Stephen Hague

Stephen Hague is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s.

Early life Hague was born in Portland, Maine, in 1960.

Early career Hague started his musical career in the late-1970s as a session keyboardist. He soon became a member of the band Jules and the Polar Bears and produced (with Jules Shear) the two albums and one EP, released between 1978 and 1980, by that band. He then branched out into producing work by other artists, including 1980s Sparks offshoot band Gleaming Spires, their first album being recorded on Hague's home 4-track tape recorder. This 1981 album spawned the Los Angeles radio hit "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" on the Posh Boy label, a recording subsequently featured in Hollywood features The Last American Virgin and Revenge of the Nerds. Hague and Shear teamed up to produce both albums by new-wavers Slow Children in 1981 and 1982; Hague also co-produced Elliot Easton's (The Cars) 1985 solo album Change No Change.

Commercial successes In 1983, Hague produced the Rock Steady Crew's worldwide hit single "(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew". He then primarily worked with British artists. Hague's first noted UK production was on Malcolm McLaren's "Madam Butterfly" single. In 1985 he produced Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's album Crush and Pet Shop Boys debut album Please, on which he also got a song writing credit for the song "Love Comes Quickly" which was a top 20 hit in the UK. Erasure, Pretenders, Blur, Pere Ubu, Robert Palmer, a-ha, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones and Robbie Robertson, producing the hits "So In Love", "West End Girls", "Go West", "True Faith", "Regret", "Bizarre Love Triangle", and "A Little Respect" among many others.

Production style Hague's production style has been described as a lush, layered sound with occasional jagged edges. He cites the Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren and experimental German krautrock-bands as some influences.

Production credits

1980s Year Artist Title Additional information 1980 Bob Beland Stealing Cars b/w "I Can Walk Away" 7" single Roger Swallow CUT LP 1981 Slow Children Slow Children Gleaming Spires Are You Ready for the Sex Girls? Rodney On The Roq 2 compilation Gleaming Spires Songs of the Spires LP 1982 Bob Beland Bob Beland EP 1983 Gleaming Spires Walk on Well Lighted Streets LP Hilary Kinetic EP Rock Steady Crew (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew album co-written and produced 1984 World's Famous Supreme Team Hey! DJ co-written and produced Malcolm McLaren Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo) co-written and produced Andy Pratt Fun in the First World 1985 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Crush co-written and produced Andy Pratt Not Just for Dancing now "Age of Goodbye" 1986 Pet Shop Boys Please Producer Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark The Pacific Age producer Pete Shelley Heaven & the Seaproducer 1987 New Order True Faith 1963 producer Pet Shop Boys Actually "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "King's Cross" producer Communards Redproducer Various Artists Some Kind of Wonderfulproducer 1988 The Apartments The Shyest Time Climie Fisher Everythingproducer Erasure The Innocents producer Jane Wiedlin Furproducer 1989 Pere Ubu Cloudlandproducer Holly Johnson Blast "Love Train" & "Heaven's Here" New Order Round & Round 7" & 12" single versions Public Image Ltd. 9producer

1990s Hurt So Goodproducer Gregory Gray Euroflake in Silverlakeproducer Frances Ruffelle God Watch Over You single 1996 Robbie Williams Freedom producer Dicte Voodoo Vibeproducer Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go Australia and The Girl Who Wanted To Be God 1997 Dubstar Goodbyeproducer James Whiplash co-produced with Brian Eno ManBREAK Come and Seeproducer Sarah Cracknell Anymoreproducer 1998 Ace of Base Cruel Summer co-producer Pretenders Viva el Amorproducer 1999 Technique Pop Philosophyproducer Tom Jones Reload produced or co-produced five of seventeen tracks

2000-present