Mint Royale

Mint Royale

Mint Royale is a big beat and electronic music act from Manchester, England. It begins in 1997 and is originally formed by Neil Claxton and Chris Baker. Baker leaves the project in 2004, after which Claxton continues to record under the Mint Royale name. The act is also associated with dance, house and electronica.

Remixes and early recognition

The project first builds its reputation through remixes. It becomes known after its version of Terrorvision’s “Tequila”, and it is widely recognised for remix work in general. British dance producer Norman Cook champions the group, and his DJ sets regularly include Mint Royale tracks. Their sound is close enough to Cook’s that some listeners mistake Mint Royale for one of his aliases.

Albums and singles

Mint Royale’s first album, On the Ropes, is released in 1999. It does not sell strongly, but several tracks from it gain lasting recognition. “Don’t Falter”, which features Lauren Laverne from Kenickie, becomes a minor UK chart hit. “From Rusholme with Love” is especially familiar through film and television use, including Kung Pow! Enter The Fist, Vanilla Sky, Get Carter, Serendipity, ALIAS and Spaced. “Because I’m Worth It” is used as the theme for The Priory, the chat show presented by Jamie Theakston and Zoë Ball.

The second album, Dancehall Places, appears in 2002. After live shows and a UK tour in 2003, Claxton and the band’s resident vocalists complete work on a third album, See You In The Morning, which is released in 2005.

“Singin’ in the Rain” and later years

In 2005, Mint Royale releases “Waiting in the Rain” on the Wait for You EP, a remix of “Singin’ in the Rain”. That version is featured in a Volkswagen Golf GTI commercial and is later issued as “Singing In the Rain”, reaching number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. A later Mint Royale version of “Singin’ In The Rain” becomes their best-known recording when George Sampson uses it in Britain’s Got Talent, helping it reach number 1 in the UK in 2008.

Breaks and return

Neil Claxton ends Mint Royale on 16 March 2016 with the single “Time” and farewell messages. In 2020, he resumes releasing music under the Mint Royale name.