Mark Ronson
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| Mark Ronson | |
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 Mark Ronson
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mark Daniel Ronson |
| Born | September 4, 1975 London, England |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, rock, dance, soul, hip hop, pop |
| Occupation(s) | DJ Producer |
| Years active | 2003–Present |
| Label(s) | Columbia, Allido Records |
| Website | MarkRonson.co.uk |
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975). [1] is an English-American, BRIT Award and three-time Grammy award[1]-winning music producer, cover-artist and co-founder of Allido Records. His debut album Here Comes the Fuzz, focused on American hip hop, included collaborations with Sean Paul, Nate Dogg and Ghostface Killah, yet it failed to make an impact on the charts.
His second album, Version focused on the British music scene, with covers from the likes of Radiohead, Maxïmo Park, The Zutons and Kaiser Chiefs. The album includes three top ten hits and won Ronson a BRIT Award for Best Male Artist 2008. He is the first person to win a BRIT award who doesn't sing in the actual recording.
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[edit] Early life
Ronson was born in London, England, the son of writer/socialite Ann Dexter-Jones and former band manager Laurence Ronson. His parents are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with ancestors from Russia and Lithuania. Ronson was raised in Conservative Judaism.[2] Ronson is related to politicians Malcolm Rifkind and Leon Brittan,[3] and has younger twin sisters, Charlotte and Samantha Ronson.[4] After his parents broke up, his mother married Foreigner guitarist, Mick Jones, which contributed to his having a childhood surrounded by music.[5]
The family moved to New York when Ronson was eight years old. At the same time, visits to his father back in England would fuel a passion for Brit rock.[4][6] As a teen, Ronson describes himself as "bookish musically". He later attended Collegiate School for boys for Middle and High School.
[edit] Career
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This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.(April 2008) |
He went to high school at the Collegiate School located on 78th and Broadway in New York City.[citation needed] Attending Vassar College and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip-hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993, charging $50 per job. Though a novice with little experience, he became known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection. Influenced by funk, the hip-hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK (all of which he incorporated in his spins) he attracted a wider audience.[4] He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. P Diddy once gave him a $100 dollar bill with his phone number written on it after Ronson managed to get nearly the whole club on the dancefloor.[7] He DJ'd at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Wedding for a reputed £1,000,000.[citation needed]
[edit] Here Comes the Fuzz and initial producing
He moved on, however, to producing music after Nikka Costa's manager heard one of his gigs and introduced the musicians.[4] He produced her song "Everybody Got Their Something," and soon Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. His first album Here Comes the Fuzz was released in 2003 and was a critically acclaimed success that featured artists of all genres, despite initially poor sales. The best known song from the album, "Ooh Wee", samples "Sunny" by Boney M and features Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, and Trife Da God. He has since produced multiple songs on the albums of singers Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.
In 2004, he formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".
[edit] Version
Ronson (producing music) released a cover of The Smiths' track "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" under the "Stop Me" on 2 April 2007, featuring Daniel Merriweather who sang vocals in the track, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts, the biggest hit for Ronson to date. Ronson remixed the Bob Dylan song "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)" in promotion for the three disc Bob Dylan set simply titled "DYLAN" released October of 2007. Ronson has also produced Candie Payne's "One More Chance (Ronson mix)" in 2007.
The album has been well received by critics. In May 2007 it was awarded the title Album of the Month by the British dance music magazine Mixmag. On June 23, the DJ made the cover of the Guardian newspaper's Guide magazine, alongside the singer Lily Allen.
In June 2007, Ronson signed DC hip hop artist Wale to Allido Records. In late 2007, he focused on production, working with Daniel Merriweather on his debut album, and recording again with Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams.[8]
24 October 2007 saw Ronson perform a one-off set at The Roundhouse in Camden, London as part of the BBC Electric Proms 2007. The performance featured the BBC Concert Orchestra and included special guests Terry Hall, Sean Lennon, Tim Burgess, Alex Greenwald, Ricky Wilson, Charlie Waller, Adele and Kyle Falconer.[9].
Ronson received a Grammy nomination in early December 2007 for 'Producer of the Year, Non Classical', along with Timbaland and Mike Elizondo. Ronson's work with Amy Winehouse also received substantial praise, gaining 6 nominations. Back To Black, an album mostly produced by Ronson was nominated for 'Album of the Year' and 'Best Pop Vocal Album'. "Rehab" received nods for 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance', 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'. Ronson would go on to win three Grammys for 'Producer of the Year' as well as 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year' (with which he shared with Amy Winehouse) in early February 2008[2].
Ronson is credited as producer on a mixtape album called Man In The Mirror, released in January 2008 by the rapper Rhymefest which is a tribute to the pop star Michael Jackson. The album features Ronson appearing to speak to Michael Jackson using archive audio from interviews with the popstar.
Later in January 2008, Ronson received 3 nominations for the BRIT Awards, including 'Best Male Solo Artist', 'Best Album' Version) and 'Song of the Year' ("Valerie"). Ronson won his first Brit for 'Best Male Solo Artist' in mid February 2008 over favorite Mika. He also performed a medley of God Put a Smile upon Your Face with Adele, "Stop Me" with Daniel Merriweather and "Valerie" with Amy Winehouse.
The performance allowed for a large boost in sales in the iTunes UK Top 100. "Valerie" would jump almost 30 spots in the days after the event, while "Just", "Stop Me" and "Oh My God" all appeared in the chart as well. That same week, Ronson appeared twice in the UK Top 40, with "Valerie" rebounding to number 13 and "Just" at number 31, his fourth Top 40 hit from Version. The Brits performance also allowed for Version to climb 18 spots to number 4.
Around this time, Ronson received his first number one on an international chart (Dutch Top 40) for "Valerie", which has spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. He is collaborating with the Kaiser Chiefs on their upcoming third album. [10]
Ronson has toured the album "Version" vigorously through both the UK and Europe for the last year. Notable sold out performances at The Hammersmith Apollo and Brixton Academy. Ronson is known to bring new upcoming artist on the road with him, such as Sam Sparro, Tawiah and Julian Perretta. , In May 2008 Ronson played at the largest private party in the world, the Trinty Ball in Trinity College Dublin
[edit] Personal life
He is the nephew of property tycoon Gerald Ronson. Ronson has twin sisters: Charlotte is a fashion designer and Samantha is a popular DJ and singer, who is perhaps best known as Lindsay Lohan's party pal.
Ronson became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2008.[11]
He was formerly engaged to Quincy Jones' daughter, actress/singer Rashida Jones in 2003.
Ronson had been dating American artist Cosi Theodoli-Braschi since 2005, but the couple parted ways in early February 2008.[12]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Here Comes the Fuzz (8 September 2003) UK #70 [13]
- Version (16 April 2007) UK #2 [13] US #129
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions [13] | Album | |||||||||
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| UK | IRE | US | ITA | NET | AUS | BUL | SWI | |||||
| Hot 100 | R&B | Rhy | ||||||||||
| 2003 | "Ooh Wee" (feat. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife Da God & Saigon) |
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Here Comes the Fuzz |
| "International Affair" (feat. Sean Paul & Debi Nova) + |
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| 2006 | "Just" (feat. Alex Greenwald) (original issue) |
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Version |
| 2007 | "Stop Me" (feat. Daniel Merriweather) |
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| "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" (feat. Daptone Horns) ++ |
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| "No One Knows" (feat. Domino) ++ |
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| "Oh My God" (feat. Lily Allen) |
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Version | |
| "Valerie" (feat. Amy Winehouse) |
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| 2008 | "Just" (feat. Alex Greenwald) (reissue) |
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+ not released as commercial single, charted as album cut from airplay
++ not released as commercial single, charted from digital downloads
[edit] Singles produced by Mark Ronson
| Year | Song | Artist | Chart Position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | R&B | Hot 100 | ITA | AUS | |||
| 2001 | "Like A Feather" | Nikka Costa | 53 | - | - | - | - |
| 2002 | "School's In" | J-Live | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2004 | "City Rules" | Daniel Merriweather (feat. Saigon) | - | - | - | - | 76 |
| 2004 | "She's Got Me" | Daniel Merriweather | - | - | - | - | 69 |
| 2005 | "These Days" | Rhymefest | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | "Lovelight" | Robbie Williams | 8 | - | - | 4 | 25 |
| 2006 | "Littlest Things" | Lily Allen | 21 | - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | "Rehab" | Amy Winehouse | 7 | - | 10 | 9 | 35 |
| 2007 | "Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus" | Robbie Williams (feat. Lily Allen) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | "You Know I'm No Good" | Amy Winehouse | 18 | 87 | 78 | - | - |
| 2007 | "Back To Black" | Amy Winehouse | 25 | - | - | 12 | - |
| 2007 | "One More Chance" | Candie Payne | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | "Slow Down Baby" | Christina Aguilera | - | - | - | - | 21 |
| 2007 | "Wake Up Call (Remix)" | Maroon 5 (feat. Mary J. Blige) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | "Love Is A Losing Game" | Amy Winehouse | 46 | - | - | 40 | - |
| 2008 | "Cold Shoulder" | Adele | 18 | - | - | - | - |
[edit] Awards
- Grammy Award 2008 Producer of the Year - Non-Classical
- The BRIT Awards 2008 Best British Male Solo Artist..
[edit] Nominations
- The BRIT Awards 2008 Best Album - Version, Best Single - Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)
[edit] References
- ^ Mark Ronson
- ^ Mark Ronson interview » at Jewtastic
- ^ The man Amy and Lily go to when they want a hit - Times Online
- ^ a b c d Eliscu, Jenny (2007-06-14), "The Diva and Her Demons". Rolling Stone. (1028):58-69 Retrieved 2007-12-14
- ^ Alexis Petridis meets Mark Ronson | Pop | Guardian Unlimited Music
- ^ Ann Dexter Jones | ontheinside.info
- ^ The truth about the svengali seen paying a late-night visit to troubled Amy Winehouse's hotel | the Mail on Sunday
- ^ Mark Ronson: He's got it covered video interview with stv.tv
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2007/artists/markronson/
- ^ Mark Ronson: 'New Kaiser Chiefs album echoes debut'. NME (2008-05-05). Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Mark Ronson Gets U.S. Citizenship for Presidential Election
- ^ [http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/ronson%20single%20after%20love%20split_1059781 Mark Ronson - Ronson Single After Love Split]
- ^ a b c "Mark Ronson's worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
[edit] External links
Official
- MarkRonson.co.uk, official home page
- MySpace.com/MarkRonson, Ronson's official MySpace page
- Allido Records
General
- "Mark Ronson - Version Deluxe", interview with musicOMH.com
- "Mark Ronson Interview", at Caught In The Crossfire
- Sounds:Mark Ronson, interview with TimesOnline Listen: (mp3) • (iTunes)
- "Authentic Shit: MARK RONSON", weekly radio show on East Village Radio
- "House of the Rising Ronsons", New York magazine article on the Ronson family
