Mark Hill
Encyclopedia
Mark Hill is a British recording artist, songwriter and record producer. He rose to fame as one half of the Artful Dodger and co-writer/producer of Craig David
's multi platinum album, Born To Do It
.
Since he began releasing music in 1997, Mark has achieved four Ivor Novello
awards, a number one album, two number one singles and over 10 million records sales worldwide.
and George Benson
.
Throughout his early years and teens Mark went on to play the drums in brass bands, rock bands and orchestras, but the plan was to study to become an architect. After persuasion from his music teacher and uncle to also study music (and with the prospect of a 7 year degree becoming less appealing) Mark moved to Southampton to study Music at university.
After joining a band as a percussionist, he and the bass player from the band decided to go into business together by setting up a studio. It was through the brief trading period of the studio that Mark met future half of Artful Dodger, Pete Devereux. They produced several Speed Garage bootlegs, generating a huge buzz in local circles and Djing out regularly which is how they met Craig David.
Relentless Records picked up on the buzz and put their weight behind Re-Rewind
, signing the track from Public Demand and marketing the record. It was a big moment for both the label, Craig and the Artful Dodger when the track peaked at number two in the UK charts in 1999.
The single sold extremely well and is considered by many to signify the cross over of Garage from the underground to the mainstream, still being played across TV, Radio and in clubs worldwide to this day.
Artful Dodger went from strength to strength after the success of Re-Rewind, with Movin' Too Fast
(featuring Romina Johnson) being picked up by Locked On and Pete Tong
's label FFRR snapping up "Woman Trouble
" (featuring Craig David and Robbie Craig,) and also the now classic album, It's All About the Stragglers
.
2001 was a big year for Mark; now an award winning, chart topping producer and songwriter, he parted ways with Pete Devereux whilst promoting It's All About The Stragglers and turned his hand to a new project, a short-lived publishing company which sadly suffered due to the sharp rise of illegal downloading at that time. Undeterred, Mark continued to work on his own music whilst seeking out new talent and after a brief time starting a label under Universal Records
he bought a house in Ibiza and set up his studio there. Mark fell in love with Ibiza and started working with Craig David on his second album, whilst enjoying the Balearic lifestyle and Djing on the island.
With a keen ear still on the emerging talent of the UK, Mark decided to put his skills to use by forming The stiX
, a live band featuring Michelle Escoffery, Lifford and Corinne Bailey Rae
.
Mark took a break from music, getting married and having two children. Focussing on other business ventures, Mark had almost resigned music to merely a hobby until he fell in love with being in the studio again.
Fast forward to 2011 and Mark is back as Artful, releasing new music on his own label Workhouse Records
Craig David
Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...
's multi platinum album, Born To Do It
Born to Do It
Born to Do It is the debut album by English singer Craig David, released in 2000 via Wildstar and 2001 via Atlantic Records. It is highly revered and acclaimed by R&B critics, and contains some of his highest charting singles. The album was a huge commercial success eventually selling over 8...
.
Since he began releasing music in 1997, Mark has achieved four Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
awards, a number one album, two number one singles and over 10 million records sales worldwide.
Early life
Mark got his first guitar at eight years old; he would play along to the radio and immerse himself in songs by artists such as Stevie WonderStevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
.
Throughout his early years and teens Mark went on to play the drums in brass bands, rock bands and orchestras, but the plan was to study to become an architect. After persuasion from his music teacher and uncle to also study music (and with the prospect of a 7 year degree becoming less appealing) Mark moved to Southampton to study Music at university.
After joining a band as a percussionist, he and the bass player from the band decided to go into business together by setting up a studio. It was through the brief trading period of the studio that Mark met future half of Artful Dodger, Pete Devereux. They produced several Speed Garage bootlegs, generating a huge buzz in local circles and Djing out regularly which is how they met Craig David.
Career
Artful Dodger recorded a song with Craig on vocals which was picked up by fellow Garage pioneers Dreem Team who championed it, getting a great reaction from underground audiences and Public Demand, who signed it up straight away.Relentless Records picked up on the buzz and put their weight behind Re-Rewind
Re-Rewind
"Re-Rewind " is a song by The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David on vocals. Released in the UK in 1999 and reaching No.2, it was David's first chart success and is also considered by many to be the point when the Garage genre had crossed into the mainstream.-Background:The melody in the verses was...
, signing the track from Public Demand and marketing the record. It was a big moment for both the label, Craig and the Artful Dodger when the track peaked at number two in the UK charts in 1999.
The single sold extremely well and is considered by many to signify the cross over of Garage from the underground to the mainstream, still being played across TV, Radio and in clubs worldwide to this day.
Artful Dodger went from strength to strength after the success of Re-Rewind, with Movin' Too Fast
Movin' Too Fast
"Movin' Too Fast" is a single released by Artful Dodger in 1999. The single originally peaked at #187 on the UK Singles Chart, but a remix release in early 2000 sent the song to #2 on the same chart....
(featuring Romina Johnson) being picked up by Locked On and Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
's label FFRR snapping up "Woman Trouble
Woman Trouble (song)
"Woman Trouble" is a 2000 single by The Artful Dodger & Robbie Craig featuring Craig David. It reached #6 in the UK singles charts and was a contender for the Record of the Year 2000, appearing on the similarly titled album released around the same time....
" (featuring Craig David and Robbie Craig,) and also the now classic album, It's All About the Stragglers
It's All About the Stragglers
It's All About the Stragglers is the only album to be released by Artful Dodger. It was released on November 20, 2000. The album contains 9 different vocalists such as Craig David and former All Saints band member Melanie Blatt.-Track listing:...
.
2001 was a big year for Mark; now an award winning, chart topping producer and songwriter, he parted ways with Pete Devereux whilst promoting It's All About The Stragglers and turned his hand to a new project, a short-lived publishing company which sadly suffered due to the sharp rise of illegal downloading at that time. Undeterred, Mark continued to work on his own music whilst seeking out new talent and after a brief time starting a label under Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
he bought a house in Ibiza and set up his studio there. Mark fell in love with Ibiza and started working with Craig David on his second album, whilst enjoying the Balearic lifestyle and Djing on the island.
With a keen ear still on the emerging talent of the UK, Mark decided to put his skills to use by forming The stiX
The stiX
The stiX is a project by producer Mark Hill, of The Artful Dodger, began due to Hill's frustration of UK talent going unheard. Each track features a guesting UK underground vocalist, most notably Corinne Bailey Rae. The stiX work has a cool, chillout R&B/Soul sound, often crafted with light strings...
, a live band featuring Michelle Escoffery, Lifford and Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
.
Mark took a break from music, getting married and having two children. Focussing on other business ventures, Mark had almost resigned music to merely a hobby until he fell in love with being in the studio again.
Fast forward to 2011 and Mark is back as Artful, releasing new music on his own label Workhouse Records
Albums
- Rewind (March 2000) Mix CD
- It's All About the StragglersIt's All About the StragglersIt's All About the Stragglers is the only album to be released by Artful Dodger. It was released on November 20, 2000. The album contains 9 different vocalists such as Craig David and former All Saints band member Melanie Blatt.-Track listing:...
(November 2001) #18 UK
Singles
All of their subsequent hit singles have also been collaborations:| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1997 | "The Revenge of Popeye" | - | non-album single |
| "Something" (featuring Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
- | ||
| 1998 | "If You Love Me" - By Mark Hill | - | |
| "The Messenger" | - | ||
| "What You Gonna Do" (featuring Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
2 | It's All About the Stragglers It's All About the Stragglers It's All About the Stragglers is the only album to be released by Artful Dodger. It was released on November 20, 2000. The album contains 9 different vocalists such as Craig David and former All Saints band member Melanie Blatt.-Track listing:... |
|
| 1999 | "Movin' Too Fast Movin' Too Fast "Movin' Too Fast" is a single released by Artful Dodger in 1999. The single originally peaked at #187 on the UK Singles Chart, but a remix release in early 2000 sent the song to #2 on the same chart.... " (featuring Romina Johnson Romina Johnson Romina Johnson is a London-based R&B, soul, UK garage and 2-step singer. She was born in Rome to an American father and an Italian mother.... ) |
2 | |
| "Re-Rewind Re-Rewind "Re-Rewind " is a song by The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David on vocals. Released in the UK in 1999 and reaching No.2, it was David's first chart success and is also considered by many to be the point when the Garage genre had crossed into the mainstream.-Background:The melody in the verses was... " (featuring Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
2 | ||
| 2000 | "Woman Trouble Woman Trouble (song) "Woman Trouble" is a 2000 single by The Artful Dodger & Robbie Craig featuring Craig David. It reached #6 in the UK singles charts and was a contender for the Record of the Year 2000, appearing on the similarly titled album released around the same time.... " (featuring Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
6 | |
| "Movin' Too Fast (Remix) Movin' Too Fast "Movin' Too Fast" is a single released by Artful Dodger in 1999. The single originally peaked at #187 on the UK Singles Chart, but a remix release in early 2000 sent the song to #2 on the same chart.... " (featuring Romina Johnson Romina Johnson Romina Johnson is a London-based R&B, soul, UK garage and 2-step singer. She was born in Rome to an American father and an Italian mother.... ) |
2 | ||
| "Woman Trouble Woman Trouble (song) "Woman Trouble" is a 2000 single by The Artful Dodger & Robbie Craig featuring Craig David. It reached #6 in the UK singles charts and was a contender for the Record of the Year 2000, appearing on the similarly titled album released around the same time.... " (featuring Robbie Craig and Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
6 | ||
| "Please Don't Turn Me On" (featuring Lifford Lifford Lifford is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland. It is the administrative capital of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken for fulfilling this role... ) |
4 | ||
| 2001 | "Think About Me" (featuring Michelle Escoffery) | 11 | |
| "TwentyFourSeven" (featuring Melanie Blatt Melanie Blatt Melanie Ruth Blatt is a singer, actress, television personality and was a member of the multi-million selling girl group All Saints. Following their split she launched a solo career.-Early life:... ) |
6 | ||
| "It Ain't Enough" (Dreem Teem Coco Star Coco Star Sue Brice, better known by her stage name Coco Star is an English singer-songwriter. She is currently signed to Universal Music and EMI... vs Artful Dodger) |
20 | ||
| 2002 | "Ladies" (featuring General Levy General Levy General Levy is a London born ragga vocalist, regularly employed on studio tracks by drum and bass DJs. He is best known for the track "Incredible" which he recorded with M-Beat.-Biography:... and Roachie) |
- | non-album single |
| 2003 | "Ruff Neck Sound" (featuring Richie Dan and Sevi G) | - | |
| 2006 | "Flex" (featuring Vula Vula Vula appeared in Cape Town in December 1984. Distributed to beach bathers and the like, it quickly became one of the country's top, alternative publications, before disappearing sometime in 1987.-Other SA Alternative Publications:* Kagenna... ) |
- |