Danger Mouse (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse performing with Broken Bells in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Brian Joseph Burton
Born	(1977-07-29) July 29, 1977 (age 47) White Plains, New York, U.S.
Genres	Trip hop hip hop alternative rock electronica
Occupation(s)	Musician record producer songwriter
Instruments	Keyboards bass drums percussion guitar
Years active	1998–present
Labels	30th Century BMG Capitol Lex Records Parlophone

Brian Joseph Burton (born July 29, 1977), known as Danger Mouse, is an American musician and record producer. He became well-known in 2004 when he released The Grey Album. This album mixed the vocals from Jay-Z's The Black Album with music from The Beatles' The Beatles (also called The White Album). In 2008, Esquire magazine called him one of the "75 most influential people of the 21st century."

Danger Mouse formed the group Gnarls Barkley with CeeLo Green in 2006. He produced their popular albums St. Elsewhere and The Odd Couple. In 2009, he teamed up with James Mercer from the band The Shins to create Broken Bells. This band has released three albums, with Into the Blue (2022) being the newest. Burton also worked with rapper MF Doom as Danger Doom on The Mouse and the Mask. He also collaborated with rapper Black Thought on Cheat Codes.

Danger Mouse has produced many albums for other famous artists. These include Gorillaz's Demon Days (2005), Beck's Modern Guilt (2008), and four albums for The Black Keys. He also produced, performed on, and co-wrote songs for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' album The Getaway in 2016. He has worked with Norah Jones (Little Broken Hearts), Adele (25), and ASAP Rocky (At.Long.Last.ASAP). Danger Mouse has been nominated for 22 Grammy Awards and has won six. He won the "Producer of the Year" award in 2011.

Early Life and Music Start

Brian Joseph Burton was born on July 29, 1977, in White Plains, New York. He grew up in Spring Valley, New York. Later, Burton moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia, near Atlanta. He went to the University of Georgia on a scholarship. There, he studied telecommunications and started making trip hop music. While in college, he discovered bands like Nirvana, Pink Floyd, and Portishead. He also got involved in the local indie rock music scene. He even DJ'd for the university radio station WUOG-FM.

Becoming Danger Mouse

Early Music Projects

In 1998, while still in Athens, Burton won second place in a talent show. He was asked to open for a concert featuring the groups OutKast and Goodie Mob. After the show, Burton met CeeLo Green, a member of Goodie Mob. He gave CeeLo a demo tape of his music. This meeting later led them to work together as Gnarls Barkley.

From 1998 to 2003, Burton made many remix CDs and records using the name Danger Mouse. He often wore a mouse outfit when performing because he was shy. He got his stage name from the British cartoon show Danger Mouse.

Burton moved to Britain for a few years, living in London. While there, he sent his music demo to Lex Records, which signed him. He then moved to Los Angeles. His first official music releases as Danger Mouse were with rapper Jemini. Their album Ghetto Pop Life came out in 2003.

The Grey Album and Rise to Fame

Danger Mouse became famous with The Grey Album. This unique album mixed the vocals from Jay-Z's The Black Album with music samples from the Beatles' album, The Beatles (also known as The White Album). He originally made the remix album just for his friends. But it quickly spread online and became very popular. Rolling Stone magazine called it the best remix record ever. Entertainment Weekly even ranked it the best record of that year. Danger Mouse was named one of GQ magazine's "Men of the Year" in 2004.

Major Music Projects

Producing for Gorillaz and Danger Doom

The Grey Album caught the attention of Damon Albarn, a musician from the band Gorillaz. He asked Danger Mouse to produce Gorillaz's second album, Demon Days. This album was a huge success and earned Burton a Grammy Award nomination.

Danger Mouse's next big project was The Mouse and the Mask. This was a collaboration with rapper MF Doom (as Danger Doom). The album was inspired by and made for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. A year later, Danger Doom released a smaller album called Occult Hymn. This album had new songs and remixes.

Gnarls Barkley and Other Collaborations

In 2006, Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green, as Gnarls Barkley, released their first album, St. Elsewhere. This album included the worldwide hit song "Crazy". "Crazy" became the first UK number-one song based only on digital downloads. Gnarls Barkley went on tour and opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In 2006, Danger Mouse also worked with British artist Banksy. They replaced 500 copies of Paris Hilton's album Paris in UK music stores. They put in new artwork and a 40-minute instrumental song instead. This was a form of artistic protest.

In 2007, Danger Mouse produced another album with Damon Albarn. This project was called The Good, the Bad & the Queen. In March 2008, the second Gnarls Barkley album, The Odd Couple, was released.

Danger Mouse also worked with The Black Keys on their album Attack & Release, released in April 2008. He also produced and created music for Beck's album Modern Guilt, which came out in July 2008.

Broken Bells and Later Work

On September 29, 2009, Danger Mouse and James Mercer announced their new band, Broken Bells. Their first song, "The High Road", was released as a free download. Their first album, Broken Bells, came out in March 2010.

In 2010, Danger Mouse started producing U2's album Songs of Innocence, which was released in 2014. He was a co-producer on many songs. He also produced their singles "Ordinary Love" (2013) and "Invisible" (2014).

In 2005, Danger Mouse began creating a "Spaghetti Western" style album with composer Daniele Luppi. It featured vocalists Jack White and Norah Jones. The album, titled Rome, was released in May 2011.

In February 2011, Danger Mouse won a Grammy for Best Producer. This was for his work on The Black Keys' Brothers, Broken Bells' album, and the Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse album Dark Night of the Soul.

He continued to produce for many artists, including Electric Guest (Mondo, 2012), Norah Jones (Little Broken Hearts, 2012), Portugal. The Man (Evil Friends, 2013), and ASAP Rocky (At.Long.Last.ASAP, 2015).

In November 2015, Danger Mouse started his own record label, 30th Century Records. He produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers' album The Getaway, released in June 2016. He also performed on and co-wrote many songs on the album.

In 2017, he released Resistance Radio: The Man in The High Castle. This album featured covers of 1960s songs by artists like Beck and Norah Jones. In June 2017, he worked with Run the Jewels and Big Boi on the song "Chase Me" for the movie Baby Driver.

In May 2018, he produced Wide Awake! by Parquet Courts. In 2019, he collaborated with Karen O to create the album Lux Prima. On August 12, 2022, he released Cheat Codes with The Roots rapper Black Thought. The same year, he released a third Broken Bells album, Into the Blue.

His Music Philosophy

Danger Mouse has a unique way of making music. He compares his role as a music producer to a film director. He wants to create different "musical worlds" for artists. He believes a producer should have a strong creative vision, much like a director guides a movie. He said, "I want to create a director's role within music."

Awards and Recognition

Danger Mouse has received many awards for his work. Since 2005, he has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards as a producer and as an artist with Gnarls Barkley. He won two Grammy Awards in 2006 for Best Alternative Album and Best Urban Alternative Performance. He also won in 2017 for his work on Adele's album 25.

Grammy Awards

Other Awards

• 2004 Entertainment Weekly's Album of the Year (Danger Mouse – The Grey Album)
• 2004 GQ Magazine's "Men of the Year"
• 2005 Wired Magazine's Rave Award (Music)
• 2005 Q – Best Producer
• 2006 Entertainment Weekly's Album of the Year (Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere)
• 2006 Q (Song of the Year – Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy")
• 2008 Rolling Stone – Best Producer in Rock
• 2009 Esquire – 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century
• 2009 GQ Magazine's Album of the Year (Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul)
• 2009 Paste – Producer of the Decade
• 2010 Rolling Stone – Song of the Decade (Gnarls Barkley – "Crazy")
• 2013 Music Producers Guild – International Producer of the Year
• 2014 71st Golden Globe Awards (winner) (Best Original Song – "Ordinary Love")
• 2016 74th Golden Globe Awards (nominee) (Best Original Song – "Gold")

Discography

Images for kids

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  Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green performed as Gnarls Barkley in 2007.

See also

In Spanish: Danger Mouse (músico) para niños