Babylon Zoo

The debut single "Spaceman" propelled Babylon Zoo to the summit of the English charts upon its arrival in 1996, instantly generating unprecedented anticipation. That release went on to claim the record for the fastest-selling single in U.K. history after moving 250,000 copies inside a single week. The excitement proved fleeting. Jas Mann, responsible for vocals and production, originated Babylon Zoo as his solo vision. Born April 24, 1971, in Dudley, West Midlands, England, Mann nurtured a longstanding passion for science fiction, which earlier led him to form the Sandkings, a group whose name referenced a short story by George R.R. Martin. In the early '90s the Sandkings supported the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, yet Mann exited over creative differences. A three-track demo submitted in 1993 under the Babylon Zoo name secured him a deal with Phonogram Records. Levi's subsequently licensed "Spaceman" for a television commercial in 1995 after the track surfaced on a Manchester, England, radio station. The single's extraordinary impact nevertheless cemented Babylon Zoo as one of the biggest one-hit wonders. Issued the same year, the album The Boy With the X-Ray Eyes met with only lukewarm response, quickly faded commercially, and left the project largely forgotten.