Adrian Baker (born 18 January 1951) is an English singer,

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

, and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

Career

Baker made his debut as a singer on Magnet Records/

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

in the United Kingdom. In 1975, he released his first

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, ''Into a Dream'' (MAG 5009). From that album, he had one hit with "

Sherry Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...

" a cover of the Four Seasons hit on the UK Singles Chart reaching No. 10 in July 1975, and performed several times on the

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

's ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

'' programme. As a

, Baker is known for his

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

hit productions with the group Liquid Gold. He twice attempted to write the UK's entry for the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

, reaching the ''

A Song For Europe A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''English alphabet#Letter names, a'' (pronounced ), plural ...

'' final in both 1979 and 1981. His first finalist song, "Miss Caroline Newley", performed by the band M Squad finished 11th of the 12 in 1979. But in 1981, his song "Don't Panic", performed by Liquid Gold, finished in second place and had the rare distinction of being a losing song from the ''A Song For Europe'' contest to make the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 42. Baker, with his band Gidea Park, recorded a version of the

Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...

" California Girls" for the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, '' A View to a Kill''. It was featured in the opening sequence with Bond snowboarding. It has been suggested that this teaser sequence helped initiate interest in

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

. In the United States, he is best known for being the

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound produ ...

for the touring

band from 1981 to 1982, 1990 to 1993, and 1998 to 2004. Baker was also a member of The Four Seasons with

Frankie Valli Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer and occasional actor, best known as the frontman (lead singer) of The Four Seasons (band), the Four Seasons. He is known for ...

from 1994 to 1995. In 2006, Baker released his sixth solo album, ''Runaway Tracks''. On 19 March 2011, Baker was presented with the Key to the City of

Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city in western North Carolina primarily located in Catawba County, North Carolina, Catawba County. The List of municipalities in North Carolina, 25th most populous city in the state, it is located approximately northwest of Charlot ...

, for his efforts raising money for education. Baker was Honorary Chairman of the Hickory Rotary Club's Rotarian Idol Education Scholarship competition for the second consecutive year. He is currently touring with the band Papa Doo Run Run.

Tenure

* The Pebbles – 1969–1971 * Playground – 1972–1975 * Adrian Baker Band – 1975–1980 * Gidea Park – 1981–1989 * The Beach Boys – 1981–1982 * The Beach Boys – 1990–1993 * Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – 1994–1995 * The Beach Boys – 1998–2004 * Papa Doo Run Run – 2004–present * Baker Street – present

Discography

Albums

* ''Into a Dream'' (Magnet/Epic Records) MAG 5009 · 1975 * ''Gidea Park'' (Polo Records) POLP 102 · November 1981 (as Gidea Park) * ''ABCD'' (AKB Records) AKB-1 · 1991 * ''Everyone Needs Someone at Xmas'' (ABP Records) ABP 101 · 2003 * ''Surfer's Paradise'' (ABP Records) ABP 102 · 2004 * ''The Christmas Song EP'' (ABP Records) ABP 101-B · 2005 * ''Runaway Tracks'' (ABP Records) ABP 111 · 2006 * ''California Girls'' (ABP Records) ABP 300 · 2010 * ''Gold Medleys'' (ABP Records) ABP 301 · 2011 * ''Summer of Gold'' (ABP Records) ABP 302 · 2013

Singles

* "

" / "I Was Only Fooling" · Magnet Records (MAG 34) · July 1975 * "Candy Baby" / "Dance To It" · Magnet Records (MAG 41) · 1975 * "White Christmas" / "Leave Me Alone" · Magnet Records (Mag 52) · (as The Tonics) · December 1975 * "Don't Do It" / "So You Think You've Got It Made" · Magnet Records (MAG 61) · 9 April 1976 * "Why Haven't I Heard From You" / "Vibrations" · Magnet Records (MAG 77) · 22 October 1976 * "Adrian Baker E.P." (A-Side (1) "Work, Work, Work" (2) "Marlena" B-Side (1) "Look for a Miracle" (2) "Cry Baby Cry")· Magnet Records (Mag) 117 · 1978 * "I'll Keep You Satisfied" / "Feel Like Dancing" · MCA (MCA 395) · 1978 * "Beach Boy Gold" / "Lady Be Good" · Stone (Son 2162) · (as Gidea Park) · 1978 - AUS No. 49 * "The Boogie Romance" / "From Me To You" · Ariola (Aro 167) 1979 * "California Gold" / "Summer Girls" · Polo Records (POLO 12-5) (as Aero) · August 1980 * "High Time" / "High Time" (instrumental) · Polo Records (POLO 12-7) · April 1981 * "Beach Boy Gold" / "Lady Be Good" · Stone (Son) 2162. (as Gidea Park) · July 1981 (re-issued in picture sleeve) * " Don't Worry Baby" / "Happy Birthday Brian Wilson" · Polo Records (POLO 11) · August 1981 (withdrawn) * "Seasons of Gold" / "Lolita" · Polo Records (POLO 14) (as Gidea Park) · September 1981 (issued in picture sleeve) * "California Gold" / "Summer Girls" · Polo Records (POLO 16) · (as Gidea Park) · 1982 * "Lightning Strikes" / "Baby Come Back" · Polo Records (POLO 12–18) · (as Gidea Park) · January 1982 - AUS No. 82 * "Beach Boy Gold Part II" / "Summer Girls" · Polo Records (POLO 12–22) · (as Gidea Park) · July 1982 * "Summertime City" / "American Girls" Mayfair Records (Fair 1) (as Mayfair) · 1984 (issued in picture sleeve) * "I Get Around" / "Lazin' On The Beach" / "Stay Healthy" · Polo Records (POLO 12MX1) · (as Gidea Park) · 1985 * "Sherry" / "Stay Healthy" · ABP Records (ABP 120-S) · 2006 * "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (CD single) · ABP Records (ABP 150) · 2007 * "God Only Knows" · ABP Records (ABP promo) · 2008 * "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" / "The Christmas Song" · ABP Records (ABP 151) · 2008 * "Missing Kissing You" / "Cherie" · ABP Records (ABP 152) · 2009 * "Jingle Bells" · ABP Records (ABP 124-S) · 2010 * "Jingle Bell Rock" · ABP Records · 2010 (Digital Release Only) * "Christmas Party Time" · ABP Records (ABP-X-101) · 2011 * "Poltergeist" · ABP Records (ABP-999) · 2014 * "Thriller" · ABP Records · 2017 (As Adrian Baker & Baker Street Band) (Digital Release Only) * "My Christmas Wish" · ABP Records · 2017 (Digital Release Only) * "Over The Top In Love" · ABP Records (ABP-303) · 2020

Other credits

* ''Mike & Dean – Christmas Party'' (Hit Bound Records) · 1983 (producer and vocals) *

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

– ''

Reg Strikes Back ''Reg Strikes Back'' is the twenty-first studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in ''Reg Strikes Back'' refers to ...

'' (Rocket Records – MCA) · 1988 "Since God Invented Girls" (w/ The Beach Boys on background vocals) * Various artists · '' Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin'' (Polydor) · 1991 "Crocodile Rock" (w/ The Beach Boys on vocals) *

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

· '' Summer in Paradise'' (Brother Records) · 1992 (vocals) * ''Salute to NASCAR'' (Tasco Marketing) · 1998 (producer and vocalist) * Papa Doo Run Run · ''40th Anniversary DVD'' (Blue Pacific Records) BRP 2601 · 2006 (vocals and guitar) * Papa Doo Run Run · ''Soundtrack + 6'' (Blue Pacific Records) BRP 20071 · 2007 (vocals and guitar) * Chris Farmer · ''California Dreamin'' (CF Records) CFM 101 · 2008 (guitar) * Papa Doo Run Run · ''Greenifornia'' (Blue Pacific Records) BRP · 2008 (producer, vocals, guitar) * Adrian Baker with Baker Street and Friends · ''Biggest Little Christmas'' (ABP Records) ABP/BKS 0001 · 2009 (vocals, produced, arranged, multiple instruments) * The Beach Boys – '' That's Why God Made the Radio'' (2012) (vocals on "Daybreak Over The Ocean")

Chart information

Solo releases

* "Sherry" · No. 10 UK; on the chart for eight weeks · 1975 * "Beach Boy Gold" · No. 11 UK; on chart for 13 weeks · 1981 * "Seasons of Gold" · No. 28 UK; on chart for six weeks · 1981 · #82 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (January 1982)

With Liquid Gold

''All songs produced, arranged, written, and engineered by Adrian Baker'' * "Anyway You Do It" · No. 41 UK; on the chart for seven weeks · 1978 * "My Baby's Baby" · No. 45 US; on the chart for six weeks · 1978 * "Dance Yourself Dizzy" · No. 2 UK; on chart for 14 weeks · 1980 * "Substitute" · No. 8 UK; on chart for nine weeks · 1980 * "The Night, The Wine and The Roses" · No. 32 UK; on chart for seven weeks · 1980 * ''Liquid Gold'' (album) · No. 34 UK; on the chart for three weeks · 1980 * "Don't Panic" · No. 42 UK; on the chart for five weeks · 1981

References

External links

Adrian Baker's official website

Baker Street Band

BeachBoysBand.net
website dedicated to the touring band and former band members
Papa Doo Run Run's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Adrian 1951 births Living people English record producers English male singers English male songwriters The Beach Boys backing band members Singers from London Magnet Records artists