Arthur Baker is a legendary producer and remixer. He was born in Boston and began his career in music as a DJ, but soon tired of it and chose to pursue music production. He produced several unsuccessful soul and electro tracks in the late 70s and early 80s, and thought a move to New York might help to elevate his career, which happened when he got a job with Tommy Boy Records. As part of Northend, he had his first major success in 1981 with their second disco single "
Happy Days". (The song would be heavily sampled in P.J. aka Paul Jacob's "
Happy Days", which was a dance hit in both 1997 and 1999.) The following year he had even bigger success with the number one dance hit "
Walkin' On Sunshine" by Rockers Revenge, which also featured his future wife and Isle postee
Tina B.. That same year he became a hip hop and freestyle pioneer by producing
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force's seminal "Planet Rock". From there his career exploded, and he was in demand as a producer and remixer, working on future hits with huge and diverse acts like New Edition, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Holliday, Carly Simon, Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega, New Order, Hall & Oates (with whom he'd have a close production relationship), and even Billy Crystal, as well as several Isle postees. He was also part of acts like Wally Jump Jr & The Criminal Element and Criminal Element Orchestra. But aside from the 1984 club hit "Breaker's Revenge", he didn't release anything under his own name. Until 1989, that is, when A&M Records gave him an album deal. He recruited a band and dubbed them "The Backbeat Disciples", which consisted of John Warren, Tiny Valentine, Mac Quayle, Bobby Khozouri, Philip Damien and Cevin Fisher (Quayle, Fisher and Damien would go on to become huge producers and remixers themselves). The album consisted mostly of dance pop, with some more adult contemporary and hi-NRG tracks thrown in. Along with Warren and Valentine, he recruited several other vocalists, including legendary soul singer Al Green, ABC frontman Martin Fry, half of OMD, Andy McClusky, Jimmy Sommerville of Bronski Beat and The Communards, popular French singer Etienne Daho, future house legend Robert Owens, and Isle postee Shirley Lewis. He released seven singles from the album, the biggest hit being "The Message Is Love" featuring Green, which made the UK top 40 and top 10 in several other countries. "It's Your Time", featuring Lewis, made the UK top 100, but "Talk It Over," "2 x 1," "Mythical Girl," "Silly Games," and "Last Thing On My Mind" were far less successful, and his deal with A&M ended. But he was soon snapped up by RCA, and his second album appeared two years later. Though he kept the name, the Backbeat Disciples were no longer with him, and some releases of the album appeared under his name only. Again he recruited a bevy of amazing singers, including Leee John of Imagination, diva Tata Vega, newcomers Nikeeta and Wanda Nash, Kate Ceberano, lead singer of Isle postees I'm Talking, fellow Isle postee Adele Bertei, and Green once again. This time Baker explored the more club-ready genres of house and trance. He also had greater success in the US, with "Let There Be Love" reaching the top 20 on the Billboard dance chart, "Kiss The Ground (You Walk On)" also hitting that chart, "Leave The Guns At Home" a minor Billboard R&B hit, and "I O U", a remake of the dance smash he wrote and produced for pop group Freeez in 1983, just squeaking into the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Baker has continued to release singles under his own name and also continues to produce and remix, and he is deservedly considered a legend by most of the new breed of producers and remixers, his influence obvious in their work.
Video for
The Message Is Love
Video for
It's Your Time
Download
Merge
| 1 |
Talk It Over (Featuring John Warren) |
|
| 2 |
Willin' To Be Chillin' (Featuring Tiny Valentine) |
|
| 3 |
Last Thing On My Mind (Featuring John Warren) |
|
| 4 |
Mythical Girl (Featuring Martin Fry) |
|
| 5 |
I Believe In Love (Featuring Jimmy Sommerville) |
|
| 6 |
The Message Is Love (Featuring Al Green) |
|
| 7 |
Walk Away (Featuring Andy McCluskey) |
|
| 8 |
It's Your Time (Featuring Shirley Lewis) |
|
| 9 |
Count To Ten (Featuring John Warren) |
|
| 10 |
2 x 1 (Featuring Tiny Valentine) |
|
| 11 |
All I Ever Wanted (Featuring Mac Quayle) |
|
| 12 |
Silly Games (Featuring Robert Owens) |
|
| 13 |
Paris Sens Interdit (Featuring Ettienne Daho) |
|
|
Video for
Let There Be Love
Video for
Leave The Guns At Home
Download
Give In To The Rhythm
| 1 |
Let There Be Love (Featuring Leee John & Tata Vega) |
|
| 2 |
Leave The Guns At Home (Featuring Al Green) |
|
| 3 |
I.O.U. (Featuring Nikeeta) |
|
| 4 |
(Rock Me) In The House Of Love (Featuring Wanda Nash) |
|
| 5 |
Feels Like The First Time (Featuring Nikeeta) |
|
| 6 |
Inspiration (Featuring Leee John & Tata Vega) |
|
| 7 |
C'mon C'mon (Featuring Leee John) |
|
| 8 |
If Love Had A Heart (Featuring Leee John) |
|
| 9 |
2 Can Play This Game (Featuring Wanda Nash) |
|
| 10 |
Let's Start From Scratch (Featuring Nikeeta) |
|
| 11 |
Surrender (Trance Like Us) (Featuring Adele Bertei) |
|
| 12 |
Kiss The Ground (You Walk On) (Featuring Adele Bertei) |
|
| 13 |
Meaning Of Life (Featuring Kate Ceberano) |
Great albums .thank you ! ^_^
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thank you.
ReplyDelete