Robin Scott
Encyclopedia
Robin Scott lead singer and founder of a music project he called M
, is a singer originally from the United Kingdom
. His career encompasses four decades.
in the late 1960s. Scott befriended him and fashion guru Vivienne Westwood
(with whom he was to collaborate ten years later).
He declined their offer to be involved in SEX
, the Chelsea clothes shop which MacLaren and Westwood launched, preferring to make his career in music
. While at college he had displayed a talent for writing
topical song
s which he performed on radio
and TV
, and this led to his debut album, entitled Woman From the Warm Grass, which was released on a small independent label
called Head Records.
Scott was backed on the album by a notable group of the time, Mighty Baby
, but the recording studio
soon folded. Scott began working as a troubadour
, singing his own songs and accompanying himself on guitar
and spent a period playing folk music
clubs as a solo
artist
, sharing bills with such emergent artists as David Bowie
, John Martyn and Ralph McTell
. 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.
, but he left to travel both around Europe
and North America
. When he returned, he made demos
with members of the progressive rock
band
Camel
, songwriter Terry Britten
and music publisher Ronnie Scott
. In 1972 he entered the 'Search For A Star' national talent contest, which he won, and was offered a recording contract
by EMI
, but because they would not support his backing band, he turned down the deal.
In 1973, he performed in bands with the likes of Pete Thomas
(later of Elvis Costello
and the Attractions), Paul 'Bassman' Riley, and also wrote a musical
called 'Heartaches & Teardrops,' a play with original songs which has parallels to The Rocky Horror Show
, and the 'True Love And Romance' comic strip
genre.
Scott then started working with the band Roogalator, a well regarded and original R&B
band producing their debut single
, "Cincinnati Fatback" (one of the first releases on the Stiff
label) followed by another single "Love & The Single Girl" on Virgin
. As Virgin failed to pick up the album option, he independently produced Roogalator's debut LP
Play It By Ear to be released on his own Do It Records
, for whom Scott also recorded Cry Myself To Sleep under the alias of Comic Romance.
When punk rock
began to surface in late 1976 early 1977, while working with Roogalator both as producer
and manager
, he released early recordings by Adam and the Ants
on his Do It Records
label. In 1978, Scott worked as producer for Barclay Records
in Paris
, France
where he lived with his girlfriend Brigitte Vinchon (alias Brigit Novik), after producing and filming with director Julian Temple an all female punk quartet, The Slits
.
', he also produced and recorded
"Pop Muzik
", which was written as his résumé of twenty five years of pop music
and of being in the music industry since 1954.
Among the other musicians who played on the track were his brother Julian Scott (on bass
), then-unknown keyboardist Wally Badarou
, Canadian programmer John Lewis (who died of AIDS
in 1982) and backing vocalist Brigit Novik. When it was released in the UK
in early 1979, it became a hit, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart
and #1 in the US, after which MCA Records
, the label which had released the single, requested he record an accompanying album.
New York • London • Paris • Munich was recorded in Montreux
, Switzerland
, at Queen
's Mountain Studio, and using their regular engineer, 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
), Gary Barnacle
on saxophone
and flute
, and (at the time) local Montreux
resident David Bowie
, who did occasional handclaps.
Released in the UK at the end of 1979, the LP was also a sizeable hit in the U.S.
, where it was released on Sire Records
. In contrast to "Pop Muzik", another track titled "Moonlight and Muzak" was released in late 1979 as the third single from the album, peaking at #33 in the UK. 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 the music company called the Muzak Organisation.
He described it as "a very weird experience. There were all these white collar workers conscientiously putting together music with the precision of chemists. Way before Eno
was doing it, these guys were doing it for real. They were pre-occupied with the pace of workers in factories, and how to maximise their efficiency."
The song was a UK Top 40 hit, and then "That's the Way the Money Goes" became another charting
hit inside of a year. A 45-minute film
incorporating videos
and concert
performances to date came as a result of a quick globe-trotting world tour in the wake of the hit.
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, with contributions from Bill Whelan (the man behind Riverdance
, 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
colleague Mark King
. King at the time played guitar as much as bass, and it was prior to his discovery of his trademark sound. In 1981 Scott co-produced rising star Ryuichi Sakamoto
, along with fellow members of the Yellow Magic Orchestra
(who also participated on resultant albums Left Handed Dream and The Arrangement), as did King Crimson
/David Bowie
guitarist Adrian Belew
, 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
on programming, Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer Yukihiro Takahashi
, guitarist from Gang of Four
Andy Gill
and Tony Levin
on bass.
MCA declined release of the album in the UK, and it only saw the light of day in France, Italy
and the U.S. (where 'M' was not even signed up). 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.
and the Stiff releases, Scott found a new musical direction, producing an EP of African acts in Kenya
. This led to the album 'Robin Scott & Shikisha' in 1983/4, recorded in Kenya and the UK, with musicians from several different African states. The album featured a female vocal trio from South Africa, Shikisha (hence the album title), and Wally Badarou and Julian Scott.
Most of this world music
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
remix opening their 'PopMart' tour. Remixes have come from all sides, from Marcus' "Pop Muzic 2001" in 2002, and by Junior Vasquez
and the Dub Pistols
in 2003.
In 2003 a collection of Scott's artwork
was shown at the Ensign Gallery in London, which is featured within a virtual gallery online here.
2 concert series in Australia
between late August and early September 2007, when he sang "Pop Muzik". In 2009, an album featuring the original 1979 mix and thirteen remixes of "Pop Muzik" was issued by Union Square. He is now working with his son, who is a beat boxer, and his band, who are currently recording demos.
M (band)
M was English musician Robin Scott's brief but very successful new wave/synthpop project in the late 1970s and early 1980s. M is most known for the 1979 hit "Pop Muzik", which reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979, and #1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on 3 November 1979...
, is a singer originally from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. His career encompasses four decades.
Early life
He grew up in the South London suburb of Croydon, and after leaving school enrolled at Croydon Art college, where he met Malcolm McLarenMalcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
in the late 1960s. Scott befriended him and fashion guru Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
(with whom he was to collaborate ten years later).
He declined their offer to be involved in SEX
SEX (boutique)
SEX was a boutique run by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood at 430 King's Road, London between 1974 and 1976. It specialized in clothing that defined the look of the punk movement.-History:...
, the Chelsea clothes shop which MacLaren and Westwood launched, preferring to make his career in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. While at college he had displayed a talent for writing
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...
topical song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s which he performed on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and this led to his debut album, entitled Woman From the Warm Grass, which was released on a small independent label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
called Head Records.
Scott was backed on the album by a notable group of the time, Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby were formed in 1968 from the ashes of The Action. They released two albums, Mighty Baby and A Jug Of Love . Their debut, a collection of psychedelic rock, appeared on the tiny Head record label in the UK, and on Chess in the United States...
, but the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
soon folded. Scott began working as a troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
, singing his own songs and accompanying himself on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and spent a period playing folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
clubs as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, sharing bills with such emergent artists as David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, John Martyn and Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s....
. He also recorded a session for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, one of the tracks from which was included on the CD reissue of the album in 2001.
1970s
In early 1970, he conceived a multimedia project, 'The Voice' which was aired on BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
, but he left to travel both around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. When he returned, he made demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
with members of the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Camel
Camel (band)
Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
, songwriter Terry Britten
Terry Britten
Terry Britten is a prolific English singer-songwriter, who has written songs for Tina Turner and Sir Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo, Michael Jackson and many others.-Career:...
and music publisher Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott was an English jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner.-Life and career:Ronnie Scott was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of...
. In 1972 he entered the 'Search For A Star' national talent contest, which he won, and was offered a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, but because they would not support his backing band, he turned down the deal.
In 1973, he performed in bands with the likes of Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas is best known as the longtime drummer for Elvis Costello. Tom Waits has referred to him as "one of the best rock drummers alive".-Career:...
(later of Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and the Attractions), Paul 'Bassman' Riley, and also wrote a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
called 'Heartaches & Teardrops,' a play with original songs which has parallels to The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
, and the 'True Love And Romance' comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
genre.
Scott then started working with the band Roogalator, a well regarded and original R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band producing their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Cincinnati Fatback" (one of the first releases on the Stiff
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
label) followed by another single "Love & The Single Girl" on Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. As Virgin failed to pick up the album option, he independently produced Roogalator's debut LP
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...
Play It By Ear to be released on his own Do It Records
Do It Records
Do It Records was an independent record label in London. It is best known for having been an early label of Adam and the Ants, releasing their debut album Dirk Wears White Sox in November 1979 as well as singles Zerox in June 1979 and...
, for whom Scott also recorded Cry Myself To Sleep under the alias of Comic Romance.
When punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
began to surface in late 1976 early 1977, while working with Roogalator both as 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 manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, he released early recordings by Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
on his Do It Records
Do It Records
Do It Records was an independent record label in London. It is best known for having been an early label of Adam and the Ants, releasing their debut album Dirk Wears White Sox in November 1979 as well as singles Zerox in June 1979 and...
label. In 1978, Scott worked as producer for Barclay Records
Barclay Records
Barclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he lived with his girlfriend Brigitte Vinchon (alias Brigit Novik), after producing and filming with director Julian Temple an all female punk quartet, The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...
.
Breakthrough
While still in Paris he recorded early versions of "Moderne Man" and "Satisfy Your Lust", tracks which would ultimately appear on the first album. With a group of session musicians he called 'MM (band)
M was English musician Robin Scott's brief but very successful new wave/synthpop project in the late 1970s and early 1980s. M is most known for the 1979 hit "Pop Muzik", which reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979, and #1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on 3 November 1979...
', he also produced and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
"Pop Muzik
Pop Muzik
"Pop Muzik" is a 1979 hit song by M, a project by Robin Scott.-Concept and chart performance:Robin Scott describes the genesis of "Pop Muzik" this way:...
", which was written as his résumé of twenty five years 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...
and of being in the music industry since 1954.
Among the other musicians who played on the track were his brother Julian Scott (on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), then-unknown keyboardist Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
, Canadian programmer John Lewis (who died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1982) and backing vocalist Brigit Novik. When it was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in early 1979, it became a hit, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and #1 in the US, after which MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, the label which had released the single, requested he record an accompanying album.
New York • London • Paris • Munich was recorded in Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, at Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's Mountain Studio, and using their regular engineer, David Richards
David Richards
David Richards may refer to:*David Richards , former NFL offensive lineman*David Richards , British general*David Richards , former CEO of the ICC...
as well as Julian Scott
Julian Scott
Julian A. Scott , he was born in Johnson, Vermont, and served as a Union Army drummer during the American Civil War where he received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Lee's Mills; he was also an American painter and Civil War...
, Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
(who would later work with Stevie Winwood, among others) and Brigit Novik. Additional musicians on the LP included drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Phil Gould
Phil Gould (musician)
Philip Gabriel Gould, also known as Phil Gould is a British professional drummer, song writer, and singer from the Isle of Wight in southern England...
(later of Level 42
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
), Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work Gary Barnacle (born 1959, Dover, England) is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, and (at the time) local Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
resident David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, who did occasional handclaps.
Released in the UK at the end of 1979, the LP was also a sizeable hit in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it was released on Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. In contrast to "Pop Muzik", another track titled "Moonlight and Muzak" was released in late 1979 as the third single from the album, peaking at #33 in the UK. 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 the music company called the Muzak Organisation.
He described it as "a very weird experience. There were all these white collar workers conscientiously putting together music with the precision of chemists. Way before Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
was doing it, these guys were doing it for real. They were pre-occupied with the pace of workers in factories, and how to maximise their efficiency."
The song was a UK Top 40 hit, and then "That's the Way the Money Goes" became another charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit inside of a year. A 45-minute film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
incorporating videos
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
and concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
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 ActThe Official Secrets Act (album)
The Official Secrets Act is M's second album, released in 1980 on MCA Records.. The track "Official Secrets" was released as a single and charted in the UK at No. 64 in November 1980. The follow-up single was "Keep It To Yourself". The track "Maniac" featured Phil Gould on drums and Mark King on bass...
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, with contributions from Bill Whelan (the man behind Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
, who at the time worked as an arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
).
Among the musicians on the album were Phil Gould
Phil Gould (musician)
Philip Gabriel Gould, also known as Phil Gould is a British professional drummer, song writer, and singer from the Isle of Wight in southern England...
on drums again, who also introduced his friend and subsequent Level 42
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
colleague Mark King
Mark King (musician)
Mark King is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band, Level 42. In the early 1980s King popularized the 1970s-era slap and pop style for playing the bass guitar by incorporating it into pop music.-Early life:King was brought up on the Isle of Wight,...
. King at the time played guitar as much as bass, and it was prior to his discovery of his trademark sound. In 1981 Scott co-produced rising star Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
, along with fellow members of the Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
(who also participated on resultant albums Left Handed Dream and The Arrangement), as did King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
/David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
guitarist Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
, 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 Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
on programming, Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer Yukihiro Takahashi
Yukihiro Takahashi
Yukihiro Takahashi is a Japanese musician, who is best known as the drummer and lead vocalist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band.-Biography:...
, guitarist from Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
Andy Gill
Andy Gill
Andy Gill is a founding member and guitarist for the English rock group Gang of Four, considered among the most influential post-punk bands...
and Tony Levin
Tony Levin
Tony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
on bass.
MCA declined release of the album in the UK, and it only saw the light of day in France, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the U.S. (where 'M' was not even signed up). 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 ActThe Official Secrets Act (album)
The Official Secrets Act is M's second album, released in 1980 on MCA Records.. The track "Official Secrets" was released as a single and charted in the UK at No. 64 in November 1980. The follow-up single was "Keep It To Yourself". The track "Maniac" featured Phil Gould on drums and Mark King on bass...
and the Stiff releases, Scott found a new musical direction, producing an EP of African acts in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. This led to the album 'Robin Scott & Shikisha' in 1983/4, recorded in Kenya and the UK, with musicians from several different African states. The album featured a female vocal trio from South Africa, Shikisha (hence the album title), and Wally Badarou and Julian Scott.
Most of this world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
was originally suppressed, but was remastered and released in 2003. The resurgence of interest in Scott and the history of "Pop Muzik" follows U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's use of the Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
remix opening their 'PopMart' tour. Remixes have come from all sides, from Marcus' "Pop Muzic 2001" in 2002, and by Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez, , is an American club DJ and remixer/producer.-Career:...
and the Dub Pistols
Dub Pistols
Dub Pistols are a London based dub music and big beat band, founded by ex-club promoter, Barry Ashworth, in 1996. The other members of the band were record producer and bassist Jason O'Bryan, Brooklyn producer and lyricist, T. K. Lawrence on vocals, Jap Slut guitarist John King, and turntablist DJ...
in 2003.
In 2003 a collection of Scott's artwork
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
was shown at the Ensign Gallery in London, which is featured within a virtual gallery online here.
Present day
Scott appeared in the Countdown SpectacularCountdown Spectacular
The Countdown Spectacular is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series Countdown.-Countdown Spectacular:...
2 concert series in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
between late August and early September 2007, when he sang "Pop Muzik". In 2009, an album featuring the original 1979 mix and thirteen remixes of "Pop Muzik" was issued by Union Square. He is now working with his son, who is a beat boxer, and his band, who are currently recording demos.
Discography
- Woman from the Warm Grass (1969)
- New York*London*Paris*Munich (1979), SireSire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
- The Official Secrets Act (1980), Sire
- Famous Last Words (1982), Sire
- High Life Music EP (1983), Swahili/Albion
- Boogie With a Suitcase (1989), Freestyle
- Walking on the Water (1989), Fuego
- Pop Muzik – The Remix Album (2010), Union Square
Collaborations
- Left Handed Dream (1981), EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
- Ryuichi Sakamoto featuring Robin Scott - The Arrangement (1990), Alfa - Ryuichi Sakamoto featuring Robin Scott