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Stephen Hague

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Stephen Hague
Born1960 (age 63–64)
Portland, Maine, United States
OccupationMusic producer

Stephen Hague (born 1960)[1] is an American record producer[2][3] most active with various British acts since the 1980s.

Early life

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Hague was born in Portland, Maine, in 1960.[1]

Early career

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Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session keyboardist.[4] He soon became a member of the band Jules and the Polar Bears and produced (with Jules Shear) the two albums and one EP, released between 1978 and 1980, by that band. He then branched out into producing work by other artists, including 1980s Sparks offshoot band Gleaming Spires, their first album being recorded on Hague's home 4-track tape recorder. This 1981 album spawned the Los Angeles radio hit "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" on the Posh Boy label, a recording subsequently featured in Hollywood features The Last American Virgin and Revenge of the Nerds. Hague and Shear teamed up to produce both albums by new-wavers Slow Children in 1981 and 1982; Hague also co-produced Elliot Easton's (The Cars) 1985 solo album Change No Change.

Commercial successes

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In 1983, Hague produced the Rock Steady Crew's worldwide hit single "(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew". He then primarily worked with British artists.[5] Hague's first noted UK production was on Malcolm McLaren's "Madam Butterfly" single. In 1985 he produced Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's album Crush and Pet Shop Boys debut album Please, on which he also got a song writing credit for the song "Love Comes Quickly" which was a top 20 hit in the UK.[5] Hague has also worked with Public Image Ltd., New Order, Jimmy Somerville, Melanie C, James, Peter Gabriel, Dubstar,[6] Erasure, Pretenders, Blur, Pere Ubu, Robert Palmer, a-ha, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones and Robbie Robertson, producing the hits "So In Love", "West End Girls", "It's A Sin", "Go West", "True Faith", "Regret", "Bizarre Love Triangle", and "A Little Respect" among many others.

Production style

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Hague's production style has been described as a lush, layered sound with occasional jagged edges.[5] He cites the Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren and experimental German krautrock-bands as some influences.[5]

Production credits

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1980s

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Year Artist Title Additional information
1980 Bob Beland Stealing Cars b/w "I Can Walk Away" 7" single
Roger Swallow CUT LP
1981 Slow Children Slow Children
Gleaming Spires Are You Ready for the Sex Girls? Rodney On The Roq 2 compilation
Gleaming Spires Songs of the Spires LP
1982 Bob Beland Bob Beland EP
1983 Gleaming Spires Walk on Well Lighted Streets LP
Hilary Kinetic EP
Rock Steady Crew (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew album written and produced
1984 World's Famous Supreme Team Hey! DJ co-written and produced
Malcolm McLaren Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)
Andy Pratt Fun in the First World
1985 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Crush[2]
Andy Pratt Not Just for Dancing now "Age of Goodbye"
1986 Pet Shop Boys Please[2]
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark The Pacific Age[2]
Pete Shelley Heaven & the Sea
1987 New Order True Faith

1963

single
Pet Shop Boys Actually "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "King's Cross"
Communards Red
Various Artists Some Kind of Wonderful
1988 The Apartments The Shyest Time
Climie Fisher Everything
Erasure The Innocents[2]
Jane Wiedlin Fur
1989 Pere Ubu Cloudland
Holly Johnson Blast "Love Train" & "Heaven's Here"
New Order Round & Round 7" & 12" single versions
Public Image Ltd. 9

1990s

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Year Artist Title Additional information
1990 Jimmy Somerville Read My Lips
Marc Almond A Lover Spurned Single from the album Enchanted
New Order World in Motion
Robbie Robertson Storyville
1991 Banderas This Is Your Life
Siouxsie and the Banshees Superstition[2]
Chapterhouse Falling Down
Electronic Feel Every Beat single, additional production and remix
Pet Shop Boys DJ Culture single, additional production and mix of 7”
1992 Electronic Disappointed single, additional production and mix of 7”
1993 One Dove Morning Dove White
New Order Republic
The Other Two The Other Two & You
Morten Harket Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Pet Shop Boys Very additional production
1994 Blur To The End
1995 Dubstar Disgraceful co-produced with Graeme Robinson
Jimmy Somerville Heartbeat

Hurt So Good

Gregory Gray Euroflake in Silverlake
Frances Ruffelle God Watch Over You single
1996 Robbie Williams Freedom single
Dicte Voodoo Vibe
Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go Australia and The Girl Who Wanted To Be God
1997 Dubstar Goodbye
James Whiplash co-produced with Brian Eno
ManBREAK Come and See
Sarah Cracknell Anymore
1998 Ace of Base Cruel Summer coproduced
Pretenders Viva el Amor
1999 Technique Pop Philosophy
Tom Jones Reload produced or co-produced five of seventeen tracks

2000-present

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Year Artist Title Additional information
2001 Afro Celt Sound System Volume 3: Further in Time
Closer to Heaven Original London Cast Closer to Heaven (Original Cast Recording) co-produced with Pet Shop Boys
2002 a-ha Lifelines
2004 Peter Gabriel Up co-produced with Peter Gabriel
2005 The Modern Life In A Modern World unreleased album (See Matinée Club below)
David Mead Wherever You Are EP
2007 Client Heartland few songs
The Cinematics "A Strange Education"
Melanie C This Time "What If I Stay", "Forever Again", "Don't Let Me Go", "Immune", "May Your Heart", "I Want Candy"
Melanie C Understand (remix)
2008 Peter Gabriel and Various Artists Big Blue Ball co-produced with Peter Gabriel
Fryars singles
2009 Robbie Williams
2010 Akira the Don The Life Equation
2011 Joseph Arthur
Claudia Brücken The Lost Are Found
2012 Creature Sick Imagination
Low Sea Remote Viewing
2013 Tristen Caves album
2014 James Varnish V EP
2016 Tommy MV$ERVTI The Trailer Park Singles EP co-produced single “heather’s song” with Malcolm McLaren
2020 Whitey Now That's Why I Killed Music album
2022 Dubstar Two album
2022/3 Whitey On/Off album
2022/3 Lizzo About Damn Time co-writer
2022 The Heroic Enthusiasts Fits and Fashions EP co-produced with The Heroic Enthusiasts
2022 The Heroic Enthusiasts Crimes and Passions EP co-produced with The Heroic Enthusiasts
2023 The Heroic Enthusiasts Its A Sin (single) co-produced with The Heroic Enthusiasts

References

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  1. ^ a b Thompson, Dave (2000-11-01). Alternative rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 773–. ISBN 978-0-87930-607-6. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Massey, Howard (2000-01-01). Behind the Glass: Top Record Producers Tell How They Craft The Hits. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 252–259. ISBN 978-0-87930-614-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  3. ^ Black, Johnny (2004-06-01). Reveal: the story of R.E.M. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 72–. ISBN 978-0-87930-776-9. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  4. ^ "Stephen Hague Biography by Jason Ankeny (AllMusic)".
  5. ^ a b c d A.D. Amorosi (8 July 2016). "The making of Pet Shop Boys' Please". Magnet Music.
  6. ^ Buckley, Peter (2003-10-28). The rough guide to rock. Rough Guides. pp. 321–. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
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