Arthur Baker (musician)
Encyclopedia
Arthur Baker is an American
record producer
and DJ
best known for his work with hip hop
artists like Afrika Bambaataa
, Planet Patrol
, and the British
group
New Order
.
and Philly soul. Nonetheless, he had little patience for DJing, saying in an interview: "[If] I didn't get a good reaction on a record, I'd just rip it off, break it up and throw it on the dancefloor."
, where he continued to DJ whilst pursuing a career as a producer. His first successful single was "Happy Days," which he released under the name North End on Emergency Records
in 1981.
In the early eighties, prior to digital recording equipment that would emerge a decade later, Baker and his contemporaries created remixes on analogue tape. He worked closely with the Latin Rascals, which were influenced by the earlier work of Tom Moulton
, John Morales (of Morales and Munzibai
), and Walter Gibbons
, the creator of the first commercially available twelve-inch version of a song in Double Exposure's "Ten Percent." The Latin Rascals would eventually edit the work of every major United States dance-music producer active in the 1980s, but in the early days the duo was part of Baker's circle.
He went on to work for hip-hop label Tommy Boy Records
, where he produced Afrika Bambaataa
and the Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock
" single, which was a hit in the summer of 1982. The record combined elements from two Kraftwerk
recordings, "Trans Europe Express" and "Numbers," which were interpolated
by studio musicians, rather than sampled
. Later that year, using unused tracks from “Planet Rock, he later produced Planet Patrol
's "Play at Your Own Risk" single in 1982, another group with a hit album in 1983.
Also during 1982, he produced the single "Walking on Sunshine" by Rocker's Revenge featuring Donny Calvin which hit number one on the U.S. Dance chart on September 18 that year.
In 1983, Baker found work doing dance remixes of pop and rock hits, first with Cyndi Lauper
's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and Bruce Springsteen
's "Dancing in the Dark," "Cover Me," and "Born in the U.S.A.
" from his Born in the U.S.A.
album. In 1984, Baker contributed his "Breakers' Revenge" to the Beat Street
score and movie soundtrack
, which he also helped produce. The infamous and much sought after Remixes for Pet Shop Boys
´ "Suburbia" followed in 1986 which happens to be the birth year of Hurts
lead singer Theo Hutchcraft with a notable collaboration in 2011 ("Wonderful Life").
Following these successes, Baker came to the attention of British
alternative dance
group New Order
, which asked him to produce its songs "Confusion" and "Thieves Like Us
" (and Baker can be seen prominently in the music video of the former). The 12-inch single "Confusion" was a crossover hit on the U.S.
dance charts, and established a relationship between Baker and the band that has continued for more than 20 years. This also set a precedent for rock-style bands to produce dance records and remixes, which have now become commonplace.
Narrowly missing out on signing the Beastie Boys
to his Streetwise label, Baker did manage to sign the group New Edition
, which had success with its single "Candy Girl
."
as mix consultant on their album Big Bam Boom
, and the result was a markedly urban and electronic sound for the duo. Baker co-wrote the opening instrumental, "Dance On Your Knees," with Daryl Hall. He also remixed that song and the album's other three chart hits: "Out Of Touch," "Method Of Modern Love," and "Possession Obsession."
In 1985, Baker helped Bob Dylan
complete his Empire Burlesque album as mixer and arranger, and with Little Steven Van Zandt organized and produced the anti-apartheid anthem "Sun City" by Artists United Against Apartheid
. He was later honored by the United Nations
Special Committee against Apartheid for "high valuable contribution to the international campaign for the elimination of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial and democratic society in South Africa
".
In the late 1980s and later into the 1990s, Baker worked with soul star Al Green
, writing and producing the international hit "The Message is Love" and the anti-handgun song "Leave the Guns at Home". In 1989 he released the album Merge on A&M Records as Arthur Baker and the Backbeat Disciples, and remixed Neneh Cherry
's debut single Buffalo Stance
. He was also the music supervisor of the films Fried Green Tomatoes
and Listen Up - The Lives Of Quincy Jones.
, and established a chain of successful bars—The Elbow Rooms—across the city. He also owns the Tiny Robot restaurant and The Starland Social Club members bar in London, located in Notting Hill
. He continues to work as a DJ and producer and recently produced "Part-A" for the genre-busting London Electro Metal band Monsta.
In 2006, the financial services company Visa
used a Baker-produced track from Afrika Bambaataa's "Looking For the Perfect Beat" as the backing music of a Visa Check Card commercial. In the ad, an animated worm drawn on the pages of a checkbook does the 1980s dance known as the Worm.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
best known for his work with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artists like Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
, Planet Patrol
Planet Patrol
Planet Patrol is an American electro group from the 1980s. The members were Arthur Baker, John Robie, and a quintet of vocalists led by Herbert J. Jackson: lead singer Joseph Lites, Rodney Butler, Michael Anthony Jones, and the late Melvin Franklin...
, and the 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...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
.
Early career
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Baker began working as a club DJ in Boston in the early-1970s, where he was known for playing crowd-pleasing soulSoul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and Philly soul. Nonetheless, he had little patience for DJing, saying in an interview: "[If] I didn't get a good reaction on a record, I'd just rip it off, break it up and throw it on the dancefloor."
Remixer/producer
In 1981, Baker moved to New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he continued to DJ whilst pursuing a career as a producer. His first successful single was "Happy Days," which he released under the name North End on Emergency Records
Emergency Records
Emergency Records was an independent record label from 1979 to 1989.Founded in the United States in early 1979, Emergency Records specialized in products of the Italian disco sound of the 1970s and 1980s. During that time, the majority of the European production of disco music came from Germany,...
in 1981.
In the early eighties, prior to digital recording equipment that would emerge a decade later, Baker and his contemporaries created remixes on analogue tape. He worked closely with the Latin Rascals, which were influenced by the earlier work of Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton is an American record producer, and originator of the remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single vinyl format.-Life and career:Thomas Jerome Moulton was born in Schenectady, New York, United States....
, John Morales (of Morales and Munzibai
Morales and Munzibai
Morales and Munzibai were a professional remix and dance record editing duo composed of John Morales and Sergio Munzibai.The duo, both as individuals and as a team, produced a vast number of dance-oriented releases, distinguishing themselves by including Latin percussion in many of their efforts,...
), and Walter Gibbons
Walter Gibbons
Walter Gibbons was an American record producer, early disco DJ and remixer.-Influence:He was an important part of the early 1970s New York disco underground scene, influencing garage and House music DJs like Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan. He also laid the foundations for early 1980s...
, the creator of the first commercially available twelve-inch version of a song in Double Exposure's "Ten Percent." The Latin Rascals would eventually edit the work of every major United States dance-music producer active in the 1980s, but in the early days the duo was part of Baker's circle.
He went on to work for hip-hop label Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
, where he produced Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
and the Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock
Planet Rock (song)
"Planet Rock" is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. In the background and hooks featured Marvella Murray, Yvette Murray, Melissa Johnson and Sandra Wheeler. Although it was only a minor hit in the US, Canada, and UK, it helped change the foundations of hip-hop and dance music...
" single, which was a hit in the summer of 1982. The record combined elements from two Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
recordings, "Trans Europe Express" and "Numbers," which were interpolated
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
by studio musicians, rather than sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. Later that year, using unused tracks from “Planet Rock, he later produced Planet Patrol
Planet Patrol
Planet Patrol is an American electro group from the 1980s. The members were Arthur Baker, John Robie, and a quintet of vocalists led by Herbert J. Jackson: lead singer Joseph Lites, Rodney Butler, Michael Anthony Jones, and the late Melvin Franklin...
's "Play at Your Own Risk" single in 1982, another group with a hit album in 1983.
Also during 1982, he produced the single "Walking on Sunshine" by Rocker's Revenge featuring Donny Calvin which hit number one on the U.S. Dance chart on September 18 that year.
In 1983, Baker found work doing dance remixes of pop and rock hits, first with Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's "Dancing in the Dark," "Cover Me," and "Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. (song)
"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...
" from his Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984. A critical and commercial triumph, it found Springsteen marking a departure in his sound...
album. In 1984, Baker contributed his "Breakers' Revenge" to the Beat Street
Beat Street
Beat Street is a 1984 drama film, following Wild Style in featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s; breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti.-Plot:...
score and movie soundtrack
Beat Street (soundtrack)
Beat Street: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Beat Street, Vol. 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack are soundtrack albums for the 1984 drama film of the same name. It was released in 1984 by Atlantic Records...
, which he also helped produce. The infamous and much sought after Remixes for 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....
´ "Suburbia" followed in 1986 which happens to be the birth year of Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
lead singer Theo Hutchcraft with a notable collaboration in 2011 ("Wonderful Life").
Following these successes, Baker came to the attention of British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
alternative dance
Alternative dance
Alternative dance or indie dance is a musical genre that mixes rock subgenres with electronic dance music...
group New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, which asked him to produce its songs "Confusion" and "Thieves Like Us
Thieves Like Us (song)
"Thieves Like Us" is a single by British group New Order, released in April 1984 by Factory Records. It is one of the group's most popular songs. It is named after the 1974 crime movie Thieves Like Us, directed by Robert Altman...
" (and Baker can be seen prominently in the music video of the former). The 12-inch single "Confusion" was a crossover hit on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dance charts, and established a relationship between Baker and the band that has continued for more than 20 years. This also set a precedent for rock-style bands to produce dance records and remixes, which have now become commonplace.
Narrowly missing out on signing the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
to his Streetwise label, Baker did manage to sign the group New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, which had success with its single "Candy Girl
Candy Girl (New Edition song)
"Candy Girl" is an R&B song by boy band New Edition. Released in 1983, it was the first single from their debut album of the same name. It hit number one in the United Kingdom in May 1983, becoming the 31st best selling single of the year there.-History:...
."
Further collaborations
In 1984, the New York-based Baker worked with Philadelphians Hall & OatesHall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
as mix consultant on their album Big Bam Boom
Big Bam Boom
Big Bam Boom was the twelfth studio album by Daryl Hall & John Oates, released on RCA late in 1984. It marked the end of one of the most successful album runs by a duo of the 1980s. The album is also considered a record that defines the sound of the 1980s. BMG Heritage released a remastered version...
, and the result was a markedly urban and electronic sound for the duo. Baker co-wrote the opening instrumental, "Dance On Your Knees," with Daryl Hall. He also remixed that song and the album's other three chart hits: "Out Of Touch," "Method Of Modern Love," and "Possession Obsession."
In 1985, Baker helped Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
complete his Empire Burlesque album as mixer and arranger, and with Little Steven Van Zandt organized and produced the anti-apartheid anthem "Sun City" by Artists United Against Apartheid
Artists United Against Apartheid
Artists United Against Apartheid was a 1985 protest group founded by activist and performer Steven Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker to protest apartheid in South Africa...
. He was later honored by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Committee against Apartheid for "high valuable contribution to the international campaign for the elimination of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial and democratic society in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
".
In the late 1980s and later into the 1990s, Baker worked with soul star Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, writing and producing the international hit "The Message is Love" and the anti-handgun song "Leave the Guns at Home". In 1989 he released the album Merge on A&M Records as Arthur Baker and the Backbeat Disciples, and remixed Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry
Neneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
's debut single Buffalo Stance
Buffalo Stance
"Buffalo Stance" is a 1988 song that peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart recorded by Neneh Cherry from her album Raw Like Sushi, produced by Tim Simenon and Mark Saunders.-History:...
. He was also the music supervisor of the films Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes (film)
Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title. Directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, it stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy,...
and Listen Up - The Lives Of Quincy Jones.
1990s–2000s
In the 1990s, following a break from production for some years, Baker moved to LondonLondon
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...
, and established a chain of successful bars—The Elbow Rooms—across the city. He also owns the Tiny Robot restaurant and The Starland Social Club members bar in London, located in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
. He continues to work as a DJ and producer and recently produced "Part-A" for the genre-busting London Electro Metal band Monsta.
In 2006, the financial services company Visa
VISA (credit card)
Visa Inc. is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered on 595 Market Street, Financial District in San Francisco, California, United States, although much of the company's staff is based in Foster City, California. It facilitates electronic funds transfers throughout...
used a Baker-produced track from Afrika Bambaataa's "Looking For the Perfect Beat" as the backing music of a Visa Check Card commercial. In the ad, an animated worm drawn on the pages of a checkbook does the 1980s dance known as the Worm.
External links
- Official website
- 2 hour Video-lecture with Arthur at the Red Bull Music Academy
- Interview on DJ History
- Interview with The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
about Harlem, his restaurant in London