Richard X
Encyclopedia
Richard Philips, best known by his stage name
Richard X, is a British
songwriter
and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg
craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie
, Kelis
, Liberty X
, Rachel Stevens
and Sugababes
. According to an early issue of the now defunct Popworld magazine, Philips' alias
comes from a postcard which was sealed with a kiss misinterpreted for the letter X.
Richard X is known for his "synthesised, grungy pop music", which was inspired by bands such as The Human League
and Kraftwerk
. His original intention was to "reinvent" pop music by making records that are "deliberately unplayable". Referring to his Girls on Top bootlegs, Richard X says, "At the time it was inspired by anti the po-facedness of the electronica scene as much as anything. The production side, how it sounded - rough and spiky, electronic and modern - was what did it for me. Taking pop and putting it through a blender sound wise was the spirit of the times."
scene creating popular bootlegs
, which are "illegal, under the counter remixes which combined two existing records to make an entirely new song." Under the pseudonym Girls on Top, Richard X released a series of vinyl-only underground singles. He says bootlegs were "escaping from that world of formatting - which the DJ culture and club culture relies on so much. They were supposed to be the future of pop music."
Island Records
heard "We Don't Give a Damn About Our Friends", which was a mash-up of Adina Howard
's "Freak Like Me
" and Gary Numan
/Tubeway Army
's "Are 'Friends' Electric?
", and requested that Sugababes
record it. Richard X said he was "very keen to do it as long as it remained what it was. It was raw, it was against the grain and it was still pop music." Sugababes' version of the song, which kept the Adina Howard title of "Freak Like Me", was recorded in Richard X's flat in Tooting
. He said, "there was a loop, some handclaps, the Sugababes and a semi-broken synthesiser." Released as the first single from Sugababes' second studio album Angels with Dirty Faces, it charted at number one on the UK Singles Chart
, the first of many for the girl group.
As a result of the interest in Girls on Top and "Freak Like Me", Richard X was signed to Virgin Records
. He collaborated with pop group Liberty X
to create "Being Nobody
", a mash-up of Chaka Khan
's "Ain't Nobody
" and The Human League
's "Being Boiled
". Richard X's next release was "Finest Dreams" with Kelis, which was a reworking of The SOS Band
and Alexander O'Neal
's "The Finest
" with another The Human League song "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of". Both the Liberty X and Kelis collaborations charted within the top ten, at number three and number eight respectively. Richard X released his debut album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
in August 2003. The album featured "Freak Like Me", "Being Nobody", "Finest Dreams" as well as collaborations with Annie, Jarvis Cocker
, Javine Hylton
, and Tiga
, among others. Richard X described the album as "modern, alternative, future-pop".
He also released Back to Mine
Volume 17, as part of the long-running mix album series. His album included tracks by artists including Goldfrapp
, Heaven 17
, Jona Lewie
, John Carpenter
and Kelis
.
released "Some Girls
", written by Richard X with Hannah Robinson
. The song received critical acclaim and was another success for Richard X, charting at number two upon its release. Warp Records
and Simon Fuller
of 19 Entertainment
contacted Richard X by email to ask that he give the song to Geri Halliwell
or Stevens, respectively, to record. He agreed to have Stevens record the song after Richard Curtis
asked about using the song for Sport Relief
. When Halliwell found out that the writers were having Stevens record the song, she locked herself in her car in an attempt to change their minds, and she later wrote Richard X a love song. The aftermath of the decision for Stevens to record the song became the subject of another song written by Richard X and Robinson, "Me Plus One
" from Annie's 2004 album Anniemal
. Annie's album included another Richard X production, "Chewing Gum
", which remains her biggest hit to date. Pitchfork Media
ranked the track at number eleven on its list of the Top 50 Singles of 2004. Stylus Magazine
listed it tenth on its list of the top 40 singles of 2004. Richard X also produced her 2006 gap single "Crush".
In 2004, Richard X worked with M.I.A.
for her debut album Arular
(2005). He co-wrote/produced "Amazon" and "10 Dollar", as well as "Hombre" under the pseudonym Dwain 'Willy' Wilson III. The latter featured a drum pattern created from the sounds made by toys that M.I.A. had bought in India, augmented with sounds produced by objects such as pens and mobile phones. M.I.A. also appeared on Richard X's remix of Ciara
's "Goodies
".
Richard X worked with Róisín Murphy
and Sam Sparro
on their albums Overpowered
and Sam Sparro
respectively. "Parallel Lives" appears on her second album Overpowered
, while "Pandora" was used as a b-side. Richard X collaborated with Saint Etienne
, co-writing and producing the 2009 single "Method of Modern Love
". He also worked with Annie again for her 2009 album Don't Stop
. He produced the singles "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me
", "Anthonio
", and "Songs Remind Me of You
". The latter dates back to 2006. Richard X also produced Annie's cover of the Stacey Q
song "Two of Hearts" for release as a digital download.
Richard X co-produced "Alive
" for Goldfrapp
's 2010 album Head First
and worked with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
on her 2011 album Make a Scene, producing and co-writing "Magic" and the single "Starlight
". He also co-produced the entirety of Will Young
's album Echoes
(2011), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
.
In October 2002, Richard X worked with The Human League
members past and present to compile The Golden Hour of the Future
, a collection of early recordings by The Human League and their predecessors The Future. The album was released via Black Melody and preceded by a limited edition 12" promo EP titled "Dance Like a Star
".
In 2009, Richard X created the Pleasure Masters label for the sole purpose of releasing Annie's "Anthonio
", which he co-wrote and produced, after her departure from Island Records
.
. He has turned down a number of artists: "I am particular and probably turn down 90% of what I'm offered - I think it drives a few people around me mad. We try not to forget it's art and not just a job." He often works with people who are seen "as having similar ideals of creating innovative, forward thinking pop music", according to HitQuarters
. Richard X says, "It's not so much a vision, more an ethos. I like the artist who stands alone or has the ideas that at first seem a little left of centre. Rather than chase a style, where you inevitably end up sounding second best, it's easier to do something new. If the artist is attempting something new they are creating a benchmark rather than trying to reach one."
He treats every song as a potential single. He says, "Each track has to stand alone. The song, the production and everything together. My reference point is always imagining finding it on a seven-inch [single] in a second hand shop when you were younger." Richard X cites this as a reason that he usually collaborates with artists on individual tracks: "I've always been about singles [...] it's bite sized, to the point, and let's be honest with some of the artists out there you really don't need to hear much beyond the hit."
Richard X also prefers to co-write songs, rather than solely producing them.
Albums
Albums
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Richard X, is a British
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...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie
Annie
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
, Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
, Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
, Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
and Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
. According to an early issue of the now defunct Popworld magazine, Philips' alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
comes from a postcard which was sealed with a kiss misinterpreted for the letter X.
Richard X is known for his "synthesised, grungy pop music", which was inspired by bands such as The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
and Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
. His original intention was to "reinvent" pop music by making records that are "deliberately unplayable". Referring to his Girls on Top bootlegs, Richard X says, "At the time it was inspired by anti the po-facedness of the electronica scene as much as anything. The production side, how it sounded - rough and spiky, electronic and modern - was what did it for me. Taking pop and putting it through a blender sound wise was the spirit of the times."
2001—2004: Bootlegs and commercial breakthrough
Richard X started his career in the underground musicUnderground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene creating popular bootlegs
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
, which are "illegal, under the counter remixes which combined two existing records to make an entirely new song." Under the pseudonym Girls on Top, Richard X released a series of vinyl-only underground singles. He says bootlegs were "escaping from that world of formatting - which the DJ culture and club culture relies on so much. They were supposed to be the future of pop music."
Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
heard "We Don't Give a Damn About Our Friends", which was a mash-up of Adina Howard
Adina Howard
Adina Howard is an American R&B singer who rose to prominence during the mid 1990s with her debut album, Do You Wanna Ride? and her debut single, "Freak Like Me". Howard is known for her sexual image and provocative songs...
's "Freak Like Me
Freak Like Me
"Freak like Me" is the first single from Adina Howard's 1995 R&B debut album Do You Wanna Ride?. Like Howard's image, the song can be best described as hypersexual. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA....
" and Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
/Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based punk rock and new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. They were the first band of the post-punk era to have a synthesizer-based hit, with their single Are 'Friends' Electric? and its parent album Replicas both topping the UK Album Chart in mid-1979.-Line-up:The...
's "Are 'Friends' Electric?
Are 'Friends' Electric?
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" is a 1979 song written by Gary Numan, released under the name of his then-band Tubeway Army as a single and on the album Replicas...
", and requested that Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
record it. Richard X said he was "very keen to do it as long as it remained what it was. It was raw, it was against the grain and it was still pop music." Sugababes' version of the song, which kept the Adina Howard title of "Freak Like Me", was recorded in Richard X's flat in Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. He said, "there was a loop, some handclaps, the Sugababes and a semi-broken synthesiser." Released as the first single from Sugababes' second studio album Angels with Dirty Faces, it charted at number one on the 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 ...
, the first of many for the girl group.
As a result of the interest in Girls on Top and "Freak Like Me", Richard X was signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. He collaborated with pop group Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
to create "Being Nobody
Being Nobody
Being Nobody is a 2003 song by British pop-group Liberty X, released as the debut single from the group's second album, Being Somebody. The song was produced by Richard X, and was released under the name of Richard X vs. Liberty X...
", a mash-up of Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
's "Ain't Nobody
Ain't Nobody
"Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" and The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
's "Being Boiled
Being Boiled
"Being Boiled" is a song composed by Sheffield musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, and recorded by them as The Human League...
". Richard X's next release was "Finest Dreams" with Kelis, which was a reworking of The SOS Band
The SOS Band
The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.-History:...
and Alexander O'Neal
Alexander O'Neal
Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer. He is best-known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight" and "Fake", and the duets with Cherrelle, "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This".-Biography:...
's "The Finest
The Finest (song)
"The Finest" is a 1986 hit single for the American R&B band The SOS Band. It is the 5th track on their 6th studio album Sands of Time and it is one of the groups last songs to feature the vocals of original lead singer Mary Davis. Singing alongside Mary Davis in the song is famous R&B singer...
" with another The Human League song "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of". Both the Liberty X and Kelis collaborations charted within the top ten, at number three and number eight respectively. Richard X released his debut album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 is the debut compilation album by British pop producer Richard X. The album features 15 tracks all produced by Richard X, most of which feature guest vocals....
in August 2003. The album featured "Freak Like Me", "Being Nobody", "Finest Dreams" as well as collaborations with Annie, Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
, Javine Hylton
Javine Hylton
Javine Dionne Hylton , often known simply as Javine, is an English singer. She is most notable for representing the UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2005; beating competition favourite, model Katie Price, for the ticket to Kiev...
, and Tiga
Tiga (musician)
Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag . His album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.-Career:He graduated from Selwyn House School, a prestigious school in Westmount...
, among others. Richard X described the album as "modern, alternative, future-pop".
He also released Back to Mine
Back to Mine
Back to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play at home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub...
Volume 17, as part of the long-running mix album series. His album included tracks by artists including Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
, Heaven 17
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English synthpop band originating from Sheffield in the early 1980s. The trio comprises Martyn Ware , Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory...
, Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:Jona Lewie joined his first group, The Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues & boogie singer and piano player...
, John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
and Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
.
2004—present: Production
After the mainstream success of his bootlegs, Richard X turned his attention to original compositions. In July 2004, pop singer Rachel StevensRachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
released "Some Girls
Some Girls (Rachel Stevens song)
"Some Girls" is a synthpop song written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson for British singer Rachel Stevens. It is included in the 2004 re-release of Stevens' debut album Funky Dory and her second studio album Come and Get It...
", written by Richard X with Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson is a British songwriter. Her best known compositions include the "Some Girls", a UK #2 for British pop star Rachel Stevens and Ladyhawke's "My Delirium". She also a vocalist and in 2006 achieved a #1 on the U.S...
. The song received critical acclaim and was another success for Richard X, charting at number two upon its release. Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
and Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
of 19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
contacted Richard X by email to ask that he give the song to Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
or Stevens, respectively, to record. He agreed to have Stevens record the song after Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
asked about using the song for Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
. When Halliwell found out that the writers were having Stevens record the song, she locked herself in her car in an attempt to change their minds, and she later wrote Richard X a love song. The aftermath of the decision for Stevens to record the song became the subject of another song written by Richard X and Robinson, "Me Plus One
Me Plus One (Annie song)
"Me Plus One" is a pop song written by producer Richard X and songwriter Hannah Robinson for Norwegian singer Annie's 2004 debut album Anniemal. The song was written about former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell. The lyrics refer to a "wannabe senorita" who needs to realise she's "got to let it go"...
" from Annie's 2004 album Anniemal
Anniemal
Anniemal is the debut album of Norwegian electropop singer Annie. It was first released by 679 Recordings in September 2004. Annie began recording music in 1999 with her boyfriend, Tore Kroknes, who died in 2001...
. Annie's album included another Richard X production, "Chewing Gum
Chewing Gum (Annie song)
"Chewing Gum" is an electropop song written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson for Norwegian singer Annie's debut album Anniemal . The song is based on metaphor which likens men to chewing gum....
", which remains her biggest hit to date. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked the track at number eleven on its list of the Top 50 Singles of 2004. Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
listed it tenth on its list of the top 40 singles of 2004. Richard X also produced her 2006 gap single "Crush".
In 2004, Richard X worked with M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
for her debut album Arular
Arular
Arular is the 2005 debut album by British musician M.I.A. Originally set for a September 2004 release, the album was delayed due to problems obtaining permission to use samples. Arular was finally released in the US on 22 March 2005 and a month later in the UK with a slightly different track...
(2005). He co-wrote/produced "Amazon" and "10 Dollar", as well as "Hombre" under the pseudonym Dwain 'Willy' Wilson III. The latter featured a drum pattern created from the sounds made by toys that M.I.A. had bought in India, augmented with sounds produced by objects such as pens and mobile phones. M.I.A. also appeared on Richard X's remix of Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
's "Goodies
Goodies (song)
"Goodies" is the debut single by American recording artist Ciara. Written by herself, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, the song is produced by Lil Jon and features label-mate Petey Pablo. It was released worldwide from June 2004 as the lead single from her debut album of the same...
".
Richard X worked with Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
and Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro is an Australian singer-songwriter, music producer, and former child actor. His stage name was derived from a family nickname, which in turn was inspired by the Dagenham radio mascot Sammy Sparrow...
on their albums Overpowered
Overpowered
Overpowered is the second solo studio album by Irish recording artist Róisín Murphy, released in Ireland on 12 October 2007 and in the United Kingdom and rest of Europe on 15 October 2007. The album was to be released in the United States in late 2008 or early 2009, but was cancelled by EMI due to...
and Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro (album)
Sam Sparro is the self-titled, debut album by Sam Sparro. It was released in the UK on 28 April 2008, after the success of Sparro's debut single, "Black and Gold", which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. The album debuted at number five during its first week of release in the UK, and...
respectively. "Parallel Lives" appears on her second album Overpowered
Overpowered
Overpowered is the second solo studio album by Irish recording artist Róisín Murphy, released in Ireland on 12 October 2007 and in the United Kingdom and rest of Europe on 15 October 2007. The album was to be released in the United States in late 2008 or early 2009, but was cancelled by EMI due to...
, while "Pandora" was used as a b-side. Richard X collaborated with Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
, co-writing and producing the 2009 single "Method of Modern Love
Method of Modern Love (Saint Etienne song)
- CD: Heavenly / HVN185CD :- CD: Heavenly / HVN185CDR :- CD: Heavenly / CDR :* UK promo.- Download: Heavenly / HVN 185DIG :* The Heartbreaks Remix was sold as a bundle, together with the 7"/CD1/CD2 set at Recordstore.co.uk....
". He also worked with Annie again for her 2009 album Don't Stop
Don't Stop (Annie album)
Don't Stop is the second studio album by Norwegian recording artist Annie. Originally intended for a 2008 release on UK-based Island Records, the planned release date was pushed back...
. He produced the singles "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me
I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me
"I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" is an electropop song performed by Norwegian pop singer Annie. It was released on 14 July 2008 as the lead single from her second studio album Don't Stop...
", "Anthonio
Anthonio
"Anthonio" is a song by Norwegian recording artist Annie from the special edition bonus disc of her second studio album, Don't Stop . The track was released as a single on 4 May 2009, and marked Annie's debut on the Pleasure Masters label...
", and "Songs Remind Me of You
Songs Remind Me of You
"Songs Remind Me of You" is a song by Norwegian recording artist Annie from her second studio album, Don't Stop. Written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson, the track was released digitally on 17 August 2009 as the album's lead single.-Background:...
". The latter dates back to 2006. Richard X also produced Annie's cover of the Stacey Q
Stacey Q
Stacey Q is a pop singer, dancer and actress. She is best known for her 1985 hit single "Two of Hearts".-Early life:Stacey Swain was born on November 30, 1958 in Fullerton, California. She is the youngest of three children...
song "Two of Hearts" for release as a digital download.
Richard X co-produced "Alive
Alive (Goldfrapp song)
"Alive" is a synthpop song by English duo Goldfrapp from their fifth studio album, Head First. Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, with additional production by Richard X, the song was released as the album's second single on 7 June 2010. The music video premiered on YouTube...
" for Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
's 2010 album Head First
Head First (Goldfrapp album)
Head First is the fifth studio album by English electronic duo Goldfrapp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2010 by Mute Records. The album's lead single, "Rocket", was released on the iTunes Store on 5 March 2010...
and worked with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
on her 2011 album Make a Scene, producing and co-writing "Magic" and the single "Starlight
Starlight (Sophie Ellis-Bextor song)
"Starlight" is a pop song released by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the sixth overall single from her fourth studio album, Make a Scene. It was released on 5 June 2011, in the United Kingdom as a digital download, a week before the release of the album. Ellis-Bextor apeared on...
". He also co-produced the entirety of Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
's album Echoes
Echoes (Will Young album)
-Singles:The first single to be released from the album was "Jealousy" on 19 August 2011. The artwork for the single was revealed on Young's Facebook page on 8 July 2011....
(2011), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
Black Melody
Richard X created his own "production empire" Black Melody, which basically oversees all of his productions and remixes.In October 2002, Richard X worked with The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
members past and present to compile The Golden Hour of the Future
The Golden Hour of the Future
The Golden Hour of the Future is a compilation album of recordings made by the electronic band The Future and early recordings by the original line-up of The Human League....
, a collection of early recordings by The Human League and their predecessors The Future. The album was released via Black Melody and preceded by a limited edition 12" promo EP titled "Dance Like a Star
Dance Like a Star
Dance Like a Star is an EP released in the UK in September 2002. It was released by Black Melody records on behalf of the original lineup of the British synthpop band The Human League and contains very early tracks recorded in 1977 when the Human League were known briefly as The Future. All tracks...
".
In 2009, Richard X created the Pleasure Masters label for the sole purpose of releasing Annie's "Anthonio
Anthonio
"Anthonio" is a song by Norwegian recording artist Annie from the special edition bonus disc of her second studio album, Don't Stop . The track was released as a single on 4 May 2009, and marked Annie's debut on the Pleasure Masters label...
", which he co-wrote and produced, after her departure from Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
Work ethic
Richard X has been approached to work with many artists, but stays selective. "It's very much who tickles my fancy," he told BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
. He has turned down a number of artists: "I am particular and probably turn down 90% of what I'm offered - I think it drives a few people around me mad. We try not to forget it's art and not just a job." He often works with people who are seen "as having similar ideals of creating innovative, forward thinking pop music", according to HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
. Richard X says, "It's not so much a vision, more an ethos. I like the artist who stands alone or has the ideas that at first seem a little left of centre. Rather than chase a style, where you inevitably end up sounding second best, it's easier to do something new. If the artist is attempting something new they are creating a benchmark rather than trying to reach one."
He treats every song as a potential single. He says, "Each track has to stand alone. The song, the production and everything together. My reference point is always imagining finding it on a seven-inch [single] in a second hand shop when you were younger." Richard X cites this as a reason that he usually collaborates with artists on individual tracks: "I've always been about singles [...] it's bite sized, to the point, and let's be honest with some of the artists out there you really don't need to hear much beyond the hit."
Richard X also prefers to co-write songs, rather than solely producing them.
Girls on Top
Singles- "Being Scrubbed" / "I Wanna Dance with Numbers" (January 2001)
- "Warm Bitch" / "We Don't Give a Damn About Our Friends" (August 2001)
Albums
- Greatest Hits (April 2005)
Richard X
Singles- "Freak Like MeFreak Like Me"Freak like Me" is the first single from Adina Howard's 1995 R&B debut album Do You Wanna Ride?. Like Howard's image, the song can be best described as hypersexual. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA....
" (vs SugababesSugababesThe Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
) (#1, April 2002) - "Being NobodyBeing NobodyBeing Nobody is a 2003 song by British pop-group Liberty X, released as the debut single from the group's second album, Being Somebody. The song was produced by Richard X, and was released under the name of Richard X vs. Liberty X...
" (vs Liberty XLiberty XLiberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
) (#3, March 2003) - "Finest Dreams" (featuring KelisKelisKelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
) (#8, August 2003) - "You Used To" (featuring JavineJavine HyltonJavine Dionne Hylton , often known simply as Javine, is an English singer. She is most notable for representing the UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2005; beating competition favourite, model Katie Price, for the ticket to Kiev...
) (cancelled)
Albums
- Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 is the debut compilation album by British pop producer Richard X. The album features 15 tracks all produced by Richard X, most of which feature guest vocals....
(#31, August 2003) - Back to MineBack to MineBack to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play at home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub...
Volume 17 (April 2004)