- Nicholas RAS Furlong
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Nicholas "RAS" Furlong 
Nicholas Furlong at a 2008 MTV Music Awards after party.Background information Birth name Nicholas Furlong Also known as RAS (Real as Shit) Born September 16, 1986 Origin Minden, Nevada, United States Genres Pop, pop rock, R&B, alternative rock, hip-hop, adult contemporary Occupations Songwriter, record producer, engineer, vocal producer Labels Grind Status Publishing
Kobalt Publishing
(2009–present)Associated acts Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic, Big Time Rush, Jordin Sparks, Justice Crew Website RAS Nicholas Michael Furlong (born September 16, 1986) is an American songwriter, record producer, vocal producer, and engineer.[1][2] He has worked with various artists such as Ryan Tedder, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis, Big Time Rush, Far East Movement, Colbie Caillat, Mario, JC Chasez, Leon Thomas, Wynter Gordon, Guy Sebastian, Stan Walker, Jessica Mauboy, Altiyan Childs, and Her Majesty & The Wolves.
Contents
Early life
Nicholas Furlong was born in Sacramento, California. His family (father Michael, also a musician, mother Jennifer, and brother Jake, a musician in the USMC band) moved a lot when Nicholas was an infant. Soon after he was born, the family settled in Minden, Nevada, where Nicholas was raised. Furlong took an interest in the music industry at an early age. He began honing his talents around the age of 14, when he started recorded his first songs.[1]
Career
Early musical career
In 2005, still only a senior in high school, Nicholas was recognized by Midway Games as a songwriter. He began writing original songs for video game soundtracks. Furlong contributed songs to the video games NBA Ballers, Blitz: The League, and NBA Ballers: Phenom,[3] where his song "Raise Up" was the title track for one of the game's trailers.
Furlong caught his first break in Germany, when he wrote the song "Derailed" with Nasri Atweh for the No Angels' 2009 album, Welcome To The Dance. The song was scheduled to be the second single and to release 27 November 2009 but was scrapped because of unknown reasons. He said, watching his song come within inches of being a major release only motivated him to work harder.
Producing and writing
Furlong is the writer of the Big Time Rush and Jordin Sparks duet "Count On You". The song aired on the show Big Time Rush on Nickelodeon in the episode "Big Time Sparks" on July 18, 2010.[4] It was the only episode that was featured as a special throughout their season on the network. The song is on their debut album, which released on 11 October 2010. In its first day, the album was the number 1 selling album on iTunes and "Count On You" broke top 200 songs without even being a single.[5] The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, selling 67,000 units in its first week of release. To date, Big Time Rush has sold over 1,000,000 albums worldwide and more than 3,100,000 singles collectively worldwide as well. They are also considered nickelodeon's most successful act of all time.
He worked with the 2010 winners of Australia's Got Talent, hip hop dance troupe Justice Crew. Their debut single "And Then We Dance", which was written by Furlong, was released digitally on 27 August 2010[6] and physically on 3 September 2010.[7] And Then We Dance" reached number 26 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and is certified Platinum by the ARIA.[8] On other Australian charts, it peaked at number 5 on the Australian Singles Chart (chart only for Australian origin),[9] and number 1 on the ARIA Physical Singles Chart.[10] Nicholas Furlong and Ryan Tedder began working together on several projects, including one of their first collaborations together "Automatic", a single by the group, Burnham. The song was later featured in the major motion picture, "Crazy Stupid Love".
In 2011, Furlong worked with Ryan Tedder on The World I Knew, a song recorded by Jordin Sparks for the Disney Nature film, "African Cats". He later worked with Sparks again, vocal producing and engineering her single "I Am Woman", that was released shortly after.[11] Furlong also worked with Tedder on Brighter Than The Sun, a song off of Colbie Caillat's sophomore release, All Of Me. Furlong and Ryan Tedder collaborated yet again writing Ordinary Man, a single from Australian X Factor winner, Altiyan Childs. The song was released digitally on September 23 through Sony Music Australia. Furlong is rumored to be currently working with Leona Lewis, Guy Sebastian, B.o.B, Cody Simpson, Mario, Christina Aguilera, Wynter Gordon, and Stan Walker, on their forthcoming studio albums.[12]
Australia
Furlong's successful Justice Crew single, And Then We Dance, which was certified platinum by the ARIA, was the beginning of his relationship with Sony Music Australia. Furlong went on to work further with Sony on Altiyan Childs' single "Ordinary Man", as well as with artists Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, and Stan Walker. Furlong expressed a strong interest in bringing his sound to Australia through working with Australian artists. In late 2011, Sony Australia and Furlong announced that they'd entered into a song deal and would be working together on a guaranteed total of ten releases. Furlong is the writer of "Won't Let You Down", a song included on Stan Walker's sophomore album entitled Let The Music Play, which released November 18th, 2011.
Discography
Song Performer Credits Ordinary Man Altiyan Childs Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Time Of Our Life Big Time Rush Writer, Vocal Producer, Additional Vocals Count On You Big Time Rush & Jordin Sparks Writer Automatic Burnham Writer Brighter Than The Sun Colbie Caillat Vocal Producer, Engineer Cut Me Down Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Emerald Showers Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Glaciers Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Goodbye, Goodnight Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Never Come Down Her Majesty & The Wolves Vocal Producer, Engineer Our Love Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Shades of Gray Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer, Vocoder Spinning Circles Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Walking On The Sun Her Majesty & The Wolves Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Back To Me Howie D Writer, Vocal Producer, Additional Vocals Going, Going, Gone Howie D Writer, Vocal Producer, Additional Vocals, Engineer Inescapable (RAS Remix) Jessica Mauboy Producer I Am Woman Jordin Sparks Vocal Producer, Engineer The World I Knew Jordin Sparks Vocal Producer, Engineer In My Arms Josiah Bell Writer, Vocal Producer Not Available Leona Lewis Writer And Then We Dance Justice Crew Writer, Producer Not Available Mario Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Cash That Murphy Lee (with The St. Lunatics) Writer, Vocals Derailed No Angels Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Won't Let You Down Stan Walker Writer, Vocal Producer, Engineer Dead and Gone (Remix) Travis Garland Producer, Engineer Not Available Wynter Gordon Writer Other unreleased songs performed and/or written by RAS include:
- Blame it on Me with Nikki Flores (Co-writer, co-producer)
- Boyfriend Material with The Jackie Boyz (Co-writer, co-producer)
- Can't Believe It (Remix) with Travis Garland and Kevin McHale (Co-writer, vocals)
- Can't Wait To Meet You with Travis Garland (Producer)
- Future with The Jackie Boyz (Co-writer)
- Hard To Breathe with Nikki Flores (Co-writer, co-producer)
- Haters (Writer, vocals)
- Hide and Seek (RAS Remix) (Producer)
- I Can't Fail (Writer, vocals)
- Insomniac (Writer, vocals)
- Leave Me Alone with BC Jean (Co-producer)
- Lollipop (Remix) (Writer, vocals)
- Lost and Found (Writer, vocals)
- Never Even Said Goodbye with Travis Garland (Co-writer)
- Overcome (Writer, vocals)
- Singing That Song (Co-writer, vocals)
- Shattered (Writer, vocals)
- Stranded with Travis Garland (Co-writer)
- Stranger with Travis Garland (Co-writer)
- Train of Thought with The Jackie Boyz (Co-writer)
- Twilight with Travis Garland (Co-writer)
- Your Way or The Highway with Travis Garland (Co-writer)
References
- ^ a b "Nicholas Furlong Interview". Carson City, NV. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080304/ENTERTAINMENT/112360856. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Kobalt Music". Kobalt. http://www.kobaltmusic.com/roster_songwriters.php. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ AllGame.com. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=48825&tab=credits=NBA Ballers: Phenom. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Big Time Rush Episodes". Nick.com. http://www.nick.com/videos/big-time-rush-videos/. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Big Time Rush Release". www.J-14.com. http://www.j-14.com/2010/08/big-time-rush-announces-album-release-on-october-11.html. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ And Then We Dance - Single by Justice Crew iTunes Store. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Justice Crew And Then We Dance CD Single www.musicshop.com.au - Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Hung Medien (2010-09-12) Justice Crew - And Then We Dance australian-charts.com - Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Top 20 Australian Singles Chart Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Top 50 Physical Singles Chart Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ http://idolator.com/5848192/jordin-sparks-i-am-woman-single
- ^ [1] Kobalt Summer 2010 Newsletter. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
Categories:- Living people
- American songwriters
- American record producers
- 1986 births
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