place to go for Tzant exclusives. Tzant are also working on a second PF Project single with Roachford (of Cuddly Toy fame). The song is called Walk Away.

Discography

Released	Title	Artist	Type	Chart	Remixes	Label
May 1996	Da Barber (Of Seville)	Opera-8	Single	?	Radio 'Short back and sides' Mix, Synthetic Extensions Mix, Bleached Tip Mix
September 1996	Hot And Wet	Tzant	Single	36	?	Logic
November 1997	Choose Life	PF Project	Single	7	PF Project, JDS, Tour De Force	Logic
April 1998	Sounds Of Wickedness	Tzant	Single	11	PF Project, Cut N Play	Logic
July 1998	Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova	The Cool The Fab And The Groovy	Single	?	The Groovy Big Beat Mix, The Groovy House Mix	Manifesto
August 1998	Bounce With The Massive	Tzant	Single	39	Colour System Inc, L-Dopa	Logic

Mackie The Star

3 Tzant/The Cool The Fab And The Groovy Mackie The Star graphics yet.

Reviews

Bounce With The Massive

Tzant are back with one of the coolest singles of the year. Mackie's World's regular visitors will be familiar with the title of this track - I exclusively revealed it months ago, when the song wasn't even finished - I was the fourth person in the world to know the title - Tzant/PF Project fans should return every few weeks for more exclusives of this kind. Anyway, on to the record... The single's split between two CDs - this is because of that stupid rule which forces UK chart singles to be less than 20 minutes long, but it's quality, not quantity in this case (Apparently, Faithless' next single, God Is A DJ, will go for quality & quantity - a 3 CD release!). CD1 features the superb radio edit, Extended Club Mix (Not as good as the remix of the week that was the astoundingly good Club Mix of Sounds Of Wickedness, but nevertheless, it's still a brilliant mix), and L-Dopa's Summer Of Love Mix (My least favourite of the four remixes, this is great, but not as great as a certain other remix which I'll talk about in a minute. The problem is that, although I love remixes very much, sometimes there comes along a song which has such a perfect radio edit, that if a remix is too distant from that mix, I'd rather listen to the radio edit, and for me, this seems a bit too distant - though I've only heard it once as I write this, so my thoughts may change over time. In contrast, every mix on the Sounds Of Wickedness single seemed to have kept the right elements of the single. Having said all that, the remix is good, but I'm sure a large proportion of my readers would prefer the radio edit or the remix I'm just about to right about...). CD 2 has the CD Rom video for Bounce With The Massive (The video rules - it's so much better than the usual promotional videos you see on MTV, especially for "dance" acts, such as D'Menace). It also has the video edit of the song, so people without access to computers don't miss out. The next track is the Colour System Inc. Classic Vocal Mix (My personal favourite remix (Though it's a very tough decision). You really don't expect the piano riffs, which make this mix unusually great - there's even additional rap from Marcel, and the whole mix has a great summery feel to it - perfect for the heat wave which is temporarily over Britain). To top it all off, there's a very cool remix of Sounds Of Wickedness - again, not as good as that Club Mix, but still excellent, and it saves you switching your CDs - unless you are fortunate to have a CD multichanger or a Mini Disc or something like that, but anyway, the mix is called the "B-Line Mix". My advise to you is to buy both CD 1 and CD 2 if you can, but if can only afford to get one, go for CD 2 - It's better overall, but you miss out on that great Club Mix.

Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova

This rules! It's by Jamie White of Tzant and is the song from the Nike advert - where they're playing football on the beach, and the ball is kicked into the back of trucks that collect rubbish, and then Ronaldo is looking at his shoe, and then this Italian bloke points out it's made in Italy... The song is from the film Austin Powers too - the sleeve artwork is more reminiscent of that then the advert... The single feature three tracks. The third track is the original Soul Bossa Nova - as heard on the advert - without being remixed or anything, but it's track one and two that you've got to get this record for - they've been remixed by Jamie White & Jamie Ford, and they sound amazing - this cannot be compared with the remix of Mas Que Nada by Echobeats (the song from the other Nike advert) this is in a completely different league - this is the remix of the year, without a doubt!

Sounds Of Wickedness

Tzant is actually Jamie White, also known as PF Project (Of 'Choose Life' fame). The rap on this track is provided by Marcus Thomas, who used to be in clock, and had massive hits with releases such as 'Whoomph! There it is'. This is a classic!

Links

No Official Site

No Tribute Site

No Label Site

Images

No Portraits

No Sleeves

Press

Review - 14th July '98

These reviews are from my favourite web site - It was the first web site I visited when I started using the internet, and have returned every week for almost two years. The site is called dotmusic and they have decent dance music reviews such as these weekly.

The Cool, The Fab and The Groovy Presents Quincy Jones "Soul Bossa nova" (Manifesto) (HOUSE)
That Quincy Jones piece (the intro from the "Austin Powers" film) gets its own spotlight and is showcased here in a beat-driven and and a house version. The Groovy Big Beat Mix is a big band-styled instrumental, with the same sampled hooks as used by the Dream Warriors on "My Definition...". The Groovy House Mix is the same again with a more prominent 4/4 in the background but basically the same summer fun track.

Tzant "Bounce With The Massive" (Logic) (POP)
This is practically a carbon copy of Tzant's last single "Sounds Of The Wickedness" with trademark whistle squeals and slithery scratches – still, "if it ain't broke...". Boosted by cheers, John the Builder's hiss-spitting human beatboxing, Dave Bull's funky guitar and Marcel Atteen's rap, this looks a dead cert to hit the Top 10. © Miller Freeman Entertainment 1998.

Interview

21st July 1998 MTV UK's brilliant Select MTV - Donna Air's interview with Jamie White and Marcel Atteen - the [edited] transcript follows:
DA	I've got Tzant with us in the studio today - Tzant - I had problems with [pronouncing] that yesterday
JW	Yeah - Tzant - it can be anything you want
DA	What is this all about your name - tell us...
JW	Well, what it is is that we had the record coming out ages ago - Hot & Wet, we couldn't think of a name and the guy at the record company said "Oh, I'm reading this really good Science Fiction book..
DA	As you do..
JW	And it had this great word Tzant - and it doesn't mean anything
DA	Ee, wow - it was just like when Take That spotted the word Take That in the comic magazine... So all introduce yourselves
JW	I'm Jamie
MA	I'm Marcel
DA	And we all know these are the sounds of the wickedness, sounds of the wickedness
MA	Musical whizzkids - we're gonna give it to you like this - but I didn't do that one
DA	It's like you know when you don't know the words and you go 'blahhhh' over the bits you don't know
JW	That's my native tongue
DA	Well, we're going to play it before we have a chat with you - would you like to introduce it..
JW	This is Tzant with These Are The Sounds Of The Wickedness
DA	Sounds of the wickedness, sounds of the wickedness
All	Sounds of the wickedness, sounds of the wickedness...
DA	[Sounds Of Wickedness video is played] That girl looks like the one from N-Tyce
JW	Does it?
MA	Does it?
JW	We don't know anyone famous!
DA	Yeah - and the dog was so cute in that video
JW	the dog in the video
MA	It won't be a hit
JW	She's guarding my house at the moment
DA	Which isn't locked everybody !
JW	If she's not in the video it won't be a hit - if she's in the video, it will be a massive hit
DA	Is it a bitch or a dog?
JW	She's a bitch
DA	Oh Boo, obviously
JW	I've had her since she was 8 weeks old - and now she's nearly two
DA	So are you superstitious like that?
JW	Yeah I am, definitely
DA	So you wouldn't walk under ladder
JW	Yeah - I'd walk under a ladder, but I've got this thing about you know if you're walking down the street and there's a post in the middle and you kinda split the post - one goes one side - one goes the other it really freaks me out - you have to decide which side to go on and there were three of us on the way here and there were all these posts.
DA	Yeah - I don't walk under posts or anything like that - it's like crossing your knifes
MA	Crossing you knifes?
DA	Crossing your knifes - on the dinner table, crossing your knifes
MA	I'm completely un-supersticous, me
DA	Anyway, enough of that...
JW	It must be a Newcastle thing...
DA	Everybody says that to me - it's a northern thing... Anyway - so you're not in that one are you?
MA	No - but I'm in the new one - Bounce With The Massive
JW	Jumpin' with the crew
DA	How did you get together then?
JW	Well this is an amazing story this
DA	Is it a long one?
JW	Nah - I'll tell the first bit - you tell the second - first of all, we put an advert in Loot 'Rapper Wanted'
DA	You didn't
JW	Yeah - in the London Loot
MA	And I phoned up - about 15 people replied
DA	What - so you had to audition
MA	Yeah
JW	No, he just came round, and we met him, and he sounded alright, so we gave him the gig - that was years ago
DA	What did you do - Can you remember which rap you did?
MA	I can't remember - which rap did I do?
JW	I don't think you did a rap - we just liked you...
MA	Yeah - I did rap - I came into your living room - I didn't have a demo tape or anything like that - so I just started rapping and and they thought it was great, and I started getting work from that - then I hadn't seen Jamie for like two years, and I met him and he was doing stuff with PF Project
DA	Yeah - I was just about to ask you about that, because you've done a lot of producing and stuff, and you're the other half of PF Project - Choose Life - which we all know - so tell us about that - how did you get involved?
JW	Moose - who's the other half of PF Project said wouldn't it be cool if we sampled the opening bit to Trainspotting, so we went round the video shop, hired it out, sampled it, pressed 500 white labels, and then Dave Lambert from EMI heard it and rang us up and said it's brilliant, and it's gonna be a massive hit, and that's it.
DA	So are you doing something else for the PF Project thing did I hear you say before
JW	Yeah - we've got the new PF Project record coming out soon
DA	So do you know Ewan McGregor
JW	No - never met him - I don't think he like us - the film company cleared the sample, but I don't know if he wanted to do it or not - everybody always asks me how we got away with it, but we cleared it - it was all legal everything like that
DA	And your doing another one
JW	With Roachford - and that's like a rock song! - it's brilliant
DA	Because we had him in the studio - yous probably all can remember - and he was a really, really nice guy I thought
JW	Yeah he is he came into the studio, absolutely professional, a really nice guy
DA	And he's really chilled, isn't he?
JW	Yeah - very chilled - the most chilled out guy - and we just asked him to sing it like this, and he was absolutely brilliant astounding
DA	And what's the one that's just got to number one on the HMV chart - you're doing so many things
JW	The Cool, The Fab & The Groovy - that's the band
DA	The Cool, The Fab & The Groovy
JW	Which is me and my mate Clive
DA	You talk really quickly, like me - I talk really quick too
JW	That's 'cause I'm originally a Jordie
DA	That's what I was going to ask about - because that doesn't sound like a complete London accent
JW	Well, I was brought up in Leister, but my mum anyway is originally a Jordie
DA	And where are you from?
MA	I'm from London
DA	Which part in London?
MA	West London - I was brought up near Hyde Park
DA	So have you two ever come to Newcastle
MA	Yeah - I've played Newcastle - we did bounce with the massive up in Newcastle - big respect to everyone up in Newcastle who came to the show
DA	Hello Newcastle!
MA	Hello Newcastle! - and we played just before the England-Columbia game, and there were giant screens, and we watched the game with all the Newcastle fans, and they were a cool bunch of people and then we went to a club in Newcastle - it was a really cool club - I can't remember the name
DA	Riverside?
MA	No I can't remember
DA	That's where I used to go
JW	He gets really drunk you know, at these gigs
MA	That's the whole point
DA	And you can rap on the spot I hear - you told me
JW	He can freestyle about anything - just give him a subject
MA	This really is on the spot - this is live TV
DA	What subject shall we give him - the rash on my leg! No - the dog
MA	I know this dog - goes by the name of boo - when it comes on the show its the star too rocks upon the mic and you know the crew - me and boo know what to do - me and Jamie yeah you know we rock - everytime freestyling on the right here on the spot got the whole palace locked.... and yeah you know I made a mistake...
DA	That was really good
MA	No it was terrible
DA	Shall we play Sounds Of Wickedness - no we just played that - the new one
JW	Bounce With The Massive - yeah and Boo's in this one - John the Builder...
DA	Has he got a builder's bum
JW	John the Builder - everyone thinks it's because he used to be a builder, but it's because he's got a builder's bum
MA	Boo's on the dex
DA	Do you want to introduce the video again
JW	This is Bounce With The Massive
DA	[Bounce With The Massive is played] and there you have it Bounce With The Massive - so who was... I've just been getting filled in on all the people in the video - so who's the blonde bird in the Anne Summers bikini
JW	That's the real Miss South Africa
MA	And it is an Anne Summers bikini
DA	Yeah I know - I've seen it in the window!
MA	Carol's really cool
DA	Is it cool being in the band - I'll have Miss South Africa for this one, Miss Portugal for then next one
JW	Casting was such a drag
DA	It was terrible
JW	But no, we didn't know - she was really cool - she could have been big headed and stuff, but she was really down to Earth
DA	I bet she was!
MA	She was extremely intelligent
JW	Didn't she have a degree in law or something - she was lovely
DA	What are your plans - have you got an album out or gigs
JW	Yeah - an album out at Christmas
MA	Bounce With The Massive comes out on August 3rd
DA	The day after my birthday
JW	You're a Leo? I'm August 4th
DA	2nd, 3rd and 4th
MA	Leos are really bossy, aren't they?
JW	Really bossy
MA	But you're not bossy - you must have a good rising sign...
DA	Where can people see you?
MA	We're in Essex and Birmingham on Saturday exactly where - we never know where we're going - but you can e-mail us and find out
JW	E-mail us to find out - popstars@usa.net - we'll find out where we're playing and e-mail you - that's my e-mail address - it doesn't go to a record company or anything like that.
DA	You're doing your album as well - is that all that vibey hip hop
JW	Hip hop, and more classic hip hop and a bit more drum & bass
DA	And are you gonna take on the States
JW	Oh yeah - conquer the world in three easy steps - we're just having a laugh really album out on time time for Christmas
MA	We're just making it up as we go along
DA	A big than you for coming on select for Tzant - I've got it right now not tazant, pazant, pizzazz
JW	Pizzazz is better
DA	You should have got me to think of a name for you. Now, would you like to select a video
MA	Beastie Boys - Intergalactic