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Nicholas William Dennis Hodgson (born 28 March 1970), also known as MC Tunes, is an English
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
from the
Moss Side Moss Side is an Inner city, inner-city area of Manchester, England, south of the Manchester city centre, city centre. It had a population of 20,745 at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. Moss Side is bounded by Hulme to the north, Cho ...
area in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. His name was legally changed to Lockett in 1981, and he also goes by the name Nicky Lockett. Tunes played a significant role in the
Madchester Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that emerged in the English city of Manchester during the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance movement. Indie dance (also referred to as indie rave) blended indie rock with elements o ...
-music scene during the 1980s and 1990s. In his early career Tunes took niche music genres into the UK Singles Chart, whilst fronting
808 State 808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released ...
, and later achieved cult status with the
rap rock Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...
band Dust Junkys. In April 2014, it was announced that ''Damage by Stereo'', Tunes' 'lost' second album was to be finally released.


808 State

Tunes first worked with
808 State 808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released ...
on the 1990 album ''The North at Its Heights'' (
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 ...
).Larkin, Colin (1999) "MC Tunes" in ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 219 The album was a moderate success, reaching number 26 in the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and also saw European and Japanese releases. It spawned three UK
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
that entered the UK Singles Chart: "The Only Rhyme That Bites" (ZTT, 1990) reached number 10 and again (ZTT,1992) reached number 47, "Tunes Splits The Atom" (ZTT, 1990) number 18 and "Primary Rhyming" (ZTT, 1990) peaked at number 67 – this was also the first of the singles to have the 'versus 808 State' wording removed from the cover credits. Each single was supported by a promotional video. On 19 November 2011 a deluxe edition of ''The North at Its Heights'' was released by ZTT Records in Japan, due to a resurgence of interest in this work. The release featured seven additional tracks including "Dance Yourself To Death" – Dust Bros club mix: remixed by the Dust Bros; and a remake of "The Only Rhyme That Bites" – Ugly as Sin mix: remixed and remodelled by Tunes for the release. In 1992, Tunes recorded the single "Digital Bad Boy" / "Could You Understand" (Juice Box) with
A Guy Called Gerald Gerald Rydel Simpson (born 1967), better known as A Guy Called Gerald, is a British record producer and musician. He was an early member of the electronic group 808 State, contributing to their debut LP '' Newbuild'' (1988) and hit single " ...
. 'The Only Rhyme That Bites' video was recorded in the basement of the old Express Newspapers building on Ancoats Lane.


''Damage by Stereo''

With the success of the 808 State collaborations and his growing reputation on the global hip hop scene, ZTT Records signed a separate deal with MC Tunes. With the project being overseen by
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 ...
, recording began at Sarm Studios on a series of tracks in 1991. The result was nine tracks which, with an addition of a new version of "Dance Yourself To Death" produced by the
Dust Brothers The Dust Brothers are a pair of songwriters and producers consisting of E.Z. Mike ( Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo ( John King). They are famous for the sample-based music they produced in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work ...
, were intended to be released in album format under the title ''Damage by Stereo''. It is unclear why at the time of its making the album was not released but, in 2012, the entire collection of missing master tapes were rediscovered. In April 2014, it was announced that "Damage by Stereo" was to be released by
Peter Hook Peter Hook (born 13 February 1956) is an English musician. He was the bassist and co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division and its successor New Order. He often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings wi ...
's Haçienda Records label. Tracks from the album were previewed in an event at Factory Manchester on Saturday 19 April in an event hosted by Clint Boon of
XFM Radio X is a British national commercial radio station focused on alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global. The station launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station named Q102, before being renamed Xfm in 1992. The station b ...
and
Inspiral Carpets Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1983, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist ...
billed as an evening of talk, tape and performance. The music was played from the original half-inch master tapes which had been treated by Advanced Media Restoration in Manchester and played from a reel to reel machine. The event also saw MC Tunes performing material over instrumental versions of the tracks retrieved from the tapes. As no album art had been prepared for the original release Mancunian artist Jay Smith provided the backdrop for the stage as he painted the cover art for Damage by Stereo.
Filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
and director Richard Alexander produced a short film prior to the event, detailing the musician's cultural impact on popular culture since his arrival on the scene, called ''23 Years Late: Damage By Stereo'

On Monday 9 February 2015, "Damage By Stereo" was eventually released, almost 24 years after it was originally recorded. The album was made available on a limited edition double CD, Serial Number HAC018, featuring the 10 original tracks intended for the album and a five track bonus disc featuring dance remixes by
808 State 808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released ...
's Andy Barker, DJ & Producer Mark Wells, the
Dust Brothers The Dust Brothers are a pair of songwriters and producers consisting of E.Z. Mike ( Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo ( John King). They are famous for the sample-based music they produced in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work ...
, TtrueAR and The Laboratory Project. Two slightly different versions of the CD were manufactured. One hundred copies were created for guests at the official album launch party held at South Manchester, with another limited batch of CDs being produced for general release. The album was also made available digitally through Hacienda Records and on various other digital platforms including
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. MC Tunes released "Dance Yourself To Death" with 808 State and The Dust Brothers on 4th November 2022.


Dust Junkys

Following the stalling of his solo career, Tunes formed the Dust Junkys in 1995, with Sam Brox on guitar, Stephen "OJ" Oliver Jones on bass guitar, Mykey Wilson on drums and Ganiyu Pierre Gasper on turntables. The band concentrated on gigging in the Manchester area and then national tours, building audiences for their mix of
British hip hop UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop or British rap, is a music genre and culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. The development of UK rap was shaped by a distinct set of regional inf ...
and
rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
. Whilst gigging with the Dust Junkys, Tunes returned to work with 808 State in 1996 on a new track, "Pump", taken from their album ''Thermo Kings'' (
Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in '' Shatter M ...
). It was due to be released as a single, but this never happened. The Dust Junkys were signed to
Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
and released their first single "Living in the Pocket of a Drug Queen?" (1997), followed by "(Nonstopoperation)" and "What Time Is It?" which reached number 39 in the UK chart. The Dust Junkys music was subject to remixes by artists such as
Fun Loving Criminals Fun Lovin' Criminals are an American rap rock band from New York City. They are best known for their hit " Scooby Snacks", which features samples from films by Quentin Tarantino, and the song "Love Unlimited", which references Barry White's bac ...
. The track "Fever" was featured on the soundtrack for the Sony PlayStation game, ''Driver 2''. The most widely recognized piece of Dust Junkys music, originally called "Rinse (Beatbox Wash)", released as the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of "Living in the Pocket of a Drug Queen?", came to prominence as the main hook of
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...
's " Gangster Trippin'". The track peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. "Gangster Trippin'" was also featured on the Fatboy Slim album ''
You've Come a Long Way, Baby ''You've Come a Long Way, Baby'' is the second studio album by English electronic music producer Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook). It was first released on 19 October 1998 in the United Kingdom by Skint Records and a day later in the United States by A ...
'', where 25% of the songwriting credits were attributed to Dust Junkys and MC Tunes.


Filmography

In 1990, ZTT Records commissioned film maker Howard Walmsley to create a film to promote MC Tunes music career. This became the foundation for a film called ''Nish Clish Banging, The MC Tunes Tapes'' which was completed in 2011, and shown in art house cinemas in the North West of England. The
University of Central Lancashire The University of Lancashire (previously abbreviated UCLan) is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in ''The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge'', founded in 1828. Previously k ...
screened the film to a capacity crowd at the Mitchell and Kenyon cinema in Preston, Lancashire, on 15 November 2012. The screening was followed by
Terry Christian Terence Christian (born 8 May 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He has presented several national television series in the UK including Channel 4's late-night entertainment show '' The Word'' (1990–1995) and six series ...
conducting an interview with Lockett and Walmsley, and a question and answer session with the audience. In the interview, Tunes candidly talked about the controversy that had surrounded his career and personal life. In addition to being featured in music promotional films, in 2007 Tunes played himself in the independent feature film, ''Diary of a Bad Lad''.


Discography


MC Tunes


Albums

* ''The North at Its Heights'' (ZTT, 1990) * ''Damage by Stereo'' (Hacienda Records, 2015)


Singles

* "The Only Rhyme That Bites" (ZTT, 1990) * "Tunes Splits the Atom" (ZTT, 1990) * "Primary Rhyming" (ZTT, 1990) * "The Only Rhyme That Bites" (re-issue) (ZTT, 1992) * "The Only Rhyme That Bites '99" (ZTT, 1999) * "The Only Rhyme That Bites '99(17 Remastered)" (ZTT, 2017)


Dust Junkys


Albums

* ''Done and ...Dusted'' (Polydor, 1998) * ''Done and ...Dusted Special Edition/Dub and ...Dusted'' (Polydor, 1998) * "Reboot: Redone and Dusted" (WikiBeats, 2018)


Singles

* "Living in the Pocket of a Drug Queen?" (Polydor, 1997) * "(Nonstopoperation)" (Polydor, 1997) * "What Time is It?" (Polydor, 1998) * "Nothin' Personal" (Polydor, 1998) Chart No.62Graham Betts Collins Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 – 2004 Page 242 DUSTJUNKYS UK group with Nicky Lockett (vocals), Steve Oliver Jones (bass), Mykey Wilson ... Polydor 569491 2 NOTHIN' PERSONAL Contains a sample of Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well."


References


External links


ZTT Records official siteWarriors of pop, 21 years of ZTT
''
Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine focussing on rare and collectable records, and the bands who recorded them. It was founded in September 1979 and distributes worldwide. It is promoted as "the world’s leading authority o ...
'', September 2004 (copy at ''Zang Tuum Tumb and all that'') Article about ZTT's history, contains information on MC Tunes
Heroes of UK Hip Hop's MC Tunes pageReview of the Dust Junkys at the 1998 Glastonbury Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunes, MC 1970 births Living people English male rappers English male songwriters British rap rock musicians Rappers from Manchester ZTT Records artists People from Moss Side Madchester musicians