Madison Avenue

Forming the act Madison Avenue, producer and writer Andy Van joined forces with singer and lyricist Cheyne Coates to score an instant breakthrough via the single “Don’t Call Me Baby,” which made them the first dance act to reach number one on the Australian charts and the first Australian dance act to top the U.K. charts. Prior to the duo’s formation, Van had already earned recognition as a leading Melbourne DJ and producer who co-owned Vicious Vinyl records, a label devoted to developing and releasing dance and house music. He was frequently commissioned for remixes, among them projects for Tina Arena and CDB, and he received an ARIA award—Australia’s equivalent of the Grammys—for his production on Pendulum’s “Coma.” Coates, a trained dancer, met Van when the pair crossed paths in a nightclub.

The track “Don’t Call Me Baby,” whose title functioned as a memorable catch cry that resonated strongly with women worldwide, climbed to the top of the Australian charts in January 2000 and duplicated that achievement in England the following May. Their next release, “Who the Hell Are You,” also secured the number-one position in Australia when it arrived in June. The full-length album Polyester Embassy appeared in November 2000.