Laurie Latham (born 1954) is a British record producer whose career has now entered its fifth decade. Some of his most notably productions include albums New Boots & Panties by Ian Dury & the Blockheads, No Parlez by Paul Young, Echo & the Bunnymen by Echo & the Bunnymen, amongst more relatively recent productions for Stereophonics and The Maccabees.
Latham began his career in 1973 at Maximum Sound Studios, learning sound engineering whilst attending Surrey University, where he was inspired by guest lecturers such as George Martin. Following a period of engineering late night reggae session for artists such as Alton Ellis, Latham was advanced to Chief Engineer and recording sessions with Vivien Stanshall, Jimmy Webb and the opportunity to record music for Monty Python and the Holy Grail soundtrack with George Harrison and the Monty Python team. [1]
By the mid nineteen-seventies Latham had forged a prolific working relationship with Manfed Mann, which included the hit cover version of Bruce Springteen's Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band - reaching the number one spot in the USA in February 1977. He was the producer and engineer for Ian Dury's New Boots and Panties!! and produced the singles "What a Waste" and "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick", which went to number one in the UK in 1979. [1]
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band's drummer.
Heaven Up Here is the second album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 29 May 1981. In June 1981, Heaven Up Here became Echo & the Bunnymen's first Top 10 release when it reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also the band's first entry into the United States album charts when it reached number 184 of the Billboard 200. The songs "A Promise" and "Over the Wall" were released as singles.
Porcupine is the third studio album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. First released on 4 February 1983, it became the band's highest-charting release when it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart despite initially receiving poor reviews. It also reached number 137 on the American Billboard 200, number 85 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and number 24 on the Swedish chart. In 1984, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. The album includes the singles "The Back of Love" and "The Cutter."
Echo & the Bunnymen is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, their last with drummer Pete de Freitas, who died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident, aged 27. The album was produced by Laurie Latham; the sessions took place in Germany, Belgium, London and Liverpool, following an aborted attempt at recording the tracks without de Freitas and with producer Gil Norton. With Latham being an exacting producer, and lead vocalist Ian McCulloch receiving star treatment and drinking heavily, the recording was more difficult than the band had initially hoped. The album made more use of keyboards than their previous studio albums, which had been string-heavy. Three singles were issued: "The Game", "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo".
New Boots and Panties!! is the debut studio album by Ian Dury, released in the UK on Stiff Records on 30 September 1977. The record covers a diverse range of musical styles which reflect Dury's influences and background in pub rock, taking in funk, disco, British music hall and early rock and roll, courtesy of Dury's musical hero Gene Vincent. Consisting mostly of love songs and character stories based on the working-class people of the East End and Essex Estuary areas where he grew up, the songs are frequently ribald and profane, but also contain humour and affection for his characters.
Flowers is the ninth studio album released by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen in May 2001. It reached number 56 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was recorded at the Elevator Studios in Liverpool and the Bryn Derwyn Studios in Wales and produced by Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, with additional production by Pete Coleman. Flowers included the singles "It's Alright" and "Make Me Shine". The cover art is from a book by Michael Lesy called Wisconsin Death Trip (1973). It is about a town in Wisconsin called Black River Falls during the Victorian era.
Songs to Learn & Sing is a compilation album by English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 11 November 1985 by Korova. Featuring all of the singles the band had released up to that point, the album received positive reviews and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.
Michael William Gallagher is an English Hammond organ player best known as a member of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and for his contributions to albums by the Clash. He has also written music for films such as Extremes (1971) and After Midnight (1990), and the Broadway play Serious Money (1987).
"Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" is a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, first released as a single on Stiff Records in the UK on 1 December 1978 and credited to "Ian & the Blockheads". Written by Dury and the Blockheads' multi-instrumentalist Chaz Jankel, it is the group's most successful single, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart in January 1979 as well as reaching the top three in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and it was also a top 20 hit in several European countries.
Do It Yourself is a 1979 album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads. It was the first album to be credited to Ian Dury & the Blockheads rather than Ian Dury alone, although Dury had used the full band name for the "What a Waste" 7" single of 1978. The album was released in the wake of the chart-topping hit single "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick", and reached number two in the charts, behind ABBA's Voulez-Vous. Do It Yourself sold around 200,000 copies, and was Dury's second Platinum album.
Lord Upminster is the second solo studio album by the English rock and roll singer-songwriter Ian Dury. It was released by Polydor Records in September 1981.
Apples is the sixth studio album by Ian Dury, released in October 1989 by WEA. It was the soundtrack to his short-lived stage-show of same name though it was recorded before the show opened. The album contains twelve of the twenty tracks from the show. The album was reissued with no bonus tracks on 31 October 2011 by Edsel Records.
Ten More Turnips from the Tip is the fourth and final studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Dury's ninth overall. It was compiled and released in 2002, two years after Dury's death in March 2000.
Mr. Love Pants is a 1998 album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, released on East Central One under Dury's own label Ronnie Harris Records.
The Blockheads are an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. As of March 2023 members included Chaz Jankel, Nathan King (bass), Mick Gallagher, John Turnbull, John Roberts (drums), and Mike Bennett. There is a rolling line-up of saxophonists that includes Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards, Dave Lewis, and from time to time, the original sax player, Davey Payne. Between 2000 and 2022, the band's lead vocalist and main lyricist was Derek Hussey.
"Silver" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 13 April 1984. It was the second single to be released from their fourth studio album, Ocean Rain (1984). It stayed on the UK Singles Chart for five weeks, reaching a peak of number 30. It also reached number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart.
"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 7 October 1985. It was the only single from their 1985 compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing and was recorded for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink (1986). The song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart.
"The Game" is a song by Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 1 June 1987 as the first single from their eponymous album of that year; this reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Lips Like Sugar" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, which was released in July 1987. It was the second single from their eponymous fifth studio album (1987).
Norman Joseph Watt-Roy is an English musician, arranger and composer.