Howard Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard Gray
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Howard Gray in studio, London
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Howard Gray |
| Born | 15 July 1962 Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Electronic |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
Howard Gray is an English musician, sound engineer, and producer. He was born on July 15, 1962. He has worked with many famous artists like The Cure, U2, and Tom Jones. Howard Gray is also a founding member of the popular dance/rock group Apollo 440.
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What Were Howard Gray's Early Years Like?
Howard James Gray was born in Sydney, Australia. His parents had moved there from Liverpool, England. When Howard was six months old, his family moved back to Liverpool. This city helped shape his love for music.
When he was 15, Howard became very interested in music and recording sounds. He started his first band called Alvin the Aardvark and the Fuzzy Ants. He formed it with his brother, Trevor Gray, and school friends Jono 'Kumo' Podmore, James Gardner, Norman 'Noko' Fisher-Jones, and Gary Hancock.
In 1980, Howard got a job as a tape operator at Richard Branson's famous Manor Studio. This studio was on a country estate near Oxford. He also worked at Branson's Townhouse Studios in London. Howard started as an assistant sound engineer and then became an engineer. He worked with many producers, especially Steve Lillywhite. Some of the artists he worked with included Public Image Ltd, The Stranglers, and Van Morrison. He also helped with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's album Architecture and Morality.
How Did Howard Gray Become a Producer in the 1980s?
After leaving Virgin's studios, Howard Gray worked as Steve Lillywhite's engineer. This led him to work with artists like Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and UB40.
Howard's big chance to become a producer came in 1983. The band UB40 asked him to help produce their very successful album, Labour of Love. This album sold millions of copies. Howard had worked with UB40 before on their UB44 album. He was credited as an engineer and assistant producer for Labour of Love. However, because of a mistake, he was only listed as a tape operator for the number one song "Red Red Wine". Even though he was only 21, Howard also engineered and co-produced UB40's next album, Geffery Morgan.
Howard continued to work on many other important albums. He worked with Scritti Politti on Cupid & Psyche 85 and The Cure on The Head on the Door. He also produced Terence Trent D'Arby's first single, "If You Let Me Stay." This song was from his album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, which sold 12 million copies. During the mid to late 1980s, Howard also produced music for bands like The Pale Fountains and Danny Wilson.
What Did Howard Gray Do in the 1990s and 2000s?
In 1990, Howard Gray started the dance/rock group Apollo 440. He formed it with his brother Trevor Gray and old friends James Gardner and Noko. Howard's main role in Apollo 440 is to create and produce the sound. He calls himself the "Vibe Controller."
Apollo 440 has released four albums. They have also had three songs in the UK top 10 and eight songs in the UK top 40.
With Apollo 440, Howard Gray has also worked on music for movies. These include Lost in Space and Charlie's Angels. They also created music for Sony PlayStation games like FIFA '98 and Spider-Man. Apollo 440 has also remixed songs for many artists, including Manic Street Preachers, U2, and Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page. They have also worked with famous musicians like Jean Michel Jarre and Jeff Beck.
Besides his work with Apollo 440, Howard Gray continues to produce music for other artists. He has worked with Tom Jones and Manic Street Preachers. He also helped produce the debut album Bang Bang Rock and Roll for the band Art Brut.
What Has Howard Gray Been Doing Since 2010?
Howard Gray co-produced the album Whiskey and Wool for singer-songwriter Josh Bray.
Apollo 440's fifth album, The Future's What It Used to Be, was released in January 2012.
Fun Facts About Howard Gray
Howard Gray's first production was a song called "Love Chains" by Trevor Herion. The singer Holly Johnson sang backing vocals on this song. The very next day, Holly Johnson recorded the hit song "Relax" with his band Frankie Goes to Hollywood in the same studio.
David Slade directed the music video for Apollo 440's song "Stop the Rock." He later directed Eclipse, which was the third movie in the popular Twilight film series.
Film Music Howard Gray Worked On
- The Game Plan (2007) - song: "Heart Go Boom"
- Cursed (2005) - song: "Stadium Parking Lot"
- Gran Turismo 4 (2004) - song: "Hot Rod Honeymoon"
- Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004) - song: "Time is Running Out"
- EuroTrip (2004) - song: "Make My Dreams Come True"
- Chasing Liberty (2004) - song: "Stop the Rock"
- Resident Evil (2002) - song: "Wall of Death"
- ATV Offroad Fury (2001) - song: "Yo! Future"
- Evil Woman (2001) - song: "Stop The Rock"
- Charlie's Angels (2000) - "Charlie's Angels 2000"
- Bedazzled (2000) - song: "Stop the Rock (Mint Royale Mix)"
- Spider-Man (2000) - "Theme Song"
- Loser (2000) - song: "Stop The Rock"
- Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) - song: "Stop the Rock"
- Daria (1 episode, 2000) - I Loathe a Parade (2000) TV episode - song: "Stop the Rock"
- Gran Turismo 2 (1999) (VG) - song: "Cold Rock the Mic"
- Rogue Trader (1999) - song: "Liquid Cool"
- Lost in Space (1998) - song: "Will & Penny's Theme"
Fun Facts About Howard Gray
- Howard's first production, "Love Chains" by Trevor Herion, featured uncredited singing by Holly Johnson. The very next day, Holly Johnson recorded "Relax" with his band Frankie Goes to Hollywood in the same studio!
- David Slade, who directed the music video for Apollo 440's song "Stop the Rock," later directed Eclipse. This was the third movie in the popular Twilight series.
