XL Recordings
Founded	1989
Founder	Richard Russell, Tim Palmer, Nick Halkes
Distributor(s)	Beggars Group
Genre	Various
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Location	London
Official Website	www.xlrecordings.com

XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.

Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, The xx, Gil Scott-Heron, Jai Paul, Tyler, the Creator, and Adele. The label releases albums worldwide and operates across a range of genres.^[1]

History[link]

1989 to 1999[link]

The label was launched in 1989 ^[2] to release rave and dance music. It was originally an offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records' more commercial dance label called Citybeat which was known for records by acts such as Freeez, Starlight, Dream Frequency and the Ultramagnetic MCs. However with the success of acts such as The Prodigy and SL2, XL superseded Citybeat in the company's line up.

During the early nineties, XL Recordings releases were dance orientated ranging from Belgium techno (T99 "Anasthasia") to Breakbeat hardcore (SL2 "On a Ragga Tip") to Drum and Bass (Jonny L "I'm Leavin'"). This period of XL's history has been recorded on the XL Recordings Chapters compilation series. In 1993 Halkes left XL to form the EMI-owned commercial dance label Positiva, and subsequently his own independent commercial dance label Incentive. After Palmer retired Russell took over the running of the business.^[3]

Russell later broadened the musical horizons of the label whilst maintaining a credo of working with artists he saw as original and inventive.^[3] In 1994 the label released The Prodigy's second album, Music for the Jilted Generation which debuted in the UK Albums Chart at number one, and in 1997 it released the third album by The Prodigy, The Fat of the Land which entered the British and American charts at number one and went on to be number one in 26 countries.^[3]

2000 to 2009[link]

June 2000 saw the release of Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast which won the 2000 Mercury Music Prize.^[4] The next year, The White Stripes third album White Blood Cells was released together with reissues of the band's previous albums, The White Stripes and De Stijl. In 2003 XL Recordings won the Music Week A&R award,^[5] and also released The White Stripes fourth album Elephant which was their first UK number one album and eventually reached double platinum certification in Britain.^[6] In the same year XL released Dizzee Rascal's first solo album, Boy in da Corner for which Dizzee was awarded the Mercury Prize for the best album of 2003.^[7]

In March 2005, M.I.A.'s debut album Arular was released after several months delay.^[8] Thom Yorke, from Radiohead, released his first solo record, The Eraser, on the label in July 2006. In October 2007, Radiohead completed negotiations to sign with XL for physical release of their seventh studio album, In Rainbows. Radiohead subsequently went on to release through XL, and have so far released their eighth studio album The King Of Limbs and its remix companion TKOL RMX 1234567. As director of XL Recordings, Richard Russell was included in a 2007 Evening Standard list of the most influential people in London,^[9] and in August of that year M.I.A.'s second album Kala was released—Rolling Stone named it the ninth best album of the decade.^[10]

In March 2008 XL added Friendly Fires and The Horrors. In 2009 the label won the "Music Week" Best Independent Label award;^[11] Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, and at the same ceremony Radiohead won Best Alternative Album for In Rainbows as well as Best Boxed or Special Edition Album.^[12] Also in 2009, The xx's debut album xx was released on XL Recordings imprint Young Turks Records, and in September Giggs was signed.

2010 onwards[link]

On 11 January 2010, XL Recordings released Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was the band's first album to reach number one on the US Billboard 200,^[13] and the first time a British indie had reached this position in 19 years.^[14] Gil Scott-Heron's thirteenth studio album I'm New Here was released in February; it was Scott-Heron's first release of original material in sixteen years and proved to be his last studio album. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2007 and 2009 and production was hjandled by XL Recordings-owner Richard Russell.

In July, XL signed Jai Paul, who was shortlisted for BBC's Sound of 2011, and in September the xx's eponymous debut album won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize, acquiring best British and Irish album of the year.^[15][16][17]

On 24 January 2011, XL Recordings released the album 21 by Adele. In February the (then) 19 year-old OFWGKTA member Tyler, the Creator was signed for a one album deal for his second studio album and commercial debut Goblin.^[18] Singer Gil Scott-Heron died in May and his final recordings, "I'm New Here" (produced by Richard Russell), and the remix album, "We're New Here" made with Jamie xx were released on XL Recordings.^[19] The label also released new albums by Radiohead, Friendly Fires, and The Horrors and singles by Jai Paul and Portishead, as well as the Adele Blu-ray/DVD, "Live At The Royal Albert Hall".^[20] Adele's 21 is the record labels best selling album ever.

On April 24, 2012, XL released Blunderbuss, the debut solo record by Jack White. It entered the UK album charts at number one, displacing 21 by Adele. ^[21] In 2012, XL Recordings was named 'Label of the Year' at the Music Week Awards in London. XL also won awards for 'Best A&R' and 'Best Artist Campaign'. Label head, Richard Russell, became the youngest ever recipient of the lifetime achievement 'Strat Award'. ^[22]

2012 roster[link]

As of 2012, XL Recordings is home to a range of artists including:^[23]

Former[link]

• Dizzee Rascal
• Holly Miranda
• M.I.A.
• The Prodigy

See also[link]

• List of record labels
• List of electronic music record labels
• List of independent UK record labels

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• XL Recordings discography at Discogs
• XL Recordings A&R team contact list
• Interview with Richard Russell, HitQuarters Sep 2008

Richard Russell (born 18 March 1971) is the owner of British record label XL Recordings.

Career[link]

XL Recordings was founded in 1989 by Russell, Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes (in partnership with Beggars Banquet Records) to release rave and electronic music on 12" vinyl singles.^[1]

In 1993 Halkes left XL. In 1994 Palmer retired from the music business, leaving Russell in sole charge of XL. Russell later broadened the musical horizons of the label whilst maintaining a credo of working with artists he saw as original and inventive.^[2]

XL enjoyed early success with The Prodigy whose first three albums were released by the label. They have since worked with Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, The xx, Gil Scott-Heron and Adele.

In 2005, Russell appeared at the 'In The City' conference in Manchester alongside other British independent record label founders Chris Blackwell, Tony Wilson, and Alan McGee on a panel entitled "I Wasn't Born To Follow".

In 2006, he co-produced the avant-garde orchestral album Aluminium by Aluminium, based around songs written by Jack White of The White Stripes.

Thom Yorke, of Radiohead fame, released his first solo record, The Eraser, on the label in July 2006. In October 2007, Radiohead completed negotiations to sign with XL for physical release of their seventh studio album, In Rainbows. XL have subsequently released Radiohead's album The King Of Limbs and its remix companion TKOL RMX 1234567.

Between 2007 and 2009, Russell worked with the seminal American musician and lyricist Gil Scott-Heron to produce the album I'm New Here, released in 2010. He also conceived the reworking of the original album, We're New Here, remixed by Jamie xx and released in 2011.^[3]

In 2011, Russell joined Damon Albarn and several other producers on a trip to Congo where they recorded the album Kinshasa One Two as the newly established DRC Music (Democractic Republic of the Congo Music) group. The album features various producers including Russell, Dan the Automator, Marc Antoine, T-E-E-D, Rodaidh McDonald and Kwes alongside various local musicians from Congo. It was released on 7 November 2011 on CD and LP, following a digital release the previous month.^[4][5]

In 2012, Russell and Damon Albarn co-produced "The Bravest Man In The Universe", the new studio album from Bobby Womack.^[6] In April 2012, Russell became the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious Strat Award at the Music Week Awards in London. Russell's label, XL Recordings was named Label of the Year at the ceremony.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interview, HitQuarters September 2008
• Interview, Daily Telegraph July 2010

The Prodigy
The Prodigy performing at the Rock Am Ring festival
Background information
Origin	Braintree, Essex, England
Genres	Big beat, dance-punk, electropunk, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, oldschool jungle, alternative dance, drum and bass, synthrock
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Take Me to the Hospital, Ragged Flag, Cooking Vinyl, XL, Beggars Banquet, Mute, Maverick, Warner Bros., Elektra, Shock
Website	www.theprodigy.com
Members
Liam Howlett Keith Flint Maxim Reality Rob Holliday Leo Crabtree
Past members
Leeroy Thornhill Sharky

The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.^[1] They have sold over 25 million records worldwide.^[2] The group has won numerous music awards throughout their career, including two Brit Awards—winning Best British Dance Act twice, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and have twice been nominated for Grammy Awards.^[3][4]

The group's brand of music makes use of various styles ranging from rave, hardcore techno, industrial, and breakbeat in the early 1990s to big beat and electronic rock with punk vocal elements in later times. The current members include Liam Howlett (keyboardist and composer), Keith Flint (dancer and vocalist), and Maxim (MC and vocalist). Leeroy Thornhill (dancer and very rarely a live keyboardist) was a member of the band from 1990 to 2000, as was a female dancer and vocalist called Sharky who left the group during their early period. The Prodigy first emerged on the underground rave scene in the early 1990s, and have since then achieved immense popularity and worldwide renown.

History[link]

Beginnings and first appearances (1990–1991)[link]

Liam Howlett named the group after the Moog Prodigy synthesizer.

Liam Howlett created an initial 10-track demo, put together on a Roland W-30 music workstation in Essex, England. XL Recordings picked up the demo after Howlett played several tracks to XL boss Nick Halkes in a meeting, and an initial 12" pressing of "What Evil Lurks" was released in February 1991. The Prodigy's name was chosen by Liam as a tribute to his first analogue synthesiser, the Moog Prodigy.^[5]

	G Force (Energy Flow) noicon An excerpt of the song "G Force (Energy Flow)" from Kaos Theory Volume 1 compilation.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The Prodigy's first public performance, with Howlett augmented by dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill, was at the Four Aces in Dalston, London, then home to "Club Labyrinth".^[6]

"Charly", released six months later, became a huge hit in the rave scene at the time.^[7] The release reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, catapulting the band into the wider public attention. The Kaos Theory compilation series featured "G Force (Energy Flow)", from their third single, "Everybody in the Place".^[8]

After the release of the successful single "Charly", the charts included various "hardcore" rave tracks, to which speed and ecstasy-fuelled clubbers would dance to, but which did not appeal to reviewers from publications at the time.^[9] Examples were tracks such as Urban Hype's "A Trip to Trumpton" and Smart E's (as in Ecstasy) "Sesame's Treet", instigating death-by-publicity to the underground "hardcore rave" scene, according to a number of critics associated with the scene.^[9] As a result, "Charly", amid being titled after a contemporary reference to cocaine, with its memorable sample of the "Charley Says" children's Public information films, saw The Prodigy briefly identified by critics as "kiddie rave" or "Toytown Techno". Critical reception to the single was generally mixed.^[10]

Experience (1992–1993)[link]

The band's first full length album, the critically acclaimed Experience, followed "Charly" as a landmark release in the history of British rave music. The album closes with a live version of "Death of the Prodigy Dancers", featuring Maxim on vocals. There were five singles spawned from the album: "Charly", "Everybody in the Place", "Fire/Jericho", "Out of Space", and "Wind It Up (Rewound)"; the latter is a remix of "Wind It Up". The album was a commercial success in the UK, but failed to chart in other countries. Peaking at number 12, it was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.^[11][12]

After Experience and the run of singles that accompanied it, The Prodigy moved to distance themselves from the "kiddie rave" reputation that now dogged them. The rave scene was beginning to move on from its hardcore phase, with the Criminal Justice Act's "anti-rave" legislation on the horizon, calling rave music "repetitive beats".^[13] The Prodigy responded to the bill by writing "Their Law".

[edit] Music for the Jilted Generation (1993–1995)

In 1993, Howlett released an anonymous white label, bearing only the title "Earthbound I". Its hypnotic, hard-edged sound won wide underground approval. It was officially released as "One Love" later that year, and went on to chart at number 8 in the UK.^[14] The following year, The Prodigy's second album, Music for the Jilted Generation, debuted in the UK Albums Chart at number one, and jettisoned into positive reactions from album critics.^[15] Adding elements of big beat and electro-industrial to the mix, the album expressed a wider spectrum of musical styles, with heavy breakbeat-based tracks complemented by the concept sequence The Narcotic Suite and a rock-oriented inclination, "Their Law", featuring Pop Will Eat Itself.

The album was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, although Howlett had reaffirmed his dedication to making The Prodigy a 'hard dance band', commercially successful but without compromise.^[16] The band managed to continue to prevent over-exposure in the media by refusing to appear on Top of the Pops or other television shows in the UK.^[17] To date, their only studio appearance on British television came when they appeared on the BBC2 series Dance Energy in 1991, performing "Everybody in the Place". In the ensuing years, their videos received a strong level of support by MTV Europe, which boosted their popularity across the continent. Keith Flint himself hosted an episode of the MTV show 120 Minutes in 1995.

Following the international success of Music for the Jilted Generation, the band augmented their line-up with guitarist Jim Davies (a live band member who later joined the group Pitchshifter) in 1995 for tracks such as "Their Law", "Break and Enter 95", and various live-only interludes and versions. He was soon to be replaced by Gizz Butt of the band Janus Stark, who remained with the band for the next three years.^[18]

[edit] The Fat of the Land and controversies (1996–2002)

The release of "Firestarter" in 1996, featuring vocals for the first time courtesy of a new-look Keith Flint, helped the band break into the U.S. and other overseas markets, and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.^[19] In this year The Prodigy also headlined the prestigious Lollapalooza festival.^[20]

The long-awaited third Prodigy album, The Fat of the Land, was released in 1997, just as the band headlined the Glastonbury Festival on its opening night.^[20] Featuring simplified melodies, sparser sampling, less rave music influences, and punk-like vocals supplied by a shockingly madeover Flint, the album nevertheless retained the bone-jarring breaks and buzzsaw synths so idiomatic of the band. The album cemented the band's position as one of the most internationally successful acts in the dance genre, entering the UK and US charts at number one.^[19][21]

The Prodigy were getting considerable airplay on rock stations with their controversial track "Smack My Bitch Up"—and also a negative backlash for the song. The National Organization for Women (NOW) criticized the song and its music video. The song's lyrics consist entirely of the repeated phrase "Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up", which NOW stated are a "dangerous and offensive message advocating violence against women".^[22] Howlett responded to the criticism by stating that the meaning of the song and its lyrics were being misinterpreted, and the phrase meant "doing anything intensely, like being on stage – going for extreme manic energy".^[22] The band did not actually write the lyric, but rather, sampled it from the hip hop Ultramagnetic MCs' track "Give the Drummer Some"^[23] which also appears on the Dirtchamber Sessions; they had also sampled another Ultramagnetic MCs song "Critical Beatdown" on their earlier "Out of Space" single.^[24] The National Organization for Women also believed that the lyrics are in reference to administering heroin (smack) to another person.^[25] Several radio stations limited the song's airplay to nighttime hours.^[26] In September 1997, The Prodigy performed "Breathe" at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, and won the Viewer's Choice Award.^[27][28]

	"Smack My Bitch Up" noicon The song generated an amount of controversy, and received backlash for the repeating sample.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The music video for "Smack My Bitch Up", directed by Jonas Åkerlund, featured a first-person point of view of someone going clubbing and indulging in large amounts of drugs and alcohol. Other content shown includes the protagonist getting into fist fights with men, abusing women, vomiting repeatedly, and picking up a lap dancer (played by British glamour model Teresa May) and having sex with her. Much of the aforementioned is depicted fairly explicitly. At the end of the video, the camera pans over to a mirror, revealing the subject to be a woman. MTV only aired the video between 1 and 5 a.m due to the offensive material.^[29] After one week, the very same television network banned the music video at NOW's request.^[30] The director got the inspiration for the contents of the video after a night of drinking and partying in Copenhagen.^[25]

During a performance at the Reading Festival on 29 August 1998, The Prodigy and the Beastie Boys had an onstage disagreement over the track, with the Beastie Boys requesting the song should be pulled from their set as it could be considered offensive to those who had suffered domestic abuse.^[31] Choosing to ignore the Beastie Boys plea, Maxim introduced "Smack My Bitch Up" with the declaration "They didn't want us to play this fucking tune. But the way things go, I do what the fuck I want".^[32][33]

Wal-Mart and Kmart later announced they would pull The Fat of the Land off their shelves. Despite the fact that the LP had resided on their store shelves for over 20 weeks, and the fact that they had sold 150,000 copies of the album in total, the two stores found the marketing campaign for the new single release "offensive".^[34] At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, "Smack My Bitch Up" won two awards; Best Dance Video and Breakthrough Video.^[35]

1999 saw the release of The Prodigy's The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One, a DJ mix album by Howlett, produced as an official record of a successful guest appearance on the British Radio 1.^[36] In June of the same year, when the band had arguably reached their commercial peak, they parted company with guitarist Gizz Butt.

Following 1999, Thornhill departed from the group while he divorced Sara Cox due to the risk of nervous breakdown, resulting in the band's website being replaced with their logo and the words "We will be back" set against a black background, a stint that it'd remain until 2002.^[37]

Reunion (2002–2004)[link]

In 2002, after a break from touring and recording, the single "Baby's Got a Temper" was released to critical disappointment. The song was written by Keith Flint's sideband, Flint, produced by Howlett, and also featured Jim Davies. Once again, the band courted controversy by including references to the so-called "date rape" drug Rohypnol in the song's lyrics, although it is unclear whether or not the band "glorifies" or presents the drug in a negative light.^[38] The song's music video was also controversial, which featured topless women milking cows in a suggestive fashion. The complete, unedited video was aired on MTV2 in 2002 as part of a special countdown showing the most controversial videos ever to air on MTV. This countdown was only shown late at night because of the graphic imagery of "Smack My Bitch Up" and several other videos on the countdown, including Nine Inch Nails' 1994 hit "Closer". The "Smack My Bitch Up" video in particular was deemed the "Most Controversial Video" by MTV and showed at the number 1 spot on the countdown.^[39] In the same year, however, Q magazine named The Prodigy one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die".^[40]

This year also saw the marriage of Howlett and All Saints' Natalie Appleton on 6 June.^[41] Their son, Ace Billy, was born on 2 March 2004.

[edit] Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004–2008)

The Prodigy band member and founder Liam Howlett live in August 2005.

The Prodigy's fourth studio album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, was released on 23 August 2004, and 14 September 2004 in the USA. A precursory and experimental single, "Memphis Bells", was released in very limited numbers, followed by the traditional release of the single "Girls". The U.S. version of the studio album contained a bonus track; a remix of "Girls", entitled "More Girls". The album, which topped the UK Album Charts on its debut week,^[11] was promoted by a 2-year-long tour.

5,000 digital copies of "Memphis Bells" were sold over the Internet. Each copy was a combination of customer-chosen instrumental, rhythmic, and melodic options, of which 39,600 choices were available. Five mixes were sold in three file formats, WAV, two audio mixes in MP3, and a 5.1 DTS surround sound mix, and all were free of digital rights management.^[39]

In 2005, they released a compilation, Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005, which spawned a single containing new remixes of the songs "Out of Space" (the "Audio Bullys Remix") and "Voodoo People" (the "Pendulum Remix"). The artwork represented drawn versions of the front covers of the "Out of Space" and "Voodoo People" single releases. The latter was also followed by a music video filmed in Romford Market, Essex, which featured on the DVD release of the compilation. Sharky, the group's only female member, is shown running and winning the race depicted in the video.

The Prodigy's first two albums, 1992's Experience and 1994's Music for the Jilted Generation, were re-released in expanded, deluxe editions on 4 August 2008.^[42] As well as being remastered, the new packages featured a bonus disc including mixes, rarities, and live tracks. The two albums also featured expanded artwork in addition to the new musical content.

When asked about the idea, Howlett responded that they were getting ready to make a new album:

No, we're all done with that [those albums] now, all the old material. We didn't actually want to do the Greatest Hits, we were ready to start our new record—until the record company pointed out that it was in the contract. But then we got into it, and tried to be creative with it as much as [we could]. And, you know, we ended up being really proud of it. You have to have a different brain when you're doing a record like that. It's more about [saying] "this is your achievement"; I could hold in one hand all the records we've released, so that was cool. We're moving on now, and getting on with the new record.^[39]

[edit] Invaders Must Die (2008–2010)

The Prodigy showcased four new songs at the Oxegen Festival in the early hours of 13 July 2008. Among the tracks previewed were "Worlds on Fire", "Warriors Dance", "Mescaline", and "First Warning", which was featured in the gangster movie Smokin' Aces and as among the songs featured in the soundtrack for Electronic Arts video game Need for Speed: Undercover.

Frontman Keith Flint and live member, Rob Holliday.

On 5 November 2008, it was announced that the band's fifth studio album would be called Invaders Must Die and would be released on the band's new label, Take Me to the Hospital. It was released in the US on 3 March 2009, and was the first Prodigy album since 1997's The Fat of the Land to feature all three members of the band.^[43][44]

The album featured drummer Dave Grohl on drums for "Run with the Wolves". The top five hit "Omen" and "Invaders Must Die" were co-produced with Does It Offend You, Yeah? frontman James Rushent.^[45] The band said that the album would go back to their "old-school but cutting edge" roots.^[46] The album was released as a CD, CD-DVD set, double vinyl, digital download, and a luxury 7-inch vinyl box set including five 7-inches, CD-DVD, bonus CD, poster, stickers, and stencils.^[47]

Invaders Must Die was released on 21 February 2009 in Australia and in Europe on 23 February 2009, charting at number one in the UK with week one sales of over 97,000 – a higher figure than for either Always Outnumbered or their singles collection.^[19] The album also reached the top five in Germany and Australia and top 10 in Norway and several other European countries.

To coincide with the release of the album, the band embarked on a nine-date UK arena tour, with support from Dizzee Rascal, Noisia, Herve, and DJ Kissy Sell Out. The single "Omen" debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart the week of 25 February 2009 and won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single. Initial critical response to Invaders Must Die was somewhat mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, based on 20 reviews.^[48] However, the album was well received by the fans, who welcomed it in a positive light compared to Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.^[49] Two singles followed, "Warrior's Dance" and "Take Me to the Hospital", which were released on 11 May and 31 August 2009 respectively. The former song peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart,^[19] while the latter included a VHS-filmed music video that premiered on VidZone.^[50]

A fourth single, "Invaders Must Die (Liam H Reamped Version)", from the Special Edition of the album, was released.^[50]

In an interview with Rob Swire of Pendulum, he revealed that The Prodigy were collaborating on Pendulum's third album, Immersion. Howlett was a co-producer of the song Immunize.^[51] They also played at Glastonbury Music Festival in 2008.

[edit] How to Steal a Jet Fighter (2010–present)

On November 16, 2010, Liam Howlett announced that after their American tour with Linkin Park, The Prodigy are going back to the studio to record their next album. In a recent interview, Liam Howlett said that The Prodigy are currently back in the studio and working around new ideas for their new album.^[52]

On March 18, 2010, The Prodigy announced through their website and mailing list a showing of World's on Fire, a film made mostly from footage of the Warrior's Dance festival from July 2010, for one night only in selected cinemas across Europe. Recorded before 65,000 fans, World's on Fire is the debut live film of The Prodigy, documenting their biggest concert to date.^[53] The CD, DVD, and Blu-ray of World's on Fire was released on 23 May 2011.^[54]

On 6 August 2011, The Prodigy headlined Przystanek Woodstock (Poland) playing to a crowd of over 700,000 fans, though the police declared the band's role at the festival unsafe.^[55] At their two final shows of 2011 (in Brazil), The Prodigy played two new tracks: "A.W.O.L" and "Dogbite".^[56] On 18 November, The Prodigy were announced as a headliner for Download Festival 2012, and will be closing the main stage on Friday 8 June with songs from their new album, to be released later in 2012. ^[57] Liam Howlett has confirmed this album will not be Dubstep, but they have announced their new album sound will feel "Fresh" whilst darker.

On 3 May 2012, The Prodigy announced the working title of their new album: How To Steal A Jet Fighter.^[58]

Members[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Experience (1992)
• Music for the Jilted Generation (1994)
• The Fat of the Land (1997)
• Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004)
• Invaders Must Die (2009)

Live album

• World's on Fire (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• The Prodigy at Allmusic
• The Prodigy at the Internet Movie Database
• The Prodigy on Twitter
• The Prodigy on Facebook
• The Prodigy on Myspace

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2009)

Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack performing "Stylo" with Mos Def and Gorillaz.
Background information
Birth name	Robert Dwayne Womack
Born	(1944-03-04) March 4, 1944 (age 68) Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	Gospel, R&B, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, funk, deep soul, soul blues, country soul, rock, jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, producer, instrumentalist, sideman
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1952–present
Labels	Pennant, SAR, Him, Checker, United Artists, Minit, Beverly Glen Music, The Right Stuff, Solar, MCA, Columbia, Castle, Indigo Records, XL Recordings[1]
Associated acts	The Valentinos, Patti LaBelle, Sam Cooke, Cecil Womack, Womack and Womack, Mary Wells, Gorillaz
Website	Official website

Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack ( /ˈwoʊmæk/; born March 4, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter and musician.^[2] An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 50 years and has spanned a repertoire in the styles of R&B, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, gospel, and country.

Womack wrote and originally recorded The Rolling Stones' first UK No. 1 hit, "It's All Over Now" and New Birth's "I Can Understand It" among other songs. As a singer he is most notable for the hits "Lookin' For a Love", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street" and his 1980s hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now".

In 2009, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[3]

Biography[link]

1944-1966: Early life and career[link]

Born and raised in Cleveland's East 85th & Quincy area to Naomi Womack and Friendly Womack, Womack was the third of five brothers.^[4] Raised Baptist, their mother played organ in their church and their father was a minister and musician, often known to play guitar though he advised his sons to not touch the instrument while he was away. One night, eight-year-old Bobby, who was often playing it, broke a guitar string. After Friendly Womack fixed the string, he let Bobby play the guitar for him. According to Bobby later, Friendly was shocked by his son's talents as well as the talents of his other sons. Soon afterwards, he bought Bobby his own guitar and formed The Womack Brothers. The group toured the gospel circuit with their parents accompanying them on organ and guitar respectively. In 1954, the group under the moniker Curtis Womack and the Womack Brothers, the group issued the Pennant single, "Buffalo Bill". Bobby was only ten years old at the time.^[4]

Even though Curtis Womack often sang lead, Bobby Womack was allowed to sing alongside him showcasing his gruff baritone vocals in contrast to his older brother's smoother tenor. During performances, Bobby would sometimes imitate the role of a preacher. Sam Cooke discovered the group performing while he was still in the Soul Stirrers in 1956 and began mentoring the boys, promising them that he would help with their careers once he established himself. Within four years, Cooke had formed SAR Records and signed the quintet to the label. Bobby was sixteen. The group recorded two gospel sides before Cooke decided to have the boys switch over to pop music. Upon telling his father of the decision to go secular, an emotional Friendly Sr. told them that they had to leave the house. Cooke had the brothers move to Los Angeles.

Changing their name to The Valentinos, Cooke produced and arranged the group's first hit single, "Looking for a Love", which was a pop version of a gospel song they had released titled "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray", written by Bobby. The song became a R&B hit and helped land the group a spot on James Brown's Revue. The group's next hit came in 1964 with the country-tinged "It's All Over Now", co-composed by Bobby. Their version was rising on the charts when The Rolling Stones covered it. Bobby was initially angry until he saw his first royalty check for the single after it had become a hit. The Valentinos' career was left shaky after Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel. Devastated by the news, the brothers disbanded and SAR Records folded. Bobby forged on a solo career, releasing sides for the Him and Checker labels without much success no thanks in part due to the controversy of his marriage to Cooke's widow, Barbara Campbell. By 1966, Womack had settled on session work.

1967-1972: Early solo career[link]

Womack worked at Chips Moman's American Studios in Memphis and played on recordings by Joe Tex and The Box Tops. Womack played guitar on several of Aretha Franklin's albums, including Lady Soul, but not on the hit song, "Chain of Fools", as erroneously reported. His work as a songwriter caught the eye of music executives after Wilson Pickett took a liking to some of the songs and insisted he recorded them. Among those songs included the hits, "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love".

In 1968, he signed with Minit Records and recorded his first solo album, Fly Me to the Moon, where he scored his first major hit with a cover of The Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'". In 1969, Womack forged a partnership with Gábor Szabó and with Szabó, penned the instrumental, "Breezin'", later a hit for George Benson. Womack also worked with rock musicians Sly and the Family Stone and Janis Joplin, contributing vocals and guitar work on The Family Stone's accomplished album, There's a Riot Goin' On, and penning the ballad "Trust Me", for Joplin on her album, Pearl. Womack was one of the last people to speak to Joplin before her death in October 1970.

After two more albums with Minit, Bobby switched labels, signing with United Artists where he changed his attire and his musical direction with the album, Communication. The album bolstered his first top 40 hit, "That's the Way I Feel About Cha", which peaked at number two R&B and number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1972.

1972-1985: Solo success[link]

Following Communication, Womack's profile was raised with two more albums, released in 1972. The first of which was Understanding, noted for the album track, "I Can Understand It", later covered by the funk band New Birth and a three-sibling lineup of Bobby's old group, the Valentinos, and two hit singles, "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Harry Hippie", the latter song was written for Womack by Jim Ford in a country version, in which Womack re-arranged in an R&B version. "Harry Hippie" later became Womack's first to be certified gold.^[5] Contrary to popular belief, the song was not about Womack's brother Harry. "Woman's Gotta Have It" became Womack's first to hit number-one on the R&B charts.

Another hit album released after Understanding was the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film, Across 110th Street. The title track became popular during its initial 1972 release and later would be played during the opening scene of the film, Jackie Brown, years later. In 1973, Womack released another hit album, Facts of Life, and had a top 40 hit with "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out", an older song Sam Cooke had done years before.

In 1974, Womack released his most successful single during this period with a remake of his first hit single, "Lookin' for a Love". Bobby's solo version of the song became even more successful than the original with the Valentinos', becoming his second number-one hit on the R&B chart and peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his only hit to reach that high on the pop chart. The song was featured on the album, Lookin' for a Love Again and featured the minor charted "You're Welcome, Stop on By", later covered by Rufus & Chaka Khan. Womack's career began stalling after Womack suffered from the tragic news of his brother Harry's death. Womack continued to record albums with United Artists through 1975 and 1976 but with less success than previous albums. In 1975, Womack collaborated with Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood, on Wood's second solo album, Now Look.

Womack languished with his own recordings during the late 1970s but continued to be a frequent collaborator with other artists, most notably Wilton Felder of The Crusaders. In 1981, Womack signed with Beverly Glen Records and had his first R&B top ten single in five years since the 1976 single Daylight with "If You Think You're Lonely Now", which peaked at number three on the R&B singles chart. He had two more R&B top ten singles during the 1980s including the Patti LaBelle duet, "Love Has Finally Come at Last" and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much". He had a hit featuring on the Wilton Felder single, "(No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still Be Looking Up to You".

1985-present: Later career and current work[link]

Womack's solo career started to slow down, however, after 1985, partially due to Womack's issues with drug addiction. After sobering up in the mid-1990s, he released the album, Resurrection and continued his performing career.

In 1989, Womack sang on Todd Rundgren's "For the Want of a Nail" on the album Nearly Human. In 1998, he performed George Gershwin's "Summertime" with The Roots for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.

In 2010, Womack contributed lyrics and sang on "Stylo" alongside Mos Def, the first single from the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. Womack was told to sing whatever was on his mind during the recording of "Stylo". "I was in there for an hour going crazy about love and politics, getting it off my chest", said Womack.^[6] He also provides vocals on the song "Cloud of Unknowing" in addition to the song "Bobby in Phoenix" on their December 2010 release "The Fall".

In early 2012 a new album was announced to be released on June 12th via XL Recordings. The name of the album will be The Bravest Man in the Universe and it will be produced by Damon Albarn and Richard Russell. The first Song "Please Forgive My Heart" was offered as a free download on XL Recordings' official website on March 8th 2012.^[7]

Legacy[link]

Jodeci's K-Ci Hailey, a notable admirer of Womack's work, covered "If You Think You're Lonely Now" in 1994. Hailey again covered Womack in 2006 with his rendition of "A Woman's Gotta Have It". The song is referenced in Mariah Carey's song "We Belong Together", a number-one hit in June 2005. Carey sings "I can't sleep at night / When you are on my mind / Bobby Womack's on the radio / Singing to me: 'If you think you're lonely now.'" In 2007, R&B singer Jaheim interpolated the song as "Lonely" on his album "The Making of a Man". Neo Soul Singer, Calvin Richardson also covered many of Womack's tunes.

Film director Quentin Tarantino used "Across 110th Street" (which, in a different version, had been the title song of the 1972 movie) in the opening and closing sequences of his 1997 film Jackie Brown. His work has been used in several other popular films, including Meet the Parents (2000), Ali (2001) and American Gangster (2007). A 2003 Saab commercial used Womack's interpretation of "California Dreamin'". In 2005, "Across 110th Street" appeared in the hit Activision video game True Crime: New York City. "Across 110th Street" was used in Rockstar Games video game Thug'z Depression:Live Or Die.

On the 1994 release 1-800-NEW-FUNK, Nona Gaye covered "Woman's Gotta Have It," produced by Prince and backed by his band, New Power Generation.

In 2008, Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child recorded her own version of his R&B hit "Daylight" with Travis McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes, which became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, where it was previously released as a single by Womack in 1976.

In 2009, Calvin Richardson was chosen to record a tribute album to Womack to coincide with Womack's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy-nominated album was entitled Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack. It reached #30 on the US R&B chart.^[8]

In early 2012, Womack's career was the subject of the documentary show Unsung on TV One.^[9]

Personal life[link]

Barbara Campbell scandal[link]

In March 1965, just three months after Sam Cooke's death, Womack created scandal by marrying Cooke's widow, Barbara Campbell. Womack claimed he initially went to Barbara's side to console her following Cooke's death for fear that, if she were left alone, she would "do something crazy".^[10][11] They divorced in 1970. Rapper Nas later mentioned the incident in his song "Blunt Ashes". The controversy derailed Womack's singing career for a time.

Bobby Womack's younger brother, Cecil, later married Linda, the daughter of Sam Cooke and Campbell. Womack and Linda collaborated on the hit song "Woman's Gotta Have It" and he applied background vocals for his brother and Linda as the pair teamed up as Womack & Womack.^[2] Womack & Womack are also the artists of the song "Baby I'm Scared of You".

Family[link]

One of five boys to Naomi and Friendly Womack, Womack was married twice. With Barbara Campbell-Cooke, Womack had a son, Vincent, who later committed suicide in 1986 at the age of 21. Vincent Womack was featured alongside his father on the cover of Bobby's 1972 album, Understanding. With his second wife, Regina Womack, they had a son, Truth, who died as an infant, which devastated the singer. Womack later had two children, Bobby Truth and Gina with his second wife, and two younger boys from a 1990s relationship. Womack currently lives in Los Angeles.

Drug addiction and health problems[link]

Womack opened up about his frequent drug use in his memoirs, I'm a Midnight Mover. Womack said he began using cocaine sometime in the late 1960s. His cocaine use turned into an addiction by the late 1970s. Womack partially blamed his habit for his son, Truth's, death as an infant in 1976. At the end of the 1980s, Womack went into a rehab facility to get over his cocaine addiction, which he said he conquered. Womack contracted diabetes in his later years. In early 2012, Womack entered several hospitals with health problems including pneumonia, for which he was successfully treated. It was revealed in March that Womack was diagnosed with colon cancer after Bootsy Collins reported it on his Facebook page. Womack announced afterwards that he was undergoing cancer surgery. On May 24, 2012, it was announced that Womack's surgery to remove a tumor from his cancer was successful and he was declared cancer free.

Use in film[link]

Womack's 1968 cover of "California Dreamin'" featured prominently in 2009 British film Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, where the main character Mia dances to it and uses it as her audition piece. The collection CD on which the song appears also plays a role, and is "The Best of Bobby Womack" (2008), on which "California Dreamin'" appears on track 17, as Mia requests at her audition.

Womack's "Across 110th Street" featured in the opening and elsewhere in the film Jackie Brown, directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is used to emphasise the blaxploitation tone of the film. It was used again in the Denzel Washington film, American Gangster, which depicted the actual circumstances described in the song. This song is also used for the closing credits of S2 E3 of TV Show How to Make It in America.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1968: Fly Me to the Moon (Minit) - US #174, R&B #34
• 1969: My Prescription (Minit) - R&B #44
• 1971: Communication (United Artists) - US #83, R&B #7, Jazz #20
• 1972: Understanding (United Artists) - US #43, R&B #7
• 1972: Across 110th Street (United Artists) - US #50, R&B #6
• 1973: Facts of Life (United Artists) - US #37, R&B #6
• 1974: Lookin' for a Love Again (United Artists) - US #85, R&B #5
• 1975: I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To (United Artists) - US #126, R&B #20
• 1976: Safety Zone (United Artists) - US #147, R&B #40
• 1975: I Can Understand It (United Artists) - same tracks as on Greatest Hits
• 1976: BW Goes C&W (United Artists)
• 1976: Home Is Where the Heart Is (Columbia)
• 1977: Pieces (Columbia) - US #205
• 1979: Roads Of Life (Arista) - US #206, R&B #55
• 1981: The Poet (Beverly Glen) - US #29, R&B #1
• 1984: The Poet II (Beverly Glen) - US #60, R&B #5, UK #31
• 1985: So Many Rivers (MCA) - US #66, R&B #5, UK #28
• 1985: Someday We'll All Be Free (Beverly Glen) - US #207, R&B #59
• 1986: Womagic (MCA) - R&B #68
• 1987: Last Soul Man (MCA)
• 1989: Save The Children (Solar)
• 1994: Soul Seduction Supreme (Castle)
• 1994: Resurrection (Continuum) - R&B #91
• 1999: Back to My Roots (Capitol) - Gospel #27
• 1999: Traditions (Capitol)
• 2000: Christmas Album (Indigo)^[12][13]
• 2012: The Bravest Man in the Universe (XL Recordings)^[7]

Live albums[link]

• 1970: The Womack "Live" (United Artists) - US #188, R&B #13
• 1998: Soul Sensation Live (Sequel)

Compilation albums[link]

• 1975: Greatest Hits (United Artists) - US #142, R&B #30
• 1986: Check it Out (Stateside) - UK SSL 6013
• 1998: Red Hot + Rhapsody
• 1999: Traditions (Capitol)
• 2003: Lookin' For a Love: The Best of 1968-1976 (Stateside Records)^[14]
• 2004: Fly Me To The Moon/My Prescription on one CD (Stateside Records)^[14]
• 2004: Understanding/Communication (Stateside Records)^[14]
• 2004: Womack Live/The Safety Zone (Stateside Records)^[14]
• 2004: Lookin' For A Love Again/BW Goes CW (Stateside Records)^[14]
• 2004: Facts of Life/I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To (Stateside Records)^[14]

As a featured artist[link]

• 2001:Sleepwalking with Rae & Christian (Studio K7)^[14]
• 2010: Plastic Beach with Gorillaz (Parlophone)^[14]
• 2010: The Fall with Gorillaz (Parlophone)^[14]

Singles[link]

^[2]

Quotation[link]

NME - March 1976^[16]

Awards and nominations[link]

• Grammy Awards
  • 2011, Best Short-Form Music Video: "Stylo" shared w/ Mos Def & Gorillaz (Nominated)

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • In 2009, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, his original vocal group, his brothers, The Valentinos (Friendly Womack, Jr., Curtis Womack, Harry Womack and Cecil Womack) weren't inducted with him.

References[link]