JOHN ROCCA

JOHN ROCCA (FREEEZ)

During the early 1980s, Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first band, Freeez. After his entrepreneurial first self-funded and self-released effort, "Keep in Touch", became a No. 49 hit on the UK Singles Chart, his next effort, Southern Freeez, was a chart success in various countries in Europe and around the world, reaching No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. Both singles were number one hits in the UK Blues and Soul charts.

During 1983, one of the first records to use digital sampling, "IOU", featured Rocca's falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and had popular music chart success across the world, spending three weeks at number 2 in the UK.

As a solo artist, Rocca scored number one again, this time with "I Want It to Be Real", on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart during 1984. Further hit records followed in 1985 such as "Once Upon a Time" and "Move" both being hits in the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. As a producer, engineer and re-mixer John Rocca worked with bands as diverse as Bomb the Bass and General Public, also touring Europe and the Japan respectively with the bands

In the late 1980s after releasing a number of tracks under the Pseudonym Pink Rhythm such as "Melodies of Love" John began more experimental output. First as on his own Cobra, Chemical and Who'd She Coo Record labels, and then in the early 1990s Rocca resurfaced with his Midi Rain project. Several Midi Rain singles were popular in the UK dance charts including "Eyes", "Always", and "Shine" - the latter reaching No. 1 on the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1993.