The Normal is the recording artist name used by English music producer Daniel Miller, a film editor at the time, who is best known as the founder of the record label Mute Records.
In 1977, Miller had split up with his girlfriend. A friend suggested that he read a book he himself had just finished. The book was Crash (1973) by J.G. Ballard. He felt that Ballard's writing took him five minutes into the future; the novel was to be a major influence in the music he would produce as The Normal. Miller was disillusioned by the fact you needed to learn three chords to be in a punk band, so he decided to purchase a synthesiser. His thinking was that you only needed to learn to press one key on a synthesiser. After buying a Korg 700s synthesiser from Macari's music shop in London, Miller recorded and released a single under the name The Normal. This was "T.V.O.D."/"Warm Leatherette". Both tracks were minimalist electronic songs influenced by the Crash novel. He wanted the sound of the recordings to be visual, like driving along a highway between large buildings then going through a tunnel. The single was recorded in Daniel Miller's house using a TEAC four track tape recorder and the Korg mini700s synthesiser.
Planet Rock is a multiple Sony Award-winning radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Bauer Radio. The station broadcasts classic rock music. It is available nationally via DAB on Digital One, Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat and Online. Planet Rock forms part of Bauer's National portfolio of radio brands.
Planet Rock was founded in 1999 as the only classic rock radio station in the UK at that time.
On 11 February 2008, the previous owner GCap Media (now Global Radio), announced that the station would close by 31 March 2008, along with sister station theJazz, unless a buyer was found. According to a statement by former presenter Fish, this was not due to the profitability of Planet Rock itself, which had been reported to be good, but rather to GCap's overall financial state. The station's relative popularity on digital radio brought controversy to the closure threat. Although theJazz ceased broadcasting on schedule, a campaign by listeners meant that a number of buyers expressed interest in Planet Rock, including a consortium publicly headed by Queen guitarist Brian May.
Planet Rock: The Album is an old school hip hop album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, released in 1986 as a collection of previous singles. The song "Planet Rock" was one of the earliest hits of the hip hop music genre and remains one of its pioneering recordings. The single's liner notes include members of Kraftwerk with the songwriting credits. In creating the track, portions of Kraftwerk's "Numbers" and "Trans-Europe Express" were interpolated (re-recorded in the studio, rather than through the use of a digital sampler), along with portions of songs by Captain Sky and Ennio Morricone.
The song "Planet Rock" was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #240 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and went on to become the first gold-certified vinyl 12-inch single. Slant Magazine listed the album at #84 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. "Renegades of Funk", the third track, was covered by Rage Against the Machine on its Renegades album.
Planet Rock may refer to:
[Originally by Africa Bambaata]
You're in a place where the nights are hot
Where nature's children dance and set a chance
On this Mother Earth, which is our rock
The time has come, and work for soul, show you really got soul
Are you ready hump bump bump, get bump, now let's go, house
Rock rock to the Planet Rock, don't stop
Rock rock to the Planet Rock
Just start to chase your dreams
Up out your seats, make your body sway
Socialize, get down, let your soul lead the way
Shake it now, go ladies, it's a livin' dream
Love Life Live
Come play the game, our world is free
Do what you want but scream
Rock rock to the Planet Rock, don't stop
Rock rock to the Planet Rock
[3x]