title	Record Collector
publisher	Diamond Publishing
language	English
category	Music magazine
frequency	four-weekly
editor	Ian McCann
firstdate	March 1980
country
website	recordcollectormag.com
issn	0261-250X }}

''Record Collector'' is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.

History

The early years

The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches back further. In 1963, publisher Sean O’Mahony (alias Johnny Dean) had launched an official Beatles magazine, ''The Beatles Book''. Although it shut down in 1969, ''The Beatles Book'' reappeared in 1976 due to popular demand.

Through the late-70s, the small ads section of ''The Beatles Book'' became an increasingly popular avenue through which collectors could make contact and buy, sell, or trade Beatles records. Reflecting a burgeoning collecting scene in the 1970s, as time went by, the adverts were becoming dominated by traders who were interested in rare vinyl outside of that within The Beatles world. In September 1979, ''The Beatles Book'' came with a record collecting supplement, and the response was positive enough for O’Mahony to launch ''Record Collector'' as a separate entity in March 1980.

Taking off

By June 1980, ''Record Collector'' was a glossy A5 publication which ran to no more than 100 pages. With the addition of another editorial staff member – the esteemed Peter Doggett, who stayed with the magazine for almost 20 years – ''RC'' began to take shape and assume its own identity. Aimed at the collector’s market, early issues would focus largely on the music of collectible artists from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Uniquely, ''Record Collector'' features would consist of both prose pieces on the history of the artist, and detailed discographies of their UK releases. These discographies would provide all the information needed for collectors to pore over, and which enabled them to differentiate between different pressings of outwardly identical releases – catalogue numbers, release dates and distinguishing features of the records/record sleeves themselves. Most notably, however, they would also include a valuation of each record, so that dealers and collectors had a springboard to work from.

Collectors who couldn’t make it to London and other major cities where record fairs were being held, or the biggest record dealing shops were based, found themselves limited by their situation. The mail order listings in ''Record Collector'' were important, and one of the few places for buyers and sellers to make contact with each other. At its height, this section was up to half of the publication. However, at the turn of the 21st century with the success of selling to consumers on-line via sites such as Ebay, many sellers now use this type of method the amount of lisitings has greatly declined.

''RC''’s aim

Since the turn of the millennium, many monthly publications such as ''Mojo'' and ''Uncut'' started to accept AOR and Progressive rock music as viable musical genres.

In the pre-internet days, ''RC'' was the only way of reaching many genuine collectors and fans across the country. The view was that a number of music fans were feeling alienated by the arrogance and pseudo-intellectual writing of many rock journalists, and it sought to provide a publication for fans of the music, regardless of style, genre or mass popularity. Many ''Record Collector'' features were written by the collectors and fans themselves, who knew the facts and had the passion that the magazine required.

''RC''’s standing

With an �?open door’ editorial policy, nostalgic outlook and focus on discographies and collectability, ''Record Collector'' has created a unique identity. Throughout the early-80s, rival publications like ''Greatest Hits'' and the ''Record Hunter'' supplement of ''Vox'' were launched, but none of them lasted very long. It was not until the monthly ''Q'' magazine launched in 1986 – its focus on older music fans who were buying the new CD technology of the time – that a major competitor entered the music monthlies sector. Subsequently, in the 90s, ''Classic Rock'', ''Uncut'' and ''Mojo'' (who, in 2001, launched ''Mojo Collections'' as a direct competitor, though that folded after six issues and was incorporated into the main magazine) and myriad other monthly titles started, taking as their focus the nostalgic, or retrospective, outlook pioneered by ''Record Collector'' in 1980.

''RC''’s influence

In 1981, ''Record Collector'' introduced a review column focusing on an album of the month. This was before the CD boom of the mid-80s had created a widespread demand for back catalogue product, and at a time where the weekly music press had a purely contemporary outlook. The reissue review column encouraged many record companies to begin putting out reissues on a small scale, because they knew ''Record Collector'' would cover them and help generate profit.

When the advent of CD meant that many collectors needed their favourite music issued on the new format, ''RC'' was already at the vanguard of covering reissued albums. More recently, there has been an upsurge in limited edition vinyl and CD releases, while – much as the picture disc, popular in the 80s, has become a huge source of collectability – many modern vinyl releases are making limited and coloured formats fashionable once again, aiming themselves directly at the collecting market that ''Record Collector'' helped to establish and serve.

Currently

In 2003, ''Record Collector'' became a full colour publication – marking the fact with a psychedelic special – and printing 13 issues a year. The magazine was updated steadily by Editor-In-Chief Alan Lewis, former editor of ''Sounds'', ''NME'', ''Black Music'', founding editor of ''Kerrang!'' and involved in the launches of both ''Uncut'' and ''Loaded''. Lewis left in April 2011 and was replaced by Ian McCann, formerly of NME, Black Echoes and ''The Independent''. His debut came with an issue focused on "the 51 Best Investments in vinyl" which drew press coverage worldwide. The magazine has since embraced multimedia, launching Facebook and Twitter feeds, and has broadened its outlook slightly, offering comment on subjects such as Amy Winehouse's death and music linked to the 2011 England riots.

''Record Collector'' continues to serve the collector, offering retrospective features, full discographies and in depth interviews. Its outlook has expanded to embrace the phenomenon of collecting via the internet, whether it be through online trading, or downloading music. ''RC'' also includes Q&A; pages where readers can have questions about their rare and obscure records answered; some of the largest news and reviews sections in music print; one of the few fanzine review columns in print; a focus on curio releases from around the world; interviews with a variety of collectors, who talk through their personal collections; and monthly features on eBay and record fairs.

From being the only monthly music publication for the majority of the 80s, ''Record Collector'' has maintained its popularity well into the 2000s. Having encouraged a few trends in the reissue/collecting market, most importantly of all, ''RC'' has made the collecting market more widely established and accepted, and has remained an important publication for collectors and music enthusiasts alike.

''Record Collector'' is an important magazine because it provides a sense of history to the scene. It assesses the importance of artists’ contribution to music, regardless of whether they are flavour of the month. As a result, ''RC'' has both rescued various artists’ careers and instilled a sense in the reader that the quality of the music and the integrity of the artist is what really counts… a human voice in a corporate environment. --Arthur Brown

The ''Rare Record Price Guide''

History

In 1987, ''Record Collector'' published its first standalone price guide – a slim publication, designed to be a quick and easy reference book for collectors and dealers to source information for around 2000 highly collectible artists.

Five years later, in late 1992, the first edition of the ''Rare Record Price Guide'' proper was issued, which listed 60,000 rare and collectible records from a diverse array of artists. Since then, the ''RRPG'' has continued to expand and is now in its seventh edition, with over 100,000 entries that cover all musical genres. Since it’s inception, it has established itself as the leading book of its kind.

The ''RRPG''

The ''Rare Record Price Guide'' features an alphabetical list of all the artists with notable collectables, and then lists each collectible release in chronological order. It includes 78rpm records, 7”, 10” and 12” vinyl singles and EPs, vinyl LPs, and cassette and CD singles and albums.

Each release format has a minimum value, and if a particular release reaches or exceeds that, the ''RRPG'' features it, giving the entry full label, catalogue number, A-side and B-side listings (where applicable), distinctive features of the item and price information.

To that it puts a fair, accurate and realistic valuation on each record, which serves as a barometer for buyers and sellers of rare records. All of its valuations are for records in excellent, or �?Mint’ condition. Where there are different versions of the same record (for example, a limited number may have been issued in a picture sleeve), then two prices are given, to reflect that difference.

The ''RRPG'' is not designed to be a complete discography of a given artist, but a reference for collectors and dealers of collectible records. Its focus is on music released from the 1950s onwards, including various artists compilations and soundtracks. For the majority of the listings, the records have to have been made commercially available in the UK. Exceptions include:

Releases from the Republic Of Ireland, which were imported into Britain, but not officially issued.

�?Export Releases’ manufactured in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s, and distributed to countries that did not have their own pressing plants.

Records, flexidiscs, cassettes or CDs included as freebies with magazines, books or other records.

Promotional releases, demos, test pressings and acetate recordings where they have been made available to the public, contain unique material and/or packaging, or are so important/well known among collectors that they warrant inclusion.

The ''RRPG Online''

In the April 2010 issue of ''Record Collector'' it was announced the ''Rare Record Price Guide'' was going online. The online database contains all the latest updates, a live currency converting function, more photos and the ability for users to submit their own content.

Additionally, users can get total collection valuations by adding records in the database to a private "My Collection" section of the site.

''Record Collector 100 Greatest…'' books

In 2005, ''Record Collector'' began a series of books that sought to present the top 100 most collectible records of a given genre of music. Each book has been written by a specialist in that field, and investigates the story behind each records in the Top 100, along with accompanying record and label images.

So far, two books have been published, ''100 Greatest Psychedelic Records'' and ''100 Greatest Rock’N’Roll Records''.

Distinguished ''Record Collector'' contributors – past and present

Kingsley Abbott (author of ''Back To The Beach: A Brian Wilson And The Beach Boys Reader'' and ''Calling Out Around The World: A Motown Reader'')

Keith Badman (editor of ''The Beatles Diary'' and co-writer of ''Rock On Wood: Ronnie Wood – The Origin Of A Rock’N’Roll Face'')

James R Blandford (author of ''PJ Harvey: Siren Rising'' and 'Britney Spears')

Stuart Budd A.K.A Tooty Toots ( author of " Soul Goal : A look at Soul Music and Football through the eyes of a boy growing up in multi cultural london during the mid seventies: ( writer for boot magazine ) (Record Collector Price Guide specialist and advisor on all (Vinyl / 78's) relating to Sport) (Actor - The Love Potion (2007))

Laurence Cane-Honeysett (co-author of "Young, Gifted & Black - The Trojan Records Story")

Alan Clayson (author of ''Serge Gainsbourg: View From The Exterior'' and ''Keith Moon: Instant Party'')

Andy Davis (author of ''The Beatles Files'')

Chas De Whalley (author of ''Big Noise: BPI Guide To Working In The Music Industry'')

Peter Doggett (author of ''Christie’s Rock And Pop Memorabilia'', ''Are You Ready For The Country'' and ''Eminem: The Complete Guide To His Music'')

Daryl Easlea (author of ''Everybody Dance: Chic And The Politics Of Disco'')

Pat Gilbert (author of ''Passion Is A Fashion: The Real Story Of The Crash'')

Michael Heatley (author of ''John Peel: A Life In Music'' and ''The Complete Deep Purple'')

Patrick Humphries (author of ''Nick Drake: The Biography'', ''Pink Floyd'' and ''Richard Thompson: Strange Affair'')

Ken Hunt (co-compiler of ''The Rough Guide To World Music'', contributor to ''The Rough Guide To Rock'' and ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'')

Mark Jones (author of ''Bristol Folk'' and ''The Famous Charisma Discography'': contributor to ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' and ''The Granary Club: The Rock Years'')

Jack Kane (editor of ''Record Collector – 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records'')

Jake Kennedy (author of ''Joy Division & The Making Of Unknown Pleasures'')

Joel McIver (author of ''Erykah Badu, First Lady Of Neo-Soul'', ''No-One Knows: The Queens Of The Stone Age Story'', ''Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica')

Mick Middles (co-author of ''The Fall'')

David Noades (freelance writer and contributor to ''The 365 Days Project'')

Martin O'Gorman (writer for Q and MOJO magazines)

Steve Pafford (entertainment reporter, writer and co-author of "BowieStyle")

Alan Parker (author of ''Vicious: Too Fast To Live'', ''John Lennon And The FBI Files'' and ''The Clash: Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg'')

Mark Paytress (author of ''Bolan: The Rise And Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar'', ''BowieStyle'', ''Break It Up: Patti Smith, Horses & The Remaking Of Rock'n'Roll'', ''Vicious: The Art Of Dying Young'', ''Siouxsie And The Banshees: The Authorised Biography'', ''I Was There: Gigs That Changed The World'', ''The Rolling Stones: Off The Record'', ''Classic Albums: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars'' and ''Radiohead: The Complete Guide To Their Music'')

Bob Solly (author of ''Record Collector – 100 Greatest Rock’N’Roll Records'')

Ian Peel (author of ''Music On The Internet'', ''The Unknown Paul McCartney'' and ''The Rough Guide To eBay'')

Martin Popoff (author of ''The Collector’s Guide To Heavy Metal'' and ''The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time'')

Mark Prendergast (author of ''The Ambient Century: From Mahler To Moby – The Evolution Of Sound In The Electronic Age'')

David Quantick (author of ''Revolution: The Making Of The Beatles’ White Album'')

John Reed (author of ''Paul Weller: My Ever Changing Moods'')

John Robb(author of ''The Stone Roses And The Resurrection Of British Pop'' and ''Punk Rock: An Oral History'')

Harry Shapiro (author of ''Waiting For The Man: The Story Of Drugs And Popular Music'' and ''Eric Clapton: Lost In The Blues'')

Ken Sharp (co-author of ''Eric Carmen: Marathon Man'')

Ian Shirley (author of ''Can Rock And Roll Save The World? An Illustrated History Of Music And Comics'', ''Bauhaus: Dark Entries'' and ''Meet The Residents: America’s Most Eccentric Band'')

Jonny Trunk (author of ''The Music Library: Graphic Art And Sound'')

Richie Unterberger (author of ''Eight Miles High: Folk-Rock’s Flight From Haight-Ashbury To Woodstock'')

John Van der Kiste (co-author of ''Beyond the Summertime: The Mungo Jerry story'')

Charles Waring (writer for Blues & Soul and MOJO magazines)

Joe Geesin (writer for Get Ready To Rock, editor of Nazareth fanclub and Cozy Powell fanclub, former assistant editor of Rare Record Price Guide)

Brett Callwood (author of ''Sonically Speaking'' and ''The Stooges : A Journey Through The Michigan Underworld'')

External links

Record Collector Magazine

R.C's Rare Record Price Guide

Worldwide Record Collector Fair Organizers

Category:British music magazines Category:Magazines established in 1980

it:Record Collector hu:Record Collector

name	Mark Ronson
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
occupation	Musician, DJ, producer
birth name	Mark Daniel Ronson
born	September 04, 1975Notting Hill, London, England
label	Allido/Columbia/RCA/JRoc Nation
years active	1993–present
instruments	Vocals, guitar, percussion, keyboards, drum machine, bass, clavinet, organ, piano
associated acts	Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Daniel Merriweather, Jordan Galland, Wale, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, the Business International, Samantha Ronson
Website	}}

Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

While his debut album ''Here Comes the Fuzz'' failed to make an impact on the charts, his second album, ''Version'' included three top ten hits and won Ronson a BRIT Award for ''Best Male Artist 2008''. His third studio album, ''Record Collection'', was released on 27 September 2010.

Early life

Ronson was born at the Wellington Hospital, St John's Wood, to writer/socialite Ann Dexter-Jones and one-time band manager and real estate entrepreneur Laurence Ronson. His parents are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with ancestors from Austria, Russia, and Lithuania, and Ronson was brought up in Conservative Judaism. Ronson's family name was originally Aaronson, but his grandfather Henry Ronson changed it to Ronson. Ronson is the nephew of property tycoon Gerald Ronson. Ronson is related to British Conservative politicians Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Leon Brittan, as well as Odeon Cinemas founder Oscar Deutsch. Ronson has younger twin sisters, Charlotte Ronson, a fashion designer, and Samantha Ronson, a singer and DJ. Ronson also has five younger half-siblings. Alexander and Annabelle, through his mother's remarriage to Mick Jones as well as David, Henrietta, and Joshua, through his father's remarriage to Michele Human. After his parents broke up, his mother married Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones, which contributed to a childhood surrounded by music.

Career

Ronson went to high school at the private Collegiate School in New York. Attending Vassar College and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993, charging $50 per job. Though a novice with little experience, he became known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection. Influenced by funk, the hip hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK (all of which he incorporated in his sets) he attracted a wider audience. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. In 1999, Ronson was featured in an ad wearing Tommy Hilfiger denim in the recording studio for an ad campaign for the company.

He provided the score for the 2011 film ''Arthur''.

''Here Comes the Fuzz'' and initial producing

He moved on, however, to producing music after Nikka Costa's manager heard one of his gigs and introduced the musicians. He produced her song "Everybody Got Their Something", and soon Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. Mark had produced tracks for Hilfiger ads, and in 2001 used the connection to have Costa's single "Like a Feather" used in an ad.

Ronson's first album, ''Here Comes the Fuzz'', was released in 2003 and was critically acclaimed and a financial success, despite initially poor sales. On the album, he wrote the songs, made the beats and played guitar, keyboards, and bass. The album featured artists from diverse genres, including Mos Def, Jack White, Sean Paul, Nikka Costa, Nappy Roots and Rivers Cuomo. The best known song from the album, "Ooh Wee", samples "Sunny" by Boney M and features Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God, and Saigon. It was featured that year in the movie ''Honey'' and its soundtrack. The song was later used in the movies ''Hitch'' and ''Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay''. Two weeks after releasing ''Here Comes the Fuzz'', Elektra Records dropped him. Ronson has since produced multiple songs on the albums of singers Lamya, Macy Gray, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.

Ronson became one of the regular DJs at Justin Timberlake's New York club, Suede, when it opened in 2003.

In 2004, Ronson formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper Saigon, who later left to sign with Just Blaze's Fort Knox Entertainment. He has signed Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".

''Version (album)''

Ronson released a cover of The Smiths' track "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" under the title "Stop Me" on 2 April 2007, featuring singer Daniel Merriweather, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts, the biggest hit for Ronson to date. Ronson remixed the Bob Dylan song "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)" in promotion for the three disc Bob Dylan set titled ''Dylan'' released October 2007. Ronson has also produced Candie Payne's "One More Chance (Ronson mix)" in 2007.

The album has been well received by critics. In May 2007 it was awarded the title Album of the Month by the British dance music magazine, ''Mixmag''. On 23 June, the DJ made the cover of the ''Guardian'' newspaper's Guide magazine, alongside singer Lily Allen.

In June 2007, Ronson signed DC hip hop artist Wale to Allido Records. In late 2007, he focused on production, working with Daniel Merriweather on his debut album, and recording again with Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams.

On 24 October 2007 Ronson performed a one-off set at The Roundhouse in Camden, London as part of the BBC Electric Proms 2007. The performance featured the BBC Concert Orchestra and included special guests Terry Hall, Sean Lennon, Tim Burgess, Alex Greenwald, Ricky Wilson, Charlie Waller, Adele and Kyle Falconer.

Ronson received a Grammy Award nomination in early December 2007 for 'Producer of the Year, Non Classical', along with Timbaland and Mike Elizondo. Ronson's work with Amy Winehouse also received substantial praise, gaining 6 nominations. ''Back to Black'', an album mostly produced by Ronson was nominated for 'Album of the Year' and 'Best Pop Vocal Album'. "Rehab" received nods for 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance', 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'. Ronson would go on to win three Grammys for 'Producer of the Year' as well as 'Best Pop Vocal Album' and 'Record of the Year' (which he shared with Amy Winehouse) in early February 2008.

Ronson is credited as producer on a mixtape album called ''Man in the Mirror'', released in January 2008 by the rapper Rhymefest which is a tribute to the pop star Michael Jackson. The album features Rhymefest appearing to speak to Michael Jackson using archive audio from interviews with the pop star.

Later in January 2008, Ronson received three nominations for the Brit Awards, including 'Best Male Solo Artist', 'Best Album' (''Version'') and 'Song of the Year' ("Valerie"). Ronson won his first Brit for 'Best Male Solo Artist' in mid February 2008 over favourite Mika. He also performed a medley of "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" with Adele, "Stop Me" with Daniel Merriweather and "Valerie" with Amy Winehouse.

The performance allowed for a large boost in sales in the iTunes UK Top 100. "Valerie" would jump almost 30 spots in the days after the event, while "Just", "Stop Me" and "Oh My God" all appeared in the chart as well. That same week, Ronson appeared twice in the UK Top 40, with "Valerie" rebounding to number 13 and "Just" at number 31, his fourth Top 40 hit from "Version". The Brits performance also allowed for "Version" to climb 18 spots to number 4.

Around this time, Ronson received his first number one on an international chart (Dutch Top 40) for "Valerie", which has spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. He collaborated with Kaiser Chiefs on their third album.

Ronson has toured the album "Version" vigorously through both the UK and Europe during 2008. Notable sold out performances at The Hammersmith Apollo and Brixton Academy. Ronson is known to champion new upcoming artists on the road with him, such as Sam Sparro and Julian Perretta. Ronson's string backing was provided by the all-female string quartet Demon Strings. In May 2008, Ronson played at the largest private party in the world, the Trinty Ball in Trinity College Dublin. On 2 July 2008 in Paris, Mark Ronson performed a unique live set with Duran Duran for an exclusive, invitation-only performance. Together, they showcased specially re-worked versions of some of Duran Duran's classic hits that were created by Ronson, along with tracks from the band's new album, ''Red Carpet Massacre''. Ronson & the Version Players also brought Ronson's acclaimed live show to the event, performing songs from his album ''Version''. Simon LeBon was one of his featured guest vocalists. As of March 2009 Ronson was working with the group on their upcoming 13th album. The Album, titled ''All You Need Is Now'' was released digitally exclusively via Apple's iTunes on 21 December 2010. A physical release with an expanded track list will be released in March 2011.

''Record Collection''

At the launch of his most recent Gucci pop-up store in London, Ronson confirmed the name of his new album ''Record Collection'', and said that he hoped to have it out by September 2010. Additionally, Ronson announced the name of his new band, "The Business Intl.'", which is the alias adopted by Ronson on the third studio album. The first single "Bang Bang Bang". which featured rapper Q-Tip and singer MNDR was released on 12 July 2010, where it peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, giving Ronson his fourth Top 10 hit. The single also saw success on the Irish Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 18. The second single from the album, "The Bike Song", was 19 September 2010 and features Kyle Falconer from The View and Spank Rock. The album was released on 27 September 2010. This is the first of Ronson's albums that he has sung on.

Videos

Ronson created a video, along with Directors Gary Breslin and Jordan Galland: Circuit Breaker, which is a Homage to video game ''The Legend of Zelda.''

Personal life

Ronson spends his time between New York and London; due to this and his childhood he has a Mid-Atlantic English accent. Ronson is the nephew of property tycoon Gerald Ronson. Mark has two sisters who are twins: Charlotte is a fashion designer and his other sister Samantha is a DJ and singer. He lived next door to, and was friends with, Sean Lennon. Ronson became a naturalised citizen of the United States in 2008.

In 2002, he began dating Quincy Jones's daughter, actress/singer Rashida Jones They became engaged in March 2003, with Ronson proposing by creating a crossword puzzle with the message "Will you marry me". They later broke up. In the beginning of 2008, Ronson briefly dated English model/socialite Daisy Lowe. Ronson went on to date Tennessee Thomas, the English drummer of American indie girl band The Like, but they split in early 2009.

In March 2009, Ronson was pictured with French actress and singer Joséphine de La Baume. She featured in his 2010 video for "The Bike Song." The couple got engaged in February 2011.

In 2009 he participated in PETA's "Please Don't Wear Any Fur" campaign. He was also voted the most stylish man in UK by ''GQ'' magazine.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions									! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
		2003		* Released: 8 September 2003	* Label: [[Elephant Records">Music recording sales certification
! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
2003		* Released: 8 September 2003	* Label: [[Elephant Records	70	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		British Phonographic Industry>UK: Silver
2007	style="text-align:left;"	* Released: 16 April 2007	Allido>Allido Records	2	—	—	21	44	—	51	129		* UK: 2× Platinum
2010	style="text-align:left;"	* Released: 27 September 2010	Allido>Allido RecordsRCA RecordsColumbia Records	2	6	61	16	67	33	40	81		* AUS: Gold	UK: 2x Platinum

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions	Album
style="width:30px;"	UK	AUS	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
2003		15	—	—	9	82	—	—	—	''Here Comes the Fuzz''
	2006		48	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	2	—	—	38	—	—	11	—
	8	72	—	21	—	—	—	—
	2	75	5	3	1	39	4	—
	2008		31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Bang Bang Bang (song)	6	16	75	18	68	25	65	17
"[[The Bike Song" (featuring Kyle Falconer & Spank Rock)	17	66	—	—	—	—	—	35
	55	—	—	—	—	—	—	10

;Other charted songs:

Year	Title	Chart positions		Album
		! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
2003		—	21	''Here Comes the Fuzz''
		63	—	rowspan="2"
	66	—

''Notes'': – As ''Mark Ronson & The Business Intl''.

Production discography

Albums

1998: Flip Squad Allstars – ''The Flip Squad Allstar DJs''

1999: The High & Mighty – ''Home Field Advantage'' (programming)

2001: Nikka Costa – ''Everybody Got Their Something''

2002: Jimmy Fallon – ''The Bathroom Wall'' (mixing)

2002: Sean Paul – ''Dutty Rock''

2002: Saigon – ''The Best of Saigon a.k.a. The Yardfather Volume 1''

2003: Mark Ronson – ''Here Comes the Fuzz''

2003: Macy Gray – ''The Trouble with Being Myself'' (programming)

2004: Consequence – ''Take 'Em to the Cleaners''

2005: Ol' Dirty Bastard – ''Osirus''

2005: Terry Sullivan – ''TheErthMoovsAroundTheSun'' (guitar)

2005: Teriyaki Boyz – ''Beef or Chicken''

2006: Lily Allen – ''Alright, Still''

2006: Rhymefest – ''Blue Collar''

2006: Christina Aguilera – ''Back to Basics''

2006: Amy Winehouse – ''Back to Black''

2006: Robbie Williams – ''Rudebox''

2006: Ghostface Killah – ''More Fish''

2007: Wale – ''100 Miles & Running''

2007: Mark Ronson – ''Version''

2008: Rhymefest – ''Man in the Mirror''

2008: Adele – ''19''

2008: Estelle – ''Shine''

2008: Wale – ''The Mixtape About Nothing''

2008: Solange Knowles – ''Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams''

2008: Nas – ''Untitled''

2008: Q-Tip – ''The Renaissance''

2008: Kaiser Chiefs – ''Off with Their Heads''

2009: Wale & 9th Wonder – ''Back to the Feature''

2009: Richard Swift – ''The Atlantic Ocean''

2009: Wale – ''Attention Deficit''

2009: Daniel Merriweather – ''Love & War''

2009: The Rumble Strips – ''Welcome to the Walk Alone''

2009: ODB – ''A Son Unique''

2010: The Like – ''Release Me''

2010: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. – ''Record Collection''

2011: Duran Duran – ''All You Need is Now''

2011: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. – ''Record Collection 2012''

2011: Black Lips – ''Arabia Mountain''

2012: Rufus Wainwright - untitled album

Singles

1997: Posse-O – "It's Up to You..."

1998: Powerule – "Heatin' Up"

1998: Powerule – "Rhymes to Bust" / "It's Your Right"

2001: Nikka Costa – "Like a Feather"

2002: J-Live – "School's In"

2004: Daniel Merriweather – "City Rules"

2004: Daniel Merriweather – "She's Got Me"

2005: Ol' Dirty Bastard – "Dirty Dirty"

2005: Rhymefest – "These Days"

2005: Rhymefest – "Brand New"

2006: Amy Winehouse – "Rehab"

2006: Robbie Williams – "Lovelight"

2006: Lily Allen – "Littlest Things"

2007: Amy Winehouse – "You Know I'm No Good"

2007: Robbie Williams – "Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus"

2007: Amy Winehouse – "Back to Black"

2007: Christina Aguilera – "Slow Down Baby"

2007: Candie Payne – "One More Chance"

2007: Amy Winehouse – "Love Is a Losing Game"

2008: Adele – "Cold Shoulder"

2008: Leon Jean-Marie – "Bed of Nails"

2008: Kaiser Chiefs – "Never Miss a Beat"

2008: Wiley – "Cash in My Pocket"

2008: Kaiser Chiefs – "Good Days Bad Days"

2009: Daniel Merriweather – "Change"

2009: Daniel Merriweather – "Red"

2009: Daniel Merriweather – "Impossible

Awards

Winner

Grammy Award 2008 Producer of the Year – Non-Classical, Record of the Year (with Amy Winehouse), Best Pop Vocal Album (also with Winehouse)

The BRIT Awards 2008 Best British Male Solo Artist

Vodafone Live Music Awards – Best Live Male – Winner 2008

Glamour Women of the Year – Men of the Year – Winner 2008

Nominations

BRIT Awards 2008 Best Album – Version, Best Single Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)

MOBO Awards 2010 Best Video – Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR), Best Song – Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR)

References

External links

Mark Ronson and Boy George

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:Never Mind the Buzzcocks Category:Grammy Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Allido Records artists Category:Hip hop DJs Category:English DJs Category:English male singers Category:American people of English descent Category:Alternative rock musicians Category:Hip hop record producers Category:English record producers Category:Collegiate School (New York) alumni Category:Jewish singers Category:English Jews Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:English people of Austrian descent Category:English people of Russian descent Category:People from Notting Hill Category:People from Manhattan Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States

cy:Mark Ronson da:Mark Ronson de:Mark Ronson es:Mark Ronson fr:Mark Ronson ko:�?�?� 론슨 it:Mark Ronson he:מ�?רק רונסון nl:Mark Ronson ja:�?��?�ク�?��?��?�ソ�?� pl:Mark Ronson pt:Mark Ronson ro:Mark Ronson ru:Рон�?он, Марк simple:Mark Ronson fi:Mark Ronson th:มาร์�? รอนสัน tr:Mark Ronson

Background	solo_singer
Height	1,90m
Birth name	Simon John Charles Le Bon
Born	October 27, 1958 near Bushey, Hertfordshire, England
Spouse	(nee Parvenah) (1985–present)
Children	Amber le Bon Saffron le Bon Tallulah le Bon
Genre	New Wave, rock, alternative rock, New Romantic
Instrument	Vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, ocarina, saxophone
Associated acts	Duran DuranArcadia}}

Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.

Early life

Simon John Charles Le Bon was the first born son of John Le Bon and Ann-Marie, followed by two further sons, David and Jonathan. His mother encouraged his artistic talent when he was six years old by entering him in a screen test for a Persil washing powder TV advert; he won and starred as the little boy with the off-white shirt, but had no spoken lines.

He was a member of the local church choir from a young age, but was also trained as an actor. He is descended from exiled French Huguenot stock. Simon went to Pinner County Grammar School, the same school that Elton John attended some years earlier. He worked as a theatre porter at Northwick Park Hospital Accident and Casualty, and also auditioned for a punk band at Harrow College. He appeared in a few television commercials and also in several theatre productions including Tom Brown's Schooldays in the West End of London. He worked on a kibbutz – an Israeli collective community – in the Negev desert in Israel in 1978, and then returned to England to study drama at the University of Birmingham before meeting the fledgling band Duran Duran in 1980.

Le Bon attended Birmingham University at the same time as Blancmange lead singer Neil Arthur. This fact came up during a ''Smash Hits'' interview of Blancmange done by Chris Heath. According to Arthur, Le Bon recognised his old university classmate immediately upon running into him backstage at a ''Top of the Pops'' taping, and the two met up for a drink and friendly chat.

Career

Duran Duran

Duran Duran was founded by childhood friends John Taylor and Nick Rhodes along with singer/songwriter Stephen Duffy in 1978, but Duffy left a year later, convinced they weren't going anywhere. The band went through a long succession of lineup changes after Duffy's departure, but finally settled on a guitarist and drummer. The band had a powerful pop sound flavoured with disco, funk and electronics, built on a solid rock rhythm section, and all they needed was a charismatic singer with a distinctive voice.

Le Bon's ex-girlfriend, Fiona Kemp (a barmaid at the Rum Runner nightclub where Duran Duran was rehearsing), introduced him to the band in May 1980, recommending him as a potential vocalist. As band legend has it, he turned up for the audition wearing pink leopard-print trousers, and carrying a notebook containing a large collection of poetry he had written—several of which would later become tracks on the early Duran Duran albums. After listening to the songs the band had already composed together, Le Bon spent some time fitting one of his poems ("Sound of Thunder") to one of the instrumentals, and found they had a good match. Le Bon agreed to "try [Duran Duran] out for the summer"; within six weeks the band was playing steadily around Birmingham, London & Nottingham, and a national tour supporting Hazel O'Connor led to a record deal with EMI Records in December.

The band's first album, ''Duran Duran'', was released in 1981, and they quickly shot to fame as part of the New Romantic movement. Three more albums followed in quick succession: ''Rio'' (1982), ''Seven and the Ragged Tiger'' (1983) and the live album ''Arena'' (1984). Each album release was accompanied by heavy media promotion and a lengthy concert tour. By mid-1984, the band was ready for a break. Duran Duran's only other work that year was an appearance on the 1984 Band Aid charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas".

Following the departures of Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor, Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor continued on as Duran Duran, recording and releasing ''Notorious'' (1986) and ''Big Thing'' (1988). The group added guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and drummer Sterling Campbell (his only album as a member of the band) and recorded the album ''Liberty'' (1990), but the band's success had begun to wane in the late-1980s.

Duran Duran had a resurgence in popularity in 1993 with ''The Wedding Album''. Several months into the extensive worldwide concert tour supporting this album, Le Bon suffered from a torn vocal cord, and the tour was postponed for six weeks while he recovered.

In 1995, Duran Duran released the covers album ''Thank You'', and Le Bon had the chance to cover some of his favourite artists, (Jim Morrison, Lou Reed and Elvis Costello), but the album was severely panned by critics from all quarters. That year Le Bon also performed Duran Duran's 1993 hit "Ordinary World" with opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti during a "Children of Bosnia" benefit concert for War Child. Le Bon described the event to Jam! Showbiz thusly: "If you're talking about name dropping, he's one of the biggest names you could drop, Pav-The-Man."

When bassist John Taylor left the band in 1997, Le Bon and Rhodes remained as the only two members who had been with Duran Duran from the beginning. The successive two albums with Le Bon, Rhodes and Cuccurullo, ''Medazzaland'' (1997) and ''Pop Trash'' (2000) were not commercial successes.

In 2001, Duran Duran's original five members reunited to record a new album, ''Astronaut'', for Epic Records. ''Astronaut'' was released worldwide on 11 October 2004. The album was preceded by the single "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise", their first UK Top 10 single in a decade.

Arcadia

Before Duran Duran reunited in 1986, Le Bon formed the band Arcadia with fellow Duran Duran members Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor. The band had a UK/US top 10 hit with their first single "Election Day", and released one album, ''So Red The Rose'' in 1985.

Solo excursions

While Le Bon has been in Duran Duran for the band's entire recording history, he has also dabbled in solo outings. In 1985, for the Whitbread Round the World Race, he contributed a song entitled "Grey Lady Of The Sea" and narrated a video of that year's race called ''Drum'' (1987). "Grey Lady Of The Sea" was released as a single in Japan in 1988.

In 1989, for Jonathan Elias' ''Requiem For The Americas'' project, Le Bon contributed "Follow In My Footsteps", with The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs on background vocals. The track was released on 7" single in Italy that year.

In 1998, along with friend Nick Wood and wife Yasmin, he set up SYN Entertainment (Simon Yasmin Nick) in Tokyo, Japan. Having first conceived the idea in 1988, Le Bon is currently described as SYN's "Founder and Chairman", while Wood is "Founder, President and Creative Director".

In 1999, Le Bon was reported to be involved in Napalm Death's new album, a collaboration brought about through their shared love of hometown Birmingham.

In 2000, SYN Entertainment founded SYN Records which has released a number of compilations, some of which have included contributions by Le Bon. Another solo track, "Dreamboy", was featured on the SYN-released soundtrack to the Mario Van Peebles movie ''Love Kills''.

Also in 2000, SYN co-executive produced the Duran Duran album ''Pop Trash'' along with Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo's side-venture TV Mania.

In October 2005 Dutch trance DJ Ferry Corsten released the track "Fire", with vocals by Simon Le Bon. It was a remix of the lesser known Duran Duran single ''Serious'', from the album ''Liberty''. (full credits: Ferry Corsten feat. Simon Le Bon - Fire (Flashover remix), on Flashover Recordings)

In late 2006, Le Bon became a member of Shinzou Sound, and took part in the Japan-based online manga project, 'Synesthesia', by co-writing the theme song 'Nobody Knows' along with Nick Wood. Shinzou Sound is a group of creative collaborators specializing in manga, music, web design and popular culture. They joined forces with the simple concept of merging their talents in an effort to deliver the new entertainment of music and manga in an innovative way. Exclusive songs, inspired by the manga story were commissioned from international and Japanese DJs, and the story was launched in fortnightly episodes on the Net, with the individual songs available free through iTunes Japan.

In 2010, Le Bon collaborated on the song "Record Collection", the title track from Mark Ronson's third album. In the song, Le Bon is heard singing the chorus, along with Mark Ronson and hip hop artist Wiley. The song does not have a current single release date. Ronson later produced Duran Duran's 2010 album ''All You Need Is Now''.

Personal life

In the early 1980s, Simon was engaged to his then longtime girlfriend, model-turned-actress Claire Stansfield. While still with Claire, Le Bon wooed young fashion model Yasmin Parvaneh after seeing her face in a magazine and phoning her modeling agency to track her down, even as magazines speculated on a possible wedding with Stansfield. Simon and Yasmin married on 27 December 1985. After Yasmin suffered two miscarriages, the couple had three daughters: Amber Rose Tamara Le Bon (born August 25, 1989 - a model like her mother), Saffron Sahara (born September 25, 1991) and Tallulah Pine (born September 10, 1994). The family, along with their dogs, a Pug named Luigi, a Chihuahua named Tinka and a Boston Terrier named Cecil, live in Putney, South West London.

While Duran Duran was on hiatus in 1985, Le Bon drew media attention when his maxi yacht, ''Drum'', lost her keel and capsized during the Fastnet race, just off Falmouth, along the southern coast of Cornwall. Before being rescued, Le Bon and other crew members were trapped underwater, inside the hull, for forty minutes. Despite the accident, Le Bon and ''Drum'' went on to participate in the 1985-1986 Whitbread Round the World Race, coming in third overall in elapsed time. Le Bon and his partners eventually sold ''Drum''; the events surrounding ''Drum'' and the races were chronicled in a 1989 movie entitled ''Drum – The Journey Of A Lifetime'' and the book ''One Watch at a Time'' written by Drum's skipper, Skip Novak. It was Le Bon's participation in the Whitbread that led to the phrase ''rock star sailor.''

Twenty years after his accident, in 2005, Le Bon made public his desire to race again. During a touring hiatus in August 2005, Le Bon again raced 'Drum' in the Fastnet race, borrowing the vessel from her current owner (the Scottish multi car garage owner Sir Arnold Clark) to participate, and raising funds for the RNLI charity. Le Bon had to leave the race unfinished, as light winds were slowing 'Drum' (and 'Drum's' competitors), and would have delayed the boat's arrival at Plymouth, interfering with Le Bon's obligation to perform in Japan.

In 2009 Le Bon (who describes himself as a "concerned agnostic") contributed an essay to the book ''The Atheist's Guide to Christmas'', edited by Ariane Sherine.

Le Bon injured his vocal cords and was unable to finish his 2011 summer tour. He remarked, "I am trying to be philosophical."

In a 2011 interview with ''New York'', Le Bon stated that he currently enjoyed the bands Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, and 30 Seconds to Mars-- all of which Le Bon cites as having a similar "feathers-and-mascara" image.

References

External links

SYN Entertainment official website

Duran Duran official website

Category:1958 births Category:Duran Duran members Category:English male singers Category:English songwriters Category:English pop singers Category:English yacht racers Category:English agnostics Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham Category:Living people Category:People from Bushey Category:People from Pinner Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:British people of Huguenot descent

da:Simon Le Bon de:Simon Le Bon es:Simon Le Bon fr:Simon Le Bon ko:사이먼 르 봉 hr:Simon Le Bon it:Simon Le Bon he:סיימון לה-בון nl:Simon le Bon pl:Simon Le Bon pt:Simon Le Bon ru:Ле Бон, Саймон fi:Simon Le Bon sv:Simon Le Bon