London Boys were a British dance-popduo based in Germany whose members were Edem Ephraim (1 July 1959, London, UK – 21 January 1996) and Dennis Fuller (19 June 1959, Jamaica – 21 January 1996). They are best remembered for the UK top 5 hits "Requiem" and "London Nights".
The duo were killed when their car was hit by a drunk driver in the Eastern Alps, Austria, on 21 January 1996. Ephraim's wife also died in the accident, leaving their three-year-old son orphaned and leaving Fuller's 10-year-old daughter without a father.[1]
Musical career
Although they had lived near Hamburg, West Germany, since 1981, the pair had actually met when they were at school in Greenwich, London, Ephraim having been born in London and Fuller in Jamaica. They were formed in 1986 as a vehicle for songwriter and record producer Ralf-René Maué. They signed with Teldec. Their musical style was a mix of soul and dance music or Eurobeat dance music. Spinning on their heads was combined with choreography, acquired during their experience as rollerblade dancers prior to forming the duo. Dennis Fuller was a former member of the Roxy Roller rollerskating disco act, which released a single called "I Need a Holiday" in May 1979.
The duo's most notable songs were "London Nights" and "Requiem", which were initially released in 1988. "Requiem" eventually became their breakthrough single in April 1989, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] Subsequently, the re-released "London Nights" and the album The Twelve Commandments of Dance, both peaked at No. 2 on the UK singles and album charts, respectively. Another single, "Harlem Desire", reached No. 17. A fourth single from the album, a remixed version of their 1987 release "My Love", reached No. 46. After that, their last two UK Singles Chart entries were with "Chapel of Love" (#75) in 1990 and "Freedom" (#54) in 1991.[2] The music videos for their singles were largely based around dance sequences and relationship/love storylines.
After this, their later recordings had little commercial success, with no further UK chart entries. However, in total, the London Boys sold 4.5 million records worldwide.[3]
After being dropped by their record label, the band effectively split up. In 1995, shortly before their deaths, a reformed version of the group, through Polydor, made a crossover album called Hallelujah Hits, which incorporated Eurodance arrangements into traditional religious compositions.
Death
Ephraim, Fuller and Ephraim's wife died in a car crash on 21 January 1996. They were travelling in the Austrian Alps on a mountain road on their way to a skiing holiday and along the route met a car driven by a drunk driver who was trying to pass on the opposite side of the road. The Swiss driver had reportedly been overtaking other cars in dangerous places along the road for a couple of miles beforehand in bad weather, and he hit their car head-on. Fuller, Ephraim, Ephraim's German wife Bettina, a Hamburg DJ (who was their mutual friend) and the Swiss driver died in the accident. Ephraim and his wife left a son, Stevie, who was 3-years-old. Fuller had a daughter, Laura, who was ten.[1]
(New) London Boys
In June 2024, the Instagram account @LondonBoys_Official[4] was launched. It was accompanied by a message from the original producers, Ralf-René Maué and Luis Rodriguez, stating, "They will remain irreplaceable forever... but the music and their legacy... are meant to stay alive." It is unclear who the new performers are.
On 4 October 2024, a new single, "Satellite of Love" written by Maué and produced by Rodriguez, was released on streaming platforms.
^ ab"London BoysARIA chart history". ARIA. Retrieved 26 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
