Sophie Ellis-Bextor celebrated the 20th anniversary of her hit single Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) with Spiller on Thursday.
The singer, 41, reflected on the past 20 years in a lengthy Instagram post where she also revealed plans for a new version of the original track with Freemasons’ James Wiltshire.
Posting a picture of herself aged 21 in the music video filmed in Bangkok in 2000, Sophie admitted that her career has been ‘a bit bonkers but so much fun’.
Celebrate! Sophie Ellis-Bextor celebrated the 20th anniversary of her hit single Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) with Spiller on Thursday
The star started her career in indie band, Theaudience, but they split in 1999 after they were dropped by their record label. Sophie was just 20 at the time.
Sophie then worked with DJ Spiller in 2000 and sung the vocals for their hit single Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love).
The catchy track hit number one in the charts in UK and across the world. Sophie has since released several more successful singles including Murder on the Dancefloor and Take Me Home.
Writing a lengthy caption, Sophie admitted that she didn’t originally like dance music and was worried that the indie scene would think she had lost ‘all credibility’.
‘Bonkers!’: The singer, 41, reflected on the past 20 years in a lengthy Instagram post where she also revealed plans for a new version of the original track with Freemasons’ James Wiltshire (pictured in 2019)
She wrote: ‘This is a still from 20 years ago when I flew to Bangkok to film the video for Groovejet. Little did I know back then how many places Groovejet would take me.
‘At the time, it felt like a slightly crazy thing to do a dance tune. I’d been in an indie band up until then and dance music was a whole unknown.
‘I was a bit worried the folk in the indie scene would think I’d lost all credibility- because that was a really big thing in my mind at the time – but I was feeling a bit burned by all that had gone on with my band.
‘And instinctively I felt like a change would do me good. As it happens, I didn’t really like dance music (or at least I thought I didn’t) when I first heard the instrumental to the track but there was something about the music that I liked and I thought “Why not?”
Reflective: Posting a picture of herself aged 21 in the music video filmed in Bangkok in 2000, Sophie admitted in a lengthy caption that her career has been ‘a bit bonkers but so much fun’
‘I think I needed something to shake things up a bit after I’d lost my record deal when I was 20. Anyhoo since then I’ve jumped around from different genres a lot and it’s all thanks to the adventure I had with Groovejet.’
Celebrating the success of the song, she continued: ‘Not because it was such a successful tune – although that’s lovely of course – but because it taught me to follow my nose when it came to what I wanted to do with my singing.
‘It’s seen me right ever since and I’ve had a career full of opposites. I’ve gone from singing at Glastonbury one summer to singing at Ibiza the next, releasing a trance single then putting out folk straight after, from singing with an orchestra in the autumn to disco in my kitchen by spring.’
Reflecting on her ‘bonkers’ career, she quipped: ‘All a bit bonkers I admit but SO MUCH FUN. Thank you, Groovejet. You’re 20 now but you still live at home with your mum and I can’t see that changing any time soon. ❤️.’
Career: The star started her career in indie band, Theaudience, but they split in 1999 after they were dropped by their record label. Sophie then worked with DJ Spiller in 2000 and sung the vocals for their hit single Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) (pictured in 2019)
Teasing plans for a new version, she signed off her post with: ‘ps I’ve just recorded a new 2020 version with James from the Freemasons and it’s been so great to sing it all over again in the studio.
‘You’ll hear it when the Songs from the Kitchen Disco album is out. Xx.’
The anniversary comes after Sophie recently paid tribute to her ‘funny, smart and solid’ step-father after he died in July following a battle with stage four lung cancer.
The musician revealed her stepdad John Leach’s passing ‘wasn’t unexpected but it was cruel’ and said the love he and her mother, former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, 64, shared will ‘stay on forever’.
Praising the couple’s ‘inspirational marriage’, Sophie revealed she wrote her 2013 track Young Blood about them as she posted a picture of TV producer John sat in his garden on her Instagram page.
Tragic: It comes after Sophie recently paid tribute to her ‘funny, smart and solid’ step-father John Leach (pictured) after he died in July following a battle with stage four lung cancer
She wrote: ‘This is my step-dad, John. He’s been a big part of my life since I was small. I can’t believe it’s true but he died last week.
‘It wasn’t unexpected but it was cruel. Still, the love he and my mum created is all around our family and that stays on forever. Their marriage was truly inspirational – in fact, I wrote Young Blood about them.’
She continued: ‘I feel so lucky to have been brought up around that and to have been raised by him, too.
He was honestly the loveliest person. Kind, good, funny, smart, subtle, solid and clear. It’ll always be sad that he isn’t here but I’m thankful for all he’s done for us and for so, so many happy memories.
Her love: Sophie is married to The Feeling’s Richard Jones (pictured together in 2017)
‘Love is the most mighty thing of all and it outlives everything. Xxx.’
Broadcaster Janet married the former managing director of TV production company Sunset+Vine, in August 1988 following the breakdown of her one-year marriage to Sophie’s biological father Robin Bextor, 66.
The host and TV director Robin tied the knot in 1977, two years before they welcomed Sophie.
John is also survived by their two other children, Jackson, 33, and Martha, 29.
Sophie is married to The Feeling’s Richard Jones and they have five sons Sonny, 16, Kit, 11, Ray, eight, Jesse, five, and 19-month-old Mickey.
Big family: The couple have have five sons Sonny, 16, Kit, 11, Ray, eight, Jesse, five, and 19-month-old Mickey