Stephen Hague

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Stephen Hague (born 1960)^[1] is an American record producer^[2][3] most active with various British acts since the 1980s.

Hague was born in Portland, Maine, in 1960.^[1]

Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session keyboardist.^[4] 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.

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.^[5] 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.^[5] Hague has also worked with Public Image Ltd., New Order, Jimmy Somerville, Melanie C, James, Peter Gabriel, Dubstar,^[6] 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", "It's A Sin", "Go West", "True Faith", "Regret", "Bizarre Love Triangle", and "A Little Respect" among many others.

Hague's production style has been described as a lush, layered sound with occasional jagged edges.^[5] He cites the Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren and experimental German krautrock-bands as some influences.^[5]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

• Biography on MP3.com (archived on 12 February 2005)
• Stephen Hague discography at Discogs