Madison Avenue

Madison Avenue was an Australian dance and pop duo, formed by singer Cheyne Coates and DJ/producer Andy Van (real name Andrew Van Dorsselaer). The duo is best known for their worldwide hit Don't Call Me Baby, released in 1999.

Cheyne Coates and Andy Van met in a club. Andy Van was the founder of the label Vicious Vinyl and had previously worked on remixes for artists like Tina Arena. Their collaboration began in 1988, primarily as songwriters and producers. Their first single, Fly, released in 1998, featured singer Kellie Wolfgram on vocals.

Their global success came with Don't Call Me Baby. The version sung by Cheyne Coates, initially recorded as a guide track for another singer, was so liked by Andy Van that it was kept for the final release. The track first conquered Australia in 1999, reaching number one on the charts and becoming the best-selling single by an Australian artist that year. Madison Avenue thus became the first Australian dance group to top the singles chart in their home country.

The international release in 2000 was a triumph: the single reached number one on the charts in the United Kingdom, topped the Billboard Dance Chart in the United States, and was a major success across Europe. It sold over 400,000 copies in the UK.

The follow-up album, *Polyester Embassy* (2000), reached number 4 on the Australian album charts. It spawned several other hits: Who The Hell Are You (number one in Australia and on the Billboard Dance Chart, top 10 in the UK), Everything You Need (top 6 and gold certification in Australia), and a cover of Reminiscing, which charted in the Australian top 10 in 2001.

In 2001, Madison Avenue won the award for Best Dance Artist at the International Dance Awards in Miami, beating prestigious nominees like Destiny’s Child, Madonna, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears.

The duo officially split in 2003. Cheyne Coates subsequently pursued a solo career.