Calvin Harris

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Calvin Harris


Img_capt = Calvin Harris in 2007
Background = solo_singer
Born = birth date and age|1984|1|17
Alias = Stouffer
Years_active = 1999-present
Origin = Dumfries, Scotland,
Genre = Electronica
Pop
New Wave
Disco
Dance
House
Dance Pop
Occupation = Singer-songwriter, Producer
Label = Sony BMG, EMI Music Publishing
URL = [http://www.calvinharris.tv calvinharris.tv]

Calvin Harris (born January 17 1984), is a Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in and grew up in Dumfries.

Music career

Harris began making music as a 15 year old boy. His earliest success was when he was 18: the songs "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days" were released as a 12" club single and CD-EP by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the name Stouffer. [cite web |url=http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Harris,_Calvin/Biography/ |title=Calvin Harris Biography |accessdate=2007-08-10 |publisher=starpulse.com]

Harris signed contracts with EMI (publishing) and Sony BMG (recording) in 2006, after his music had been discovered on the social networking website MySpace. Harris had recently moved back from London to his hometown of Dumfries because he was unable to find a job. [Liam Ronan. [http://www.gigwise.com/contents.asp?contentid=29792&p=1 "Acceptable In The Noughties - Calvin Harris"] . gigwise.com. March 26, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2007.] He had only managed to release one song in 2004 with artist, Ayah. The song appears on The Unabombers' 'Electric Soul 2'.

His first album "I Created Disco" was released on 18 June 2007. The album contained uptempo electroclash songs that were influenced by music from the 1980s. To promote "I Created Disco", Harris embarked on a tour of the UK, supporting Faithless and Groove Armada. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/6377017.stm "Web wonder Calvin wins over Kylie"] . BBC. February 19, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007.] [ [http://www.calvinharris.tv/story?newsID=41 "Calvin To Support Groove Armada On UK Tour"] . calvinharris.tv. Retrieved June 12, 2007.]

The first release from the album was "Vegas" on limited edition vinyl and the first charted single released from the album was "Acceptable in the 80s", a tribute to the style and culture of the decade. The song reached the top ten on the UK singles chart, remaining on the chart for fifteen weeks. [ [http://acharts.us/song/12178 ""Acceptable in the 80s" World Charts] . acharts.us. Retrieved June 12, 2007.] "The Girls" was the album's second single, it reached the top 5 in the UK singles chart. The fourth release from the album was "Merrymaking at My Place" which reached #43 in the UK chart.

In 2007 Harris also recorded with Kylie Minogue. He had caught Minogue's attention after his recordings had been passed on to her by another record producer. Harris says that working with Kylie was "surreal, but fun" although revealed to mixmag in 2007 to "needing a few drinks before meeting her." Harris co-wrote and produced two songs on Kylies' X album; 'In My Arms' and 'Heart Beat Rock'.

He is recently credited as being the producer in a remixed version of The Mitchell Brothers song "Michael Jackson". Harris is also currently working with British pop-star Sophie Ellis-Bextor, co-writing some new songs for her upcoming fourth studio album.

On April 3, 2008, it was revealed that the only existing copy of his upcoming album work was lost when his laptop was misplaced during the Heathrow baggage crisis. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7328513.stm BBC NEWS | Scotland | South of Scotland | DJ loses album in baggage backlog ] ] He later stated on the BBC's Glastonbury Festival 2008 coverage that he got his baggage back including the album within a few days.

In 2008 he collaborated with UK rapper Dizzee Rascal on Dizzee's song "Dance Wiv Me". They performed an acoustic version for the BBC as part of the Glastonbury Festival 2008 coverage. The song was released digitally on 30 June 2008 and went straight to number 1 in the UK.

Calvin's second studio album will be ready to be released in mid-2009 in the United Kingdom. The album will follow-up the UK Top 10-album "I Created Disco".

Releases

Albums

*"I Created Disco" - 11 June 2007 - (UK) #8 - September 4 2007 (USA)

Early releases

* 2002: "Da Bongos"/"Brighter Days" "(Released under pseudonym Stouffer)" [cite web
url=http://www.discogs.com/release/200484 |title=Stouffer - Da Bongos / Brighter Days |accessdate=2007-10-05 |date=2007 |publisher=Discogs]
* 2004: "Let Me Know"
* December 11, 2006: "Acceptable in the 80s" "(10" double A side with This Is The Industry, limited to 500 copies)"
* January 29, 2007: "Vegas" "(10" double A side with Merrymaking At My Place, limited to 1000 copies)"
* February 6, 2007: "Rock Band" "(released by Xylophone Jones Recordings)"

ingles

*"Acceptable in the 80s" March 12, 2007 UK #10
*"The Girls" June 4, 2007 UK #3
*"Merrymaking at My Place" August 20, 2007 UK #43
*"Colours" (download & 12" only) November 5, 2007 UK #124

Productions

* 2007: Róisín Murphy - "Off & On" "(unreleased but leaked)"
* 2007: Róisín Murphy - "Don't Let It Go to Your Head Boy" "(unreleased)"
* 2007: Kylie Minogue - "Love is the Drug" "(cover of song by Roxy Music, for Radio 1 Established 1967 compilation)"
* 2007: Kylie Minogue - "In My Arms" UK#10, EU#08, WW#26 (Number 1 single on the Romanian Top 100)
* 2007: Kylie Minogue - "Heart Beat Rock"
* 2007: The Mitchell Brothers - "Michael Jackson" UK#65
* 2007: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Off And On"
* 2008: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Calling It Love"
* 2008: Dizzee Rascal - "Dance Wiv Me" UK#1

Remixes

* 2006: Jamiroquai - "Canned Heat"
* 2006: All Saints - "Rock Steady"
* 2007: Groove Armada - "Get Down"
* 2007: CSS - "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above"
* 2007: Jamiroquai - "Stillness In Time" "(for Radio 1 Established 1967 compilation)"
* 2008: The Ting Tings - "Great DJ"
* 2008: Cut Copy - "Hearts On Fire"
* 2008: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Off And On"
* 2008: Primal Scream - "Uptown"

Notes

External links

* [http://www.calvinharris.tv/ calvinharris.tv] – official website
* [http://www.caughtinthecrossfire.com/music/interviews/4120 www.caughtinthecrossfire.com/music/interviews/4120] - Interview
* [http://www.giglovers.com/band/calvin+harris Upcoming Tour Dates]
* [http://myspace.com/calvinharristv Calvin Harris at MySpace]
*
* [http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=7619152 www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=7619152] - Interview: Calvin Harris: Playah, Geek, or Electro Man? Just Don't Call Him a MySpace Sensation by Gerry Visco, New York Press, April 30, 2008