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She Blinded Me with Science

THOMAS DOLBY

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Thomas Morgan Robertson
Biography: 

The man behind iconic 80s song, She Blinded Me with Science, is Thomas Dolby. This synth-based, catchy song was supported with an appealing video and remains a staple when discussing the early days of MTV. But Dolby’s career in the music industry is denser than a one-hit wonder. As a producer and musician, he has become a well-known and sought after collaborator, technology advocate, and inspiration for fledgling synth-rock maestros globally.

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Dolby’s Grammy-nominated approach and style in music has constantly been in flux – from the synth-driven pop of his first album The Golden Age of Wireless to funky and emotive arrangements in later albums like Aliens Ate My Buick and Astronauts and Heretics.

His career started out shortly after he taught himself music and dropped out of school to join an R&B/Jazz band. By the 80s, he was contributing to albums as a session musician for the Thompson Twins, Def Leppard and Foreigner. This financially supported his own solo efforts to record his first album, 1982’s The Golden Age of Wireless. Two years later he released The Flat Earth on Capitol Records.

These two albums by Dolby were well-received by critics and achieved Gold status in the US. Despite, his later un-charting singles in the late-80s and early-90s, Dolby remained active in the music industry and established a technology company that would go on to develop a music file format for internet usage. This venture for Dolby was important as he is a strong advocate for copyright protection and has consistently voiced his opinion over unauthorised sampling and piracy.

Dolby’s musical talents would also benefit him in another business activity in composing hundreds of polyphonic ringtones including the Nokia signature theme. He has also worked as a producer and soundtrack composer for films and video games. In 1998, Yahoo! awarded Dolby with a Lifetime Achievement in Internet Music.

After various, successful one-off gigs in the 2000s, Dolby returned to the music scene and moved back to the UK in 2006. He continues to collaborate, tour and release new and re-mastered material.

Born Thomas Robertson in 1958 in Cairo, Egypt; son of an archaeologist; married Kathleen Beller (an actress), 1988; two daughters, one named Talia Claire.
 
Taught himself to play guitar, c. 1970; dropped out of school to pursue music, 1974; performed with Jamaican R&B band and played jazz in restaurants; played synthesizers for Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club, late 1970s; toured Europe and U.S. with Lene Lovich; played in Paris subways; played synthesizer for Foreigner, Def Leppard, Joan Armatrading, and Malcolm McClaren, early 1980s; released debut single, "Urges," 1981; signed with EMI Records; released first album, The Golden Age of Wireless, Capitol, 1982; co-produced Joni Mitchell's Dog Eat Dog and produced albums by George Clinton and Prefab Sprout, 1985; participated in Live Aid concert; participated in Roger Waters's production of The Wall, West Berlin, 1990. Composer of film scores. Founder of virtual reality company Headspace.
 
 
Awards: Four Grammy Award nominations.
 
Addresses: Record company—Giant Records, 8900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 200, Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1906.

Albums:

(Contributor) Joan Armatrading, Walk Under Ladders, A&M, 1981.
 
(Contributor) Foreigner, Four, Atlantic, 1981.
 
The Golden Age of Wireless, Capitol, 1982.
 
The Flat Earth, Capitol, 1984.
 
Aliens Ate My Buick, EMI, 1988.
 
Astronauts & Heretics (includes "I Love You Goodbye"), Giant, 1992.
 
As producer
Joni Mitchell, Dog Eat Dog, Geffen, 1985.
 
George Clinton, Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends, Capitol, 1985.
 
Prefab Sprout, Two Wheels Good, Epic, 1985.
 
Prefab Sprout, From Langley Park to Memphis, Epic, 1988.
 
Ofra Haza, Desert Wind, Sire, 1989.
 
Prefab Sprout, Jordan: The Comeback. Epic, 1990.
 
Him scores
Fever Pitch, 1985.
 
(Contributor) Howard the Duck, 1986.
 
Gothic, 1987.
 

Sources: Juanita Appleby; Jeffrey Taylor

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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