Paul Caplin
Encyclopedia
Paul Caplin trained as a mathematician at Imperial College, London and Cambridge University. He began his musical career in New Romantic
rock group Animal Magnet, which released a synthpop
track called Welcome to the Monkey House in 1981 and were the support act on Duran Duran
's first national tour.
Caplin left Animal Magnet to become the "secret mastermind" behind the 1980s avant-garde new-wave
pop project Haysi Fantayzee
, the other members being Jeremy Healy
and Caplin's then girlfriend, Kate Garner
. Their music combined reggae
, country
and electro
with political and sociological lyrics couched as nursery rhymes.
Haysi Fantayzee combined their extreme clothes sense — described as combining white Rasta
, tribal chieftain and Dickensian styles — with a quirky musical sound comparable to other new wave musical pop acts of the era, such as Bow Wow Wow
, Adam and the Ants
and Bananarama
.
The group disbanded after releasing three hit single
s, and an album
that went gold
.
Caplin then launched his own record label, The Love Organization. This had a success with Marilyn
, a cross-dressing singer and friend of Boy George
who cashed in on the mid-1980s vogue for androgynous pop stars. Caplin managed Marilyn and co-wrote his early songs.
Caplin quit the music industry in 1985. He has since been involved both in technology and film production, and in 1994 produced Pavarotti in Confidence with Peter Ustinov for the BBC
.
He currently runs Caplin Systems, a software company that builds single-dealer platforms
to make it possible for banks to trade via the Internet.
In 2001 he received an Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year award.
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
rock group Animal Magnet, which released a 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...
track called Welcome to the Monkey House in 1981 and were the support act on Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
's first national tour.
Caplin left Animal Magnet to become the "secret mastermind" behind the 1980s avant-garde new-wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
pop project Haysi Fantayzee
Haysi Fantayzee
Haysi Fantayzee were a British New Wave band of the early 1980s. Allmusic journalist Andy Kellman notes "Haysi Fantayzee was a quirky pop group, known most for its colourful thrift shop image and successful debut single, "John Wayne Is Big Leggy", which was released in 1982.-Career:Haysi Fantayzee...
, the other members being Jeremy Healy
Jeremy Healy
Jeremy Healy is an English DJ and singer. He is a former member of the 1980s pop group, Haysi Fantayzee.-Career:...
and Caplin's then girlfriend, Kate Garner
Kate Garner
Kate Garner is an English singer and photographer. Garner was one third of the trio of 1980s avant-garde, new wave pop project called Haysi Fantayzee, the other members being Jeremy Healy and Paul Caplin...
. Their music combined reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
with political and sociological lyrics couched as nursery rhymes.
Haysi Fantayzee combined their extreme clothes sense — described as combining white Rasta
Rasta
Rasta may refer to:* The Rastafari movement or, particularly, a follower of that movement* Rasta, a Persian/Farsi name and word meaning "truth"...
, tribal chieftain and Dickensian styles — with a quirky musical sound comparable to other new wave musical pop acts of the era, such as Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines.The group's music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".-History:...
, 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...
and Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
.
The group disbanded after releasing three hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s, and an 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...
that went gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
Caplin then launched his own record label, The Love Organization. This had a success with Marilyn
Marilyn (musician)
Peter Robinson , better known as Marilyn, is a British pop singer who achieved international fame in the 1980s with his hit song "Calling Your Name".-Discography:Albums...
, a cross-dressing singer and friend of Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
who cashed in on the mid-1980s vogue for androgynous pop stars. Caplin managed Marilyn and co-wrote his early songs.
Caplin quit the music industry in 1985. He has since been involved both in technology and film production, and in 1994 produced Pavarotti in Confidence with Peter Ustinov 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...
.
He currently runs Caplin Systems, a software company that builds single-dealer platforms
Single-Dealer Platform
A single-dealer platform is software used by an investment bank dealing in the capital markets to deliver trading and associated services via the Web. The function of an SDP is to integrate pricing, liquidity, and pre-sales content from multiple sources within a bank and provide access to them via...
to make it possible for banks to trade via the Internet.
In 2001 he received an Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
Entrepreneur of the Year award.