Robert Owens (musician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Owens is an American contemporary R&B
and house-music
vocalist best known for his work with the Chicago house
group Fingers Inc. in the mid-1980s. As a solo artist, he has placed several songs on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, two of which hit #1: "I'll Be Your Friend" (1992), and "Mine to Give" (2000, a collaboration with Photek
).
has typically been a producer's medium (and the few vocalists who succeed are usually women),
Robert Owens became one of the people associated with the late-'80s golden era of Chicago house. Born in Ohio in 1961, Robert Owens grew up singing in church, but years later, he was working as a DJ in 1985, when he met Chicago producer Larry Heard. The pair formed Fingers Inc., along with Ron Wilson, and they released a few singles ("You're Mine"/"It's Over") plus the 1988 full-length "Another Side". The group disbanded quickly, as Heard's burgeoning solo-production career (as Mr. Fingers) took priority.
Robert Owens had already released recordings on his own - "Bring Down the Walls" and "I'm Strong" made for Alleviated (with production from Heard), and he signed a solo contract with 4th & B'way Records. His 1990 album Rhythms in Me lost visibility soon after within the quickly disintegrating Chicago house
scene. (One of his best-known features of the late 1980s, the epic house moment "Tears" appeared with the names of Frankie Knuckles
and producer Satoshi Tomiie
.)
Owens had virtually retired from music by the early 1990s, preferring to manage his own Christian bookstore, instead. By 1996, he had returned to dance music with "Ordinary People": a two-part EP recording for Musical Directions. He joined up with Tomiie (again) and Cevin Fisher in 1999, to make a track from Tomiie's Full Lick LP. One year later, in 2000, Robert Owens appeared on the Photek
hit "Mine to Give".
In 2003, he joined with Drum 'n' Bass act London Elektricity
to provide the vocals for their album Billion Dollar Gravy.
He collaborated with Coldcut
on their album Sound Mirrors
, on the track "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" in 2006.
He collaborated with Rob Pearson on single "Escape from the Madness" which was released on Plastic City in 2007
In 2011, he collaborated with Brookes Brothers on their single entitled 'Beautiful' which is due for release on the Breakbeat-Kaos label
Later on in the same year he collaborated with Dutch Drum and Bass producer Icicle, and featured on the tracks 'Step Forward' and 'Redemption', which appeared on Icicle's debut album 'Under the Ice' released 25/04/11 on Shogun Audio.
, playing on the house-music
radio station SF-UR.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and house-music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
vocalist best known for his work with the Chicago house
Chicago house
Chicago house is a style of house music, a genre of electronic dance music which emerged in Chicago in the mid-1980s. Stylistically, Chicago house has no widely accepted definition, but generally includes the first house music productions by Chicago-based artists throughout the 1980s, and any later...
group Fingers Inc. in the mid-1980s. As a solo artist, he has placed several songs on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, two of which hit #1: "I'll Be Your Friend" (1992), and "Mine to Give" (2000, a collaboration with Photek
Photek
Photek is Rupert Parkes , a Los Angeles-based British record producer and DJ. He joined the drum and bass scene relatively early , and is still one of its most respected players...
).
Life and work
Though electronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
has typically been a producer's medium (and the few vocalists who succeed are usually women),
Robert Owens became one of the people associated with the late-'80s golden era of Chicago house. Born in Ohio in 1961, Robert Owens grew up singing in church, but years later, he was working as a DJ in 1985, when he met Chicago producer Larry Heard. The pair formed Fingers Inc., along with Ron Wilson, and they released a few singles ("You're Mine"/"It's Over") plus the 1988 full-length "Another Side". The group disbanded quickly, as Heard's burgeoning solo-production career (as Mr. Fingers) took priority.
Robert Owens had already released recordings on his own - "Bring Down the Walls" and "I'm Strong" made for Alleviated (with production from Heard), and he signed a solo contract with 4th & B'way Records. His 1990 album Rhythms in Me lost visibility soon after within the quickly disintegrating Chicago house
Chicago house
Chicago house is a style of house music, a genre of electronic dance music which emerged in Chicago in the mid-1980s. Stylistically, Chicago house has no widely accepted definition, but generally includes the first house music productions by Chicago-based artists throughout the 1980s, and any later...
scene. (One of his best-known features of the late 1980s, the epic house moment "Tears" appeared with the names of Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
and producer Satoshi Tomiie
Satoshi Tomiie
Satoshi Tomiie is a Japanese house-music producer and DJ. He has written music for numerous soundtracks, including for the Animatrix soundtrack and remixed many artists including the Future Sound of London.-History:...
.)
Owens had virtually retired from music by the early 1990s, preferring to manage his own Christian bookstore, instead. By 1996, he had returned to dance music with "Ordinary People": a two-part EP recording for Musical Directions. He joined up with Tomiie (again) and Cevin Fisher in 1999, to make a track from Tomiie's Full Lick LP. One year later, in 2000, Robert Owens appeared on the Photek
Photek
Photek is Rupert Parkes , a Los Angeles-based British record producer and DJ. He joined the drum and bass scene relatively early , and is still one of its most respected players...
hit "Mine to Give".
In 2003, he joined with Drum 'n' Bass act London Elektricity
London Elektricity
London Elektricity is the DJ and stage name of musician Tony Colman who is best known as a recording artist of five albums, international DJ and formerly a live drum and bass act "London Elektricity Live".-History:...
to provide the vocals for their album Billion Dollar Gravy.
He collaborated with Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
on their album Sound Mirrors
Sound Mirrors
Sound Mirrors is the fifth studio album by Coldcut. It was released in January 2006. Four singles were released from the album including the Top 75 hit "True Skool" with Roots Manuva.- CD :#"Man in a Garage"...
, on the track "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" in 2006.
He collaborated with Rob Pearson on single "Escape from the Madness" which was released on Plastic City in 2007
In 2011, he collaborated with Brookes Brothers on their single entitled 'Beautiful' which is due for release on the Breakbeat-Kaos label
Later on in the same year he collaborated with Dutch Drum and Bass producer Icicle, and featured on the tracks 'Step Forward' and 'Redemption', which appeared on Icicle's debut album 'Under the Ice' released 25/04/11 on Shogun Audio.
Influences
In October 2004, “I’ll be Your Friend” appeared in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
, playing on the house-music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
radio station SF-UR.
Albums
- Rhythms in Me, 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records, 1990
- Love Will Find its Way: The Best of Robert Owens, Unisex Records, 2002
- Night-Time Stories, Compost Records, 2008
- Art, Compost Records, 2010
Singles
- "Tears"
- "Changes"
- "Tell Me"
- "Far Away"
- "I'll Be Your Friend"
- "Ordinary People"
- "Love Will Find Its Way"
- "I'm Strong"
- "Picking Up The Pieces"
- "A Thing Called Love"
- "In Love Forever"
- "Can You Feel It"
- "Never No More Lonely"
- "After The Rain"
- "Bring Down The Walls"
- "Mine To Give"
- "Mine To Give" (David Morales Happy Mix)
- "Last Night a DJ Blew My Mind" (w/ Fab Four)
- "If"
- "A Greater Love" (w/ DJ Spen)
- "Love Someone" (w/ Atjazz)
- "I Go Back" (w/ Harry Ramero)
- "Escape from the Madness" (w/ Rob Pearson)
Compilation albums featuring Robert Owens
- "The Original Chicago House Classics: Full Length 12-Inch Mixes from the Godfathers of House." Demon Music Group Ltd 2002
- "The Kings of House: Compiled & Mixed by Masters At Work." Rapster/BBE Records 2005
- "Renaissance: The Masters Series, Part 9" Renaissance RecordingsRenaissance RecordingsRenaissance Recordings was a British record label, founded by the club Renaissance in 1994. In went into administration in 2008 and the back catalogue was sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd.-Series:Current*3D*Digital*Masters Series...
2007
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart