Steven Stanley
Encyclopedia
Steven J. C. Stanley is a Jamaican
audio engineer
, record producer
and keyboardist
who has worked in the reggae
, dub
and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads
, Tom Tom Club
and Black Uhuru
.
Stanley began as an in-house apprentice sound engineer at Aquarius Recording Studio in Halfway Tree, Kingston, Jamaica, September 1975. An integral part of the Compass Point All Stars
, he is considered as a member of the 1980s new wave group Tom Tom Club
, co-producing their debut album Tom Tom Club
(1981). He is credited as co-writer of "Genius of Love
", sometimes considered the most sampled song in hip-hop music, having been re-interpreted by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
in the 1982 song "It's Nasty (Genius of Love)", and sampled by Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, The X-Ecutioners
, and on Mariah Carey's
#1 hit "Fantasy"
(1995) which earned Stanley a 1997 ASCAP Pop Award as a songwriter
.
Stanley worked on the Grammy Award
-winning albums, Anthem by Black Uhuru
that he co-produced with Sly and Robbie
, and Dutty Rock
by Sean Paul
, mixing the song "I’m Still in Love With You
". Outside of the reggae genre, Stanley has also worked with Grace Jones
, and the The B-52's
, receiving a Gold Album for Wild Planet
(1981). He lives in Kingston, Jamaica
and works at his studio there, Steven Stanley Recording Studio.
Music of Jamaica
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's music culture is a fusion of elements from the United States , Africa, and neighboring Caribbean islands such as...
audio engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, 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 keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
who has worked in the 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...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
and Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
.
Stanley began as an in-house apprentice sound engineer at Aquarius Recording Studio in Halfway Tree, Kingston, Jamaica, September 1975. An integral part of the Compass Point All Stars
Compass Point All Stars
The Compass Point phenomenon was designed to be to reggae-based pop/rock music of the 80s, what Nashville was to country music, or the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was to soul and R&B in the 60s: a recording facility animated by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers and engineers, all...
, he is considered as a member of the 1980s new wave group Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
, co-producing their debut album Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club (album)
Tom Tom Club is Tom Tom Club's first album, released in 1981, containing the UK hit singles "Wordy Rappinghood," which reached No. 7 in June 1981; "Genius of Love," which reached No. 65 in October of the same year; and "Under the Boardwalk," which reached No. 22 in August 1982. When released in the...
(1981). He is credited as co-writer of "Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
", sometimes considered the most sampled song in hip-hop music, having been re-interpreted by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. Composed of one DJ and five rappers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in...
in the 1982 song "It's Nasty (Genius of Love)", and sampled by Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners is a group of hip hop DJs / turntablists from New York.-History:Formed as a DJ crew in the early nineties and originally including 11 members, under the name X-Men, which was chosen partly because of their rivalry between Super DJ Clark Kent's crew of DJs, known as the Supermen,...
, and on Mariah Carey's
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
#1 hit "Fantasy"
Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)
"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...
(1995) which earned Stanley a 1997 ASCAP Pop Award as a songwriter
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...
.
Stanley worked on the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning albums, Anthem by Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
that he co-produced with Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
, and Dutty Rock
Dutty Rock
Dutty Rock is the second album by reggae/dancehall toaster Sean Paul. It was released on November 12, 2002. It features two U.S. #1 singles, "Get Busy" and "Baby Boy" with Beyoncé. It also features singles "Gimme the Light", "Like Glue" and "I'm Still in Love with You", which all charted in the top...
by Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
, mixing the song "I’m Still in Love With You
I'm Still in Love with You (Sean Paul song)
"I'm Still in Love with You" is song by Jamaican dancehall artist Sean Paul from his second album Dutty Rock. It features Sasha. It reached #6 in the UK, #13 on the U.S. R&B chart, and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100...
". Outside of the reggae genre, Stanley has also worked with Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
, and the The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
, receiving a Gold Album for Wild Planet
Wild Planet
Wild Planet is the second studio album by The B-52's, released in 1980. It contains the band's first experiments using electronic drum machines....
(1981). He lives in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
and works at his studio there, Steven Stanley Recording Studio.