East 17  East 17 are an English pop boy band that achieved success during the 1990s after being formed in 1991 under the line-up of Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. The group achieved 18 top-20 singles and four top-10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy bands during the early to mid-1990s, aided by strong tabloid interest in their 'bad boy' image, compared to the 'clean cut' image of rivals Take That. Their style blended pop and hip hop in songs such as "House of Love" and "Let It Rain". They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide and according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), they have been certified with sales of 1.8 million albums and 2.4 million singles in the UK. Their biggest hit, "Stay Another Day", was the UK Christmas number one in 1994. The group continues today under the line-up of Terry Coldwell, Joe Livermore and former Artful Dodger collaborator Robbie Craig. The group began in 1991 when Tony Mortimer was promised a record deal with London Records after he presented his own material. The deal was granted under the condition that he form a group, which would be in the format that London Records were looking for. Mortimer later formed East 17 with Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell. The group was named East 17 after the postcode of their hometown, Walthamstow. The original roles in the band were soon altered when Brian Harvey, who was intended to be a back-up singer and dancer, was made lead singer due to his vocal talent. Mortimer wrote the majority of the group's songs, which often contained rap verses vocalised by him to complement Harvey's more fluid vocals. The group was usually seen as a grittier, more political and hip-hop or rap-aligned group than rival boy band Take That, as noted by Guy Adams of "The Independent": East 17 scored twelve Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart between 1992 and 1998. Their debut album, "Walthamstow", reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It featured a string of Top 20 singles, including "House of Love" and "Deep". "It's Alright" became a major success in Australia, reaching No. 1 in early 1994 for seven consecutive weeks, and No. 3 in the UK in 1993. The lyrics to some of their songs, such as "Let It Rain", had slightly sinister political undertones, talking about war, peace, equality, love, and other political issues, such as the Maastricht Treaty.