Shawn Lee (musician)
Encyclopedia
Shawn Lee is an American musician
and multi-instrumentalist
from Wichita, Kansas
but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM
with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.
. After being in various bands, performing on The Tonight Show
, a publishing deal with EMI
and touring on Lollapolooza, Lee moved to London
, England
. There he signed a solo record deal with influential DJ Gilles Peterson
's Talkin' Loud
.
This resulted in an album Discomfort which was only promo released in France
1996. In 2000, Lee released "Monkey Boy" on Wall of Sound Records. The album included Lee's song "Happiness", which was later recorded by million selling British artist Will Young
.
The year of 2004 saw the release the album Soul Visa, in Japan
only, on Rush Production!. Soul Visa was later released in 2006 worldwide under the BBE
label. The album Harmonium was released in 2005 in Japan, again under Rush Production!.
As Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra, Lee has released 10 albums on US label Ubiquity Records
: Music and Rhythm, Moods and Grooves, Strings and Things, Voices and Choices, Hits the Hits, A Very Ping Pong Xmas, Miles of Styles" , "Under The Sun" film soundtrack,"Clutch of the Tiger" with Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee presents Soul in the Hole".
""
Lee's music has appeared in many films such as Ocean's Thirteen
, The Break-Up
, and Confessions of a Shopaholic, as well as on television series, such as CSI: Miami
, Lost
, Desperate Housewives
, Nip Tuck, Ugly Betty
, and Eastbound and Down, and the Mack Dawg Productions snowboard movie Picture This. Shawn Lee also scored the Rockstar Games
video game Bully
in 2006. He was twice nominated for best score, winning once. He composed some pieces for The Getaway before working on Bully's score.
Lee also scored UK/Swiss feature film Save Angel Hope, which is yet to be released. The 2008 surf documentary film Under The Sun also features an original Shawn Lee soundtrack released on Ubiquity Records
. In 2009, his song "Kiss the Sky" with Nino Moschella was featured on the second season finale of Life, as well as in the first season finale of the HBO comedy Eastbound & Down
and the penultimate episode of the fifth season of Nip/Tuck
.
Shawn continues to live in London working on an array of new albums in his studio "Trans-Yank". These include collaborations with Clutchy Hopkins
, Tony Joe White
, Darondo
, Money Mark
and Tommy Guerrero
. He also frequently performs with London-based electronica band Psapp
, both on record and at live engagements.
In 2011 Shawn Lee put on an art exhibition with French artist, Gerald Petit in Lyon titled, "A Conversation Piece". Exposition du 26 février au 2 avril 2011 – Maison du livre, de l’image et du son – vernissage le vendredi 25 février à 19h en présence des artistes
Shawn's latest collaboration is with indie artist AM (musician)
who he showcased with at the 2011 South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. After AM heard Lee's "Music and Rhythm" album on the radio in Los Angeles he decided to reach out to Lee on a now defunct social networking site. The two became quick friends sharing a common love for 60's psychedelia and 70's Italian soundtracks. The as yet untitled album is expected to be released in the summer of 2011. The first single from the album "Dark Into Light" will be released on limited edition 12" vinyl on the Ubiquity label April 16, 2011 in honor of Record Store Day.
Shawn Lee has also collaborated with artists such as Princess Superstar, Natacha Atlas, Bei Bei and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
from Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM
AM (musician)
AM is an American songwriter, musician, composer and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently residing in the Los Angeles Echo Park neighborhood in California. AM or A.M. refers to his band and is also the moniker for this artist...
with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.
Career
Lee has relocated twice in pursuit of his career. He moved to Los Angeles in 1988 where he worked with The Dust Brothers and Jeff BuckleyJeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
. After being in various bands, performing on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, a publishing deal with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and touring on Lollapolooza, Lee moved to 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There he signed a solo record deal with influential DJ Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
's Talkin' Loud
Talkin' Loud
Talkin' Loud is a record label started by Gilles Peterson at Phonogram in 1990 after he left Acid Jazz Records. The label name is based on Peterson's club night "Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Something", itself a reference to James Brown and Bobby Byrd's "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing".The first...
.
This resulted in an album Discomfort which was only promo released in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
1996. In 2000, Lee released "Monkey Boy" on Wall of Sound Records. The album included Lee's song "Happiness", which was later recorded by million selling British artist 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...
.
The year of 2004 saw the release the album Soul Visa, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
only, on Rush Production!. Soul Visa was later released in 2006 worldwide under the BBE
Barely Breaking Even
Barely Breaking Even is a British record label started by two DJs, Peter Adarkwah and Ben Jolly. The name BBE comes from The Universal Robot Band's 1982 track `Barely Breaking Even'. It has two sublabels: Deep Funk, and Urban Theory...
label. The album Harmonium was released in 2005 in Japan, again under Rush Production!.
As Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra, Lee has released 10 albums on US label Ubiquity Records
Ubiquity Records
Ubiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
: Music and Rhythm, Moods and Grooves, Strings and Things, Voices and Choices, Hits the Hits, A Very Ping Pong Xmas, Miles of Styles" , "Under The Sun" film soundtrack,"Clutch of the Tiger" with Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee presents Soul in the Hole".
""
Lee's music has appeared in many films such as Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
, The Break-Up
The Break-Up
The Break-Up is a 2006 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
, and Confessions of a Shopaholic, as well as on television series, such as CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
, Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, Nip Tuck, Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, and Eastbound and Down, and the Mack Dawg Productions snowboard movie Picture This. Shawn Lee also scored the Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
video game Bully
Bully (video game)
Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit for the PAL PlayStation 2 version, is an open world video game released by Rockstar Vancouver for the PlayStation 2 on 17 October 2006 in North America, and 25 October 2006 in the United Kingdom...
in 2006. He was twice nominated for best score, winning once. He composed some pieces for The Getaway before working on Bully's score.
Lee also scored UK/Swiss feature film Save Angel Hope, which is yet to be released. The 2008 surf documentary film Under The Sun also features an original Shawn Lee soundtrack released on Ubiquity Records
Ubiquity Records
Ubiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
. In 2009, his song "Kiss the Sky" with Nino Moschella was featured on the second season finale of Life, as well as in the first season finale of the HBO comedy Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down is an American comedy television series broadcast on HBO, starring Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher, who after an up and down career in the major leagues is forced to return to his hometown middle-school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a...
and the penultimate episode of the fifth season of Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
.
Shawn continues to live in London working on an array of new albums in his studio "Trans-Yank". These include collaborations with Clutchy Hopkins
Clutchy Hopkins
Clutchy Hopkins is purportedly a multi-instrumentalist musician based out of California. His existence has not yet been fully verified, though he is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of several popular DJs...
, Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit "Polk Salad Annie"; "Rainy Night in Georgia", which he wrote but was first made popular by Brook Benton in 1970; and "Steamy Windows", a hit for Tina Turner in 1989...
, Darondo
Darondo
William Pulliam, who performed in the 70s under the name Darondo, was a funk and soul singer who sounded like a combination of Ronald Isley and Al Green. Little known by anyone except serious enthusiasts of that genre, Darondo is highly respected by that limited audience. The mythology surrounding...
, Money Mark
Money Mark
Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
and Tommy Guerrero
Tommy Guerrero
Tommy Guerrero is an American skateboarder and musician. As a teen, he was one of the prominent members of the Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta's professional skateboarding team that was successful during the 1980s...
. He also frequently performs with London-based electronica band Psapp
Psapp
Psapp is an experimental electronica band. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica, a form of electronica made with toys and toy instruments...
, both on record and at live engagements.
In 2011 Shawn Lee put on an art exhibition with French artist, Gerald Petit in Lyon titled, "A Conversation Piece". Exposition du 26 février au 2 avril 2011 – Maison du livre, de l’image et du son – vernissage le vendredi 25 février à 19h en présence des artistes
Shawn's latest collaboration is with indie artist AM (musician)
AM (musician)
AM is an American songwriter, musician, composer and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently residing in the Los Angeles Echo Park neighborhood in California. AM or A.M. refers to his band and is also the moniker for this artist...
who he showcased with at the 2011 South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. After AM heard Lee's "Music and Rhythm" album on the radio in Los Angeles he decided to reach out to Lee on a now defunct social networking site. The two became quick friends sharing a common love for 60's psychedelia and 70's Italian soundtracks. The as yet untitled album is expected to be released in the summer of 2011. The first single from the album "Dark Into Light" will be released on limited edition 12" vinyl on the Ubiquity label April 16, 2011 in honor of Record Store Day.
Shawn Lee has also collaborated with artists such as Princess Superstar, Natacha Atlas, Bei Bei and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Albums
- Soul in the Hole (Ubiquity)
- Clutch of the Tiger - w/ Clutchy HopkinsClutchy HopkinsClutchy Hopkins is purportedly a multi-instrumentalist musician based out of California. His existence has not yet been fully verified, though he is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of several popular DJs...
(Ubiquity) - Fascinating FingersFascinating FingersFascinating Fingers is a collaboration album by musicians Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee. It was released in 2009 on vinyl and CD, both under the Ubiquity Records label.- Track listing :# "70 MPH Isn't Fast Enough to Get Out of Nebraska" – 4:00...
- w/ Clutchy HopkinsClutchy HopkinsClutchy Hopkins is purportedly a multi-instrumentalist musician based out of California. His existence has not yet been fully verified, though he is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of several popular DJs...
(Ubiquity) - Soul Visa (Rush! Japan)
- Soul Visa (BBE)
- Harmonium (Rush! Japan)
- Monkeyboy (Wall of SoundWall of Sound (record label)Wall of Sound is an independent record label based in London, England. It is part of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent music company....
) - Discomfort (Talking Loud)
- Ape Breaks vol 1-5 (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Planet Of The Breaks (Zero G)
- Beneath the Planet Of The Breaks (Zero G)
- Lord Newborn and The Magic Skulls (collab. with Money MarkMoney MarkMark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
and Tommy GuerreroTommy GuerreroTommy Guerrero is an American skateboarder and musician. As a teen, he was one of the prominent members of the Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta's professional skateboarding team that was successful during the 1980s...
)(Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Into the Wind (collab. with Bei Bei He)(Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Bully Soundtrack (Ultra)
- Celestial Electric
Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra
- Under The Sun Soundtrack (Ubiquity Records)
- Miles of Styles (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Hits The Hits (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - A Very Ping Pong Christmas (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Voices and Choices (Ubiquity Records)
- Strings and Things (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Moods and Grooves (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Music and Rhythm (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Hooked Up Classics(Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) 2010 - World of Funk 2011
Film Soundtrack
- Elevate
- Under the Sun
- Save Angel Hope
Video game soundtrack
- The GetawayThe Getaway (video game)The Getaway is a video game series focused on gang life and the police in the city of London. The series was created by Brendan McNamara and is developed by Team Soho for the PlayStation 2...
- BullyBully (video game)Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit for the PAL PlayStation 2 version, is an open world video game released by Rockstar Vancouver for the PlayStation 2 on 17 October 2006 in North America, and 25 October 2006 in the United Kingdom...
Singles
- Dark Into Light with AM AM (musician)AM (musician)AM is an American songwriter, musician, composer and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently residing in the Los Angeles Echo Park neighborhood in California. AM or A.M. refers to his band and is also the moniker for this artist...
- Miles of Smiles (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Kiss the Sky (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Psychedelic Sambai (Ubiquity RecordsUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - Mary Jane (BBE)
- The Mattress (Eclectic Breaks)
- So Much Trouble (Scenario)
- The Incredible Shrinking Man" (Ape City)
- I can't save you (We Love You/WOS)
- Kill somebody (We Love You/WOS)
- Happiness (We Love You/WOS)
- Unpaid Debt (For Us/Rough Trade)
- We love Yule (Wall O Sound)
- Cryin' blue ('til my eyes are red) (Talkin Loud)
External links
- ShawnLee.net - Official website
- Official page at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace 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....
- Ubiquity Records Artist Page
- Ceslestial Electric Album Lyrics