Stephen Street

Stephen Street is a music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s and Blur in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs. As a producer, Street has served more as a musician than as an engineer, thereby significantly influencing the sound of the groups he has worked with.

Production

Stephen Street began his career in music in the early 1980s at Islands Records' Fallout Shelter Studio. He worked as an engineer for reggae artists including Black Uhuru, King Sunny Ade, and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Related Topics:
Engineer - Reggae - Black Uhuru - King Sunny Ade - Linton Kwesi Johnson

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The Smiths and Morrissey

He began working with The Smiths in the mid-80s and was listed as an engineer on the Smiths' albums Meat Is Murder and their breakthrough The Queen Is Dead. Street was credited as a producer on the Smiths' final album, Strangeways, Here We Come.

Related Topics:
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder - The Queen Is Dead - Strangeways, Here We Come

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After the Smiths broke up, Street contacted lead singer Morrissey about pursuing a solo career. Morrissey agreed, and the result was his debut album, Viva Hate which reached #1 and spawned two top-ten hits in the United Kingdom. Street was credited as producer, songwriter, guitarist, and bass guitarist on the album. Street went on to co-write and produce two more top ten singles for Morrissey which appeared on Bona Drag before the singer ended their association.

Related Topics:
Morrissey - Viva Hate - United Kingdom - Songwriter - Guitarist - Bass guitarist - Bona Drag

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Blur

After hearing Blur's first single, "She's So High", Street contacted their manager. Soon after he was called in and went on to produce their debut album, Leisure, along with the establishing hit "There's No Other Way". Street went on to produce Blur's second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish.

Related Topics:
Leisure - Modern Life Is Rubbish

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Stephen Street was a key force behind Blur's involvement in the Britpop movement. He produced one of the earliest and most influential creative works in Britpop, Blur's 1994 album Parklife. The album became Blur's best-selling ever and included the massive hit "Girls & Boys". Street later produced the #1 hit "Country House" for Blur's follow-up album The Great Escape, the song that won "The Battle of Britpop" for Blur by outselling rival band Oasis's single "Roll with It" from (What's the Story) Morning Glory in a Battle of the Bands that received massive coverage by the mainstream British media. After the Britpop movement waned, Street produced Blur's overdue chart-topping eponymous album, Blur, a work consisting of American low-fi alternative rock that showed that, unlike Oasis, the band could continue evolving. This album included the #1 hit "Beetlebum" as well as the extremely popular surprise hit "Song 2".

Related Topics:
Britpop - 1994 - Parklife - Country House - The Great Escape - Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory - Blur - Alternative rock - Beetlebum - Song 2

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Despite the complete death of the movement in 1999 and the ending with this album of Street's association with Blur, he has gone on to produce for bands such as The Cranberries and The Pretenders.

Related Topics:
1999 - The Cranberries - The Pretenders

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Graham Coxon

After Graham Coxon left Blur following a scuffle with chief artist Damon Albarn, he and Street aligned and went to produce Coxon's most successful album up to date — Happiness in Magazines. It featured the incredible talent and unique musicianship of the former guitarist and driving force of Blur, combined with Street's producing mastery, which made the record Coxon's highest charting ever. According to interviews, Street's work with Coxon hasn't finished at all and the pair are recording a new studio album to be released in early 2006.

Related Topics:
Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines

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Ooberman

Street produced The Magic Treehouse, the debut album from Ooberman.

Related Topics:
The Magic Treehouse - Ooberman

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Kaiser Chiefs

Street produced Employment, the debut album by Kaiser Chiefs. Street heard one of their early demos and contacted the band with a view to producing them. As they were heavily influenced by, and fans of, his recordings with Blur they agreed. At one point Street brought former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon into the studio to rev his moped for a sound effect. This can be heard on the track "Saturday Night".

Related Topics:
Employment - Kaiser Chiefs - Blur - Graham Coxon

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