The Trevor Horn Band are an English group formed in 2006 as the Producers, when they included record producers Trevor Horn (bass and vocals) and Steve Lipson (guitar), and musicians Lol Creme (guitar and vocals) and Ash Soan (drums). The band briefly adopted the name US before changing to Producers. Latterly, they have switched to the name The Trevor Horn Band.
Producer Chris Braide (keyboards and vocals) was originally a member but left in 2009 due to work commitments, though still contributed to the band's début album Made in Basing Street (released under the name Producers), released on 25 June 2012. Gary Langan also works with the band, engineering and mixing in the studio and working front of house at gigs.
History
Formation and Camden gigs (2006–09) The concept for the band was conceived as a mutual means for the ZTT music producer partners Trevor Horn (formerly of The Buggles, Yes and Art of Noise) and Steve Lipson (session guitarist for a number of acts) to take a break from their work in the studio and play their songs live. Joined by producer Chris Braide, music video director and former 10cc frontman Lol Creme (also formerly of Godley and Creme and Art of Noise) and session drummer Ash Soan (worked for various artists including Dido and Robbie Williams, and former member of Del Amitri), they named the project The Producers in reference to their careers in the studio, and started out playing live covers. Braide described the formation of the band:
"The idea was... I was good friends with Steve Lipson, who worked with Trevor on all the Frankie Goes to Hollywood stuff, all that stuff. And Steve and I were good mates and he kept saying to me we should form a band and get out of the studio, just have some fun. This was way back in early 2000s. And we did eventually. And Trevor got involved with Lol, and then I brought Ash Soan, the drummer, in, who I'd known for years before that. And we had good fun, y’know, and then... So, to cut a long story short, I moved to the US and, and that ended."
Their first gig was at the Barfly in Camden Town, London in November 2006, playing songs from the members' history (including "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles, Clay Aiken's song "Invisible" (co-written by Braide), and 10cc's "Rubber Bullets" and "I'm Not in Love"), as well as covers of other songs that the members had written, worked on, or simply enjoyed. The band was joined by percussionist Luís Jardim and guests; Anne Dudley, David Jordan, producer Bruce Woolley (a friend of Horn's who worked with The Buggles) and Will Young. The band would eventually return to the studio to record original material for Horn and Langan's ZTT branch of Stiff Records, with sessions beginning in Los Angeles in December 2006. Producer, audio engineer and third former member of Art of Noise, Gary Langan, joined as the band's engineer, mixing the album and working front of house at live shows.
A second Camden gig in February 2007 followed a similar format to their first show, but also debuted two original songs, "Freeway" (sung by Braide, which Horn has said was inspired by driving on a freeway from Los Angeles) and "Barking Up the Right Tree" (an acoustic piece sung by Creme). The band was joined again by Jardim and Jordan, as well as Jamie Cullum. "Barking Up the Right Tree" would be released as a single with "Freeway" as a B-side in 2007 on the Stiff Records label. Further gigs in Camden would see more new songs: "Your Life", "Man on the Moon", "You and I", "Waiting for the Right Time" and a song entitled "Music from Bel Air" (which wouldn't appear on the album), and featured more guest appearances, including Tina Charles (whose backing band Horn began his musical career as part of) on their cover of Grace Jones' "Slave to the Rhythm".
The Producers' début album was originally announced under the name Studio 1, to be released on the Stiff label, but was then renamed Watching You Out There (sharing its name with a new song that wouldn't be revealed until the 2012 university tour). The album was eventually released as Made in Basing Street, referencing its creation at the SARM Studios (formerly Basing Street Studios, now owned by Horn) in London's Notting Hill.