TrueBliss
TrueBliss was a
New Zealand reality television pop band formed in April 1999. The formation of the band was documented on the highly-rated television show,
Popstars, aired on state run
TV2 over nine weeks. The band was the first group in the world to be formed under the Popstars banner, before the concept was sold to
Australia later forming the group
Bardot in similar style and then on sold to continental
Europe,
UK and the
United States.
Five unknown girls,
Joe Cotton,
Keri Harper,
Erika Takacs,
Carly Binding and
Megan Alatini, were taken from obscurity to instant stardom overnight while enjoying commercial success with their #1 New Zealand Single, 'Tonight'. TrueBliss was managed by Jonathan Dowling, and, briefly, by
Simon Grigg, although on TV they were portrayed as being managed by
Peter Urlich, one of New Zealand's most notable music gurus, and enjoyed three single releases with label
SonyBMG.
The girls signed sponsorship deals with
Pepsi and
Burger King before embarking on the 'Number One Tour' across 17 towns nationwide. Demand for tickets to the shows was so strong that matinee performances were put on in most venues.
'Number One' was the follow up to ‘Tonight', achieving a #12 position Its video was, and remains to this day, the most expensive New Zealand music video. In September of 1999 a cover of the George Michael penned ‘Freedom' was released but failed to chart due to changes in chart reporting. SonyBMG dicussed a follow up album to the platinum 11-track debut ‘Dream' in 1999, but it (working title unknown) was never recorded. The planned first single 'We Kissed' was written by Carly Binding who then left the band in early 2000 citing personal differences. She has since gone on to record a string of hits.
South African-born Megan Cassie later married
All Black Pita Alatini providing ‘true bliss' for local tabloids and entertainment magazines. She also opened a hair brading shop in Dunedin she ran herself. In July 2006
Megan Alatini reappeared on screens in
NZ Idol (taking over from
Jackie Clarke who left the show after just one season) as the third judge along with
Iain Stabes and
Frankie Stevens.
Carly Binding has had the most successful career afterwards scoring six top 40 hits and a gold-selling album 'Passenger' as well as donating her hit song 'This Is It' to the New Zealand AIDS Foundation's 'Love Is...' campaign. Her new album 'So Radiate' is was released on 3 July 2006.
Joe Cotton was signed with TV2 to host the thursday-saturday ‘M2' show (a graveyard shift alternative music programme). Joe left M2 (when it was cancelled in February
2003) and after appearing on 'Celebrity Treasure Island' is now a fill-in host on the C4 music channel show 'Select Live'. She has recently apperaed on the shows 'The Great New Zealand Spelling Bee' and 'Pop Goes The Weasel'.
Erika Takacs hosted the weekly ‘Coke RTR Top 20' show which was cancelled after two seasons and her contract with the chain store Video Ezy expired at the same time, however she continues to appear on celebrity shows and was signed to Sony for a single 'Do It' which remains unreleased.
Keri Harper produced no television or music credits post TrueBliss except for a song called 'Atmosphere' produced by
Che Fu which has never been released as well as cameos in the finale song of the 2002 "Coca Cola Christmas in the Park" (Auckland performance) and, in 2005, in the series final of the charitable show
So You Wanna Be A Popstar? with all other True Bliss members except Binding. Keri has continued with theatre work including a stint with
Michael Barrymore in
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
Albums
*
Dream (#1 NZ)
Singles
*
Tonight (#1 NZ) Biggest selling single of 1999 in New Zealand.
*
Number One (#12 NZ)
*
Freedom (Failed to Chart)
