Stephen Hague
Encyclopedia
Stephen Hague is an American
music
producer
most active with various British
acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop
movement.
offshoot band Gleaming Spires
, the first album recorded on his home 4 track spawning the L.A. radio hit "Are You Ready For The Sex Girls" on the Posh Boy label, a recording subsequently featured in Hollywood features Last American Virgin, Revenge of the Nerds
and Just Can't Get Enough: The Chippendales Story.
. He later worked with Public Image Ltd.
, Pet Shop Boys
, New Order
, Melanie C, Peter Gabriel
, Dubstar
, Erasure
and Robbie Robertson
, producing their respective hits "West End Girls
", "True Faith", "Star
" and "A Little Respect
." He was responsible for the biggest success Siouxsie and the Banshees had in the US with the single Kiss Them For Me.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
most active with various British
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...
acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
movement.
Early career
Starting his career as a session keyboardist and a member of the band Jules and the Polar Bears, he started his production career by producing 2 albums by the 1980s SparksSparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
offshoot band Gleaming Spires
Gleaming Spires
Gleaming Spires were a new wave pop group popular in the 1980s. Performing as Bates Motel they were enlisted by the Mael brothers to be a part of the 1981-1985 incarnation of their band, Sparks...
, the first album recorded on his home 4 track spawning the L.A. radio hit "Are You Ready For The Sex Girls" on the Posh Boy label, a recording subsequently featured in Hollywood features Last American Virgin, Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
and Just Can't Get Enough: The Chippendales Story.
Influence on UK acts
Hague's first noted UK production was on Malcolm McLaren's "Madam Butterfly" single. His first full album production was for Crush by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
. He later worked with Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by vocalist John Lydon , guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes. Lydon is the sole constant member of the band....
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, Melanie C, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Dubstar
Dubstar
Dubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
, Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
and Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, producing their respective hits "West End Girls
West End Girls
"West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop song, influenced by hip hop music. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land...
", "True Faith", "Star
Star (Erasure song)
"Star" is a song by Erasure, released in 1990 as the fourth European single from the group's fourth studio album Wild!....
" and "A Little Respect
A Little Respect
American band Wheatus released the song in July 2001 as their second single from their debut album. The single peaked at number three in the United Kingdom, while reaching number 19 in Austria and number 41 in New Zealand.-Critical reception:...
." He was responsible for the biggest success Siouxsie and the Banshees had in the US with the single Kiss Them For Me.
Production credits
- 1980 Bob Beland; Stealing Cars b/w "I Can Walk Away" 7" single
- 1980 Roger SwallowRoger SwallowRoger Swallow is an English producer, musician and songwriter. He was a member of The Albion Band and worked with many artistes in the late 1960s early '70s as a session and touring drummer/percussionist.- Biography :...
; "CUT" LP - 1981 Slow ChildrenSlow ChildrenSlow Children was a New Wave pop group from the early 1980s. Their three most popular songs were "President Am I", "Spring in Fialta" and "Vanessa Vacillating". The two primary performers were Pal Shazar and Andrew Chinich.-Audio sample:-External links:*...
– Slow ChildrenSlow Children (album)Slow Children was Slow Children's 1981 debut album.There was a release in the U.K with an album cover art concept that was adapted from Jean Cocteau's "The Blood of a Poet" .There was also a U.S... - 1981 Gleaming SpiresGleaming SpiresGleaming Spires were a new wave pop group popular in the 1980s. Performing as Bates Motel they were enlisted by the Mael brothers to be a part of the 1981-1985 incarnation of their band, Sparks...
"Are You Ready For The Sex Girls" Rodney On The Roq 2 compilation - 1981 Gleaming SpiresGleaming SpiresGleaming Spires were a new wave pop group popular in the 1980s. Performing as Bates Motel they were enlisted by the Mael brothers to be a part of the 1981-1985 incarnation of their band, Sparks...
"Songs of The Spires" LP - 1982 Bob Beland; "Bob Beland" E.P.
- 1983 Gleaming SpiresGleaming SpiresGleaming Spires were a new wave pop group popular in the 1980s. Performing as Bates Motel they were enlisted by the Mael brothers to be a part of the 1981-1985 incarnation of their band, Sparks...
"Walk On Well Lighted Streets" LP - 1983 Rock Steady CrewRock Steady CrewRock Steady Crew is a b-boying crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, New York City in 1977. The group was initially formed by b-boys named Jimmy D and Jojo. In subsequent years, Rock Steady Crew became a franchise name for groups in other locations. The Manhattan branch was...
"Hey you, the rock steady crew", album (written and produced) - 1984 Malcolm McLarenMalcolm McLarenMalcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
– "Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)" - 1984 Andy PrattAndy Pratt (singer-songwriter)Andy Pratt is an American rock music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In the 1970s, he made a number of experimental records that were appreciated by small audiences, and scored a commercial hit with "Avenging Annie"....
– "Fun in the First World" - 1985 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
– CrushCrush (OMD album)Crush is the sixth album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1985."So in Love" became the group's first hit single in the US, the album also sold well in the US... - 1985 Andy Pratt – "Not Just for Dancing" (now "Age of Goodbye")
- 1986 Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
– Please - 1986 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – The Pacific AgeThe Pacific AgeThe Pacific Age is the seventh album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1986. " Live and Die" became the group's third hit single in the US and returned the group to the top 20 in the UK, peaking at #11, but the album sold poorly in both countries.The Pacific Age was Stephen Hague's...
- 1986 Pete Shelley – "Heaven & the Sea"
- 1987 New OrderNew OrderNew Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
– "True Faith" / "1963Nineteen63"Nineteen63" or "1963" is a track by British dance/rock group New Order. It was originally released as a B-side to "True Faith" in 1987 and appeared on the Substance compilation of the same year...
" - 1987 Pet Shop Boys – "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "It's a Sin", "King's Cross" from ActuallyActually (album)In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #22 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".-Track listing:# "One More Chance" – 5:30...
- 1987 Communards – RedRed (Communards album)-Personnel:* Richard Coles – keyboards, vocals, arranger, conductor, producer* Jimmy Somerville – vocals, mixing, producer-Additional musicians:* Gary Barnacle – sax * Simon Clarke – sax , sax * Dinesh – percussion...
- 1987 Various Artists – Some Kind of Wonderful
- 1988 Climie FisherClimie FisherClimie Fisher were a UK pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher...
– EverythingEverything (Climie Fisher album)Everything is the first album by British pop duo Climie Fisher, released in 1987. The album includes the duo's biggest hit and best-remembered single, "Love Changes ", and reached #14 on the UK album chart... - 1988 ErasureErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
– The InnocentsThe Innocents (album)After releasing The Two Ring Circus, a remix album in 1987, The Innocents was the third proper studio release from Erasure, released in 1988... - 1988 Jane WiedlinJane WiedlinJane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
– Fur - 1989 Pere UbuPere UbuPere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
– Cloudland - 1989 Holly JohnsonHolly JohnsonHolly Johnson is an English artist, writer and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and former bassist for Big in Japan.- Big in Japan :...
- "Love Train" & "Heaven's Here" from Blast - 1989 New Order – "Round & Round" (7" & 12" single versions)
- 1989 Public Image Ltd.Public Image Ltd.Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by vocalist John Lydon , guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes. Lydon is the sole constant member of the band....
– 99 (Public Image Ltd. album)-Personnel:*John Lydon: vocals*John McGeoch: guitar*Allan Dias: bass*Bruce Smith: drums-Track-by-track commentary by the band:"Happy?":*John Lydon : “'Happy?' was much more militant in its approach, kind of pissed off at the world. That was the attitude. But this one is much more happy, much more... - 1990 Jimmy SomervilleJimmy SomervilleJames William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
– Read My Lips - 1990 Marc AlmondMarc AlmondMarc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
A lover spurned, 7" single from the album EnchantedEnchanted (Marc Almond album)Enchanted is a 1990 studio album by recording artist Marc Almond, previously a member of synthpop/new wave duo, Soft Cell. The album includes the singles "A Lover Spurned", "The Desperate Hours" and "Waifs and Strays" and was produced by Bob Kraushaar, Gary Maughan and Stephen Hague... - 1990 New Order – "World in MotionWorld in Motion"World in Motion" is a song by English musical group New Order. It is New Order's only UK number one single. The song was produced for the England football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign, and features several members of the 1990 English team, as well as comedian Keith Allen, who co-wrote the...
" - 1991 Banderas - "This Is Your Life"
- 1991 Siouxsie and the Banshees – SuperstitionSuperstition (album)Superstition is the tenth studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1991. The first single, "Kiss Them for Me" gave the band its first top-forty Billboard Hot 100 hit in the United States, peaking at number 23...
- 1991 ChapterhouseChapterhouseFor the religious buildings, see Chapter houseChapterhouse are a British shoegazing band originally of the early 1990s, from Reading, Berkshire, England. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3...
– "Falling Down" - 1991 ElectronicElectronic (band)-Albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-External links:* *...
- "Feel Every BeatFeel Every Beat"Feel Every Beat" was the third single by the English band Electronic. It was released in the UK on 9 September 1991 by Factory Records and was a modest commercial success.-Composition:...
" (single) (additional production and remix) - 1991 Pet Shop Boys - "DJ CultureDJ Culture"DJ Culture" is the first single released by British electronic music group Pet Shop Boys from their singles collection album Discography: The Complete Singles Collection. The single peaked at #13 on the UK Singles Chart in 1991...
" (single) (additional production and mix of 7”) - 1992 Electronic - "DisappointedDisappointed"Disappointed" was the fourth single by the English band Electronic. Like their first single "Getting Away with It" it featured Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys as well as founding members Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner. It was released in June 1992 on Parlophone soon after the demise of Factory Records...
" (single) (additional production and mix of 7”) - 1993 One DoveOne DoveOne Dove was a Scottish alternative dance music group active in the early 1990s, consisting of Dot Allison, Ian Carmichael and Jim McKinven, a former member of Altered Images.-History:...
– "Morning Dove White" - 1993 New Order – RepublicRepublic (album)Republic is the sixth studio album by New Order. Released in 1993 by London Records, it was their first album released after the demise of Factory Records, and their last for eight years....
- 1993 The Other TwoThe Other TwoAlbumsSingles-External links:* * - Videos :* * * *...
– The Other Two & You - 1993 Morten HarketMorten HarketMorten Harket is a Norwegian musician, best known as the lead singer of the Norwegian synthpop/rock band A-ha, which released nine studio albums and topped the charts in several countries after their breakthrough hit "Take on Me" in 1985. A-ha disbanded in 2010. Harket has also released four solo...
- "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - 1993 Pet Shop Boys - Very (additional production)
- 1994 BlurBlur (band)Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
- "To The End" - 1995 DubstarDubstarDubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
– Disgraceful (co-produced with Graeme Robinson) - 1995 Jimmy SomervilleJimmy SomervilleJames William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
– "HeartbeatHeartbeat (Jimmy Somerville song)"Heartbeat" is the title of a 1995 song by British pop singer Jimmy Somerville, former lead singer of the bands Bronski Beat and Communards. Released as a single from his 1995 solo album, Dare to Love, "Heartbeat" peaked at #24 on the UK singles chart in February of that year...
" - 1995 Gregory Gray 'euroflake in silverlake"
- 1995 Frances RuffelleFrances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
- "God Watch Over You" (single) - 1996 Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
- "Freedom" (single) - 1997 DubstarDubstarDubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
– Goodbye - 1997 JamesJames (band)James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
- Whiplash (co-produced with Brian Eno) - 1997 ManBREAK – "Come and See"
- 1998 Ace of BaseAce of BaseAce of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
- Cruel SummerCruel Summer"Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
(coproduced) - 1998 Pretenders - Viva el Amor
- 1999 TechniqueTechnique (band)Technique was a female alternative synth pop band from the mid-1990s featuring Kate Holmes of Frazier Chorus and singer Xan Tyler. The band was named after New Order's 1989 album of the same name, and they were signed to Creation Records, the record label owned by Holmes's husband - Alan...
- Pop Philosophy - 2000 Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
- Reloaded - 2001 Afro Celt Sound SystemAfro Celt Sound SystemThe Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African music...
– Volume 3: Further in TimeVolume 3: Further in TimeVolume 3: Further in Time is the third studio album from Afro Celt Sound System, released June 19, 2001 through Real World Records.-Track listing:# "North" - 6:48# "North 2" - 2:59# "When You're Falling" - 5:14... - 2001 Closer to Heaven (Original Cast Recording)Closer to Heaven (Original Cast Recording)Closer to Heaven is an album of songs from the Pet Shop Boys 2001 stage musical Closer to Heaven. The songs feature the original London production cast and production credits go to Pet Shop Boys and Stephen Hague.-Track listing:...
(co-produced with Pet Shop Boys) - 2002 a-haA-haA-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
– LifelinesLifelinesLifelines is the seventh album released in 2002 by the Norwegian band A-ha. This album entered to top 10 album charts in 9 countries and 4 of those in top, selling over 1.5 million copies.... - 2004 Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
- UP (co-produced with Peter Gabriel) - 2005 The ModernThe Modern (band)The Modern are a British electropop band. They are currently signed to Ninth Wave Records in the United States and EQ Music in Asia. The band consists of vocalist Emma Cooke, with Nathan Cooper and Chi Tudor-Hart on vocals and synthesizers...
- Life In A Modern World (Album) - unreleased (See Matinée Club below) - 2005 David MeadDavid MeadDavid Worth Mead is a Nashville-based pop singer-songwriter, best known for his soaring vocals and such albums as Indiana and Almost and Always...
– Wherever You Are (EP) - 2007 ClientClient (band)Client are an English electronic musical group from London. They are most popular in Germany where they have had limited commercial success...
– Heartland (few songs) - 2007 The CinematicsThe CinematicsThe Cinematics were an alternative rock band from Scotland, consisting of Scott Rinning , Larry Reid , Adam Goemans and Ross Bonney...
– "A Strange EducationA Strange EducationA Strange Education is the debut album from the Scottish Indie band The Cinematics. The first single, "Chase" appeared on the Transporter 2 soundtrack. The album includes a cover of Sunday Sun by Beck...
" - 2007 Melanie C – I Want CandyI Want Candy"I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by The Strangeloves in 1965 that went to number 11 in the United States. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat.-Original version:...
- 2007 Melanie C – Understand (remix)
- 2008 Big Blue BallBig Blue BallBig Blue Ball is an album by multiple artists which "grew from 3 recording weeks" at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in the summers of 1991, 1992, and 1995. It is Peter Gabriel's fourteenth album project overall....
(co-produced with Peter Gabriel) - 2008 Fryars- (singles)
- 2009 Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
- 2010 Akira the DonAkira the DonAkira The Don is an independent British musician. Born in West Bromwich and raised in North Wales, in recent years he has lived in Hackney, East London....
- The Life Equation - 2011 CreatureCreature (band)Creature is a Canadian pop rock band from Montreal, Quebec.-History:The band formed in 2004 and released a debut album No Sleep At All on March 3, 2008. The following year, No Sleep At All became a nominee in the "Pop Album of The Year" category at the Juno Awards of 2009.The band's sound...
- Sick Imagination - 2011 Joseph ArthurJoseph ArthurJoseph Arthur is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. Combining poetic lyrics with a layered sonic palette, Arthur has built his reputation over the years through critically acclaimed releases and constant touring; his unique solo live performances incorporate the use of a...
- 2011 Claudia BruckenClaudia BrückenClaudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...