Mike Howlett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Howlett live with Gong atHMV Forum in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael John Gilmour Howlett |
| Also known as | Mister T. Being |
| Born | (1950-04-27)27 April 1950 (age 74) Lautoka, Fiji |
| Origin | Sydney |
| Genres | Progressive rock,new wave |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, vocals |
| Formerly of | The Affair,Gong,Strontium 90 |
| Website | mikehowlett |
Michael John Gilmour Howlett (born 27 April 1950) is a bass guitar player, record producer and teacher based in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In the late 1960s, Howlett was the bassist in Sydney pop bandthe Affair, which included vocalistKerrie Biddell. The group travelled to England after winning a prize in theHoadley's Battle of the Sounds band competition. Howlett settled inLondon and in 1973 joined renowned Britishprogressive rock groupGong, which had been founded by an Australianexpatriate,Daevid Allen. He remained with Gong until 1977, recording several albums with them and co-writing much of their material later in this period with drummerPierre Moerlen.
After leaving Gong, Howlett formed the short-lived bandStrontium 90, which consisted of himself,Sting,Stewart Copeland andAndy Summers.[1] In addition to being the band's lead bassist and chief songwriter, Howlett performed most of the lead vocals in live performances. The band recorded several demos and played at a Paris Gong reunion concert in May 1977, but disbanded when Summers left to join Copeland and Sting's other project,the Police. An archival collection of Strontium 90 material was released two decades later asStrontium 90: Police Academy.
A few months after the breakup of Strontium 90, Howlett served as bassist for the one-off studio band The Radio Actors, which also included Gong bandmateSteve Hillage on lead guitar and Strontium 90 bandmate Sting (who came to the group by way of Howlett's recommendation) on lead vocals.[2] The band's single, "Nuclear Waste" b/w "Digital Love", was reissued on CD in 1995 with liner notes and three bonus tracks, though none of the bonus tracks involved Howlett.
In the 1980s, Howlett became an in-demand producer, with a string of notable credits. He produced many hit singles and albums for leadingnew wave music acts includingA Flock of Seagulls,the Alarm,China Crisis,Martha and the Muffins,Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,Stephen Duffy,Gang of Four andComsat Angels. He also produced the albumSecret Secrets forJoan Armatrading in 1985.
Gong performs occasional reunion gigs around the world, and Howlett usually joins them. In 1993, he launched a record label, Mauve, which released albums by singer-songwriters Rafa Russo, Debbie Cassell and Jay Fisher. From 2005 to 2009, Howlett was chairman ofthe Music Producers Guild (MPG).[3]
Howlett was awarded a PhD on the subject of record production in 2009 and has lectured in music technology at several universities, including theUniversity of Glamorgan (now theUniversity of South Wales) inPontypridd, Wales andThames Valley University (Ealing, London).[3] In 2009, he became Head of Music atQueensland University of Technology inBrisbane, Australia[4] and is an adjunct professor for QUT.[citation needed]
Howlett is married with three children[5] and two grandchildren. He lives in West London.
|
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |