Robin Scott (singer)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robin Edmond Scott (born 1 April 1947)Whitburn, Joel (2008) ''Joel Whitburn's Billboard Top Pop Singles 1955–2006'', Record Research, , p. 522 is an English singer and founder of the new wave and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
music project M. His career encompasses six decades.


Life and career


Early life

Scott was born in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, where he attended Croydon Art College and met
Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English fashion designer and music manager. He was a promoter and a manager for punk rock and new wave bands such as New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and ...
in the late 1960s. Scott befriended McLaren and fashion guru
Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, ''Sky Arts'' ranked her the ...
with whom he was to collaborate ten years later. He declined their offer to be involved in
SEX Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...
, the Chelsea clothes shop which McLaren and Westwood launched, preferring to make his career in music. While at college he had displayed a talent for writing topical songs which he performed on radio and television. This led to his debut album, for which he was backed by
Mighty Baby Mighty Baby were an English band formed in January 1969 by former members of the Action. They released two albums, ''Mighty Baby'' (1969) and ''A Jug of Love'' (1971). History Following the 1968 departure of singer Reg King from the Action, k ...
. '' Woman From the Warm Grass'' was released on a small
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
called Head Records.Unterberger, Richie " ''Woman From the Warm Grass'' Review,
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, retrieved 2010-02-13
Scott began performing his own songs and accompanying himself on guitar. He spent a period playing
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
clubs as a solo musician, sharing bills with emerging artists such as
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
and
Ralph McTell Ralph McTell (born Ralph May; 3 December 1944) is an English singer-songwriter and guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song " Streets of London" (1969), which ...
. He also recorded a session for the BBC, one of the tracks from which was included on the CD reissue of the album in 2001.


Early career

In early 1970, Scott conceived a multimedia project, ''The Voice'', which was aired on
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
. He left Britain to travel both around Europe and North America. When he returned, he made demos with members of the
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
band
Camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, songwriter
Terry Britten Terence Ernest Britten (born 17 July 1947) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and record producer, who has written songs for Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo (band), Status Quo and Michael Jackson amongst many ot ...
and
music publisher A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers began to play a role in the management of the intellectu ...
Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott Order of the British Empire, OBE (born Ronald Schatt; 28 January 1927 – 23 December 1996) was a British jazz Tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner. He co-founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho district ...
. In 1972, he won the Search for a Star national talent contest, and was offered a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...
by
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
, but turned down the deal because the label would not support his backing band. In 1973, he performed in bands with Pete Thomas (later of
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
and the Attractions), and Paul "Bassman" Riley, and also wrote a musical called ''Heartaches & Teardrops'', a play with original songs which has parallels to ''
The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...
'', and the ''True Love and Romance''
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...
genre. Scott then started working with
Roogalator Roogalator was a pub rock band formed in London in 1972, by the US-born guitarist Danny Adler. Earlier that year, Adler recorded demos with 10cc's Graham Gouldman at Strawberry Studios. Prior to Roogalator, Adler had also played with Smoot ...
, a well regarded and original R&B band. He produced their debut single, "Cincinnati Fatback" (one of the first releases on
Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...
) followed by "Love & the Single Girl" on
Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...
. Virgin failed to pick up option to release the band's first album so Scott produced Roogalator's debut LP ''Play It By Ear'' for release on
Do It Records Do It Records was a British independent record label based in London, England. It was an early label of Adam and the Ants, releasing their debut album ''Dirk Wears White Sox'' in November 1979 (which in January 1980 was the first ever number on ...
which he co-founded in 1978 with Max and Ian Tregoning. Scott also recorded "Cry Myself to Sleep" under the alias of Comic Romance, for release on Do It. In 1978, Scott worked as producer for
Barclay Records Barclay is a French Universal Music Group record label, originally owned by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Barclay previously established Riviera-LM Records in 1951. Eddie was a bandleader, pianist, producer and nightclub owner. With his wife and voc ...
in Paris, France where he lived with his girlfriend Brigitte Vinchon (alias Brigit Novik), after producing and filming with director
Julien Temple Julien Temple (born 26 November 1953) is a British film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll ...
and all female punk quartet
The Slits The Slits were a punk/post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma Rom ...
. In 1979 Do It released the first LP by
Adam and the Ants Adam and the Ants were an English Rock music, rock band that formed in London in 1977. The band existed in two versions, both fronted by Adam Ant, between 1977 and 1982. The first phase began when the band were founded in May 1977 and were call ...
.


Breakthrough

While still in Paris he recorded early versions of "Moderne Man" and "Satisfy Your Lust", tracks which would ultimately appear on the first M album. Using a group of session musicians he called " M", he also produced and recorded " Pop Muzik". It became a top 40 hit in the UK and popular again in 1989 when it was remixed and re-released. Among the other musicians who played on the track were his brother Julian Scott (on bass),Young, Jon
M
, ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'', retrieved 2010-02-13
then-unknown keyboardist
Wally Badarou Waliou Jacques Daniel Isheola "Wally" Badarou (born 22 March 1955) is a French musician. Born in France with ancestry from Benin, West Africa, Badarou is known for his close association with the English group Level 42, and for his prolific wor ...
, Canadian programmer
John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
and backing vocalist Brigit Novik. When it was released in the UK in early 1979, it became a hit, reaching No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 in the US, after which
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
, the label which had released the single, requested he record an album. '' New York • London • Paris • Munich'' was recorded in
Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...
, Switzerland, at
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
's
Mountain Studios Mountain Studios was a commercial recording studio founded by American singer and composer Anita Kerr and her husband Alex Grob in 1975 within the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. The studio was under the ownership of Queen (band), Q ...
, and using their regular
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
, David Richards as well as Julian Scott, Wally Badarou (who would later work with Stevie Winwood, among others) and Brigit Novik. Additional musicians on the LP included drummer Phil Gould (later of
Level 42 Level 42 are an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s. Their highest-charting single in the UK was " Lessons in Love", which reached number three on th ...
),
Gary Barnacle Gary Barnacle (born 1959) is an English saxophonist, flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer, and producer. Barnacle is primarily noted for his session work and live work, including various Prince's Trust concerts at Wembley Arena, th ...
on saxophone and flute, and (at the time) local
Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...
resident
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, who did occasional handclaps. Released in the UK at the end of 1979 and on
Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gotteh ...
in the US, the album sold well. "Moonlight and Muzak" was released in late 1979 as the third single from the album, peaking at No. 33 in the UK.Coupe, Stewart (1980)
M pops in to talk of his muzik
, ''
Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...
'', 23 March 1980, retrieved 2010-02-13
M
Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-02-13
MCA executives were unhappy with this change of direction, but with a hit behind him, Scott felt it was relevant to be heard at this point. The track was written as a result of his experiences in the U.S. where he came into contact with a music company called the Muzak Organisation. The song was a UK
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
hit, and then "That's the Way the Money Goes" became another charting hit inside of a year. A 45-minute film incorporating
videos Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) system ...
and concert performances to date came as a result of a quick globe-trotting world tour in the wake of the hit.


Other M releases

In late 1980, the follow-up album called '' The Official Secrets Act'' was released, containing the songs "Keep It to Yourself" and the title track, and was inspired, albeit tongue-in-cheek, by the overwhelming worldwide paranoia of the time. It was recorded in the UK and
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, with contributions from Bill Whelan (the man behind ''
Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
'', who at the time worked as an arranger). Among the musicians on the album were Phil Gould on drums again, who also introduced his friend and subsequent
Level 42 Level 42 are an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s. Their highest-charting single in the UK was " Lessons in Love", which reached number three on th ...
colleague Mark King. King at the time played guitar as much as bass; these recordings took place prior to his discovery of his trademark sound. In 1981, Scott co-produced rising star
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
, along with fellow members of the
Yellow Magic Orchestra Yellow Magic Orchestra (abbreviated to YMO) was a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals, occasional keyboards) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, ...
(who also participated on subsequent albums ''Left Handed Dream'' and ''The Arrangement''), as did
King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
/
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
guitarist
Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual approach to the instrument, his ...
, while Scott and Brigit Novik supplied vocals and co-wrote four tracks. The same year brought a third M album ''Famous Last Words'', which featured many of the musicians from the previous albums, including the early incarnation of Level 42 (who by this time were having their own regular hits), producer Wally Badarou also playing keyboards, Julian Scott on bass, Brigit Novik on backing vocals, a young
Thomas Dolby Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher. Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...
on programming, Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer
Yukihiro Takahashi was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & 2nd keyboardist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, ...
, guitarist from
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
Andy Gill Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was an English musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of ...
and
Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...
on bass.Ellison, Tim (2004)
I'm on the Headline: New wave's best one-hit wonder digs up the rest of his story
, ''
Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...
'', 14 September 2004, retrieved 2010-02-13
MCA declined release of the album in the UK, and it was only released in France, Italy and the US (where M was not even signed). Subsequently, the label and M parted company. At this point some role reversing took place and Scott produced the M single "Danube" for the Stiff label, featuring Brigit Novik on vocals, followed by "The Wedding Dance" presenting Novik as an artist in her own right.


African phase

As a development of the ethnic references on '' The Official Secrets Act'' and the Stiff releases, Scott found a new musical direction, producing an EP of African acts in
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. This led to the album ''Jive Shikisha!'' (credited to ''Robin Scott & Shikisha''), recorded in Kenya and the UK between 1983 and 1984, with musicians from several different African states. The album featured a female vocal trio from South Africa, Shikisha (hence the album title), Wally Badarou and Julian Scott. Most of this
world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
was originally suppressed, but was remastered and released in 2003. The resurgence of interest in Scott and the history of "Pop Muzik" follows U2's use of the
Steve Osborne Stephen John "Steve" Osborne (born 1963) is a British record producer, living in Bath, England. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, including Suede, the B-52s, A-ha, New Order, Elbow, U2, Happy Mondays, Placebo, Gregory Porter, D ...
remix opening their ''PopMart'' tour. Remixes have come from all sides, from Marcus' "Pop Muzic 2001" in 2002, and by
Junior Vasquez Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern; August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention. Career Mattern moved to New York City a ...
and the
Dub Pistols Dub Pistols are an English electronic music band founded in 1996 by Barry Ashworth and Jason O'Bryan. Career The band's first singles were "There's Gonna Be a Riot" and "Best Got Better" in 1998. Their first album, '' Point Blank'', came ou ...
in 2003. In 2003 a collection of Scott's
artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
was shown at the Ensign Gallery in London. and a compilation including both retrospective studio recording and period demos was released with title of ''Life Class'' featuring artwork from the exhibition. Scott appeared in the
Countdown Spectacular The ''Countdown Spectacular'' is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series '' Countdown''. Countdown Spectacular The first tour was staged from June to August 2006. It featured mainly Australian artists ...
two-concert series in Australia between late August and early September 2007, where he performed "Pop Muzik" live for the first time. In 2009, an album featuring the original 1979 mix and thirteen remixes of "Pop Muzik" was issued by Union Square.M – Pop Muzik is back with The Remix Album
", Fame Magazine, 13 February 2010, retrieved 2010-02-13


Recent work

In August 2017, Scott released the album ''Emotional DNA'' in digital format. On 5 July 2023, Scott released the first new single by M in 41 years, a track called "Break the Silence".


Discography

*''Woman from the Warm Grass'' (1969) *'' New York • London • Paris • Munich'' (1979),
Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...
*'' The Official Secrets Act'' (1980), Sire *'' Famous Last Words'' (1982), Sire *''High Life Music EP'' (1983), Swahili/Albion *''Life Class'' (2003), Yup! *''Pop Muzik – The Remix Album'' (2010), Union Square *''Emotional DNA'' (2017), self-released


Collaborations

*''Left Handed Dream'' (1981),
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
– Ryuichi Sakamoto featuring Robin Scott *''The Arrangement'' (1982), Alfa – Ryuichi Sakamoto featuring Robin Scott *''Jive Shikisha!'' † (1998) Recorded in 1984 – Robin Scott & Shikisha


Singles


References


External links


Official Facebook page

Robin Scott at Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Robin 1947 births Living people English new wave musicians English male singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters Musicians from Surrey People from Croydon British synth-pop new wave musicians British male new wave singers Singers from the London Borough of Croydon