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Tom Watkins (music Manager)
Tom Watkins (21 September 1949 – 24 February 2020) was an English pop impresario, music manager, songwriter, producer, designer and fine art collector. With a background in art and design, Watkins set up the XL Design agency in the early 1980s and was responsible for designing record sleeves and music graphics of the period. Watkins moved into music management by the mid-1980s and managed Pet Shop Boys, Bros and East 17 among others. Watkins has been described by Neil Tennant as "a big man with a loud voice" and by David Munns as "an unstoppable creative powerhouse." Early life Watkins was born Thomas Frederick Watkins on 21 September 1949 at St. Alfege's Hospital, Greenwich, London, the son of Patricia Daphne Diett and Frederick Joseph Watkins. He lived in Blackheath, London and was educated at Invicta Road School, Sherrington Road School and Raine's Foundation School in Tower Hamlets, London. Watkins later attended Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design and wen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greenwich, London
Greenwich ( , , ) is an area in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time. The town became the site of a royal palace, the Palace of Placentia, from the 15th century and was the birthplace of many Tudors, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War and was demolished, eventually being replaced by the Royal Naval Hospital for Sailors, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and his assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor. These buildings became the Royal Naval College in 1873, and they remained a military education establishment until 1998, when they passed into the hands of the Greenwich Foundation. The historic rooms within these buildings remain open to the public; other buildings are used by the University of Greenwich and Trinity Lab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Two Tribes
"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984. The song was later included on the album '' Welcome to the Pleasuredome''. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn. The single was a phenomenal success in the UK, helped by a wide range of remixes and supported by an advertising campaign depicting the band as members of the Red Army. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one on 10 June 1984, where it stayed for nine consecutive weeks, during which time the group's previous single "Relax" climbed back up the charts to number two. It was the longest-running number-one single in the UK of the 1980s. It has sold 1.58 million copies in the UK as of November 2012, being ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Tony Awards. She is one of the few performers awarded a non-competitive EGOT having received two honorary Grammy Awards. Minnelli is a Knight of the French Legion of Honour. Her persona and her style have immortalized her as a gay icon. Minnelli's parents were actress and singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli. After moving to New York City in 1961, she began her career as a musical theatre actress, nightclub performer, and traditional pop artist. She made her professional stage debut in the Off-Broadway revival of '' Best Foot Forward'' (1963).Scott Schechter (2004): ''The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook'', pp. 12–13. She became known for collaboration with John Kander and Fred Eb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Farrow
Mark Farrow (born May 1960) is a British graphic designer known for his work with English music label Factory Records and Manchester nightclub The Haçienda. He has also done work for bands such as Pet Shop Boys and Spiritualized. In 2009 he was named a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) by the Royal Society of Arts. Early life Farrow attended art college for a short time but quit to work in a Manchester design studio. He also worked at The Discount Record Shop in Manchester's Underground Market. With the advent of punk rock, the shop was frequented by clientele like Ben Kelly and Peter Saville, both connected to Factory Records and The Haçienda nightclub. Design work In 1982, after befriending groups as part of the Manchester scene, Farrow was given the chance to design the cover for the 7-inch single "Fairy Tales" by the Stockholm Monsters, a Factory release. Throughout the early 80s, he designed experimental sleeves and posters for both Factory and The Haçienda, whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor (guitarist), Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer), Roger Taylor. Emerging as members of the New Romantic scene, Duran Duran were innovators of the music video and a leading band in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US in the 1980s. By 1984, the band had achieved levels of fame similar to Beatlemania. The band's first major hit was "Girls on Film" (1981), from their Duran Duran (1981 album), self-titled debut album, the popularity of which was enhanced by a controversial music video. The band's breakthrough second album was ''Rio (Duran Duran album), Rio'' (1982), a worldwide hit. The songs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio (song), Ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nik Kershaw
Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the decade, including "Wouldn't It Be Good", "Dancing Girls (song), Dancing Girls", "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", "Human Racing (song), Human Racing", "The Riddle (Nik Kershaw song), The Riddle", "Wide Boy (song), Wide Boy", "Don Quixote (Nik Kershaw song), Don Quixote", and "When a Heart Beats". His 62 weeks on the UK Singles Chart through 1984 and 1985 beat all other solo artists. Kershaw appeared at the multi-venue benefit concert Live Aid in 1985 and has also penned a number of hits for other artists, including a Lists of UK Singles Chart number ones, UK No. 1 single in 1991 for Chesney Hawkes, "The One and Only (song), The One and Only". Early years Nicholas "Nik" Kershaw was born on 1 March 1958 in Bristol and grew up in Ipswich, Suffo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo artist.BRITs Profile: Kim Wilde Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 29 February 2012 In 1986, she had a UK no. 2 hit with a reworked version of the Supremes' song "You Keep Me Hangin' On#Kim Wilde version, You Keep Me Hangin' On", which also topped the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1987. Between 1981 and 1996, she had 25 singles that charted within the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. Her other hits include "Chequered Love" (1981), "You Came" (1988) and "Never Trust a Stranger" (1988). In 2003, she collaborated with Nena on the song "Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann#Anyplace, Anywhere, A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an Experimental music, experimental, Minimal music, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format to British popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion. McCluskey and Humphreys led The Id (band), the Id, a precursor group, from 1977 to 1978 and re-recorded their track "Electricity (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song), Electricity" as OMD's debut single in 1979. Weathering an "uncool" image and a degree of hostility from music critics, the band achieved popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 List of anti-war songs, anti-war song "Enola Gay (s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sarm West Studios
Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Island Records and renamed it Sarm West Studios. Sarm Studios original locations were eventually succeeded by the Sarm Music Village complex. History Sarm East (1973–2001) Sarm Studios was founded at 9-13 Osborn Street in Aldgate, in the building formerly occupied by the City of London Recording Studios, which recorded radio programmes and narration for newsreels from 1960 until going out of business in 1972. Shortly thereafter, Gary Lyons and Barry Ainsworth, two recording engineers who had been operating a tape copying service called Sound and Recording Mobiles, purchased the facility with financial backing from businessman David Sinclair and named it using an acronym of their business name, opening SARM in July 1973. Ainsworth left th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by the record producer Trevor Horn, the businesswoman Jill Sinclair and the ''NME'' journalist Paul Morley. They released music by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the Art of Noise and Seal (musician), Seal. In December 2017, Universal Music Group (UMG) acquired ZTT Records, along with Stiff Records. The ZTT and Stiff back catalogues were licensed to BMG Rights Management under Union Square Music until 2022, when Universal relaunched the label. History ZTT is an initialism of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's sound poem ''Zang Tumb Tumb'', which described "zang tumb tumb" as the sound of a machine gun. It is believed that they likely got the idea for the name via John McGeoch, who produced the Swedish pop-funk band Zzzang Tumb's eponymous 1983 album around the same time as the label was founded. The majority of the creative team at ZTT had first assembled when Horn produced the album ''The Lexicon of Love'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jill Sinclair
Jill Sinclair (5 April 1952 – 22 March 2014) was a British businesswoman and record company director who co-founded ZTT Records. She has been described as one of the "most successful people in the British music business". She was married to the record producer Trevor Horn. She died of cancer in 2014, aged 61. Career In 1973, at the age of 21, Sinclair emerged as one of the founders of Sarm Studios with her brother John Sinclair, and sound engineers Mike Stone and Gary Lyons. Sarm soon evolved into one of the most technically advanced recording studios in London – essentially the first 24-track studio – and it attracted major artists, like Queen, who recorded '' A Night at the Opera'' and '' A Day at the Races'' partially at Sarm Studios. Other artists who have recorded at Sarm East include Yes, INXS, the Clash and Madonna. Sinclair started her career as a mathematics teacher, but started working full-time in Sarm Studios in 1977, at the age of 25. In 1978, Sarm St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English record producer and musician. His influence on pop and electronic music in the 1980s was such that he has been called "the man who invented the eighties". Horn took up the bass guitar at an early age and taught himself to sight-read music. In the 1970s, he worked as a session musician, built his own studio, and wrote and produced singles for various artists. Horn gained fame in 1979 as a member of the Buggles, who achieved a hit single with " Video Killed the Radio Star". He was invited to join the progressive rock band Yes, becoming their lead singer. In 1981, Horn became a full-time producer, working on successful songs and albums for acts including Yes, Dollar, ABC, Malcolm McLaren, Grace Jones and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. In 1983, Horn and his wife, the music executive Jill Sinclair, purchased Sarm West Studios, London, and formed a record label, ZTT Records, with the journalist Paul Morley. Horn also co-formed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
