East 17 are celebrating their legacy as one of the defining British pop groups of the 1990s with a new ‘Best Of’ collection, set for release December 4 via London Records. Featuring fully remastered versions of their biggest hits, the release arrives as the band approach their 35th anniversary, bringing their catalogue back to physical formats for the first time in two decades.
Formed in Walthamstow, London, in 1991 by songwriter Tony Mortimer alongside Brian Harvey, Terry Coldwell and John Hendy, East 17 carved out a distinctive identity in an era dominated by polished boy bands and romantic ballads. Trading coordinated outfits and clean-cut images for shaved heads, tattoos, baggy streetwear and beanies, the group brought a grittier, hip-hop-influenced sensibility to mainstream pop, blending rap, R&B and dance music with infectious hooks.
Their breakthrough arrived in 1992 with ‘House of Love’, a swaggering introduction to a band that would go on to score 11 UK Top 10 hits, including the festive classic ‘Stay Another Day’. The latter spent five weeks at No. 1 and remains a perennial fixture of the Christmas charts.
Other highlights from their catalogue include the dancefloor-ready ‘It’s Alright’ and ‘Steam’, alongside the slower-burning ‘Deep’, ‘Around the World’, ‘If You Ever’, their collaboration with Gabrielle, and ‘Thunder’. Mortimer’s songwriting helped distinguish the group from their contemporaries, earning him an Ivor Novello Award and establishing East 17 as a commercially successful act with credibility beyond the conventional boy-band formula.
Their influence extended well beyond the UK. During the 1990s, East 17 became one of Britain’s most successful pop exports, achieving chart success and selling records across Ireland, Europe, Australia and Asia. Their unconventional image and sound even earned them a place on the cover of NME, underlining their appeal beyond the traditional pop audience.
East 17 – House Of Love (Official Music Video)
The new Best Of will be available on CD, an HMV-exclusive CD edition and vinyl, marking the first time the band’s greatest-hits collection has been released on the format. An expanded two-CD/DVD edition will feature a second disc containing 10 remastered remixes, alongside 16 officially released music videos that have been freshly restored.
The release also includes previously unseen photography by Lawrence Watson, whose acclaimed documentation of New York City’s hip-hop scene in the 1980s made him a fitting choice to capture East 17’s distinctive look during their rise to fame.
Alongside the collection, East 17 have unveiled a seven-minute megamix by The Alias, the remix production duo whose credits include Little Mix, Girls Aloud and Britney Spears. The mix revisits the group’s extensive catalogue, bringing together familiar hits with deeper cuts, including their grittier interpretation of the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘West End Girls’.
The Best Of collection is available to pre-order now, ahead of its December 4 release.
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