Girlfriend (group)

Girlfriend was an Australian girl group formed in 1991. Their debut album Make It Come True was released in 1992 and contained four ARIA top 50 singles, including the #1 hit, "Take It From Me". The group also became recognised for its fashion sense, with their flower hats becoming a symbol of the band; at one point, they had their own clothing line.

Girlfriend / GF4
Girlfriend left to right: Lorinda Noble, Melanie Alexander, Jacqui Cowell, Robyn Loau and Siobhann Heidenreich.
Background information
OriginAustralia
GenresPop, dance-pop
Years active1991–1996
LabelsSony Music
MembersRobyn Loau
Melanie Alexander
Lorinda (Rindy) Noble
Siobhánn Heidenreich
Jacqueline (Jacqui) Cowell

After the departure of lead vocalist Robyn Loau, the group changed its name to GF4.

Career

Career beginnings and singing

Three of the members — Jacqueline Cowell, Siobhánn Heidenreich and Melanie Alexander — first met while taking dance lessons at age three. Years later, they decided to form a pop group, and through their dance teacher Janice Breen, met Noel MacDonald, a singer, songwriter and jingle producer who saw promise in them. Two more singers were added to the group – Robyn Loau, who MacDonald saw singing at Wonderland Sydney Theme Park, and Lorinda Noble, who auditioned for the group. Singer and choreographer Kelley Abbey was also brought in to choreograph the group's dance moves. The quintet was signed to a deal with RCA Records Australia in 1991, after a year of self-promotion. The band were formed with the ambition of being both Australia and Asia's #1 girl band, with the band members, particularly Robyn Loau, undertaking extensive Japanese lessons.

1992-1993: Make It Come True and It's Up to You

In April 1992, the group released their debut single, "Take It from Me", which reached No. 1 on the ARIA chart.[1] This was followed by "Girl's Life" (#15)[1] and "Without You" (#18).[1] In September 1992, Girlfriend released their debut studio album, Make It Come True which peaked at number 6 in Australia.

In April 1993, Girlfriend released Girl's Life, a Japan-exclusive album, consisting of songs from Make It Come True, mostly re-recorded with Japanese vocals.[2]

In September 1993, Girlfriend released "Heartbeat", the lead single from their second studio album, before releasing It's Up to You in October 1993. The group's two studio albums, Make It Come True (1992) and It's Up to You (1993) were certified platinum and gold respectively in Australia.[3]

In November, the group released a 4-track Japan-only extended play titled Magic.

1994-1996: GF4

In 1994, after the group had returned from a tour of Europe and Japan, Loau left the group to start a solo career. She later enjoyed minor success with the hit "Sick with Love" which peaked at #21 on the ARIA Charts,[4] and released an album, Malaria.

The four remaining members renamed themselves as GF4. GF4 released two singles; the first, a cover version of the 1971 Grass Roots song "Sooner or Later", reached No. 11 on the ARIA singles charts.[1] In 1995, Jacqui Cowell left the band and was replaced by future Bardot member, Belinda Chapple, who featured in the music video for GF4's second single, "Need Love (To Make the Sex Right)", filmed in a Sydney nightclub. The video featured band member Siobhann Heidenrich miming to Cowell's spoken lines in the opening to the song. The single narrowly missed the ARIA Top 100 singles chart,[1] resulting in the debut album that GF4 had recorded in Los Angeles being shelved. GF4 did not release any further material as a band and split in 1996.

Later appearances

On 13 May 2007, the former five members of Girlfriend appeared on Channel 7's Where Are They Now? program. The five spoke about their time with Girlfriend and performed an a cappella rendition of "Take It from Me" for the live audience.

A "best-of" compilation, Essential Girlfriend, was scheduled for release in November 2010, but remains unreleased.

In November 2010, former member Melanie Alexander provided guest vocals on the song "Falling for the Dance Floor" with Australian DJ, Stonedog. The track appears on the compilation album Club Anthems Asia, released through Hong Kong-based independent dance music label Volume Up Records.

In May 2017, Robyn Loau confirmed that the original members were reuniting for the 25th anniversary of their #1 hit "Take It from Me".[5]

Members
  • Robyn Loau
  • Melanie Alexander
  • Lorinda (Rindy) Noble
  • Siobhánn Heidenreich
  • Jacqueline (Jacqui) Cowell

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certification
AUS
[1]
Make It Come True 6
Girl's Life
  • Release date: 21 Apr 1993 (Japan only)
  • Label: RCA Records (VCR-611)
  • Formats: CD
 —
It's Up to You
  • Release date: 25 October 1993[7]
  • Label: BMG (74321166644)
  • Formats: CD, cassette
 29

Extended plays
Title EP details
Magic
  • Release date: 21 November 1993 (Japan only) [8]
  • Label: BMG (BVCR-1003)
  • Formats: CD

Singles
Year Single Peak positions Certifications Album
AUS
[1]		 NZ
[9]		 UK
[10]
1992 "Take It from Me" 1 44 47 Make It Come True
"Girl's Life" 15 — 68
"Without You" 18 — —
"Bad Attitude" 28 — —
1993 "Love's on My Mind" 65 — —
"Heartbeat" 36 — — It's Up to You
"Wishing on the Same Star" 44 — —
1994 "Sooner or Later" (as GF4) 11 — — Non-album single
1995 "Need Love (To Make the Sex Right)" (as GF4) 101 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Girlfriend received two nominations.[11]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1993 Make it Come True Best New Talent Nominated
1994 It's Up to You Best Pop Release Nominated

See also

References
  1. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  2. https://www.discogs.com/Girlfriend-Girls-Life/release/3857483
  3. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 114.
  4. "australian-charts.com > Robyn Loau - Sick With Love (song)". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. "'90s pop band Girlfriend to reform". NewsComAu. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  6. The ARIA Report. 138. ARIA. 20 September 1992. p. 20.
  7. The ARIA Report. 194. ARIA. 24 October 1993. p. 19.
  8. "Girlfriend Magic". Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  9. "charts.nz > Girlfriend in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  10. "Official Charts > Girlfriend". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  11. "ARIA Awards Search Results - Girlfriend". ARIA Awards. ARIA Awards. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
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