Howard Gray

Howard Gray (born 15 July 1962) is an English musician, sound engineer, programmer, composer, re-mixer and producer who has worked with Public Image Ltd, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Kirsty MacColl, the Armoury Show, the Pale Fountains, Japan, the Stranglers, Simple Minds, the Pretenders, & Jimmy Page, Tom Jones and Van Morrison.

He is a founding member of the dance/rock group Apollo 440.

Early years Howard James Gray was born in Sydney, Australia, shortly after his parents emigrated from their native Liverpool. The family returned to Liverpool when Gray was six months old, and the city played its role in forming the young Gray's musical passions. An early interest in music and sound recording led to the formation of his first band at the age of 15, Alvin the Aardvark and the Fuzzy Ants, with his brother, Trevor Gray, and fellow schoolfriends Jono 'Kumo' Podmore, James Gardner, Norman 'Noko' Fisher-Jones and Gary Hancock.

In 1980, during his last year at school, Gray landed a job as a tape operator at Richard Branson's notorious Manor Studio, the residential facility built on a country estate near Oxford. Throughout his tenure at The Manor, and at Branson's recently completed Townhouse Studios in London's Hammersmith, Gray worked with many producers, first as an assistant sound engineer, then as an engineer. The producer he worked with most often was Steve Lillywhite. Some of the many artists Gray worked with include Public Image Ltd, the Stranglers, Kirsty MacColl, the Armoury Show, Japan, Rip Rig + Panic and Van Morrison. He was Virgin's house engineer on Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's album Architecture and Morality, Gray's role within Apollo 440 revolves mostly around sound sculpture/production or, as he refers to it, his role is that of the "Vibe Controller".

Apollo 440 have released four albums on their Stealth Sonic Recordings label, distributed by Epic Records and achieved three UK top 10 and eight UK top 40 singles releases.

With Apollo 440, and under their Stealth Sonic Orchestra guise, Gray has recorded for various film soundtracks, including Lost in Space and Charlie's Angels, worked on a number of games for Sony PlayStation, including FIFA '98, Spider-Man and Anti-Grav, and remixed a diverse range of artists, including Manic Street Preachers, Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page, U2, Puretone, Ennio Morricone and James. Apollo 440 have worked on a number of tracks with Jean Michel Jarre, Jeff Beck (producing three tracks on Beck's album Jeff) and Tomoyasu Hotei.

In addition to his role with Apollo 440, Gray continues to undertake outside productions, including work with Tom Jones, Manic Street Preachers, Gareth Sager & Jock Scott, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Drive By Argument and the Wolfgang Press. Gray has also collaborated with John Fortis on the production of The Cazals, Eight Legs and Art Brut's debut album Bang Bang Rock and Roll.

2010–present day Gray was co-producer of the Josh Bray album Whiskey and Wool.

Apollo 440's fifth studio album, the 11-track The Future's What It Used to Be, was released in January 2012.

Trivia

Gray's debut production, Trevor Herion's "Love Chains", features the uncredited backing vocals of Holly Johnson, who was to record "Relax" with Frankie Goes to Hollywood in the same studio the next day.

David Slade, the director of the music video "Stop the Rock" for Gray's band Apollo 440, went on to direct Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight series.

Film soundtrack discography The Game Plan (2007) - track: "Heart Go Boom" Cursed (2005) - track: "Stadium Parking Lot" - aka "Wes Craven's Cursed" Gran Turismo 4 (2004) - track: "Hot Rod Honeymoon" Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004) - track: "Time is Running Out" EuroTrip (2004) - track: "Make My Dreams Come True" Chasing Liberty (2004) - track: "Stop the Rock" Resident Evil (2002) - track: "Wall of Death" ATV Offroad Fury (2001) - track: "Yo! Future" Evil Woman (2001) - track: "Stop The Rock" Charlie's Angels (2000) - "Charlie's Angels 2000" Bedazzled (2000) - track: "Stop the Rock (Mint Royale Mix)" Spider-Man (2000) - "Theme Song" Loser (2000) - track: "Stop The Rock" Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) - track: "Stop the Rock" Daria (1 episode, 2000) - I Loathe a Parade (2000) TV episode - track: "Stop the Rock" Gran Turismo 2 (1999) (VG) - track: "Cold Rock the Mic" Rogue Trader (1999) - track: "Liquid Cool" Lost in Space (1998) - track: "Will & Penny's Theme"

Production discography (selected) Pacific Street (CD, Album) Toshiba EMI Ltd 2001 Unless (12") Virgin 1983 Unless (7", Single) (Don't Let Your Love) Start A War (Single) (Don't Let Your Love) ... Virgin Geffery Morgan... (LP) Virgin 1984 I'm Not Fooled (12") DEP International If It Happens Again (7", Single) Virgin Records New Dreams For Old (12") On The Beach Red Flame Now That's What I Call Music 4 (2xLP) If It Happens Again EMI Records, Virgin 1984 Riddle Me (7") Virgin 1984 Take It Round Again (12") Arista 1984 We Can Be Brave Again (7") We Can Be Brave Again ... Parlophone 1984 Close To Me (CDV, Single, PAL) Stop Dead Fiction Records 1988 Elle Adore Le Noir Pour Sortir Le Soir (7", Single) EMI Music (Belgium) 1985 Half An Octopuss (10", Ltd) Stop Dead Fiction Records 1985 I Got You Babe (7", Single) Nkomo A Go Go Virgin Music (Canada), DEP International 1985 I Got You Babe / Nkomo A Go Go (7") Nkomo A Go Go (Special... A&M Records 1985 The Head on the Door (LP, Album) Elektra 2006 Twin Cadillac Valentine (7") Twin Cadillac Valentine WEA, 1985 Who's That Girl (7") EMI Music (Belgium) 1985 Yé-Yé (LP) EMI Music (Belgium) 1985 Yé Yé (CD, Album) EMI Music (Belgium) 2004 America And Me (7") Marianne Virgin 1986 Gun-Shy (CD, Album) Elektra 1986 National Avenue (Sunday Afternoon) (12", Promo) Virgin Quadpus (12", Single) A Night Like This Elektra Tales of the Expected (CD, Album) Virgin The Best Of (Ça Vient, Ça Vient, Change Pas Demain) (LP) EMI Music (Belgium) 1986 Wild Blue Yonder (7") WEA Records Ltd., WEA Records Ltd. Don't Get Mad...Get Even! (12") Virgin If You Let Me Stay (12") If You Let Me Stay (Re... CBS Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby (LP, Album) CBS Love in Anger (12") Love in Anger, Uptown... Parlophone Mary's Prayer (7") Monkey's Shiny Day Virgin Records America, Inc., Virgin Records America, Inc. Meet Danny Wilson (CD, Album) Virgin 1987 New York City (12") New York City, New York... Parlophone On The Corner (12") On The Corner (7") EMI Records Ltd. One Thousand Years of Trouble (CD, Album) Virgin The Best of UB40 - Volume 1 (CD) EMI Music (Brazil) Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Noise? (12") Virgin Wishing Well (The Darbinian Mix) (12") If You Let Me Stay CBS Badman (LP, Album) Uptown/Downtown Parlophone 1988 Car's Outside (12") Virgin 1988 I Can Speak American (12") Twin Cadillac Valentine WEA Records Ltd., WEA Records Ltd. 1988 Sin Bin (12") Virgin 1988 Wanted (CD) Got To Share, Fine Time Big Life Never Gonna Be The Same (10", Single) Nothing Ever Goes To P... Virgin 1989 Totally Religious (CD, Album) Elektra Heart of Darkness (LP, Album) ZTT, ZTT Totally Religious, (Album) Elektra, 1989 Little Brother (Remix) (12") Little Brother Big Life 1990 Come On! (12") Reverb Records (2) 1991 Don't Lose Your Dreams (10", Ltd, Num) Siren Records (8) Electric Landlady (CD, Album) Walking Down Madison Virgin Infamy! Or How I Didn't Get Where I Am Today (LP) Siren Records (8) Pandora's Box (7") All She Wants Is Every... Virgin Scarlet Red And Blue (Cass) Mountains, Rainbow PolyGram, M & G Records 1991 Sugar Tax (Album) ◄ (13 versions) Virgin Records America ... 1991 Sweet Danny Wilson (LP, Album) Ruby's Golden Wedding... Virgin 1991 Sweet Danny Wilson/Three-In-A-Bed Romp (2xCD, Comp, Ltd) Ruby's Golden Wedding... Virgin 1991 Walking Down Madison (7") Virgin 1991 Beneath The Pavement...The Beach (CD, EP, Ltd) Rev., Capital of Pain Concrete Productions 1994 Going South (CD, Maxi) Going South (7" Version) 4AD, Warner Bros. Records 1994 The Lead and How to Swing It (CD, Album) Show Me Interscope Records, Atlantic, ZTT 1994 Kevin Carter - The Remixes (12", Promo) Epic 1996 The First Wave (CD, Single, Enh) Toys 1:70, Sony Music Entertainment (Norway) 1997 If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (CD, Single) Prologue To History, M... Epic 1998 BSE Bangin' Summer Extravaganza (CD, Album) Prologue To History Select Magazine 1999 The Very Best of UB40 1980 - 2000 (Comp) ◄ (4 versions) If It Happens Again Simply Vinyl (S12) ... 2000 The Very Best of UB40 1980 - 2000 (CD, Comp) Virgin, Dep International 2000 Everything Is Beautiful (A Retrospective 1983–1995) (CD, Comp, Album) Executioner (Adamson Mix) 4AD 2001 Forever Delayed - The Greatest Hits - Special Edition (2xCD, Comp) The Everlasting (Steal... Epic 2002 The Best of 1990-2000 & B-Sides (Comp) ◄ (2 versions) Mysterious Ways (Solar... Interscope Records 2002 50 Years of the Greatest Hit Singles - Platinum Collection (2xCD, Comp) Red Red Wine Virgin, Virgin 2003 Essential (CD) EMI Music (Belgium) 2003 Lipstick Traces - A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers (2xCD, Comp) Prologue To History Epic 2003 Sugar Tax / Junk Culture (2xCD) Speed of Light Virgin 2003 Uncovered By Heartbeat (CD and 12" album) Cargo Records 2005 Bang Bang Rock & Roll (CD, Album) Fierce Panda 2005 It's Magnetic / Out on 24s (7") Kids 2006 LateNightTales (CD, Album, Comp) Unless Azuli Records, Azuli Records 2007 Leigh-On-Sea (7", Single, Ltd) Leigh-On-Sea Label Fandango 2007 Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy (7", Single) Lizard King Records 2007 The Sega Method / Lower Your Pieces (7", Ltd) Lizard King Records 2007 What Is Woman? (12", Red) Stiff Records 2007 Drive-By Argument (CD, Album) Lizard King Records 2008