Sandy Rass
Encyclopedia
Sandy Rass is a British
songwriter/producer of Fast Food Rockers
and others, and a singer, dancer and actor, and a psychology graduate and statistician, achieving First Class Honours for his BSc, and being awarded the highest grade of Distinction for his MSc, graduating top in both, and receiving the Goldsmiths Student Award in 2006.
He was born in Chingford
, London
and trained at the Royal Ballet School
for 3 years and then at Italia Conti Academy
for a further 3 years as a singer/dancer/actor. As a performer, Rass starred in the West End musicals Starlight Express
and Cats
, and played leading roles in the UK tours of 42nd Street
, What a Feeling! and Living La Vida Loca. He was a backing dancer for numerous pop artists, most notably appearing with Diana Ross
at Wembley Stadium
, and fronting the pop act REEL2REAL ("I Like To Move It Move It") on the Smash Hits Tour alongside other major British and international pop acts.
During his varied career he also featured appearances in operas such as The Mikado
with the ENO
at the Coliseum, La Bohème
at the Royal Albert Hall
, and The Bartered Bride
and Tales of Hoffmann with the Royal Opera Company, before making his name as a pop songwriter.
Writing with Mike Stock, formerly of Stock Aitken Waterman
, Sandy most notably co-wrote and co-produced "The Fast Food Song
" by The Fast Food Rockers - one of the biggest hits of 2003, and produced "Santa Maria
" by Tatjana.
He is also known for his work as Musical Supervisor and Musical Arranger on the Singapore Repertory Theatre
production of They're Playing Our Song
, starring Lea Salonga
both in Singapore and Manila in 1999 and 2000, and having radically reworked the musical arrangements of the 1999 London version of Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz
's Pippin
at the Bridewell Theatre.
Among others, Sandy worked with Nick Bridges from Ministry of Sound
, Jon Pearn
of Full Intention
and Amanda Wilson
from Freemasons - the singer of hits Love on my Mind
, Watchin'
, and Bromance
, writing and co-producing the classic Hed Kandi
club hit "Intoxicated" performed by R.A.W. featuring Amanda Wilson
.
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/producer of Fast Food Rockers
Fast Food Rockers
The Fast Food Rockers were a British pop group known for their novelty music. The band claim to have met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.-Career:...
and others, and a singer, dancer and actor, and a psychology graduate and statistician, achieving First Class Honours for his BSc, and being awarded the highest grade of Distinction for his MSc, graduating top in both, and receiving the Goldsmiths Student Award in 2006.
He was born in Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
, 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...
and trained at the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
for 3 years and then at Italia Conti Academy
Italia Conti Academy
The Italia Conti Academy is a theatre arts training school based in London. It was founded in 1911 by actress Italia Conti...
for a further 3 years as a singer/dancer/actor. As a performer, Rass starred in the West End musicals Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
and Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, and played leading roles in the UK tours of 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
, What a Feeling! and Living La Vida Loca. He was a backing dancer for numerous pop artists, most notably appearing with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, and fronting the pop act REEL2REAL ("I Like To Move It Move It") on the Smash Hits Tour alongside other major British and international pop acts.
During his varied career he also featured appearances in operas such as The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
with the ENO
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
at the Coliseum, La Bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, and The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
and Tales of Hoffmann with the Royal Opera Company, before making his name as a pop songwriter.
Writing with Mike Stock, formerly of Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Sandy most notably co-wrote and co-produced "The Fast Food Song
The Fast Food Song
"The Fast Food Song" was the debut single by the British-based band the Fast Food Rockers, released from their album It's Never Easy Being Cheesy. It was the first single release from the album. Its chorus mentions the fast food restaurants McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The...
" by The Fast Food Rockers - one of the biggest hits of 2003, and produced "Santa Maria
Santa Maria (song)
"Santa Maria" is a eurodance song originally recorded and released by Tatjana Simić. The song was later recorded by DJ Milano and British singer Samantha Fox in 1997.- Background :...
" by Tatjana.
He is also known for his work as Musical Supervisor and Musical Arranger on the Singapore Repertory Theatre
Singapore Repertory Theatre
The Singapore Repertory Theatre is the first Singapore-based professional theatre group which was founded in 1993. It is reputed to be the leading English language theatres in whole of Asia...
production of They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven...
, starring Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
both in Singapore and Manila in 1999 and 2000, and having radically reworked the musical arrangements of the 1999 London version of Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell , Pippin and Wicked...
's Pippin
Pippin (musical)
Pippin is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto...
at the Bridewell Theatre.
Among others, Sandy worked with Nick Bridges from Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
, Jon Pearn
Jon Pearn
Jon Pearn is an English house music producer and a member of several highly successful acts including Full Intention and Bodyrox.It is with the latter that Jon is currently enjoying new found success....
of Full Intention
Full Intention
Full Intention is a house music duo from England who are best known as prolific remixers, reworking songs for varied artists such as the Sugababes and Whitney Houston. Group members are Michael Gray and Jon Pearn....
and Amanda Wilson
Amanda Wilson
Amanda Wilson , is a British singer in the UK house music act, Freemasons. As part of the act she has scored two major UK hit singles, one of which went on to success in several European charts, and the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart....
from Freemasons - the singer of hits Love on my Mind
Love on My Mind
"Love on My Mind" is the title of the fourth R&B single by the group Xscape. In the U.S., the song reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the R&B Singles chart.-Formats and tracklistings:CD Single#Love on my Mind - 4:05...
, Watchin'
Watchin'
"Watchin" is a song by dance band Freemasons. It was released as the 2nd single from their second studio album Unmixed and features vocals from British singer Amanda Wilson.-Track listing:-Charts:...
, and Bromance
Bromance
A bromance is a close but non-sexual relationship between two men, a form of homosocial intimacy.-Etymology:Bromance is a portmanteau of the words bro or brother and romance...
, writing and co-producing the classic Hed Kandi
Hed Kandi
Hed Kandi is an UK-based record label and a music brand which was established in 1999 by Mark Doyle, specialising in funky, soulful house music. Hed Kandi's catalogue includes both artist albums and various genres of club compilations. As well as producing music albums and compilations, Hed Kandi...
club hit "Intoxicated" performed by R.A.W. featuring Amanda Wilson
Amanda Wilson
Amanda Wilson , is a British singer in the UK house music act, Freemasons. As part of the act she has scored two major UK hit singles, one of which went on to success in several European charts, and the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart....
.