McLean (singer)
Encyclopedia
McLean is an English
singer from Dagenham
, east London
. He is currently signed to Asylum Records
in the UK
and Atlantic Records
in the US
. His debut single
"Broken" was released on 26 October 2009. The song was first released independently in 2007, and has since then accrued over 20 million hits across major social networking sites, including YouTube
and MySpace
.
musician, John McLean. He is the brother of the footballer Aaron McLean
. Under the pseudonym of "Digga" he collaborated with M. J. Cole
on "Gotta Have It"; then with drum and bass
duo Chase & Status
on the song "Take U There", which featured on the debut album
, More Than Alot
.
McLean cites 1960s and 1970s soul musicians as his influences; “I love the soul men and women from then – Otis Redding
, Marvin Gaye
, Stevie Wonder
, Aretha, Michael Jackson
and Bros
. It’s the best music ever made – it just has a feeling".
It was the birth of McLean's daughter which spurred him on to make his musical dreams a reality. “Me and My Business partner D-el the producer went at it hard, making and sending out t-shirts and CDs, and setting up a Myspace page. We’d wake at the crack of dawn and work until we couldn’t stay awake – even if that was two days later” he stated. Around this time, the singer also took jobs as a night watchman, at a fire alarm factory and at Pizza Hut
in order to support his family.
s Fraser T. Smith
, Phil Tan
, Dylan "3D" Dresdow, Nate 'Danja' Hills, plus Naughty Boy (of Wiley and Chipmunk fame). Confirmed songs include, "My Name"; "Great Escape", "Try Me" and the Smith produced "One More Night", Finally in Love and Broken.
and is the older brother of professional footballer Aaron McLean
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer from Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
, east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is currently signed to Asylum Records
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Broken" was released on 26 October 2009. The song was first released independently in 2007, and has since then accrued over 20 million hits across major social networking sites, including YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
Early life and career
McLean is the son of the Lovers RockLovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
musician, John McLean. He is the brother of the footballer Aaron McLean
Aaron McLean
Aaron McLean is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a striker.-Early career:Born in Hammersmith, London, McLean attended Robert Clack School in Dagenham. He has played for Leyton Orient and Aldershot Town....
. Under the pseudonym of "Digga" he collaborated with M. J. Cole
M. J. Cole
M. J. Cole is an English house and UK garage producer and remixer.-Career:Born in London, England, in his youth, Cole learned to play the oboe and piano, and attended the Royal College of Music...
on "Gotta Have It"; then with drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
duo Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
on the song "Take U There", which featured on the debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, More Than Alot
More Than Alot
-Personnel:Chase & Status* Will Kennard – producer* Saul Milton – producerProduction* Stuart Hawkes – masteringAdditional musicians* Digga – vocals* Five O – vocals* Jenna G – vocals* Kano – vocals* Nneka – vocals* Plan B – vocals...
.
McLean cites 1960s and 1970s soul musicians as his influences; “I love the soul men and women from then – Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Aretha, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Bros
Bros
Bros were a British band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, consisting of twin brothers Matt Goss and Luke Goss along with Craig Logan...
. It’s the best music ever made – it just has a feeling".
It was the birth of McLean's daughter which spurred him on to make his musical dreams a reality. “Me and My Business partner D-el the producer went at it hard, making and sending out t-shirts and CDs, and setting up a Myspace page. We’d wake at the crack of dawn and work until we couldn’t stay awake – even if that was two days later” he stated. Around this time, the singer also took jobs as a night watchman, at a fire alarm factory and at Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
in order to support his family.
Debut album
McLean has worked with record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith is an English record producer, songwriter, mix engineer and guitarist....
, Phil Tan
Phil Tan
Phil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
, Dylan "3D" Dresdow, Nate 'Danja' Hills, plus Naughty Boy (of Wiley and Chipmunk fame). Confirmed songs include, "My Name"; "Great Escape", "Try Me" and the Smith produced "One More Night", Finally in Love and Broken.
Personal life
He is the nephew of 90's singer Bitty McLeanBitty McLean
Bitty McLean is a British/Jamaican reggae, lovers rock and ragga musician. He is best known for his three UK Top 10 hits in 1993 and 1994, including his debut offering "It Keeps Rainin' ".-Career:...
and is the older brother of professional footballer Aaron McLean
Aaron McLean
Aaron McLean is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a striker.-Early career:Born in Hammersmith, London, McLean attended Robert Clack School in Dagenham. He has played for Leyton Orient and Aldershot Town....
.
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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 ... |
UK R&B UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
||||
| 2009 | "Broken" | 51 | 22 | TBA | |
| 2010 | "My Name" | 10 | 5 | ||
| "Finally in Love Finally In Love "Finally In Love" is a 2010 single from English singer McLean. It was released on June 14, 2010 on CD and digital download. The track has been remixed by many other British artists... " |
44 | 16 | |||
| As a featured artist | |||||
| 2009 | "I Got Soul I Got Soul "I Got Soul" is a 2009 charity single by charity group War Child UK, recorded by Young Soul Rebels. It was released on October 19, 2009. It is a cover of The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done"... " (with Young Soul Rebels) |
10 | 1 | Charity single | |
| 2011 | "Killed Me" (with Ironik) | — | — | Ironik | |
Guest appearances
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Bringing It Home" (with Frisco) | Fully Grown |
| "I Made It" (with Devlin) | Bud, Sweat and Beers Bud, Sweat and Beers Bud, Sweat and Beers is the debut studio album by British rapper Devlin. It is on Island Records and Universal Music Group, and was released on October 29, 2010 for digital download. Some tracks on the album are produced by Labrinth, Kraze, Lewi White, Futurecut and Naughty Boy. Featured guests on... |
|