Adamski
Encyclopedia
Adamski is an English
dance music
producer
, prominent at the time of acid house
for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer
" (a collaboration with Seal
).
, and Johnny Slut of the band Specimen
, as Diskord Datkord. The band was signed to SOHO records and released one single. The brothers Tinley continued to work together even after the demise of Diskord Datkord. In the late 1980s, Adam Tinley adopted his stage name
after the UFO
enthusiast, George Adamski
.
Adamski was discovered by entrepreneur Phil Smith who ran the infamous 'Le Petit Prince' restaurant in London's NW5. He introduced Adamski's music to the 'rave scene' and got him a deal with MCA Records
, producing the first rave record on MCA called Live And Direct. The artist enjoyed modest success with this first release, which was a collection of tracks recorded live at various venues in England and Ibiza. It contained a short, live version of his first single, "NRG", as well as "I Dream of You", which appeared on a free 4 track 7" vinyl single given away with the music paper, Record Mirror
in 1989. The cover of the single "NRG" featured a mocked up Lucozade
bottle with the 'Lucozade' word replaced with 'N-R-G.' Legend has it that clubbers started riots when the record was first played out at the Shoom night club in 1989.
Commenting on the comparisons between rave culture and the earlier punk rock
scene, Adamski said in 1990, "I liked the energy and the visual side of punk, but it was all just saying 'no, no, no, no,' whereas now everybody's saying 'yes, yes, yes.' I much prefer the positivity thing we have now, plus it's a much easier environment to score in."
Adamski toured many clubs with his portable keyboard set up, playing short sets, with an MC, Daddy Chester, and later with Seal
. In front of his keyboard was a UK car number plate with the words 'ADAMSKI' on it. Early versions of future singles "Killer" and "Future Love Paradise
" were played on some of the Seal dates. One date of particular note was at Cambridge Corn Exchange
, in early 1990, when Seal leapt on to a smaller, lower catwalk stage, the coins in his pockets all spilled out, showering some of the front row with cash causing a fight.
With the entrepreneur Steven Machat overseeing his career, Adamski discovered Seal in Beethoven studios and together they made "Killer", the signature song of his career. The song featured a collaboration with his brother Mark
as programmer
and sound engineer. "Killer" crossed over into the mainstream music charts, becoming a massive worldwide hit. It is featured on the album
Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy which also contains the follow-up singles "The Space Jungle" (Adamski singing Elvis
' "All Shook Up
" to a dance backing) and "Flashback Jack". Pop music
artist George Michael
later successfully married the bass line of "Killer" to the melody of The Temptations
' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
" on a live album
featuring the surviving members of Queen
.
Adamski's second album
was Naughty. It featured a collaboration with Nina Hagen
on "Get Your Body!" and plenty of club
tune
s, expanding from the artist's acid house
roots into the pop
and rock
genres. The cover art featured Tinley with his head shaven bare, hugging an umbrella. Commercially, this album was not a big success.
Adamski's third album was issued in late 1998 on the ZTT Records
label
, famous for producing acts such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood
and Art of Noise. Its title was Adamski's Thing and the style followed the trend started with Naughty, with lots of guitar
s, strings, raw vocals and introspective lyrics
, but maintaining a rhythmic dance
sensibility. The album spawned two singles, "Intravenous Venus" and "One Of the People".
In 2000, Tinley released his last single as Adamski Products Inc., "In the City." The song charted in Italy
, but did little business elsewhere. In the early 2000s, Tinley decided to assume a new identity: For a while, he began to produce music as Adam Sky. As Adam Sky, his songs included collaborations with the musician
Danny Williams
. In 2007, he released a remake of The Pop Group
's 1979 single "We Are All Prostitutes" with Mark Stewart which appeared on a number of compilations.
He currently lives in Berlin
, Germany
with his daughter
Bluebell Williams Tinley. Adamski has recently set up his own label (Prostitute Records). His single "ApeX" was released on Kitsuné Music
in 2006. Recently, Adamski/Sky has been working closely with VJ
Ladypat, and the London
based rapper, Niyi
. In 2009, Adamski began to release more material on Shir Khan's Exploited record label. Simultaneously, the label 'Do It Yourself Italy' released singles by "Adamski Products Inc". Adamski is currently reworking his 1989 album, Liveanddirect as Vile Acid Rent.
Released new version of killer on Rob Roar's Phonetic label in 2011. Working on a project entitle Neo Waltz under the guise of Adam Sky.
As Adam Sky
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...
dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
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...
, prominent at the time of acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer
Killer (Adamski song)
"Killer" is a song by Adamski and Seal. Written by Adam Tinley and Seal and produced by Adamski, "Killer" was Adamski's breakthrough single, but is now more notable for introducing Seal as a vocalist. A major hit in the UK, it reached number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May...
" (a collaboration with Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
).
Career
Tinley performed with his brother Mark TinleyMark Tinley
Mark Ty-Wharton is a British author, composer and philosophical speaker who specialises in presentations using sound art....
, and Johnny Slut of the band Specimen
Specimen (band)
Specimen are a British band formed in the 1980s. Their music has been described as spanning many different genres of music, including glam, goth, punk and post-punk, and the band is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the Gothic movement, both musically and stylistically.-Early days:The band...
, as Diskord Datkord. The band was signed to SOHO records and released one single. The brothers Tinley continued to work together even after the demise of Diskord Datkord. In the late 1980s, Adam Tinley adopted his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
after the UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
enthusiast, George Adamski
George Adamski
George Adamski was a Polish-born American citizen who became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he claimed to have photographed ships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic alien "Space Brothers", and to have taken flights with them...
.
Adamski was discovered by entrepreneur Phil Smith who ran the infamous 'Le Petit Prince' restaurant in London's NW5. He introduced Adamski's music to the 'rave scene' and got him a deal with 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...
, producing the first rave record on MCA called Live And Direct. The artist enjoyed modest success with this first release, which was a collection of tracks recorded live at various venues in England and Ibiza. It contained a short, live version of his first single, "NRG", as well as "I Dream of You", which appeared on a free 4 track 7" vinyl single given away with the music paper, Record Mirror
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
in 1989. The cover of the single "NRG" featured a mocked up Lucozade
Lucozade
Lucozade is an umbrella name for a 6 series of energy and sports drinks, produced by GlaxoSmithKline in Gloucestershire. The former company became part of Beecham and, after the mergers of SmithKline and Beecham in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline....
bottle with the 'Lucozade' word replaced with 'N-R-G.' Legend has it that clubbers started riots when the record was first played out at the Shoom night club in 1989.
Commenting on the comparisons between rave culture and the earlier 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...
scene, Adamski said in 1990, "I liked the energy and the visual side of punk, but it was all just saying 'no, no, no, no,' whereas now everybody's saying 'yes, yes, yes.' I much prefer the positivity thing we have now, plus it's a much easier environment to score in."
Adamski toured many clubs with his portable keyboard set up, playing short sets, with an MC, Daddy Chester, and later with Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
. In front of his keyboard was a UK car number plate with the words 'ADAMSKI' on it. Early versions of future singles "Killer" and "Future Love Paradise
Future Love Paradise
"Future Love Paradise" is a 1991 song recorded by the soul singer and songwriter Seal. As the lead track on Future Love EP, this was the second single from his debut album Seal and it was released in 1991....
" were played on some of the Seal dates. One date of particular note was at Cambridge Corn Exchange
Cambridge Corn Exchange
The Cambridge Corn Exchange is a concert venue in Cambridge, England. It is also used as an examination hall for students at Cambridge University.-Building the venue:...
, in early 1990, when Seal leapt on to a smaller, lower catwalk stage, the coins in his pockets all spilled out, showering some of the front row with cash causing a fight.
With the entrepreneur Steven Machat overseeing his career, Adamski discovered Seal in Beethoven studios and together they made "Killer", the signature song of his career. The song featured a collaboration with his brother Mark
Mark Tinley
Mark Ty-Wharton is a British author, composer and philosophical speaker who specialises in presentations using sound art....
as programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
and sound engineer. "Killer" crossed over into the mainstream music charts, becoming a massive worldwide hit. It is featured on the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy which also contains the follow-up singles "The Space Jungle" (Adamski singing Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
' "All Shook Up
All Shook Up
"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
" to a dance backing) and "Flashback Jack". 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...
artist George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
later successfully married the bass line of "Killer" to the melody of The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971...
" on a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
featuring the surviving members of 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...
.
Adamski's second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was Naughty. It featured a collaboration with Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
on "Get Your Body!" and plenty of club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
tune
Tune
Tune may refer to:* A melody* A tune-family* A tune , a short piece of instrumental music, usually with repeating sections, and often played a number of times* British slang term, often said when referring to a piece of music that is enjoyed...
s, expanding from the artist's acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
roots into the pop
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 rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
genres. The cover art featured Tinley with his head shaven bare, hugging an umbrella. Commercially, this album was not a big success.
Adamski's third album was issued in late 1998 on the ZTT Records
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
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,...
, famous for producing acts such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
and Art of Noise. Its title was Adamski's Thing and the style followed the trend started with Naughty, with lots of 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...
s, strings, raw vocals and introspective lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, but maintaining a rhythmic dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
sensibility. The album spawned two singles, "Intravenous Venus" and "One Of the People".
In 2000, Tinley released his last single as Adamski Products Inc., "In the City." The song charted in 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...
, but did little business elsewhere. In the early 2000s, Tinley decided to assume a new identity: For a while, he began to produce music as Adam Sky. As Adam Sky, his songs included collaborations with the musician
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....
Danny Williams
Danny Williams (musician)
Danny Williams was a South African pop singer. Williams earned the nickname, "Britain's Johnny Mathis", for his smooth and stylish way with a ballad...
. In 2007, he released a remake of The Pop Group
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are a British post-punk band from Bristol, England, formed in 1978, whose dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae. Their lyrics were often political in nature...
's 1979 single "We Are All Prostitutes" with Mark Stewart which appeared on a number of compilations.
He currently lives in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 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...
with his daughter
Daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
Bluebell Williams Tinley. Adamski has recently set up his own label (Prostitute Records). His single "ApeX" was released on Kitsuné Music
Kitsuné Music
Kitsuné is a French fashion label and electronic music record label created in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc, Masaya Kuroki and the London-based company Åbäke...
in 2006. Recently, Adamski/Sky has been working closely with VJ
VJ (video performance artist)
VJing is a broad designation for realtime visual performance. Characteristics of VJing are the creation or manipulation of imagery in realtime through technological mediation and for an audience, in synchronization to music. VJing often takes place at events such as concerts, nightclubs, music...
Ladypat, and the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based rapper, Niyi
Niyi
Adeniyi Adeyemi Adelakun, better known as Niyi, is a British MC and singer from Crouch End North London, known for his flamboyant dress sense and unique mixing style. He is a producer and DJ commonly associated with the East London fashion scene...
. In 2009, Adamski began to release more material on Shir Khan's Exploited record label. Simultaneously, the label 'Do It Yourself Italy' released singles by "Adamski Products Inc". Adamski is currently reworking his 1989 album, Liveanddirect as Vile Acid Rent.
Released new version of killer on Rob Roar's Phonetic label in 2011. Working on a project entitle Neo Waltz under the guise of Adam Sky.
Albums
- Liveandirect (1989)
- Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy (1990)- UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#8 - Naughty (1992)
- Adamski's Thing (1998)
- Killer - the best of Adamski (1999)
- Mutant Pop (2000)
Singles
- "N-R-G" - #12 UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
- "Killer" (featuring Seal)Killer (Adamski song)"Killer" is a song by Adamski and Seal. Written by Adam Tinley and Seal and produced by Adamski, "Killer" was Adamski's breakthrough single, but is now more notable for introducing Seal as a vocalist. A major hit in the UK, it reached number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May...
- #1 UK, #5 World - "The Space Jungle" - #7 UK
- "Flashback Jack" - #46 UK
- "Sunday Roast"
- "Never Goin' Down" (duetDuet (music)A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Jimi Polo) / "Born To Be Alive" (duet with Soho) - #51 UK - "Get Your Body" (duet with Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
) - #68 UK - "Back To Front" - #63 UK
- "One Of The People" (billed as Adamski's Thing) - #56
- "In the City"
- "Already Out There" #4 Italy
As Adam Sky
- "Larynx" (feat Shafiqe)
- "Hope Fiendz ep"
- "Apex"
- "Galactic Lover" (with the World Domination)
- "We are Prostitutes" (feat. Mark Stewart)
- "Babydoll"
- "The Imperious Urge" (feat. Danny Williams)
- "Circle Jerk" (with Zoo Brazil)
Remixes
- Miss KittinMiss KittinMiss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
& The HackerThe HackerMichel Amato, better known by the stage name The Hacker, is a French electroclash and techno producer who has worked extensively with Miss Kittin. His work has been influenced by Electro artists like Kraftwerk, New Wave artists such as The Cure and Depeche Mode, as well as the French rave scene of...
- "Stock ExchangeStock Exchange (song)"Stock Exchange" is the third single from the duo Miss Kittin & The Hacker's debut album First Album.-Writing and inspiration:Lyrically, "Stock Exchange" deals with the life of a woman attracted to Wall Street businessmen who could afford her the life of luxury she deserved.-Composition:"Stock...
" (2003) - MignonMignon (musician)Mignon Baer is a punk-rock and electronica musician. She is notable for her high energy stage shows and the use of provocative horror imagery.- Music and Performance :...
- ("Demons of Love") (2004)
External links
- [ Adamski biography at Allmusic]
- Discography at Discogs.com
- Website on archive.
- Adam Sky's MySpace page
- ZTT Records official site
- ZTT Records official store
- Ian Peel: Warriors of pop, 21 years of ZTT Record CollectorRecord CollectorRecord Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
, September 2004 (copy at Zang Tuum Tumb and all that) Article about ZTT's history, contains info on Adamski - Interviewed in Kool MagazineKool MagazineKool Magazine was the first free full colour glossy magazine available in East Anglia UK. It was aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds and covered music, fashion, arts, as well as exclusive interviews with celebrities...
http://www.koolmag.com/music/interviews/interviews.html