Pete Kirtley
Encyclopedia
Pete Kirtley is an English
multi-platinum and Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter
, record producer
and recently established publisher. He has produced over 150 records
worldwide with sales exceeding 10 million, including four number one hits worldwide, eight UK top ten hits and twenty top forty hits in Germany
. He has written and/or produced for artists such as the Sugababes
, Hear'Say
, Armin Van Buuren, Kim Wilde
, Mutya Buena
and Stephen Gately
. His production collaborations include Ryan Tedder
, Guy Chambers
and Stargate
.
, Sussex
, but moved to Surrey
at a young age. The younger of two children, his father was a semi-professional musician who had at one time been under contract to Parlophone Records. Kirtley's early musical influences included the Jazz-funk
of the 1970s and early 1980s, together with most forms of Pop music
. At the age of 11 he joined a band with Matt Goss
, Luke Goss
and Craig Logan
who later formed the British band Bros
. Kirtley was a keen amateur actor while at school, but at the age of 16 chose music as a career and became a professional drummer. For four years he was a member of The Blue, a band managed by Bob Herbert
and his son Chris
, the original managers of the Spice Girls
. The Blue's only single, "Don't Leave Me Standing in the Pouring Rain", was released in 1992, but failed to enter the charts.
. In 1999 he teamed up with Tim Hawes to form the writing and production team Jiant
and in the following year they secured a track on Aaron Carter
's 3 million selling 2xmulti-platinum
album Aaron's Party (Come Get It)
, two tracks on Boyzone
member Stephen Gately
's solo project, as well as song placements with acts in Japan, France, Denmark and South Africa.
In early 2001 Jiant reached the final of A Song for Europe,, but this was almost immediately overshadowed by the release of Pure and Simple
, co-written with Alison Clarkson and recorded by Hear'Say
, the winners of the ITV talent show Popstars. Pure and Simple was at the time the fastest selling debut single of all time in the UK, selling just under 550,000 copies in the first week. In total more than 1.2 million copies were sold and it was one of the few singles to achieve double platinum
status in that decade. In 2002 Kirtley and his co-writers received an Ivor Novello Award
for the best selling UK single of 2001.
Kirtley continued to enjoy chart success, achieving his 2nd number one single in the UK with the Jiant/Stargate
co-production of Hear'Say's The Way to Your Love
. His 3rd number one single was No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
, recorded by the German band No Angels
. Kirtley's 4th number one, Shame
, the debut single of Monrose
, became the fastest-selling German CD single
of 2006 and the biggest-downloaded song since the introduction of the legal digital download charts in Germany in 2004. Subsequent success included songs on Sugababes
number one album Taller in More Ways
, Mutya Buena
's debut solo album Real Girl
, which reached the UK top ten chart, America's Got Talent
winner Bianca Ryan
's self-titled debut album, plus the Armin van Buuren single "This World is Watching Me". For a number of years Kirtley worked closely with the German TV series of Popstars
and produced more than 50 records for the winning acts from the show.
In 2010 Kirtley joined forces with BMG UK, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
, to form TaPe Music Publishing.
Kirtley is a member of the Executive Committee of the charity Rugby for Heroes, and co-wrote and produced "With Pride", their official anthem for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
multi-platinum and Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and recently established publisher. He has produced over 150 records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
worldwide with sales exceeding 10 million, including four number one hits worldwide, eight UK top ten hits and twenty top forty hits in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He has written and/or produced for artists such as the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, Hear'Say
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
, Armin Van Buuren, Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
, Mutya Buena
Mutya Buena
Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English recording artist who rose to fame as a member of girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her...
and Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful...
. His production collaborations include Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
and Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
.
Early life and career
Peter Edward Kirtley was born in 1972 in CuckfieldCuckfield
Cuckfield is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Haywards Heath to the southeast and Burgess...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, but moved to Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
at a young age. The younger of two children, his father was a semi-professional musician who had at one time been under contract to Parlophone Records. Kirtley's early musical influences included the Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
of the 1970s and early 1980s, together with most forms of Pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. At the age of 11 he joined a band with Matt Goss
Matt Goss
Matthew Weston Goss is an English singer and songwriter currently based in Los Angeles. He was the lead singer of 1980s pop group Bros, which also featured his twin brother Luke Goss as drummer and Craig Logan as bass player...
, Luke Goss
Luke Goss
Luke Damon Goss is an English singer and actor. Since 1994, he has been married to backing singer Shirley Lewis, , and has one stepdaughter, Carli. In January 2007, he and wife Shirley moved permanently to Los Angeles, but still maintain a residence in London...
and Craig Logan
Craig Logan
Craig Logan is a British music manager. He began his career as bassist in the pop band Bros.- Background :After a year of major UK success with Bros during 1988, Logan left the band in early 1989. After this, Logan focused on song-writing and producing and was nominated for an Ivor Novello award...
who later formed the British band Bros
Bros
Bros were a British band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, consisting of twin brothers Matt Goss and Luke Goss along with Craig Logan...
. Kirtley was a keen amateur actor while at school, but at the age of 16 chose music as a career and became a professional drummer. For four years he was a member of The Blue, a band managed by Bob Herbert
Bob Herbert (manager)
Robert “Bob” Herbert was an English talent manager. He was the original manager of the Spice Girls.-Early life:...
and his son Chris
Chris Herbert
Chris Herbert , is a talent manager who has helped overseen the careers of the Spice Girls, Five, Stephen Gately and Hear'Say...
, the original managers of the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
. The Blue's only single, "Don't Leave Me Standing in the Pouring Rain", was released in 1992, but failed to enter the charts.
Songwriting and record production
Although Kirtley had written songs from an early age his successful writing and production career effectively began with music for television commercials, including commissions by Saatchi and Saatchi. These were followed by tracks on a number of international albums, including the 1998 album, "Privacy", by Ophelie WinterOphélie Winter
Ophélie Kleerekoper-Winter is a French singer and actress.- Biography :Her father David Alexandre Winter, was a Dutch pop singer during the 1970s, while her mother was a French fashion model, who is now her agent...
. In 1999 he teamed up with Tim Hawes to form the writing and production team Jiant
Jiant
Jiant was a British record production and songwriting team, headed by Tim Hawes and Pete Kirtley, working in the genres of pop, R&B and dance...
and in the following year they secured a track on Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
's 3 million selling 2xmulti-platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
album Aaron's Party (Come Get It)
Aaron's Party (Come Get It)
Aaron's Party is American pop singer Aaron Carter's 2nd studio album to follow-up to his international debut album. This album was released in the fall of 2000. This album was also certified 3x Platinum by the R.I.A.A. for selling over 3 million copies in the United States...
, two tracks on Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
member Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful...
's solo project, as well as song placements with acts in Japan, France, Denmark and South Africa.
In early 2001 Jiant reached the final of A Song for Europe,, but this was almost immediately overshadowed by the release of Pure and Simple
Pure and Simple
"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
, co-written with Alison Clarkson and recorded by Hear'Say
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
, the winners of the ITV talent show Popstars. Pure and Simple was at the time the fastest selling debut single of all time in the UK, selling just under 550,000 copies in the first week. In total more than 1.2 million copies were sold and it was one of the few singles to achieve double platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status in that decade. In 2002 Kirtley and his co-writers received an Ivor Novello Award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for the best selling UK single of 2001.
Kirtley continued to enjoy chart success, achieving his 2nd number one single in the UK with the Jiant/Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
co-production of Hear'Say's The Way to Your Love
The Way To Your Love
"The Way to Your Love" is the second single from the group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars.This song debuted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and despite the success of the group's debut single "Pure and Simple", it only spent one week at the top of the chart and only a 10th...
. His 3rd number one single was No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)
"No Angel " is a song recorded by all-female German pop band No Angels. The song was released as the album's lead single on April 22, 2003 in German-speaking Europe...
, recorded by the German band No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
. Kirtley's 4th number one, Shame
Shame (Monrose song)
"Shame" is a pop song performed by German pop trio Monrose. It was written by Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley and Andrew Murray and co-produced by production teams Jiant and Snowflakers for the band's debut studio album, Temptation ....
, the debut single of Monrose
Monrose
Monrose was a German pop band, first established in November 2006. Formed on the fifth installment of the German adaption of the international television talent show Popstars on the ProSieben network, the trio consisted of singers and songwriters Mandy Capristo, Senna Guemmour, and Bahar...
, became the fastest-selling German CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
of 2006 and the biggest-downloaded song since the introduction of the legal digital download charts in Germany in 2004. Subsequent success included songs on Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
number one album Taller in More Ways
Taller in More Ways
Taller in More Ways is the fourth studio album by British girl group Sugababes, released by Island Records on 10 October 2005 in the United Kingdom. It was primarily produced by Dallas Austin and Xenomania, with additional production from Cameron McVey and Guy Sigsworth...
, Mutya Buena
Mutya Buena
Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English recording artist who rose to fame as a member of girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her...
's debut solo album Real Girl
Real Girl
Real Girl is the debut solo album by British recording artist Mutya Buena. It was released on June 4, 2007 via Universal Records, following her departure from UK girl-group the Sugababes in December 2005.-Singles:...
, which reached the UK top ten chart, America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
winner Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan
Bianca Taylor Ryan is an American singer and guitarist, who won the debut season of NBC's America's Got Talent at age 11....
's self-titled debut album, plus the Armin van Buuren single "This World is Watching Me". For a number of years Kirtley worked closely with the German TV series of Popstars
Popstars (Germany)
Popstars is a German reality television series that began its first installment on the RTL2 network on November 14, 2000. Part of the international Popstars franchise, it originated from the same-titled New Zealand reality program....
and produced more than 50 records for the winning acts from the show.
In 2010 Kirtley joined forces with BMG UK, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America , based in New York, is the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo. It is the umbrella company under which all Sony companies operate in the United States....
, to form TaPe Music Publishing.
Kirtley is a member of the Executive Committee of the charity Rugby for Heroes, and co-wrote and produced "With Pride", their official anthem for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.